20 in a row!

Over at the Plank, Isacc Chotiner has a great post up describing his elation at the Rockets' win last night, which marked their 2oth in a row. I have to admit I haven't been paying too much attention to the NBA this year, as the Bucks have been beyond lousy. However, it is not lost on me how amazing it is for a team to win 20 games in a row! Houston's 20 game streak has propelled them into a tie with San Antonio for first in the Western Conference's Southwest Division. This streak continued even after Yao Ming was lost for the remainder of the season a couple of weeks ago. Moreover, as Chotiner points out, Houston is doing all this with a very likable group of guys. Tracy McGrady is an extremely likable and talented player that is as socially conscious as he is gifted in the art of basketball. Chuck Hayes, Shane Battier, Steve Novak (yeah Milwaukee!) and the rest of the crew are the epitome of class and professionalism. I hope these guys beat out the arrogant and chronically boring Spurs for the Southwest title and roll over Kobe and the Lakers to the finals. Only time will tell!

Shaquille O'Neal: World's Greatest Irishman

Marion and Banks for Shaq? Um...what? This seems like pure lunacy to me. A team that had previously prided itself on its fearless and adrenaline charged style of play has ditched Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for a 325 pound, injury prone, old man. I don't understand this one bit. Over at ESPN J.A. Adande has this gem, where he attempts to understand Phoenix's intentions with this trade. When theorizing that Suns are trying to buy a ring he laments:

I'd rather see them go out like Tom Hanks in "Saving Private Ryan," pulling out his pistol and firing away at the German tank in a last desperate effort to save the bridge. Or show some of that same defiance as Denzel Washington in "American Gangster," making one last trip to Asia to import more heroin even though everybody's telling him the game is over.

Bravo! The Suns were the team in the West that I always really liked. I always felt that despite having a number of extraordinary players: Nash, Stoudamire, Marion, etc.; that what really drove them was there chemistry. Shaq has an ego the size of Rhode Island and that's exactly what Phoenix doesn't need. Plus, this trade is going to create a plethora of annoying headlines about Shaq and Kobe duking it out for the crown in the West. This is a tragedy folks, a down-right crying shame!