There was a good game on Thanksgiving

While most Americans lamented that all three NFL games were boring blow-outs, the NBA heads were treated to a classic in the second half of TNT's double-header.

Chris Paul looked distracted and upset during the whole game.

"I told him at halftime he had to go out and rev it up a little bit," New Orleans Coach Byron Scott said. "Nine times out of 10 I don't have to tell him that."

It was Thanksgiving and he wasn't with his family. The guilt he felt seemed to override the game for him. Chalk that up as one difference between him and Jordan.

The Hornets were up by a fair amount on the road throughout the game. But I had the impending feeling that the Nuggets would come back and make it a tight game down to the wire. I never would have had that feeling pre-Chauncy.

J.R. Smith is a practitioner of the pull-up 3; he would fit in great with the Warriors. Not only were his 20-seconds-on-the-shot clock 3s actually falling against his former team, but J.R. also showcased his explosive to-the-rim moves that are sometimes forgotten amidst all the pull-ups.

The game did come down to the wire - Melo slammed one home with under a minute left to tie it up.

But then James Posey proved the flip-side of his worth. We know the Hornets got him for defense - he is one of the few in the league who can even think about being a Kobe-killer. But he's also a calm customer when it comes to big-time shots.

Denver had just come all the way back to tie thanks to J.R. and Melo. The crowd erupted. But the next play, right after Melo's dunk tied it, the Hornets ran off some clock, and Posey drained the game-winning 3.

CP3 looked like he'd lost as he talked to the sideline reporter after the game, anxious to run back to the locker room and call his family.

Trailblazers bandwagon already rolling

I looked forward to the Nov 19 Bulls-Blazers matchup because it was my first chance to see a whole Portland game.

While most people turning on the TV looked forward to Greg Oden's first NBA home game, I looked forward to seeing a rising team that played great without the Norse God.

I also couldn't wait to see the guy I think about when I hear "Rookie of the Year."

Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!

Rudy Fernandez doesn't start, so he's not gonna get Derrick Rose-like stats, but he already has the game of a talented five-year veteran. He shoots pull-up 3s with the gall and confidence of James Posey.

Remember the guard who played fearlessly against the NBA's superstars in the U.S.-Spain gold medal game? It was Rudy.

He's not the only guy from that Spanish national team on the Blazers; Rudy's running mate, Sergio Rodriguez, is just another quality bench player on one of the deepest teams in the league.

You might know what Roy and Aldridge are capable of, and you know that the Norse God is much older than 20. But what about the other guys?

The starters against the Bulls were Joel Przybilla, LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Brandon Roy, and Steve Blake. Przybilla blocks shots, the rookie Batum is super athletic, and Blake is a good "game-manager" point guard. 3 guys you might not think of as NBA starters.

But Nate McMillen is experimenting with all sorts of lineups, and this group of 5 ran all over the Bulls. The game was over only 6 minutes into the first quarter.

Fernandez came into the game cold and nailed a long 3. He didn't score much, but you can tell that he has high awareness on the court. He's 6'6", listed at the 2, but he can initiate the offense and bring the ball up like a 1.

Oden was able to get solid inside position against a Bulls team lacking in the post. It was nice to see him getting after the rebounds given his injuries. Once he learns how to play NBA ball and develops some offensive game, he could be the next great center. If he achieves greatness, he could be the next Patrick Ewing, for want of a comparison.

Let us not forget Travis Outlaw, who is basically a starter on this team. Then there are Channing Frye and Rodriguez, who have limited roles but make the most of the playing time they get.

Ladies and gentlemen, what we have here is a legit 10-man rotation! This is rare in the NBA, where the normal model is, play your best players as much as possible (remember the Suns' 6-man rotation of the last few years?...maybe this was part of what wore out Steve Nash).

Roy is unquestionably the star here, but there are several rising stars. This is a real team, not just a few talented stars with some other guys to fill out the roster. All 10 in the rotation are averaging 15 minutes or more a game.

And Martell Webster is still injured! When he comes back, they'll have an 11-man rotation...

Young across the board, deep, good chemistry, impressive coaching, almost infinite lineup potential. This team will be in the playoffs. It's only a question of how much better they'll be in April than they are now.

Son of Iverson

During the first few weeks of the 2008-09 NBA Season, things were looking down. My favorite team, the Wizards, looked pathetic. The Lakers in the West and the Celtics in the East looked too far ahead of the rest of the competition. Maybe it’s the 80s again and David Stern is in high heaven, but I don’t want to see a repeat of last year’s finals.

The most exciting team of the last few years, the Phoenix Suns, intentionally slowed down with Shaq in the lineup (I won’t mention their fast-break statistics for the start of the season). The other high-flying 3-fest known as Golden State looked like it was falling apart.

Then the trade happened, I got fired up, and haven’t looked back.

As a sub-five-foot 13-year-old, I hated basketball. Sure I casually watched NBA, I was witness to MJ, but I never even thought about playing the game. I couldn’t shoot, couldn’t dribble. The ball was this giant burden that would never be lifted off my hands and into the basket.

But Allen Iverson found his way into my TV and video game attention span. It all started with a Reebok commercial in which he did his showboat crossover, bouncing the ball to his opponent’s right, doing a 360 pirouette to the left, and somehow reconnecting with the ball on the other side.

It was only a commercial, but I was sold.

I watched him play for the Sixers, driving the ball at will, throwing up reverse lay-ins with reckless abandon. Slotted at PG in his early years for his size but putting up SG-type stats.

He could create a shot at will, even with guys a foot taller before him. Run around everyone and lay it up on the side of the rim opposite from the big man, or do a sprint-and-stop pull-up J.

To a kid shorter than everyone else, he was an inspiration. I patterned my game after his dribbling and driving skills (though I didn’t have much of a jumper). And for a certain period (it’s been awhile) I pretty much only attempted lay-ups. I usually did it without the backboard, and I loved the reverse.

The man is THE REASON I started playing basketball and became an NBA head who only watches college to see who’s got pro potential (so mainly UNC). Just type “iverson jordan” into youtube and see what comes up.

Game one of the 2001 NBA Finals is, to this point, the high point of my life as a basketball fan. The Sixers didn’t have a chance against the Lakers. Kobe and Shaq vs Iverson and Mutombo? The guy was a one-man team! 48 points!!!...48 in his first finals game…in L.A.???

(Practice??...not a game…practice)

It was late at night on the East Coast and I was supposed to be asleep, but I had a TV in my room, watching it on near silent. Every time AI had another bucket and glared defiantly at the celebrity crowd, screams of intensity raged in my head but remained inaudible.

Even though the Sixers were quickly dispatched in 5 after winning Game 1 in OT, AI’s legendary performance lingers on as my "one shining moment."

When Iverson was traded to the Nuggets, I thought, alright, he’s back in the playoffs. I had to love this team – Melo from Baltimore, AI from Newport News, VA. But two 30-point scorers and Marcus Camby didn’t add up to much more than an 8 seed.

AI and Melo playing together was kinda like Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro bingeing together in Fear and Loathing – they didn’t exactly balance each other out.

So when I heard the news about Billups for Iverson, my first reaction was disbelief. Why would Detroit trade Mr. Big Shot, former Finals MVP? Now I’ve admired the Pistons for the last 5 years, especially their defense, and I’ve been a Sheed fan since the Jail-blazers. But I wasn’t sure how wild shootin Allen would fit in with this team, and what their identity could be without the ball going through Chauncey.

But on second thought, it started to make sense. The 2004 Pistons are ancient history. Yes they’ve made the East Finals every year, but they haven’t seemed hungry enough (except for maybe McDyess when he's not injured). And there are those big playoff moments where the offense slows down, and you need a superstar like LeBron to just score by himself. Detroit didn’t have that.

On the Nuggets side, one of the best pure PGs in the game brings stability to a formerly ADD offense. Billups can be the healthy distributer that Melo, Linas Kleiza, Nene, K-Mart, and J.R. Smith have been aching for. Not to mention the 3s he'll get while everyone's looking at Melo. They’ve played well since the trade, going 7-1 in Billups’ first 8 games with the team, including a big win in Boston.

Sheed, Rip, and Tayshaun, along with the newer guys like Stuckey and first-year coach Michael Curry, are still re-shaping their team with Iverson.

They dropped the first 2 games with AI, but are 4-1 since, including handing the Lakers their first loss (in L.A., no less), and a win at home Wednesday against the Cavs.

Even though AI doesn’t get mentioned in discussions for best player in the league, mostly due to defense, he has the highest career PPG of all active NBA players (27.6), higher than even LeBron (27.4). Iverson won’t and shouldn’t maintain that average in Detroit, and LeBron will pass him at some point soon. But the Pistons officially have that superstar who can get a tough bucket at the end of a key playoff game, all on his own effort.

It hasn't been long, but this trade is looking good so far for both teams.

Last year’s big trades for Kidd and Shaq seemed desperate (we all agree that Pau was a gift to let the Lakers become a contender). But I argue that Iverson and Billups have plenty of great NBA minutes left, not to mention plenty to prove, and the timing of the trade gives both teams a whole season to gel before playoff time.

I’m almost scared to say it…but Allen Iverson is on a title-contending team. And I think that’s the first time I’ve ever really said that (remember, the post-Jordan East was REAL weak).

Maybe the Basketball Gods will ensure that it’s not Boston-L.A. 2. And maybe, if the Pistons can win their division again over the Cavs…and maybe, if they can out-duel the Celts, AI will get his second shot. And maybe the current high point of my life as a basketball fan will be eclipsed.