Diop no longer a flop

I have met the NBA MVP, and he is one of us. Or he was one of us. Remember that guy over there wearing No. 7 for the Dallas Mavericks? That's DeSagana Diop, the Cavs first pick in the 2001 draft, chosen eighth overall. You might not remember too much about him, considering that he started five games in four years with the Cavs and just barely cracked the 300-point mark in his time here.

But halfway through this season, the Dallas Mavericks decided Diop was the missing piece in their quest for an NBA title. So about a month ago they put him into the starting lineup. The result -- a 13-game winning streak that ended last night in Denver.

So let's get this straight. Diop starts four games in five years in Cleveland and looks like a bigger bust than Buzz Bunny. In Dallas, Diop starts 14 games in a month's time and his team goes 13-1 and takes over the best record in the Western Conference. This can mean only one thing: That God vacations in Dallas and likes to watch good basketball while he's there. Oh, and he doesn't mind sticking it to Cleveland while doing so.