Jan. 24 -- Shawn: There was a great article by Chris Ballard in Sports Illustrated this past week about the art of the rebound and one of the assertions made in there was that rebounding doesn't get its due in any department, including in the area of slang. You might "clean the glass" or "pull down some boards" but those both sound like rather mundane – though in no way menial – job descriptions.

So in an effort to turn rebounding into the new, hip, "it" thing to do, I proffer a few new expressions you should immediately work into your vernacular.

Next time you see a guy dominating the glass, tell your friend he's "Boxing Out Like Tetris," "Owning Sherwin Williams," or "Gripping Bricks."

So whaddya say, Josh? Any chance of you tossing these beauties out the next time you and your boys hoop it up? You could be the king of the next-gen slang.

Josh: I’m down with “Owning the Sherwin Williams.” I’m also down with owning Shelden Williams next year. “The Landlord” will “Own the Sherwin Williams” in the league just like he does in the N.C.-Double. His Devils got Hoya Paranoia this weekend and my Cats won, even if it was on a last second heave, making for a great Saturday.

And when it comes to great, we can’t not speak on Kobe’s 81 points. I heard that and thought for sure I was still sleeping. Anytime your name’s mentioned in company solely with Wilt and M.J. , you’re as hot as Nelly’s “Grills” right now. Whooooo!!

Shawn: No doubt. Kobe won't ever reclaim the image he had a few years back, but there can be no question about who the heir to the "Air" is. That one game raised Kobe's already league-leading scoring average by more than a point. Sure, that's easy when you're a dozen games into the season, but in your 39th game? No doubt, Kobe's back, the once and future king.

And speaking of that time-worn expression, for this week's AYFR, we decided to break that old adage up and talk about Bobby Jackson, a guy who was once a King, and Kenny Thomas, who may be the future of the Kings right now. They both are playing well lately, but are either of them "for real" royalty?

Josh: Kenny Thomas, New Mexico Lobos. Man he made “The Pit” a tough place to play. A four-year starter at New Mexico, Thomas led the Lobos to four straight tourney trips and the school's best four-year record. The 6 foot 7, 245 pound forward became the first player in WAC history to record 1,800 points, 1,000 rebounds and 200 blocks. As a senior, he averaged a double-double for the entire season (17.8 points and 10 rebounds per game.)

Kenny’s now in his seventh NBA season and with his third team. He was picked 22nd overall by Houston in 1999. The Rockets traded him to the Sixers in a three-way deal that netted them James Posey in December of the 2002-03 season. Before the 2004 season, Thomas got a multi-year deal from Philly. He ended up in Sac’to as part of the package that helped the Sixers land Chris Webber.

For his career, he averages 10.7 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 46 percent, in 29 minutes per game. His numbers are even better in the playoffs. This year however, his numbers have suffered, with 8.3 points, a career low 5.4 boards, and a career low 22.5 minutes per game. That’s what happens when you’re playing for a team that’s deep up front and picked up Shareef Abdur-Rahim in the offseason.

Over the last five games, Kenny’s been playing up to the team’s moniker: 12.2 points, 10.6 “paint cans”, 4.2 dimes dropped, and even a steal. He put 22, 15, five assists, and three steals on the Suns. Then he took the Lakers-Kings rivalry way too seriously and dropped a triple-doublicious 16 points, 12 rebounds, and ten assists. These numbers are as eye-popping as those Burger King commercials are freaky. Will Kenny Thomas continue freakin’ the stat sheets?

Shawn: Unreal. Don't get me wrong. Kenny's skill set is for real and if he kept getting 30 or more minutes a game, he'd get you 10 and 10. But Shareef don't like it… and by "it," I mean sitting on the bench. He's playing 20 minutes a game with a wired-shut jaw and in about three weeks, he should be healthy enough to be bumping his gums freely and back to his normal minutes. Throw in the fact that Bonzi Wells is just about groin-pain-free and Peja Stojakovic is shooting his way back into shape and the minutes have to dry up to some degree. You can't "box out like Tetris" from the bench, so Kenny's value is fleeting.

Josh: Unreal. Kenny’s a great fit in the Kings’ system. Good interior passing is a key, and it’s something he’s great at. The problem is, they’ve already got Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Reef’s no magician, but when he comes back, Kenny’s playing time disappears. When he starts, Kenny’s numbers more than double across the board. When he’s a sub, his numbers are sub-par at best. He’s even shooting 10 percent worse from the field when he comes off the bench. If you picked this guy up, sell him now while he has value. Unload El Lobo.

Shawn: When Bobby Jackson came out of the University of Minnesota in 1997, he was immediately the guy that everyone only kinda wanted. After Seattle picked him 23rd overall, they dealt him to the Nuggets before he even had a chance to get rained on. Bobby ended up starting 53 games his rookie season up in Denver and while he shot under 40 percent, his 11.6 points, 4.4 "bricks gripped" and 4.7 assists per game established him as a high energy, shoot-first point guard .

It also got him dealt to Minnesota, but the return back to his NCAA stomping grounds did nothing for his game as his minutes and stats fell. In fact, everything fell for Bobby… except his shot. He signed with Sacramento in 2000, brought aboard to back up their starter and then kept around to act as insurance in case Mike Bibby wasn't ready for prime-time when he came over from the then-Vancouver Grizzlies.

Over the next five seasons, Jackson proved himself to be much more than a back-up. On a high-scoring, title contending Kings squad, he became the Red Bull off the bench, coming into games to pump up the energy level and score in bunches. Think Vinny "The Microwave" Johnson of the late 80's, only with baggier shorts. By the time Bobby put up 15.2 points per game with a 46 percent mark from the field in 2002-2003, he was known as one of the top sixth men in the Association and easily the best point guard in the league who didn't have a starting gig.

2005-2006 was supposed to be different as he used his free agency to depart California's capital and take over the starting point guard spot left vacant when Jason Williams left the Grizzlies and Shaqed up with the Heat. But once again, things didn't go smoothly for Bobby as the Grizzlies also brought Damon "Mighty Mouse" Stoudamire aboard. (What is it with Bobby getting stuck behind former Arizona Wildcats?)

Bobby's history of coming off the bench relegated him to back-up duty, even though most people in the fantasy community were wishing to see what Jackson could do with starter's minutes. It seemed Jackson also thought he deserved the starts as he played like a sulking man, averaging under 10 points in November with career low averages. But at the end of December, Mighty Mouse got squished by a season-ending patellar tendon injury and when 2006 came, Bobby Jackson was finally the undisputed, un-challenged point guard for the Grizz. Since taking over the starting job 9 games ago, Bobby Jackson has been posting numbers befitting his new status: 13.9 point, 5 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. He's even thrown in 1.2 steals per game.

So, now that Bobby is starting for Memphis, should he be starting for you, or might his recent stats spike be an illusion?

Josh: Real. Thinking of Bobby Jackson brings to mind that horrible, elevated court Minnesota’s Golden Gophers play on. Sorry, back to the now. In his last five games, Bobby’s averaging 14.6 points, 5.6 assists, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals. The part that shakes me is the atrocious 23.1 percent from three in that span. It’s a long season, his shot will come. Now to the thing I really like…. B.Jacks is passing the pill to the tune of a 3.18 assist-to-turnover ratio in the same five games.

Bobby’s for real due to lack of competition at the position. Now that Damon Tostada (Isn’t that in a song?) is done for the year, the pickings are slimmer than my chances of dunking on Hakim Warrick. In the last five games, backup point and Memphis boi Antonio Burks averaged one point abd one assist in 13 minutes per. He’s also shooting, from the field, the same 23.1 number that Bobby’s shooting from three. Yikes! Anthony Roberson hasn’t even played since January 16th. Bobby’s at the wheel and while I’m at it, he’s for real.

Shawn: Unreal. Yes, he has the starting gig and will get 30-plus minutes a game from here on out as long as the Grizz don't make a trade or Stoudamire isn't repaired by a faith healer. And 14 points a game with four to five assists and boards are absolutely reasonable to expect form Jackson. But unless your league plays without percentages, I think Bobby is still a borderline play in small and mid-sized leagues.

In his last three games, he's 13-for-44 from the field and 0-for-14 from behind the three point line. Throw in an abysmal free throw percentage for the year that's actually lower as a starter than as a reserve -64.5 percent as opposed to 66.7 percent- and you have a guy who destroys you in three categories while only marginally helping you in four or five. He's playing better, but he has to show that he can convert all those minutes into high percentage production if he wants to make it onto my starting squad.

Shawn: Yikes. I'm throwing "unreals" around like Kobe throws in points. Although to be fair, I only doled out as many as Kobe distributed dimes Sunday night. But let me "unreal" for 48 full minutes and I bet I could break the record. The weird thing is, I think both guys have a lot of game and wouldn't mind if my Celtics made a trade that netted either one.

Josh: We’d both like Kenny Thomas to play on our team, but neither of us want him as part of our fantasy futures. When it comes to Bobby Blue Bland, aka Bobby Jackson, we disagree. I see him as putting up numbers as the Grizz battle for a playoff spot out west. Shawn ain’t feelin him. For now, enjoy your Kobe, well done. We’ll see you next time at “Club AYFR.” Make sure you tip your waitress.

Shawn Peters and Josh Heisner are fantasy experts for NBA.com. Their column Are You For Real? runs every Tuesday as part of the NBA.com Premium Scouting Report. Contact them at grandtheftroto@TalentedMrRoto.com and JHeisner@TalentedMrRoto.com.

The views expressed by the TalentedMrRoto.com represent only the views of the writers; they do not represent the views of the NBA or any NBA team.