FIVE QUICK NBA THOUGHTS: 1. Troy Brouwer Jersey . TORONTO RAPTORS AND THE PLAYOFFS: After watching the Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat game Tuesday night and once again witnessing the Nets beat the Heat, Im convinced that the best course of action for the Raptors will be for them to make sure they do everything in their power to secure the third seed in the Eastern Conference and the Atlantic Division title. I want no part of the other current bracket (Heat/Nets/Chicago Bulls). Ill take my chances with the Washington Wizards or Charlotte Bobcats in the first round, though, either of those match-ups isnt a walk in the park, either. If you can win a series, and that wont be easy, and the current standings hold form, I feel confident that the Raptors could play a very competitive series against the Indiana Pacers. Im not saying they would win that series - the defence has to really improve down the stretch here and get back to early-mid-January form - but it would be quite compelling. There are five games left. Win all of your games and you write your own ticket. Stumble and the help will have to come from others and thats never a position you want to be in. 2. JOE DUMARS (Pistons): Rumours are swirling that hes going to step down as the teams president and GM and Im not a bit surprised. Too many coaching firings and going all-in on guys like Ben Gordon, Charlie Villaneuva, Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings sealed his fate in Motown. He had a terrific run in the early 2000s as the elite team in the Eastern Conference, but you see it often with coaches and GMs - you lose your fastball and get stale in your approach/creativity and you lose your way. Hes a good basketball man and some time away will reinvigorate him and Im sure hell be back at it again down the line. 3. MIKE DANTONI (Lakers): Watching some of his recent games, he looks like a beaten man and someone who knows that his fate is sealed in LA. DAntoni is an outstanding offensive coach who has had to deal with numerous injuries and drama there. At the end of the day, its a results-oriented business and when you evaluate his run in Denver, New York and LA, it doesnt look good. On the other hand, his teams in Phoenix - thanks in large part to Bryan Colangelos personnel moves - were awesome and entertaining to watch. Does he get another shot? Im not sure, but I do know that hes very capable if you give him a solid roster. If it ends there, I think hell be heard from again, at least as an assistant coach for a head coach looking for a guy who can upgrade his offence. Hed be a guy to talk to if hed consider being in that role. 4. INDIANA PACERS: Heard coach Frank Vogels interview where he said that being the top seed in the East was the "goal", but the "priority" is to be playing well down the stretch and be healthy/sharp heading into the playoffs. Well, what a change in approach. Theyve been obsessed with being the top seed since training camp. Now its about trying to rebuild your teams collective psyche, which wont be easy, but is doable. The talent is there to win the East, but the chemistry is off-kilter and Roy Hibbert needs a reality check. He is a defensive player who can block shots and rebound on both ends. Do what you do well, thats your strength, and play to it. Hes a quatenary or quinary offensive option in the grand scheme of things when hes on the floor. If they get him to buy into that, theyll be fine. Paul George and David West must have the ball in their hands a majority of the time, plain and simple. 5. STEVE NASH (Lakers): Congrats on becoming number-three on the NBAs all-time assists list last night. I watched the game versus the Houston Rockets and felt for him playing injured and in pain. Its ice to see him out there, though. What a career. Hell be a Hall of Famer. Itll be interesting to see if hes back next year for the Lakers for the final year of his contract, but its been a great run either way. Cheap NHL Jerseys . -- EJ Manuel followed the worst game of his career with the best. Sam Bennett Jersey . Luke Wileman and I stood in the corridor outside of the Vancouver Whitecaps dressing room at BC Place in Vancouver. http://www.flamesauthority.com/authentic-eddie-lack-flames-jersey/ . - Jayden Hart scored once and set up two more as the Prince Albert Raiders downed the host Red Deer Rebels 5-3 on Tuesday to clinch the final Western Hockey League playoff berth.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Winnipeg Jets will try to continue their success under new head coach Paul Maurice when they visit the struggling Washington Capitals for Thursdays meeting at Verizon Center. You catch all of the action live on TSN Jets at 6pm ct. The Jets boast a 9-2-0 record since Maurice took over behind the bench for the fired Claude Noel in mid-January. The club has won its last three games and Winnipeg can post its second four-game winning streak of the Maurice era with another victory tonight. The surge has helped move Winnipeg within two points of a playoff spot in the West. Washington, meanwhile, has damaged its playoff chances in recent weeks, although it does enter Thursdays tilt only three points out of a postseason spot in the East. The Capitals have lost three of their last four games and are just 3-7-3 over their past 13 outings. The Caps, who until this season were in the same division as the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise, have won five straight in this series against their former Southeast Division rivals. That run includes a 5-4 shootout win in Winnipeg on Oct. 22 when Alex Ovechkin recorded two goals and an assist for Washington. The Jets had a three-game winning streak in D.C. snapped when the Capitals posted a 5-3 home win on April 23 of last season. Ovechkin had one goal and an assist in that victory and the Russian sniper has amassed 81 points (40 goals, 41 assists) in 54 career games against the Thrashers/Jets. Winnipeg has won all three of its games during its current winning streak by one-goal margins and each of the victories came in regulation. The Jets picked up their second straight win by a 2-1 score Tuesday in Carolina, as Chris Thorburn scored the winner with 1:03 to play to down the Hurricanes. The winning goal came as JJacob Trouba skated behind the net and came around the left side in an attempt on a wraparound. Doug Gilmour Jersey. It missed the goaltender, but came to the right side and Thorburn slammed it in with 63 seconds left. Andrew Ladd had the other goal and Ondrej Pavelec stopped 28 shots for the win. "It wasnt our best game because I dont think we played to our strengths," said Maurice. "But the structure was deep and our defense was good so thats what pulled us through." The Jets have won the first two games of a four-game swing to improve their road record to 14-14-1. Winnipeg will close the trip this Saturday in St. Louis on the final day of NHL action before the league goes on hiatus for the Winter Olympics. The Capitals were shut out 1-0 in their last outing, as they dropped a home decision to the New York Islanders. Andrew MacDonald scored the only goal of the game early in the third period to account for the decisive goal. Michal Neuvirth made 27 saves for the Capitals, who went 0-for-6 on the power play in the loss. "Every point right now is big," said Washington forward Martin Erat. "It doesnt matter if you are playing the Islanders or if you are playing Boston. You have to play the same way all the time, and we have to get the points from every single game." Washington is 1-1-0 on a four-game homestand that will carry the club into the Olympic break. The residency ends with Saturdays tilt against the New Jersey Devils, who are currently tied with the Caps in the East standings. The Capitals. who are 15-10-4 as the host this season, will play Thursday without defenseman Mike Green (concussion) and forwards Mikhail Grabovski (sprained ankle) and Aaron Volpatti (upper body). Cheap Bosnia Herzegovina Soccer Jerseys Cheap Belgium Soccer Jerseys Cheap Austria Soccer Jerseys Cheap Australia Soccer Jerseys Cheap Danmark Soccer Jerseys Cheap Ecuador Soccer Jerseys Cheap Egypt Soccer Jerseys Cheap England Soccer Jerseys Cheap Finland Soccer Jerseys Cheap France Soccer Jerseys Cheap Germany Soccer Jerseys Cheap Ghana Soccer Jerseys Cheap Greece Soccer Jerseys Cheap Argentina Soccer Jerseys Cheap Netherlands Soccer Jerseys Cheap Honduras Soccer Jerseys Cheap Hungary Soccer Jerseys Cheap Iceland Soccer Jerseys Cheap Indonesia Soccer Jerseys Cheap Iraq Soccer Jerseys ' ' '