Michael Redd's recent emergence may earn future attention.

I'm posting this week's Music from the land of my own nativity in America's heartland, where I've brought the girlfriend back to meet the parents ... and aunts ... and uncles ... and cousins ... and pets. It's a big posse -- about 40 strong, with more than a few wise men ... er, wise guys -- and suffice it to say there's a little stress in squiring the little lady from house to house.

For a little escape, I decided to check out some "families" in the NBA. Some well-known surnames -- the Andersons, the Wallaces and the Thomases -- can't field five players, but I was surprised to see how many could put a full crew on the floor.

I'll get back to the usual features and hot-and-not player evaluations next week. A few things come to mind right now -- Jermaine O'Neal is on fire, Jalen Rose isn't, and where did Michael Redd come from? -- but until then, it's a family affair.

The Davises

Antonio Davis Center Toronto Raptors   2002 SEASON STATISTICS GM FG% FT% 3PM REB AST STL BLK PTS 23 .374 .782 0.0 9.7 1.3 0.5 1.4 10.91

Another pretty good crew, with Baron running the show while doing everything: 20 points, eight assists, four rebounds, two threes and two steals a game. Antonio and Dale played together in Indiana but still get the job done on their own -- the former in Toronto, the latter in Portland. Hubert and Ricky have had moments with the Wizards and Cavs, respectively, while Emanual had a chance to win the point guard job in Atlanta but so far hasn't had much success.

The Joneses
This group also covers every position, just not very well. Eddie isn't the thief or scorer he once was, but still brings a balanced show to the table despite his poor shooting. Jumaine is a rising board man who can light it up and drop a three on occasion, while Popeye is what he is: a rebounder good for seven or eight boards a game and little else. Rounding out the family is little-used Damon, who doesn't do much for Detroit and shoots badly doing it, and Alvin, a rookie Sixers center from Georgia Tech who hasn't played all season.

The Smiths
Steve and Joe are well known, with the former still a steady shooter for the Spurs; two threes a game and nice percentages -- 49 from the field and 85 from the line -- make up for his unaggressive scoring of only 13 ppg. Joe shoots even better from the floor -- 55 percent -- while grabbing seven rebounds a game. Among the rest, Charles has shown flashes off the bench for the Spurs and was recently added to the FBA player pool, but Michael and Jabari don't contribute much to the fantasy picnic as NBA free agents.

The Browns
Yow. For having seven members, this family has fizzled. Only P.J. is worthwhile now, and he's barely a double-double threat. Kwame has a ways to go with the Wizards, while Tierre has posted nothing numbers for the Rockets. Still, that's better than what Kedrick has done in his first NBA season or what Damone has done with the Sixers. Meanwhile, journeyman Randy and unknown Ernest have yet to see action this year.

The Johnsons

What little FBA value Avery Johnson had is gone as a backup.

I would say these guys could bring someone off the bench, but some haven't set foot on the hardwood at all this season. It's also not saying much when the freshest face might be your best player. A far cry from the days of Magic, Dennis and Larry, that's for sure. Joe started out hot with the Celtics but has settled into marginal play, while Avery has declined from decent-point-guard status to on-the-fence bench warmer. Ervin blocks shots and gets boards, but does neither well enough to warrant fantasy consideration, while DerMarr is all promise and no payoff right now. As for Ken and Anthony -- the non-players -- I didn't know players like these stayed in the player pool after training camp, since the only time they were actual NBA roster members was during the exhibition season.

The Robinsons
Now here's a squad to be feared, and one that could give the Millers a game if anyone could play point. David anchors the middle, with Glenn and Clifford each able to light it up while still hitting the glass. Eddie could help if he could stay healthy, while Larry has been hurt all season. Still, that front three could make the other families cringe.

The Jacksons
It's not Tito and Jermaine, but it ain't pretty. Unlike the previous group, there aren't many trees here -- only Marc, and he's still out of sorts with the Warriors after they wouldn't let him flee to Houston. Otherwise, the other Mark remains a decent assist man for the Knicks, while Jim has returned from exile to make a little noise with the Heat. Bobby isn't bad off the bench for the Kings, but Jaren was released by the Spurs over the summer, and his replacement, free agent signee Stephen, has seemingly been hurt since arriving in San Antonio.and has seen no action since November 21.

The Williamses
We save the largest for last, with a whopping nine Williamses populating today's NBA. The quality will improve ever more when college studs Jason and Frank join the league next year,

Jason Williams Point Guard Memphis Grizzlies   2002 SEASON STATISTICS GM FG% FT% 3PM REB AST STL BLK PTS 26 .368 .769 2.1 3.1 8.0 2.0 0.1 15.35

but this clan might beat any other right now just on sheer numbers. The other Jason still can't shoot but is great for assists, threes and steals in Memphis. Alvin also has proved to be an OK point guard for the Raptors. The venerable Walt has his moments with the Rockets, while Scott and Aaron are passable big men on the Nuggets and Nets, respectively. Jerome was a beast a couple of years back but is nowhere near double-double status now. Eric also wasn't bad a while ago but doesn't do much for the Celtics these days. Shammond seemed ready to break out but doesn't have much chance with The Glove in Seattle, while Monty just has a funny name. "Or would you like to go for what's behind door No. 2 ..."