Counting down the 10 biggest NBA bird-brains of '07

Turkey time: The Tim Donaghy gambling scandal rocked the NBA this summer. Joe Murphy/Getty Images

MAILBAG Marty Burns will periodically answer questions from SI.com users in his mailbag. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

Now that we've awakened from our post-Thanksgiving tryptophan-induced coma (more powerful than a Knicks-T'wolves game on the satellite dish), it's time to dig into the mailbag and see what NBA fans are talking about.

But before getting to your questions, let's ring out the holiday weekend by playing an old Thanksgiving game. Yes, it's time to raise a glass and toast the NBA's biggest turkeys of this past year.

Here are my top 10, in reverse order of their turkey-ness...

10. The Dallas Mavericks -- It might seem a bit harsh, since they won 67 games during the regular season. But losing in the first round against the Warriors in the biggest upset in NBA playoff history -- and to their former coach Don Nelson -- has to put them on this list.

9. Dirk Nowitzki -- Like his team, he deserves credit for an amazing regular season. But his personal playoff crash-and-burn against the Warriors was just too spectacular, especially coming right after winning the MVP over Steve Nash.

8. Kobe Bryant -- His frustration is understandable. His desire to win is admirable. But trashing management and teammates to force your way out is a slap in the face to Lakers fans and only makes a trade that much harder.

7. Vladimir Radmanovic -- After he separated his shoulder while visiting Park City, Utah, over the All-Star break, the Lakers forward said the injury occurred when he slipped on some ice. Nobody believed him, including Phil Jackson, and Radmanovic eventually admitted he had been snowboarding. He wound up missing several weeks and was fined substantially.

6. Sonics ownership -- Frustrated by the city of Seattle's refusal to upgrade Key Arena, new owner Clay Bennett has filed to move the club to Oklahoma City. The NBA is now in danger of losing one of its great franchises, not to mention thousands of heartbroken Sonics fans.

5. Aubrey McClendon -- This energy tycoon, a part owner of the Sonics, deserves a special place all his own after telling an Oklahoma newspaper his group was hoping the team would eventually wind up in OKC. Gee, that's not what Bennett was telling the folks in Seattle.

4. Bonzi Wells -- The malcontent guard clashed with coach Jeff Van Gundy all season, then decided to quit on his team right before the playoffs. He had a similar blowup earlier in his career in Memphis, prompting the team to tell him to stay home during a playoff game.

3. Stephon Marbury -- His effort to market a $15 sneaker was admirable, but the hard-headed Knicks guard just couldn't get out of his own way. From his feud with coach Isiah Thomas to his tryst in the truck with the intern, it was a year to forget for 'Starbury.'

2. Isiah Thomas -- He followed up a 33-49 season and another trip to the draft lottery by being found guilty of sexual harassment, costing his boss $11.6 million in fines. Now his future in Gotham is uncertain as the Knicks appear headed for another free fall.

1. Tim Donaghy -- A no-brainer as the year's biggest turkey. He not only threw away a reported $260,000-a-year job and a promising career as an NBA referee, but he could have brought down an entire pro sports league. It's amazing the fallout hasn't been worse.

Did I miss anybody? How about your favorite turkeys (not including sportswriters)? Send them in and maybe I'll run them in a future mailbag.

In the meantime, let's get on to some questions...

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