An attempt to aid those who need assistance
By Tony Mejia

Sometimes things are easily forgotten. Often, I need to write myself notes to pick up milk and paper towels or even remember to ring someone I need to talk to for a story. Be it on the fridge or over on the PC, the reminders are helpful and serve to keep me grounded.

Being the good Samaritan that I am, I've decided to share my little system with those in the NBA that could most use these aids. While nearly everyone could utilize this type of assistance, the seven individuals I have in mind would frankly be lost without it. Here then, is my little contribution to better the world.

Dear Damon Jones, it's reality check time. Your act was amusing in Miami, what with the sunglasses at press conferences and the shtick as Shaq's sidekick. However, whether you want to embrace it or not, the fact is that you have a new home, the permanent stop that has eluded you your entire career, and you're alienating the fans there? Are you that clueless?

Mired in a shooting slump, Jones covered his ears to avoid hearing Cavs fans' cheers when he finally connected.

"If you're going to boo, then boo, don't be fair-weather," Jones said. "If you're going to be behind us when we win or when we lose, then you have to be behind us when a guy is going through a tough stretch. I'd rather not be applauded anymore."

Taking ourselves a little too seriously, aren't we? This is the same player who pouted about not starting, staging a media boycott when no one really cared, and who has now fallen on his face when pressed into the lineup due to an injury to Larry Hughes. Over the past seven games, he's 6-for-38 from the field, and all but five of the misses have come from 3-point range. That's not too good when you're the self-proclaimed "best shooter in the world."

Now remember, this isn't piling on and kicking a man while he's down. It's reminding him to relax and display a little humility. "That word is not in my vocabulary," he said recently when asked if he was in a slump. This of course came a few days before admitting that he's "officially in a slump." Stop the presses!

Seriously, D.J., have you lost it?

In a comedic twist of irony, this slump has coincided with the announcement of a shoe endorsement deal with Chinese apparel brand, Li Ning.

"It was a situation where I didn’t have a shoe contract coming into the year, and I was searching around, and I felt that being different, as I am, I thought it would be a good move to market myself in a different light. They felt with my personality and my glamorous looks that I could bring a little pop to the brand," Jones said. "I got billboards all over China. I got wax sculptures. I’m an icon. I’m global. Who’s that global around here, except LeBron James?"

He's kidding, of course. I think. Please, for goodness sakes, come back down to earth.

Dear Ron Artest, you didn't learn during your first prolonged absence, so please, the note you should write to yourself is to stop and think before you act. Are you going to take notice after this latest period of sitting out? Stop trying to be bigger than the game. Stop sabotaging your reputation.

A phenomenal player should not be so troubled. There should not be sentences uttered that start, Ronnie is great but ... Understand? So you think you could score more? Whoop-tee. No basketball-savvy individual, as most GMs and front office personnel are, is going to offer you more money simply because you're averaging 24 points per game instead of say, 18. You do so much more on the court that your value is already through the roof. All you do by opening your mouth is devalue what you do. Stop. Think.

Dear Kevin Garnett, pull an Artest and demand a trade. The Wolves don't want to deal you, they adamantly claim, but if you give them a nudge, maybe they'll think twice and be more accommodating. Quite frankly, you play for an organization that needs to be rebuilding and instead is trying to stubbornly push forward with a mediocre talent base. Minnesota is never going to reach an NBA Finals, which means you're never going to reach an NBA Finals.
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You're reaching the big 3-0 in May, and odds are you'll be celebrating it on an island rather than a basketball court because Minnesota will have long been eliminated. Already you have too much of a burden on your shoulders, and no one in the front office has done anything substantial to lighten it.

Charles Barkley and Karl Malone managed to get their ways to the brink of the Promised Land even though they failed to win a drink. Do you envision even getting that far, or is that one Western Conference Finals appearance the peak?

You have 500 career double-doubles, are averaging over 20 and 10 for the eighth consecutive season and have so little to show for it. All that sweat, all that frustration, for what?

In an upcoming ad campaign, you're going to be portrayed by Adidas as a movie star, playing numerous roles and showing off a little personality, no doubt enhancing your profile. However, you know very well that enhancing your profile in the only world you care about occurs in June, on the floor. It's time to turn up the volume on your displeasure, because your current situation isn't going to get you there.

Dear Tracy McGrady, do yourself a favor and hang up the sneaks for the rest of the season. Dedicate yourself to getting the back problems under control, conserve a half-season of needless wear and tear to extend your career, and pick yourself up a higher quality of a teammate next season. Worked for David Robinson down the road in San Antonio, no?

No one is saying that Tim Duncan is available in the upcoming draft, but considering your team is going to make an unexpected stop in the lottery, why not maximize the chance of finding a gem. Take the rest of the year off, allow Yao Ming to become the focal point once he returns, and see what develops during the offseason. Perhaps a talented wing like UConn's Rudy Gay can aid the cause. Perhaps Gonzaga's Adam Morrison can do his Larry Bird replication by your side. What do you think of Texas' LaMarcus Aldridge, a Chris Bosh-type who would look really good next to Yao? It's all possible, that and renewed health, if you just suppress the desire to return this season and worry about healing the body.

Dear Stephon Marbury, sit back and enjoy this resurgence. Breathe it in, really let it sink in. Larry Brown is helping you. The Knicks are the kings of New York. This is what you've always wanted. Now, write yourself a note to capture this moment and make it last.

You can kid yourself and say you're just doing what you've always done, but c'mon man, the Knicks are taking your lead, and it's because you're leading. This five-game win streak has nothing to do with shot selection, comments about being the "best point guard in the league", or any other nonsense -- it's about harboring the will to win.

That's always been the knock on you: You put up numbers, embarrass defenders, yet win nothing. Mediocrity has essentially been associated with every team you've played for, possibly as a curse for leaving Garnett the way you did. However, New York is where you wanted to be, and now you're there, and now Brown is there, and you can help one another succeed.

Look at your numbers in January: 26 points, nine assists per game. That's what elite point guards produce, but yet, take them as just numbers. Over your career, you've averaged 20 points and eight assists, yet they've been empty figures. What you're doing now is making winning plays. Every one of your numbers has been necessary. Mandatory. You're winning now, and you're making it happen. You're making kids like David Lee and Channing Frye succeed. You're leading. That's what point guards do. That's what people say has eluded you. That's what is going to get you the respect you haven't received. Breathe it in and never let it go.

Dear Antoine Walker, make the most of your second chance. Here's the gist of Walker's situation: His arrival is trumpeted in Miami as a three-time All-Star arriving to fortify a championship run. He then slumps and struggles to find his place, toiling in a reserve role for the first time. Fans are wondering what all the hype was about, especially when Walker is firing up the occasional 1-for-13 and 0-for-10 shooting night.

Well, Walker can be a darling again. He's still coming off the bench, but new coach Pat Riley, who pulled the trigger to bring him aboard in the first place, is letting him play his favored position. Rookie Wayne Simien will now see reserve minutes at power forward while Walker plays primarily behind James Posey. Over the past three games, he's knocked down 22-of-36 shots, including 11-of-18 3-pointers. Let's stop *****-footing around the truth: Walker lives to shoot. He's getting that opportunity now. Make the most of it and avoid being a high-profile bust.

Dear Deron Williams, remember what brought you to this point in your career. You're a rookie, the first point guard taken in a draft stocked with them, and you were selected primarily because of your savvy, your winning pedigree, your ability to come through in the clutch and the cool you displayed in doing so. It never seemed like you were ever forcing the issue. Why then, does it look like you're forcing the issue as a pro?

In fairness, Andrei Kirilenko was injured for a while and the Jazz were a tad depleted, but there was no reason for him to be putting up 15 shots a game when his reputation is that of a pass-first point guard. He's not a strong 3-point shooter yet, proven by an 8-for-35 showing during December in which he missed 19 of his last 21 attempts.

It's no coincidence that he's been relegated to a reserve role behind undrafted third-year guard Keith McLeod. There's no doubt he's the best floor general on the roster, but Jerry Sloan is sending him the message that he has to operate it correctly. Already people are wondering whether the Jazz made the mistake and took the wrong guard given what Chris Paul is doing. That's not fair, as Williams has the talent to back up Utah's choice. He just has to go back to his roots to do so. If he smells the coffee, he can prove that on the playoff stage, where Paul most assuredly won't be.

good article.. someone should put this is Stephon's locker.

Tom.. what if? What if? what if?... its true. Regardless of your fantasy scenario. Are you just playing Devils advocate here?

These observations are based on watching the games. He's not sulking.. with or without Eddy. He's feeding the post. His demeanor is much different. The statements aren't meaningless.. cause they are factual.

marbs was awesome when Amare was a rookie and made Amare who he is.