Los
Angeles Lakers at New Orleans

There’s no point in telling you that the Hornets/Lakers
matchup will be the best game on tonight, because this Wednesday lineup is
sickening beyond belief. In a good way. Sick = good, just like the kids say.
The kids do say that, right?

Look at the other candidates. Philly’s in Toronto. The runnin’ Pacers are in New Jersey to take on a
Nets team that is an engaging watch. Atlanta is
in Boston, trying to lose to the C’s in Massachusetts by under
25 points this time. Greg Oden returns for the Trail Blazers on national TV in Miami (does ESPN know that the Heat don’t have Shaquille
O’Neal on their roster anymore?), Shaq takes on Yao in ESPN’s second game (apparently they do),
while the Clippers/Kings game should be a fun watch.

But Lakers/Hornets? This has to be it.

So what if David West is struggling a
little bit? So the Lakers might be tired after taking it to the hilt
against the Mavs last night? So what if Amare is going at Yao? So what if the Knicks are in Memphis, and Zach Randolph
can finally show Chris Wallace what he missed out on?

11 games tonight. 10 of them good, one of them Wizards/Jazz,
but Hornets/Lakers stand out. Comment away as the night drones on, and enjoy a
sound conclusion to your Hump
Day.

Los Angeles Lakers:
6-0, 95.8 possessions per game (3rd-most in the NBA), 111.3 points scored per
100 possessions (3rd-most in the NBA), 90.6 points allowed per 100 possessions (1^st
in the NBA). Tin Soldier.

New Orleans Hornets: 4-2, 88.8 possessions per
game (25^th), 110.4 points scored per 100 (6^th), 104.7
points allowed per 100 (15^th). All or Nothing.

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A look around the league and the web that covers it. It’s also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren’t always listed in order of importance. That’s for you, dear reader, to figure out.

C: Boston.com, via Deadspin. Obama could steal ‘Melo’s personal chef for The White House.
PF: FanHouse. Chris Bosh’s "funniest skit competition" with Baron Davis is officially on like Donkey Kong.
SF: The Hoops Doctors. Gary Payton says Rondo didn’t deserve his championsip bling.
SG: NBAStuffer. After two weeks of action, it appears that the Lakers and Celtics are aliens.
PG: Philly.com. MC Welk: "I think this is Koufos ‘greeking’ Thaddeus Young."
6th: 3 Shades of Blue. An alternative view of O.J. Mayo and the Griz point guard controversy.
7th: Thoughts from the Jockstrap. "Hey, ma, can Shaq spend the night? Please! Please! Please!
8th: TrueHoop. Sacramento mayor-elect Kevin Johnson drops by The Colbert Report.
9th: Nothing But Net. What do Joe the Plumber and Mickael Pietrus have in common?
10th: The Washington Times. A strip on the size-18 Nikes of Wizards rookie JaVale "Epic Vale" McGee bears a peculiar phrase, written neatly in black Sharpie. "Kill + Mode = Cheese."

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Poor guy. Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic — um, for once this is not a joke: centered — takes part in the Toyota Project Rebound Reading & Learning Center Dedication Tuesday at the Tempe YMCA in Arizona. Best caption wins free four points to put towards their dreadful Player Efficiency Rating. Good luck, gents.

After the jump, Robert Swift prays for you.

Winner, baller20:
Dear Lord, please let all the bloggers on this page realize that they
may not like me but I’m a seven footer who is making $3.5 million a
year and they aren’t. Also, please let the cut on my lip heal that I
received from my teammate in warm-ups and had to get stitches for. Oh,
and thanks for letting me have 9 points and 7 boards in 12 minutes
against the Pacers last night. Thanks. Amen.

Runner-up, QUE RICO:
Dear Lord, please protect my "baller20" as he protects me.

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"Hump Day."

It’s an annoying expression, but it works. Ready an NBA-related question or 12, swing by at 3 p.m., and let’s get over it. Chat starts after the jump.

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Good news, Shawn Bradley: the New Jersey Nets are offering free tickets to people out of work. David Waldstein of The Star-Ledger reports: "In a nod to current economic conditions, the basketball team will give unemployed fans who submit their resumes to the Nets Job Bank up to four free tickets, plus access to a Nov. 22 career fair at their home arena, team president and chief executive Brett Yormark said. The team also will distribute applicants’ resumes to its sponsors." A nice gesture, sure, but it begs the question: Haven’t these poor people suffered enough? Zing!

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