It didn't help that I've had strange luck with rental cars lately. When I needed to run errands one day earlier this month, I asked for a compact car and ended up with a bright red Ford Mustang. Great.

If an automobile, Chris Webber would be a sporty, sleek model.

Here I've got a Mustang, and all I'm doing is driving in the rain to the post office, supermarket and the Bronx. Of course, when I have to log major miles a few days later, I score a Nissan Altima. Not a horrible car, but no Mustang when it comes to hitting the open road.

All this driving got me to thinking about cars in general, and how some NBA players match up with certain autos, classic and otherwise:

Porsche 911: Chris Webber
When he runs, he blows almost everyone away. Again, when he runs. After missing the first 20 games of season, Webber started his year by averaging 22 points, nine boards and 33 minutes a game last week. C-Webb has blocked only four shots in four games, but you have to like his 40 percent shooting from the field and 87 percent from the line. Webber should run even more smoothly when the rest of the rust comes off. Well, until he has to go back to the shop again.

Jeep Wrangler: Karl Malone
Not only does the Mailman deliver, he takes whatever you dish out. A few readers have worried about Malone and the trade talk, but all Karl has done is up his scoring, assists and shooting in December. On the year, Malone is posting 24 points, eight rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block a game. Don't overlook his typically solid percentages either. Whether he's auditioning for other teams or not, you can count on Karl.

Volkswagen Jetta: Wally Szczerbiak
I know I wrote about Wally not long ago, but one of the weird joys I allow myself these days is checking the box scores not to see who scored how much, but how many shots Szczerbiak took and made each game. This makes me sound 30 years older than I am, but it's great to see someone who can actually shoot the ball. Going 53 percent in the two and three spot is amazing, I think. Wally was 13-for-16 vs. the Kings, then 10-for-15 against the Mavs, two of the best in the West. His December averages - 20 points, six boards and three assists a game - aren't bad either. I love the Jetta's style and performance, but you can't beat its efficiency.

Volkswagen Beetle: Jim Jackson

Jim Jackson Shooting Guard Miami Heat   2002 SEASON STATISTICS GM FG% FT% 3PM REB AST STL BLK PTS 7 .500 .800 1.1 5.4 2.7 0.7 0.1 16.00

Just when you thought it was gone forever, the Beetle came back and made major, overpriced waves. So has Jackson, who has failed to reach double digits in just one of his seven games with the Heat this season. Jackson has averaged 16 points, more than five boards and a three a game, which aren't the kind of numbers he posted with the Mavericks all those years ago, but they're not bad at all for a mid-season addition. Even better: His 50 percent shooting indicates there isn't much rust on the chassis.

Pontiac Firebird: Latrell Sprewell
Already having a fine season, Spree stepped on the gas last week, scoring a season-high 49 points, including six threes, against the Celtics. Even with only 13 points and no treys against the Wizards, Sprewell has averaged more than 26 points, four boards, three assists, two threes and a steal a game this month. Latrell also stays revved up, logging almost 43 minutes a game. Just as Allan Houston is overrated, Sprewell gets overlooked sometimes, even in New York.

Honda Accord: Al Harrington
A shiny new Honda is OK, but you don't really see the value for a few years. Al Harrington took a little time, but he may be breaking out this year, just as I expected. Harrington has scored in double digits in his last 10 games and posted double-doubles in two of his last three. On the month, he's scored 17 points and grabbed almost eight rebounds a game while shooting better than 52 percent. With his minutes up to 34 a game now, he proving to be a dependable ride.

Ford Taurus: Lee Nailon

For fantasy purposes, Lee Nailon should be considered a rental.

Ah yes, the Taurus. Your quintessential rental car. Nailon's a temporary fix, too. He's done well with Mashburn out and should continue to do so over the next month and maybe even the season, depending on how mangled Mash is. I'm kind of surprised that Nailon isn't owned in more league, since he has missed double digits in just one of his last 14 games and is averaging 16 points, more than five rebounds and a steal a game while shooting almost 48 percent this month. But if Nailon is providing comfort in the short-term, there's nothing very sexy about his numbers that suggest a long-term investment. The engine is decent, and you've got the necessary accessories, but he's no Mashburn.

El Camino: Oscar Torres
I never knew what to make of this car. Well, was it a car? A truck? You couldn't really figure it out, and I can't figure out where the heck Oscar Torres came from to become one of the Rockets' leading scorers while Steve Francis is hurt. With Moochie Norris not making the most of his chance, Torres has averaged 20 points, five assists and two threes in his last four games. Oscar also has gotten more than 40 mpg in last three. The El Camino might be fun to ramble around in for a while, but you have to wonder if it'll lose its luster, especially when the flashier model -- Francis -- returns to the showroom floor. Going 11-for-30 in his last two games also doesn't speak well for Torres' long-term chances.

Ford LTD: Dion Glover
One of my childhood memories is not one but two of these behemoths taking up space in my grandparents' driveway.

Toni Kukoc Small Forward Atlanta Hawks   2002 SEASON STATISTICS GM FG% FT% 3PM REB AST STL BLK PTS 21 .433 .735 0.8 3.8 4.0 0.9 0.3 11.43

That's pretty much what Dion Glover is doing for the Hawks right now. Glover showed promise a month ago, but after hanging 25 points on the Raptors, he's taken a backseat to Toni Kukoc. In his last five games, Glover has scored fewer than four points a game, including zero in his last two (which did my H2H team wonders, let me tell you). His 13 ppg and four rpg -- plus a steal, a three and solid shooting -- last month were nice, but without the minutes, he's nothing but an eyesore.

Le Car: Tony Parker
There's been a veritable lovefest with this cute French import, courtesy of USA Today, Sports Illustrated and others. But like so many things from France, the flash hasn't been followed by much substance. I was a big Parker fan myself, but now I'm tiring of his lack of assists and 40 percent shooting. Even worse, he's not scoring much now. Parker posted double digits in just three of his last eight and is averaging nine ppg this month. With steals and threes dropping as well, there's a real question of what the Pride of Paris brings to the table.

Meanwhile, I'm still finding fun names among my fellow fantasy owners. The best among the brethren this week include what I assume is Chris Goudey's ode to (injured and possibly former) Nets center Jaime Feick, "The Mutha Feickers." Then there's Riley Scannell's simple request, "Keep the Change."

But my favorite has to be this sorry play on words by Tom Evans. Sure, it's corny and maybe even old hat, but if I even met a guy actually named "Tyrone Shoelaces," I'd have to try hard not to laugh.

But no, I pledged to keep you updated on my 12-team fantasy league, which really does matter the most to me. Sadly, the Defenseless Babies are stuck in ninth place, a whopping 31 points off the lead.

Jefferson George is having trouble giving Tim Duncan away.

In addition, I have the second-highest number of games played already, so my team truly is mediocre. But that pace probably will drop now that my entire bench - Michael Dickerson, Lorenzen Wright and Scottie Pippen -- is injured. I'd gladly dump those guys if there was any sure thing on the waiver wire. Somehow I don't think Pat Garrity is a miracle cure.

Since I was out of pocket last week, trade talk was limited. Louie offered Antoine Walker for Tim Duncan, which I wouldn't have done even if he hadn't withdrawn the deal before I saw it. But I clearly have to trade Timmy. I can spare rebounds and points and already am second-to-last in blocks, meaning I can dump that if necessary. Hey, it worked last year. Of course, the view was a little different then, too.