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FIVE QUICK NBA THOUGHTS: 1. . LANDRY FIELDS (Raptors): He is looking much more comfortable each time I watch him play. Thats a good development for a guy that had injury issues/surgery to deal with last year. He lost his shot mechanics and, in many ways, his confidence. His shot release is still a bit slow but in time it will get better. Hell have to be conscious of that when he takes perimeter shots and make sure he has time to set himself up and get it off. His shot preparation will be very important. Hes a smart, team oriented player and does all the little things that coaches love and has a winning personality/approach. Too often folks focus on the contract - its not his fault that he got the deal he was offered, and who wouldnt take it? Bottom line for the Raptors, to compete for a playoff spot this year theyre going to have to find some consistent productivity from their second unit (an area of concern right now) and Fields is a guy that you hope can be ready to contribute. 2. REGGIE JACKSON (Thunder): Talk about a guy whos on the radar this year in OKC. With the trade of James Harden and the free agent departure of Kevin Martin to the Timberwolves, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook will need some heavy perimeter support to make up the difference and keep their team at a high level. In his third NBA season out of Boston College, this is the year you have your fingers crossed his level of play is elevated and reliable. Hes got solid versatility in his game, has decent shot making ability and hell compete for you on the defensive end. Now its all got to come together and quick. Usually in the third pro season you find out an awful lot about a guy with the growth of his skills, strength, and basketball IQ. You focus on his dedication and overall makeup and whether hes got what it takes to take that next step. Time has arrived and hes going to get a shot each night. Take advantage. 3. LA CLIPPERS: The Clippers have decided to cover the Lakers Championship banners and retired numbers when they play their home games at the Staples Center. This has caused quite a stir and to be perfectly frank it should have happened the day they started playing games at the arena. Theyve been the JV team in LA for too long and they owe the Lakers organization and their former greats absolutely nothing. Theyre a tenant of the arena just like the Lakers and can do whatever theyd like when its their building. Its their money and their time. I always wondered why they would ever even acknowledge the other team. This is competition; its ruthless and thats the way it would be if the shoe was on the other foot, thats for sure. 4. CHARLIE VILLANUEVA (Pistons): Villanueva will be starting his ninth NBA season next week and the question is if hell ever play at a consistently productive level as a pro. Hes coming off two poor seasons in Detroit where he averaged 7 ppg and 3.5 rpg while shooting an abysmal 38% from the field for a lousy team. Are you part of the solution or part of the problem? Ill never forget a conversation I had with an NBA College Scouting Director when he was a player at UConn. He said that Villanueva would end up playing for at least 4-5 NBA teams and be one of those guys that youd be fascinated by his skills and potential and yet always be frustrated that you never got the high level nights enough. After former Raptors GM Rob Babcock drafted him in controversial fashion hes had stints as well with the Bucks and now the Pistons. I like him, hes a good guy and not a problem player, yet hes just not getting it done. At age 29, its time. Now or never. 5. THOMAS ROBINSON (Blazers): Robinson is in his second season and already on his third NBA team after playing his rookie year in Sacramento and Houston. Is this another guy who will bounce around and not fulfill his potential? Honestly, I dont know yet. He averaged an underwhelming 4.8 ppg and 4.5 rpg in his rookie year; thats not going to make anyone happy for a lottery pick out of Kansas. I liked him in college yet I was a bit concerned with his size and still unpolished game. He reminds me of Truck Robinson (Im dating myself!) who had a good career (15 and 9) in his best days with Washington, Phoenix and New York. He needs to focus on being a terror on the glass and the other stuff will work itself out. Hell get a shot at good playing time in Portland and Blazers fans will hope the light comes on this season and he takes that significant jump as a player. . How foolishly wrong I was. Forget the now inherent corruption and back handed favours that plague the beautiful game. Goal Line Technology? Youre having a laugh. As for them penalty cheating bandits, footballs lawmakers upend them by awarding the penalty to the opponent each time a player attempts to con the referee into awarding ghost penalties. . LeBron James leads the Miami Heat in a quest for three consecutive championship titles, while Tim Duncan looks to add his fifth ring with the San Antonio Spurs when the series tips off with Game 1: Miami @ San Antonio on Thursday, June 5 at 9 p. . Howard hit a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies to a 6-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night.DALLAS -- The Dallas Stars three Olympians sent their team into the Olympic break on a high note Saturday night. Finlands Kari Lehtonen made 26 saves to lead Dallas over the Phoenix Coyotes 2-1 Saturday night. He received plenty of help from the Stars defence and got goals from Ray Whitney and Russias Valeri Nichushkin. Canadas Jamie Benn assisted on Whitneys goal. The victory moved Dallas into the eighth and final playoff position in the Western Conference for the first time this season. "Weve come from a long way," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "Youve got to give the guys credit for digging in. "I thought if we got within three or four points at the break, we could be a serious contender. Weve exceeded that." The Stars and Coyotes have identical 27-21-10 records for 64 points, but Dallas holds a tiebreaker over Phoenix, which fell to ninth. Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said his teams position at the break is "probably about where we should be. I think were better than that, but thats where we are." "Im not worrying about that too much yet," Lehtonen said of Dallas position in the standings. "Its good that were moving to the right direction. We just have to keep going." He was more impressed by defeating Phoenix twice in five days to make up four points on the Coyotes. "They were huge games both times. I really like it when we play well as a team." Dallas limited Phoenix to 27 shots, 13 in the third period. Lehtonen shut them out until Radim Vrbata scored on a power play with 15 seconds remaining. The Coyotes had six skaters to the Stars four because Tippett had pulled goalie Mike Smith, who had 31 saves. "Again (Lehtonen) was rock solid," said Ruff, an assistant coach for Canadas Olympic team. "He came up with some big saves. One when we were killing a penalty he went down low and made a glove save. He made a big stop on their breakaway when they were short-handed. "The only thing I would like to have seen was for him to get the shutout." "We couldnt generate too much offensively," Vrbata said. "But I think (Smiths) playing the way we know he can play. . Hopefully, hes going to stay like that and we can do a little better for him." Whitney scored just 2:10 into the game. Nichushkin scored at 19:26 of the second period, deflecting in a shot by Trevor Daley. Dallas took the early lead when Whitney carried the puck into the Phoenix zone along the left side, skated into the slot and sent a wrist shot past Smith into the upper right corner of the net. "It was kind of not much happening in the first period until we decided we didnt want to back check on a play and give them the first goal," Tippett said. "That was something we talked about as a group, if we get behind its going to be much tougher on us." The Stars ended the first period a man up and put three shots on Smith for a 7-4 edge in shots. One of Dallas shots was short-handed, as the Stars made it difficult for the Coyotes to get out of their end. Midway through the second period, Dallas had two good scoring chances, but Smith gloved a high drive by Sergei Gonchar and stopped a tip-in attempt by Benn in front of the goal. Nichushkin deflected Daleys slap shot from the blue line for the rookies 13th goal with 34 seconds left in the second period for a 1-0 lead. The goal was reviewed to see whether Nichushkins deflection was on a high stick. NOTES: Whitney has seven points (four goals, three assists) in his last seven games against Phoenix. ... Coyotes D Derek Morris (upper-body injury) was inactive. He was hurt during Phoenixs victory over Chicago Friday. C Martin Hanzal, who missed that game because of illness, returned against Dallas. ... The Stars have not allowed more than 28 shots in any of their last 11 games. ... Vrbata has scored three goals in the last four games. ... Saturdays game was delayed briefly in the second period when linesman Ryan Galloway was upended in a collision with Whitney along the boards. Galloway stayed in the game. ... The public address announcer saluted the five Coyotes and three Stars who will be competing in the Olympics. Smith, a former Stars goalie, received almost as strong an ovation as the Dallas players. ' ' '

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