A handful of e-mails will be flagged every week for group discussion. Be sure to include your first and last names and city of residence if you want your question to be answered. Seriously, friends. Announce yourself to the masses.

To the mail ...

	Would the NBA be better off breaking up teams like the Grizzlies?

Q: I would really encourage you to delve deeper into the contraction issue and the negative effects expansion has had on the NBA. As a true NBA fan -- I love the Lakers, but also keep a close eye on the rest of the league -- I am disheartened by the overall poor quality of today's product (the Lakers, Dallas, Sacramento and a few others notwithstanding) especially compared to the 1980s. People say it's poor coaching on youth levels and a lack of fundamentals, but while that may be partially true, I also know that the league has never seen players with the size and/or skills of Shaquille O'Neal, Tracy McGrady, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Chris Webber, Stevie Franchise, Tim Duncan, etc. If you look at the players on an individual basis, the NBA is in spectacular shape. As a whole, it's anything but. In my opinion, what's bringing the league down is the fact that you have roughly 72 players on NBA rosters who, 10 to 12 years ago, would be hoofing it in the CBA or over in Europe. Look at Memphis as a prime candidate to be disbanded. Instead of slogging along for a loser, such quality players as Pau Gasol, Drew Gooden, Shane Battier, Jason Williams, Lorenzen Wright, Stromile Swift, Gordon Giricek and maybe even Michael Dickerson could be redistributed back into the talent pool. Do that with three to five other teams and there's no question that the level of play would be better and scores would be back up into the 100s. You certainly can't blame the league as a business for wanting to expand. And I certainly have no delusions that David Stern would seriously consider contraction. But with prices so ridiculously high -- $50 for a decent seat at the new SBC Center where I live -- and attendance starting to wane, there's no doubt in my mind that expansion has had a largely negative effect on the NBA.
Dan McCarney
San Antonio

A: Consider this the (excellent) counterpoint to last week's submission from John Frangos in Chicago that expansion in the NBA simply parallels the U.S. population boom in the last 40 years. But I'm inclined to side more with John on this one. No question, teams were a lot deeper in the '80s than they are now, but there's no reason a 29-team league can't be a good league. My whole problem is coaching. The rules in this country prevent the best coaches in this country from working with the best teenagers. NBA personnel aren't allowed to get anywhere near a draft-ineligible teen. Instead of all the AAU nonsense, what we need is a summer camp for the top 100 prepsters every summer -- staffed by one assistant coach from every NBA team to negate any suggestion of a recruiting advantage down the road. Without trying to get too Hubie on you, our kids don't get enough exposure to proper coaching. Compare this to Europe where 12-year-olds with ability find themselves invited into the best programs. Who comes into the league from the U.S. high school or college ranks as a shooter any more?

Q: Ever since his soul-crushing 3-point dagger in Game 4 of the Lakers-Kings series, the critical acclaim has been rolling in for Robert "Towel Boy" Horry. This is utter baloney -- a smattering of great plays throughout one's career do not a great player make. Horry's deserved reputation as a clutch -- albeit usually wide-open -- shooter seems to have obscured the more salient fact that he is a classic underachiever. Here is a lithe, athletically gifted, 6-foot-10 power forward with tremendous defensive instincts. For his career, Horry has averaged a measly eight points and five rebounds per game while shooting a pedestrian 43 percent from the field. Those are Jon Koncak numbers. Horry's apologists will trot out the usual exculpations -- team player, "heart of a champion," understands his role -- but his glaring lack of productivity can't be ignored. Grace under pressure is no substitute for day-in, day-out performance. Horry's periodic flashes of brilliance merely illuminate the fact that he has never come close to living up to his vast potential.
Tony Alucido
Harrisburg, Pa.

A: You're certainly entitled to your opinion, Tony, and I can't wait to use "exculpations" in a story. Just try telling Shaq and Kobe that Horry's overrated, though. I think Rob will settle for the five rings before he worries about anyone calling him an underachiever. It's probably more accurate to say Horry was overrated based on his early success in Houston. He's clearly a complementary player who needs studs around him to open the game up. Look at the Lakers now. Even if Horry (hand) wasn't hurting, he doesn't have the game to make shots for himself and score as a free-lancer. At this stage of his career, he isn't oozing athleticism.

Q: When does Grant Hill's contract end? I remember he signed a shorter deal than T-Mac's seven-year deal. Did he get three years? If so, it should finish this offseason, right? If it does, maybe they could grab Michael Olowokandi this offseason.
Kevin Alshandir
Washington, D.C.

A: Sorry, Kevin. Grant signed a seven-year deal worth $90-plus million just like T-Mac. He has an opt-out clause in the summer of 2005 but, with his injury history, expect Grant to see out the life of the deal. Orlando just won't have the cap space next summer to be a major free-agent player.

	The Knicks could've used a young big like Nene Hilario right now.

Q: How much better off do you think the Knicks would be if they never traded for Antonio McDyess and picked up Nene Hilario with their No. 7? Nene looks to be the second-best player in this year's draft behind Jay Williams.
Jimy Gregorie
New York

A: It's easy to second-guess now, but I feel more entitled having written on draft night that the Knicks were bound to regret the McDyess-Hilario swap. Not because I knew Dice would get hurt again -- no one did -- but because I liked Hilario, too. He's a rare rookie who showed up in the NBA with a man's body. The issue, as we've covered before, is youth. The Knicks don't have any except for Lee Nailon (27) and the dust-collecting Frank Williams. Scott Layden thought, in the East, that simply adding McDyess would vault the Knicks back to the top of the conference. Maybe a healthy Dice could have. But now we'll never know and, unless Dice makes a full recovery next season, the Knicks will definitely regret passing on Hilario or Amare Stoudamire. It was time to start over long ago. One high draft pick in June doesn't do much immediate good if he's simply added to the same punchless, overpriced roster New York has now.

Q: Is it just me, or am I the only person in this world who can't wait to see the Michael Jordan vs. Scottie Pippen showdown in Washington on Dec. 10? They are both bench players now but they are going to be matched up against each other a lot, right? The greatest tandem in history are going to square off and no one has even mentioned this game?
Christopher Fedail
Diamond Bar, Calif.

A: I think it's just you, Chris. Either that or it's a little early to get hyped about this one, since Scottie is only just starting to shoulder a normal minutes load. Pip is starting now for the disintegrating Blazers, but he totaled just 23 minutes in the first three games of the season because of back and neck issues. If they're both healthy, you'll hear lots more about it in a few weeks.

Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To e-mail him, click here.