Nets visit NOLA tonight. New Orleans has had decent success versus the Nets, so hopefully it continues tonight. I talked to the great New Jersey blog NetsDaily about a few topics:

At the Hive: Devin Harris has been flat out awesome this season. In his 25 games with NJ last season, he wasn't nearly as effective. What's changed about his game, and what has caused that?

Nets Daily: The biggest change is the offense the Nets are running. Lawrence Frank adopted the dribble-drive offense because it's tailer-made for Harris' ability to get to the rim. The Nets spread the floor, get the big man out of the way and let him work one-on-one.

But Harris is also a better player than he was last Spring. His mid-range jumper has improved (so you can't play off him) and once he started getting it going this season, he has played with a lot more confidence and aggressiveness.

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Hornets square off vs. the NYK's today. The Knicks will be missing the heart and soul of the team in Stephon Marbury (unexpected absence) and Eddy Curry (expected fatness). I talked to the Knicks blog What Would Oakley Do? to find out just how the Knicks will cope.

At the Hive: What exactly did the Jamal Crawford for Al Harrington trade accomplish? Has it actually made the team better, or is it simply a cap space clearing move?

What Would Oakley Do?: The Crawford-Harrington trade accomplished two things. First, it removed the Knicks's go-to player from the roster. Crawford was a solid citizen, a much-liked teammate, and the player who would take the shot at the buzzer. But he is also the person in the NBA who has played the longest without ever reaching the playoffs. Secondly, the trade made a tremendous difference with the salary cap. Crawford had a contract that went beyond 2010 and compensated him extremely well, while Harrington, who is also compensated extremely well, has a contract that ends as we head into the Summer of Lebron. This makes all the difference in the world with this club as it looks to reconfigure the roster over the next few seasons. 

@tH: Mike D'Antoni shocked a lot of people by taking this New York job, and he's clearly rubbed off on the Knicks. In the offseason, did you think that the team was equipped to perform in his system, and how has the season gone relative to your expectations?

WWOD?: Around here we weren't that shocked that D'Antoni took the Knicks job. We were just shocked when he was suddenly not working for the Suns anymore. That part came as a surprise, but once he was a free agent I just sort of felt like we'd land him. He is a guy who craves the big stage. Which is good and bad. Since then it's been a bumpy ride. With ups and downs. The one major "down" was his handling of the Marbury situation. I think that he messed up early in the season and then found himself backed into a corner by the media and his own ego. Marbury should have been given a chance to play for this team. He's still the most talented player on the roster. Aside from that, the season started great. The team was playing fast and confidently. They were tops in the league in scoring in the early stages of the season and I felt like they were good at professional basketball, which I haven't said about a Knicks team in a while. Even the inexplicable Zach Randolph was playing well. But, then all of the trades happened and we entered a sort of purgatory where nightly results were less important because the Future was at hand.

@tH: Let's say you don't get Chris Bosh or LeBron in the mad free agency scramble. Who would you target beyond those two?

WWOD?: Aside from Rock Band, coming up with future Knicks lineups is currently my favorite game. For me, the co-headliner of the Free Agent Class of 2010 is Dwyane Wade. I would gut my team for Wade. Other possible scenarios include Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki reuniting. And, I do think that Nash is close to a lock to play at the Garden for D'Antoni (obviously in a slightly diminished role considering his age). Joe Johnson is a phenomenal talent who could be seeking a higher-profile spot than Hotlanta. Amare Stoudemire could potentially be a free agent at that point as well. I would probably put Wade/Amare as the 1a choice just behind LBJ/Bosh. And, I would hope to grab one of either Mike Miller, Hedo Turkoglu or Michael Redd to round out the side. The crazy thing is that these pipedreams are actually possible. The fact that this team was so badly put together by Isiah Thomas means that it can be completely dismantled. Most teams can't really be entirely taken apart to free up the cap space.

@tH: Do you anticipate anybody being moved before the trade deadline? What sort of value is New York looking to get back at this point?

WWOD?: I do anticipate additional moves being made. I think/hope that something will happen with Marbury and am sure that D'Antoni/Walsh are looking to run out Eddy Curry enough in the next month to generate some interest (as his is the last long contract on the books). But the main personnel decision facing the team between now and 2010 is whether to keep Nate Robinson and/or David Lee. Both players are fan favorites, bring unique things to the floor, and will probably command deals that overpay them. If Curry were to be traded it's possible that they could both be re-signed. But probably not. For the right offer, one of them could probably be had at the deadline.

The Hornets will attempt not to get down by 30 points to the L.A. Lakers tonight... for the fourth straight time. I'll say it now- if we are trailing by 20+ in the 3rd quarter, I officially give up all faith in Byron Scott's ability to adapt as a coach. The Lakers routinely school us by showing hard on Chris Paul on screen and rolls, allowing one of Odom/Gasol/Bynum to help from the weakside on all plays, and by taking away the angles to three point shooters via the long arms of Kobe and Ariza. How do you beat that? Move! Have Butler cut to the hoop, Stojakovic cut across the lane, David West move from the weak to strong side. Seriously, I don't care if guys are crashing into each other. I don't care if Mo-Pete belly flops into Sool running across the lane. I will be mad if we lose this game the way we lost the last three- guys standing around, watching Chris Paul be bottled up, doing absolutely nothing. Followed by desperation post ups to David West. Followed by Devin Brown launching 27 footers.

The Lakers are a good team. They are a better team than us. I won't be mad if we lose this game. I will be mad if we lose it the same way.

And that ends that rant. On to a quick Q&A with the great Lakers blog LA Ball Talk. Only three questions this time, but you can refer back to our last two Q&A's with Forum Blue and Gold as well. The answers after the jump:

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New Orleans looks to rebound tomorrow in Orlando. The Magic are, in many ways, the Eastern Conference version of the Hornets. They have a young superstar, voted to the All-NBA team in 2008. They have an offense that runs a fair share of pick and rolls. They surround the court with sharpshooting guards and forwards. They have some front-court depth issues. Heck, they even switched to new jerseys... and included pinstripes! I talked to SBNation's Third Quarter Collapse for more on our evil twin brothers:

Third Quarter Collapse: Nothing. Barring some unfortunate and unforeseen drop-off in performance, the award should be Dwight's. I understand the argument that Marc Stein and Tas Melas have made for Kevin Garnett--the Celtics are the best defensive team in basketball once again, and Garnett brings more intangibles than Dwight does--but the biggest difference is that Garnett has some well above-average defenders around him. The only above-average defender in the Magic's starting lineup is Mickael Pietrus. Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis aren't bad, but Hedo Turkoglu has, um, regressed at that end this year.

And yes, I acknowledge this line of thinking is what lead to Marcus Camby's unjustly winning the award in 2007. The reason it shouldn't have gone to Camby is that the dude just can't guard anyone one-on-one. All his blocks came from the weak side, and he benefited from Denver's fast pace (96.2). Yes, the Magic play at a fast pace (93.4), and yes, Dwight swats his fair of shots from the weak side, but the difference is that Dwight is a shutdown one-on-one defender. And at the end of the day, the Defensive Player of the Year should be able to guard his own man.

Basically, rewarding Garnett for the Celtics' defensive dominance discounts the contributions of Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, and Kendrick Perkins. The award should go to Dwight Howard.

If we're talking about perimeter players, Rondo, Chris Paul (steals streak), and Dwyane Wade (2+ steals, 1+ blocks) deserve love too. So there is the love, as it were.

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It's Lakers vs. Hornets, Part Two tonight at the Hive. At a quick glance, these appear to be two teams rolling in opposite directions. The Lakers are wrapping up the final game of an Eastern swing, dropping contests in Orlando, Miami, and narrowly escaping Memphis with a win. They've also lost the best backup point guard in the game- Jordan Farmar- until February. The Hornets, meanwhile, have taken care of business against quite a few lowly teams and have surged up the offensive and defensive efficiency rankings. Peja is a game time decision for tonight, Tyson is healthy again, and Chris Paul is on par to tie the greatest single season PER in NBA history. So as a Hornet fan, you've got to be feeling good about tonight.

That said, momentum is one thing; talent level is another. The Lakers are still the class of the West, their current issues notwithstanding. They're deep, they have two of the most talented 7 footers in the league, and they have the MVP (sorry, "MVP"). I talked to Forum Blue and Gold for more on the Lakeshow:

At the Hive: Let's start with the obvious question: what's with the Lakers as of late? What's missing now that the Lakers had in their initial outburst to start the season?

Forum Blue and Gold: A little part of it is that other teams have adjusted to the Lakers new defensive scheme and are doing better picking it apart, either getting points in transition or using good cross-court skip passes. But the bigger issue with the Lakers lately is passion — they don't have any. They seem to be sleepwalking through games, letting their opponents dictate the tempo and style of play. Andrew Bynum has seemed timid and afraid of picking up fouls. The mercurial Lamar Odom should have his picture on the back of a milk carton. And, on top of all that, Phil Jackson lets his teams play through these things, wanting the players to figure out for themselves what to do.

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The Grizzlies visit New Orleans tonight. For whatever reason, we've played some awesome games with these guys over the years. The David West game winner, the over time game, the Jamal Mashburn fadeaway 18 footer from a few years ago. They've got the makings of a really nice young core- Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo. This team could really explode in a couple seasons. For now though, it should be a matchup we need to take care of. I talked to the fantastic Grizzlies blog 3 Shades of Blue to learn more about the team:

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•  Chris Paul owns Steve Nash. The Hornets have gone 5-0 since moving back full time to New Orleans, with Paul averaging 27.2 ppg, 10.8 apg, 5.2 rpg, 1.8 topg, and 3.8 spg to Nash's 19.8 ppg, 10.4 apg, 2.8 rpg, 5.4 topg, and 0.2 spg. 
• Amare Stoudemire owns David West. He averages 7.8 points per game more than West, head to head, 3.5 more rebounds, and 1 more block.
• The Suns have struggled mightily in containing guards recently. Dwayne Wade went off for 43 two games ago, and in their last game, Devin Harris torched them with a 47/8/7 performance. Given how well Paul normally plays against this team, that's a great sign.
• Steve Nash seems to have a variety of ailments. He sat out a game due to a thigh contusion, then missed today's shoot around with a "virus." So potentially, we might see Goran Dragic start tonight against CP3. Or Strawberry? I'm not familiar enough with the Suns' lineup to make an accurate guess here.
• Leandro Barbosa returned to action last week and dropped 20 on Miami. Barbosa and Jason Terry make me miss Jannero Pargo more than anyone else in the league.
• Funny preview post from Bright Side of the Sun.
  

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Hope everyone had a good Black Friday. Today, the Hornets take on the Blazers in hope of extending the winning streak to 5 games. At the Hive spoke with Dave from Blazer's Edge for a quick preview of today's game.

At the Hive: Since we last talked, Greg Oden has gotten in Games 4 through 10 of his young career. How is he adapting to the NBA, and what are your early likes and dislikes?

Blazers Edge: I hesitate to use “likes” and “dislikes” because there’s a fair amount of weird angst among Portland fans and their impressions of Oden.  Some are saying he looks like a bust.  Others are objecting, highlighting his contributions and his circumstances (microfracture surgery, year off, etc.).  It’s become somewhat personal and “likes” and “dislikes” implies taking one side or the other.

Here’s the real scoop:  Oden was never going to be an offensive star coming out of college.  His footwork is rough and his shooting form is mediocre at best.  However he’s a beast when he gets the ball low and takes it to the hole with confidence.  His shot is starting to fall more as well.  He is hampered by his recovery, particularly in the area of lift.  That means he’s getting shots blocked now that should be dunks.  But he’s still getting an enormous number of dunks.  Ditto for rebounds.  He’s blocking shots but he’s slow in his rotations and sometimes picks the wrong rotation entirely.  He’s also fouling quite a bit.  On the other hand he draws fouls against opponents when he’s aggressive.  In short, limited offense but devastating to the extent it exists, intermittent defense, good rebounding.  For a guy who’s playing at 75% after one year of college and an entire year off because of surgery that ain’t bad at all.  I am encouraged by Oden’s play.  The raw material there is SO good.  But realistically it’s going to take a while to see the full results.  This season is a no-lose prospect for him as long as he stays healthy.  I hold on to that on bad nights and rejoice like heck on good ones.

@tH: From the looks of it, Portland has been involved in numerous edge-of-your-seat wins- by 1 vs Sacramento, by 5 and 4 vs Minnesota, by 2 vs Houston. What are the primary factors keeping the Blazers from jumping out to and sustaining big leads versus lesser teams like the Kings and Wolves?

BE: Well, we did blow out the Bulls by 42 and the Heat by 38.  There are two answers to your question, though, to the extent the premise is accurate (which it sometimes is).  First, we have a tendency to revert to jump shooting when we get complacent.  We’re a good jump shooting team, but while it’s possible to win with the jumper it’s devilishly hard to blow teams out with it.  Those shots just don’t fall all game long.  Second the Blazers are still young.  Officially we’re the second youngest team in the league behind Golden State, but if you look at the players the Warriors actually give minutes to versus the players the Blazers play it’s pretty obvious we’re fielding the youngest team in the league on a nightly basis.  Young teams ride on emotion and have a hard time stringing together 48 straight minutes of efficient basketball.  To Portland’s credit they’re far better at sustaining leads this year than they were last season.  But the Blazers are still learning that ruthless killer instinct you need to rise to the level of the great teams.

@tH: It's early, but Travis Outlaw's usage rate has declined significantly from 26% last year to just 19.7% this year and he's getting three and a half fewer shots per 36 minutes. Is he the kind of player who'd be affected by this and do you think he may speak out down the road?

BE: He may be affected, though it would be hard to tell.  Travis has been up and down throughout his career no matter how many minutes he gets and no matter what role he fills.  He likes to get touches and he loves to shoot.  If that’s not his primary role he’s being wasted on most nights.  In that sense the lack of opportunity is significant.  On the other hand he’s on a team crowded at forward and about to become more crowded with the return of Martell Webster from a foot injury.  Everybody in that bunch--Outlaw, Webster, Channing Frye, Nicolas Batum--knows the score.  Unless a trade is made minutes and shots are going to be tighter this year and if you don’t perform you’d not going to get them, period.  Either way, Travis is not the kind to speak out on anything.  He’s somewhat reclusive and non-confrontational.  You won’t hear a peep out of him.  His agent could speak up on his behalf, I suppose, but I don’t see the situation going on that long.  One or more of these forwards will be moved.