Rotoworld: Oregon RB LaMichael James and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon among top 10 players who are being overhyped for the 2012 draft.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Arc: Syracuse is among a solid group of No. 1 seeds in our latest tournament projections, but the middle of the pack is much more murky.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods greeted their Sunday pairing at Pebble Beach with optimism. But the day would end happily only for one.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
APQ: I'm an avid Lakers fan and have been for years. This year, they look tired at the end, especially Kobe Bryant. Are you seeing the same thing, and if so, what effect do you see this having on the team in the playoffs?
— Jason D. Groode, Kihei, Hawaii.
A: I don't see that. In fact, I see somewhat the opposite, a team energized by the possibilities presented by the return of Andrew Bynum.
What I suspect you're seeing is the uncertainty created by the resulting roster shuffle, with Lamar Odom shifted back to sixth man.
With the midseason deal of Vladimir Radmanovic, and with Trevor Ariza the starting small forward, this remains a team still finding itself.
But don't worry about Kobe. If nothing else, he has displayed a knack for stepping up when the games mean the most, and there might not be a Laker with a greater desire to avenge last season's Finals loss to the Celtics.
If anything, it will be interesting to see how the Lakers maintain their focus without a legitimate threat in the West. The Spurs are a shell of their former selves, and the Nuggets hardly stand as a bona fide second-best power.
When it comes to having a team ready, pushing the right buttons, Phil Jackson still stands as the best in the business.
Tired? Nah, just bored by a regular season that proved far easier than anyone could have expected from what was supposed to be the ultra-competitive West.
Q: Is the Coach of the Year award really that important? Sam Mitchell, Mike Dunleavy and Del Harris each have one. Jerry Sloan doesn't have one and Phil Jackson and Larry Brown only have one each. What gives?
— Paul Hayes, Sydney, Australia.
A: Generally, the voting tends to be along the lines of the coach that makes the most out of the least.
Because of that, coaches such as Jackson, Pat Riley and Sloan, with all his years with Karl Malone and John Stockton, tend to get overlooked.
This year could be the exception, with Mike Brown appearing to be the front-runner, despite having LeBron James to lean on.
What's certain is that Coach of the Year hardly assures stability, with Mitchell and Avery Johnson ousted shortly after taking the award in 2007 and 2006, respectively.
By its nature, Coach of the Year is an overstated award, since having the league's best record is the ultimate coaching accomplishment.
And if you don't agree with that, then coaching probably doesn't deserve its own award, anyway.
Your point is valid and it minimizes the honor's credibility. If Jerry Sloan wasn't good enough by now, if Phil Jackson was only deserving in 1996, then what type of cache does the award truly carry?
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Paul Pierce has been around long enough to know what Rajon Rondo's performance can mean for the aging Boston Celtics.
ProBasketballTalk tweets |
|
Source: Twitter. For more, follow @basketballtalk. |
 | Video: NBA from NBC Sports |
 Knicks, Lin still streaking Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni and point guard Jeremy Lin discuss the team and Lin's recent success. |
 | Slideshow |
 |
more photos |
Ask the NBA expert: Ira Winderman |
Do you have a burning NBA question? Submit it now, and then check back for our reader mailbag. |  |
 | Special feature |
 |
Who will be MVP? Interactive: Rank each player on a scale of 0 to 10 (10 = best player, 0 = barely worthy of consideration). NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 |
more photos |
 | Slideshow |
 |
The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
The Red Wings have finally started to embrace a record they've been chasing.