Jon Rapoport

One of the pleasant surprises of the Milwaukee Brewers 16-25 season has been the continued stellar play of third baseman Casey McGehee. Going into Friday’s game vs. the Minnesota Twins, McGehee is batting .325, with nine homeruns and 37 RBI. In fact, during McGehee’s first 164 games in the big leagues, he is hitting .302, with 25 homeruns and 108 RBI. 

The Brewers claimed McGehee on waivers, from the Chicago Cubs, after the 2008 season. Because of McGehee’s brief major league service time, the Brewers are getting a tremendous bargain. This season, McGehee will earn $427,500.

While the Brewers are certainly happy with the development of McGehee, the folks on the North Side of Chicago maybe regretting that they gave him away for next to nothing.

New Orleans Saints’ running back Pierre Thomas was one of the most important contributors to his team’s Super Bowl championship season. Even though fellow RB Reggie Bush receives much of the attention, Thomas’s worth absolutely supersedes that of the former Heisman Trophy winner.

Last season, Thomas rushed for 793 yards, catching 39 balls, scoring a total of eight touchdowns. This is compared to Bush, who rushed for 390 yards, catching 47 balls, tying Thomas with eight TD’s. Bush is exciting, but Thomas is simply more valuable to the Saints’ efforts.

It is no secret that Boston Celtics’ guard Rajon Rondo has emerged into the best player on his team’s deep and talented roster.  Whether it is getting the ball inside to Kevin Garnett, creating space for Paul Pierce, spotting up Ray Allen or getting it done on his own, Rondo is most certainly the Celtics’ catalyst.

Rondo averaged 21 points,12 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals in Boston’s 4-2 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.  As the Celtics prepare to face the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals, all eyes will be focused on Rondo, as he attempts to bring his club back to the NBA Finals.

Since debuting with the Chicago Bulls in 1999, the life and career of Los Angeles Lakers’ forward Ron Artest can be described as the combination of impressive, sad and bizarre.  Artest’s wacky road has included All-Star and All-Defensive accolades, the most famous player/fan altercation in sports history and a claim that he used to consume Hennessy cognac during halftime of games.  

Via a myriad of on and off-the-court occurrences, Artest can easily be considered one of the most infamous men ever to set foot on the NBA hardwood.

Well, that was then and this is now.