FIVE NBA THOUGHTS ON A WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON:
1. PAUL PIERCE (Celtics) - Lots of discussion this week with Kobe Bryant moving up on the all-time scoring list and is he the greatest Laker ever? In my opinion, that's still Earvin 'Magic' Johnson, who played in an era where the competition was greater on a game-to-game basis, compared to the watered-down, 30-team NBA that exists today. With all that being said, congrats to Pierce on surpassing Larry Bird as the second leading scorer in Celtics history. Only Hall of Famer John Havlicek to pass now. I thought that former Celtics player and coach, current Celtics broadcaster and Hall of Famer Tommy Heinsohn was being a bit of a homer a number of years ago by saying that he thought that Pierce would go down as one of the best Celtics ever. Well I gotta say, he was right. Pierce has continued through all the good times and bad in Boston to be a consistent and excellent player. Great competitor and has stood the test of time.
2. JEREMY LIN (Knicks) - Are Knicks fans nuts or just plain desperate? They were chanting MVP after Lin's 28-point, eight assist performance against Utah the other night. The Harvard grad is a fun player to watch but let's be real: he also had eight turnovers in the game. I don't know if it's the New York or Harvard hype, but either way, let's settle down here and see what he can do over a 10, 20 or 30 game stretch as a pro who is being counted on to run a team. Then and only then will we have a better feel for how good he is.
3. CHAUNCEY BILLUPS (Clippers) - Torn Achilles, out for the year. Feel bad for him and his team. He was a terrific pickup by the Clips and he's a guy who knows how to solidify a team, its backcourt and the overall culture in an organization - a pro. Tough injury for a player late in his career to come back from. Mo Williams and Randy Foye will need to pick up the slack. Can they? To a degree but they don't have the stage presence and big-game shot making ability of Billups. They'll miss him.
4. JAMAAL MAGLOIRE (Raptors) - I was saying this over the weekend on the Raptors telecasts, this guy is on the back end of his career but I'll tell ya what - he gives you everything that he's got and doesn't cheat you. He'll rebound, set hard screens, play good post and screen and roll defence, rough people up and show up every day to work. Limited, yes, no doubt. But he's giving you his all. I admire and respect that - a pro.
5. DANILO GALLINARI (Nuggets) - Out for close to a month with an ankle injury. He was having a terrific season for the Nuggets so far. So impressed by his overall skills. Tougher than he looks and capable of getting his own shot, drawing fouls, rebounding, passing and plays hard. Just signed a contract extension for a team that appreciates his team-oriented approach and was really in a nice groove. Tough break for a team that had been on a roll. A lesson to us all: things look great one minute and can go south quickly. Nuggets will have to hang tough for the next four weeks without him in a very competitive Western Conference.