Patrick Semansky / AP

Darren Collison showed last season he can be a game changer, NBCSports.com contributor Darren Collison writes.

There is one wild card, and that is Ron Artest. He proved he could hold it together for a season. But can he hold it together for two?

Q: You are off in your assessment. Matt Barnes is not a two, he is more of a three. He will not be guarding D-Wade. Kobe will have to do this. Barnes can play some two. But he is more of a three. Remember, Wade has played the point at times in his career.
— Greg, Los Angeles.

A: But Barnes is a defender, and at least presents another defensive option for Phil Jackson.

The point I was making, and the point I will stand by, is that Jackson will not have to wear down Kobe defensively to the degree that Erik Spoelstra might find himself with LeBron and Dwyane.

Q: The NBA does little or nothing to support the Hall of Fame. It's been like this since "day one."
— Rick, Springfield, Mass.

A: Which is why there needs to be a Pro Basketball Hall of Fame, similar to what the NFL has in Canton.

The pro game is big enough that it needs to step out of the shadows of a game as a whole.

When the NFL has its induction weekend, it is about players we know, who played a game we are familiar with.

At one time, the NBA was such a peripheral league that needed the support of a greater shine.

That no longer is the case.

That said, without the NBA's current support, the Basketball Hall of Fame never would have made its recent move to dramatically upgraded facilities.

Q: Would the NBA try using "scabs" if there is a lockout, similar to what the NFL did years ago? — Bert, Miami.

A: Absolutely not. A lockout would shut down the league. This is not football with its built-in season-ticket base and week-by-week scheduling.

Ira Winderman writes regularly for NBCSports.com and covers the Heat and the NBA for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

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Jim Rogash / Getty Images

Not in his house

Rajon Rondo had 18 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds and the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 85-75 in Game 7 on Saturday night to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

CSN: Rondo's big-game DNA shines  |  Highlights

CSN: You may not see it from start to finish, but when the game — or in this case, postseason life — is on the line, you see just how good Rajon Rondo can be.

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