3 for Week 3

Having watched Atlanta beat Portland twice and Boston once, I am sold they are now a force to contend with in the East. Al Horford and the newly focused Josh Smith are dominating opposing front lines. Zaza is even pitchin' in. Crawford and Joe Smith are perfect fits. Its Joe Johnson time.

Total changing of a guard at hand: Duncan is old. So is KG, Ray and Paul. Shaq's been old for awhile now. Iverson is toast. Age may just be catching up with the Kobster. The sun is setting on one of the NBA's most talented and controversial generations.

Greg Oden appears to have taken a huge leap forward. He had almost zero court sense last season. As a fan, I was shell shocked. And sorta pissed. But I have been very impressed with his growth. He is still rough offensively, but when he is on the court, good things happen for Portland.