Just because the Cavs have dropped 2 of their last 5 doesn’t mean that they are falling from the top.  In fact, they have the hardest part of this road trip out of the way with only Utah and the Clips left before a comfortable homestand.

Interesting that people were wondering if the 2010 Lake Show would go down as one of those “greatest teams ever.”  They are good, but the injury bug has kept Hollywood’s shiniest stars on the pine.  It’s time for Artest to reach back to 2009 and show some of his offensive firepower.

Dropping two games to Atlanta should not cause any worry for the Celtics fans.  The Hawks have had Boston’s number for a while now and played to prove something.  I was most impressed by the Celts ability to escape Toronto with a hard fought road win over the surging Raptors.  Good signs of things to come in Beantown.

Still streaking and on the cusp of becoming a very dangerous team in the West.  Although the loss to the Mavs should put them at 5, something happened watching them against the Thunder on Wednesday night.  Playing without Duncan, DeJuan Blair had one of his best games yet, scoring 28 points and grabbing 21 rebounds in a 109-108 overtime win in Oklahoma City.  That’s the kind of performance Blair can pinpoint and come back to when he needs an extra boost down the road.

Many congratulations to Dirk Nowitzki on his 20,000th point in NBA play.  Not many congratulations to dropping two straight after a huge win against the Spurs.  Granted one of those was against the Lakers, not exactly the kind of rhythms you want to get in if you are striving for an NBA crown.

Now that they are finally getting everyone back and healthy, the Nuggets have a chance to make one last strong push before the All Star Break.  With Golden State, Clippers, and New Orleans at home ahead, there should be no reason not to cruise this week.

Phoenix Suns

The Suns weakness is simple.  If you get hot, you can win.  Since they don’t play any defense, all you need to do is hit shots to score over 100.  The Suns have never lost this season when their opponent scores less than 100.  So there ya go.

They beat the Celtics. Twice. But they pulverized by teams with a true center (Orlando).  The entire Eastern Conference playoff picture is all based on matchups and the center position.  Now tell me that big men don’t matter.

Dear PDX, I don’t quite understand your basketball team.  However, Jerryd Bayless is extremely fun to watch and I would like for you all to play him more.  Thanks, Chip.

Durant. Is. On. Fire.  They are two wins away from matching last year’s win total.  And interesting fact for those of you who place wagers: they are one of the best teams so far ATS.

The Houston February 18thers have a lot of decisions to make before the trade deadline.  They have so many different assets they can move, you have to expect some kind of action.  If not, then it really is the N.B.A. (No Balls Association).

Rafer Alston is already paying dividends for the Heat.  They really needed him too because Chalmers just isn’t going to cut it come playoff time.

Also known as the Little Hornet That Could.  The New Orleans Hornets are on a climb back into the playoff picture that really makes for a heart warming story.  With a new coach and back over .500, they now will begin a brutal battle to avoid the 8 spot and the Lake Show in the first round.

One of the Grizzlies main weaknesses right now is they have not identified who their “go-to” man is in the clutch.  Sometimes it is Mayo, sometimes it is Gay, and sometimes Conley will make an errant dish to Gasol inside.  The high powered Grizz become very frantic at times in the clutch.

Riding that East Coast Elevator all the way up into the heart of the Playoff Picture.  The Raptors are one of the hottest teams in the Association right now and Chris Bosh has everyone licking their lips.

Utah Jazz

There is bad karma in the air over in Utah.  They had a great win against Dallas but it still doesn’t erase the distaste from trading away Eric Maynor for practically nothing.

Gerald Wallace continues to piece together highlight reels making him an All Star candidate, but unless the ‘Cats figure out how to win on the road they will not make the playoffs.  Interesting also it did not take long for Stephen Jackson to set the franchise record for single game scoring (43).

I have a sneaking suspicion that the Bulls are about to be involved with some kind of roster-shaking trade before the deadline.  The good news is, any kind of change would at least give them a chance to make the playoffs.  After all, it is the East.

The Clippers have been so much fun to watch recently.  One of my new favorite teams, Baron Davis is bringing back an aggressiveness to the offense that is infectious.  Keeping Camby healthy is key, he serves as a great complement to Kaman.

Don’t look now but the Knicks (previously as low as 29 in this ranking) actually have one of the better records in the East since Dec 1.  Glad to see Nate show back up this past week, we’ll see if he can keep his minutes up in the lineup.

RIP Michael Redd’s Knees.

Kevin Martin has reportedly been cleared by doctors to begin playing.  Now Paul Westphal will have his hands full trying to figure out how to maintain (and utilize) both Martin and Tyreke Evans on the court together.

Golden State Warriors

Shoot it Monta!

Danny Granger is back, and with a vengeance.   He is averaging 27 points in his last 3 games and doesn’t look to be stopping anytime soon.

Sixers or Clippers?  Who likes the Elton Brand defection now huh? Is that him I see on the bench in Philly?

The Pistons are not allowed to use the “we’re not healthy” excuse anymore.  It’s getting downright shameful to the history of the franchise.

If the Wizards do lose Jamison (which I do not think they will) DC will be a sad, sad, place to be for basketball fans.

Someone please Free Kevin Love.  Someone please free him from the chains of Minnesota.

The New Jersey Nets rollercoaster can be followed in the social media world by taking a peak at the twitter account of Chris Douglas-Roberts.