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A: These days, you have to wonder.
On one hand, happy because they have had a chance to see in recent days what otherwise would be in place. If anything, the Lakers learned that their big lineup with Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol hardly is a guaranteed winning combination.
On the other hand, Artest's Christmas Day injury remains more than a bit sketchy, not the type of thing you likely would have had to endure if Trevor Ariza was still the small forward.
The struggles in the absence of Artest have demonstrated just how necessary he is to the Lakers' perimeter defense. But what if there is a similar fuzzy incident in the postseason?
Remember, he is Ron Artest, and that means expect the unexpected, and, sometimes, the unexplained.
And therein lies the concern: that one moment that could change everything.
Would it be out of the realm for Artest to get himself suspended during the postseason? Certainly not. And, if so, then what?
Artest's recent absence demonstrated the Lakers have only limited recourse when it comes to otherwise addressing small forward.
Putting aside the Christmas Day loss to the Cavaliers, when these Lakers are whole, they are an exception team.
But with Ron Artest you are constantly living in the moment.
A: You can because this, uh, is still a game, and it's fun.
While the ages and the degree of career accomplishments are at opposite ends of the spectrum, and while the builds and positions differ, the two remain the game's premier perimeter players.
In many ways, it is easier to draw comparisons between the two than, to use your example, the more age-appropriate comparison of LeBron and Dwight.
We watched on Christmas because it was Kobe vs. LeBron.
And, honestly, if you polled scouts (and I have), most would come up with the same answers:
If you needed to win one game, make one play, the choice, right now, would be Kobe, if only for his more reliable jumper.
But if you were building a team, you would pick LeBron, not only because of the age, but because of the upside and freakish ability to overwhelm with both perimeter skills and physical strength.
Even more than that, the debate is enjoyable, because it is constantly evolving. In 2006, the debate was whether Wade was better than LeBron. At the start of this season, Carmelo was making his own case. And no player was as dominant during last season's playoffs as Howard.
For now, Chris Paul has gotten lost in the shuffle, but certainly don't count him down or out.
Amid the 2010 free-agency debate, there are, in my view, only seven players right now in the league deserving of maximum contracts: Kobe, LeBron, Wade, Howard, Paul, Kevin Garnett and Steve Nash.
The more unpalatable debate will come next summer, when Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire and perhaps even Carlos Boozer try to work themselves into that pay structure.
A: Randolph has been nothing short of a revelation for the Grizzlies. But a threat to the Lakers? No. I would put Memphis in the same class as Oklahoma City and Sacramento, part of the Western Conference's next wave.
Remember, Randolph has posted similar numbers at other stops, and, for whatever reason, it never ended well. Feed him the ball, and he's a happy camper.
The interesting part will be what happens if the offense starts to turn in the direction of Rudy Gay or O.J. Mayo.
I do, however, agree that the defensive part of the equation can be overstated with Randolph. Yes, his cover often posts significant numbers, but few right now are approaching the type of numbers Randolph is producing in this recent stretch.
All of a sudden, Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace, save, perhaps, for the Allen Iverson blip, doesn't come off quite as confused as previously viewed.
The Grizzlies are worth watching, even though it seems no one in Memphis is.
A: Not if Joe Dumars wants to make it look like he has faith in the plan he put forward with his breakup of what he considered an aging team, with the losses of Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace.
Stuckey was supposed to be an anchor of the overhaul, one that has been mostly uneven this season.
The offseason addition of Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva remains a work in progress.
If anything, keep an eye on Tayshaun Prince, with Dumar's dismantling of the previous Pistons rendition likely to continue.
Right now, Detroit looks a long way from re-emerging as a contender, and Rodney Stuckey hardly is the greatest concern.
A: No. The entire reason behind offering an extension to Nash was to get back to the team's roots, which is a constant stream of pick and rolls if the fastbreak is not there.
It's who the Suns are.
After management recognized its failure in going big with Shaquille O'Neal and more structured under coach Terry Porter, for better or worse, this is who the Suns are, to sink or swim with the style that Mike D'Antoni fostered and Alvin Gentry now oversees.
Does it make Phoenix a championship contender?
No, but it gets it back in the playoffs, and that's a start.
Then, if Stoudemire stays as a free agent, the strides, with this particular style, can continue.
A: That he won a championship last season with Fisher starting, and has gotten off to the fastest start of any team in the West with Fisher starting.
To me, the real issue is what is going on with Jordan Farmar, who appears to be going through an uneasy period with Jackson.
Shannon is a nice, athletic player who certainly is capable of keeping the mileage down for Fisher, but having already tinkered with the starting lineup with the shift to Artest, that's probably enough for one season, unless injuries get in the way.
A: I think it comes down to whether Beasley can win the enduring trust of Dwyane Wade. Right now, that is the only thing that matters with the Heat.
For now, the Heat is a team that wins with it defense, and Udonis Haslem is an upgrade over Beasley in that area.
To a degree, I also sense a lack of embrace by the Heat toward Beasley, a lot of which I think is an element of possibly adding Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire next summer in free agency.
Only then do I think Beasley will get a true read on where he stands with the franchise moving forward.
A: The overriding read I've always gotten from Malone is an enduring sense of pride. He took his one, last-gasp shot with the Lakers, which ended amid injury and disappointment in the 2004 Finals against the Pistons. At 48, he's retired. Period.
If we see him again in the league, it could be in a coaching role, something he has expressed interest in.
