After dropping five straight—four of which were at home—the Bulls traveled to Orlando for a game on Thursday night and were ran out of Amway Arena 111-82 by a Magic team that is something that Chicago strives to be: a contender.

Chicago's most recent skid has shown that this young and semi-talented is built for 2010-11. And with just six roster players set to return next season and nearly $20 million in salary cap space, why shouldn't the team be looking towards the future?

The Bulls unloaded Tyrus Thomas and John Salmons at the trade deadline in exchange for expiring contracts in an effort to bolster their chances at adding a max contract free agent. And while a new attitude, a new look, and a weak schedule sparked the team to a hot start after the All-Star festivities, the Bulls have finally cooled off while playing much better competition.

They now find themselves two games under .500 and 1.5 games out of the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. They're six-game losing streak is currently the second longest streak behind Minnesota, who are losers are seven straight.

If losing wasn't bad enough for a franchise that's seen much of that same fate over the past decade, players have also been dropping at an alarming rate.

First came the news that plantar fasciitis was going to keep Joakim Noah, the team's leading rebounder (and fifth leading boarder in the league), on the shelf for at least three weeks, maybe longer.

Then there was the calf injury to second leading scorer Luol Deng on Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz. Deng was held out of Thursday's game against the Magic and there is no word on when he'll return.

Finally came the blow that could snuff out the Bulls' faint playoff hopes.  Derrick Rose, the team's leading scorer and assist man and the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, left the Thursday night's game with an apparent sprained wrist. He did not return.

The injuries and the overall lack of talent (at least compared to current playoff teams) have the Bulls primed for a spot in the draft lottery.

So should the Bulls shut down play with 18 games remaining to try and throw a few more balls into the lottery machine? Should they go ahead and sit Noah, Deng, and Rose the rest of the season to ensure their safety? Or should they continue to play hard and let a brutal late-season schedule run its course and force them completely out of the playoff scene anyways?

I think the team has to look at the unusual situation that they're in and the extraordinary upcoming offseason the NBA is set to experience and call it quits for this season.

Does this mean that they should try to blow the remainder of their games and play lackadaisically? No. But sitting guys that are incredibly valuable to righting the ship in Chicago may be wise before a real injury plagues the team's future.

Imagine one of the team's young stars (Taj Gibson, who complained of plantar fasciitis earlier in the season, comes to mind) incurring an injury that would require surgery. Imagine if that player were to miss serious offseason workouts and practices and be forced to be held back at the beginning of next season. Is there anything left to achieve this season that is worth that risk?

While a big name free agent has Bulls fans (including me) chomping at the bit, a serious injury to a young core player could set the team back from contending once again in 2010-11.

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To put that in perspective, the next closest team in the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Bulls, have a 31-32 record.  The Bulls are currently the East's ninth seed (the Raptors hold the eighth seed currently, at 32-30).

That puts the Sixers 7.5 games out of the ninth seed with 18 games to play...and the ninth seed doesn't even qualify for the playoffs.

Mathematically, they're all but done.

That's why they need to "go young," and they need to go young as hard as they can.  Yes, this could be considered a politically correct way to say they should tank the season...because it is.

Despite getting on a semi-hot streak right before the All-Star break and nearly screwing up their chances at a great lottery pick, the other NBA bottom feeders have won enough games to set up a mad dash to the finish to lose the most games (yes, very similar to the little league episode of South Park where the kids try tanking).

As of today, there are only three teams in the NBA with records far below the Sixers'.  They won't catch the Nets, Warriors, or Timberwolves in the lottery jockeying, but they've got six or seven other crap teams all side-by-side with them.

Detroit and New York are 22-42.

Indiana is 21-43.

Washington's 21-42.

Sacramento is 22-43.

And the L.A. Clippers are 25-40.

In the next month, the Sixers could slot themselves with the fourth worst record, guaranteeing themselves no worse than the seventh pick in the NBA draft, or they could end up with the 10th worst record, and get bumped into the same early-teens position they've had the past few seasons.

This season, more than any season in recent memory, they have no incentive to continue playing their best players.  If some of the reports from the Philadelphia Inquirer are true, the players have already mentally checked out, saying "sayonara" to Eddie Jordan on the way out.

Regardless of what happens with Jordan (please fire him, though?), the Sixers have one move and one move only in these last 18 games if they've truly got the big picture in mind.

Play their youngest players, and use these final 18 games to give them active rotation minutes.  See what you have on your hands; see who's worth keeping and who's worth trading next year.

Granted, Sixers management would likely be reluctant to such a plan.  They're concerned with ticket sales and attendance for these final 10 home games of the season, and tanking doesn't draw out fans.

But without Allen Iverson, will the Sixers really be drawing huge crowds the rest of this season?  They're already doing a pretty good job getting themselves blown out and having fans boo them/leave by the third quarter (see: vs. Charlotte) on their own.

Now it's time to kick it into second gear.

The best example of the ideal minute distribution, from this point forward, came from the loss against Indiana on Tuesday.  Guards Lou Williams and Jrue Holiday got 36.4 and 36.2 minutes respectively, and poured in 11 and 21 points in return.  Jason Smith, Jason Kapono, and Rodney Carney all played double-digit minutes.

And when presented with a spot in the starting lineup and 42 minutes of play against Toronto over the weekend, Thaddeus Young poured in a career-high 32 points in the win over the Raptors.

Here's what the Sixers should do:

First, let Sammy take the rest of the season off.  Let the big guy go to Haiti, his native country, and continue helping out with earthquake relief.  The Sixers don't need him playing 20-25 spot minutes every night when they've got another seven-footer in Smith who they should be evaluating closely.

Second, give Jodie Meeks more burn.  If he's getting crushed off the dribble, so be it.  If he's too small to body up other point guards, and he's getting backed down over and over, that's good to know—gives them something to work on with him in the offseason.

The Sixers can't be viewing themselves as a one-year project at this point.  This team's too straddled with bloated contracts to be viewed as a legitimate contender, so they might as well go for the one thing they can control—a high lottery pick.

The last time the Sixers drafted in the Top 10, they picked Andre Iguodala at No. 9 back in 2004.  While the Sixers have been trying to shove a square peg (Iggy) into a round hole (the first option on the team), he's still the most talented player on the roster.  

He's also the most valuable trading commodity, as the trade deadline chatter appeared to confirm (that changes next year, when Dalembert becomes an expiring contract, ready to be traded).

With Dalembert theoretically on the first flight back to Haiti, bump Elton Brand over to center and give Thad Young the starting power forward spot.  Best case scenario (for Sixers management), Young continues to post career numbers and they realize that he's a legitimate option for their long-term power forward; worst case scenario, he drops off suddenly and they realize he's either a small forward or they've got to trade him.

Speaking of trades, Jason Kapono needs to get more minutes.  I've said this all season, and I'm definitely not the only writer to be saying so.  The guy's making $6 million this this season, and he's averaging 13.4 minutes per game.  

Kapono won two All-Star three-point shootouts. The Sixers are near the bottom of the NBA in three-point shooting.  And Kapono continues to ride the bench.  Even if he couldn't defend an AAU player, they should be putting him in and letting him stretch the defense a little bit, to simulate what a real offense would open up for his teammates.

They should use these last 18 games as a legitimate chance to investigate which players fit into their long-term plans, and which players they need to cut.

They need to drive up the trade value of a guy like Kapono, who's becoming an expiring contract after this season.

They need to let Sammy go back to Haiti, to give them zero interior presence, and even less of a chance to win (which thus gives a better shot at a higher draft pick).

I'd be hard pressed to find a fan thinking optimistically about the rest of this season.  There's no need for the team to pretend anymore.  I don't want to hear Elton Brand talking about how talented the team is, and how they'll keep fighting.

If the team was that talented, they would have shown some fight 30 games ago.

Now, they should lay down for the rest of the season, get the taste of losing fresh in their mouths, and begin re-calibrating for next season.

And maybe, just maybe, they'll get a high draft pick to forward their progress next season.

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Iverson’s wife, Tawanna has been separated from him for eight months and recently filed for divorce. He has  indulged himself into drinking and gambling to overcome his guilt. This is not the Iverson that we all saw at Georgetown University with John Thompson II.

Thompson II coached the Georgetown University basketball team for 27 years. Near the end of his tenure, Ann Iverson begged Thompson almost in tears to take a chance on her son.

Her message was simply, “My son just needs some guidance from a strong male figure.”

In his office is a deflated basketball on his desk with a symbolic message that is clear for anyone to see.

“One day the ball isn't going to bounce any more, and then what? One day there's going to have to be a second act.”

Allen Iverson starred at Georgetown from 94-96 before he became the first person in the Thompson coaching era to skip school to enter the National Basketball Association draft, where he was taken with the first overall pick.

For 14 seasons, Iverson’s motto has been, “I play every game as if it’s my last.” He has wowed fans and players alike with this attitude on the court. Off the court, he has lived the same way which isn’t good.

Since he has been in the NBA, Iverson has been known for carrying an entourage of people with him, late night parties, drinking, and gambling. The latter has led to him being banned from several casinos in Atlantic City and Detroit.

In short, his off the court activities have minimized his growth on the court. His coaches have never cared about this because it has never interfered with his play on the court until now.

With his playing career pretty much over, Iverson is now jeopardizing his life after basketball. Just because you overcome hardship and make something of yourself doesn’t mean you will stay there. He (Iverson) should have taken care of himself and his family to assure that they would not go back to the poverty they escaped. Now it seems as if that Iverson is well on his way to that distinction.

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Stuff like this happens every year, people start thinking that their best players are bargaining chips instead of solutions. For a team to win, they need to look at the bigger picture.

The reality is that there are a ton of ways a team can improve itself. It can re-sign players, trade players, call up players, drop players, draft players, scout players, put players on waivers, cut salary, and hire new staff. Most teams use all of these options to create a winning club.

Before the trade deadline, the biggest problem for the Panthers was offensive depth. The defense was playing well, but the offense was having trouble putting the puck in the net. This is especially true when Horton was injured. That's when we really saw the lack of depth.

However, after trading two defenders in Jordan Leopold and Dennis Seidenberg, the Panthers created a couple of defensive holes that need to be filled as well. The fact that they gave these two players up for draft picks should tell you how serious draft day will be for the Panthers.

Unfortunately, the draft doesn't have an immediate impact because it takes a few years for the drafted players to develop. This is something we're all familiar with. The draft adds future options, but it can't be used as a short term solution.

For improvement next season, the Panthers need to rely on something else. That something else will more than likely be free agency. Right now, the Panthers have around $4M in cap room (Cap Geek), and could easily sign a few free agents with that money. More importantly, they could find the "depth players" that will be able to perform well on the bottom lines.

The thing about the free agent market, is that it will have the most talent for the most reasonable cost. This is where the Panthers will add the most to their lineup, with the most reasonable cost. It will allow them to keep their good players, and start hoarding talent on their team.

More importantly, it will give the drafted players more time to develop. They won't be calling them up too early. Not only will it help them create a winning season next year, it will also help them create winning seasons in the future.

See more of Eric's thoughts and opinions at Tips for Hockey

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I have these guys at the No. 1 spot because I like teams that can score and score often. No other team has scored more than the Capitals. At this point, Alex Ovechkin is still my favorite to win the Hart Trophy.

2. Chicago Blackhawks (44-17-5)

My money is still on the Blackhawks to win the West. Great goaltending, great offense, great coaching. But the Sharks are a close second in all of those categories.

3. San Jose Sharks (42-14-9)

It is fair to say that the only legit team the Sharks have left on their schedule is the Vancouver Canucks…that’s sad isn’t it?

4. Vancouver Canucks (41-23-3)

Despite the slip-up against the Blackhawks, the Canucks have played pretty well since the break. But I still have the ‘Hawks and Sharks as my top favorites in the West.

5. Los Angeles Kings (39-22-5)

Ever since the Olympic break, the Kings have been terribly inconsistent. They blowout the Stars and Blue Jackets, but lose to the Predators, Canadiens, and Blackhawks. If this keeps happening, they won’t see home-ice advantage in the playoffs.

6. Philadelphia Flyers (35-26-4)

As you can see, I think this team is a lot better than its record indicates.

7. Pittsburgh Penguins (40-22-4)

Matt Cooke should have been suspended for his hit on Marc Savard. How he didn’t is beyond me. That’s ridiculous.

8. Colorado Avalanche (39-23-3)

What a story Matt Duchene has been. He’s playing for his favorite NHL team, they are doing a lot better than people expected, and he’s the favorite to win the Calder Trophy this year.

9. New Jersey Devils (39-23-3)

The Devils continue to slowly slide down the standings in the East. They are 5-8-2 since Jan. 26.

10. Buffalo Sabres (36-20-9)

I wonder who’s going to end the season with a better record: Buffalo or New Jersey. If the Sabres play like they have been over the past three games, I have my money on them.

11. Phoenix Coyotes (40-22-5)

This team better pack well for the rest of the regular season. Eleven of the team’s last 16 games are away from the desert.

12. Calgary Flames (33-24-9)

I still believe the Flames won’t get too far in the playoffs (if they make it) if they can’t get their offense going.

13. Nashville Predators (36-25-5)

Time to go and play the teams in California. I will honestly be surprised if they end up with two wins in the road trip.

14. Ottawa Senators (37-25-5)

As long as they play like the Senators of late-January, they won’t have much to worry about come playoff time.

16. Detroit Red Wings (31-23-12)

I’m beginning to wonder if Chris Osgood will be in Detroit next year.

17. Montreal Canadiens (33-29-6)

Ever since March, the Canadiens have played very well. But I still don’t believe they will get far in the playoffs if they make it.

18. St. Louis Blues (30-26-9)

I’m not too alarmed over the 7-3 loss to the Avalanche because I still think this team could play consistently leading into the playoffs like they have been. As long as Chris Mason plays well, the Blues really don’t have much to worry about.

19. Boston Bruins (29-24-12)

Let’s go see if the Bruins have learned how to put pucks in the net...nope, not yet.

20. Minnesota Wild (31-28-6)

Niklas Backstrom was exactly right when he said that his team wasn’t thinking about playoff hockey when his team only fired off 11 shots against the Panthers on Tuesday night. It’s safe to say that the Wild will not make the playoffs.

21. New York Rangers (29-29-9)

This team just needs to figure themselves out, find ways to win games, and play better offensively. Otherwise, they won’t make the playoffs.

22. Atlanta Thrashers (28-27-10)

I’m still trying to figure out why the Thrashers brought in Chris Chelios. If the only reason Chelios wants to play is because he wants to play until he’s 50, then he needs to just go.

23. Florida Panthers (27-28-10)

They’ve been playing well recently but they still need a little bit more offense if they want to grab enough points to make the playoffs.

24. Carolina Hurricanes (27-31-8)

The team that has been the butt of everybody’s NHL jokes for the first four months of the season is now the hottest team in the league. They are the only team that’s won at least eight of its last ten games. But I’m still not too confident that they can make the playoffs.

25. Anaheim Ducks (30-28-8)

The defense and goaltending stinks and they are running out of chances to make the playoffs. The 5-2 loss to the pathetic Blue Jackets is just another opportunity that was slipped away.

26. Dallas Stars (29-25-12)

So who thinks Marty Turco is going to be in Dallas next year?

27. Tampa Bay Lightning (27-27-11)

I’m starting to wonder if Vincent Lacavalier is going to be in Tampa next year or if the “Vinny to Montreal” rumors are going to surface again.

28. New York Islanders (26-32-8)

This is a “depleted squad” according to coach Scott Gordon. He’s exactly right too. No offense, no goaltending, no defense.

29. Toronto Maple Leafs (21-33-12)

Even though the defense and goaltending as a whole is terrible this season, I still have to give props to Jonas Gustavsson for continuing to play with his heart ailment.

30. Edmonton Oilers (21-39-6)

This team stinks. Plain and simple. I feel so bad for Pat Quinn.

Carter’s NHL Award Races:

Hart Trophy (Most Valuable Player)

1. Alex Ovechkin (LW, Capitals)

2. Henrik Sedin (C, Canucks)

3. Sidney Crosby (C, Penguins)

4. Ryan Miller (G, Sabres)

5. Nicklas Backstrom (C, Capitals)

6. Martin St. Louis (RW, Lightning)

7. Steven Stamkos (C, Lightning)

8. Evgeni Nabokov (G, Sharks)

9. Joe Thornton (C, Sharks)

10. Miikka Kiprusoff (G, Flames)

Norris Trophy (Top Defenseman)

1. Mike Green (Capitals)

2. Duncan Keith (Blackhawks)

3. Drew Doughty (Kings)

4. Chris Pronger (Flyers)

5. Dan Boyle (Sharks)

Vezina Trophy (Top Goaltender)

1. Ryan Miller (Sabres)

2. Evgeni Nabokov (Sharks)

3. Miikka Kiprusoff (Flames)

4. Ilya Bryzgalov (Coyotes)

5. Tomas Vokoun (Panthers)

Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year)

1. Matt Duchene (Avalanche)

2. John Tavares (Islanders)

3. Niclas Bergfors (Thrashers)

4. James van Riemsdyk (Flyers)

5. T.J. Galiardi (Avalanche)

Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year)

1. Bruce Boudreau (Capitals)

2. Joel Quenneville (Blackhawks)

3. Todd McLellan (Sharks)

4. Alain Vigneault (Canucks)

5. Dave Tippett (Coyotes)

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Yes, "the Wings need to play desperate", "they need to be hungry", "this is a big one", "they're fighting for their playoff lives", blah, blah, blah...

Really, what more can be said at this point?

Maybe it's the Wings' season to date that has made me a bit punchy, but I thought lightening things up a bit and getting just a little stupid might make my knuckles a little less white as I'm watching tonight's game against the Minnesota Wild. Maybe it'll do the same for you.

So, based on nothing more than wild guessing and uneducated analysis, I'm not only going to gaze into this crystal ball and predict the winner of tonight's game, I'll even give you some pre-analysis, the score, and game-winning goal-scorer!

Yeah, like I said, let's get stupid.

It's one hour before the puck drops, here's what I see:

Red Wings 4, Wild 3 (OT)

The Wings come out tentative, the Wild too, but an early miscue gives the Wild the 1-0 lead.

The second period starts better for the Wings: they tie it up, then go ahead 2-1.

In the third period, the Wings buckle down and get a power-play goal to make it 3-1.

Then things open up a bit. The Wild score, it's 3-2. Then they tie it up, it's 3-3!

We head to OT, not a strong suit of the Wings this year. But we pull through and get the win when Johan Franzen puts one past Niklas Backstrom.

This is just one possible outcome. Tell me what you think!

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Cancel the ophthalmologist appointment and stop hitting “refresh” on your Internet browser.

The question I posed above deserves serious consideration. Since losing to the L.A. Lakers in the 2008 Western Conference Finals, the Spurs have dropped almost three years in average age.

Brent Barry signed with the Houston Rockets that summer. Jacque Vaughn retired. Damon Stoudemire skipped town almost as soon as he had arrived.

General Manager R.C. Buford sent Kurt Thomas, Bruce Bowen, and Fabricio Oberto to Milwaukee in a trade for Richard Jefferson. When Bucks' G.M. John Hammond bought out the expiring contracts of Bowen and Oberto, freeing them to re-sign with the Spurs, Buford and Gregg Popovich passed.

No, thanks.

Bowen called it quits, preferring to remain in San Antonio with his wife, and Oberto now plays for the woebegone Washington Wizards.

Peter Holt—er Buford—donated Theo Ratliff to the Charlotte Bobcats to lessen his luxury tax bill. Ratliff did not garner significant minutes while in the Alamo City.

Michael Finley asked to be waived so he could sign on with another contender. The Celtics brass dangled the promise of more playing time and a greater role. He has played in two games for Boston.

Popovich has griped about his team’s loss of corporate knowledge. With Michael Finley gone, just four players remain from the 2007 championship roster.

Matt Bonner was a garbage-time player then.

The Spurs' average age of 27.6 ties the L.A. Lakers and trails four other title contenders.

The Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics, and Orlando Magic boast a higher average age than the Spurs. The Dallas Mavericks are the oldest team in the league.

Three players on Popovich’s roster—Antonio McDyess, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili—are older than 30.

Four players on the Lakers are older than 30. The Nuggets will employ five ballers in their 30s. Every Maverick not named Caron Butler, Roddy Buckets, or J.J. Barea should keep his NBA-ARP card handy.

I'm kidding, but you get the point.

No one thinks the Spurs are better than any of the above outfits. Too old? Popovich wishes.

Those who insist young high-flyers win titles missed Derek Fisher in last year’s Finals. Yes, championship hopefuls need spry athletes to survive the 82-game season. They need experience and veterans—old guys—to win when it matters most.

Does San Antonio boast enough experience to win it all?

Kobe Bryant has not drained six game-winners this season because he can jump high. As a 12-year veteran, he has sniffed every late-game situation imaginable. Ditto for Fisher.

Why do you think Lakers' G.M. Mitch Kupchak was so willing to swap 24-year-old Trevor Ariza for 30-year-old Ron Artest?

Magic G.M. traded for 34-year-old Vince Carter. Mavs’ Owner Mark Cuban traded away young speedster Devin Harris for Jason Kidd two years ago. This summer, Cuban tendered the 36-year-old point guard a three-year, $25 million deal.

Kidd made the oddball, but genius, play on Atlanta Coach Mike Woodson to send a recent Mavs-Hawks game into overtime.

Carmelo Anthony may be Denver’s go-to star, but the Nuggets will go as far as 33-year-old Chauncey Billups can take them.

The Celtics will not taste playoff success without a productive 35-year-old Kevin Garnett. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are as important.

With Parker out, Popovich is starting a 23-year-old at point guard. George Hill has established himself as an ever-improving, two-way athlete, but he was still in high school when the Spurs secured the 2005 championship.

Dejuan Blair, 20, makes great plays. He helped the Spurs out-rebound the New York Knicks 53-34 on Wednesday. He also makes rookie mistakes, the kind a seasoned Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, or Nene Hilario might not.

Malik Hairston does good things every time he plays, but how can Popovich expect a year old to deliver on the NBA’s biggest stage when his greatest career moments have come as a D-Leaguer.

Bonner, 29, was never an elite athlete. Popovich loves the forward-center’s defensive tenacity, his hustle, and his stroke from long range. Last week, Bonner defended David West and Zach Randolph and held both to well below their season averages.

Anyone who thinks 29-year-old Jefferson has lost a step should watch highlights of last night’s Spurs-Knicks joust. Jefferson, despite scoring zero points, sent a Toney Douglas layup attempt into the first row. Geriatric players cannot do that.

He can still catch overthrown lob passes for alley-oops. His age has little to do with his struggles as a Spur. My views differ from most.

Mason has not bricked 10 straight three-pointers because he’s getting older. He may not be capable of the consistency or accuracy the Spurs need with Parker sidelined.

Keith Bogans has produced like he did in his stints with Milwaukee and Boston—one game of brilliant defense sandwiched by three listless showings ripe with offensive ineptitude.

The team has slipped defensively, but that slide can be seen across the league.

The Lakers allow opponents to shoot 44.4 percent from the field. Last year’s one round-and-done Spurs allowed teams to make 44.1 percent of their shots.

The squad that surrenders the fewest points, the Cleveland Cavaliers (95 per game), would have ranked fifth or sixth in that category for most of the 2000s.

Couldn’t lackluster defense be attributed to the increased number of championship hopefuls stacked with scoring threats?

Does age alone explain the league-wide decline? No chance.

Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard played in different cities in 2005. Pau Gasol could not have dreamed then he would team with Odom and Andrew Bynum.

Could any team in NBA history limit the current edition of the Lakers, Cavs, or Magic to 80 points with any consistency?

Defense still wins titles, but how elite foes stack up offensively is as important as ever.

The Spurs need to improve defensively and find another seven-foot difference maker— Tiago Splitter?—to pair with Duncan.

San Antonio’s franchise star isn’t getting any younger. His years of prime production are numbered. Ginobili could squeeze out two more seasons worth of Manu magic.

Does two-thirds of the “Big Three” boast enough moxie to make up for the prosaic experience at other key positions?

As I repeat the question that probably surprised you, do not laugh.

Are the Spurs too young to win it all?

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Also known as 2 guards, these players can do anything from shooting mid-range jumpers and slashing to the rim, to running the offense and making their teammates noticeably better on the court.  

Today, the typical shooting guard is ball-dominant, although you do tend to run into those who are excellent playing without the ball in their hands, such as Detroit’s Richard Hamilton and Boston’s Ray Allen.

Shooting guards love a good screen, and the elite players welcome the defensive attention, not only to draw defenders away from their opponents, but to increase the chances of drawing a foul as well.

The following five shooting guards are all-stars, franchise players, and most of the time, the key component to their team's success in both the regular season and the playoffs.

1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers (27.8 PPG on .459 FG, 5.3 RPG, 4.8 APG)

Bryant is the complete NBA player and, without a doubt, the best overall player to grace the game since Jordan.  

This season, despite injuries to three fingers on his shooting hand, an ankle injury, and back spasms, Kobe is leading the Lakers to a possible third-consecutive trip to the NBA Finals, holding on to the second best record in the NBA.  

A top-three candidate for the 2010 MVP award, Bryant has hit six game-winning shots this season, is a pest on defense, and is averaging over 27 points for the seventh time in his 14-year career.  

Topping this list may not be enough for Kobe Bryant; many will state that he is still the best player in the NBA.

2. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat (26.4 PPG on .465 FG, 4.7 RPG, 6.6 APG)

The Heat may be clinging to that final spot in the weaker Eastern Conference, but Wade is the most consistent player on the team, and his contributions on offense and defense do not go unnoticed.  

It’s a known fact that numerous teams will be gunning for Wade this summer, as he headlines a free agent class packed with superstars and all-stars, and there is nobody more deserving of a max contract than he is.  

Nicknamed "Flash" by his teammates, his ability to get to the rim is unmatched by most players in the league, and even though his numbers are somewhat down from last year’s, he is still one of the most effective and dangerous guards in the East.

3. Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers (21.9 PPG on .472 FG, 4.5 RPG, 4.8 APG)

Roy is a versatile combo guard that can play three spots on the floor, and his ability to create for his teammates has been beneficial to Portland’s success this season.  

Considering the amount of times he does handle the basketball, his turnovers are low (2.2 per game). Unfortunately, like Wade, most of his numbers have taken a hit due to injuries, but not enough to affect the Blazers in a negative manner.  

The most intriguing part of Roy’s game is not his offensive game, but his defense. Roy has had plenty of success defending elite scorers in the league, including Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, both of which you will find ahead of him, but his overall body of work sits him at third in the rankings.

4. Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks (21.5 PPG on .458 FG, 4.7 RPG, 4.7 APG)

Similar numbers, but less defense–that’s why Joe Johnson sits below Brandon Roy on the Fab Five list.  

There are similarities between the two. Both can run the point for their respective teams, both can shoot the rock, and neither shy away from contact on the drive, but Johnson’s defensive game isn’t as polished.  

Fortunately, his Hawks are the superior team, and with all due respect to Josh Smith and Jamal Crawford, Johnson is the clear-cut leader and the player sitting in the driver’s seat in Atlanta.  

Similarly to Roy, Johnson turns the ball over just twice per game, just below his career average and 1.3 fewer times than his career high, which also occurred as a Hawk.

5. Stephen Jackson, Charlotte Bobcats (20.7 PPG on .427 FG, 5.0 RPG, 3.8 APG)

He may not score as much as Monta Ellis, or shoot 45 percent from the floor, but Stephen Jackson is a top defensive player at the 2 guard position.  

The Bobcats are 29-25 with him in the lineup, 3-6 to start the season without him. The record may not sway many fans’ decisions until they glance at Charlotte’s struggles last season: 35-47 in the standings, ninth in opponent's points per game.  

This season, Charlotte is a top-three defensive team in the NBA, ranked first in opponent's points per game, holding those teams to under 45 percent shooting.  

Jackson not only leads the team in steals, but also in points, providing relief for Gerald Wallace at both ends of the hardwood.

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Imagine you are the coach of a hockey team that desperately needs to win in order to keep its playoff hopes alive. You’re coming off of an emotional win in an unfriendly environment against a division rival that you are chasing for playoff positioning and heading into another unfriendly environment against a division rival that has, on a whole, played terrible hockey for most of the season.

You come out in this game with an effort that could largely be described with many adjectives and superlatives that I am unable to use in my article, so we’ll just describe it as “uninspired.”

How do you respond?

Well, the players very well could have been physically and emotionally tired from the previous game. Let’s give them an optional practice.

Fair enough.

Then, you come out at home, against the same team that you shut out four nights earlier with an effort that could, again, be described as “uninspired.”

Well, we travelled the next day and the boys could have been tired from travel.  Let’s give them another optional practice.

Alright. I suppose that rationale could be considered sound.

Then, the next night, you come out at home and offer up possibly the weakest performance of the season, placing just 11 shots on goal against a team that is just as many points out of a playoff spot as you are and laying an egg once more.

Maybe there’s a problem with your reasoning.

So how do you respond to your team’s worst effort of a season’s worth of inconsistent efforts and begin preparing for a game against last season’s conference champions?

With an optional practice, of course.

While my level of snark might be a little high right now, this is exactly what Minnesota Wild head coach Todd Richards saw fit to do yesterday following the Wild’s “uninspired” performance against the Florida Panthers.

Now, I’m rarely one to place any amount of blame on the coach. To me, unless the game is lost on a poor line change or because of a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty, at this point in the season it falls on the players to execute the game plan.

But to have another optional practice after the same effort was given following three previous optional practices is a grievous error by Richards, in my opinion.

For the past three games, the Wild’s forecheck has been non-existent, their breakouts sloppy and ineffective, and their defense lazy, at best.  Three valiant efforts by Niklas Backstrom have been wasted by a team that just doesn’t feel the need to compete.

At some point, the coach needs to take control of the situation and hammer his point home. At some point, the coach needs to have one of those practices that has players scrapping in the corner, pushing each other off the puck, and flat out getting pissed at one another.

A relaxed practice run by the assistant coach just isn’t going to get it done.

Now I obviously don’t know the state of the team in the locker room. It could be that they’re simply tired and run down and that an aggressive, physical practice could do more harm than good.

But what I’ve seen over the past three games isn’t the same team that came out in Calgary and shut the Flames down. The team that I’ve seen over the past few games isn’t the team that professed their belief that they still have a shot at the playoffs.

The team I’ve seen over the past few games is a team that has, quite frankly, given up.

From the message that Richards is sending to the team over the past few days, it would appear that he has too.

Now before you get all up in arms on me here, this isn’t an indictment of Richards. He’s done a lot of good for the Wild this season and for the first time, fans of the team actually feel like the Wild don’t have to get an early lead and clamp down in order to win.

But, as Albert Einstein once said, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

Maybe it’s time for Richards to rethink his strategy and elicit a different result instead.

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