Shaq May Be Back. Let's Hope So.

- Watching Shaq the last couple games (45 points vs. Toronto, 33 vs. the Lakers) has been great to see. I hope it lasts and that this is the result of him finally being healthy again as he claims. I also hope it lasts because it seems the Suns have finally figured out how to play with him.

As I said when they traded for him they could still be a running team because running teams don't need their center to run. What the Suns are doing now is exactly what the Showtime Lakers used to do with Kareem in the 80's. If you don't have the chance to run you dump it inside. With the offence going through Shaq in the half court and running when it doesn't the Suns should make the playoffs. They will get destroyed in the first round by whoever they play because Steve Nash is even more horrible defensively this year than is years past, but at least they'll make it.

Shaq is also back off the court. His comment about Chris Bosh being "the RuPaul of NBA big men" was a pretty good one. And his dancing at the All-Star game was fantastic. You may not like Shaq but you have to admit the NBA is going to be left with a big gaping hole in the entertainment factor when he eventually retires.

- I would have love to have been at the Cavs win over the Heat in Miami last night. LeBron and DWade were at their best and it doesn't get much better than that. For all the talk of Kobe and LeBron, who are number 1a and 1b, in the discussion of the league's best players, let's not forget that a finally healthy Wade makes himself 1c in that talk. The thing with Wade is that I think he has a closer killer instinct to Kobe than LeBron does. LeBron has hit game winning shots before but I just see Kobe and Wade as more competitive in the last 2 minutes. Once LeBron gets that though there will be no discussion about him being the best.

- Don Cherry's comments about Alexander Ovechkin were way off. Ovechkin is the best player in the NHL and the best thing to happen to it in 20 years. As much as I like Sidney Crosby he is duller than day old dishwater. Ovechkin may over celebrate but he does it spontaneously after big goals, it is not manufactured Sean Avery type theatrics. The biggest problem the NHL has that it so lousy at marketing itself, mostly because there are very few personalities. Ovechkin's talent and energy bring people to the game. Why would anyone try to tone him down?

- I hope the Leafs trade Nick Antropov and a few others tomorrow. I like Antropov but it's not like you can't replace his production. If they can get a 2nd or 4rd rounder for him they have to trade him and anyone else for that matter.

- I'll bet anyone $500 that Manny Ramirez is in a Dodgers uniform opening day. There isn't anyone else bidding for him and both sides know it. Once Scott Boras realizes his ego will have to take a small hit Manny will sign for the next two years with deferred money.