The highlight of Wednesday night’s NBA games was definitely the scuffle in the game between the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns.

When Suns forward Matt Barnes set a hard (cheap shot) pick on Rafer Alston, that’s when it all got started. Alston took offense and got in Barnes’ face. Phoenix point guard Steve Nash decided to get in the mix and pushed (elbowed?) Alston. Then Shaq decided to intervene.

Instead of pulling people apart, Shaq put an end to most of the ruckus by pushing people down, including Rockets star Tracy McGrady.

Did you miss it? That’s okay, we have the video right here including some good angles on the replay. I’m not sure anyone deserves to be suspended, but I’m sure commissioner David Stern will hand down some fines. Barnes started it, but it was kind of funny to see Shaq pushing people down near the end.

Although the NBA is just three days in, it’s never too late to start sorting out the best teams. Which teams look the best so far? Here’s the SteamySports top five:

1) Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers have wasted no time in looking dominant in the 2008-09 season. Already 2-0, the Lakers have pounded both the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Clippers. And shockingly enough, it’s not all Kobe Bryant anymore. He’s still their best player but he has an amazing amount of talent around him this year.

2) Boston Celtics
The reigning NBA champions are off to a good start. They beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in their one game so far this season. However, we have to put the Celtics behind the Lakers. Not only do the Lakers look very, very good, the Celtics have a few questions marks including how they’ll adapt without James Posey and what they will do if Ray Allen loses another step.

3) New Orleans Hornets
Speaking of James Posey, his new team is looking quite good. At 2-0, the Hornets are a team that fits so perfectly together. Chris Paul is the head of the snake but he also has a lot of very talented players around him that fit perfectly in the equation. If the Hornets can remain healthy, they could very easily end up with the best record in the entire NBA.

4) Houston Rockets
The Rockets sit at 2-0 after two impressive victories to star the season. The combination of Ron Artest, Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming already has other teams shaking in their boots. Houston made a lot of changes over the summer but if they can get some chemistry, they definitely have the wherewithal to go all the way.

5) Detroit Pistons
The Pistons started off their year with a win and they promise to once again be a formidable opponent in the Eastern Conference. The only big change this season is Amir Johnson starting in place of Antonio McDyess. Other than that, this is basically the same team that has had much playoff success over the last half decade.

Check out this video as correspondent Elie Seckbach talks to members of the Lakers about Kobe Bryant:

Before the season started, the Portland Trail Blazers lost Greg Oden for the season due to microfracture surgery on his knee. At the same time, the NBA lost its most well-known rookie in years.  Have you ever wondered how Oden really hurt his knee?  Maybe this picture gives us a hint.

On top of the Oden disappointment, Kevin Durant hasn’t been as dominant for the Seattle Supersonics as most league observers predicted. Durant has been pretty good, don’t get me wrong, but he still has a whole lot of work to do. When playing against NBA players, he doesn’t appear to be the basketball natural like he did at the college level.

However, through it all there have been a few rookies this season who don’t get much publicity but who are actually quality players. None of these guys are household names, but they all share one thing in common – they can play.

Ian Mahinmi, San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs drafted Ian Mahinmi back in 2005 but this is Mahinmi’s first year as a member of the team. Although he has only played six games for the Spurs so far this season, he has been fantastic in the NBA Development League. Recently, Mahinmi had a game of 30 points, 15 rebounds, seven blocked shots and four steals in 36 minutes of play. I don’t care if you put up those numbers at your local YMCA, those stats tell me you can play.

Al Thornton, Los Angeles Clippers
Nobody cares about the Clippers but if you happen to watch a game, Al Thornton stands out as the rare Clipper who can actually play. In February, Thornton has really started to bloom. For the month he is averaging more than 16 points and almost six rebounds per game. It looks like the Clippers found a quality player in the draft.

Carl Landry, Houston Rockets
Without Yao Ming out for the season, Carl Landry is going to get plenty of playing time over the course of the rest of the season. To date, the Rockets have to be extremely pleased with how he has played. He’s averaging more than seven points and more than five rebounds in only a little more than 15 minutes per game.

Thaddeus Young, Philadelphia 76ers
While the Sixers are again circling the drain, Thaddeus Young has emerged as a quality prospect. As a starter, Young is averaging approximately ten points and six rebounds, while shooting better than 55% from the floor. As a 19-year-old small forward, those are outstanding numbers.

On Tuesday, the Houston Rockets learned that Yao Ming will miss the rest of the season after suffering a stress fracture in his foot. The Rockets, who currently have the longest winning streak in the NBA, will now be hard pressed to make the playoffs without their All-Star center.

While this is horrible news for Rockets fans and Yao, it’s not exactly shocking news. Every year, the Rockets are picked to do great things. And every year, the Rockets fall apart due to injuries.

When you build a team around Yao and Tracy McGrady, it’s rather difficult to avoid the injury bug. Sooner or later one of your two stars is going to be injured and everything you’ve worked for will be lost.

Some league pundits still expect that Rockets to compete and actually make the playoffs. To me, that makes no sense. Why make the playoffs?  Just to be a first round fodder for a much stronger team?  Without Yao, the Rockets’ season is over. The sooner Houston realizes this, the better.

Now, how do the Rockets proceed from here?  First of all, the Rockets need to get rid of their fragile duo. In the offseason, the first order of business should be to find a new home for McGrady. Yeah, he’s talented but you can’t have two players who you can’t trust to stay healthy. In return, the Rockets should look for a couple of veteran talents who can win now.

Next season, the team needs to ride Yao as far as he can take them. Surround Yao with a number of shooters and wily veterans. Concentrate on defense, rebounding and getting the ball to the tallest player in the league. Relying on the health of one fragile superstar is a much safer bet than relying on the health of two fragile superstars.

For the rest of the season, it’s time to tank. Play the youngsters and rack up as many ping pong balls as possible. Perhaps the Rockets can get lucky for a change and get a top pick in this year’s draft. Until then, forget about the playoffs, Houston. Your season is over.