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Dwight Howard is Superman

I guess that I'll start with the dunk contest. Wow. That was the best dunk contest I remember since Vince Carter blew it up over half a decade ago. But that was just one man going crazy. These guys kept trying to top each other. I really liked Rudy Gay going into the contest but he and Jamario Moon both got off to slow starts and that killed their chances. Moon was guilty of hubris for putting a piece of tape over a foot above the foul line and then dunking from several feet inside of the foul line. Bad form indeed. I loved the theatrics of the contest this year. Costumes, props, ladders, you name it and they were pulling it out. (That's what she said) I was waiting for somebody to pull their Escalalde onto the court and Dwight Howard to dunk over it. I also did like Gerald Green's "Cupcake Dunk" which looked incredibly better in slow-motion replay. That was original and difficult. Howard's "Superman Dunk" wasn't the best I've ever seen (or even his 2nd best of the evening maybe) but the contest, the atmosphere, it was just a fucking frenzy. He took off closer than he wanted to and actually never even grabbed the rim but it didn't matter. David Stern take note: this was good but it could be better. Let them raise the rim as high as they want. Please.




Jason Kidd is going to Dallas. Or is he? Haven't we been down this road before. It seems that both parties have to get this done now, it's beyond the point of no return. I'm not really sure how I feel about this trade but I guess that I'll try to articulate some thoughts.

-Jason Kidd has plenty of playoff and Finals experience as a team leader. He led though Nets teams as well as anybody in the league could've and this will allow Dirk to be a very nice complimentary player along with Josh Howard. This will give the Mavericks their much needed vocal and locker room leader and will help them get through tough patches and win tightly contested road games in May.

-The Mavericks should not extend Kidd before this season is over. If this doesn't work (Read: No Finals appearance or title) they will need Kidd's expiring contract ($20 million) to correct this mistake. The Mavs aren't giving up any incredibly crucial pieces but they are going to be way into the luxury tax, they traded away their best player and point guard for the next decade and they traded away 2 first round picks. Even if they get 2 good seasons out of Kidd they're going to be right back in the market for a point guard that they traded away.

-I don't think the Mavericks did the wrong thing by making this trade. I don't think they could've made it out of the West as they were BKP2 (Before Kidd Part 2).

-I would've liked this deal a lot more for the Nets if they would've not re-signed Vince Carter this summer. Maybe they can turn it around on the fly. They really only traded away 1 rotation player (Kidd) and they got an adequate replacement for him in Harris. With two first round picks this summer (their own being a potential lottery pick) and some solid 1st and 2nd year players maybe they can become the East Coast Blazers.

I grade this deal as a draw. Dallas needed a playoff warrior and the Nets needed to move Kidd while they could. This is a deal made out of necessity, not chance or convenience.

Here is the new breakdown on the Kidd deal. And I thought I was done with Keith Van Horn after he was shipped out of Philly. Hell, I bet the Nets finally thought they were done with him too.

Why wasn't Kyle Korver in the 3 point contest? Really?

I still can't believe that the Hawks passed on Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Which leads he too:

The Atlanta Hawks traded for Mike Bibby and his huge salary. And they didn't give up 2 first round picks. They didn't give up 1 first round pick. They didn't have to take on any bad contracts (Kenny Thomas, I'm looking at your horrible deal, courtesy of Billy King) and they didn't have to give up any player they were really counting on getting anything from after this season. In other words they hit a home run. You've got to feel it for the Kings, there's not a lot of trade partners with compatible contracts right now. (Hello Cleveland and Larry Hughes, Eric Snow, Ira Newble, Damon Jones and others) So the Kings made the best deal they thought that they could. Although I personally would've taken a run at the Miami Heat and their expiring contracts. Of you might've been able to combine Bibby, Artest and Kenny Thomas and raped Isiah Thomas for something. I'm sure you could've gotten a couple young kids, cap relief after next season and 2-4 first round picks. I mean, if Eddy Curry was worth two first rounders, the fuck?

-Atlanta Hawks. Good for you. Too bad you'll just miss out on that #8 seed to the 76er's. You heard it here first.

-Sacramento Kings. If you managed to trade Chris Webber and his knees, Kenny Thomas should be a walk in the park. And deal Artest now for whatever you can get. Trust me.

Click here for the details on the Mike Bibby deal.