John Hollinger: Hey everyone. Artest is finally traded, and we get another blockbuster to boot. Let's talk about it ...

Chad: Minneapolis, MN: John, With the recent Wally/Ricky trade. The Wolves aquired Marcus Banks in the deal. The question I have is that this leaves the Wolves with 4 point guards, Jaric, Hudson, Banks, and Carter. Do you see them making another trade before the deadline involving one of their PG's?

SportsNation John Hollinger: That's the word on the street. Supposedly the T'wolves are dangling Banks in front of the Sonics, who could use a true point guard (yes, I realize that Banks stretches the defintition here a bit, but he's better than what they've got), and trying to get Flip Murray in return. Altternatively, T'wolves could use Jaric on the wings more often, and play Hudson and Banks at the point. That would bounce McCants from the rotation if they went that way.

Eric (Washington, DC): Are the Celtics done dealing? Seems like the Kandi Man cap relief won't mean much to the C's in the big picture. What can they get for his expiring contract and one of their extra #1's? Or maybe even Gerald Green?

SportsNation John Hollinger: I doubt Kandi's contract will get you much. Remember, he can only be traded in a one-for-one deal between now and the deadline.

As for the Celtics, I've wondered since the moment I heard about this deal if it meant Pierce would be traded. The way Boston is set up right now they're forced to use Pierce as their stopper on the wings against the Wades, Hamiltons and Jameses of the world, and I don't think that will fly. That has me wondering if a Pierce trade is the next move on Danny's agenda.

johnny, evanston, ill: So, didn't I just watch LeBron James put his hat in the MVP ring yesterday?

SportsNation John Hollinger: His hat his been in the ring since Day 1. Yesterday just nudged it a little closer to the center. That said, if the Pistons win 72 there's no way Billups can avoid winning it.

James (Wilton CT): John I know there's no D in Szczerbiak (even though there's pretty much every other letter under the sun) however don't you think that his ability to protect the ball better than ricky will offset his defensive short comings??

SportsNation John Hollinger: Not sure what you mean by protect the ball. Yes, he turns it over less than Ricky, but he's actually a terrible dribbler. He just catches and shoots so frequently that it doesn't come up often. If I'm a Boston fan, though, my big worry is that I bought Szczerbiak's stock at its absolute peak. Wally has played better this year, but over the last two years of Davis's contract I'd put my money on Ricky.

Simon, New York: What's the deal with the Nets and a PF? Im sick to death of Collins and his no talent, well, you know where im going with this...

SportsNation John Hollinger: Collins is better than his numbers -- despite a lack of blocks and steals he's one of the best defensive players in basketball. "Textbook" is how a scout described him to me. That said, Jersey does need more points from somewhere to offset the miniscule production from Collins, which is why the oft-rumored deal for Wilcox would be a shot in the arm for them.

Jon (NYC): John, great work as always. Someone must send a memo to Bill Simmons correcting his notion that the Celtics' recent trade is a fantastic move for the franchise. Care to step up to the plate?

SportsNation John Hollinger: Look, this wasn't some crazy Isiah Thomas/Pete Babcock trade. Realistically, they exchanged six of one for half dozen of another. But if we're going to split hairs, I like it a little better for Minnesota because I understand how Blount and Davis fit there a lot better than I understand how Wally fits in Boston. So I give a slight edge to the T'wolves. Obviously, Simmons disagrees with me, but the difference are small enought that it's hard for me to get too worked up about it.

Matt, MPLS: I saw some decent low post moves by Blount on Saturday night. Didn't I? Or was I mistaken because I was watching Kandi throw up one-handed crap for the last two plus years?

SportsNation John Hollinger: Yes, Blount made a couple nice moves around the basket in the San Antonio game, but his bread and butter is a jumper from the foul line. The post points are gravy.

Robbie,CA: With the addition of Ron Artest and if they resign Bonzi Wells in the offseason will the Kings be a title contender next year?

SportsNation John Hollinger: I greatly doubt they'll re-sign Bonzi Wells. If you look at their luxury tax situation they're probably only going to have a few million to play with even with Bonzi off the books, and besides their two best young players both play Bonzi's spot. That said, even with Bonzi I don't see title contention, but if they keep this group and Artest's head stays attached I do think they'll be a playoff team.

Ed (Atlanta): It seems Bob Hill has the Sonics coming around. Ridnour looks great, the centers are developing, and they're actually winning some games against good teams. Do you agree? Have we heard the end of all the Robert Swift jokes?

SportsNation John Hollinger: I love what I've seen from Swift. As for Hill ... not so much. Seattle's main weakness under Weiss was that they didn't play any defense. Under Hill, they still don't play any defense -- in fact in the past few games they've gotten worse. Until he gets even a modicum of effort from the players on D, I don't see Seattle going anywhere but the lottery.

Ryan (Cleveland, Ohio): John, with Larry Hughes coming back in the upcoming weeks, what are the chances of my Cavs regrouping offensively and defensively for a strong run to the Eastern Conference Finals?

SportsNation John Hollinger: Cleveland has a chance to be the second-best team in the East by the end of the season. Z has played very well of late, Varejao really helps the bench and Pavlovic is coming around nicely. Unfortunately, they'll have to play Detroit in the second round, so conference finals are highly unlikely unless somebody does a Tonya Harding on the Pistons' starting five.

Nikki (MPLS, MN): John- Flip Murray for Marcus Banks? It sounds like Casey is hurting for some familiar faces in his first year. Aren't there any other PGs to consider before the trade deadline for the Wolves?

SportsNation John Hollinger: Actually, I think Flip would be a great fit with that team, because he can be paired with Jaric in the backcourt -- so Flip can play the 2 on offense but the 1 on defense, while Jaric does vice versa.

Chris (Denver): John, now that the Artest trade domino has fallen, do you see Denver getting anything done before the trading deadline? Thanks!

SportsNation John Hollinger: I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop in Denver ever since the Artest trade went down. Clearly they have assets to work with (Watson, Nene, Lenard, perhaps Hodge or Kleiza), so it's probably just a question of 'when' more than 'if.'

Nikki (MPLS, MN): John- Isn't kicking out some dude like Chris Andersen for (most likely) using marijuana a little extreme? Especially since drugs that actually increase performance (as opposed to hindering performance) are given some leway?

SportsNation John Hollinger: It wasn't marijuana, it was one of the more heavily penalized drugs as defined by the collective bargaining agreement (cocaine, LSD, methamphetamine), which is why he was banned immediately (Incidentally, no word yet on which it was, and due to confidentiality rules we may never know). I don't understand the distinction in penalties here -- last I checked marijuana and steroids were just as illegal as those other drugs, so the sanction should be the same.

John (Toronto): With Babcock gone now, who do you expect to go by 3:00 PM EST on Feb 23rd? Rose, Mike James, Eric Williams, a draft pick?

SportsNation John Hollinger: Unfortunately for Raptors fans, I can't say "Richard Peddie." But I have to think one reason they dumped Babcock now is because he was so terrified to trade Donyell Marshall last year. The Raps know they need to get some assets in return for Williams and James at the very least. Rose is more iffy -- Toronto could keep him if they don't like what's out there in terms of trades.

Yorkis (Philly): John, I think that the 3 worst coaches in the NBA are Sam Mitchell, Mike Montgomery, and Dwayne Casey. Do you feel there is any reason for any of these guys to keep his job?

SportsNation John Hollinger: Mitchell and Montgomery have both had their issues, but Casey definitely does not deserve that comment. T'wolves are one of the best defensive teams in the league this year despite having an open sore at center, which is a tremendous accomplishment.

Rashad(Huntsville, AL): Now that Jermaine O'Neal is injured I'm hearing Rasheed Wallace might be his replacement. Is it possible the pistons might get 4 All-Stars now? How many do you think they will get?

SportsNation John Hollinger: I said they'd get two when I wrote my column a few weeks ago, but now it's looking like they might get 4. I think Hamilton may have surpassed Kidd in coaches' minds with the Nets' recent slump (though he still has Redd to contend with), and as you point out, the injury to O'Neal leaves an opening for either 'Sheed or Ilgauskas. I'd still put the over/under at 3, but 4 certainly looks possible.

Josh (Chicago): Are the Pistons the best TEAM ever? And don't tell me the 72 win Bulls, I'm talknig about complete starting 5 here, without the best player of all time in the mix.

SportsNation John Hollinger: If you're saying what I think you're saying, then the answer may be yes. No egos, no agendas, just a completely seamless unit where everybody's reading from the same script. They're just a joy to watch this year.

James (Indianapolis, IN): Do the Pacers still have the players necessary to contend for a title or will they trade J. O'neal and begin to rebuild?

SportsNation John Hollinger: You have to wonder now. Last year they could write it off to Artest being wacky, but Tinsley and O'Neal can't stay healthy and the team as a whole looked shockingly unmotivated the past few games. Maybe I'm just overreacting to that mail-in job against the Hawks last week, because on paper a healthy Pacers team should be as good as anyone. But they haven't hit on all cylinders in nearly two years.

Matt, MPLS: In my personal opinion, the Wolves play their best team basketball with Anthony Carter on the floor. Mostly because he is the only PG we have that can actually make a decent pass. But he doesn't play a whole ton, which I assume is because he isn't a great shooter. Will we see more of Carter now that there is a little more scoring ability on the court with Davis and Blount? Thanks.

SportsNation John Hollinger: "Not a great shooter" is actually quite an understatement -- he may be the worst-shooting point guard of the past decade. With Banks in the picture, Carter's minutes could diminish even further. Not that he's been any worse than the T'wolves' other bench players ...

Nate, Albany: Has Tyson Chandler turned the corner? And would the Celtics take Gordon, the bulls #1 pick and Tim thomas for Pierce?

SportsNation John Hollinger: That Gordon deal was the work of an extremely optimistic Chicago columnist. Can you imagine how many points Boston would give up with Gordon and Wally on the wings?

As for Chandler, I sure hope he's turned the corner. I expected big things from him after the way he played last year, and based on that $60 million they shelled out so did the Bulls. If he's really back I like their odds of eking out a playoff spot.

Rogi (Boston): How about a Jazz question? Will Carlos Boozer get traded this year? What can the Jazz get for him?

SportsNation John Hollinger: It seems unlikely. Boozer would have to get back on the court and prove he's healthy before anybody will sign off on trading for that contract. It might be better for Utah to hope he finished the year strong and then try to deal him over the summer.

Wes (Grapevine, TX): Any chance of someone besides Flip Saunders winning coach of the year?

SportsNation John Hollinger: If the Pistons win 70, then nobody else has a chance. If they fall short, then guys like D'Antoni and Phil Jackson are very much in the picture.

Jon (Indianapolis, IN): Mateen Cleeves is the worst shooting PG of the past decade.

SportsNation John Hollinger: Nice try, but Carter is even worse. Mateen shoots 29.3% on 3s for his career and 72.7% from the line. Carter shoots 67.6% from the line and .... (drumroll please) ... 10.9% on threes. No, that's not a typo. It's no contest.

SportsNation John Hollinger: And on that happy note, I have to head out to watch the Knicks-Hawks game tonight, which is kind of like the team equivalent of watching a Mateen Cleaves-Anthony Carter 3-point Shootout. I'll be back next Monday at 3 to discuss some more ...

Chad: Minneapolis, MN: John, With the recent Wally/Ricky trade. The Wolves aquired Marcus Banks in the deal. The question I have is that this leaves the Wolves with 4 point guards, Jaric, Hudson, Banks, and Carter. Do you see them making another trade before the deadline involving one of their PG's?

SportsNation John Hollinger: That's the word on the street. Supposedly the T'wolves are dangling Banks in front of the Sonics, who could use a true point guard (yes, I realize that Banks stretches the defintition here a bit, but he's better than what they've got), and trying to get Flip Murray in return. Altternatively, T'wolves could use Jaric on the wings more often, and play Hudson and Banks at the point. That would bounce McCants from the rotation if they went that way.

don't tell McK1 that the Sonics don't like Ridnour!

Posted by McK1:

they need a back-up point dumps. Right now they are using 2 2guards -Flip & Wilkins.

Isiah should try and make a deal for Banks.

Banks has some HUGE upside...I was thinking this same thing...to bad his head is so messed up...I mean seriously it is more messed up than looking at a Van Gogh on an acid/LSD trip.

--just ask the birdman, he knows.....--