Jump Shot Web

He always has been considered bright beyond his years, and certainly smarter than the rest of the people on the floor," writes Mark Murphy of the BOSTON HERALD. "If the best basketball players see the game develop at a slower speed, then that was Rajon Rondo [stats] from the time he became a point guard. "He's so smart,"said Doug Bibby, who coached the Celtics [team stats] point guard for three years at Louisville (Ky.) Eastern High School, before Rondo moved on to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. "I pick his brains right now whenever I get the chance.”

"Joe Johnson's time in a Boston uniform was so brief — 49 games during his rookie season — that he barely remembers the particulars," writes Sekou Smith of the ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION. "I don't remember where I lived or really anything else about it," said Johnson, the 10th pick in the 2001 NBA draft. "It was a blur. It went so fast I don't remember a lot, other than them giving me a chance to play in the league. Other than that, it was a short stint." If Johnson and his Hawks teammates aren't careful, their time in the playoffs will suffer the same fate.

As the Philadelphia 76ers continue their National Basketball Association Playoffs series against the Detroit Pistons, the team is requesting that travelers in the Greater Philadelphia Region refer to the Schuylkill Expressway by its proper name (I-76) and add "ers" to the end. The team hopes this will spread and people will immediately begin calling the popularly traveled highway "I-76ers."

New Jersey Nets guard Vince Carter underwent successful arthroscopic right ankle surgery today, Wednesday, April 23, 2008, Nets President Rod Thorn announced. The procedure, performed by Dr. Martin O'Malley at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, included the removal of multiple loose bodies and a bone spur from the ankle, as well as a debridement of the ankle. Carter will be on crutches for several weeks, after which time he will begin rehabilitation. He is expected to be fully recovered by the time the team begins training camp for the 2008-09 season.

In the HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Michael Murphy writes "coach Rockets fans have found the first two games of the first-round Western Conference series against the Utah Jazz hard to watch, imagine how the view has been for Rafer Alston. As the Rockets prepare for Thursday's Game 3 at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Alston thinks there's a good chance he'll finally be on the court passing the ball rather than on the bench passing time. ‘I'm pushing hard,' Alston said of his rehab work. ‘I'm closer than I was two days ago. I'm doing things that I would have to do — slash, cut, being able to slide. Right now I'm pushing for Game 3.''”

In the ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, Chris Tomasson writes "it's rush hour in Los Angeles. A new reason has emerged why the Lakers wouldn't mind making quick work of the Nuggets. The Lakers have seen Utah go to Houston and take a 2-0 lead. With a quick series possible and the Jazz being the Lakers' next possible opponent, a drawn-out series against the Nuggets would not be considered ideal. Fisher, whose Lakers won Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series 128-114 on Sunday, knows very well the importance of tonight's Game 2 at the Staples Center. He needs only to look at the numbers. In NBA history, teams having taken a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series are 191-13. That's a staggering winning percentage of .936.”

In the NEW YORK TIMES, Mike Ogle writes "nothing against forward Crystal Langhorne or the Washington Mystics, but when the Mystics selected Langhorne out of Maryland with the sixth pick in the W.N.B.A. draft, Carol Blazejowski, the Liberty's president and general manager, and Rutgers guard Essence Carson jumped for joy. The Mystics' choice meant that the Liberty and Carson would get exactly what they wanted: each other. "I was delighted,"Blazejowski said Monday at the Liberty's second day of training camp. "You always hold your breath before you pick. When Washington picked a big, we were like, ‘Shewww. All right!' Because we knew Essence was on the board for us.'"

The Suns hope to keep their season alive with a win in San Antonio. NBA.com's Chris Bernucca is live-blogging Game 5

Can the Jazz close out on the road, or will the Rockets keep the fire burning for another game. NBA.com's Dan Savage is live-blogging Game 5.

Is there any life left in the Mavs, or will the Hornets finish them off? NBA.com's John Schuhmann is live blogging Game 5.