NBA Notes.

- The Raptors are going to make the playoffs this year and might even win the Atlantic division. Ms. Skeelo and I went to the game last Wednesday against Minnesota and it was a great game, a 100-97 win for the Raps. They are currently 13-18 but 19 of their first 31 games have been on the road. With a long stretch of home games coming up they have a chance to create some distance between them and the other terrible teams in their division.

- Raps No. 1 overall pick Andrei Bargnani is better right now than Dirk Nowitzki was in his rookie year. Bargnani is starting to hit the outside shot consistently (as Dirk did) but he is rebounding pretty well and isn't a huge liability on the defensive end (as Dirk was). He's also a great passer who sees the open man and gets the ball to him quickly. I'm not saying he's going to be as good as the Diggler but he will be an all-star in a few years.

- Nice to see Allen Iverson and the Nuggets lose to the Sixers last night after AI ripped his former team and coaches. And he got kicked out to boot. All class AI.

- It is sad to watch Kevin Garnett in Minnesota right now. Watching him live last week was great but he doesn't seem to be playing with the same enthusiasm he used too. It was a typical game for KG - 25 points (11 in the 4th quarter), 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, 6 assists, numerous shots altered, and a loss. The rest of his team stinks and he needs to be traded. He is becoming the basketball version of Ray Bourque. He has dedicated himself to the city he plays in and the organization he plays for and busts his ass every single night. And his owner is too cheap, and the GM too incompetent to surround him with a winning team. Sad, sad, sad.