Three random observations ...

... about the NBA:

1. Don't look now, but the Heat has moved into a tie for fifth place in the East with the Pistons, and only a game and a half behind the fourth-place Hawks, whom Miami drubbed last night. Trade rumors persist, especially around Shawn Marion, but they've quietly won six of eight games. Marion has sat out three of the last four, which may or may not be coincidence. Usually, teams don't like to mess with their roster while the going is good, but this could be an exception. The Heat just pounded a team they're trying to catch without Marion in the lineup, so look for them to try to make his absence permanent.

2. So Rafer Alston decided to call out his teammates last night about not sharing the ball in a loss to the Knicks. Can anyone tell me why a point guard who went 1-for-7 from behind the arc feels a need to talk about his teammates not passing the ball? Rafer could pick his spots a lot better, both on the court and off. And while we're in the complaint department, could the Knicks please acknowledge that David Lee, and not Jared Jeffries, is the center on that team? I know neither of them is really a center, but Lee guards centers and centers guard him. So why try to fool innocent readers of box scores?

3. Weren't the Clippers supposed to have a glut of big men or something after the Zach Randolph trade? Thanks to injuries suffered by Randolph, Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman, the Clips are using DeAndre Jordan, Brian Skinner and spot work by Cheikh Samb (!) at center. And yes, they still charge for tickets.