It's about the time of the NBA season to take a look at the local players' quest for playoff berths.
The stars -- Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic and Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat -- unsurprisingly are in the best positions.
The Magic, who have lost two in a row, are firmly ensconced in second place in the Eastern Conference, 2 1/2 games behind the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics through Tuesday's games.
Howard (Southwest Atlanta Christian) was suspended for one game without pay Saturday after being called for his 16th technical foul, a league high. He served the suspension Monday night when Orlando played host to Portland. The Magic lost 89-85. In his two games, he averaged 17 points and 14 rebounds. He grabbed 18 rebounds in the 99-93 win over the Heat on March 3.
The Heat are in the midst of a tailspin, having lost five consecutive games. They're in third place, two games behind the Magic. And showing signs of dissension within the ranks.
Bosh (Georgia Tech) sounded off after Tuesday night's 105-96 home loss to Portland. Unsatisfied with his role in the offense, Bosh said in a postgame news conference: "It is common sense. We can talk about it, but I think it's evident," he said. "I just have to get it [the ball] where I'm effective.
"I'm a big man. I can shoot the ball, but I'm a big man. So I have to get it where big guys get it."
Bosh averaged 15 points and seven rebounds in the past week.
On the move
Last week, the Washington Wizards bought out the contract of Al Thornton (Perry High) and waived him. Thornton, a 6-foot-8, 235-pound forward, was picked up by the Golden State Warriors last Thursday. He suited up Friday, but played only a couple of minutes. (He had missed three consecutive games with the Wizards because of a sprained ankle.)
Thornton scored six points and grabbed two rebounds in seven minutes in a 125-117 loss the 76ers on Monday. In Tuesday's game, a 95-85 win over the Cavs, he had nine points (3-for-3 from the field) and three rebounds in 19 minutes. .
Taking one to the head
The Nets' Anthony Morrow (Georgia Tech) scored six points in 12 minutes in Friday's game against the Raptors, a 116-103 victory in London, but he sat out the rest of the game with a concussion. He did not play Saturday in a 137-136 victory against Toronto, but he practiced Tuesday in preparation for Wednesday's game against the Warriors.
Morrow explained that when he took a shot Friday, he was scared and didn’t know the extent of his injury.
“I didn’t know what to expect. I was about to start panicking until they told me I had a concussion. Because it was like I was in a dream or something,” Morrow told Nets Blog. “I just needed a diagnosis.”
The week that was
-- The Clippers' Al-Farouq Aminu (Norcross High) averaged 3.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in the past week (through Tuesday) -- and all three games were victories. He came up with three key steals in the 92-97 victory against the Bobcats on Monday.
-- Charlotte's Kwame Brown (Glynn Academy) averaged 6.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in four games, all losses.
-- Detroit's Will Bynum (Georgia Tech) averaged three points, one rebound and 3.5 assists in two games, including a 113-102 victory against the Wizards on Sunday.
-- Utah's Derrick Favors (Georgia Tech and South Atlanta High) scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a 131-109 loss at New York on Monday. Favors missed last Thursday's game against the Nuggets because of a cold.
-- In his four games this past week (1-3), Cleveland's J.J. Hickson (Wheeler High) averaged 15 points and eight rebounds. He scored 23 points with eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block in a 119-115 victory against the Knicks last Friday.
-- Jarrett Jack (Georgia Tech) averaged 18.3 points, four rebounds and 2.8 assists in four games in the past week during which New Orleans won three. He scored 23 points with four rebounds and three assists in an 85-77 loss to the hot Chicago Bulls on Monday night.
-- Philadelphia won three consecutive games in the past week, with Thaddeus Young (Georgia Tech) chipping in 18 points and eight rebounds per game while shooting 63 percent from the field. Jodie Meeks (Norcross High) and Louis Williams (South Gwinnett High) averaged 12.7 points.
-- Suns backup center Garrett Siler (Augusta State) got a rebound in one minute of play in a 102-88 victory at Milwaukee on Friday.
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