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By M.J. Darnell

Tanking Breeds Losers

No GM or coach is going to admit to it, but at this time of year, there are some teams that aren't exactly putting forth their best efforts to win. It's called tanking.

I understand the temptation. Images of Josh Howard or Emeka Okafor taking the lottery team back to the playoffs are intoxicating to GMs, and they think hey, what could it hurt if we happen to give Olden Polynice's less-coordinated younger cousin some more playing time and get a few more ping pong balls in the lottery machine?

They shouldn't. Not under any circumstances. I don't care if they could draft every single one of Shawn Kemp's children with the first pick, tanking is always a bad idea.

The very least that fans have a right to expect is an effort to win, and as an athlete, how could you live with yourself knowing you didn't give your best for yourself and for your teammates? You play to win the game, no matter the circumstances.

How could an owner or GM possibly justify less than 100% effort to their fans? Tickets to NBA games are not cheap. Jerseys and merchandise are not cheap. Fans commit time, energy, and money to the team. They are owed effort, without exception.

I understand that young stars are hard to come by. But is it worth the cost of teaching the rest of your team that it's OK to lose? Teams get mired in a losing culture, and it's not easy to get out of. Ask the Clippers. Ask the Bulls. Ask them how much good it's done to have top draft picks every year, and ask them if they'd trade their talented players with a losing mentality for a team of guys who know how to win, hate to lose, and will sacrifice anything for a W.

No Vin Situation

If I had to pick one NBA city where it would be a bad idea for a recovering alcoholic to sign a contract, New York would top the list. Pending the resolution of his arbitration case against the Celtics, Vin Baker is probably going to be signing with someone soon, and Isiah Thomas wants him bad.

It's nothing against the Knicks organization or the people in it, and if Vin Baker were to end up being a Knickerbocker, I'd wish him the best. But the fact remains that the pressure to win in New York is not only immense, it's not all that realistic. They might make the playoffs this year, but Vin or no Vin, sober or not sober, they're not a realistic contender for the Eastern Conference crown.

I think an $87 million contract and the ensuing time in rehab are pretty good indicators that Vin Baker isn't exactly a master of dealing with pressure. When Stephon Marbury was asked about the pressure of playing in New York, he said, "I make love to the pressure." Vin just gets drunk with it.

Tim Thomas is already hearing chants of "Keith Van Horn." If the Knick fans were to turn on Vin Baker, how ugly would that get?

Not Cool, Bulls

As I'm sure you're all aware, the Bulls released Corie Blount on Tuesday. The move sent shockwaves throughout the sports world and... alright, it didn't. It's just Corie Blount. But there's more to the story than first appears.

Blount was released on Tuesday. Had the Bulls released him before midnight on Monday, he would've been eligible to sign with a playoff team and play in the playoffs. Since the Bulls waited, however, NBA rules state that Blount is not eligible for the playoffs.

Corie Blount, obviously, is not an All-Star. But he's a veteran who works hard and has a good attitude and is respected by everyone on the team. The Bulls didn't have to do him like that. I don't know if it was thoughtlessness or cruelty, but it should not have happened. It's not like the Bulls have to worry about him latching on with a team they'll be facing in the playoffs. You look at things like this and it's not hard to figure out why no free agents want to sign with the Bulls.

Contrast it with the recent Ron Mercer situation in San Antonio. Ron Mercer was unhappy in San Antonio, and San Antonio wasn't all that thrilled with Ron Mercer. The Spurs tried to move him at the deadline, and couldn't. The deadline passed, Mercer didn't want to be there anymore. Despite the risk of Mercer signing with a competitor, the Spurs did the right thing for the player and let him go.

Both the Bulls and the Spurs figure to have cap room this summer. If you're an NBA free agent, which team would you rather sign with?

The Mighty 10:

1. Sacramento. I don't get the people who say that it's going to be a problem to reintegrate Webber into the line-up. It's not like he's never played in that system before. He's a superior talent and an unselfish player. I don't see it being a problem.

2. Minnesota. The loss to the Iverson-less Sixers is so baffling that my mind refuses to process it. We're pretending like it never happened.

3. Indiana. Quietly going about the business of being the best team in the East. New Jersey and Detroit have gotten more ink recently, but the Pacers are still more than 7 games ahead of either of them.

4. San Antonio. 2-1 without Duncan so far. Tony Parker, or as I call him, Tony Oui Oui, is so important to this team. Oui Oui developing some confidence right now with Duncan out would be the best thing to happen for the Spurs.

5. LA Lakers. This is the best team ever where everyone on the roster, head coach included, seems to be miserable at all times. They still have dominant stretches, but I don't see them sustaining.

6. Dallas. You can win a lot of games in the regular season without playing any defense. You can't win a ring, though. Mavs/Lakers would be a lot of fun in the first round.

7. Detroit. Have won 5 of 7 since Rasheed's been an eligible Piston. Dominating team defensive performance against Portland.

8. Memphis. Hubie Brown continues to do an amazing job. Have won 8 of 10.

9. New Jersey. They get a chance this weekend to avenge the beating the Lakers gave them last weekend. Good measuring stick game.

10. Houston. Houston will probably be playing either Sacramento or Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs. Would either of those teams have a defense answer for Yao?

The Meek 3, and two other teams:

25. Phoenix. Amare's gone over 20 points in 10 consecutive games, the first Sun to do that since Barkley. And the Suns have won three of four. They don't belong in the Meek 5 this week, but a lot of the other really bad teams are actually in a playoff race in the East.

26. Washington. Have won four of five. They also don't deserve to be in the Meek 5 this week. If only teams like Boston or Philadelphia would have the decency to fall completely out of the playoff race, or Atlanta would stop pulling off upsets of the Lakers, I wouldn't have to put the Wizards in here.

27. Golden State. Without Van Exel, without Speedy Claxton. 10,000th fan into the building gets to run the point!

28. Chicago. Bulls have signed Shirley to a 10-day contract. Was Laverne not available?

29. Orlando. Can they keep up their stellar .270 winning percentage without Rod Strickland? Only time will tell.

The Mailbag

Yo, who do you think is going to make the playoffs out of the east and why? - Jas, Canada

When six teams this bad get together... anything can happen. It's like watching frogs race. None of the frogs really has any idea what's going on, but one of them has to get to the finish line first, right? The East has six teams vying for three spots, and currently, it looks like this:

6. New York

7. Toronto, half game back

8. Boston, one game back

9. Miami, one game back

10. Cleveland, game and a half back

11. Philadelphia, three games back

Here's how I see them finishing:

6. Toronto. I know they're not exactly on fire lately, but for these six teams, every game for the rest of the year should have a playoff-like intensity. When the intensity is turned up, defense becomes more important, and they're the best defensive team in this bunch. They've lost 9 of their last 10 and are still in the 7 spot. If the return of Vince Carter stabilizes them at all, they're the best of these bad teams.

7. Cleveland. They've been playing their best ball recently. Jeff McInnis has really made a big difference, and I could not have been more wrong when I said the McInnis/Miles trade was a bad one for the Cavs. They're really the only team here that has a reliable post scoring threat.

8. Boston. This one's more of a hunch. Their three-game win streak (two over the Raptors, one over the Magic) isn't what has me convinced. Rather, Chucky Atkins seems to be just what this team needed, and Brandon Hunter has been a beast down low. They've got a seriously tough stretch of games ahead of them, but they finish with Golden State, Washington, Miami, New Orleans, Atlanta, Miami, and Atlanta. A playoff spot is there if they want it.

9. Miami. I respect the Heat, but I just don't think they have enough to win this race. If Dwayne Wade could stay healthy for more than two days at a time, maybe it would be different. Props to the Heat, but the playoffs will have to wait until next year.

10. New York. If it wasn't for the 76ers being so bad, the Knicks would be on a 7-game losing streak. There is no defense in New York. In their six straight losses, they never gave up less than 92 points, and they had games in there against Utah, Cleveland, Phoenix, and the Clippers.

11. Philadelphia. Allen Iverson seems to have a new injury every day. If he's not 100%, and he probably won't be for a while, the Sixers are in trouble. I like Sam Dalembert's play recently, but there's not much else to get excited about with this team.

Hey, your column is great. I think you have great analysis, you're funny as hell, and you're a good writer. Keep it up! Also, I feel bad for Van Horn. He's never talked smack about anyone, he averages double digits, and it's better to have him than both Tim Thomas and Nazr Mohammed. I can't believe Isiah made this trade. They were certainly headed for the playoffs, now I'm not so sure. I would have loved to see the Knicks in the playoffs, and more importantly, I would have loved to see them beat the Nets and Van Horn dunk all over Kenyon Martin's face. Kenyon Martin is a poor sport (re: comments about Van Horn and the way he made fun of Zo's kidney problem and the flagrant fouls of previous years). - Elephant Man, Chicago

I'd also love to see Keith Van Horn dunk on Kenyon Martin's face, but for the same reasons that I'd like to see the Pope release a gangsta rap album, or see Jeremy Shockey on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. None of them are going to happen.

I tend to agree about Van Horn, he's taken a lot of unfair criticism through his career. Basically, it's about expectations. At this point, it's clear that he's not a #1 offensive option. I don't think there's any confusion about that. If you're an NBA fan, and you're riding Keith Van Horn because he isn't averaging 30 a night, you need to make some adjustments in your life.

He's probably not a #2, either, but he's one of the best 3rd offensive options in the league. He's a nice player to have around. No more, no less.

You're being a little hard on K-Mart, though. I don't see flagrant fouls as a character flaw. Every team needs a guy that's willing to get a little bit flagrant every now and then. What he said about Zo's kidney... yeah, that was messed up. Not everyone's going to like him, and while you may not wanna have him over for dinner, at the end of the day, he's a guy that plays hard and puts the team above himself.

But thanks for writing and thanks for the kind words. They're appreciated.

If the Sonics are looking to trade Ray Allen because they fear they'll lose him to free agency wouldn't an interesting trade be to send Ray Allen to NJ for Richard Jefferson, Kerry Kittles, and a future first round pick? That would make sense for both teams. Seattle would get a future star in Jefferson and a solid role player in Kittles. They are each excellent defenders and Seattle needs some defensive players badly. They're also both excellent finishers and they would complement all of Seattle's 3 point shooters nicely. NJ would get a proven scorer/shooter and someone they could rely on in the half court game. Allen is an underrated finisher on the fast break also, so he would have no problem adjusting. NJ would lose some depth, but a trio of Kidd, Martin, and Allen would be unbelievable. - Marc Smith, Short Hills, NJ

I don't think Seattle's in any hurry to trade Ray Allen, and if they do, it's certainly not going to be for any more shooting guards or small forwards. Seattle needs a big man worse than Darko Milicic needs a new hairstylist.

Ray Allen's a great player. An unbelievable shooter, obviously, and like you said, an underrated finisher. But I think the Nets are constructed pretty well as-is. With Kidd at the 1, and K-Mart at the 4, the Nets would have to be careful about adding another player who needs to be fed the ball. Richard Jefferson is excellent in the running game, which is ideal next to Jason Kidd. In a halfcourt set, Richard Jefferson is good, but I wouldn't be comfortable relying on him as anything more than a 3rd option. He's at his best when he's running. Kerry Kittles and Luscious need to be able to hit perimeter shots, and they both hover at around the 35% mark from three-point land. Adding a guy like Ray Allen would be great for just about any team, but just like the Sonics, the Nets should be more concerned about adding a presence in the middle before they start piling on more perimeter players.

With the recent string of wins the Blazers have had, do you think that they will make the playoffs? - Beau King, Spokane, WA

It looks like you haven't done your homework on the western playoff race. Portland and Utah are only three games back from Denver for the eight spot while more than 20 games remain. Houston is also catchable. I think, especially considering the talent now on the Portland roster, that it is premature to say that the lower part of the Western Conference playoff picture is set. I would look for Portland to not only make the playoffs, but also to make some noise once they get there. - Colin in MX

The race is mathematically tighter than I made it out to be, but I don't feel like the Jazz or Blazers are good enough to push Houston or Denver out. A key injury or two would change things, certainly, but for right now, I just don't see it happening.

Portland has some good talent, and they're capable of beating some good teams on a given night. But there isn't a lot of cohesiveness, no sense of leadership, and no one that can score from the outside. Mo Cheeks routinely looks like he's ready to kill himself on the sidelines. To string together enough wins to make a run at the playoffs, something miraculous would have to occur. Like Darius Miles developing a perimeter game.

After getting pasted by Detroit, the Blazers are three and a half games out of the 8-spot. The Jazz are closer at a game and a half back, and I'd give them a better shot at sneaking in. Ultimately, it will end as it is now, with Memphis, Houston, and Denver rounding out the playoffs in the West.

Got a question, comment, problem, tirade, hate mail, love note? Send it along here.

M.J. Darnell runs www.themightymjd.com.