NEW YORK -- A presence in the paint, Eddy Curry is even more of a presence at the plate. He's the only player I've ever seen gain weight on a break and I don't mean commercial.

Nevertheless, opponents are praying Curry develops a deadly 5-meter and beyond jumper over the summer. By all means, take that large load outside so teams aren't forced to foul and can stay out of the penalty.

How soon before Isiah Thomas coordinates the Kevin Garnett acquisition?

From what I read in these parts the Knicks have what it'll take to import him from Minnesota once he decides he wants out.

Imagine co-mingling Garnett's non-supporting cast and Thomas' outcasts.

Yes, that's who the Timberwolves aspire to be, last season's Knicks.

What's the hardest part for Thomas about coaching in his hometown of Chicago?

Win or lose, he must walk past or catch a glimpse of Michael Jordan's statue.

What's the hardest part about going up against his former Pistons?

Knowing Joe Dumars, in a power position he craved, continues to out-maneuver him in the front office.

What possessed the five Piston starters to seek out Thomas before their recent game at the Garden and give him a hug?

Talk about not keeping it real!

A show of hands, please; who genuinely believes Georgetown's Roy Hibbert and Jeff Green haven't engaged an agent (by the name of David Falk, back in the business of recruiting clients now that his non-compete clause with SFX is expired) in some way to investigate their prospective draft ranking?

I'm trying to confirm who truly has two brain cells to rub together.

Not, Pau Gasol, that's for sure.

The Grizzlies crashed the playoff party the previous three seasons but failed to win a single game.

Last summer Gasol got injured in the semifinals of the FIBA World Championship in Saitama. Spain won the title, anyway, routing Greece.

By the time he returned to NBA active duty and got in game shape Memphis' season was in smithereens, costing Mike Fratello his job.

Last week Gasol reiterated his mid-season demand "to be traded to a winning team." That is, unless ownership is prepared to do whatever it takes to make the team into a winner.

No brain-teaser here!

Owner Michael Heisley's immediately should forbid Gasol and every other player under contract to participate in any off-season games.

By the way, this June's first-round pick wasn't traded by Stu Jackson, was it?

Who said the Hawks are like a laboratory where experimental work is being done on four or five prospective wonder drugs?

If the playoffs were to begin today, the Nuggets, victorious in eight straight prior to Memphis mopping 'em over the weekend, would draw the equally hot Spurs. Oh, my, I'm being engulfed by having Denver Rockets-Dallas Chaparrals flashbacks already.

Where would the Clippers be today had Corey Maggette not been one of Donald Sterling's favorite players and they had caved to his half-year-long trade demands?

Think the Pacers wished they had acquired him for Ron Artest instead of Peja Stojakovic and tuned out their doctors' claim he would need ankle surgery.

Think now Jeff Van Gundy might believe some of the stories people were spreading about Bonzi Wells before he arrived in Houston?

You would think Van Gundy would've known better, having already coached Bonzi, only his name was Steve Francis.

How bad was the Kings season?

Failing to re-sign Bonzi actually cost them as much as it did ($38.5 million) him.

How does Rick Carlisle expect to relate to his players when he uses a phrase like "the geometry of the game"?

Not to be confused with the trigonometry of the game.

Yes, that'll get the group's deficient disorderly to come to attention.

Next thing you know he'll pull a Phil Jackson and break out the Isosceles Triangle Offense.

It won't be long now before the Nets' Rod Thorn and Ed Stefanski can get down to the business of trading veteran point guard Jason Kidd (given Vince Carter commits to a new deal) and Richard Jefferson.

It's overtime to move Kidd and package Jefferson, if at all possible, for either a defensive or offensive paint presence. Despite what Jermaine O'Neal thinks, nobody qualifies any more as both.