I'm about to take off for tonight's game but I wanted to jot down a few thoughts first.

This should be a fantastic game with many playoff implications. The Nuggets are 2 games back of the 8th seeded Golden State Warriors. The Suns were the # 1 seed in the West before acquiring Shaq. They have gone 4-3 since and have slid to the 5th seed.

Phoenix's struggles defensively have been well documented. The Suns have given up 110 + points in 5 of the 7 games since Shaq's arrival. Denver is the 4th highest scoring team in the NBA. Look for Iverson or Anthony...maybe both...to have a HUGE scoring night. I'm sure you're thinking, duh, they're two of the NBA's best scorers but the Nuggets have struggled mightily against opposing guards since Marion was traded to Miami. Shawn allowed the Suns to hide Steve Nash on defense. The Suns no longer have that luxury. The Suns have been TORCHED by Kobe Bryant, Rudy Gay, Chris Paul, and Andre Iguadola.

In a game filled with stars like Steve Nash, Shaquille O'Neal, Amare Stoudemire, Grant Hill, Allen Iverson, Marcus Camby, and Carmelo Anthony, I think the outcome will be decided by Kenyon Martin. Stoudemire has blossomed since Shaq's arrival in the Valley of the Sun. Kenyon is one of the few players who has the size AND athleticism necessary to defend Amare. We'll see if he's up to the task.

Well, that's all I've got for now...

Clutch [kluhch]
-verb (used with object)

13. Sports. an extremely important or crucial moment of a game: He was famous for his coolness in pitching in the clutch.

14. any critical position or situation; emergency: She kept complete control in the clutch.

16. done or accomplished in a critical situation: a clutch shot that won the basketball game.

17. dependable in crucial situations: a clutch player.

The 17-foot jumper with 15 seconds left that gave the Tar Heels the 1982 NCAA championship. The hanging, double-clutch jumper over the Cleveland Cavaliers' Craig Ehlo at the buzzer. Game 6 of the 1998 Finals, with the Bulls down by three with 40 seconds left, he scored on a layup, stole the ball, and hit the winning jumper.

When it comes to clutch play, Michael Jordan set the standard by which every player is measured.

But now we have two players vying for the title as most clutch. LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Both were in top form this past Sunday. LeBron returned with 9:55 to play against Chicago and the Cavaliers trailing 76-68. James scored six in a key stretch late in the game and led the Cavaliers over the Chicago Bulls, 95-86. Kobe Bryant scored 22 points in the fourth quarter and eight in overtime to finish with 52 in Los Angeles' 108-104 victory over Dallas. They were the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month for games played in February. They are the two best players in the world. [ Read ]

Sam Cassell, Jamaal Magloire, Brent Barry... There's a lot of noise these days about players getting picked up by teams trying to make a deep playoff run this spring. It has become a trend in recent years. Veterans stuck in losing franchises get their contracts bought out and join playoff squads that may give them a shot at the ring (or at least at reviving their careers). How's that working out for those players and the clubs that sign them?

Not all that well.

Of the 24 players bought out of their contracts and subsequently signed by playoff teams between January 1 and the beginning of the playoffs the last five seasons, only two (Lindsey Hunter and Glenn Robinson) won the championship that year. Hunter averaged just 2.4 ppg for the Pistons in the 2004 playoffs following a trade that sent him from Detroit to Boston in February and a release that got him back in Motown later that month. Meanwhile, Robinson scored 50 points (on 35.6 percent shooting) in San Antonio's title run.

- I think this is a weak argument since only ONE team wins the NBA championship each year. How many teams sign more than ONE player whose contract has been bought out? That being said, "2/5" is a pretty good ratio.

I don't fault veteran players who seek to be bought out from lottery teams. If it wasn't in those teams' best interests, they wouldn't agree to the buyouts.