Random Thoughts

Since I missed yesterday, and it's Saturday, I figured I'd just throw out some things I've been thinking about lately:

• If the Lakers did trade for Ron Artest (which seems unlikely), what book would Phil Jackson give him?

• Why do they still let fans vote for the All-Star starters? Yao Ming is leading all vote-getters while Marcus Camby is having an MVP season. At least he's second, I guess—oh wait, no, Amare Stoudemire is ahead of him, despite the fact that he hasn't played a single minute this season. Who's in third, Artis Gilmore?

• Hope Larry Brown's enjoying his dream job. And I hope the $10 million or whatever a year is worth the 10 years it's gonna take off his life.

• I'll give Ron Artest this—he gave a hell of a lot of NBA columnists a hell of a lot to write about. ESPN should sign him when he becomes a free agent.

• I read Ian Thomsen's Sports Illustrated story on Alonzo Mourning this week, and you know what? I still don't have much respect for him. Of course he wants to win a championship—so does every other NBA player. What every other NBA player does NOT do, is force a trade from the ONE team that was willing to take a chance on his surgically repaired body when no one else was (after blasting the same management that signed him), then force ANOTHER team to buy him out, then sign with the team he thought had the best chance of winning a championship.

Either the Nets or the Raptors should have said, you know what? We'll give you your money, but you're going to sit on our bench while you get it. You're going to come to practice and do the job you're getting paid to do. Nowhere does it say in an NBA contract that you have to have a shot at the title every year. (In fact, the Raptors should have the same thing with Vince Carter.) How far can a sense of entitlement go? At least Karl Malone let his cotract run out before leaving the Jazz.

And Mourning's comparing himself to Lance Armstrong is an insult. I know Zo has played very well this year, but Lance Armstrong LED his team to championships. Seven of them. Sure, he relied on others to help get him there, but in the end, it was just him. And he didn't sign on with the strongest team to give himself the best chance, either. No, instead he stayed with US Postal—the team that made him an offer when no one else would—and he did everything he could to lead them to victory.

Zo has built himself back into a great player, which is admirable. But for me, that's where it stops. Him and Riley deserve each other.

• Um, how about those Rockets? Tracy McGrady's just plain ridiculous (the fourth quarter in Seattle?).

• Ron Artest kind of needs to be a Trail Blazer at least once in his life, doesn't he?

• The Nets need to either play Marc Jackson or trade him before he kills somebody.

• Upon further reflection, if I'm Isiah Thomas, I give up any two players for Artest. Then—why not?—sign Latrell Sprewell, too.

• Anyone else find it funny that Ben Wallace was complaining about the same thing that Artest was (not being involved enough in the offense)? At least they agree on something. Hell, off the court, they'd probably be good friends.

• What this season is really missing right now is speculation about another Michael Jordan comeback.