Bounce Passes:

• I missed the game where Brandon Roy dropped 52 points on the Suns. I really didn't think that guy had it in him. I have been trying to figure out the most surprising 50 point game outbursts in my lifetime, and Roy's has to be right up there. The Blazers are a wildly fun team to watch. They are such a diversely talented team; but they will really need Jerryd Bayliss if they want to get to a championship level. Look for Nate to start working him in more to the rotation.
• There has been a lot of talk of "What's wrong with the Lakers?" The standard NBA analyst response is "Awfully critical of a team that is 21-5." Well, this is a team that has a championship coach, a veteran point guard, a top 20 all timer near his prime, an All Star Power forward, a top ten center, and a group of super solid wings and role players on the bench. This team should be 21-5. But, look at the Heat game. Every team with two legit bigs, does the same thing to the Heat: They pound it inside and get Haslem and Beasley into foul trouble. If Haslem can't go, they need to play Joel Anthony and Jamaal Magloire together, or go super small with Marion at the 4 - (who then gets put into foul trouble with a decent post up player.) This has been the recipe for any team beating the Heat. And the Lakers have the perfect personnel to pull this off. What did they do? They tried to beat the Heat with perimeter shooting. Now, the Lakes could have easily won that game; but it should not have been close. Also, Kobe was killing Wade in the mid to low post in that game; and killing Marion from the perimeter. It was clockwork for him - and where'd he go in the third quarter? It was a bizarre game that featured the play of the year so far by your favorite and mine - D-Wizzy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnR0kIo7dzA
• We finally have to talk Devin Harris. Marc Stein, on a recent Simmons podcast, claimed that the Devin Harris - Jason Kidd trade was not a slam dunk for the Nets. Some BS about the Nets designing the offense for Harris and Kidd inspiring Nowitzki. Either way, it's total and utter bullshit. Devin Harris has been special this year. He is playing like a young Isaiah Thomas. Jason Kidd is playing like and old Jason Kidd. The Nets have been the most surprising team in the league this year thanks to this Harris.
• Bickel Response: Bickel Response! Bickel, you are absolutely on crank if you think Paul Millsap is going to sign somewhere for 4 million a year. You're aware Udonis Haslem makes 8 million a year, right? You're aware that Millsap is going for 15 and 9 in 30 minutes a game this year, right? You're aware that Boozer is leaving Utah this season and the Jazz will lock him up for 7 years and 74 million and he won't even be overpaid, right? Right? Bickel? Are you there? He ranks in the top 30 in PER. The guys above him: Chauncey Billups, Antawn Jamison, and Caron Butler. The guys behind him: Joe Johnson, Danny Granger, and Rajon Rondo.