With a yawner of a Super Bowl on tap, its time for more random thoughts, NBA style.........

Is it me or does Greg Oden have bust written all over him. I've seen enough franchise centers over the years to know one when I see one, and he's not it. But he's definitely the type of guy who ends up collecting a ring or two as a role player right as everyone has written him off.

The biggest disappointment through the first half of the season has to be the Toronto Raptors. I have a question for their general manager Bryan Colangelo. If he thought that he might want to fire Sam Mitchell 17 games into the season, why didn't he try to get Mike D'Antoni in the offseason. If the answer is money, then its the wrong answer. Too many teams skimp on coaches, but when you look at the dollars committed to payroll, a healthy investment in the right coach can yield enormous dividends, but I digress. Their new coach Jay Triano clearly has not been an upgrade in comparing Mitchell's 8-9 record to Triano's 8-18 record. And he's just finding out what Larry Bird has known for 3 years. You can't win with Jermaine O'Neal. He's too selfish, too injury prone, and can't jump anymore. 2009-10 better be one great season if the Raptors are interested in keeping Chris Bosh around come 2010 offseason.

As far as disappointments go, the Chicago Bulls have to be a close second. There is too much talent there to be 18-24 at the halfway pole. Their impressive victory against Cleveland last Thursday notwithstanding, they're clearly underachieving. It was the wrong team for a rookie coach. The roster is an interesting talented mix of rookies and veterans. And they have very good personnel for an uptempo style. But their coach Vinny Del Negro has a disjointed rotation and can't seem to keep his young players focused. Think Jerry Reinsdorf would like that meeting with Mike D'Antoni back. D'Antoni would have won 55 games this year with that roster.

Speaking of wanting D'Antoni back, how's that whole defensive focus thing working out in Phoenix? Despite being 24-17, they're only 7th in the West and with Amare Stoudemire eligible for free agency after next season and their reliance on basketball senior citizens, Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Nash, and Grant Hill, I'd say the future isn't so bright. Terry Porter not doing a bad job. he's just playing the hand he's dealt.

D'Antoni IS doing a great job. He has the Knicks competitive night in and night out, despite their 16-24 record, with a team full of bench players. If Donnie Walsh can bring him some better talent, the future at Madison Square Garden is very bright.

You don't have to look further than across the Hudson River to find another coach doing a great job. New Jersey Nets coach Lawrence Frank has a young, raw roster. He overhauled the offensive system in the offseason to better fit his personnel, which is so obvious, yet so many coaches in the league don't do it. (Don Nelson, are you reading this?) Devin Harris is the perfect penetrate and kick point guard for that system. If a few of their young big players get better, they may be a very attractive option for one of the free agent superstars hitting the market in 2010.

And speaking of the Nets, Vince Carter has done a tremendous job this year leading a young group in a positive way. Carter has an awful reputation for quitting on the Toronto Raptors his last season there. But the job he is doing with this young Nets team proves he has grown up. At one point, the Nets will probably trade Vince, to get younger and clear more salary cap space. And because of Carter's unselfish play and positive influence on their young players, he should be a very attractive option for a veteran team who needs a shooting guard to put them over the top. Vince learned something Jason Kidd has never learned. When you do the right thing by the organization that pays you, kharma will reward you.

Kharma certainly is not rewarding Jason Kidd at this point. He dogged his way out of New Jersey to get a chance to win a title. The one problem is that the player the Mavericks traded to get him is younger and better than him, yet putting him that much further away from his elusive ring. They're further away from winning a title than the Suns. Kidd's jump shot is so bad, we can take the J out of his name and call him Ason. Now his defense is so bad, I'm not even sure he deserves the two d's at the end of his name. So let me say this. The Dallas Mavericks will not make the playoffs this year because of the skill deterioration of Ason Ki.

I know. It wasn't that funny. Sometimes I type things just to amuse myself.

I would not be surprised to see a Lamar Odom for Shawn Marion swap completed between now and the trade deadline. Odom and Kobe Bryant are like oil and water in LA. And as much as Odom is being a good soldier coming off the bench, one of their on court tiffs is likely to bite the Lakers at the wrong time. And Marion is a much better fit for the Lakers as a small forward playing next to Kobe and Pau Gasol. He's in a contract year, so the motivation is there. And for the Heat, bringing Odom in could give Dwayne Wade the sidekick he needs to make a decent playoff run. last time those two were side by side in Miami, the Heat made an improbable run to the 2nd round of the playoffs giving them invaluable playoff experience the year before they traded Odom for Shaq. If the Heat picked up Odom, that could be that team that gives the Cavaliers or Celtics fits.

Staying in the east for a minute, isn't it so very interesting how Elton Brand gets hurt and the Philadelphia 76ers heat up. Obviously this is a roster that is built much more for an uptempo style of play for the sole exception of Brand. By the time Brand comes back this year, it will be too late to move him, but don't be surprised if general manager Ed Stefanski finds a home for him in the offseason. Despite Brand's enormous contract and extensive injury history, he is still highly regarded by most NBA executives.

Catch you later in the week with more. Y'all be cool. Giddyap.