...the Association at the Turn, or What Ever Happened to Terry Porter

This weekend past could very well have been the best of the year, for love was in the air. While we flew solo this Cupid Day, we're cool with that, feeling that being with someone just to be with someone is worse than being alone. Besides, we'd only have ended up pissing off our signifigant other, blowing her off for NBA All-Star Saturday Night, which is only the best non-playoff night of the entire season! (ok, except for the part where they try to cram the WNBA down our throat). So we went out for a drink on Valentine's and soaked up the love around us. It really is nice seeing people in love and happy, even if only for a night. When it comes right down to it, our entire lives are fleeting; it's good to see some happiness in our midst. So, with our spirits revived and our heart warmed, we hunkered down for the festivities on TNT...As we sit at the halfway point in the Association, it's time to look back at our predictions and preseason awards and see where we stand. But first, a few items...Idiot of the Week goes to Colorado state senator Chris Romer (D), who has intorduced legislation to offer in-state tuition to illegal aliens because, "there are an awful lot of people in the country illegally who are really struggling to afford a college education." Really? Ya know, there are even more taxpaying legal citizens who are doing the same thing, Chris. How about throwing them a bone? Under Romer's bill, Skatterkid would not be able to get in-state tuition at Colorado State, because she lives in Texas -- unless she moves to (let's be nice and say) Canada, renounces her US citizenship, sneaks back over the border, moves to Colorado and applies. See, that's just not change we can believe in...Enough of the OctoMom. We try to avoid these annoying, sensationalized infotainment stories, but we have to say a few things here: 1) Yes, she's a dumbass, as is the doctor who put the litter in her; 2) Unless you live in California or are planning to move there, not many of your tax dollars will be supporting her and if they are, the amount pales in comparison to the sum wasted in Washington every day, so chill; 3) There's really nothing that can be done, short of placing a legal limit on how many children one can bear. Good luck passing that legislation; 4) She does NOT look like Angelina Jolie. At all. Wrong hair, wrong eye color, wrong cheek bones, wrong entire body. Let it go, folks.

Now onto the NBA at the Turn:



Not too many shocks here. The Cavs are better than we thought, the Pistons worse. Washington and Houston are both going to use injuries again to excuse the fact that they really suck, and The Usual Suspects are at the top. Our original Finals prediction (ORL/N.O.), based on U'F-er were semi tongue-in-cheek, but they looked good for a bit there. Until Jameer Nelson got hurt and George Shinn remembered he's in New Orleans and started the fire sale. The Hornets, we fear, are on the precipice of a long, painful, fiscally-induced slide into mediocrity, while the Magic still appear to be one player away from the upper echelon. Our biggest question from the first half though -- what the hell is going on in Phoenix? That organization looks damned-near Clipperesque in it's collapse.


Onto the review:


First Coach to be Fired
Our Pick: Maurice Cheeks, Philadelphia 76'ers
Actual: P.J. Carlesimo, Oklahoma City Thunder
Comment: Mo and his '83 Championship teammate, Marc Iavaroni of the Memphis Grizzlies were not far behind.

Breakout Season Coming From
Our Pick: Devin Harris, New Jersey Nets
Actual: Harris
Comment: Gone from Dallas less than a season and already an All-Star.

We Give Up On
Our Pick: Josh Howard, Dallas Mavericks
Comment: Still a solid player, he needs a change of scenery badly.

We Still Say He's a Star in the Making
Our Pick: Raymond Felton, Charlotte Bobcats
Comment: Several teams are showing interest in him, but the fact that LB wants to shed him says more.

Best Offseason, Team
Our Pick: Philadelphia 76'ers
Comment: Picking up Elton Brand without having to get rid of any of their core pieces was the coup of the offseason. His failure to mesh very well could have led to a deadline trade, had he not gotten hurt. Either he or Iguodala need to go and the Sixers need to settle on the style of the survivor.

Worst Offseason, Team
Our Pick: Los Angeles Clippers
Comment: They land Baron Davis then lose Elton. Classic Clipperdom. And the season has been worse.


Best Offseason, Fans
Our Pick: Charlotte Bobcats
Comment: Two words -- Larry Brown. The Bobcats are 3 1/2 games out of the 8 seed and have already turned over a good bit of the roster. This franchise is on course for the playoffs next year and some noisemaking the following season.


Worst Offseason, Fans:
Our Pick: Seattle
Comment: Their team sucked, but they were still their team.


Best Offseason Trade
Our Pick: Houston Rockets obtaining Ron Artest for Bobby Jackson and garbage.
Comment: We thought his testicular fortitude would rub off on T-Mac and Yao. We were wrong. The three-way deal that netted the Cleveland Cavaliers Mo Williams was clearly the best offseason deal, in retrospect. (Williams to Cleveland; Damon Jones, Adrian Griffin and Luke Ridnour to Milwaukee; Joe Smith and Desmond Mason to OKC)


Worst Offseason Trade
Our Pick: NYK stealing Cuttino Mobley for Zack Randolph.
Comment: Our favorite Inky/Dougherty guy ended up having a heart condition and retired. So it's still a bad trade, just the other way.


Sam Cassell Award, for he who will bitch the loudest about the contract he voluntarily signed:
Our Pick: Ron Artest, Houston Rockets
Comment: We figured when he figured out hey still sucked, RonRon would go bad. But he hasn't. Yet.


Shawn Bradley Award, for he who signed the most undeserved contract:
Our Pick: Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards
Comment: Agent Zero promptly went out and got hurt. When asked about a return this season, Arenas replied, "we're 4-27. What do you think?" Nice.


Penny Hardaway Award, for the most overrated player of his time:
Our Pick: Gilcy McGrenas, Houston Wizards
Comment: Have either T-Mac or Arenas shown you anything to dispute this? Ever?


Rookie of the Year
Our Pick: Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
Comment: Dude can ball.


Playoff Teams:
Our Picks, East: Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, Orlando, Philadelphia, Atlanta, New Jersey and New York.
Our Picks, West: LALakers, New Orleans, Denver, Utah, Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, Portland.

Comment: Add Miami and lose NYK out east and switch Houston for Phoenix in the West and call it done.


30 Games to go!


Until next time,
Paz


ps: If the Colorado thing pissed you off, don't move to California, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, New York, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, Oklahoma or Texas -- they already offer in-state tuition to illegals.