Lady Lakers to fill in for missing NBA All-Stars

It has been reported from several super trust worthy news sources that the Lady Lakers of, uh, Michigan will replace the NBA players who will sit out this Sunday night for the NBA All-Star Game in Dallas at 7 PM EST on TNT. Commissioner David Stern attempted to find NBA players to replace the All-Stars who will miss Sunday's game, but apparently every player he contacted had already planned a vacation and/or told him to "get the fuck out [they] face with that All-Star Weekend bullshit." Stern had hoped to have the following players to replace these All-Stars:

Denver's Chauncey Billups for New Orleans' Chris Paul (injured knee)

The Clippers' Chris Kaman for Portland's Brandon Roy (injured hamstring)

New York's David Lee for Philadelphia's Allen Iverson (attending to sick daughter)

Dallas Maverick/New Beginnings Retirement Home resident Jason Kidd for the Lakers' Kobe Bryant (injured ankle, broken finger, back spasms, obsessive work ethic, delusions of grandeur, unhealthy Michael Jordan fetish, etc.)

The Lady Lakers seem poised to take the court at Cowboys Stadium in front of the largest crowd assembled in basketball history with more than 90,000 expected. When reporters asked if they were ready to perform against the NBA's elite in front of a record breaking crowd, they responded in unison with a resounding "Duh!"

Another one bites the dust

Looks like Blake Griffin is going to have to get used to wearing a suit. Yet another #1 draft pick oozing with potential will have to watch from the sidelines, as it was reported yesterday that the Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin will have season ending surgery on his broken left knee cap. Griffin had been progressing enough with his recovery that he had begun running on treadmills, but after he felt pain in his knee while jumping in a swimming pool, it was determined that surgery would be necessary.

God damn. Who in the NBA is next? Greg Oden is out for the year, as well as almost half of the rest of the Portland Trailblazers. And now it's being reported that Brandon Roy is having pain in his hamstring, which means he might miss some time. But that's the Blazers, so I won't get into that.

So where do the Clippers go from here now that they can't assess how the rest of the roster will play alongside Griffin? What the Clippers decide to do with Marcus Camby and his $9,150,000 expiring contract seems to be the biggest issue at hand. Because their playoff hopes are more than likely nonexistent in the competitive Western Conference, the Clippers might be able to acquire some younger talent for Camby, who's skill set and expiring contract has long been coveted by many teams throughout the league. However, there is also speculation that they will hold on to Camby to fill Griffin's void in the front court. I say if Camby can get them a swingman who is a proven veteran or promising young prospect, they might as well do it. Camby is 35 years old, so it's not like he will be a big part of their future.

Man, this sure sucks. As if two winning seasons in the past 30 years wasn't enough to feel bad about for Billy Crystal and the rest of the Clips' fan base. At least they have something to look forward to next year, although I'm sure they're sick of that sentiment by now.

Hang in there, big guy

Greg Oden will likely be out for the rest of the season after fracturing his left knee cap in a collision with Rockets guard Aaron Brooks in the first quarter of a 90-89 Blazers win. After an MRI, the Blazers have reported he will need surgery and they have given no timetable for his return. The injury is yet another dent to Portland's roster, which has been plagued by injuries. Starting small forward Nicholas Batum needed shoulder surgery before the season began and forward Travis Outlaw fractured his right foot in November and will also undergo surgery. Guard Rudy Fernandez is also out with sciatic pain and is scheduled for an MRI.

You can't help but feel sorry for Oden after missing his entire rookie season and twenty some games last season. He seems like such a nice dude, who's worked hard to stay healthy. I've really wanted to see him succeed after all of the whispers that he's just another Sam Bowie. Sure, in hindsight the Blazers probably should have picked Kevin Durant instead of Oden, much like they should have picked Jordan instead of Bowie in '84, but you can't blame them for using their number one pick on a big man. Quality centers are so hard to come by these days and if Oden could stay healthy, I'm sure he would eventually develop into one of the best big men in the league. Oden was averaging 11.7 points and 8.8 rebounds as a starter this season, which aren't overwhelming numbers, but solid nonetheless. Plus, he affects games in ways that don't show up in the box score. For instance, his presence alone in the paint is enough to make players think twice about driving to the hoop. Coach Nate McMillain has even said that he was Portland's most consistent player so far this season, which is quite the compliment for such a deep team that features an All Star guard in Brandon Roy.

I hope that this setback will just motivate him to come back even stronger and more focused, but you can't help but wonder if Oden will ever be able to stay healthy for an entire season. At least he has an adorable dog to hang out with.

'Melo's 41 topples Blazers, Bulls surprise Spurs

Nuggets 97, Blazers 94

After watching the Nuggets first two games against Western Conference threats the Jazz and Blazers, this team seems poised for a big season. The division rival Trail Blazers nearly closed the game out, but Carmelo Anthony's offensive attack proved to be too much as he scored 19 of his 41 points in the 4th quarter. 'Melo was excellent, consistently banging bodies in the paint for points. Chauncey Billups had another strong game with 22 points and 6 assists. I do have to question Chauncey's shot selection, who shot just 5-14 from the field. He has proven in the past to be one of the best pull-up jump shooters in transition, but he wasted several possessions on quick shots. Rookie point guard Ty Lawson saw less action tonight, as he struggled on defense against Rudy Fernandez, which landed him on the bench. No one else had big games for the Nuggets, but everyone showed up when needed, particularly Nenê who had a huge play in the closing moments. After getting an offensive board, he put up a miss, hustled after his own rebound, and made a nice hook shot over Greg Oden. But it was ultimately 'Melo, who got them the W on the road. One last thought before I move on to the Blazers. It will be big for Denver when J.R. Smith returns from his suspension, so that George Karl can stop playing two point guards at the same time. Plus, J.R. Smith = buckets… sometimes.

The Blazers struggled from the field, shooting just 34%. Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez was the only Blazer to have an all-around good game posting 22 points on 6-9 shooting. He was also perfect from the line on all 8 shots. Brandon Roy managed to score 30 points by getting to the line 18 times. Despite poor shooting, Roy did have some great plays including a buzzer beating three-point bank shot to close the 3rd quarter. Martel Webster started out strong with some big plays, but would finish with only 10 points. Portland's going to need their young big men Greg Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge to step up if they want to take that next step into the Western Conference elite. I still think they're a few years and possibly a few roster adjustments away from being true contenders.

Bulls 92, Spurs 85

I hardly watched any of this game, but this block on Richard Jefferson by Derrick Rose is worth a look. This kid has serious ups. Rose had a highlight worthy offensive play too, but it hasn't made it's way to youtube yet.