"Oden couldn't get through ONE GAME!" column contributor Rasheid McCorvey sorrowfully notes. "He's making Bill Walton and Sam Bowie look indestructible."

Days before Oden hurt his right foot, shelving him for at least two weeks, the Frail Blazers (Martell Webster sustained a preseason stress fracture, while Brandon Roy and Channing Frye experienced injury issues during the offseason) had begun hunting for elite leadership. A perceived (from my observation deck) lack of confidence in Steve Blake, Sergio Rodriguez and Jerryd Bayless impaired visions of playoff sugarplums, thus the upgrade buzz, specifically surrounding Kidd.

However, it's factually flawed as well as logically unsound. According to a Mavericks source, the Blazers have not inquired about Kidd's availability; the Knicks certainly did, though, offering Star Burst. At the same time, had GM Kevin Pritchard made an overture, it would've been summarily rebuffed for two overriding reasons.

First, Mavs owner Mark Cuban is all about competing for titles, not just for playoff entry; surrendering Kidd (five months removed from his 36th birthday) for say, the expiring contract of Raef LaFrentz ($12.722M), Blake ($4.25M), a talented project and a first rounder presumably terminates that objective.

Second, Rick Carlisle has adopted a radically dissimilar offensive system than the one the confirmed conservative coach employed with the Pistons and Pacers. No longer is he calling the majority of the plays. No, really. His Mavs have become a heated rush, looking to surge at every opportunity, the West's most hyperactive band on the run, if you can believe it.

Guess who the trigger man is in that scheme for almost everything? Carlisle's fresh approach is based on Kidd playing 35 minutes per game and pretty much being the show on the break and in the half court. Kidd had 12 assists in an opening loss to Houston.

In the final and fatal analysis, how can the Mavs possibly expect to be as good as they think they can be minus Kidd's direction?

Contrary to a report, the Bulls have expressed zero interest to the Knicks in acquiring Zach Randolph to fill their low-post cavity. At least one insider believes Pistons boss Joe Dumars will come after Randolph at the trade deadline (the way he did for Rasheed Wallace) should it become evident his team can't win a championship without some added punch. I'm informed that won't happen.

Recent trade talk involving Al Harrington broke off when the Nets wouldn't give the Warriors the package they demanded. While there's no way Harrington's latest demand to be distanced from Don Nelson prompts out-going GM Chris Mullin to lower his price appreciably, I've got to believe the subject matter was revived when Golden State visited New Jersey last night.

Could it be the Pacers and Nuggets finally are about to work out the financial terms of the Jamaal Tinsley-Steven Hunter/Chucky Atkins swap? That's the word radiating from Atlanta, where Tinsley has trained for the last three months to get into excellent shape. Pat Riley should have his trade license revoked if he doesn't try to make an interception. I like rookie Mario Chalmers, but he has no clue how to set up Shawn Marion where he can most effective. Dwyane Wade is guaranteed to crumble from exhaustion or injury if he doesn't get some veteran backcourt assistance.