6 Donnie Walsh and Mike D&rsquoAntoni should expect their pick to make substantial contributions without

6, Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antoni should expect their pick to make substantial contributions without having to bear the “franchise savior” moniker.  Every player available at No. At least the NBA draft lottery isn’t rigged.  In one of its most important draft lotteries since winning the top pick and Patrick Ewing in 1985, the Knicks ended up with this year’s sixth overall pick.At No. Houston fared well this week against the Chicago Cubs, winning two of three to claim the series. . Fortunately for the 'Stros, Jose Valverde has also been pitching well this season with 14 saves in 17 chances.The Astros will host Philadelphia for three more games before embarking on a nine-game road trip against three Central Division teams They'll play St Louis, Milwaukee, and Pittsburgh on the road. What a vindication it must have been for Philadelphia Phillies closer Brad Lidge to come back to Houston last night and close out a game against the team that traded him away last November.Lidge got Astros' slugger Lance Berkman to pop up to shallow center field and earned the save for the Phillies, remaining perfect this season: 12 saves in 12 opportunities.I'm sure many Astros fans were left scratching their heads in wonder tonight, pondering over the fact that Lidge was so far from perfect in his previous tenure with Houston. And in front of about 7100 fans, we will see if Zito is capable of returning to the form that he agreed to embody when he signed with the Giants. . While he isn't expected to win the Cy Young award, he is expected to win and that's all the fans have asked.The Giants will head into Florida tomorrow night.

But until he returns to that form, Giants fans will not see the value in a player whose contract rivals that of Barry Bonds. If he pitches a gem, like he should have all along, Giants fans may begin to feel sorry that his offense can't put more than two runs on the board for him.But if he implodes on the mound like he did against Arizona earlier this year, he could be in big trouble.We all know Zito is capable of being a Cy Young winner, as he won the Award in 2001. Tomorrow night in Miami, as the Giants take on the hot streaking Marlins, all eyes will be on Zito partly because the rest of the team is nothing to look at, and partly because of what is expected of him.As Zito goes against one of the younger, tougher-hitting clubs in the league, we will finally be able to tell just what he is capable of doing.Zito knows what is expected of him, and has continued to say that he is not living up to expectations, but this really is his final test. While these numbers are nowhere near what an $18 million dollar pitcher should be throwing up, his start in Florida tomorrow will be the test of whether or not he is capable of being the Giants' ace.Zito has pitched decently in his last few starts, but not quite well enough to convince Giants fans that he is their guy. But the Giants continued to lose anyway, and he is back on the mound as the number-one guy. Zito's last three starts have provided Giants fans with some hope, as his ERA has dropped all the way down to 6.13 throwing 16 innings and allowing just seven runs. It took an 0-7 start, an ERA over 7.50, along with fan complaints on the radio, to finally prompt Giants management to relieve him of his duties and demote him to the bullpen.

We stand in May, 48 games into the season, with the Giants  sitting at 19-29 and Zito yet to earn a single victory. At the time, the Giants were still thinking about making a run at the postseason, hoping that Zito would be the answer to get them there in Barry Bonds' final year in a Giants uniform. Back to 2008. At the time, Zito was the only number-one starterthe Giants, along with multiple other clubs, could even consider signing.To lock this ace up required a large amount of money, especially when competing with teams like the Mets and Rangers willing to fork over large contracts. A year and a half ago, Giants management somehow convinced fans that signing the 28-year-old lefthander to a seven-year, $126 million deal was the best move the team could make.Now, in the midst of a dreadful 2008 season that has witnessed veterans fall out and rookies unable to play at the next level, sits the $126-million-dollar man, Barry Zito and his 0-8 record, something which has angered Giants fans.Let us go back to the offseason before the 2007 season to explain the circumstances surrounding the signing. Ltd., of TaiwanHazard: Electrical connections in the toaster oven/broilers can become loose,posing electrical shock and burn hazards.Incidents/Injuries: Haier America has received two reports of minor burns andone report of a minor electrical shock to consumers, and one report of minorproperty damage.Description: This recall involves toaster oven/broilers with model numberRTO1400SS The units are stainless steel and black plastic. Consumers should stopusing recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.(Logo: http://) Name of product: Toaster Oven/BroilersUnits: About 106,000Importer: Haier America Trading L.L.C., of New York, N.Y.Manufacturer: Lun Dar Electric Ind.