ESPN is a sports giant. It covers every sport on every corner of the planet, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It broadcasts from 5 different studios in the US alone. It essentially owns all sports coverage on the ABC network, and is in turn, owned by the monolithic Disney Corporation. It has an abbreviated name so iconic that no one even remembers what "E.S.P.N." is supposed to stand for anymore (Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, for those of you who are curious)

But let's focus on what really matters: it has Shaq playing Scrabble

The "ESPN NBA RV" (longest acronym ever...?) is symbolic of the "road to the playoffs" for ESPN's basketball coverage, and well...that RV is well on its way now. With just a month or so left of the regular season and the trade and waiver deadlines both passed, the NBA's top teams are now fighting in earnest for playoff spots, homecourt advantage, and the handful of meaningful free agents left to fill emergency needs.

And plenty of playoff teams have emergency needs, that's for sure. The injury bug is making one last round, and wouldn't you know it, Shaq is one of the snakebitten. Bugbitten....whatever.

Shaquille O'Neal is out 2 months with a broken thumb:

I mentioned this last week with regards to Paul Pierce's injury, but this seems like a minor thing to be out 8 weeks for considering Kobe has played with a broken finger almost the entire season. But it is what it is....Shaq will have surgery this week to repair whatever damage there is, then sit for 6-8 weeks to let it heal.

This injury, of course, unhappily coincides with the absence of Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who was traded two weeks ago to the Washington Wizards. Without either center, the Cavaliers have been starting JJ Hickson at center and frequently playing LeBron at power forward...something that has greatly irked Cavs fans, who clamored for LeBron at the 4 in last year's playoff series with the Magic, to no avail.

Speaking of Ilgauskas, he's firmly said he'll be returning to the Cavs after the 30 day waiting period is up. So the Hawks, Mavs, and Nuggets are out of luck there, which is especially bad for the Nuggets, because...

Kenyon Martin could be out for the season:

And by could be, I mean is unlikely to be. But the possibility is there. Martin reportedly has a partial tear in his left patella tendon (knee cap), and if he opts for surgery, he would be out until next year.

It's doubtful Martin would voluntarily choose to sit out with the Nuggets considered contenders...and with their lack of big man depth. At the same time, knee cap injuries have already seriously sidelined two players this year, and Martin already has a history of knee problem (microfracture surgery on both knees)

If he does undergo surgery, the Nuggets would roll with a starting lineup of Nene and Chris Andersen, which....well, I think they should play that combo more often as it is. Martin is high energy and a very good defender, but he can sometime hurt the team with his questionable shot selection. Birdman won't score as much, but you risk less on offense at the same time because he'll never try to play outside himself. Still, that lineup would leave the Nuggets with basically no one off the bench in the frontcourt, which would be a serious problem in a conference that requires a team to make it past the Mavericks and Lakers to reach the Finals.

Another big man having problems...

Joakim Noah is still no closer to returning:

The Bulls set a tentative timeline of return at three weeks (which would be two weeks now), but Noah sounded much less confident in that.

"I'm not trying to put a date on it or anything I'm just trying to get ready as fast as I can. [Thursday night] was definitely a tough loss. Games like this are games that we really need to win, especially at this time of year. But we can't get discouraged. We got a lot of tough games coming up so we just got to get ready. I'm just trying to do the things I can control and get back there as soon as I can -- hopefully sooner than later."

The Bulls badly need Noah's healthy return. They sit in the 8th seed currently with a 4 game losing streak, desperately fighting off a team who has the reason I believe put them in the playoff hunt in the first place: Tyrus Thomas and the Charlotte Bobcats.

The Bulls went 18-11 in games Thomas played for them this year, and are now just 12-20 in games without him. Thomas, meanwhile, is playing his best basketball with the Cats, averaging 12 points, 8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks. He finds himself undersized frequently these days, as an undesized center sharing the court with the equally undersized Boris Diaw, but the Cats have such an incredible and disciplined defensive system, it hardly matters in the end.

And now going small...

Tony Parker is out for six weeks with a broken hand:

Parker has alternated lately between seasons of sheer brilliance and seasons of nagging injury. Last year he was decidedly brilliant....anyone remember his 55 point blitzkrieg on us at the start of last season?

Well, chalk this up to the "nagging injury" category for Parker. Six weeks is a serious blow to the Spurs, who are already dealing with a declining Manu Ginobili and a misfit Richard Jefferson. San Antonio had considered trades for Marcus Camby and even Amare Stoudemire at the deadline, but were unable to make anything to go through. With Parker out now, they will be forced to rely on untested George Hill (who has been starting alongside Parker for weeks now), and are all but out of contendership this year.

Another point guard out through much more bizarre means...

Rafer Alston is....AWOL....

Literally. Alston has been suspended by the Miami Heat after failing to report to practice on Friday, then refusing all communication with the team since.

"Rafer Alston, while having made contact with the team via text message, has made himself otherwise unavailable to the team. As a result he has been suspended indefinitely," the team said in a release.

Sources say Alston is considering retirement, but this is much more likely a response to Alston being benched lately in favor of Carlos Arroyo.

So....I have no idea what's going on with Alston, other than he's no longer with the Heat.

Next, a point guard out for a very scary reason...

Rodney Stuckey is out after collapsing on the bench during the Pistons' game against the Cavs:

Stuckey suffered what appeared to be a seizure after coming to the bench. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was kept overnight, then released after receiving a clean bill of health the next day.

"He came over and told Arnie he was feeling dizzy," Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva said. "He drank some water and the next thing you know, he passed out. It's very scary. One minute, you think everything is OK, then the next second, it turns around so quick."

"He is stable and that is good news," Pistons coach John Kuester said. "I think he is going to be OK."

It's not clear what caused Stuckey to collapse, but this isn't the first time it's happened. Stuckey missed 2 games in 2008 after complaining of dizziness and nearly collapsing during a game then.

And the final guard who's out...

Allen Iverson will not be returning to the 76ers:

"After discussing the situation with Allen, we have come to the conclusion that he will not return to the Sixers for the remainder of the season, as he no longer wishes to be a distraction to the organization and teammates that he loves very deeply," team president Ed Stefanski said. "It has been very difficult for Allen and the team to maintain any consistency as he tries to balance his career with his personal life."

Iverson's timeline this season has been nothing short of dizzying:

Sept. 10: Signs 1-year deal with Grizzlies (plays 3 games for Memphis)
Nov. 7: Granted leave of absence from team
Nov. 16: Iverson and Grizzlies agree to terminate contract
Nov. 19: Clears waivers; becomes free agent
Nov. 25: Announces retirement from NBA
Dec. 2: Signs free-agent contract with 76ers (plays 25 games for Philadelphia)
Feb. 22: Takes indefinite leave from team to tend to ill 4-year-old daughter
March 2: 76ers announce Iverson will not return this season

The question, of course now, is has Iverson played his last NBA game period?

So it appears Iverson is done. Will he formally announce his retirement? More likely he'll go the way of Latrell Sprewell, simply not coming back and staying that way until people forget about him. Not exactly a fanfare farewell for one of the NBA's all time greats, but surely you didn't expect different from a man who's made a career out of controversy.

Well...enough of the sad news. Let's highlight something amazing now.

Vince Carter set a new record by hitting an 86 foot shot sitting down:

The Magic, of course, care more about what he does in games than what he does in practice, and have to be encouraged by his recent resurgence. After averaging a paltry 9 points on 28% shooting in January, Vinsanity have exploded, averaging 18 points on over 50% shooting since.

Jeff Van Gundy mentioned in Orlando's late February win over the Cavs that Carter needs to stay aggressive and demand the ball more. When VC is attacking on offense, the Magic are nearly unbeatable, as he opens the floor up for everyone else, and of course they always have Dwight Howard's presence to anchor them on defense. The Magics' record is very nearly literally tied to how Carter performs...9-8 in January when Carter was struggling, 12-4 since as he's found his game again.

By contrary, here's a player who's put his team in a difficult situation by finding his game...

Carlos Boozer says he wants to stay in Utah long term:

Now, at first this might seem like a good thing for the Jazz. Boozer is, after all, averaging 19.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, and has 40 double-doubles to his name this year. He's a prototypical power forward for the Sloan system with excellent chemistry with both fellow big man Mehmet Okur and franchise point guard Deron Williams.

But...

What about Paul Millsap?

The Jazz matched Portland's mega-offer to Millsap over the summer with the express purpose of him replacing Boozer when Carlos inevitably left. Except now it doesn't seem so inevitable. Are the Jazz better with Boozer? There's strong evidence to that, as well as to Boozer simply being the better player. Yet Boozer has worn thin his welcome among Jazz fans, and isn't signed to a big deal long term.

Jerry Sloan convinced the Jazz to keep Boozer past the trade deadline this year, as it gives the team the best chance in the playoffs. This unfortunately forced them to move both Eric Maynor and Ronnie Brewer to retain Boozer's contract without a severe luxury tax hit. But if Boozer is resigned for another 3 or 4 years, it will force the Jazz to move Millsap as well...something that would be extremely unpopular with both the team and the fans.

"You know, this is a team I'm proud to be a part of," Boozer said, "and I hope it's an option for me to come back and stay. This is a place I'd like to be and I hope the option is there for me this summer."

Now here's a list of free agents waived at the deadline who are looking for new homes...

The top ten waiver wire free agents:

From ESPN's Marc Stein:

1. Michael Finley: The 15-year veteran realized it was time for him to move on when he found himself out of the Spurs' rotation six games after he returned from a severe ankle sprain. His DNP-CD (did not play-coach's decision) on Feb. 7 at Indiana was the first of his career. "From his perspective, he wants to compete for a championship. And some of the top contenders have rosters on which he'd be a decent fit," Thomas said. Finley, who was owed about $600,000 by San Antonio, will clear waivers at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

2. Travis Diener: The would-be sharpshooter out of Marquette is reportedly headed to Portland, where the Blazers' 15th roster spot was supposedly earmarked for ex-King Kenny Thomas, according to Thomas' agent. Portland's front office appears more interested in an additional guard who can replace some of the 3-point acumen that left when Steve Blake was traded.

3. Larry Hughes: The ex-Knick who left New York in the Tracy McGrady deal was all set to sign with Charlotte after the Kings waived him, but the Bobcats got cold feet Monday when they learned they'd have to wait at least a week or two for Hughes' fractured finger to heal.

4. Mark Blount: The 7-footer had been sitting home all season after the Wolves asked him not to report to camp while his agent and the Wolves tried to find a deal for his expiring $7.97 million contract. He was waived without having to take a buyout, and as the saying goes: You can never have enough big men -- even if it involves signing someone with as checkered of an effort history as Blount's. The Nuggets are seeking size.

5. Mike James: He has been home in Houston since angrily leaving Washington after the Wizards failed to trade him at the deadline. Like 7-footers, veteran ballhandlers and playmakers make decent 14th or 15th men in case of postseason emergencies.

6. Wally Szczerbiak: He was eager to pick up some free easy money if the Cavs were able to swing a sign-and-trade using his Larry Bird rights before the deadline. Still recovering from knee surgery, he hasn't ruled out a comeback.

7. Kenny Thomas: Hard to believe the Kings never found a taker for his expiring $8.77 million contract, although they did try to acquire Nate Robinson a year ago for him. Thomas is Exhibit A for the owners' argument in labor talks that players who play and contribute are the ones who should collect the fattest paychecks.

8. Ricky Davis: OK, maybe it's a stretch filling out a top 10 list, but Ricky Buckets makes it (over Mikki Moore, who is recovering from Achilles surgery) only because there's a chance he won't last long with his newest team, Turk Telekom of the Turkish league.

9. Brian Cardinal: The Knicks waived him after dealing Darko Milicic to Minnesota to get him. Would be a cheap veteran addition to a young playoff team needing an experienced voice in the locker room and a hustle player in practice.

10. Zydrunas Ilgauskas: Why 10th, you ask? Because the entire NBA has come to the realization that there is a 99.9 percent chance he will re-sign in Cleveland, where his wife and two young children make their home.

Finley's by far the most coveted name on the list, but you might as well take him off it, because....

Michael Finely will be joining the Boston Celtics:

"It's official now," Finley told ESPN.com after verbally committing to Boston. "I'm soon to be a Celtic."

Finley will provide Boston some much needed depth and scoring punch off the bench, as well as a veteran player to keep the team's reliance on bone-headed Tony Allen to a minimum.

"I don't think a veteran ever hurts," Rivers told the Boston Globe. "I think it always helps your team to have one, if it's the right one. Every team has some holes. Shooting is one thing we can't have enough of as far as I'm concerned. You look at some of these other teams, their shooting is ridiculous."

Now you probably noticed Larry Hughes' name on the list as well, and remember that it appeared he was headed to Charlotte. Not so much anymore, but since we're talking about the Cats...

Michael Jordan has made waves in the NBA as the new owner of the Bobcats:

It cost Jordan a fortune to take over the team, but the cost of letting someone else buy the Cats would have been even greater, at least in Jordan's mind. Word is MJ wants, more than anything, to prove he can be a successful team manager....something he has most decidedly not been thus far. He's best known for picking two busts for two different teams....Kwame Brown for the Wizards, Adam Morrison for the Bobcats....and has a string of other questionable moves as well, such as trading Rip Hamilton to the Pistons for Jerry Stackhouse, only to watch Rip win.

He also reportedly lost a game of HORSE to rookie Gerald Henderson (how ironic that two die-hard Tar Heels would draft a Dookie...), but obviously everyone's more concerned with how the Bobcats fair in games than in practice.

Jordan's rocky management career also put him on a less-than-flattering list this week: SI's top players who became terrible team managers list. Also on it were Isiah Thomas, and...

Kevin McHale:

Like you didn't know that was coming. Mac is actually they very first name on the list.

Here's what SI had to say:

A Hall of Famer and three-time NBA titlist with the Boston Celtics, McHale earned the ire of NBA fans across the league when he seemingly gift-wrapped the 2008 title for his former club by trading former MVP Kevin Garnett to Boston in the summer of 2007. That the Timberwolves were willing to peddle Garnett was also testament to McHale's mistakes in the Minnesota front office, from where he and the team had been stripped of three first-round draft picks after entering into an unsanctioned handshake agreement to retain one-time free agent Joe Smith in 2000.

This, of course, only scratches the surface of McHale's blunders in the front office...Ndudi Ebi, Rashad McCants, Jaric/Cassell, Foye/Roy...and that's only the player decisions.

I'm sure McHale is a fine person, but he's not someone I'll ever miss as a VPO. I had begun to worry, after Jim Dolan finally outed Isiah Thomas the Tanker Engine from the Knicks, that Glen Taylor's unfailing loyalty to Mac would mark us as the new, most maligned team in the NBA.

Anyway...

Draft Watch:

S-n-P has the latest Hoopus Draft Board up here, so knock yourselves out on that one (many of you already have, it seems). In addition, I have new entries in the "Player of the Year" debate, as well as a couple of opinions to add in.

First, John Wall. I didn't want to say anything earlier since I seem to have developed a reputation as a Wall-hater here, but since S-n-P pointed it out as well, I think it's safe to say without being antagonistic.....

John Wall's turnovers aren't getting better. Like...at all. He's had 10 games now this year....literally a third of his total....where he's posted as many or more turnovers as assists. Four of those games have been in the last month alone. For a team with a point guard who already struggles in that department...as well as a system that minimizes point guards in general (see Sessions, Ramon), is the smart pick on the sometimes reckless point guard? Or the brilliant point-forward who's all but custom built for the triangle?

Things have gotten to the point that I'm not even sure other teams and fans would begrudge anyone for picking Turner first overall. Chad Ford did his latest mock draft rankings this week and was bombarded with emails and Tweets from fans insisting Turner is the better player. (He also did an Insider article saying the Wolves are Turner's most ideal NBA team) Certainly his Hoopus score is far and away superior.

I'm also pleased to see Stanley Robinson scoring well. I've said it before, but I think he will have a Josh Smith/Gerald Wallace like impact in the NBA.

Now, that's not to say Wolves fans would be upset if we take John Wall. Far from it. But given a choice....

Anyway, before we get to the PotY stuff, I want to highlight another player I think should be on the Wolves' radar: Michigan State's Kalin Lucas.

I'm completely convinced that Lucas is the second coming of Aaron Brooks (who has torched the Wolves this year)...same frame, same quickness, same streaky, dangerous shooting touch. He's less bull-headed than Flynn, and I think he's rangier with a more natural off-the-ball shooting ability as well. Key elements for a point guard in the triangle. If he's there when/if the Charlotte and especially the Utah picks come up, I'd give him very strong consideration, even with Flynn on board and Rubio inbound.

Ok. Player of the Year. Here's what SI has to say.

John Wall:

We'll ignore the fact that most NBA general managers would saw off a limb for the right to select Wall. We'll also ignore the dance craze sweeping the nation. The college basketball Player of the Year should win the award for what he did this season, not because of his professional potential or because of his ability to incite a coast-to-coast fad. Based on numbers alone, the choice probably would have to be Ohio State's Evan Turner. But before you hand Turner -- a worthy candidate, to be certain -- the Player of the Year Award, ask yourself one question.

This is the same question I posed to myself before I cast my ballot for the Heisman Trophy, and it works for any Most Outstanding Player award in a team sport. If you were starting a college team from scratch and the only information you had to work from was what you've seen this season, who would you pick first?

I'd pick Wall, and it wouldn't be close.

Wall is an excellent passer, a pretty good rebounder and a decent defender, but his ability to make a defense collapse into itself like a dying star makes him the best player in the country.

Sometimes, an athlete can be so much better than everyone else at one particular facet of the game that he tilts the odds in favor of himself or his team. The object of tennis is to hit the ball past an opponent, so a player with an unreturnable serve would be favored to win every match, even if his ground strokes were only above average. A golfer so proficient with his putter that he never, ever three-putts would keep himself in every tournament in spite of his average driving distance.

The object of basketball is to put the ball through the basket, and Wall, because of his preternatural ability to slice into the lane and make a defense implode, is better than anyone else in the country at making it easy for his team to put the ball in the basket. Sure, he can improve the other facets of his game, but even if he never does, he is so superior at this one critical skill that night-in and night-out, he is the nation's most dangerous offensive player.

He's also the most valuable. While Turner's value to his team is undeniable, Wall probably doesn't get enough credit for Kentucky's metamorphosis. Obviously coach John Calipari and Cousins and junior forward Patrick Patterson have played large roles, but the primary reason Kentucky has turned from an NIT team to a likely No. 1 seed in the space of 11 months is Wall. Without Wall, the Wildcats would be a good team. They almost certainly would make the NCAA tournament, but they wouldn't be special. With Wall, Kentucky is great, even without a legitimate long-range threat.

Wall leads the Wildcats in scoring, with 17.0 points a game. He leads the SEC in assists, with 6.17 a game. Want a better stat line? In the final two minutes of Kentucky's first 29 games, Wall scored 62 points in 66 minutes while shooting 60 percent with only four turnovers. The numbers don't tell the whole story, though. Remember, Turner's numbers are better than Wall's. Of course, take away Cousins and Patterson and fellow freshman Eric Bledsoe, and Wall would score more points and grab more rebounds than he has. Turner posts huge numbers because he must. Wall's supporting cast is far more talented, so he doesn't have to win games single-handedly most of the time.

No other player in the nation can make a defense implode the way Wall can. Just as he did in AAU, he dribbles around the perimeter, hunting for a weak spot. As soon as he identifies it, he zips past the guards and into the lane. By now, at least three defenders are actively engaged in stopping Wall, which means at least two Kentucky players are wide open. Much of the time, Wall hits one of those open teammates for an easy basket. Other times, Wall just makes everyone in the opposing jersey look foolish.

 

Wall had moved up a level since that day on the back-corner court, but nothing had changed. He is still the best player on the floor and the best player in the country.

Evan Turner:

How good is Evan Turner? Lately, he's been causing me to tune into games I should really have no interest in watching, like last week's Ohio State-Penn State contest. The Nittany Lions were 2-12 in the Big Ten at the time. The Buckeyes pretty much controlled the entire second half. Yet I couldn't stop watching. I wanted to see what Turner would do next.

At one point early on, he throws an inbounds pass in under his own basket, immediately takes the ball back and flies down the baseline for a slam. During one early-second-half span, he feeds teammate David Lighty for a dunk, then runs back down court and blocks Penn State star Taylor Battle. Moments later, off a missed Penn State shot, Turner races down court and leaves two defenders in the dust for a layup.

And then there are the jump shots -- all sorts of jump shots. On one, he takes a pass on the wing, makes a crazy spin move to ditch Battle and puts up a floater. Penn State eventually cuts a 17-point deficit down to four with 3:30 left, but you know what's coming next. Two straight possessions, two straight Turner pull-up jumpers. Ballgame.

Final tally: 25 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals, two blocks.

Though he makes even the most mundane game exciting, Ohio State's do-everything junior won't win Player of the Year honors on highlights alone. John Wall can go toe-to-toe in that department. Turner deserves it because he's the most complete player in the country, the most valuable to his team and the most productive all-around guard the sport has seen in years.

You have to go back to 2004 to find the last time a point guard, St. Joe's star Jameer Nelson, won the Naismith Trophy. Lately the hardware's been dominated by power forwards like Tyler Hansbrough and Blake Griffin. Those guys were ballers, no question, but their games were more workmanlike. Lots of bullying inside the lane to grab rebounds and get fouls.

He averages 19.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.8 steals. Consider: He's a 6-foot-7 point guard who leads his conference in rebounding. Not only that, he's No. 1 in scoring and No. 2 in assists, making him the only Big Ten player in the past 26 years to rank in the top three in all three major categories.

Just for kicks, he's also second in steals, fifth in field-goal percentage (. 538) and eighth in blocked shots (0.9 per game).

And did I mention he's one of just two players in the country (the other, Marshall's Hassan Whiteside) to post two triple-doubles?

Clearly, the guy's got more than enough credentials to qualify for Most Outstanding Player. We also have certifiable proof why he's the sport's Most Valuable Player.

Ohio State, 24-7, currently sits in first place in the Big Ten. Take away Turner, however, and the Buckeyes are an NIT team. We know this because early in the season, Turner suffered, quite literally, a backbreaking injury.

Ohio State was 7-1 when Turner crashed to the floor following a dunk against Eastern Michigan on Dec. 5, fracturing the second and third lumbar vertebra in his spine. He missed six games, during which the Buckeyes went 3-3, including losses at Wisconsin and Michigan in their first two league games. Since his return, Ohio State has gone 14-3 and is seen as a potential Final Four team.

Turner has some fine complementary players around him in William Buford, Jon Diebler, David Lighty and Dallas Lauderdale, but they pale in comparison to Wall's supporting cast at Kentucky, which includes two fellow projected lottery picks (DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson). Without Wall, the Wildcats wouldn't be a front-runner for the national championship -- but they'd probably be in the discussion with that kind of talent.

Wall is akin to what freshman star Derrick Rose was to Memphis' 2008 national runner-up squad: the cherry on top of what was already a very tasty sundae. Even without Rose, the Tigers had reached the Elite Eight a year earlier with largely the same cast of players.

Turner plays more the part that his fellow Chicago native, Dwyane Wade, did at Marquette in 2003 -- a guy so talented he could almost singlehandedly lead an otherwise pedestrian team to the Final Four.

With that in mind, the player of the year race between Wall and Turner figures to be no easier a decision than an NBA general manager would have right now if he had a choice to sign Rose or Wade. You can't go wrong either way.

But the question here isn't, who's more talented? It's, who's been more outstanding during the 2009-10 season? Turner has scored more, rebounded more, shot better and notched as many steals while tallying slightly fewer assists. No other player in the country does so many different things so well.

I'm sure I've made my opinion on this subject very clear by now: Evan Turner. Period. The end. But certainly an argument can be made for John Wall as well. I'm sure we'll hear plenty more of it before the NCAA season is over.

Just so we're all clear, Shaq plays Twister too.

But for the next 8 weeks, he won't be playing anything, basketball included. It's all hopes and dreams for a team like the Wolves to even think about being in the playoffs, much less worry about missing a key player for the first round. But someday, right?

Until next week....