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The NBA Through Travis Colored Glasses

- Nothing like NBA basketball in November!

- The Sacramento Kings are a mess, and already the Peja to the Bulls rumors have started. Also, don't be surprised if Rick Adelman gets the honor of being the first coach to get the axe in 2005-06. Finally, just a quick note to the organization. If you're going to play derogatory images of the city of Detroit before playing the Pistons, make sure that you don't go out and get hammered by double digits on the hardwood.

- If Adelman isn't the first coach fired, Bob Weiss in Seattle probably will be. Get this, the Sonics lost three straight games on their Eastern road swing by margins of 25, 27, and 41. Ouch! Then they needed overtime to beat the dismal Toronto Raptors north of the border. Maybe Nate McMillian was more integral to the Sonics success last season than most people realized.

- Okay, it would be too easy to criticize Larry Brown and the Knicks right now. That said, I'll do it some anyway. Now, normally I'm not one to toot my own horn but . . . beep beep. I told you that Stephon Marbury would have trouble coexisting with Brown. And don't believe people that try and tell you that the Knicks don't want to move Marbury, because they most certainly do. The problem is that they haven't found anyone willing to absorb his ridiculously inflated contract -- yet.

- And by the way, doesn't the success of Flip Saunders in Detroit have anyone else questioning the job that Brown did in Detroit. Look, I'm not a Brown hater, and I'm just giving an opinion here. Also, I know that the season is still very young, but if Saunders keeps up this pace, The Motor City will forget about Brown by the time the good people of Detroit are roasting chestnuts on that proverbial open fire.

- I told you all not to worry about the slow start in Philly, and after four consecutive wins, now I hope you believe me. Allen Iverson is poised to have a big year, and Webber -- despite what many in the mass media will tell you -- is playing pretty darned good basketball.

- Oh rookies, you gotta love the young whippersnappers! On Sunday when the Minnesota Timberwolves were getting blown out in Denver, rookie Rashad McCants had a nice throw down over Nuggets center Marcus Camby. Well, McCants fell in love with his dunk just a little too much and got ejected for talking smack. Hey Rashad, next time you might want to wait and talk smack until your team is up 16 in the fourth quarter instead of down 16. Oh and for those curious, all Camby did in that game was pour in 18 points, grab 22 rebounds, and block 7 shots. And McCants you ask? Well he had just 14 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist.

- Big ups to Lebron James for becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score 4,000 points. This guy is truly a freak, and it's really only a matter of time until he breaks most of the records ever set in the NBA. He may already be the most complete player in the game at just 20 years of age. It's scary to think of what this guy could accomplish if he plays into his mid to late 30's.

- How about Celtics big man Raef LaFrentz hitting 7 three point shots in the first half -- one shy of NBA record for 3's in a half-- Sunday against the Rockets. Having watched Raef play quite frequently in his younger days, it quickly became apparent that he had this type of ability. However, he has never been able to play with any consistency on the offensive end throughout his career. C's fans can only hope that this is a sign of things to come.

- Onto some e-mail:

Hey Travis, Love reading your columns. But man, you gotta give some love to the Lakers. Kobe has been amazing, and Mihm is ripping it up. Phil has made a big difference too. When are you gonna give them some love? Thanks - Joshua in Huntington Beach, CA

Hello Joshua. Well, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt man, because you sent me this e-mail before the Lakers recent three game slide. Look, I'll admit that Kobe Bryant is probably the most lethal scorer in the game today. That said, I also think he's a lousy teammate and leader, as I've mentioned numerous times in previous articles. I also agree that Mihm has been playing out of his mind thus far, but remember, he did this early in the season last year, too. The Lakers just don't have enough talent to make the playoffs in the Western Conference -- PERIOD! I guess what I'm saying is that I don't think Bryant will be able to shoot himself out of the conundrum, which seems to be his typical response to any type of adversity. This is a results oriented column here my friend, and when they deliver on the court consistently, I'll show them some love.

- Onto some more e-mail:

Travis, What do you think about the Washington Wizards so far? I think they could make a run at the Eastern Conference Finals. Jamison has been playing great ball, and Gilbert Arenas will be an All Star again. So what do you think, can the Wizards make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, or maybe even go all the way? Peace - Mike in D.C.

Hello Mike. I agree with most everything you said. The Wizards have been nothing short of phenomenal early, sporting a 5-1 record. You're also right on about Arenas, as he's quickly becoming one of the most explosive perimeter scorers in the game today. As far as the Wizards making it to the Eastern Conference Finals, I think that it's possible. That said, I'm not sure I'd call it probable. The Wizards are going to have to show that they can compete with Miami, Indiana, and Detroit if they are serious about making a run to win the East. But who the heck am I to say that they can't do it, especially with their explosive start. Stay Tuned!

- Well I'm all in and all done for this week. Thanks for reading, and remember -- just like you can't stop the Earth from spinning, you can't stop the Spalding orange from bouncing.

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.