FIVE QUICK NBA THOUGHTS 1. CHAUNCEY BILLUPS (Pistons): Yes they got Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings in the off-season and Andre Drummond is a beast (teams are kicking themselves for passing on him - he rebounds and block shots every game - thats two more discernable and significant skills than most guys in his draft class), but dont for a second discount the impact of having a savvy veteran like Billups on your team. He can play both guard spots and plays within himself and can shoot the three-ball exceptionally well but most importantly he is a respected elder statesman who gets it and can still play. Hes a huge asset to coach Maurice Cheeks getting this young/talented team to buy in" and make the sacrifices necessary to be successful. A good under the radar pickup by GM Joe Dumars after a messy departure a few years back. 2. NIKOLA VUCEVIC (Magic): Check out these numbers (14.8 ppg, 11.3 rpg and shooting 56 per cent) and I think you can see this guy is no fluke. Loved watching him get extended minutes last season and its paying off. Hes relentless on the offensive boards and has that nose for the ball that good rebounders have. Hes getting the opportunity and is one of the bright spots for a young team that is flying high after knocking off the Brooklyn Nets. 3. LANDRY FIELDS (Raptors): None of us have any control over the bloated contract he received yet we do have control over our pure objectivity in assessing a guys game and overall contribution to a team with money left totally aside. I like what I see. Would he be a guy Id want as a teammate? Yes, definitely. Would he be a guy Id like to coach? It would be an honour. He gets it. Hes all about team and sacrifice. Smart and tough. Does he have limitations? Yes, but hes a solid rotation player who you can count on and trust to try to do the right things and be in the right places. He wont always be successful but you know the intent is precisely what the script calls for. As a former coach, you reach a point where you get tired of waiting for guys and youd rather deal with someone who is dependable. Fields fills that void for a number of minutes each game to allow for others to grow/prosper. I talk to lots of coaches, executives and scouts and in spite of a contract thats overpriced (no fault of Fields) to a man - hes a respected player who fits the bill as a role player with winning habits. Hes healthy and were seeing a guy regaining his confidence and earning the trust of his coaches and teammates as a guy who will be in that nine-man rotation. Guys like this are hard to keep off the floor. Its a team game. 4. MICHAEL CARTER-WILLIAMS (Sixers): Who saw this coming? The 76ers are 3-0 and the Suns are 2-1 (they played pretty well in their loss at Oklahoma City on Sunday night and lost Goran Dragic). Carter-Williams has been awesome in their upsets. Hes averaging an amazing 20 ppg and 7 assists and is shooting 47 per cent from long distance. He guards and sets the tone for Brett Browns team defensively with his excellent lateral quicks and his ball pressure. Honestly didnt think hed be this good this early with a team that has limitations to say the least. He strikes me as a guy that will be one of those players who will be a better pro than he was in college at Syracuse. The pace and rules of the NBA game favour his game and also look at him as a guy who is still figuring out how to run a team. Has lots of ability and hes really jumped out at me. 5. XAVIER HENRY (Lakers): Style of play is a major benefit to this guy playing for Mike DAntoni. He parks himself behind the three-point arc (14.3 ppg and 45 per cent on threes) and lets loose. Watched a few of the Lakers games already and this system fits his game perfectly. Run to a spot and fire away on the catch. Im curious to see how he performs as we go along here as teams lock in with their scouting/preparation and begin to chase him off the distance line and make him score in a secondary fashion. If he can handle all that hes playing in an ideal situation for himself. Devin Singletary Bills Jersey . Today, well look at five frontcourt players today, here from the Bay Area. 1. AMIR JOHNSON (Raptors): I cant figure out what the issue or problem is, but based upon what Im seeing, hes not right. Dawson Knox Jersey . The South Africa international, who rejoined the club last month on loan from Tottenham, opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a powerful shot into the roof of the net. http://www.authenticbillsfanaticfootball...d-bills-jersey/. Dallas (2-0-1) sits atop the Western Conference with an MLS-best seven points. Castillo opened the scoring in the 71st minute off a Mauro Diaz set piece, and Watson outran defender Tony Lochhead on a long ball and then juked goalkeeper Ian Kennedy for the eventual game-winner in the 78th minute. Tremaine Edmunds Womens Jersey .com) - Guard Greivis Vasquez and forward Patrick Patterson, two key pieces to the Toronto Raptors run to an Atlantic Division title in 2013-14, were both given qualifying offers by the team on Saturday. Zay Jones Youth Jersey .Y. - The Buffalo Sabres reassigned forward Sam Reinhart to the WHLs Kootenay Ice on Friday.BOSTON -- The Houston Astros had no shortage of reasons to celebrate. The Astros ended a franchise winless streak at Fenway Park with a pesky performance, rallying to tie Boston twice before finishing off the Red Sox in extra innings. Jake Marisnick hit a two-run double with two outs in the 10th on Friday night for a 5-3 victory, giving the Astros their first win in nine games at Fenway Park. With their 51st win of the season, the Astros matched last years total. "Its a huge credit to the players in that locker room and our staff," manager Bo Porter said. "They worked extremely hard and we still have six weeks left to go in the season." Gregorio Petit entered as a pinch runner in the eighth inning and scored twice, including the tying run in the eighth on a wild sequence that withstood two challenges by Boston. The Red Sox lost both -- and the game, ending their winning streak at four. The Astros tied it after falling behind 2-0, then 3-2 before taking their first lead in the 10th after loading the bases with none out against reliever Craig Breslow (2-4). Boston got two quick outs that kept Houston from scoring, but Marisnick delivered with a blooper that bounced just inside the right-field line and into the stands for a ground-rule double. "You cant defend a bloop double down the line," Boston manager John Farrell said. The ending was almost anticlimactic compared to the way Houston tied it in the eighth with hustle and a little bit of good fortune. Petit came all the way around from second base on a fielders choice after Dexter Fowler slid safely into second to beat shortstop Xander Bogaerts throw to Dustin Pedroia, who saw Petit had rounded third and fired a strike to Christian Vazquez at the plate. Petit sidestepped out of range for Vazquez to tag him and lunged toward home, getting a hand safely on the plate. "When I first looked I knew I was going to be out. The throw was there way before I was," Petit said. "Then at the end of the play, Im safe." Boston reliever Burke Badenhop dropped the short throw from Vazquez, so Petit was going to be saafe regardless.dddddddddddd Boston still challenged the call at home and the play at second to no avail. Both calls were upheld. The Astros tacked on two runs in the 10th, then Tony Sipp (3-2) shut down the Red Sox in order to end it. NO DECISION Houston starter Dallas Keuchels night was done long before the game was decided. He struck out eight while holding Boston to three runs on six hits and three walks over seven innings. Then he watched as his teammates completed the comeback. "Fifty-one wins right now and weve got six weeks left. I think were surprising a lot of people," Keuchel said. "Its a great win tonight. First win at Fenway, which is pretty cool." NO CYCLE Rob Grossmans solo homer in the seventh tied it 2-all. He drove the first pitch he saw from Clay Buchholz out to right and finished 3 for 5, just a triple shy of the cycle. CHANGE IS GOOD Marisnick went 2 for 5 and increased his batting average to .315 with the Astros since he was traded by Miami at the deadline. Marisnick, who was hitting .167 for the Marlins in 14 games, is 17 for 54 in 14 games with Houston. TRAINERS ROOM Astros: Porter said the Astros arent taking any chances with LHP Darin Downs, who is sitting out a little while because of discomfort in his right oblique. Although Porter described it as "minor," the Astros called up LHP Kevin Chapman from Triple-A as Downs rests. Red Sox: C David Ross (plantar tendon) took batting practice and is doing footwork with his shin guards on. He has been on the disabled list since Aug. 2. UP NEXT RHP Brad Peacock (3-8, 5.25 ERA) faces the Red Sox for the first time since a very short outing in Houston on July 13. Peacock was pulled with one out in the first after Brock Holt hit a leadoff homer, then Boston loaded the bases on a single, a walk and a hit batter. Boston RHP Rubby De La Rosa (4-4, 3.21) tries to win back-to-back starts for the second time this season. De La Rosa, who won consecutive starts in July but then lost his next two, held the Angels to one run on five hits and struck out eight over seven innings Sunday. ' ' '