THAT'S WHY THE COLUMN IS CALLED TUESDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Gregg Easterbrook uses his TMQ column (picked up by ESPN from Slate for a number one draft pick and a columnist to be named later) to complain that offensive play in the NBA has hit a new low in this year's playoffs. My advice to him is to get out an old tape of the Rockets-Knicks Finals - then watch a typical quarter of the Nets or Kings from this year. Yes, at times the Kings and Nets lapse into the standard NBA stand-around and hope that somebody saves us mode (which explains the periods where they simply could not score on the Lakers or Celtics), but for sustained stretches they provided some of the best team offense in years - whether it was Kidd leading a perfect break with Martin and Kittles on the wings, or Webber and Divac demonstrating how to pick apart a defense with pin-point passes from the post. OTP thinks Easterbrook should apply his constant refrain against environmental doomsayers to the NBA - pro basketball is improving, and the league (thanks to the rule changes) deserves much of the credit.