Utah Jazz great Karl Malone was known as “The Mailman”, delivering the goods no matter what day it was.

In a similar fashion, Josh Smith should be known as “Return to Sender.” He will undoubtedly return even insured packages right back to the one sending it.

Mr. Smith just reached an impressive milestone by becoming the youngest player in NBA history to accumulate 1,000 blocks.

He did it at the ripe young age of 24 years and 59 days.

The original record was set by the former Los Angeles Clippers center Benoit Benjamin, at 25 years and 128 days old.

J-Smoove is currently the 2^nd best shot blocker, behind Dwight “Superman” Howard.

By the way did I mention “Return to Sender” took the record with ease, smacking away 1,000 attempts quicker than any other player rejected 900.

Nenad Krstic of the Oklahoma City Thunder deserves a little bit of credit. He was the one that eagerly offered the shot that was thrown right back in his face.

Oh wait, that’s not a good thing.

Well, at least he will get publicity from it. As the old saying goes there is no such thing as bad publicity.

Josh Smith has swatted 4 plus blocks in 10 of the Hawks’ 48 games so far, and has turned back at least 3 attempts in 6 more games. There have only been 3 games where he didn’t get a block, but one those 3 nights he compiled 8 steals.

A key factor in the Atlanta Hawks November 7^th blowout win against the Denver Nuggets 125-100 at home, was the season-high 6 blocks from the swat machine.

Denver coach George Karl admitted, “Josh Smith had an incredible game. We didn’t respect his shot blocking.”

That says it all right there. Teams and players have to respect his monstrous shot blocking presence, or they pay for it.

Sam Perkins was the last center to be selected for the 3 points shootout, in 1997.

In 2010, it will be done again.

Channing “Cannon” Frye, an assassin standing just less than 7 feet tall, has not only contended for the Most Improved Player award this season, but is the first player at his position in 13 years to be selected to the contest.

That is quite an accomplishment.

The Suns starting center last season was Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal.  During the off season he was given as a “gift” to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The trade was Shaq for “Big Ben” Wallace, whose contract Phoenix bought out because he was set to retire.

"Big Ben" did end up being the starting center for his old team, the Detroit Pistons, and is looking like his old defensive moster self.

However, Wallace is very close to retirement, and he wouldn’t have fit the Suns system anyway.

To make a long story short, Phoenix dumped an old star nearing retirement along with his ridiculous 21 million dollar salary, and ended up spending only 2 million to pick up the underrated young big that received little love from any other team.

Shaq is managing 12 points, 7 rebounds and a block, at 37.

Frye is posting 12 points, 6 rebounds and a block, at 26.

So for an extra rebound and a bad ego, the big name star of the past is being paid 19 million dollars more.

Also, Frye doesn’t have the “sucks at free throws” limited range. Thankfully, he strokes the trey from several feet behind the three point line.

No diss on Shaq's career, as he will still go down as one of the best of all time.

Robert Sarver and Steve Kerr, even though you give Suns fans many reasons to hate you, this was a good deal.

As Kerr said when trading Shawn Marion for Shaq, “I’m either a moron or a genius.” He later admitted to being a moron when he gave Shaq away for the best offer.

The best offer ending up being a very talented player in Channing Frye, with a much smaller contract.

But, I’ll label Steve Kerr a “genius” now that the Suns have Frye.

“Cannon” is a 3 point specialist, and we wish him luck representing the Phoenix Suns in the shootout.

Quotes by Steve Kerr provided by ESPN.com and SUNS.com

In a last-ditch effort to save the Sixers' floundering season, head coach Eddie Jordan benched two of his every-game starters last week, declaring a "mini-playoff" of sorts for his struggling team in the weeks leading up to the All-Star game.

For the first two games, the newly-benched Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams answered their coach's challenge by scoring 33 and 36 points against Dallas and Indiana in back-to-back wins for the Sixers.  The Sixers moved to 15-28 by virtue of their fourth two-game winning streak of the season, and suddenly looked alive on the court and in the ever-pathetic race for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Sixers headed home this past Monday night for the return game of their home-and-home with Indiana, the same Pacers team they beat by double digits on Saturday night.  They had their chance to start their first three-game winning streak of the season (unbelievable, but true), and to generate some legitimate momentum towards their annual second-half playoff charge.

Instead, the Sixers blew their NBA-leading 10th double-digit lead of the season, and the Pacers killed all Sixer momentum with a 109-98 victory.

The Sixers' woes didn't end there.  They headed to 19-25 Milwaukee on Wednesday, where they nearly made a 10-point deficit vanish before losing in excruciating fashion.  Lou Williams fed Elton Brand for a game-tying lay-up with seconds left; not only did Brand miss the layup, but he grabbed the rebound of his own miss, stepped back and bricked a fadeaway 17-footer.

But yea, the basketball gods kept the Sixers' hopes dangling on a string.  Milwaukee only knocked down one of two from the free throw line, leaving the Sixers down three with the ball with 2.2 seconds left.  Naturally, Andre Iguodala, a career 32.4 percent shooter from downtown, jacked up a 27-footer.  Guess how that ended.

Add in a virtually pre-determined loss to the Lakers on Friday night and the Sixers' mini-playoffs have already ground to a halt with an 0-3 week.  Based on "talent" alone, the Sixers should have beaten both Indiana and Milwaukee; their losses may only make management more inclined to blow the team up before the Feb. 18 trade deadline.

With that said, here are some of the biggest story lines to keep an eye on for the Sixers' second half:

Who will be a Sixer past Feb. 18?

This Jan. 29 tweet from ESPN's Ric Bucher says it all about the Sixers and the trade deadline:

"Epicenter" of trade talk, 1 GM says, has shifted from Wizards to Suns, courtesy of Amare's availability. Sixers also unlikely to stand pat.

Ruh roh.  Nice to know you, Andre Iguodala?

The Philadelphia Inquirer only seemed to confirm those sentiments on Friday, getting these comments from Sixers' GM Ed Stefanski:

"I will say that we're very active in talking to teams throughout the league, and we're listening to any option to improve the basketball team. When I was in Jersey, and here, I don't think there are untouchables.

"Anyone can get traded in this league, and we've seen it over and over. But we don't trade a player unless we get value back, basketball-wise."

Well, dear God, I hope that "basketball value" requirement rules out the rumored Iguodala-for-Tracy McGrady swap.

The Sixers would love to unload (at least) one of their three major contracts: Iguodala, Brand, and Samuel Dalembert.  Problem is...no one in the league will bite on Brand, Dalembert hasn't drawn interest for the past 18 months, and the offers for Iguodala have been underwhelming at best.

This will be the biggest issue going forward for this team for the next three weeks, much more so than Jordan's "mini-playoff" motivational tactic.  Bucher's tweet gives every indication that the Sixers will be making moves within the coming weeks, making a second-half prediction that much more difficult.  

Regardless of what roster changes happen over the next three weeks, there are a few other issues worth keeping an eye on...

(Read about five of the Sixers' biggest issues going forward after the jump.)

Candidates for the 6th Man of the Year award are the players that score the most

points off the bench. They are the players that bring their own jumper cables

to the game.They are the spark that ignites their team when they need it the most.

It’s a pretty simple concept.

When the team needs an additional offensive option the 6^th man is brought off the pine.

He puts on a show scoring at will, assisting their team to a victory.

But, why must points be the category looked at when determining who the 6th man is?

Probably because it's easy to look at points first, and look at everything else second.

Now, the object is not to bring up the conversation of how a 6^th man should be chosen.

Tha'ts up to the team's coach. He knows what he needs the most from his bench, what the starters aren't providing.

The majority of the time, that need is a scorer. Whatever non-starter scores the most points is the team's 6th man.

The point trying to be made is there is an NBA player that is overlooked in the 6th Man race simply because he isn't a big scorer. That is a shame.

He is a key reason, besides mighty King James of course, why the team is #1 in the league.

That's right. The Cleveland Cavaliers are #1 in the NBA halfway through the season.

And, if LeBron wouldn’t have had this player healthy the L.A. Lakers would possibly have the best record right now.

Anderson Varejao is one of few that went pro from Brazil. He brings his defensive tenacity (and wild hair) every night.

Whoever says “Who?” needs to stop reading for a second, and do some research.

Or, the writer of this article could do that for you, he supposes.

The power forward and center combo, who stands just under 7 feet tall, and weighs an imposing 260 pounds, is far from a scorer (8.4 points per game), but he is definitely a big help when it comes to the vitals of victory.

He plays 30.1 minutes per game averaging 52.1% field goal shooting, 8 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block per game.

He is one of only 4 players in the league that shoots over 52% from the floor; while grabbing at least 8 rebounds, swiping at least one steal, and swatting at least one shot.

The other 3 players are…

NeNe Hilario is the Denver Nuggets’ starting center and a fellow Brazilian native. He is a a key reason why Denver holds the high record they do.

Marc Gasol is the Memphis Grizzlies’ starting center. The big guy is a major factor in the remodeling of his team from a cellar dweller to a team in the playoff hunt.

Dwight Howard is the Orlando Magic's starting center, and “Superman” doesn’t need an introduction.

That’s not bad company. Not bad at all.

The only difference is Varejao is the only player doing this off the bench.

If looking for help for LeBron, consider getting this  underappreciated player about 5 more shots per outing.

With over 52 percent accuracy, he could easily average 15 or 16 points per night. Add that with what he already gives, and watch the results.

Atlanta Hawks: Consistently Inconsistent

The Atlanta Hawks are considered one of the best teams in the East and in the NBA. Joe Johnson and the Hawks have had a ton of quality wins against the the best in the league.  The only problem is, one day they win by 25 and the next day they lose by 25. Some people might say this is maturity but this can't be the excuse forever.

This team has been together for a pretty long time. With the core of Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, and Al Horford, this team is one of the most talented in the league. This team is very athletic and is first in the league in fast break points.

With the addition of Jamal Crawford who is looking like the sixth man of the year, this team has the pieces to win a title.

The worry about the Hawks is that they have yet to win against the Orlando Magic or the Cleveland Cavaliers. They have beaten the Celtics every time they have played them. In these games however, Kevin Garnett didn't play.

The Hawks have said they want to be considered one of the elite teams in the East. To have that come true they have to beat the elite teams in the East like the Magic and the Cavs.

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JC is a solid leader in the 6^th Man award, thus far in the season.

He’s averaging 17.1 points on 35.7% shooting from beyond the arc, in 30.6 minutes of play.

He’s the Atlanta Hawks’ 2^nd best scorer, after MVP candidate Joe Johnson, at 21.2 points per game.

He’s played in all 41 games at the season’s halfway mark, and has come off the bench for every single game.

With each award, comes fierce competition. So, it’s time to take a look at the 4 other players that assemble the top 5 list for candidates for the trophy, in reverse order.

#5 Golden State Warriors forward Corey Maggette

20.3 points per game leads all bench players in the league in scoring, but he has started 19 out of the 39 games he has played, and by the end of the season will more than likely have started more games than he has come off the bench in, disqualifying him.

#4 New York Knicks forward Al Harrington

He is stroking 30.6% of his treys, while scoring 18.2 points. However, he should be starting

for his squad, which, by the way, is a losing team. 6^th men are meant to have an impact in the game, and to will the team to victory, and he just doesn’t cut it, in that respect.

#3 Houston Rockets forward Carl Landry

55.6% field goal accuracy is 9^th best in the league, and 1^st for bench players, and he can come into a game, control the tempo, and put on a show off the pine. But, 15.6 points is almost 2 points per game less than Crawford.

#2 Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry

34.4% shooting from downtown (1.3% less) for 16.5 points (.6 points less), in 33.7 minutes (3.1 minutes more) are good numbers, and he is a powerful spark plug off the pine for Dallas, but he has to take 2^nd in this race.

This puts Jamal at 1^st in the running for the award, and he deserves it. But, he has tough competition right behind him. So, it is by no means said and done, and he must continue to improve and pad his stats in order to claim winner.

He has been the team’s leading scorer in 14 of their 41 games.

5 for 13 (38%) from beyond the arc for 17.7 points in 3 wins against the Boston Celtics only helps his cause.

The best part about Jamal Crawford, is he would trade it all just to make his 1^st trip to the playoffs.

“If we get there this year, I’m really going to enjoy it,” Crawford says.

In a January 8 win against Boston, he converted a 4 point play after being knocked into the seats on a 3 point shot from the corner.

He consistently makes jumpers to win or seal the game.

“He does that all the time,” teammate Josh Smith said. “It’s unbelievable. When he gets it going, he’s hard to stop.”

Enough said.

Quotes provided by ESPN.COM

Another day, another one-point or two-point loss for the Sixers.

While the opponents change, the story remains the same: The Sixers have the ball, down one or two points with one possession left, someone manages to take an ill-advised three-pointer, and they lose the game in regulation.

At the beginning of December, it was Andre Iguodala taking an off-balance, fade-away three-pointer in a one-point loss to the Charlotte Bobcats.  Five days before that, after hitting a game-tying three with 5.6 seconds left, Iggy bricked another potential game-winning three after Dallas' Jason Terry drilled a 17-footer with 1.4 seconds left.

One week ago, Lou Williams was the anti-hero who bricked a last-second three in a two-point loss to Toronto.  And five days ago, seldom-used Rodney Carney got in on the brick party, missing on a 25-footer at the end of regulation to send the Sixers to a one-point loss at the hands of the New York Knicks.

"We fight to the end, but for whatever reason, it never happens," Williams said after the loss to Toronto.

Well, Lou, I've got one guess at why it never happens.  ("It" being you winning close games, of course.)

Because it seems like your coach, Eddie Jordan, doesn't understand the fundamentals of basketball.

You see, Lou, in basketball, you don't have to always go for a game-winning shot if you're down with one shot left.  Contrary to popular belief, a tie at the end of regulation is actually allowed, according to the bylaws of the NBA.

On the rare occasion that a game happens to be tied at the end of regulation, it goes into this extra period called "overtime," where both teams get to play five more minutes to decide a game, instead of hanging their hopes on one shot.

For some reason, your coach doesn't seem to understand this "overtime" period.  When the Sixers have the ball, down one or two points, with one possession left...a seemingly-random Sixer will take an ill-advised three-pointer to try and win the game right then and there.

And it never works.

The Sixers rank 17th in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage, shooting 35 percent from downtown.  They shoot 45 percent from two.

Does Eddie Jordan have that little confidence in his team that he's always in a win-or-go-home mentality?

Granted, this could be unwarranted criticism of Jordan.  Maybe he draws up a play to go to the inside each time, and the opponents seem to always foil his plans while leaving someone wide open from three.  (In fact, against the Knicks, the play was supposedly drawn up to go inside to Marreese Speights, but the Knicks had double-teamed him, leaving Carney wide open from 25 feet.)

Maybe there's a reason those teams leave those players open, though.  Maybe they want the Sixers taking those shots.

Maybe Jordan should have a "Plan A" (like the play to Speights) and a "Plan B," both drawn inside the three-point line , in case "Plan A" goes to hell.

But for the love of God, coach Jordan, please tell your players to stop jacking up low-percentage threes as their final shot in a close game?

I know your Princeton offense got put on the shelf for now, but there's a few fundamental basketball plays that these Sixers still need to learn.

Please teach them to take a smart shot if they're going to try and win a game at the buzzer.  Or teach them about overtime.

But don't make me watch any more jacked up threes at the final buzzer.

You're better than that.  I hope.

Every basketball team has a captain.  Usually this captain is their star or a league star and has been on the team for a while.  Team members look to this player as a coach on the court.   He also acts as the person to whom the official will have interaction with during the game.   Similarly, the crew of three officials have a "captain".   This captain is called the crew chief.  Who are crew chiefs and how do they become crew chiefs?

In high school basketball, there is no designation as crew chief.   One official is designated as the referee (others are umpires).  The referee doesn't necessarily have to be the most experienced official in the group.  The same applies in the NBA.  Just because a referee has been in the NBA longer, does not mean they are automatically the crew chief.   So who are the crew chiefs and why?

The list below will show the actual crew chiefs.   How they became one differs amongst each of them.   For most, being the veteran official is enough qualification.   Most obtained crew chief status because of their excellence on the court.   Not every official is a leader.   Being a crew chief demands leadership among your peers, some who may have more experience than you.   It takes a strong willed person dedicated to excellence and improvement.   It is similar to a rookie being named captain over a team of veteran players.  There may be some resentment and it will take hard effort to gain the respect of your peers.    All officials are rule knowledgable and understand game management.  The crew chief has been in so many game situations that they can handle unusual circumstances based upon that experience.   Crew chiefs also have the final word on judgement calls in replay instances and conduct pre and post game instructions. 

How can you tell the crew chief apart?   In today's game, you may not be able to.   It used to be, similar to high school, that the crew chief (referee in high school) tossed the ball up.  Not anymore.   The crew chief can designate any other official to toss the ball at the beginning of the game.   Without the aide of the below list, the only way to tell the crew chief apart is in replay situations.  The crew chief  will make the decision on replays, sometimes using the help of the other officials.   It also is not unusual to have two crew chief officials in a game, but only one serves as the crew chief.   This is most typical in the playoffs and certainly in the Finals.  Every official officiating in the Finals is a crew chief.

Here is the list of current crew chiefs:

#9 Derrick Stafford (officiated first Finals game last year)

#10 Ron Garretson

#13 Monty McCutchen

#14 Joe DeRosa

#15 Bennett Salvatore

#17 Joe Crawford

#18 Mark Wunderlich

#19 James Capers (seldom used in this season)

#22 Bill Spooner

#23 Jason Phillips (crew chief in training)

#24 Mike Callahan

#25 Tony Brothers (seldom used in this season)

#26 Bob Delaney

#27 Dick Bavetta

#29 Steve Javie

#32 Eddie F. Rush

#33 Sean Corbin (seldom used in this season)

#34 Marc Davis (new)

#41 Ken Mauer

#43 Dan Crawford

#45 Joe Forte (may have actually lost crew chief status)

#48 Scott Foster

#49 Tom Washington

#55 Bill Kennedy (new)

#57 Greg Willard

#73 Ed Malloy (new)

For example, the crew of #34 Marc Davis #45 Joe Forte #46 Matt Boland, Marc Davis is the crew chief even though Joe Forte has been a veteran crew cheif longer than Davis and even officiated one Finals game.    However, in a crew of #27 Dick Bavetta #22 Bill Spooner #73 Ed Malloy, Dick Bavetta is crew chief due to veteran leadership.  Take Bavetta off that crew and insert a non-crew chief, Spooner is the crew chief due to more experience and stronger skills than Malloy.

Generally, when on the NBA website and looking at the referee assignments, official #1 is the crew chief, but not necessarily the case. 

Just like the players, any mistakes made by the crew reflects on them as a group, the individual official making the call and the crew chief.   The new, less experienced and subpar officials need a strong crew chief for their development.  Every game they officiate is a chance to strengthen their skills, instruct them and work on their weeknesses.  The crew chief helps that process along.  Just like playing next to a Kobe Bryant or Lebron James is to their teammates, officiating with Dan Crawford or a Steve Javie helps the Brian Gobles out.