AC TITTICOCK'S WEEKLY FREE NBA BASKETBALL PICKS AND WINNERS

First Isiah almost turns around the Knicks and now my girl Rosie O’Donnell is getting married (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/040226/480/nyet22502262308&e=5) and yes I just threw up in my own mouth). Seriously, what has this world come to? Am I going to wake up tomorrow and find that Mad About You is coming back on the air (and please, if I wake up and that has happened, somebody, anybody shoot me, please, I beg you)? Of course all of this makes me wonder just how many cranes they are going to need to bring in Rosie’s wedding cake. However, this is a basketball article and this week we can talk about the emergence of Brandon Hunter (17 points, 9 rebounds in his first start, way to leave him on the bench O’Braindead), the end of the winning streak of Lawrence Frank (14 games almost beat out Morgan Magic for the 1988 Sox), or my boy Kobe and his recent scoring streak.

However, I’d rather spend this time evaluating the top 5 breakout players (not including rookies) of the first half of the 2003-2004 season.

Michael Redd: He’s everybody’s favorite underdog. SI ran a piece on him and his accomplishments and as all great writers do, I am now going to copy them. Redd can flat out shoot. He was talented at Ohio State but I thought he had the Big Ten Shawn Respert disease (score a lot against Northwestern and then get shut down in the Pros). However, Redd can play and has quietly led Milwaukee to a solid season. I think this Bucks team can contend for the Eastern title and no I am not sniffing paint fumes. He has gone from 11 to 15 and now to 22 points per game over the past 3 years. Redd can ball, now if only he could hook up his former backcourt mate Scoonie penn, he would get my MVP vote.

Zach Randolph: Everybody but me thought Zach would tear it up and it looks like I’m the bonehead here. Zach has increased his scoring from 8 to 20 points per night and has also more than doubled his assists and rebounds per game. The guy can play. He is what Chris Webber should have been 8 years ago, a talented and lethal inside force.

Andrei “I must break you” Kirilenko: 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and one Mohawk per game. Andrei is kickin it in the league Moscow style. Losing Stockton and Malone should have hurt the Jazz but Andrei can do it all.

Joe Johnson: Chris Wallace, being the genius that he is, drafted Joe Johnson, Joe Forte, and Kedrick Clown in the first round two years ago and kept the two losers of the bunch. Wallace unceremoniously dumped Joe Johnson two years ago for short timers Rodney “In never saw a doughnut I didn’t like” Rodgers and Tony “I can’t dribble” Delk. Yeah, it gave the Celtics a marginally better shot in the playoffs but they gave up a talent that is hard to come by. Since the Suns traded Marbury, Johnson has been throwing in 20 a night while both rebounding and dishing out the ball. Though he is often knocked for being passive (ie. he’s probably smoking way too much pot), he has talent. Great trade by the Suns but fleecing Chris Wallace is like beating a one legged man in an ass kicking contest (props to Mr Dangerfield on that one).

Corey Maggette: Who knew Duke players could ball in the NBA? Maggette’s in his fifth year but still only 24 years old and he is now scoring over 20 a game. He can shoot and drive and may be the best player out of Duke since Danny Ferry (yes that was sarcasm).

On to the free NBA picks for Saturday:

Ugh, what happened last night? 0-3 as the Clippers blew a big lead, Indiana didn’t show up, and apparently the Hawks cut all their players and picked up the Washington General’s rejects. Tough night but I will make up for it today. If you want cash, trust me on these picks.

Orlando +1 at Atlanta:

After last night’s loss the Hawks should never win another game. They are horrible, just really really horrible. I know the Magic have the worst record in the league but if they lose this game, they should sent to the NBDL.

Golden State +1 at Chicago:

Golden State hammered the Bulls in Golden State earlier in the year. The Warriors are playing back to back games on the road but the Bulls have no cohesiveness. Jason Richardson is going to go off.

New Orleans at Memphis -3.5:

Memphis is good and Troy Bell has yet to take off. The guy can play and he can’t break Memphis’s top ten. Look for the Grizzlies to beat the overrated Hornets.

If you’re feeling like you’ve got some extra cash to burn today, you might want to think about dallas -8.5 vs portland and philly +12.5 at Indiana if Iverson or Robinson are healthy.

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