*LEAGUE WEBSITE: http://community.2ksports.com/community/league/index.cfm?l=166304

*POWER RANKINGS (Round 2)

01 (05) PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS (7-3) (aldridge/roy combo been tough to beat)
02 (02) LOS ANGELES LAKERS (7-3) (blazers biting at heels, ariza injury hurt in rnd 2)
03 (01) CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (4-1) (mo williams is severely missed)
04 (06) DENVER NUGGETS (7-3) (speed bump vs. magic, melo still powerful in the post)
05 (11) PHOENIX SUNS (7-3) (6 game winning streak before the trade)
06 (04) ORLANDO MAGIC (6-4) (0-3 vs. lakers, cavs & celtics)
07 (10) DETROIT PISTONS (6-4) (regained ol' piston energy, 4-1 in round 2)
08 (03) PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (5-5) (2nd round woes, bad losses to jazz, knicks. New roster for R3)
09 (09) BOSTON CELTICS (6-4) (beat rival cavs, got a nose job. boobs next?)
10 (07) NEW ORLEANS HORNETS (4-6) (only win came against wizards. where's paul?)
11 (12) UTAH JAZZ (4-6) (went 2-3 in round 2, nelson off bench could help)
12 (08) ATLANTA HAWKS (3-2) (blazer melt down resulted in 3 game losing streak)
13 (14) CHICAGO BULLS (3-7) (another poor round, but Rose is learning)
14 (16) TORONTO RAPTORS (3-7) (worried about pwr rankings, won 2 but lost 3)
15 (13) NEW YORK KNICKS (3-7) (you can't handle the truth! Pierce 13.8 PPG under sp1200)
16 (15) WASHINGTON WIZARDS (1-9) ("we're having a fire...sale!" © tobias funke)

*FEATURED GAME OF ROUND 3:

LOS ANGELES LAKERS (mercy4u) (7-3) @ PHOENIX SUNS (pisforprops) (7-3)
Battle of the Pacific Division! The Phoenix Suns, currently holding the #1 seed in the west, start Round 3 with some new faces that will hopefully keep them on top. The Los Angeles Lakers took some dips in the first two rounds with losses to Chicago and Detroit, but took care of business against the rest of the league. Outside of taking a loss to the Portland Trailblazers, this could be their next big test against a top team. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum vs. Shaquille O'Neal and Amare Stoudemire. Will the additions of Stephon Marbury and Glen "Big Baby" Davis help the Suns on the defensive end? Kobe Bryant (21.1 PPG) is still one of the top scoring threats in the league while Steve Nash, who hasn't let his wrist injury keep him from being productive, has kept the Suns high octane offense flowing to 1st place position. Who will come out on top?

*OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:
orlando magic @ portland trailblazers - It's a Points-In-Da-Paint Bonanza!
denver nuggets @ cleveland cavaliers Melo & Bron sure, but who else is gonna step up?
boston celtics @ detroit pistons - lach vs. loquent. Always comedy.

* NOTE FROM THE COMMISH
Trade Deadline! This is it fellas. Get your proposals in. Make your deals and pitches. No more trades will be approved by the league office once Round 4 begins. If you have plans to mold your team some more, now is the time to do it.

That being said...just a word of advice to all y'all Jerry West GM's out there proposing trades. Before you think the grass is greener on the other side, you might want to try actually playing with these guys before you accept a trade and alter the roster of your team. The playbook mode or a quick exhibition game can tell you a lot. Just a thought.

Also I want to give everyone in this league mad props. We've played 80 games in just over two weeks! When you really sit back and think about it, given that we're playing these games against each other from across the country (and world), it's really an amazing feat. And what makes it even better is that the games have been good! Real good! Whoever comes out on top will have earned it. In a 20 games season, we would be half way done by now, and some of the playoffs seeds would be forming. Now, with 20 more games to go, it's just too early. Once teams start to get in to a groove with their new teams (and in some cases rosters), the entire league could change. Round 3 is going to be something serious. Teams up top, don't get too comfortable. Teams on the bottom, don't give up.