Oh sure, I'm aware of the big trades (I still think putting Shaq on the Phoenix Suns is like attaching a trailer to a Ferrari) but there have been a few surprising developments that I was unaware of until now. And so, we christen the Mike LaFontaine "Wha' Happened?" Honour Roll in tribute to Fred Willard's character in the great movie "A Mighty Wind". These are the things I have just noticed and have made me raise my brow and ask, "Wha' Happened?"
The Houston Rockets are an unstoppable juggernaut
At a point when most people had written off the Ming/McGrady experiment as a disappointment, the Rockets have won 16 straight games and 20 of their last 21. They've even won three straight after Yao suffered a season-ending injury to his foot. It seems unthinkable that a team with Rafer Alston playing point could be this good, but Tracy McGrady has rediscovered his passion for the game and Rockets' coach Rick Adelman has the Rockets playing defence better than any team in the league. Plus, their strong bench arguably provides the best nine-man rotation in the league. Rookie forward Carl Landry was a second round pick but if he was getting starter's minutes, he might be giving Kevin Durant a run for Rookie of the Year honours.
It turns out that Mike Dunleavy Jr. doesn't suck, after all
The third overall pick in 2002, Dunleavy disappointed Golden State Warriors fans with four-and-a-half seasons of erratic play until he was finally traded to Indiana last season. Stuck on a crappy Pacers team, you probably didn't notice that he has suddenly blossomed into a very good player and is arguably Indiana's MVP. Nineteen points, five rebounds and three assists per game won't get Dunleavy into any All-Star Games, but you can make a case that he's now the sixth-best player to come out of his draft (after Yao, Amare, Boozer, Caron and Tayshaun) and that's a damn sight better than how we viewed him over the past five seasons.
San Antonio's sleeping giants have awakened
Continued...