---

The NBA Through Travis Colored Glasses

- Some NBA notes to go with your turkey, and I promise they'll taste better than Aunt Ethel's "special" stuffing.

- Kevin Garnett trade rumors have been running rampant in recent days, and of course Wolves GM Kevin McHale and owner Glen Taylor are denying that they have any interest in moving him. I sometimes wonder why we even bother talking to NBA folks in upper management. I mean, when has an NBA GM ever said, "Hey, I'm trying to trade this guy, but it just hasn't worked out yet." I'm not saying that either Taylor or McHale are being disingenuous when they say they don't want to move The Big Ticket. However, they may not have a choice in the near future if Garnett's blood continues to boil with regard to the sorry state of the Wolves roster. Keep in mind though that Garnett makes more money than any other player in the NBA save Shaquille O'Neal, which means that making the salaries work in a deal could prove to be tricky.

- Is it just me, or is anyone else getting a little sick of the kid gloves that ESPN analyst Jim Gray uses when talking to Kobe Bryant and addressing issues pertinent to the state of the Lakers. It's ironic how Gray dropped an A-bomb on Pete Rose in front of millions, but won't ask Bryant any questions that might even have the potential to make Bryant look like anything less than the greatest player to ever don a pair of NBA sneakers.

- The Detroit Pistons are really good . . . and in the words of one Mr. Gump, "That's all I have to say about that."

- Nuggets center Marcus Camby is playing as well as any big man in basketball. Not only is he putting up superb numbers (17.0 ppg, 14.3 rpg, and 3.58 bpg), but he is also making plays in crunch time. Camby's game saving block on a Gilbert Arenas' three-point attempt on Saturday was a thing of pure beauty. If the voting occurred today, Camby would get my vote for defensive player of the year.

- In Portland, it appears that coach Nate McMillan is already losing his cool with some of his more presumptuous players. Ruben Patterson was recently deactivated for cursing out McMillan, and McMillan has reportedly had multiple heated meetings with the team not even a month into the season. Heck, the only thing the Blazers could do to make McMillan's job any tougher is sign Terrell Owens. With all of this stress, if McMillan needs someone to talk to, I'm sure former Blazer and current Sixer coach Mo Cheeks could empathize.

- You might often hear many NBA analysts use the term "win-win" to describe trades. Well, I'm going to use the term lose-lose to describe the trade that the Suns and the Hawks made this summer involving Joe Johnson, Boris Diaw, and draft picks. Now, I'm not saying that Diaw hasn't played well, but I am saying that not he, or anyone else on the Suns roster for that matter, has come close to producing at the level Johnson did last season. Concomitantly, Joe Johnson hasn't exactly turned around the debacle of a franchise they call the Hawks down in the A-T-L. This trade made the Suns worse, and has yet to make the Hawks better. Of course one never knows whether or not the draft picks will pan out, but this seems like a lose-lose in my book, people.

- Speaking of the Hawks, they finally notched their first victory of the season Wednesday at home against the Boston Celtics. Don't worry though, at this pace the Hawks can still challenge for the worst record in NBA history. At least that will give me a reason to tune in occasionally to a Hawks telecast.

- Seemingly everyone in the NBA universe laughed at the Toronto Raptors (and many are still laughing at the club as we speak for their abysmal record) when they drafted Charlie Villanueva as high as they did last summer. From what I've seen of the kid, he can play, and I think he may end up getting the proverbial last laugh. It might surprise some who haven't watched this kid to learn that he has very good range for a big man, even out beyond the three-point arc. He is also a tenacious rebounder and defender when he maintains his focus. This kid could end up being special, so stay tuned.

- For those of you looking for next year's draft day surprise, keep your eye on Gonzaga forward Adam Morrison. All he did was score 43 points in a triple overtime thriller against highly touted Michigan State on Tuesday.

- Having lived in Los Angeles, I can tell you that Clippers tickets are much cheaper than Laker tickets (not as though that's a big revelation, right). However, this year might be the first year ever that Clippers tickets eventually become more coveted than Laker tickets. Furthermore, if I were still living in The City of Angels, I know how I would spend my entertainment dollar -- and let's just say that the home team wouldn't be wearing purple and gold.

- Sorry that I didn't have time to get to any e-mail this week, but a brother's gotta have time to eat some turkey too, right?

- As always, thanks for reading, and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Have a take about what you just read? Contact Travis at travismheath@msn.com. Travis Heath is a doctoral candidate in psychology, and a freelance writer. Travis currently resides outside of Denver, Colorado, but he has spent time in Washington, Nebraska, and Both Northern and Southern California. He is also a self-admitted sports addict, with his primary vice being the NBA.

InsideHoops.com is the web's best basketball site. Read daily.