Five Second Half Things To Look Out For

1.  The trading deadline.  Vince Carter to the Rockets or Spurs?  Amar'e Stoudamire to the Bulls or Cavs?  Other (obviously more interesting, duh) names that could be on the move include Tyson Chandler, Richard Jefferson, Caron Butler, David Lee, and of course, the human trading chip, Raef LaFrentz.

With the obvious exception of LaFrentz (who should be lauded for the sheer slight of hand it took to convince any team to offer him a contract), those are some pretty big names.  Problem is, as Chad Ford mentions, most teams are hesitant in this economy to pick up big contracts. 

2.  How much longer can Orlando play at a top tier level without point guard Jameer Nelson?  Out for the season with a torn right labrum, Nelson lead the team in 3PT and FT%, and was second on the team in FG%.  Some how I doubt Tyronn Lue and Anthony Johnson will be able to keep things afloat.

3.  Who will come out as the California champions?  The Lakers, or the rest of the Golden State?  I'd seen someone mention this somewhere, but I didn't believe it, so I did my own research, detailed as it may be.  Currently, the Kings/Clippers/Warriors are up 43 to 42 over the Lakers, far as wins are concerned.

4.  Speaking of the Lakers, will they even remotely take their foot off the gas to let the rest of the conference in?  Likely not.  The Spurs and Nuggets, two of the hottest teams in the league, have been unable to make up much ground over the past two weeks despite playing over .700 ball.

5. Finally, and most importantly, will the Bucks have to resort to petitioning the league to allow them to only play three or four players instead of five?  As it's going now, that may not be that far off.

BONUS THING TO LOOK OUT FOR:

K-Mart and Al Harrington have paired up (why they didn't get the real K-Mart, Kenyon, I'll never know), and the only question that remains is how many kicks will Big Al sell?

Crab Dribble, Travel, Who's Counting

Seconds counting down in the Cavs-Wizards game a few nights ago, LeBron James embarked upon a fateful journey towards the rim. He'd beat his man, Caron Butler, get to the basket, get hit, and make the layup.

Unfortunately, it was all for naught, as he was called for traveling (yes, you read that right. a travel call in the NBA, in the final seconds of a close game. amazing, no?)

Of course, Bron Bron, even after seeing replays of the violation, refused to give in. He termed his move a "crab dribble".  

Now, let's be honest here, put all the ole cards on the table. I've been following basketball since I was a little kid. Never, ever have I heard of a crab dribble.  I've looked, it doesn't appear in the NBA rule book, anywhere.  Jalen Rose came on ESPN and said that such a thing did exist (though it wasn't what LeBron did). Still, crab or lobster or shrimp dribble or whatever you want to call it, that's a travel.

Good for referee Bill Spooner for making that call. From the AP, "Spooner explained his call in an e-mail: '3 steps on the move to the basket. Basic travel call.'" And you know what, that's exactly what happened.

If you don't believe me, take Caron Butler's word for it. He plays in the NBA, last I checked, and he can't help but chuckle.

At first, it might seem like payback for distant memories of travels long ago (yes, that too was a blatant walk, but somehow wasn't called).  But, when you watch it again, it simply is what it was, a blatant walk in a league that practically encourages and glorifies those that do.

By the way, if you're looking for a refresher course on exactly what constitutes a travel, please check this informative video out.  

My final thought on this is, has it gotten so bad that not only are players traveling, but they're in denial about when they're doing it?  Am I to believe that one of the best players in the world doesn't know the rule for a travel?  Is he so used to things going his way that he just makes up rules when the ones in place don't suit him?

I know he's the King, but, come on already.  A walk is a walk.  Period.