Mo hitting All-Star form may have come too late for him to make his second All-Star game. But it’s just in time for the Cavs to get back to the winning ways of a year ago. If the slow start is attributed to a new lineup, then this means they have finally begun to gel. That fact is very, very, scary.

Kobe breaks his finger, scoring average goes up. With the exception of the Christmas Day FAIL the Lake Show is looking pretty sharp, annoyingly sharp. Pau signing the three year extension fully completes the Evil Empire parallels. It wouldn’t surprise me if Phil Jackson could, in fact, shoot lightning bolts out of his fingers.

If possible, could Jameer’s injury have been a good thing for the Magic? Jason Williams was able to gel with the new Magic squad and get his game back. With Nelson healthy, the Magic have some serious depth in their backcourt. That is going to be a necessary to make a deep run in the East.

Other pundits are staying high on Boston, but the bionic joints in Pierce and Garnett are nearing their expiration date and recent murmurs out Boston are that Rivers is going to start going all Week 17 with his lineup.

The home-and-home exchange with the Cavs at the end of 2009 was a good litmus test for the Hawks squad. I know that it’s cliche to say that you can gain from losses, but the Hawks gained the knowledge that they can hang with the NBA’s best.

Even in this slump of late the Suns still are showing enough consistency to know that this is only a phase. Channing Frye is the x-factor on this squad. When his outside shot is on, it spreads the defense and allows Amare to do work inside the lane.

Portland Trailblazers

Joel Pryzbilla had been doing a great job filling one of the many holes in the Portland lineup. In other news, Chill Out Juwan Howard.

Similar to the slumping Suns, the Nuggets have hit a bit of a reality check here after such a hot start. Starting to develop an affinity for losing close games, not good news for a team hoping to reach the Western Conference Finals again. Additionally, not good news for George Karl’s blood pressure.

A Top 10 team without T-Mac, and now that the trade issue has been resolved, the Rockets essentially will get a player for free. Maybe/Hopefully they can land a big man so they don’t have to rely on Chuck Hayes as much.

The Spurs are 8-2 in their last 10 including a 5 game winning streak.  Hopefully that means they are back on the right track.  However, it could be just because they were playing bad teams.

Chugging along as the the most fun “on the cusp of greatness” teams to watch in the Association. It’s been said before, and I’ll say it again, but other than Carmelo, nobody scores easier than Kevin Durant.

Miami will make the playoffs entirely based on the fact that they are in the Eastern Conference. The Big Bad West would most likely eat the Heat alive. But where they are at, they are sitting around the 4 or 5 seed right now.

The Jazz seem to be a team desperately struggling to find an identity. At times they look like the Jazz of old (12-4 at home) and sometimes they look like a collection of lifeless nutcrackers moving around on the court. Getting rid of Eric Maynor and Matt Harpring’s corpse was clearly a move for the future, Boozer still won’t want to stay if they stink though.

Zach Randolph is on a streak of six consecutive games with 20 plus points and ten plus rebounds in December. Considering he has been identified as the question mark this season, I’d say things are looking up for the Grizz.

Kevin Martin will have his wrist re-evaluated on January 12. After that we will get a much better idea of when he will be 100% and how he will mesh with this new crop of Sac-Town ballers.

Toronto Raptors

The Raptors have been benefitting from an easier streak in their schedule, if they can take that momentum forward then they could become a playoff team in the fluffy East.

Consistently good against bad teams and consistently bad against good teams. The Clips have been a bookies’ dream, except for when Baron triggers his inner Giant-slayer.

Confusion, mystery, drama, and despair. Is it the new TNT Original Series? Nope. Just the current state of the New Orleans Hornets organization.

The Knicks are getting closer and closer to being a playoff team. Which of course is TERRIBLE news for the Lebron/J-Wall plan.

If the Kitty Cats want to reach their first postseason in franchise history, they have got to learn to win on the road.(2-14)

Last time I discussed that soon the Pistons will be healthy, and could be dangerous if they haven’t slipped too far already. Well they are finally healthy, and in the middle of a nine game losing streak.

Jennings is looking less like a Pteradactyl with Fire Wings and more like a whiny pit bull. I think the NBA Winter is starting to wear on the youngster. Unfortunately, as Jennings goes – so do the Bucks.

Chicago Bulls

How does Vinny Del Negro still have a job?

Monta Ellis is that guy on the pickup court who never sits out, never passes, yet is still sometimes good to have on your team because he is talented. Sometimes.

The last place team in the West gets beat up by the bullies night and night out. But it sure is cute to watch them try.

A month ago, I was so excited to get AI back I purchased a jersey and spent hours on end rewatching the Allen Iverson Rewind. A month later, those are the only good clips I can get my hands on.

Stephen Jackson thought the Gilbert-Gun scenario was crazy. That’s when we know something is wrong with the Bullets.

If Guantanamo Bay was still in operation, they would replace water boarding with Pacers-Nets games. Every time the ball bounced a high pitched squeal would be emitted from the speakers. The only way to stop it is for Roy Hibbert to hit three pointers from the corner. Have fun.

Go ahead and line up your promotions and endorsement deals, at least now we know John Wall is entertaining.