Kobe's cleaning accident adds to Lakers' woes

Question: When was the last time you put your hand through a window while cleaning the garage?

Apparently it can happen, but only to Kobe Bryant. While "moving boxes in the garage," Bryant suffered a severe finger cut.

This is one of those injuries that only happens to professional athletes. Another example: when Miami Dolphin's quarterback Brian Griese tripped over his dog and fell down the stairs.

How does this happen?

Are pros so athletic that they move faster and more recklessly than regular people when they're doing ordinary, non-athletic tasks?

Really, how does Kobe put his freakin' hand through a window? Have you ever done that? And shouldn't someone be cleaning Kobe's garage for him?

Assuming the injury did really happen during some house cleaning, then it's just bad karma. And the Los Angeles Lakers have gotten a lot of it lately, from Kobe's finger to Kobe's shoulder, to Karl Malone's shoulder, to Shaquille O'Neal's toe. Of course, that's just what the Lakers deserve for Rick Fox marrying Vanessa Williams, for Malone selling out for the ring, and just for being so darn good.

The Lakers' recent pseudo-slide has left the West wide open, and other teams have jumped into the void.

The Sacramento Kings have hit the top of the fray first, holding a narrow half game margin over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Kings got there without the injured Chris Webber, thanks mainly to Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic, and seven-footer Brad Miller.

Miller definitely isn't the fastest guy on the court, but he is a better passer than most guards coming into the league. He can shoot out to three point territory, and he is just crazy enough to fight Shaq. On the season, he's averaging 14.5 points per game (on 51 percent shooting), 10.7 rebounds per game and 4.7 assists every time he takes the court.

And he went un-drafted out of Purdue, while the league was busy using first round picks to snatch up guys like Desagana Diop and DeShawn Stevenson. That example is a microcosm of everything that is wrong with the NBA right now: guys with mind blowing athleticism who don't understand how to actually play the game.

The Dallas Mavericks have guys who know how to play the game, but Inside the NBA is still not sold on the Mavs. Over winter break, Dallas blew a 15 point lead against the Philadelphia 76ers by dropping into a zone and allowing Kyle Korver, who is only in the league because he can shoot from far out, drain an open three pointer in the fourth quarter. Kyle Korver couldn't create his own shot against sixth graders, and the Mavs left him open.

New and Improved: The Cleveland Cavaliers, and not just 'cause LeBron is finally being LeBron, but because they acquired Eric Williams and Tony Battie from the Celtics.

Is Boston GM Danny Ainge still delirious from his 1981 game winning layup at BYU, back when BYU could send players to the NBA?

It doesn't take a genius to figure out: if you trade not one, but two glue guys for Ricky Davis, the team's not going to be any better. We can only image that Ainge is trying to tank the season and get a lottery pick.

On the Horizon: The All-Star game, and it will pretty much be the same as last year only MJ won't be jacking up more shots than Trinity's Tyler Rhoten. And Sam Cassell will make it, so he can finally stop whining about how he is the best player to never make an All-Star team.