ORLANDO -- This looked like an old Vince Carter highlight tape -- just without the dunks.
Carter, whose first season with his hometown team has been marked mostly by disappointment, finally delivered the game he had promised, exploding for a season-high 48 points while carrying the Magic to a 123-117, come-from-behind victory against New Orleans.
"That was vintage Vince Carter,'' gushed Magic coach Stan Van Gundy. "He was incredible, unbelievable tonight. Most of his shots didn't even hit the rim.''
For Carter, it was his highest-scoring game since getting a career-high 51 points for the New Jersey Nets against Miami early in the 2005-06 season.
Carter, 33, was averaging just 15.8 points going into Monday night, heading for his first sub-20-point average since his rookie season.
His performance Monday, coupled with considerable improvement from January to February, has re-sparked talk that the Magic (35-17) indeed can defend their Eastern Conference title against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"With Vince playing like this,'' said point guard Jameer Nelson, "you just keep getting him the ball.''
Tyrus Thomasdid not play versus the Heat on Saturday. Instead, Chris Richard, recently signed from the D-League's Tulsa 66ers (owned by the Oklahoma City Thunder and rife with talent) got the minutes Thomas would have. And he didn't score the winning field goal, or spur an offensive explosion. But Richard came in, and did his job. He grabbed seven rebounds, handed out two assists, nabbed a steal, and had two blocks. This is the box score version. But the combination of effort and size he put in what exactly what the Bulls needed, especially with Joakim Noah out, and helped the Bulls outlast Dwyane Wade's Miami Heat.
That effort is in deep contrast to Thomas' absence, caused by a post-game tirade after the Bulls loss in Atlanta the night before. Thomas has been on the outs in Chicago since an injury derailed him early in the season. Upon return, he discovered that Taj Gibson's steady, consistent, but un-jaw-dropping play had cemented him in the starting power forward spot. Thomas responded with the same approach he's taken for most of his career. Disinterest mixed with resentment, lacking any effort to consistently produce what's being asked of him. If Tyrus Thomas is everything the fans want when he tries, Chris Richard is good enough for what his coaches want because he does try.
Darren Collison didn't improve his NBA Draft position by staying all four years at UCLA, but it certainly has saved the New Orleans Hornets this season, keeping their playoff hopes afloat.
This is no ordinary late-first-round pick.
Collison, chosen 21st overall in the 2009 Draft, has played surprisingly well for an unheralded rookie after replacing All-Star point guard Chris Paul, who is out another four weeks following knee surgery.
After Paul limped off the court Jan. 29 against Chicago, Collison replaced him with a 17-point, 18-assist performance in an overtime victory against Memphis. He followed with 16 points and 14 assists against Phoenix, becoming just the third NBA rookie in the last 20 years to have 14-plus assists in back-to-back games.
"He looks like a guy who has the confidence, and a strong understanding on how to play. He knows what his team needs from that position,'' said New Orleans coach Jeff Bower before playing the Orlando Magic Monday night. "He's a product of his experiences. He has the mentality, the maturity we needed.''
Collison is coming off a game-high 24 points -- including the game-clincher with 10 seconds remaining -- in a victory Saturday in Charlotte.
I wrote it as clear as you heard: Bethlehem Shoals is sick of rumors. I wouldn't refer to myself in the third-person unless I really wanted to call attention to my own folly. So there's your disclaimer on this: I LIE.
However, the future of Andre Iguodala is about more than who goes where and for what. Comparing Andre Iguodala to Lamar Odom is misleading; besides being a more unique player, Odom is at once spacier and in theory, more likely to serve as a nervous center of a team. A weird one, indeed, but wasn't that the premise behind that rad Odom/Dwayne Wade/Caron ButlerHeat team? Why does Shaquille O'Neal ruin all the interesting teams?
As we've seen from Odom's post-Heat career, though, he's either most comfortable, or at least has no problem with, taking a secondary role. In fact, with the Lakers, Odom's nearly an afterthought.
Iguodala has much to recommend him: stellar defense, great feel for the game, strong passing and rebounding, world-class athleticism, superb slashing, and the willingness to develop his outside shot. And yet Iggy, like Odom, might be about to surrender his place on pedestal.
Brandon Roy continues to suffer ill effects caused by a hamstring strain, an injury which has kept him out of action since January 20, and which has cost him 12 games in all. As such, there will be no All-Star Game appearance for Portland's best, leaving an empty spot many considered Monta Ellis as the favorite to fill. No dice, as the commissioner's office instead selected beloved guard Chris Kaman. (Note: Kaman is actually neither beloved nor a guard, which means David Stern just started off 0-for-2.)
Kaman probably deserves the berth more than does Ellis, at least by my reckoning. Ellis scores a-plenty, but remains among the league's least efficient top scorers. In other words, if you gave Ricky Davis enough shots, he'd score 26 too. (That comparison is considerably unfair; I immediately apologize to Ellis and the entire Golden State Warriors organization for my hurtful words.)
Kaman has been just lovely in L.A., rebounding well despite being paired with one of the era's great rebounders (Marcus Camby). He's also adjusted well to his newly expanded offensive role in his first non-plagued season without Elton Brand, taking far more shots than he's used to and losing little in the way of efficiency. I mean, he hasn't been overwhelmingly brilliant -- Carlos Boozer quite honestly deserves the All-Star nod much more, and I'm not sure Kaman has much of a better case than Roy's bud LaMarcus Aldridge, or even Houston's Luis Scola. But "it is what it is" and you can never curse a man his first All-Star berth, so cheers, Chris Kaman!
ORLANDO -- This looked like an old 
Tyrus Thomas
Darren Collison
Brandon Roy
