With just about 24 hours to go until the 2008 NBA Draft, we can safely assume that the Chicago Bulls will make Derrick Rose the top overall selection. However, unlike last year with Kevin Durant, the #2 pick is becoming more and more of a toss-up. Michael Beasley, thought to be a lock to the Miami Heat for weeks, could see his stock slip tomorrow night. But why?

When it comes to the top overall selection, I’ve made my opinion very clear: Derrick Rose is the man that can take the Bulls back to glory. The playoff success of young point guards like Chris Paul, Deron Williams and even Rajon Rondo show the importance of a great floor general. Reports say the Miami Heat, concerned about Beasley’s character, are looking for a point guard to play alongside Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion.

How in the world can the Heat and Pat Riley be concerned about Beasley’s character, but ignorant of the same concerns that have plagued USC’s O.J. Mayo and Arizona’s Jerryd Bayless? Also, while both should be dynamite scorers in the league, both are relatively untested at the point guard position. If you’re not going to take the incredible scoring ability of Beasley, can you really entrust your franchise in a guy that didn’t even run the point in college?

Perhaps these rumors are all last minute bluffs by NBA teams the night before the draft. But rumors of trade-ups by New York and Milwaukee (for Mayo and West Virginia’s Joe Alexander, respectively) mean Beasley could be sitting in the green room much longer than first thought.

It’s just not the same seeing the NBA Playoffs without the presence of The Diesel, Shaquille O’Neal. We have all been accustomed to viewing Shaq dominate players and then entertain reporters in the postgame press conference. O’Neal was on TNT’s postgame show, “Inside the NBA”, on Monday night dropping one-liners and breaking Charles Barkley’s eggs. Shaq’s commentary and funny outbursts got me thinking about one of his best press conference one-liners. Today, I bring you that clip. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

After Dwyane Wade came back from his dislocated shoulder I think everyone was worried about how that would hold up. Well it turns out Wade has another body part that may be even less durable than his shoulder, and that’s his knee.

It’s true that Wade hasn’t been able to play at 100% because of his shoulder injury, he has laid off dunking and seems to be playing with only one arm, but he is managing. Now that he has an injured knee and an injured shoulder it could be tough for him to produce as well as he needs to in the playoffs. His solution? Acupuncture. I think when you’re resorting to acupuncture as an NBA player to solve your injuries you may need to hang it up for a bit. I think that everyone is thinking that Wade coming back as soon as he did may have been a mistake.

I’m just hoping that we don’t see Wade collapse like Griffey did after his move to Cincinnati. I don’t think that he will, but if that knee keeps flaring up on him, it could really hinder his ability to play. If he gets hit wrong and re-injures his shoulder, he could be facing a lot of problems and that isn’t something you want to see from one of the NBA’s brightest stars.

Mixing an athlete, South Beach, and alcohol usually makes for a dicey situation. Mixing James Posey, South Beach, and alcohol makes for a hilarious situation. Posey was arrested early yesterday morning and charged with drunk driving. Posey had stopped his car in the middle of a road in Miami Beach to talk to pedestrians and other vehicles. Bad idea.

“Please know that I was neither intoxicated nor was I driving at the time,” Posey said. “However, out of respect to the police, and to the legal process which must follow, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further at this moment.”

I don’t know what world James Posey lives in but if the police report says you have “bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath,” that means you’re probably hammered. If you’re going to have a drunken conversation with some pedestrians, you probably shouldn’t be behind the wheel. Even if you’re trying to score some late-night action with Miami’s finest, get out of the car.

For most forms of media, a DUI is an unfortunate situation that should be taken seriously. Here at Sportable, it’s a can of corn for an article idea. Nothing is easier than writing about idiotic athletes. James Posey happens to be one of them. Posey may become the first player to ever get a DUI on Monday and play in a game on Tuesday. Posey made the trip to Charlotte for tonight’s game against the Bobcats.

Dwyane Wade has been rehabbing his shoulder for the past month and a half and he’s ready to come back. This could spell disaster for the rest of the Eastern Conference if Wade can get himself fully recovered for the playoffs. Of course, this could also spell disaster for Wade if he re-injures his shoulder. He should just be thankful he doesn’t have to face John Cheney.

Wade is expected to return to the lineup at some point soon, and he hopes to be back before the playoffs to get his stride back. Pat Riley, Heat head coach, and bad person, expects him to come off the bench as the sixth man for a time. I would say that isn’t a bad sixth man to have. Considering what the Heat have managed to do without Wade in their lineup, his addition should ensure a deep run into the playoffs.

The knee injury Gilbert Arenas suffered seemed to weaken the star power of the Eastern Conference playoffs, but now that Flash is back, we should be good to go. Of course, I have to think that the Heat have climbed back up the list of everyone and have become the current favorites to win the eastern conference. If Dwyane Wade can rehab as fast as he did, and give some solid contribution, then I think he can really solidify himself as one of the best. To come back from an injury that serious, that should have required surgery, is incredibly impressive. If he can produce after that, watch out, there may be a new jersey to buy.

Remember a few weeks ago when everyone thought, or better yet knew, the Miami Heat were done after losing Dwyane Wade? Well Shaquille O’Neal thinks otherwise. In fact, the entire Miami Heat team thinks otherwise.

Since losing Wade, this team has gone on a ridiculous 10-2 run, capped off with a win over Sacramento last night which leaves them tied for first place in their division. It has been an incredible turnaround for this team after nearly everyone counted them out. This isn’t meant to diminish the contributions or talent of Wade, he is one of the best players in the league, but without him, somehow the Heat are playing better.

Shaq is consistently scoring 20 points, and beyond that he’s getting help from everyone else, especially Eddie Jones and Jason Williams, who are doing a decent job filling in for Wade. The comeback of the Heat revolves completely around the catalyst in Shaq. He has absolutely taken over. He isn’t ready for people to be calling him washed up and over the hill. He has taken this team from decent to good, and a real threat in the East.

If I were any team in the Eastern Conference I would be very afraid. This Heat team is coming back and when they get Dwyane Wade back they’re going to be very tough to stop. They are finally playing like a team and that means only good things. If they can get Wade to go along with this new attitude then there is no reason they shouldn’t be representing the Eastern Conference come NBA Finals time.