Can I get a refund on my Thunder gear too?

The Tyson Chandler to OKC trade is now null and void  as Chandler failed to pass the physical preformed by the Thunder medical staff. 

Team doctors for the Thunder were leery of the effects that Chandler’s problematic left big toe could have on his career.  No one would know better what to look for either because it is this very staff of doctors that treated and performed surgery on the toe in 2007 when the Hornets were relocated to OKC due to Hurricane Katrina.

How awkward must this be for Chandler as he returns to the Hornets?

It's easy to remember how good they were but once the chemistry was lost...

I refrained from making a “Shaq & Kobe” post the whole time leading up to and through All-Star Weekend but he are my two cents on the matter.

All this talk about how they would have won “x” number of titles if they had been together all these years is nonsense.  It’s not like Shaq left when they were on top.  After winning 3 in a row they didn’t make it back to the finals the next year and then got embarrassed by the Pistons the next year with the Mailman and the Glove as re-enforcements.

It’s over.  Let’s move on.

Gotta scoop me some Thunder gear.

Great move by the Thunder yesterday in acquiring Tyson Chandler.  This team is really positioning itself as one of the teams with the brightest futures in the NBA. 

The Thunder added to their already young and talented nucleus.  All that is missing now is a shooting guard that can stroke it from deep to compliment Durant’s mid-range game and Westbrook’s penetration.

The Bulls were in a similar position a few years ago but have taken steps backwards.  This big difference in OKC is the presence of Durant, a bonafide NBA star.

Johnson, Durant and Mayo will compete in the shooting contest re-named G-E-I-C-O after the contest sponsor.  This is actually the contest that I am looking forward to the most this weekend and hopefully it will be part of All-Star Weekend for many years to come.

Check out 1978′s HORSE contest below:

After hitting yet another clutch shot, this time a “3″ to put the Lakers up 1 with a minute and a half to go, Kobe celebrated on his way back to the bench by letting the Utah crowd know that he indeed did have “big marbles”.

While there is probably no one I would rather have take a last second shot the truth of the matter is that the Lakers are now 0-2 when Kobe does the dance.

Watch around 2:30 into the clip:

After a slow start Larry Bird was tied with Dale Ellis at 15 points with one shot to go.  The “money ball” was indeed money and Bird knew it as soon as it left his hand letting everyone know that he was the 3-point contest king.

Check out Larry Legend below…By the way, the guy is so confident he doesn’t even take his warm-up off.

This guy could fire anybody up.

If the Bucks are able to make the playoffs I think that Scott Skiles should receive serious consideration for Coach of the Year. 

I fully expected Milwaukee to fold like a house of cards when Michael Redd went down for the season.  This situation got even worse with recent injuries to starters Andrew Bogut and Luke Ridnour but somehow the Bucks have found a way to win games and hold onto 8th place.

Skiles has implemented a smaller lineup and a faster style of play in which players like Richard Jefferson, Charlie Villenueva, and even 2nd-year Ramon Sessions have flourished.

This isn't a great match-up for the Lakers but their other wings played great defense on Lebron.

I know that part of Lebron’s struggles on Sunday can be chalked up to just “having a bad day” but some credit should go to the Lakers’ “D”.

They were able to crowd the paint much like the Celtics did so effectively against Lebron and Kobe in last year’s playoffs but I also like the fact that the Lakers are able to throw a couple very good and very different defenders at Lebron.  The Lakes had Kobe, one of the best wing defenders in the league, on him at times and Ariza a taller, longer defender on him at other times.

When your MVP point guard is this unhappy things aren't going well.

For the past month or two I’ve been trying to convince readers myself that Phoenix could be a contender.  Not sure if  you guys bought it but by looking at this team on paper I had myself somewhat fooled.  Unfortunately for the Suns the game is played on the hardwood and not on paper.

After last night’s abysmal showing in Philly I think the time has come to disband the Suns.  The pieces just aren’t coming together in Phoenix and rumors have the Suns shopping Stoudamire around because he is unhappy and would probably become a free agent in 2010.

KG, you might have just created a monster.

Lamar Odom is often characterized as one of those players with limitless talent who doesn’t play up to his potential due to a lack of intensity.  Ever since a trash-talking confrontation with Kevin Garnett on Thursday though Odom has played with a certain ”fire” which he has rarely displayed. 

In yesterday’s game, a much-hyped match-up between Kobe and Lebron, it was Odom who was the best player on the court.

I think the Lakers are even better with Odom playing at this level and Bynum out injured than with a full roster and a mediocre Odom.