By Corbet Rutzer

This NBA season can be summed up in one word: perplexing. From the Lakers poor start (watch out world, they aren't three-time ring holders for nothing), the Clippers complete inability to perform consistently and the rise of teams such as Indiana, Phoenix and Houston, this season has left many preseason swamis shaking their collective heads and wondering where they went wrong. Well, have no fear, I have come to break down the second half of the season, with some predictions that will shock some, and calm others. Here it goes:

1) The Lakers will not only make the playoffs, but will once again show they are a CHAMPIONSHIP team- There is no one in the league who can shut down Shaq over a seven game series, and Kobe is improving with every waking second (which is downright scary). Their veteran cast of characters WILL step it up down the stretch and will enter the playoffs on a tear. A big PF to compliment Shaq could be in yellow and purple by February 20th (Tyrone Hill or Marcus Camby anyone!!) and Phillip will have the Lake Show operating at full capacity. And Kobe will win the Finals MVP. Watch.

2) Grant Hill, Vince Carter and Antonio McDyess will all get worse before their teams get better- It was nice to think that Captain Fila would be able to recapture his lost Magic with a bionic ankle but his good start seems to have been a tease. His ankle is in bad repair, and it is sad to admit but the chances of him ever playing 65+ games per is slim to none. VC's knee is also a cause for concern. Not that he is as integral to the success of his team as Glen Grunwald would want but he is still one of the leagues most explosive talents. It is never good to see talent like his wasted due to injury (see Grant Hill). Toronto invested a lot into VC and it would be sad to see a Canadian team go into financial ruin due to a poor signing (Ahh. The Grizzlies). Get well Vince; everyone misses your flair and ability. Unfortunately, I predict Air Canada won't be ready for take off till next season. And with all this talk about Dice coming back by the end of the year I have some advice for the former Nugget: Don't do it Dice. Give me one reason why he should come back. To risk further injury? Dumb. To propel the Knicks into the playoffs? Yeah right. The Knicks should give him all the time they can and pray that the lottery balls bounce their way. By sitting out the rest of the year and allowing his leg all the time it needs to get better, Dice will be helping the Knicks more than if he comes back early. And I am sure that the Knicks don't want to be paying the salary of a player that is forced to retire due to injury ala Grand Ma Ma. See ya next year Antonio.

3) The Clippers will implode, and the team will disintegrate in the off season- It doesn't seem that long ago that the young and exciting Clippers were the talk of preseason pundits the league over. Oh how they were wrong. From the cover of ESPN magazine to the bottom of the Pacific division. This team is in disarray, and look for it to get a lot worse. Too many young talents are playing for next year's free agency and Alvin Gentry has lost all control over them. The Kandi Man is all but gone (he will look good in San Antonio along with TD) and Elton Brand will probably bolt too. The only player that I can see re-upping with the Clip is Lamar Odom. He is the embodiment of that team: talented, reckless and selfish. It was great to think that LA would have two strong teams and that a rivalry would have been born, but lets not forget: This is the Clippers. Look for their restricted free agents to try and take off, and for the Donald to resign Odom and Maggette and keep them confined to basketball purgatory. As for the rest of the Clip Squad, better luck next year, hopefully in an environment more conducive to winning.

4) MJ has some left in his tank, and the Eastern conference should watch out- The Greatest of all time is on his farewell tour, and so far the reaction to his final season has been ho hum. However, he has helped the Bullets ring off some impressive victories and I predict that the Bullets (sorry, the Wizards) will begin the playoffs as the 7th seed in the east. That is when the fun will start. I know MJ won't go out in the first round, so look for the Wiz to smack their first round opponent in the mouth. It doesn't matter who they play, the Pacers, Pistons and nets all don't want anything to do with his Airness come crunch time. By the end of the season, Jordan will have found the line-up that will help him win now, and the Wiz WILL make some noise. They might not make it too the Eastern finals, but MJ will give another playoff performance to remember. Then he can worry about building a team that will be effective for years to come, without his presence on the court.

5) Amare Stoudamire will continue to blow up, and Yao Ming will be left in his wake- Shaq Lite has been overshadowed by Yao all season, and just recently are people taking notice to the season that he is having. Everyone could us reminding that he is having the best rookie season since Shaq Daddy and that he is also contributing more than any straight from the Prom high school player in recent memory. And that doesn't suck, considering the players that have come before him. So far, his pure athletic ability has carried most of his game, and with more work on his jumper, and his ever improving post moves, Amare will continue to grow as a player, and will be the cornerstone of the Suns franchise for years to come.

There it is, my take on some situations that will progress as the days go by in this wacky NBA season. While it appeared at first that this season would progress as none other in recent memory, when all is said and done, this season will resemble a myriad of seasons past, with the Lakers holding the parade (hopefully with more Mad Dog Madsen parade speeches), some MJ playoff heroics, and another year of failure for the other team that plays in the Staples Center. Seems like just another season to me. Lates Hoop Heads.


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