Atlanta at Memphis

Ball Don't Lie celebrated its two-year anniversary last week, and I regret to inform you that we've yet to feature Ken "the Snake" Norman prominently in a post. This is on us, fully, and on behalf of each of Ball Don't Lie's contributors, I apologize.

The Hawks are in Memphis tonight, fresh off an unscheduled three-day rest that follows the cancellation of the team's Saturday night contest in Washington D.C. Atlanta has been nervous on the road of late, but a chance to get into the "teeth" of Memphis' rather iffy defense could have Mike Woodson's crew licking its chops.

The Grizzlies? They're floundering, with three losses in a row and a bonafide second round team about to attack its home arena. Of course, with this much talent, Memphis is due for a revival, and because the Hawks play such silly ball away from Philips Arena, we could have ourselves a game.

We've got 11 games tonight, actually, as the NBA tries to cram it all in before the All-Star break hits on Friday. Document it all, and share your favorite bird vs. bear stories in the comment section.

Atlanta Hawks: 32-17, 90.9 possessions per game (26th), 111.4 points scored per 100 possessions (fourth), 106.2 points allowed per 100 possessions (11th).

Memphis Grizzlies: 26-24, 93.3 possessions per game (10th), 109.1 points scored per 100 possessions (10th), 109.9 points allowed per 100 possessions (24th).

All statistics courtesy basketball-reference.com.

Spelling Jameer Nelson on Sunday, Jason Williams tallied six points in 12 minutes, making both his shots and both of his free throw attempts, adding two dimes while declining to turn the ball over.

A couple of weeks ago, I championed the idea of Zach Randolph making the All-Star team. He eventually did make the All-Star team, a move that most of you, I'm sure, are cool with.

Also, at some point this month, Tyrus Thomas will likely be traded from the Chicago Bulls.

Chicago had long ago decided not to re-sign the fourth-year forward, and they'll be looking to dump his expiring contract on another team for other expiring deals, looking fully forward to the free agent class of 2010.

These three players are the same guy, you know. The guy's a bit of a lout, a knucklehead; someone who will never get it. Until they do get it, of course.

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San Antonio at Los Angeles Lakers

Part of me — a big part of me — wants to point you toward Golden State and the Mavericks. Those teams, even before the classic 2007 playoff series, have gone at it for years. People may not have been paying attention — remember this nonsense? It happened the same night as this brilliance — but the Warriors and Mavericks are natural enemies. Dog and cat stuff, here, lovelies.

The problem with that is that the Warriors have about 1.75 players on their roster that recognize this enduring reality. Why? Because they're hurt. Too many injuries. Same reason (no Chris Paul(notes)) that I'm not staring straight at the Hornets and Magic.

Lakers and Spurs? This goes back a while, as well. The Lakers used to own the Spurs. Made great Spurs teams timid. And yet, the two most underachieving Lakers teams of our lifetime — those 1999 and 2003 mugs — lost to the Spurs in the playoffs in series that weren't even close.

Two TNT games, tonight, amongst the three. Not sure why. Don't care why. Comment away.

Los Angeles Lakers: 39-13, 93.4 possessions per game (eighth), 109.5 points per 100 possessions (ninth), 102.6 points allowed per 100 possessions (fourth).

San Antonio Spurs: 29-20, 91.4 possessions per game (22nd), 110 points scored per 100 possessions (seventh), 104.8 points allowed per 100 possessions (10th).

All statistics courtesy basketball-reference.com.

It appears to be the only big deal that survived the weekend.

It appears to be the only possible deal in this impending all or nothing trade deadline de 2010. The trade deadline that could see half of the NBA moved an inch to the left, or merely Dorell Wright shipped away from Miami for a conditional second-rounder. Conditional.

Amar'e Stoudemire and potentially, we think (we're pretty sure, dude's opting out) his expiring contract to the Philadelphia 76ers for Andre Iguodala and his rather large contract.

It wouldn't be that simple. It never is. Philadelphia would certainly want the Suns to take on Samuel Dalembert's contract, and the 76ers would probably have to take on Jason Richardson, and various parts (expiring or otherwise) would have to be tossed in so as to even things out. The point being that the 76ers, in the midst of an embarrassing season spent playing in front of some of the most dispassionate and smaller home crowds in this league, for the fourth or fifth year in a row, are trying to re-tool. Rebuild. Re-everything.

And the Suns? For some reason, they want Andre Iguodala.

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Orlando 96, Boston 89

The guess here is the best. Even if you didn't see the game, you're probably correct in your assumption. Boston looked old; it plays too old, though it's not old enough to go down without a fight.

At one point in the third quarter, the Orlando Magic — wearing these terrible pinstripes, with all their faults, with all these issues left to be sorted out between now and May — were made to look like world-beaters. And as they moved the ball and found the open man, or as they got to the/(side of the) rim, and as they harassed Boston out of its initial or secondary sets and into long jumpers, the thing that kept popping up into my head was our limited take on both sides of this pairing from last summer.

Boston looks old. Orlando looks stacked.

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Chicago at Atlanta

This is where we gauge teams like this. The middle of the season, various reasons to go different directions, all sorts of types of play that can create insight into just what the particulars on each team are thinking.

What the heck am I talking about? Well, the Hawks have had a lot of success lately handing the ball to Joe Johnson(notes) and getting out of the way. And Joe's been terrific, scoring efficiently and either winning games for Atlanta or keeping things close. But you can't win huge heaps of games that way, and with a team that has all sorts of scoring options both inside and out, a player like Johnson doesn't have to pull an Allen Iverson(notes) in 2001-act. No reason for it.

Chicago? All sorts of reasons to skulk away and lose this game. For one, this is a mopey team, and they've lost two rather dispirited contests in a row to the Clippers and 76ers on the heels of an impressive five game road winning streak. This team has been in Atlanta before, this season, on the same network, and lost by 35 points. And that game looked a lot worse.

So they can mope, or they can win. Their call.

Johnson can chuck, and Atlanta can win, or Johnson can chuck and Atlanta can lose. We appreciated his star turn, but at some point he's going to have to realize that this little burst is what it is -- just a little burst. Even if he shoots 18 of 27 tonight. It can't last forever, and Al Horford's(notes) going to need some looks.

Some great games on tonight. Stay safe and warm, East Coasters, and stop throwing that Frisbee around, left coasters. Both sides? Comment away.

Atlanta Hawks: 31-17, 91 possessions (26th), 111.5 points scored per 100 possessions (fourth), 106.4 points allowed per 100 possessions (13th).

Chicago Bulls: 23-24, 93 possessions per game (14th), 101.3 points scored per 100 possessions (28th), 104 points allowed per 100 possessions (seventh).

All statistics courtesy basketball-reference.com.

Portland 96, San Antonio 93

A slow, very fun, game that was only held from being an out and out shootout by the rather pedestrian (27 total) amount of free throw makes.

Otherwise, good scoring, good shooting, low turnovers. The only reason San Antonio was even in this game was because Portland doubled the Spurs up turnover-wise; 12 to six. And, really, 12 turnovers? That's like a world-class body builder admitting to enjoying the odd bowl of Frosted Flakes with skim milk.

Portland worked at this game. The Spurs had issues executing offensively down the stretch, and the Blazers never stopped poking, working, moving itself into a position to take a good shot. San Antonio just did not have the defensive answers, and though the score of this game was a little low, Portland's 111 points per 100 possessions was quite high.

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"Voluntary and mutual." You should believe that.

These were the words used to describe the parting of ways between the Los Angeles Clippers, and former coach Mike Dunleavy. The former coach is the once and current GM, mind you, as he'll stay on in that regard. As for now, though, he's out as sideline stalker, longtime assistant Kim Hughes is in as a replacement, and "voluntary and mutual" sounds about right. Both sides wanted this move.

Even with Clippers owner Donald Sterling's skinflint ways, this makes sense. Sure, he's not going to want to pay primo money for a new head coach, not with that un-Sterling like (or, pre-2003 un-Sterling-like) payroll and Dunleavy's contract still on the books. But he wants bang for the buck, and Dunleavy's crew was not providing much bang at all.

Whether this is Dunleavy's fault or not is up for conjecture, but with more than $60 million doled out to this year's crop of Clippers, Sterling clearly expects more than a 21-28 record and the 12th ranking in the West. And, for once, I agree with him.

Relative to NBA payrolls, $60 million may not seem like much. It's still 26th in a league of 30 teams, but for Sterling this is quite the expense report. Add in the hundreds of thousands he's still paying out to various ex-head coaches, the embarrassing (to put it mildly) civil suit that forced an unrepentant Sterling to dole out $2.725 million, and a Clippers crowd that dwindles to fewer and fewer by the day, it makes a little sense that Sterling is, at the very least, on edge.

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San Antonio at Portland

I get it. I get that LeBron James(notes) and Dwyane Wade(notes) are good mates, and that they're two of the best basketball players in the game today. I also understand that the last time these two met, for one (second) quarter at least, the two produced perhaps the nicest back and forth we've seen in the NBA this season.

Also understood is the fact that Tony Parker(notes) is out for the Spurs game tonight, and that Brandon Roy(notes) is out for the Trail Blazers (more than likely). And that both teams played last night, on the road.

This will still be the better game. Why? Because things are going to even out, and despite a defensive rep, both the Trail Blazers and Spurs are two of the better offensive teams in the NBA. This game might not top 85 possessions, and yet it will be a shootout.

You've heard of Lawler's Law? This is McMillan's Law: First to 85 points, making 50 percent of your shots, wins.

Also, Wade and LeBron. That'll probably be worth watching, as well. Comment away.

San Antonio Spurs: 28-19, 91.4 possessions per game (23rd), 110.2 points scored per 100 possessions (seventh), 105.1 points allowed per 100 possessions (10th).

Portland Trail Blazers: 29-22, 87.4 possessions per game (30th), 111 points scored per 100 possessions (fifth), 107.8 points allowed per 100 possessions (18th).

All statistics courtesy basketball-reference.com.

Josh Howard doesn't have to go. According to Mark Cuban, he's become a model teammate. He hasn't been much of a distraction recently due to any off-court nonsense. He's dealt with injury and his personal permanence in the rotation with ease.

He's also eased, as Mike Fisher mentioned at DallasBasketball.com today, into irrelevancy.

At the age of 29, when most players hit their prime, when most players have coupled that athleticism with those years of accrued intelligence and all that muscle memory put together through a thousand reps both on court and off, Josh Howard has disappeared.

Twelve points on sub-40 percent shooting. Five combined assists and rebounds in 26 minutes. The Mavericks play better with him off the court on offense, and they play better with him off the court on defense. He's Derrick McKey, in the later years, without all that nagging three-point accuracy (26 percent, still shooting over two a game) and defensive stop-o-tude.

He isn't destroying the Mavs, he's just sub-average. And that's a quality the Mavericks can least afford right now.

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