Just as Luol Deng is making his way back into the lineup, reigning MVP Derrick Rose leaves the game with back spasms.  But despite a frequently occupied injury report, the Bulls still have the best record in the league.  The current 9-game road trip will come to a close this weekend in Boston, then the ailing Bulls will be treated to a 2 week homestand that lasts through the All Star break.

One of the lesser-covered aspects to Miami’s strong run of late (11 wins in their last 13 games) has been the improved shooting and play of point guard Mario Chalmers.  Chalmers has been one of the best three-point shooters in the league this season, providing balance and a secondary scoring option if James, Bosh, or Wade are having an off night.

One of the true tests of an elite team is their ability to win tough road games when tested.  The Thunder not only have the best road record in the league (11-4), but have displayed a new toughness this week in back-to-back wins at Portland in overtime and at Golden State.  The turnovers are still concerning, but the young Thunder are growing up fast

The Sixers bounced back from an embarrassing 20-point home loss to Miami with wins over Atlanta and Los Angeles to move into a battle for second place in the East with the Heat.  The wear and tear of the season has not affected Philadelphia’s stifling defense, which has yet to allow an opponent to score 100 points in regulation since the season opener.

The Spurs’ defense is finally starting to look like the Popovich teams of old after receiving a call-out from their head coach.  In the last eight games, San Antonio has allowed more than 100 points only once (101-100 overtime loss at Dallas) and rolled off five wins in a row.  With more vintage Tim Duncan performances and Tony Parker lighting up the Thunder for 42 points, the Spurs have surged to third in the West.

The Pacers’ defense has continued to be among the best in the league (allowing 98.7 points per 100 possessions), and now the offense has started to click recently as well.  Indiana has only scored 100+ points five times this season, but they are 5-0 when they do.  With four of those performances in the last two weeks, the Pacers are aiming to compete with Chicago and Philadelphia at the top of the East.

Denver Nuggets (15-10)

One of the aspects of the Nuggets that have made them so successful in this lockout-shortened season has been their depth.  It should come as no surprise, then, that the vicious bite from the injury bug has resulted in a three-game skid.  With four starters injured and Corey Brewer away from the team mourning the passing of his father, head coach George Karl will rely heavily on the remaining roster to carry the weight for at least another week.

Kobe passing Shaq on the on the all-time scoring list in his hometown was a bittersweet experience, considering it came on a night that included the second straight loss in three days for the Lakers.  The Lakers still have the best player in the game, but unfortunately the whole team is as unpredictable as Mike Brown right now.  Capable of knocking off the best or playing to the level of their competition.

As good as the Blazers have looked this year, they continue to struggle offensively in close games down the stretch.  Despite being a Top 10 team in most statistical categories, Portland is just 1-8 in games decided by five points or less.  They are likely a playoff team, but will need to improve late-game execution if they plan on making a run.

The schedule has been a factor in Boston’s five-straight wins, but they are also getting healthier and finding their rhythm as a team.  While the Big 4 is still in tact, many of the supporting pieces on this team have changed and they appear to be gelling at the right time.  They will be tested though – with the Lakers, two games against Chicago, Dallas, and Oklahoma City on the schedule before the All Star Break.

Things have calmed down since four straight losses sent Orlando’s front office in DEFCON 1, thanks to three straight wins – including a tough battle with Indiana on the road.  The Dwight Howard decision will come to head soon, though, as the All Star weekend approaches and GM’s will ready to move if Otis Smith begins to inquire.

Luis Scola bounced back in a big way from the Kevin Love stomp by dropping 25 points and 8 rebounds in a big road win against the Nuggets.  Head coach Kevin McHale has utilized his deep front line to help keep competition high for playing time, benching Dalembert and Hill reportedly for a lack of “zip.”  The separation in the Western Conference standings is negligible, and Houston cannot afford anything less than maximum production to avoid quickly slipping in the Southwest.

Between Jason Kidd’s lingering calf issues and Dirk publicly saying he doesn’t believe he should be an All-Star, confidence does not seem to be in high supply for the defending champs.  On top of that, three straight losses have the Mavs tied with Houston in the Southwest standings while the surging Spurs pad their division lead.  The Mavs need inspired play from glue guys like Shawn Marion and Jason Terry to get back on track heading into the All Star break.

The Hawks previous flaws mostly included the inability to knock off the best teams in the East, but it has always been complimented with a solid record against inferior competition.  But in the last week, the Hawks’ offense has disappeared.  Three straight home games have resulted in losses, thanks to 42.1% shooting and just 84.7 points per game in that stretch.

The face-smashing Kevin Love steps away, and the rest of theTimberwolves are able to show their hunger for the spotlight.  For the first time since the Kevin Garnett era, the Timberwolves are flirting with a .500 record around the All Star Break and are in the discussion to make a playoff push in the second half of the season.

Utah Jazz (13-11)

Paul Millsap is deserving of an All Star nod for his strong start to the season, but his accomplishments may be overlooked if the Jazz are not able to turn around their slide.  Utah has just one win in the month of February,  and has found themselves slipping in the hyper-competitive Western Conference.

Quietly, the Suns have won four of their last five games and are starting to look more comfortable offensively in the half court.  Steve Nash, now 38 years old, is averaging 17.8 points and 10.2 assists in February and playing some of his best ball of the season.  Still, the Suns have a long way to go to bounce back from the 6-12 start.

Linsanity fever has caught on in the Big Apple thanks to two star performances from the Harvard graduate Jeremy Lin.  Carmelo’s absence has forced the Knicks to look other places for scoring, and the necessity has bred invention for D’Antoni’s squad.  Now the trick will be using this newfound enthusiasm to keep the team rolling when Melo returns

While life without Zach Randolph started out okay for Memphis, head coach Lionel Hollins has found a short bench to be a major disadvantage over the last two weeks.  The Grizzlies have now lost seven of their last nine games and slipped below .500 for the first time since Jan. 14.  With no definite return for Z-Bo in sight, the Grizzlies needs some bench production soon before the hole in the competitive Western Conference gets too deep to overcome.

Kyrie Irving’s clutch performances against some of the best teams in the league, along with Anderson Varejao’s consistent double-double contribution have the Cavaliers flirting with outside playoff chances.  Irving is averaging 18.0 points and 6.3 assists in February, and continues to maintain his status as Rookie of the Year frontrunner.

After a couple strong performances gave Bucks’ fans hope for life without Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee finds themselves in a three game slump and suddenly sinking below .500 again.  Brandon Jennings needs to be as aggressive in the easy wins as he is against the contenders.

Monta Ellis‘ career-high 48-point performance against the Thunder was not enough to elevate the Warriors to their ninth win on Tuesday, but head coach Mark Jackson was able to see the potential in Golden State’s offense.  While Ellis dominated the show in the first half with 30 points, the Warriors moved the ball well and utilized David Lee on pick and rolls to pick apart OKC’s defense.  More offense like that will bring Golden State closer to .500 and thus closer to that guaranteed playoff berth.

Toronto Raptors (8-18)

The key to the Raptors’ success this season not surprisingly coincides with the availability of Andrea Bargnani.  Toronto is just 2-11 with Bargnani out of the lineup, and unfortunately for head coach Dwayne Casey it doesn’t sound like he will be returning anytime soon.  They will need more contributions from Jerryd Bayless and Linas Kleiza to avoid continuing the slide.

Sacramento sees promise in their young lineup, particularly with head coach Keith Smart able to inspire more consistent production from Demarcus Cousins.  But promise hasn’t transitioned into made shots, with the Kings ranking dead last in shooting percentage at .406.

The Nets are fading away as a team in the running to make a big move before the trade deadline, which means the chances of making the postseason are fading as well.  Deron Williams has been filling stat sheets, averaging 23.8 points and 9.3 assists in his last 10 games.  But Williams can’t bear the entire offensive load, and the Nets need more instances like Anthony Morrow’s 42-point performance against Minnesota to move up in the East.

Another episode of “making headlines for the wrong reasons” for Detroit.  The Pistons became the first team to lose all three games in a back-to-back-to-back this season thanks to their loss at New Jersey last Wednesday.  But they have bounced back since then with back-to-back wins against Milwaukee and New Orleans, so there’s that.

Things are hard enough on the Hornets this season in arguably one of the toughest divisions in the league, but without Eric Gordon AND Jarrett Jack in the lineup the guard play is downgraded significantly.  With losses in 15 of their last 16 games – including six straight – Hornets fans can begin eyeing the top college talent with hopes of landing a star for 2012-2013.

The Wizards have come a long way from the being the worst team in the NBA, sitting comfortably at No. 29 for another week.  The Wizards, like the lowly Bobcats, will likely benefit from a lockout-shortened season in keeping their loss total from the franchise record books.

Seven of the losses in the Bobcats’ current 11-game skid have been by 10 points or less.  But between the lack of talent and the lack of depth due to injury, Charlotte just doesn’t have the firepower to finish strong when it counts.

Derrick Rose is back in the lineup, and even without Luol Deng the Bulls are just as dangerous thanks to increased production from Rip Hamilton.  The Bulls may drop a few more games over the next couple weeks because of Deng’s absence, particularly in the 9-game road trip beginning in Miami Jan. 29.  But as long as Rose is back in the lineup, they are still one of the best teams in the East.

After deeming the Thunder the best team in basketball, they proceed to give the Washington Wizards their second win of the season.  But OKC has shown heightened effort on the defensive end since that loss, and they are still one of the best teams in the West.

Even when the Heat are slow to get started and LeBron seems off, Chris Bosh has been able to rise to the occasion with Dwyane Wade sidelined by injury.  The Mario Chalmers/Norris Cole point guard rotation seems to be working, even when they share the floor for a smaller lineup.  The Heat may seem disinterested at times, relying on the “turn it on when they need to” mentality, but it’s worked well enough to keep them at the top of the conference.

Head coach Doug Collins clearly believes in a process, and you can see Philadelphia getting more comfortable on the floor together every game.  Friday night’s win against the Hawks was a huge step forward for the 76ers, proving their record was not just a result of a soft schedule.  They play team defense as well as anyone in the East, and are 5th in the league in assists (22.2 apg).  Philly is for real.

Some may dismiss the Nuggets’ high assist numbers (24.5, 1st in NBA) due to their fast-pace style, but they also rank 2nd in field goal percentage (47.9%) and fall in the Top 5 for points per possession.  The dual-point guard attack of Ty Lawson and Andre Miller has been working out perfectly for Denver, currently holding the second-best record in the Western Conference.

With Chris Paul returning to the lineup, the Clippers are closer to the best version of themselves.  That may not be the best in the Western Conference, but right now it’s good enough for best in the inconsistent Pacific Division.  Now if Mo Williams can continue to be as effective (25.7 ppg in last three games) with less of a workload, they will have a much better chance to hold on to that stop.

Utah Jazz (10-5)

Utah is 9-2 in the month of January, only falling to the Lakers and Mavericks – each by three points.  Ty Corbin is gathering early Coach of the Year consideration for bringing Utah right back into mix so quickly after Jerry Sloan’s sudden retirement.  The Jazz have a unique blend of veterans and potential rising stars that are slowly learning how to play, and win, together.

After starting the week with one of the worst offensive performances in franchise history, the Magic will get another shot at Boston on Thursday.  Orlando’s experience has helped them close out tough games, but the team has been inconsistent across 48 minutes.  Definitely a good team, just waiting to see if they become great.

With wins against Sacramento and Phoenix, the Trail Blazers will have a chance to sweep their first back-to-back-to-back on Wednesday at Golden State.  Head coach Nate McMillan has been watching everyone’s minutes, and the Blazers’ depth will be tested against a high-energy Warriors squad.  Watching minutes will be crucial to keep this team healthy, because without vets like Gerald Wallace and Marcus Camby the ceiling for Portland is much lower.

Gotta love when Tim Duncan gets in the zone and goes for 25+ and hits a game-winner like he did in a 104-102 victory at New Orleans.  The running hook prevented a third-straight loss for the Spurs, who have looked shaky over the last week.  Popovich is also watching his players’ minutes in the crammed schedule, so some inconsistencies are to be expected in the middle of the season.

The Lakers look lost, and head coach Mike Brown knows it.  Luckily, when you have the best player in the game and two of the best bigs in the West you can stay afloat while you figure it out.  The current three game slide can be turned around this weekend, and they’ll want to with a six-game road trip in early February.

Shawn Marion is doing a good job of filling in as a primary offensive threat, a role he has needed to fill at different times this season.  His play has been a big part the Mavs turnaround, now with eight wins in their last ten games.  When healthy and engaged, the Mavericks can be Western Conference contenders.  But the chemistry needs to improve, and they need all their different weapons available.

The Pacers have been to get by mostly with their rock solid defense in their 11-5 start, but the inability to run a fluid offense and shoot at a high clip could hurt their standing in the Eastern Conference over the next couple weeks.  Nine of the Pacers next 12 opponents are above .500,  and nine also are above the league average in points per game.  This is a critical stretch for Frank Vogel’s young team to determine their contender status in the East.

You had to imagine that it might happen, Kevin McHale would get Daryl Morey’s roster and turn them into a dangerous Western Conference threat.  The current seven game winning streak has included wins over Portland and San Antonio, and the Rockets have made the Southwest Division very interesting all of the sudden.

Rajon Rondo’s injury has opened the door for point guard Avery Bradley to inject some energy into the Celtics’ lineup.  Bradley’s defense and hustle fueled Pierce and Garnett in a gritty beatdown of Orlando on Monday, and could help pull Boston out of their funk.

Memphis Grizzlies (10-7)

You figured the seven-game streak would end at some point, and it is not a huge shock – or concern – that the Grizzlies finally lost to Portland in the Rose Garden.  However, it has shown Memphis’ ability to maintain a high level of play without Zach Randolph.  If Mareese Speights can continue to be serviceable down low the Grizz have moved into that competitive middle of the Western Conference.

The Knicks have quickly gone from the NBA’s darling to three losses from combustion.  The team is slumping and the grand experiment is currently battling many of the predicted side effects, most notably team chemistry.  Maybe Baron Davis’ return to practice – and possibly the court eventually – will jump start the locker room and help turn things around before it is too late.

Losses to Utah and Houston have brought the Timberwolves back to earth, but don’t ignore how well and close they played both games.  Depth is an issue right now.  Michael Beasley, Wesley Johnson, and J.J. Berea are all nursing injuries, leaving head coach Rick Adelman with only an 8 or 9 man rotation for most games.

Bookending the weekend with wins over the Knicks and Heat on the road have put a sense of confidence in the Bucks.  Brandon Jennings has been playing at a high level for the last several games, and the team as a whole looks much better when more players are sharing minutes.

With nine straight double-doubles, it is time to acknowledge Marcin Gortat as one of the premiere big men in the league.  However, there has been very little consistency outside of Gortat and Steve Nash.  Jared Dudley, Channing Frye, Hakim Warrick and Shannon Brown seem to be taking turns as complimentary contributors, but head coach Alvin Gentry is still struggling with the rotation.

Four losses in one week has been rough on the young Cavs, but no one promised a smooth ride for this group in 2012.  Tuesday’s loss to Miami showed the Cavs’ struggles to close out a game down the stretch.  That weakness is expected to come with inexperience, but it will keep them down in the Eastern Conference pecking order.

Chuck Hayes’ return should add some experience and depth to an ailing Kings’ squad, losers in five of their last seven games.  Marcus Thornton is expected to miss some more time with his re-injured thigh, which puts even more pressure on Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins to carry the load offensively.

Golden State Warriors (5-11)

“Mama there goes that second half lead,” I imagine Mark Jackson telling the Warriors as they give away an 18-point fourth quarter lead to Memphis on Wednesday night.  The Warriors are a young team, struggling to close out opponents in the fourth quarter.  Not surprising, but still not the best start for the first-year head coach.

More on-court examples of the Nets rising and falling along with the performance of Deron Williams.  Unfortunately it has been paired with off-court reports that D-Will is eyeing the door of New Jersey doesn’t bring in another superstar in the near future.

Andrea Bargnani has been the team’s primary offensive threat for most of the season, so it does not surprise anyone that it required a 36 point outburst to end the Raptors’ eight-game losing streak.  Bargnani’s ability to stretch a defense when he’s hitting from deep allows James Johnson, Amir Johnson, and the rest of the front line to get in and crash the offensive boards.  All that said, Toronto is still a five-win team.

We are nearing a full month of play in the lockout-shortened NBA season, and Detroit still has not scored 100 points.  They play at the slowest pace in the league (87.6 possessions per 48 minutes), but do not have the efficiency or defensive prowess to capitalize in a low-scoring game.

The Hornets have lost 14 of 15, including eight straight.  The last three losses have been by a combined six points  against teams over .500.  The Hornets inability to close out these wins is painful to watch, as this superstar-less squad is becoming this season’s version of the 2010-2011 Cavs.

The same issues that burn the Bobcats in four annual meetings with Orlando returned with the New York Knicks’ sizable front line in town on Tuesday.  Charlotte was out-rebounded 53-33 in the loss, with no answer for Tyson Chandler’s 20 point, 17 rebound performance.  The Bobcats have no true center, and until they do will be weak against teams with dominating post men.

With Flip Saunders now fired, there is no one left for the fans to blame other than the players.  If the Wizards want to stop hearing boos, they need to turn around their on-court execution and start winning a few games for the home crowd.

Seven straight wins, including a sweep of their first back-to-back-to-back (Houston, Houston, San Antonio) and the Thunder have given plenty of reason to believe they are poised to hang with the league’s elite.  The schedule will lighten in the coming weeks, making “health” and “focus” OKC’s greatest enemies.

Derrick Rose’s toe injury should absolutely be a concern for Bulls’ fans, particularly with how injuries like that can nag over a busy season.  But as long as Boozer can continue to raise his production when needed, the Bulls can keep their position at the top of the Eastern Conference.

Miami’s stumble without Dwayne Wade nearly hit four games before LeBron exploded in the second half against the Spurs, helping the heat outscore San Antonio 71-35 after halftime.  Dropping three games in four nights on the road (particularly twice in overtime) is not a huge red flag, but will lead to a slight drop in the power rankings

While everyone tries to tie Dwight to another franchise, the Magic are surging forward with one of the best starts in the Eastern Conference.  Orlando has rolled off five wins in a row, including four straight in a Western Conference road swing.  Ryan Anderson continues to shine as an offensive threat, (NBA-best 45 3PM) and Dwight Howard is strong as ever on the glass (NBA-best 194 rebounds).

Four straight 40+ point games from Kobe, and then he dishes to Derek Fisher for the game-winner against Dallas.  The Lakers have answered their critics with solid play inside from Bynum, and continued offensive explosion from the league’s leading scorer.  I wouldn’t look too far into the eight point loss to the Clippers.  That was their biggest game of the early season, and the Lakers have a much different goal in mind.

After a rough start, Ty Corbin has the Jazz rolling.  Utah has bought in to a team basketball concept, and won eight of their last nine contests to ascend to second place in the Western Conference standings.  Corbin claims his team is still learning, suggesting the Jazz have even better basketball in their future.  As long as the defense stays sound and the bench continues to give quality minutes Utah can get even better.

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers were expected to stumble as the schedule grew more difficult, but instead Indiana has risen to the challenge by winning five of their last six.  This current streak includes two impressive wins over Boston and a Danny Granger-fueled win over Atlanta.  The Pacers are allowing just 88.9 points per game, good for fourth in the league.

At 10-4 with a three-game winning streak, people are beginning to wonder if this is the season the Hawks get over the hump and compete for an Eastern Conference title.  Unfortunately, early judgments suggest Atlanta has some work to do.  Despite one of the best records in the East, the team is just 2-4 against teams above .500.  Undefeated against weaker teams is great, but to be elite you need to win those big games.

The wide-open attack is perfect for Denver’s personnel, bench included.  With Corey Brewer and Andre Miller coming off the bench, George Karl loses very little when he rests his starters.  The Nuggets ability to maintain momentum and tempo wears teams down, particularly this season when fatigue has been an issue for many.

By getting good shots in the paint and open looks on the perimeter, the Spurs have been able to jump out to a strong start with one of the most efficient offenses in the league (108.9 points per 100 possessions, T-1st in NBA).  Unfortunately the defense is clearly not LeBron proof after getting lit up for 71 second half points against the Heat on Tuesday.

Momentum around the Blazers has slowed significantly after three straight losses in the last week.  But even with the slide in the standings, the Blazers are still a Top 10 team on offense and defense, and has the athleticism to run with the best in the Western Conference.

The hard-fought effort at Los Angeles was a good sign for the defending champs.  With a shaky rotation that continues to change, the Mavericks will need to find gritty ways to win games and stay competitive until they get everything moving in the right direction.  The pieces are there, but they haven’t quite gotten them assembled yet.

As the Clippers have begun to get bitten by the injury bug (Chris Paul, Mo Williams) their weaknesses are beginning to show.  There is not much depth on this team, and without Paul to spread the floor teams can pack in the defense on Jordan and Griffin.  Just another hump LA would encounter eventually, now the challenge is overcoming

.

The Grizzlies have climbed out of their hole [INSERT BEAR/HIBERNATION JOKE HERE] with some help from the schedule.  Now with an improved energy and focus, Memphis appears to be back in peak form even without Zach Randolph (knee) in the lineup.

The streaky Knicks have taken a three-game slide heading into a busy portion of the schedule, and things aren’t looking great.  Anthony was only held back one game with a sprained ankle, but even a healthy Melo can help the whole team shoot better from the field.

Houston Rockets

Samuel Dalembert has been huge for the Rockets inside, helping lead the way in the current four game winning streak.  The veteran’s leadership has been essential for Houston, as first-year head coach Kevin McHale continues to work with this young team.  Now back at .500, the Rockets can begin focusing on climbing into the top half of the conference.

The Celtics welcome Toronto to Boston in the Battle of Teams on Five-Game Losing Streaks.  Boston’s slide has included a pair of losses to the Pacers, Oklahoma City, Chicago, and Dallas.  It’s far from panic time for the C’s, but they’ll need a strong showing on the back half of January to avoid slipping too far in the standings.

Golden State’s first East Coast swing has gotten back on track, with back-to-back wins over Detroit and Cleveland after a disappointing loss to Charlotte.  A win over New Jersey will feel great for the Curry-less (ankle) Warriors as they prepare for a six-game home stand to close out the month.

Kyrie Irving’s play early in the season has led to Chris Paul comparison’s, for the way he patiently navigates through the offense and gets to the rim.  The early favorite for ROY has gotten some help on the boards from Varejao (11.4 rpg), and the Cavs are far from the Eastern Conference basement at 6-7.

When this Minnesota team is entirely healthy they can be competitive against almost anyone in the NBA.  But with so many new pieces to the puzzle, there have been enough lapses to cost the Timberwolves several winnable games.  Kevin Love recently became the first player since Hakeem Olajuwon to start the season with 13 double-doubles. So, um, I think it’s time to pay the man.

The current five-game losing streak has the Suns scratching their heads, with losses to the Cavaliers and Nets in the slide.  Phoenix has been inconsistent throughout the early season, and need a big win to get back on track before it is too late.

The Bucks are winless on the road, something that has become an issue with their schedule.  Milwaukee plays 12 of their first 18 games away from home, and those road struggles are a big reason for their 4-9 start.  Brandon Jennings looks visibly frustrated with the Bucks’ play, but it will take a full team effort to stop the current slide.

Toronto Raptors

Head coach Dwayne Casey is trying to get his team committed on the defensive end of the floor, but the Raptors need to find a way to get more people involved in the scoring than just Andrea Bargnani.  He is having an All-Star caliber season, but Toronto needs one more man to share all that pasta.

The young Kings are still a work in progress, a fact that is no secret to head coach Keith Smart.  But as this team learns to play team basketball they will slowly improve.  Sacramento has the league’s worst field goal percentage (39.7%) and ranks last in points allowed (101.8 ppg).  Not great ingredients for success.

The Hornets can’t catch a break.  With Eric Gordon and Trevor Ariza out of the lineup, Jarrett Jack is forced to both create and produce from the point guard position.  Jack has been serviceable thus far this season, but the team can’t succeed without that go-to scorer.

Can’t win any games unless you score more than the opponent, and Detroit ranks dead last in scoring at 85.0 points per game.  The Pistons are suffering from a combination of of inexperience and lack of depth, but the promising young core of Brandon Knight, Jonas Jerebko, and Greg Monroe could be dangerous if they start playing together.

With few “go-to” options offensively, the Bobcats are struggling to execute late in games, resulting in single digit deficits for their last three losses.  Games that could – and arguably should – have been won are lost during inefficient fourth quarter offensive possessions.

The breakout of rookie Marshon Brooks has been one positive in the struggling start for New Jersey.  The hope for Nets fans is that Brooks will take some of the load off Williams’ shoulders.  In the Nets’ three wins Williams is averaging 27.3 ppg compared to 15.2 ppg in losses.

The Washington Wizards are trying to throw back to the Bullets with their uniform scheme, but their 1-12 start has them looking more like the Washington Generals.

Rose’s sprained big left toe is a huge concern for Tom Thibodeu and the Bulls, as is the slow start from Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer.  But the product on the court so far has been the best in the league, even picking up a win without the reigning MVP.

The Thunder currently hold the league’s longest winning streak at 5.  Even more impressive?  They’ve done it over a six day span.  OKC is young and athletic enough to win these gritty games that other teams will lose because of fatigue.

LeBron’s fourth quarter critics are back on their soapbox, but don’t count me as one of the concerned because of the Heat’s two-game slide.  Miami will not be indestructible during this crowded lockout-shortened schedule, but I struggle to find a team that that can consistently beat this roster.

As we saw in the Blazer’s loss to Orlando, that athletic front line will show some weakness against a true big man threat.  But we also how potent they can be in their comeback from a 23-point deficit.

Kobe has put the team on his back, and the league’s leading scorer is back to putting up big numbers like it’s 2007 all over again.  One of the game’s best players of all time is cementing his status at the top of Mount Rushmore by putting up back-to-back 40-point games in this, his 16th season in the league.

The thing that has made the Nuggets particularly scary is how well they have shared the ball.  George Karl has a team that is “making great basketball plays” at a rapid speed, proving that the ball moves faster than any player.  They play at the fastest pace in the league, and are one of the five most efficient teams offensively.

San Antonio Spurs

Ginobli’s wrist injury is a crushing blow to the next four weeks, but this new brand of Spurs basketball seems to be working thanks to Richard Jefferson’s lights-out shooting.  Depth is a concern, especially with T.J. Ford also injured for a couple weeks.  But for now the Spurs are rolling.

A loss to the Pacers is not a huge cause for concern, especially considering the Hawks surprising lack of production on the boards in that contest.  With two games against both the Bulls and Heat under their belt, Atlanta should appreciate the competition in the weeks ahead.

The first home loss at the hands of Black Mamba stung for a hot Utah team, but I don’t expect the set back to last for long.  Jefferson has been phenomenal leading the front line, and this newfound hunger can carry Utah back to ranks of Western Conference elite.

The upset win over Miami felt like a playoff atmosphere, but the Clippers will need to limit the turnovers if they want to create a playoff atmosphere this Spring.  Too much talent and explosion to ever count them out, but the “Lob City” honeymoon is over, and hopefully so is the nickname.

Holding off Portland in the Rose Garden will be a huge confidence boost for the Magic, who have won 3 of their last 4 and improved to 7-3.  Bringing that same energy on Thursday night against the Warriors will be tough, but then they are rewarded with three nights off.

They’ve matched their best start (7-3) since the 2005-2006 season, and are 4-0 at home for the first time since 2002-2003.  But before we start jinxing the Pacers with history, we should appreciate the many ways they have been successful.  Six players are averaging double-digit scoring, and the defense has held opponents to just 41.5% shooting on the season.  Schedule has helped, but the Pacers are for real.

The Knicks have their swagger back, thanks to four straight wins against mostly inferior opponents.  But the test of this hot streak will come this weekend, facing Memphis and Oklahoma City on the road in the next three nights.

The Mavericks hard-fought win on the road against Boston should put some energy back in the locker room, as this new unit continues to gel with very little practice time.  Things are moving in the right direction, but this is still a work-in-progress for Dallas.

Still chalking the Suns’ early-season struggles up to a new rotation that is taking a while to gel.  Gortat, Warrick, and rookie Markieff Morris appear to share the front court well, and as long as Nash is on the floor offense is not an issue.  There are defensive concerns, but that will take time for the unit to figure out.

Boston Celtics

As expected, a light schedule to start 2012 put some faith back in the Boston fan base.  But the Celtics need to rediscover that uncanny ability to close teams out with Allen, Pierce, Garnett, and Rondo.  Losses to Indiana and Dallas could have been reversed with better fourth quarter execution.

Eric Gordon’s health is a huge concern, particularly if this knee injury nags over the next several weeks.  But if EG can get back to the lineup, I like the Hornets’ chances to cause some problems.  They’ve lost close games to good teams, and displayed potential in the upset of Denver on Monday.

Snapping a five-game losing streak with an overtime win against the Heat at home is a great way to build some confidence.  They should have another opportunity to catch an Eastern Conference foe off-guard on Thursday, hosting the Magic one night after a Orlando battled down the stretch with Portland.

The first road trip for this Cavs team has not been kind, but that should not come as a huge surprise considering the odd collection of youth and experience in the rotation.  Not surprisingly, Jamison has become an offensive crutch in tough spots, but he can’t handle the responsibility alone.

Don’t look now, but Ricky Rubio is starting to get comfortable in Minnesota.  Unfortunately the Timberwolves are still failing to close games out, but that is something they can figure out as the season progresses.  The issue becomes how far back are they once that happens.

After all that praise for Bargani and Toronto’s .500 start, the Raptors lose back-to-back games to Washington and at home against Sacramento.  Like what this team CAN be, just still not sure what this team IS.

A three-game slide doesn’t seem to be of rest concern to head coach Lionel Collins, who believes Memphis has been a few plays away from winning several times this season.  The next challenge is turning the corner and making those plays before the losses stack up.

Houston Rockets

An ugly win over the lowly Bobcats is the single bright spot in an otherwise tough week for Houston.  Facing both LA’s, OKC twice, and San Antonio is a tall order for a team-in-progress like the Rockets.

Stephen Jackson has slowly worked his way onto the court from a lower back injury, and now has apparently found his shot.  The Bogut-Jennings-Jackson-Delfino combo is dangerous, and the Bucks definitely can move up in the coming weeks.

Keith Smart’s promotion to head coach has led to a revitalization for DeMarcus Cousins and great news for the Kings.  Once Marcus Thornton returns from his hip injury, Sacramento will be a young team you do not want to face on the tail end of a back-to-back.

Losers of five straight, including a 92-68 beatdown at the hands of the Bulls, Detroit has run face first into a tough portion of their January schedule.  The coming weeks will present some Western Conference foes, which maybe could lead to a Pistons upset or two. But that is being optimistic.

The defense seems to have tightened up, but the Bobcats are still struggling offensively and currently on a four-game slide.  With Corey Maggette and Tyrus Thomas in and out of the lineup, Byron Mullens has taken the opportunity to to breakout and show some value.  That’s the only good news for Charlotte.

When the Nets return next Wednesday from their Western Conference swing, they’ll have two good chances to pick up their first win in front of the home fans.  Until then, it’s going to be hard to sell those tickets in the Prudential Center.

The Wizards won! Then they lost to a Rose-less Bulls.  The schedule ahead presents some interesting challenges, but at least Washington is win-less no longer.

The Heat’s first loss had to come some time, and an 8-point loss to Atlanta will likely be preview of a great division rivalry in this lockout-shortened season.  What’s that? We get to run it back on Thursday?  Consider me couch-bound.

There are still some issues to work out with the lineup, as Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer are struggling to find the same space on the floor once again.  But none of that seems to matter when Derrick Rose scoring 17 fourth quarter points to overcome a 19-point deficit and win against teams as good as Atlanta.

The real test for OKC will be how the team deals with the new media attention.  The Thunder are no longer a cute team or likable story, they are legitimate NBA title contenders and will be treated as such.  At their best, they are undoubtedly one of the best teams in the NBA.  The only challenge will be maintaining a high level through the tough stretches of this short season.

Going to hop on this bandwagon and label Portland my dark horse Western Conference title contender.  They have faced one of the toughest schedules in the NBA and jumped out to a 4-1 start.  Health and depth are my only concerns with this squad, but if they can catch some breaks with both this might be a special season in the Rose Garden.

This new-look Nuggets squad  continues to impress, even leaning on Danilo Gallinari and their defense to pull out a tough win against the Bucks.  We knew this Denver unit could score, but if that defense shows up more often they could prove to be one of the best in the West by season’s end.

Sunday’s victory over the Trail Blazers might have been more meaningful than we realize.  The high-scoring Clippers slowed it down and exhibited the ability to win a gritty game against one of the league’s better teams, in my opinion.  Billups returns to the lineup this week, as LA exits the honeymoon period in Lob City.

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks couldn’t keep it together to pull off two huge conference wins back-to-back, giving up a 19-point lead to Chicago the night after handing the Miami Heat their first loss.  But this Hawks team is grooving, and now they get better with Kirk Hinrich returning to the lineup

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If Tony Parker is still healthy and penetrating into the lane the Spurs’ plethora of shooters will get their opportunities in space.  Manu’s broken hand is a huge blow for San Antonio’s fourth quarter “need a bucket” possessions, but they are still one of the better teams in the Western Conference without him.

The Pacers are playing tough defense in their 4-1 start, as the 3rd best team in the NBA holding their opponents to just 40.9% shooting from the field.  In addition to that David West has changed the dynamic of the offense, and for the better.  The schedule has been light, but the Pacers have looked good.

Spencer Hawes continues his surprising fast start down low, and along with a healthy Elton Brand and productive Lou Williams have the 76ers playing some ball better than their record indicates.  If this lineup stays healthy and cohesive, I like the way it takes pressure off Iguodala and allows them to play more as a team.

The Celtics have traded a now-active Paul Pierce for a now-sitting Jermaine O’Neil, but thankfully Brandon Bass has shown the ability to give quality minutes off the bench.  Upcoming showdowns against the Nets and Pacers should give Boston an opportunity to climb over .500.

With Zach Randolph suffering a bruised knee, the Grizzlies are in talks to try and bring Marreese Speights to Memphis and firm up the front court.  The offense hasn’t’ quite kicked back into gear statistically, but there is not a ton of concern as long as Z-Bo’s injury is minor.

Amar’e Stoudemire’s absence from the lineup on Monday due to a sprained ankle led to an embarrassing loss against the Raptors.  Considering the front line, you wouldn’t expect the Knicks to be putting up just 93.0 points per game and ranking dead last in the NBA in rebounds per game.

The Magic have a new look, with Glen Davis and Ryan Anderson stepping into significant roles this season alongside Dwight Howard.  But the new look seems to be working, as Orlando is off to a 4-2 start and looks prepared to tussle in the now hyper-competitive Southeast Division.

Despite the 2-3 start, the Rockets definitely have reason to believe they could be a playoff team by the end of the season.  The depth down low is a concern at the moment, but there are enough talented pieces to try and improve the rebounding once Kevin McHale figures out his rotation.

Dallas Mavericks

The title hangover continues into the second week as the Mavericks are still struggling to figure out their new lineup.  Monday’s win over the Thunder was a good start though, particularly for the re-energized Ian Mahinmi.  The big man could be the missing piece in getting Dallas back on track.

The Jazz looked nice against the Bucks on Tuesday and are hoping to keep that style of play alive. They look to have a nice balance of offense and defense, and are hoping to develop their youth without sacrificing too much in the loss column. A few winnable games on the schedule this month should have them feeling confident.

Rubio, Rubio, Rubio. The town has Rubio fever and for good reason. The kid is exciting to watch and it looks like he’s fun to play with. Minny may become the latest “lob city” at this rate. With that said Kevin Love is demanding an extension by the 15th of January or he is threatening to play out his contract and leave. Distractions anyone?

The Raptors snapped a three-game losing streak thanks to a Amar’e-less Knicks, but the loss to Orlando exposed that lack of a firm defensive big man.  Bargnani has played well, but they need someone to help Amir Johnson with the dirty work inside.

The Suns are caught in a transition phase right now.  They have talented young players, middle-aged role players poised to breakout, with Steve Nash and Grant Hill serving as the experience.  The pieces aren’t meshing well together, but if they do the Suns will at least have a shot to be competitive in the West.

Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson thrived in a victory over Charlotte to put the Cavs back over the .500 mark for the first time in quite a while.  There will likely be a lot of setbacks for this young group, but those two have quickly proven to be great building blocks for the future.

It’s hard to describe the Warriors as much more than middling right now.  There has been some good, and some not so good.  Curry has that nagging ankle, but Monta carried the show in a blowout defeat of the Knicks.  Warriors are a head-scratcher right now, but that’s not a terrible thing for first-year head coach Mark Jackson.

Detroit Pistons

There has been some signs of hope in Motown, with Jason Maxiell, Greg Monroe, and Ben Wallace finding ways to establish a dominating defensive presence in the post.  If Ben Gordon can keep producing offensively, this is a team you can’t look past on the schedule.  Just ask Orlando.

This current Western Conference swing comes at a poor time with Andrew Bogut leaving the team for undisclosed medical reasons.  The Bucks need as much health as they can get on the road, particularly offensively.

Eric Gordon was supposed to take this new opportunity in New Orleans to show that he can be an elite player in this league.  But the talented sharpshooter has missed four of the team’s first five games with a bruised knee.  Jarrett Jack has played well in spurts, but we won’t really know much about this team until EG gets healthy.

The elephant in the room that is Demarcus Cousins – not a fat joke, he has lost weight since last season – needs to be handled before the Kings can move on.  Whatever the future is for this team will depend on how this situation resolves.  With Tyreke Evans, Jimmer Fredette, and Marcus Thornton there is plenty of potent guard-play, but the Kings need reliable inside play to move forward.

The Bobcats are moving in the opposite direction after a competitive 1-1 start, and I struggle to find the positives in a 14-point loss to the Cavaliers.  The lineup has had pleasant surprises in streaks, but Paul Silas has yet to see everything come together this season.

Losers of five straight, the Nets are reportedly considering making a run at Demarcus Cousins.  That looks a little like a white flag on chasing Dwight Howard, unless they are planning to move Kris Humphries in the deal.

The last winless team in the NBA.  Color scheme hasn’t changed the direction of the trends, and Washington is right back to struggling for relevance in the East.

With impressive wins against Dallas and Boston, the Heat have cemented their status as early favorites in this lockout shortened season. While other elite teams are trying to work out the chemistry in the rotation, the Heat have picked up right where they left off as the most dominant team in the Eastern Conference. LeBron’s post game looks scary good, and if they avoid turnovers the Heat are close to unstoppable in transition.

The Thunder’s youth and athleticism has made them early favorites in an aging Western Conference landscape, and that advantage was obvious as they hustled their way to a hard-fought 104-100 win at Minnesota just a day after beating Orlando at home. James Harden’s contributions off the beach and the new-look Kendrick Perkins will be X-factors in the Thunder’s success this season. Both have delivered impressive performances in the 2-0 start.

Bulls’ fans can rest with the knowledge that Derrick Rose is still that guy. The reigning MVP gave Chicago the best Christmas present possible with the clutch game-winning floater over Gasol in the win over the Lakers. But the early road trip was not all highlight reels and game-winners, particularly after looking sluggish against the Warriors in the Bay. Nothing alarming about the loss though, Chicago is still one of the two best teams in the East.

The Knicks have a lot to work out, particularly developing some consistency with their depth and rotations, but the Melo/Amar’e/Chandler front court appears like it could be one of the best in the conference. With Melo’s ability to take over in 4th quarters, the key for the Knicks will be avoiding the lapses they suffered in the narrow victory over Boston on Sunday. Consistency will be an issue, but relevance is far more important for the franchise when you play in Madison Square Garden.

The high-flying, high-scoring Denver Nuggets will be a particularly dangerous team to face in this lockout-shortened schedule. Older teams struggling on the tail end of back-to-back games will dread a date with the fast-paced Nuggets, poised to run Western Conference opponents out of the gym. Ty Lawson and Andre Miller make the perfect duo at point guard for this upbeat team, and George Karl should feel good about his team’s chances to cause some trouble in the revamped Western Conference landscape.

Jamal Crawford has looked good in his limited Portland career, and the former Sixth Man of the Year will likely be a crucial piece of the Blazers rotation. But it’s going to be the play of Portland’s frontline, led by Gerald Wallace, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Marcus Camby, that will determine the ceiling for the upcoming season. The way things have looked in the 2-0 start, the Blazers could be a team that will cause some trouble in the West.

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks still have most of the core unit that has led them to four straight playoff appearances, with the major difference being Jeff Teague’s promotion to the starting point guard position. After an impressive debut against Deron Williams and the Nets, it is safe to say the team is in good hands with the speedy Demon Deacon at the helm. Atlanta also appears to have an upgraded bench, with players like Pargo and Tracy McGrady stepping up to fill in the hole left by Jamal Crawford.

Richard Jefferson made San Antonio fans happy he was not moved before the season as the vet delivered solid shooting and hard defense in the season opening win over Memphis. The Spurs played tough D as a team all night, and if they can stay healthy over the schedule will give plenty of teams trouble with their experience.

The Warriors will string together some impressive wins this season, but the ceiling for this team unfortunately relies on the strength of Stephen Curry’s right ankle. The surgically repaired ankle has been tweaked twice already this season, and should be a major concern for first-year head coach Mark Jackson. Monta Ellis and David Lee look to be in usual form, but the situation is still very fluid in the Bay.

It’s hard to get an accurate feel for this Boston team until Paul Pierce is on the floor, but then again how many games can you expect the C’s to play with a full roster. Age is a common argument for why the Celtics won’t be successful, but I’d argue that their experience will help them overcome the unusual challenges of the lockout shortened season.

The first team to tackle the dreaded back-to-back-to-back in the lockout shortened season was also the one team that carries a target on their back for the rest of the NBA. The Lakers were able to scratch and claw their way to a win and avoid an 0-3 start thanks to 27-8 point run in the third quarter to blowout Utah and pick up their first win of the season on Tuesday night. Kobe and Pau contest that it is just a matter of time until they get on the same page with the newcomers, and you can never count out a unit with this many combined rings.

Head coach Frank Vogel has to be happy with Indiana overcoming a poor performance to escape with a comfortable win against the Pacers on the road in the season opener. The Pacers were good when shots were going down last season, but dreadful when they hit cold streaks as a team. The new-look Pacers appear to have tightened things up on the defensive end, with second-year guard Paul George leading the new defense-minded, smash-mouth brand of Pacer basketball.

Eric Gordon’s upside to the move from Los Angeles to New Orleans was the opportunity he would have to lead this young team. Gordon stepped into those shoes early, delivering a game-winning jump shot with 4.2 seconds left in the win over Phoenix. The Hornets struggled from long range, but an aggressive rebounding effort from that front line of Ariza/Landry/Okafor helped the Hornets hang with the Suns and give Gordon a chance to win the game.

The Grizzlies struggled to get out and run in their season opener, but the “hot & cold” feel to the game gives every indication Memphis still has enough firepower to do some damage. Once they get back to running the half-court offense through Zach Randolph and forcing turnovers to create transition baskets things will begin working out for the Grizz.

The Magic find themselves in a similar position to the Denver Nuggets in 2010: aimlessly moving forward into the season with your star player eyeing the exit door. But the important thing for Orlando is to stack as many wins as they can while Dwight is still on the roster. One good sign from the opening games was seeing 53 percent team field goal percentage on the tail end of a back-to-back to finish the season. If Hedo Turkoglu and J.J. Redick can play the sharpshooting role with no rest, the Magic will have an advantage in the lockout-shortened season.

Dallas Mavericks

It’s not quite panic time in the Big D, but the time is ticking for the Mavs to shake the Championship hangover and gel with their new additions. With the packed schedule of the lockout-shortened season, 2 weeks of “adjustment” period could be the different in a 4 or 8 seed for the Mavs – if they have plans of returning to the playoffs.

If Spencer Hawes is going to be putting up near-triple doubles on a regular basis, Doug Collins will have all kinds of unique weapons at his disposal in the upcoming season. The Sixers lost their opener to a strong Portland team, but there was enough fight displayed and enough bench production from Lou Williams late in the game to feel good about their chances to compete in the East this season.

The Jimmer Fever has caught on in Sacramento, and the Kings fans can get excited about the potential for lights-out shooting from Fredette and Marcus Thornton. Things won’t go as well for the Kings on cold shooting nights, when they’ll need to rely on DeMarcus Cousins to establish an inside presence to balance the offense.

The Bobcats enter the season with plenty of question marks on the roster, but head coach Paul Silas appears to have a system that worked at least for the season-opening win against Milwaukee. Kemba Walker delivered another productive performance off the bench, and point guard D.J. Augustin looks more aggressive offensively trying to get to the basket. The Bobcats will suffer from mismatches this season, particularly without a physically dominant big man on the block, but it will give Tyrus Thomas the ability to shine defensively when healthy.

The Bucks are one of the many teams that looked a little rusty in their debut, blowing a 13-point lead against the Bobcats on the road before bouncing back at home. New addition Stephen Jackson wasted no time in picking up his first technical foul as a Buck, get T’d up and fouling out with 3:56 to play against Charlotte and then quickly finding himself on the injury report moving forward. But with Andrew Bogut healthy the Bucks are a solid middle-of-the-road Eastern Conference team no matter the status of S-Jax.

The encouraging win in the season-opener at Cleveland demonstrated a few new improvements to Toronto’s game. They moved the ball around the court well, constantly looking for the next pass to the open man . With 35 assists on 42 field goals, head coach Dwayne Casey was pleased with the efficiency of the offense. But good trends against the Cavs are one thing, taking their act on the road against Dallas and Orlando will test this young Raptors squad.

The Rockets will be a work in progress as the season gets underway, as new head coach Kevin McHale figures out exactly how to use the many pieces collected by GM Daryl Morey. Samuel Dalembert looked extremely productive off the bench in the season-opening loss, as did Kyle Lowry and the always-consistent Luis Scola. But if Kevin Martin and Chase Budinger combine on 0-for-9 shooting from three-point range again, it will be hard to collect wins while they figure out the best rotation.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Ricky Rubio has finally arrived, and the Timberwolves have shown glimpses of promise despite their 0-2 start. Throw them on your list as “favorite league pass teams,” as the Rubio/J.J. Barea backcourt promises several games worth of highlights. Kevin Love has shown no drop-off from his All-Star ways in 2010-2011, so now it is a matter of Minnesota figuring out how to turn that promise into wins.

The Suns are long and athletic down low, with Marcin Gortat and Robin Lopez looking effective close to the basket in the season opener. The Suns have relied on strong 3-point shooting in recent years, but the new retooled lineup may require Alvin Gentry to rework the offense to fit the personnel.

The Jazz have lots of young and moving pieces, but there is enough talent in Utah to think they can push themselves into the postseason once they figure out their roster. Derrick Favors looks poised for a big season, and rookie big man Enes Kanter has been itching to hit the hardwood for almost 18 months. Things have looked shaky early, but on paper there is certainly potential.

No. 1 overall draft pick Kyrie Irving survived a dreadful shooting performance in the season opener, but was able to add seven assists while only committing one turnover. Fellow rookie Tristan Thompson looked active off the bench, but this Cavs team has a lot of gelling to do before we see their true potential in 2012.

Kris Humphries getting booed in opposing NBA arenas is fine with head coach Avery Johnson as long as he channels that into performances like his 21 point, 16 rebound output in the opener against the Wizards. But if the Nets plan to compete all season with their current roster, Deron Williams will have his hands full trying to make the soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets a playoff team in 2012.

Pistons head coach Lawrence Frank will spend of lot of time working with the rotation, as he tries to find a balance between veterans like Ben Gordon, Tayshaun Prince, and Jason Maxiell, and talented young players like Greg Monroe, Austin Daye, and rookie Brandon Knight. Unfortunately the early results from Piston basketball is being out rebounded and shooting poorly. Not a great start in Motown.

The Wizards are still upbeat, but unfortunately they are still turning the ball over as well. Much is expected this season from John Wall, but the speedy second-year point guard will need to get some help as the Wiz need to improve on rebounding to take advantage of their high-flying transition game.

First Round: vs. Pacers (won series 3-1)

Win Pct. against Eastern Conference Playoff teams: .625

Outlook: The Bulls are all-business right now, with eyes set on bringing the NBA Championship back to Chicago.  They have the personnel and defensive discipline to basically cruise to the Eastern Conference Finals.  Once we get to the conference finals everything from there is a crap-shoot.  But the Bulls have something better than chance – they have Derrick Rose.  The Bulls create matchup problems for the Celtics and Heat, and I honestly have no idea what would happen in a seven game series against LA – but I hope it happens.

First Round: vs. Hornets (won series 4-0)

Win Pct. against Western Conference Playoff teams: .652

Outlook: Without a doubt the Lakers’ ability to defend their title will depend on their health, most notably the condition of Andrew Bynum’s knee.  Last season Los Angeles was able to win a title with Bynum basically playing on one leg, but could they do it again?  They should easily dismantle New Orleans before facing the winner of Dallas/Portland.  The key for LA will be to dispose of their next opponent early to give as much as rest as possible before the Western Conference Finals.  San Antonio could easily be pushed to 6 or 7 games by their second opponent, and the Lakers could use any advantage against their decade-long rivals.

First Round: vs. 76ers (won series 3-0)

Win Pct. against Eastern Conference Playoff teams: .520

Outlook: You want to be in a good rhythm coming into the playoffs, and the Heat have the beats pumping right now.  All season they have been streaky, and now they have a chance to set out what they were assembed to do: win an NBA title.  But more than anything, what gives them a chance this spring/summer is the presence of #6 and #3.  Both James and Wade have completely shut down and taken over playoff games before, and now they are on the floor together.  The only flaw that jumps out looking at the Heat is half-court execution and supporting cast, but even that can be solved by super-human performances from either one of their stars.

First Round: vs. Grizzlies (series tied 2-2)

Win Pct. against Western Conference Playoff teams: .615

Outlook: Ginobli’s hyper-extended elbow may not be as big a deal, considering the injury is on his off-side.  But it does raise extra attention on the Spurs inexperienced bench.  All season the Spurs’ reserves have been one of the keys to their success.  But most of those role players are lacking when it comes to playoff experience.  The bench will need to mature quickly and deliver down the stretch in order for the Spurs to get past their second round opponent.  Whether it’s the Thunder or Nuggets, they should expect a tough and energetic 6 or 7 game series.

First Round: vs. Knicks (won series 4-0)

Win Pct. against Eastern Conference Playoff teams: .731

Outlook: Of all the title contenders, Boston faces easily one of the most intriguing opponents in the first round.  Doc Rivers chose to rest his stars, allowing Miami to take home-court for a potential second round matchup, but now the Celtics have to face Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudamire and the streaking New York Knicks.  But the Knicks’ success was dependent on three pointers dropping, and few teams play more disciplined defense than the Celtics.  They should advance, though expect the Knicks to steal at least one in the Garden.  As far as Miami goes, the X-factor will be Boston’s bigs forcing James and Wade to become jump shooters.  The Celtics want another shot at LA, but it’s going to be harder than ever to get there.

First Round: vs. Trail Blazers (series tied 2-2)

Win Pct. against Western Conference Playoff teams: .400

Outlook: After such a strong regular season, it’s a shame that the Mavericks will have such a tough road out of the Western Conference Playoffs.  Portland is a dangerous 6-seed that has been playing spectacular basketball as of late, and even if they escape that they will have to take down the Lakers with no home-court.  The Mavericks have been one of the best teams in the league at executing inthe fourth quarter, and I think they will win a few games based on that advantage.  However, knocking off the defending champs may be too tall an order for the Mavs.

Orlando Magic (52-30), 4th in East

First Round: vs. Hawks (lost series 3-1)

Win Pct. against Eastern Conference Playoff teams: .538

Outlook: After the hype surrounding Orlando’s blockbuster trade earlier this season, the 4th seed seems a little underwhelming for Magic fans.  The new-look Magic can beat anyone in the league when the deep ball is falling, and struggle offensively when they are off.  Even though the Hawks won the regular-season series, it is hard to imagine them being able to neutralize Howard across a seven-game series.  If they get past Atlanta, I do not foresee them knocking off the Bulls – who have beaten Orlando three straight times.

First Round: vs. Thunder (lost series 3-1)

Win Pct. against Western Conference Playoff teams: .500

Outlook: It’s too bad that despite how well the Nuggets have played after trading Carmelo, they will likely have to face Oklahoma City in the first round of the playoffs. One of the only teams that can match Denver’s athleticism and tenacity, the Thunder are one of three teams in the West I think would beat Denver in a seven-game series. Still, fantastic to watch the development of Ty Lawson and Aaron Afflalo once the MeloDrama was all over.

First Round: vs. Celtics (lost series 4-0)

Win Pct. against Eastern Conference Playoff teams: .407

Outlook: Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony helped lead Denver to the Western Conference Finals in 2009 before falling to the Lakers in six games.  In 2010 Amar’e Stoudamire helped the Suns get to the Western Conference Finals before falling to the Lakers in six as well.  Now all three stars will align in New York City to try and begin the new chapter of Knicks postseason history.  They enter on a hot streak, but they also have not faced very difficult competition down the stretch.  Boston will be a rude awakening, particularly for the supporting cast.  Still, the Knicks have a shot to push this to 6 or 7 games.

First Round: vs. Mavericks (series tied 2-2)

Win Pct. against Western Conference Playoff teams: .444

Outlook: The Blazers finished on top of the 6-7-8 battle down the stretch, and now have a decent shot to pull a first round shocker.  Since the first round went to 7 games in 2003, lower seeds are 12-52 in the opening round.  But of those 12 upsets, the 6-seed has been a popular cinderella.  They have all the pieces to matchup position by position with the Mavs, and should push this to 6 or 7 easily.  Definitely the upset pick in the opening round.

First Round: vs. Magic (won series 3-1)

Win Pct. against Eastern Conference Playoff teams: .500

Outlook: The play of Collins and Pachulia down the stretch do give the Hwks some reason to hope against the Magic.  It would not surprise me to see Atlanta break out some zone defense and force Orlando’s shooters to beat them from outside.  If the shots aren’t falling, Atlanta will have a good chance to finally escape the first round.

First Round: vs. Heat (lost series 3-0)

Win Pct. against Eastern Conference Playoff teams: .360

Outlook: A lot of credit is due to Doug Collins for the work he has done with Philadelphia this year, turning them into a legitimate playoff contender for the first time in a while.  Lou Williams is supposed to return for the series, which will help the Sixers on the offensive end against the lockdown D of the Heat.  Both teams will want to run, so this series could end up being very fun to watch.  Philadelphia may steal one or two games, but I do not foresee James or Wade allowing this series to go 7.

First Round: vs. Spurs (series tied 2-2)

Win Pct. against Western Conference Playoff teams: .538

Outlook: Could you imagine the threat Memphis might pose to the Spurs if Rudy Gay was healthy?  Unfortunately, he is not and Memphis faces the difficult task of channeling the Believe! Warriors as they attempt to knock off the top-seeded Spurs.  Experience can play a huge role in the playoffs, and that is one area where Memphis is seriously lacking.  Great for the franchise to make the postseason, but the run should end in 4-5 games.

First Round: vs. Lakers (lost series 4-0)

Win Pct. against Western Conference Playoff teams: .444

Outlook: The Hornets strung together just enough wins at the right times this season to finish with a win count that put them in the postseason.  The truth of the matter is that the Hornets don’t present a huge threat to most of the Western Conference.  Even worse, they are facing a Lakers team that will be looking to “flip the switch” in the first round.  They don’t have much playoff experience, and will be overwhelmed on the front line.  At least they get to sell more tickets.

First Round: vs. Bulls (lost series 3-1)

Win Pct. against Eastern Conference Playoff teams: .308

Outlook: Head coach Frank Vogel deserves every bit of credit for turning this team around after Jim O’Brien’s dismissal.  The change helped the emergence of a young core of players that could provide the Pacers hope to return to that position of being annually competitive in the East.  Winning one game against the all-business Bulls would be good, two might seem like a miracle.

The Bulls win dirty, the Bulls win clean.  Whether they are taking the game down the wire or dropping 60+ points in a half, they just have everything clicking right now.  As Noah and Boozer continue to learn how to share the floor defensively, the Bulls only continue to get closer to championship form.

On Tuesday night I was willing to ignore the Lakers’ performance against the Nuggets and had them in the top spot for the Power Rankings.  But then I saw the dismal fourth quarter collapse against the Jazz.  The bench has served as a spark of energy and production in the Lakers’ recent run, but the starters have been painstakingly off in their execution in the last two games.

Why in the world are the Heat going after Eddy Curry?  Is that a joke?  It has to be a joke.  I do not see how this could help Miami’s chances to lock down the #2 seed, other than provide a massive lane-clogger to counteract Shaq (if he’s healthy).  The biggest problem for the Heat looking towards the postseason is figuring out how to win games when the pace is slowed down to playoff-speed.  Miami has struggled at times in half-court execution, and they will have to solve that if they plan to emerge victorious from the Eastern Conference.

Tim Duncan’s return brings about more than much-needed wins, it brings that sense of confidence that the Spurs will need to return to the Western Conference finals for the fifth time since 2003.  The way the playoffs are sorting out, it looks like they will need to get past either the Thunder or Nuggets to get there, which will be no easy task.

With Kendrick Perkins off in Oklahoma City, Shaq’s health has become a much more pivotal issue for the Celtics in the playoffs.  The problem is that it took less than a quarter for O’Neal to get re-injured and his availability in the postseason has been called into question.  However, do the Celtics really need another big against anyone other than the Magic?  The way it sorts out now they might miss Orlando all together.

After blowing it big-time against Toronto, Orlando locked up the fourth seed in the playoffs with a win over Milwaukee.  Now with an almost certain meeting with the Hawks on the horizon, Orlando’s shooters need to find their touch again.  The Magic are one of the league’s most dangerous team when the likes of Richardson, Turkoglu, Nelson, and Arenas are knocking down treys with any consistency.

Dallas Mavericks

Speaking of consistency, how about a lack of it from Dallas since the All Star break.  Once firmly in position on top of the Western Conference, Dallas now has to deal with a surging Oklahoma City team that could close the gap on third place.  Even worse? That would set up a date with Denver in the first round.  If Dallas plays like they have been in this three-game losing streak, all those wins might not amount to much in late April.

It’s too bad that despite how well the Nuggets have played after trading Carmelo, they will likely have to face Oklahoma City in the first round of the playoffs.  One of the only teams that can match Denver’s athleticism and tenacity, the Thunder are one of three teams in the West I think would beat Denver in a seven-game series.  Still, fantastic to watch the development of Ty Lawson and Aaron Afflalo once the MeloDrama was all over.

With their win over , the Hornets are sitting on top of the Memphis/Portland/Nola battle for the moment.  This will be a dogfight to the very end as these three teams jockey for playoff position in the last week of play.  The Hornets have a must-win date with Memphis on Sunday.  If they can remain at 6 without David West, it is really going to say something about Monty Williams’ job at the helm.

As mentioned above, Portland finds themselves locked in the battle for 6-7-8 and will jockey for position the rest of the way.  Unfortunately they did not help themselves by following bit wins against Dallas and Oklahoma City with a home loss to Golden State.

The emergence of Collins as a competent starting center for the Hawks has really changed their makeup heading into the playoffs, and that’s a good thing.  Collins bodied Howard well the last time they played, and could finally provide that presence that has been lacking in this divisional rivalry over the last few years.  Should make for a fun first round series.

Memphis is currently locked into the 8 spot in the West. They are half a game out of 7th, and a full game out of 6th. With Sacramento, New Orleans, Portland, and Los Angeles all on the schedule, the Grizzlies control their destiny more than the other two teams in the “race for 6th.” If Memphis can avoid facing San Antonio and Los Angeles, they might actually have a chance to win a playoff series for the first time in franchise history. Big emphasis on “might” though.

The Knicks face a tough road down the stretch of their regular season, but put on a quite an offensive show against Toronto at home.  There really is nothing like a home game against the Raptors to rejuvenate an offense.  Anthony will be the difference maker in the coming weeks, hopefully showing the same killer instinct that helped carry the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals in 2009.

The Sixers got a good preview of their potential first round matchup with Boston on Tuesday.  Doug Collins continues to make his case for Coach of the Year, as the 76ers have fought off the Knicks for the 6th spot in the East.  If Lou Williams cannot make it back from his hamstring injury it is hard to give them much of a chance against the Celtics.  Williams provides the offensive spark and go-to scoring capability that will be needed when the game slows down in the playoffs.

Going 15-6 since the All Star break is impressive enough to earn some more nationally televised games, a few more hours of radio talk, and respect from the NBA community.  Unfortunately it is still not enough for Houston to make the Western Conference playoffs.  Their bad home loss to Sacramento might as well have been a white flag being raised in Houston.

Indiana Pacers

In most other situations, Indiana would have played themselves out of the playoffs, but thanks to recent wins over Milwaukee and Charlotte – along with combustion by the Bobcats and Bucks – have pretty much secured Indiana into the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Bucks lost a major opportunity with Charlotte’s recent losses, but Milwaukee has failed to capitalize as well.  Hope is fading for a team that never quite got healthy enough to make the playoffs.

Things have not been great in Utah since the departure of Jerry Sloan.  Now the season will end as only the 2nd losing season in the last 27 years for the franchise.  But damn if they didn’t pull off an impressive upset against the Lakers on Tuesday night.  Gordon Hayward got his Butler revenge going for a career-high 22 points against Kobe.  They probably don’t deserve a bump this high, but it was an awesome performance by Utah in the Staples Center.

The Bobcats had a chance to pull off quite the stunner by making the playoffs even after trading away Gerald Wallace at the trade deadline.  But after being right in the hunt for the 8th spot in the East, the Bobcats have lost three in a row and now are likely out of the chase.

The Suns have checked out.  No other way to put it.  Even when Vince Carter awakes from an “illness”-induced slump it isn’t enough to inspire the Suns to pull an upset when given the chance.  They’ve lost 6 of their last 7 and played their way right out of the playoff hunt.

The Warriors have taken to playing spoiler in the West, knocking off Dallas and Portland in back-to-back games.  Final stretch will be difficult though, with Los Angeles, Denver, and another matchup with Portland before the season’s end.

The Clippers have also been playing spoiler to playoff teams, with recent wins over Oklahoma City and Memphis.  However, I’d expect to see different attitudes when they have to face both teams again before the end of the seaon.

Washington Wizards

Winners of four of their last five, the Wizards are at least doing a decent job of showcasing their young talent to try and sell season tickets for next year.  John Wall, Javale McGee, and Jordan Crawford have all played a crucial piece in the recent W’s.

Brace yourself, but the Kings have won six of their last eight contests.  Marcus Thornton is continuing his tear with Sacramento, scoring 20 points or more in 10 of his last 14 games.

Even with a remaining schedule that contains only one playoff team, it is hard to get excited about the home stretch of a team that is on a four-game losing streak.  It’s another season of ping-pong ball dreaming for the boys from the Motor City.

The Raptors lost 7 of 8, and came dangerously close to allowing New York to set all kinds of records on Tuesday night.  Luckily, they held New York to only 131 points in the losing effort.

The Nets have had a depressingly bad finish to the season, even with the addition of Deron Williams.  They aren’t the worst in the league, but they need to make some acquisitions if they want to keep the All Star point guard around after 2012.

Well here is one uplifting stat for Cavaliers fans: Cleveland has won more games since March 1 (5) than they did in December, January, and February combined (4).

The Timberwolves are finishing the season about where they are usually expected to be, down at the bottom of the power rankings.  After a spectacular season, Kevin Love’s groin has led to a long string of losses and a disappointing finish for the first-time All-Star.

We should have never doubted the Lakers when they told us to wait for the switch to go off.  With two weeks left in the regular season, no one is playing better basketball than Los Angeles.  LA has won 15 of their last 16, and there is no reason to think that they can’t make a run to overtake San Antonio for the top spot in the West.

The Derrick Rose/LeBron James MVP debate should have ended this week when James gave his endorsement to the Chicago point guard.  But while the Bulls have overtaken the Celtics for the top spot, there are some concerns heading into the playoffs.  The Bulls need Noah to be healthy and continue to improve on that road record if they have hopes of making it back to the NBA Finals for the first time since Jumpman.

The San Antonio Spurs are in trouble.  All season we talked about how it could all come crashing down if this aging roster could not stay healthy.  Things looked very “Phoenix” for a while with Duncan able to stay on the court and Pop keeping an eye on everyone’s minutes.  But now with Duncan and Ginobli banged up, the Spurs are at risk of losing the home-court advantage in the Western Conference.

The Mavs have fought furiously to keep up with Los Angeles’ run, but my guess is they will be destined to finish 3rd in the Western Conference and either face Portland or New Orleans in the first round.  If Caron Butler is back, as he says he will be, they should have a fighting chance to make it to the Western Conference finals.

The loss to Cleveland certainly was an unexpected bump in the road as Miami charges after Boston and Chicago, but I do not think it is reflective of the state of Heat basketball.  Currently tied with Boston for second place, Miami plays five of their final seven games against teams with sub-.500 records.  They aren’t just trying to overtake Boston, they’ll have a shot to take home-court from Chicago as well.

Kevin Durant’s scoring has gone down in the month of March, and might cost him his second straight scoring title.  However, the Thunder went 14-2 in the month of March and will likely clinch the 4 seed and get home-court advantage in the first round.  If Durant’s struggles allow the Thunder to make it to the Western Conference Semifinals, I think KD will be fine giving up the scoring title.

Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets continue to surge, now 13-4 since trading Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks.  Sitting a full five games behind Oklahoma City, Denver’s greatest task for the playoff picture is fighting off Portland and New Orleans from taking their spot.  Denver moves fast and has been playing with confidence, but they need to improve their half-court execution to give themselves the best chance with the playoffs slow down their game.

With Dwight picking up another technical, we are reaching the point where the new rule might really hurt Orlando in the playoffs.  If Dwight misses a game in the playoffs it could end up costing the Magic a series.  With Toronto, Milwaukee, and two matchups with the Bobcats on the horizon, the Magic should be able to keep their cool and add to their win count.

Huge win for New Orleans on Wednesday night to beat the Blazers and take control of the 6-seed in the playoffs.  Even without David West, the Hornets bench has answered with inspired play and Monty Williams looks like a bright young coach once again.

Portland suffered a tough loss at the hands of the Hornets, but with their recent play and no David West there should be every opportunity for Portland to reclaim that sixth position before the playoffs start.

If you listened to Josh Smith’s postgame comments following the Orlando win on Wednesday, you can tell that the Hawks have their feet on the ground.  They have not played their best basketball this season, and likely have another matchup with the Magic coming in the first round of the playoffs.  It’s all business if Atlanta wants to avoid another first round exit.

Unreal production from the Grizzlies bench to help keep this team in the playoff hunt.  With big time wins over Boston and San Antonio, you can tell this team is planning on delivering that postseason berth even without Rudy Gay.

With an experienced coach and inspired play recently, the Sixers are no one that you would want to face in the 1st round of the playoffs.  Sitting comfortably in the 6th spot, they will be one of the reasons Boston, Chicago, and Miami are fighting for the 1 and 2 seeds.

Houston really needs Memphis to stop knocking off giants if they want to complete this playoff push.  But with four out of their final seven games coming against playoff-bound teams, they will need to do some giant killing of their own to make the cut.

Just when you assume that the Bobcats are tanking the season, Paul Silas inspires a four-game winning streak that has pulled Charlotte one game out of 8th place.  Even though a playoff berth would likely result in another sweep, it would be a huge endorsement for Silas who has gotten it done without Gerald Wallace and a banged up Steven Jackson.

Indiana Pacers

Their recent losses have allowed Charlotte and Milwaukee to climb back into the playoff race.  If Indiana falls out of the postseason, it will erase much of the feel-good attitude for new coach Frank Vogel in Indiana.  The coach needs this postseason berth to validate his spot with the franchise.

Milwaukee’s blunder against the Bobcats will hurt a lot more if Charlotte makes the playoffs and Milwaukee gets an early vacation.  The schedule guru’s were not kind to the Bucks either, with 7 of their final 10 games being played on the road.

The Knicks narrow victory over the Nets may have revealed more bad than good from their recent slide.  The Knicks have been outscored in the fourth quarter in their last eight games and have struggled to finish when it counts.  We’ll see if holding off New Jersey inspires New York to “find it” again before the playoffs start.

As well as Steve Nash has played recently, the Suns have not been able to get the must-win victories needed to really push the Grizzlies for the playoffs.  With the playoffs likely out of sight, I hope Alvin Gentry allows Nash to play as many minutes necessary so the 37-year-old all star can win his 5th assist title.

After a 27-13 start, the Jazz have gone 9-25.  That’s not a flip-flop, that’s a full blown recession.  That home-court advantage in Utah? Erased.  At this point their injury woes are only increasing their chances with the ping pong balls.

Just let the guards play.  Curry and Ellis continue to put up impressive numbers as a scoring duo, and at this point lets just see how many points they can get.

Losing Eric Gordon for 26 games has really hurt the Clippers this season, but if you are going to blame him for the keeping Blake out of the playoff hunt you have lost your mind.  Don’t forget LA started the season 5-21.

Detroit Pistons

Detroit hasn’t quit, for some odd reason.  Now I’m starting to actually think they do have the pieces to build a team for the future.  The frontline of Monroe – Jerakbo – Daye – with Stuckey at the helm doesn’t sound all that bad.  Heck, that team could make the Eastern Conference playoffs next year considering how weak the field has been in 2011.

Playing in Sacramento has kick-started Marcus Thornton’s individual numbers, and his numbers have helped string together some wins for one of the sadder stories in the 2010-2011 season.  With a move looking inevitable, Thornton’s season average of 12.1 points per game seems like old news compared to the 24.5 he is averaging in his last 10 outings.

Part of me was kind of hoping that the Nets could pull off the upset in the Garden on Wednesday as a feel-good boost for Avery Johnson and Deron Williams.  But the heart-wrenching loss was their 8th in their last 9 games.  The only win?  An overtime victory against Cleveland – eish.

At 20-54, it is not unlikely that we will find the Raptors finishing this season with their worst record since 1997-1998.  The confusing thing is that they have played really well… for like a couple quarters at a time.  The inconsistent play has become a trademark of this bunch, and it might be time to look into making some moves this offseason.

Trevor Booker is done for the season with a crack in his foot.  But he can still host Wale at Oxygen after the Heat game!

Inspired win for Cleveland and good to see them dedicate the Miami victory to their fans.  I did not know until the game that Cleveland has still been averaging a 98% sellout during the regular season.  Shocked, but impressed.

Kevin Love’s aggravating groin has been just one major reason for a series of frustrating games for the Timberwolves in the last week.  Also, playing for the Timberwolves.

Tim Duncan’s injury should cause great concern for a Spurs team that could really use the home court advantage in the Western Conference.  The Lakers are on a tear, and never has the play of San Antonio’s bench been more important than in these last 12 games.

As of late Tuesday night, the Bulls surpassed the Celtics for the first spot in the Eastern Conference.  No longer firing warning shots across the bow, we have a full-blown war at the top of the Eastern Conference.  Literally every single game matters immensely as the Bulls, Celtics, and Heat will fight to sort out the 1, 2, and 3 position.  If Tuesday’s blowout of the Hawks in Atlanta is any indication, Chicago has no plans of slowing anytime soon.

Regardless of the challenges they face, the Lakers will always have #24 on the floor.  Bryant has been trotting around the Staples Center making his Mamba-face, so we know it must be getting close to April/May.  Regardless of all the doubt, we knew deep down this team would hit its stride right before the playoffs, and they have.  A lot of that can be credited to the health and play of Andrew Bynum over the last month, but a lot of it is just the Lakers being the Lakers.

The schedule guru’s put together a final stretch that favors the boys in South Beach, and the Heat will have every opportunity to try and catch Boston and Chicago.  Only two of Miami’s final 12 games are against playoff-caliber teams, one of those being a Sunday afternoon battle with the Celtics on April 10.  With the way LeBron has been playing recently, it is not unimaginable that Miami could be competing for top seeds in that matchup.

The Celtics got so up for their game Monday, it might have showed in their loss to the Grizzlies.  Not great execution down the stretch, but enough of a red flag to be concerned at all about the state of Celtics basketball.  They’ll need to play mistake-free basketball though, can’t have another 20 turnover game in the playoffs.

After tearing through a series of Eastern Conference opponents, the Thunder have put themselves in a position to make a run at Dallas and overtake the 3 seed in the Western Conference.  Luckily, the final games on the schedule don’t feature a complete crop of the Western elite.  As long as the Thunder take care of business, they should be able to win around 9 of their final 13 games on the schedule.

Orlando Magic

Dwight Howard deserves a bigger argument in the MVP discussion.  While what Derrick Rose has done across the entire season has been incredible, Howard is doing as much with less.  Howard is averaging more than 16 rebounds a game in Orlando’s last 10, and his current average on the season is 14.3.

With ten games left on the schedule, it is unlikely that the Nuggets can make up the four games  that separate them from a home-court advantage in the first round.  Which is good news for Oklahoma City, considering Denver’s 29-7 record at the Pepsi Center is one of the best in the NBA.  Regardless, with the way both teams are playing right now it will shape up to be a fantastic first round battle.

The Blazers have  been playing exceptionally well recently, and have won four of their last five.  They find themselves battling for position in the bottom half of the Western Conference playoff race.  Three games separate 5th plaice from 8th, and nobody wants to play San Antonio or Los Angeles.  Considering that, and the tough schedule down the stretch, Portland’s best basketball of the year should probably start now.

The Rockets have scratched and clawed and fought their way back into the playoff hunt.  Winners of five straight (and 7 of their last 9), Houston sits just two games behind a Memphis squad lacking Rudy Gay.  Kyle Lowry continues his breakout season, and even Chuck Hayes is getting triple-doubles.  Something is in the water down in Texas, and the Grizzlies have every reason to be concerned.

There is no denying the outlook is bleak for a Memphis team that won’t have Rudy Gay for the rest of the season.  With how well the Rockets are playing, they will need to give themselves a chance to win almost every night down the stretch.  Thankfully for Memphis fans, they already are doing just that.  On Wednesday night the Grizzlies did the unthinkable, walking into Boston without Gay and walking out victorious.  It was a complete team effort, with ten players seeing at least 11 minutes and six scoring in double-figures.  They will need more of that if they plan on keeping on a lock on that last postseason berth.

I completely realize that they are the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference according to the standings.  But these are “power rankings.”  The Hawks have shown very little “power” recently, particularly a complete no-show against the Bulls at home on Tuesday.  The Hawks have lost 7 of their last 10 and look like they will be a cupcake in the first round unless they turn things in another direction soon.

If there are any Doug Collins doubters left, they haven’t been watching Philadelphia at all in the second half of the season.    The Sixers surpassed New York in the standings for the 6th spot, and now even give themselves a chance to catch Atlanta for the 5th.  The ultimate goal in the East right now is to avoid Chicago/Boston/Miami at all costs.  If Philadelphia continues to play at a higher level than Atlanta (like they did on Wednesday night), this young team might achieve that goal.

The Hornets have turned it around since nearly falling out of the playoff race last month.  Their own “big three” of Chris Paul, David West, and Emeka Okafor are healthy and playing well.  They should be safe in their playoff status, but will need some major improvements on the offensive if they want to make the first round interesting.

The Suns are playing some of their best ball since the mega-trade, and now have made the Western Conference race interesting.  Phoenix has won three of their last four, with their only loss coming at the hands of the Lakers in triple overtime.    A lot of credit is due to the play of Aaron Brooks and the rest of the Suns’ bench.  Unfortunately, the final stretch includes a five game road trip and eight games against teams with +.500 records.

New York Knicks

This needs no additional attention.  The Knicks have performed worse since acquiring Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets.  One point that is less discussed is the injury to Chauncey Billups.  Bringing in Billups then losing him for six games could have altered the team’s development and chemistry.  That’s one of the last reasonable explanations I’ve got.  Regardless, the Knicks need to find some other answers fast.

The post-Sloan Jazz are now 5-12, and it seems like the days of dominance in Utah might be over.  Now the Jazz can only hope for Jimmer Fredette to come over after graduation in Provost and take over as the new face of the franchise.

The Pacers lost 7 of 9, and still are sitting in a position to make it to the postseason for the first time since 2006.  Hansbrough has continued his breakout month, averaging 21.0 points and 7.6 rebounds in his last 10 games.

If the Bucks can’t even get it together to beat the Knicks at home, I have no idea what can be expected from them.  Easily one of the more inconsistent teams in the conference, they never got a chance to really get used to each other with a healthy roster.  Playoff potential gone sour.  Hate to see it, but it’s an annual occurrence.

Another season of missed opportunity, but Golden State fans have to like the possibilities moving forward.  With Dorrell Wright’s production since the All-Star break, the Warriors have a solid core of players to build around.  The addition of a lottery pick and maybe some free agency moves could have them ready to make another run in 2011-2012.

Such a nasty dunk, too bad it didn’t count.

Despite all the off-court drama, it is good to see the Pistons still competing.  The drive is a mark of true professionals, but I still think this team needs to be blown up in the offseason to end this painful relationship between coach-management-players.

Charlotte Bobcats

It does not say much for the Eastern Conference that the Bobcats traded away their best player, have lost eight of their last ten games, and still have a shot to make the playoffs.  We might be focusing on the race at the top, but man we are missing this intense mediocrity at the bottom!

The Nets will absolutely need to make some moves if they want to keep Deron Williams.  The pieces they gave away clearly left some holes in this roster, and New Jersey is not ready to compete for the postseason as they are.

Now we enter the Chad Ford division of the power rankings.  At this point in the season, these teams have fans that are just re-hitting the “Play Lottery” simulator to see what pick they might achieve and who they could get at that spot.

It looks like Sacramento might be moving to Anaheim after all.  I feel bad Sac-town, but maybe the move will invigorate a franchise that hasn’t seen the postseason since 2006.

Minnesota’s players are backing Kurt Rambis. Seriously?  Wasn’t that the same coach who wasn’t giving minutes to Kevin Love?

JaVale McGee has made a habit of highlight swatting recently.  I’m not complaining, it at least energizes a crowd that seems ready to quit on the Wizards.

A roster that you would already consider depleted talent-wise is depleted health-wise.  Not pretty for anyone to watch.

No matter how decimated the Boston lineup is (only 9 healthy players in their last outing), as long as the Big Four are on the floor the Celtics have a chance. They are some of the best closers in the game, and the recent narrow wins support that fact. It is hard to imagine any team in the Eastern Conference other than Chicago taking down Boston in a seven game series as long as Rondo, Allen, Garnett, and Pierce are all healthy and active.

The Spurs bench was extremely productive earlier in the year, helping San Antonio jump out on the rest of the Western Conference. But now that injuries have forced those same players into more prominent roles, they are no longer an intimidating presence on the court. With 19 games remaining, they will need to fight to maintain the best record in the league and secure home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Lakers are back on one of their invincibility kicks since the All Star Break. Not only have they not lost, but they have looked completely dominant against any opposition. Now, the hottest elite team will travel to Miami to face the coldest. The fireworks are sure going to be fun on Thursday.

Sure, the Mavericks have been winning. A lot. But the recent string of wins might not be as impressive as it sounds. Of the last 12 Dallas wins, 8 of them have been over teams with a sub-.500 record. Now the challenges will get significantly tougher. We will learn a lot more about he Mavericks as they are tested in the weeks leading up to the postseason.

The Bulls have been on fire in recent weeks, winning 6 of their last 7 and taking control of the second spot in the Eastern Conference. Derrick Rose has been nothing short of amazing, and with Dwight Howard’s suspension and LeBron’s failure to close in the clutch; Rose’s MVP chances are slowly increasing.

As Chris Webber said: “no more talk.” These postgame press conferences are becoming pretty unbearable to watch. James turns the focus back to the playoffs, Coach Spo pulls his inspirational speeches from Disney movies, it is time the Heat shut up and play ball. They have two of the best players in the league, but can’t find a way to win. Do not count out this crew in the playoffs, but in order to prepare they need to click now.

Orlando Magic

Dwight Howard’s suspension may have severely damaged his MVP chances, but his role as the voice and leader of this team has not changed. Orlando plays 9 of their next 11 games on the road, beginning Wednesday night in Sacramento. This will be a time for the team to get a gut-check and figure out exactly what kind of ball they are going to play heading into the postseason.

Nate McMillan picks up a two-year extension as the Blazers have graciously welcomed Gerald Wallace to the Portland style of basketball. Wallace has meshed perfectly into the rotation, adding an All Star to an already productive bench. With Brandon Roy healthy, the Blazers have become one of the most clutch teams in the league, something that comes in handy in March/April.

So far the news has been all good in Denver. After many feared the Nuggets would collapse after dealing their superstar, Denver has answered by going 5-2 since the blockbuster trade. The new unit continues to mesh, but there is very little time for mistakes. Four teams are within 1.5 games of each other in the Western Conference standings. Finish at the top of that pile and you give yourself a chance to win a series. Finish at the bottom you likely face San Antonio or Los Angeles in the first round. Have fun with that.

The talk may have been about titles in the future when the Denver Nuggets shipped Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony to New York, but the present issues include avoiding the 7 seed in the playoffs. Despite their upgrades, New York does not want to face Boston or Chicago in the first round. Currently 3 games behind Atlanta in the 5th spot, New York must keep winning to keep a surging Philly squad at 7.

Doug Collins still has this 76ers team cruising, and now they are closing in on climbing another rung in the standings. Philadelphia gets it done by utilizing a deep bench of athletes to play tough defense and getting the transition game going. They play loose and fast, and are a ton of fun to watch. Not an easy out for anyone in the first round.

Al Horford has been literally carrying this team recently with his performance. But it has not been enough as the Hawks have dropped four of their last five. The makeup of the team has not changed dramatically since shipping off Mike Bibby, but Atlanta is hoping that Hinrich’s defensive presence will be enough to make a difference in the postseason.

Wins over San Antonio, Dallas, and Oklahoma City have the league taking the Grizzlies very seriously heading down the stretch. What’s even scarier? They are doing it without Rudy Gay. Tony Allen and Sam Young have continued their superb play as Memphis clings onto that 8th playoff spot with everything they’ve got.

With Chris Paul and Trevor Ariza out, the Hornets will be forced to get more production from Jarrett Jack and Wilie Green. As well as both have played in spots for New Orleans this year, it is not a position that makes head coach Monty Williams feel comfortable.

Despite looking as good as dead recently, the Suns have made a charge back into playoff contention. They currently sit 1.5 games behind Memphis, and as well as the Grizzlies have been playing every game will count down the stretch for Alvin Gentry’s squad.

Utah Jazz

Unlike Denver, things have not gone well for the Jazz since trading their All Star. The team has struggled to mesh and it took an overtime victory over the lowly Kings to end a seven game home losing streak. Utah used to be one of the most feared opponents in the league, particularly at home. But not the Ty Corbin-era Jazz, who are 2-7 since Sloan’s departure.

Tuesday night did not treat the Rockets well. Not only did they combust on the final play after charging back on Phoenix in the 4th, but Luis Scola left the game with a knee injury. The Argentinian has not only had a successful 2010-2011, but has played in 311 straight NBA games. That streak will likely end, as has Houston’s playoff hopes.

Now that Andrew Bogut has returned to the lineup Milwaukee can try and make charge back to the postseason. Unfortunately it feels like a little too late for the Bucks, who are currently sitting 2.5 games behind Indiana with a challenging schedule down the stretch.

The Pacers seem intent on giving away their playoff spot. I understand that the Celtics are intimidating, but if Frank Vogel wants to make his new seat permanent he will likely need to get Indiana to the postseason. The Pacers have lost four in a row and if the Bobcats weren’t equally cold they could find themselves out of the playoff picture.

Trading away Gerald Wallace was explained to the Bobcats fanbase as a move for the future. Initially, it looked like the present might not suffer, and Charlotte could still make the postseason. But with Stephen Jackson nursing a re-aggravated hamstring injury, the Bobcats on the floor look radically different from last year’s inaugural playoff squad.

After entering All Star Weekend having won 7 of 9, the Warriors have lost 6 of 8 since the break. They have been close losses, but Golden State’s failure to capitalize on the longest homestand in the NBA is now coming back to bite them with a brutal home stretch to the regular season schedule.

As much excitement as there seems to be around the Clippers with Mo Williams and this three game winning streak, it is still difficult to think this can go on much longer without their leading scorer, Eric Gordon, on the floor. The Clips have talent, but they have not been able to get comfortable with a rotation yet this season due to a consistently occupied injury report.

Detroit Pistons

You know, with how poorly the teams ahead of them are playing, it would not be completely out of question to think that Detroit could make up the 4 games that separate them from the Eastern Conference playoffs. Then you remember who is on the court, and how they have performed all season long.

Perhaps a pair of gritty wins in London against the Raptors can turn around the Deron Williams era in New Jersey. Williams will miss Wednesdays night for the birth of his fourth child. But with the Warriors and Clippers coming East to visit this week, there is no reason to think the Nets shouldn’t have an opportunity to continue the success in front of their home crowd.

After failing to close out the New Jersey Nets in London, the Raptors will have one of their best shots at collecting some feel-good late season wins in the weeks ahead. Between Utah, Indiana, Charlotte, Detroit, and Washington; only the Jazz have a record over .500. After that it will be off on a Western Conference road swing, which does not promise very fruitful results for the Raps.

Baron Davis has actually been playing some pretty strong ball since suiting up in the #85 for Cleveland. It is too bad that Jamison is out as well and Byron Scott can’t even see what the two former All Stars can do together. Cavs just can’t catch a break.

Advantages to Washington’s injury woes – more NBA experience for Kevin Seraphin, the talented rookie from France. Disadvantages – everything else.

Unfortunately, the team seems destined for Anaheim is appears. It did not help that the Kings have the NBA’s worst home record at 8-24. Rookie Demarcus Cousins has continued to improve on the offensive and defensive end, but it just another small moral victory amidst a large collection of losses.

Heading into Wednesday’s showdown against the Pacers, Kevin Love’s 51 consecutive double-double’s gives him the record since the merger, and puts him one more game away from having the all-time NBA record. As Love said himself, “I’d be jumping if we were winning and everyone was playing great, including myself” Yikes. Timberwolves have now dropped 11 of 13.

Gregg Popovich thinks winning is boring? He wasn’t saying that when the Spurs won four titles between 1999-2007. The Spurs continue to play another level above the rest of the league, and hopefully will have a chance to prove themselves as the best team in basketball come May/June. With how successful the season has been, I would hate to see a 2010 Cavs-type situation with a Conference Semis exit.

Danny Ainge has not had this many doubters in Boston since before assembling the Big Three in 2007. Jeff Green provides defense, and is a solid basketball player, but can Boston replace Perkins with Troy Murphy. It seems like the Celtics are counting on Shaq being healthy and effective come playoff time. Luckily, that is a position that the Big Leprechaun is quite used to filling.

The Mavericks greatest strength is not the superstars, it has been the consistent play of their bench. Dallas has won 18 of their last 19 games and have the NBA’s longest winning streak at 7 games. Tyson Chandler’s ankle should cause some concern, but when the roster is healthy this team could take down anyone in a seven game series.

Mike Bibby has arrived in Miami, and supposedly the ball will be in his hands. Will the Heat be able to put Bibby into the mix and mesh in time for the Eastern Conference playoffs? At some point the Heat have to start thinking about seeds too. Falling to the 3 spot means facing the Knicks, the one opponent no one wants to see in the first round.

Sure, Kobe’s scoring has dropped off significantly this season. But we have seen more and more in recent how comfortable Bryant is in his new role as a closer. After spending three quarters helping distribute and facilitate the offense, Mamba turns into a cold blooded killer in the fourth. It’s the thing that the Lakers will need most in the coming months to defense their title.

Last season the magic finished their 19-3 in their final 22 games. If they can do it again, they will improve their seed (and chances) of advancing back to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Magic are struggling with injury, but if they can get healthy and hot again it should make for a strong competition at the top coming down the stretch of the NBA regular season.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder have been able to build a team around Kevin Durant. He is not the only option, but he is the heartbeat of the franchise. So seeing Durant twist his ankle while driving on Tyler Hansbrough has to be the worst possible image for Thunder fans in March. We (NBA fans everywhere) wish nothing other than a full and fast recovery to the scoring leader.

You never like to finish a road trip 3-4, but considering the opponents and the roster shuffle that has ensued the Hawks will take it. Now with Hinrich on the squad, the Hawks kick off a four game home stand that will include rematches against the Knicks and Lakers. They got a good start with a big upset win over the Bulls thanks to Al Horford’s late game heroics.

Ty Lawson has one the best opportunities of his young career after the Melo trade, being named the new starting point guard. The Nuggets are still in a position to make the playoffs, and if Denver can finish strong it would be a great resume-builder for the speedy playmaker.

Gerald Wallace is slowly finding his minutes in the Trail Blazer’s rotation, and once he carves out his spot Portland will only be more suited to play the roll of giant killer to one of the unsuspecting Western Conference leaders.

The new day has finally arrived in the Big Apple. With Carmelo suiting up in the Orange and Blue alongside Stoudamire, the real key for this Knicks team is their new point guard. Chauncey Billups has two years left on his contract and will be the most important piece of the picture when the playoffs come rolling around. The key will be to win as many games as possible to avoid the 7 or 8 seed and have to face Boston or Miami in the first round.

With Rudy Gay out, Memphis has been forced to call on players like Tony Allen and Sam Young for help in his absence. Thankfully, the players have stepped up and the Grizzlies are holding onto the 8th spot in the Western Conference even without their best player.

The 76ers finally had their winning streak halted by the hotter team in the NBA (Dallas). Philadelphia still looks dangerous, and certainly not a team you would want to face in the playoffs. But there are too many pieces of that team that have very little postseason experience to make me believe they are an actual threat.

When did Channing Frye become so clutch? Two game-winners in a row and now the Suns look like they might be back in contention for a Western Conference playoff spot.

The Hornets have been held under 100 points in 12 of last 13 games. They have been sliding down the standings and now are in jeopardy of losing their playoff position if they don’t turn things around. The Hornets don’t get to the rack very often, and thus don’t shoot very many free throws. When the jump shots are falling, everything is fine. But that should not be the primary function of your offense.

Houston Rockets

Luis Scola, Chase Buddinger, and handful of other Rockets are now healthy, and Houston is cruising. With Aaron Brooks off in Phoenix, this is Kyle Lowry’s team now. Houston’s next challenge will be fighting their way into playoff picture. Currently 3.5-4 games out of the 6-7-8 spots, they will need to string together several wins in order to sneak in late.

Utah quickly realized that Deron Williams was not going to sign any extensions with the Jazz and got what they could while the market was hot. Now the Jazz have signed Ty Corbin to a multi-year deal and Utah fans have moved on from the Jerry Sloan era officially.

One of the things that interim coach Frank Vogel has done since taking over the Indiana Pacers has been utilizing a deep bench of young talent. Vogel has been spreading the minutes around, and it has been to the advantage of young talent like Lance Stephenson and Paul George. It seems to be working too, with the Pacers climbing into the 8th spot in the East since firing Jim O’Brien in late January.

The Bucks have been decimated by injuries all season. Until now, it has been one of the main reasons they have struggled to get wins. They still have a loaded injury report, the only difference now is Brandon Jennings is on the floor. The window of opportunity is closing to make the playoffs, but with Jennings on the floor Milwaukee always has a chance.

Michael Jordan made quite a statement by shipping off the Bobcats inaugural player to Portland. The cap space and draft picks acquired will give the Bobcats an opportunity to build for the future. The only downside might be alienating a fan base that was just starting to buy into the organization. If the Bobcats want to make the postseason for the second year in a row, they will need top-level performance from Stephen Jackson down the stretch.

Golden State enjoyed one of the longest home stands in the NBA earlier in 2011, and now they are paying for it with a brutal road schedule. The wins will be hard to come by, so they have to take advantage of the easier opponents when they can. Hard to find fight in a team well out of the playoff race, but that is why head coach Keith Smart gets paychecks.

With Detroit completely combusting in the locker room, I struggle to find hope in Detroit. The only upside to the players’ boycott of head coach John Kuester has been the extra minutes for players that aren’t winding up their careers.

Los Angeles Clippers

Mo Williams is the happiest man in the NBA, moving from Cleveland to Los Angeles. Throwing alley-oops from J.J. Hickson, now tossing them to Blake Griffin. Still the Clippers, who displayed so much promise earlier in the season, are in a familiar position near the bottom of the Western Conference.

Calderon’s explosion against New Orleans finally gave the Raptors something to cheer about in Toronto. The losing streak is over, but unfortunately it is a little too late for the Raptors to avoid the lottery. Even in the weaker Eastern Conference, it’s back to the ping pong balls for Toronto.

Deron Williams has arrived, but the Nets have not turned around their losing ways quite yet. Williams won’t even talk extension until he thinks he is with a winner, and New Jersey is not doing a good job of proving that to him early.

With Tyreke Evans on the bench, Marcus Thornton has been thrust into the role of leading scorer quickly in Sacramento. Luckily Thornton appears ready for that role. Not sure if the former SEC Player of the Year is ready for the kind of losing that happens in Sacramento. For however long they remain in Sacramento…

John Wall is already frustrated with his teammates and lashing out. That kind of frustration should not be bubbling over this publicly this early. You are only 50-some games in to your career John, there are PLENTY of games left for you in Washington.

One advantage of Corey Brewer’s departure in the Carmelo deal is going to be the increased minutes for Wesley Johnson. The 4th in the 2010 draft, Johnson will see more minutes and perhaps gain some confidence in his game. Oh yeah, and Kevin Love’s double-double count is at 48. No big deal.

Ship out one disgruntled point guard, receive an older one. Baron Davis and Byron Scott have supposedly buried the hatchet from their New Orleans days, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

Gregg Popovich thinks winning is boring? He wasn’t saying that when the Spurs won four titles between 1999-2007. The Spurs continue to play another level above the rest of the league, and hopefully will have a chance to prove themselves as the best team in basketball come May/June. With how successful the season has been, I would hate to see a 2010 Cavs-type situation with a Conference Semis exit.

Dwyane Wade has been on fire, LeBron James is catching 90 foot passes, and Bosh is dropping digits on his old team. The Miami wrecking crew is in full effect, and now they take their talents to Hollywood for the weekend. I wonder how the Big 3 and Boston’s Big 4 will co-exist on the Eastern Conference squad.

The crowd changed his name, and the Roddy show finally took off on Wednesday night in Dallas. The Mavericks have won 12 of their last 13, and now are as healthy as they could hope to be heading into the back half of the season. There are so many weapons in the Dallas backcourt, they will have the ability to wear down teams in a seven game series.

Facing potential back-to-back losses to two of their biggest rivals in 2011, the Celtics stood strong to knock off the Heat 85-82 and avoid losing their third straight game. The C’s showed they were human in losses to Charlotte and Los Angeles as Ray Allen became the NBA career leader in 3-point field goals. Some much needed rest is well-deserved after their recent run, but all of the Big Four will be very busy in Los Angeles this weekend.

The Bulls are back to being one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference. Chicago has won three in a row and 8 of their last 10. If it weren’t for LeBron James, Derrick Rose would be the undisputed midseason MVP at this point according to many (your author included). Few other players have been counted on to pick up extra weight due to injuries and be able to deliver the way Rose has so far this season.

We should all take some time to laugh at J.J. Redick. It’s okay, he’s teammates are as well.

Portland Trail Blazers

Brandon Roy tried to return, but it just isn’t in the cards yet for Blazers’ All Star. LaMarcus Aldridge, on the other hand, has gone HAM since his All Star snub. Aldridge is averaging 34.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in his last five outings, and the Blazers enter the All Star Break on a 6-game winning streak.

The Thunder will be well represented at All Star Weekend with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka all taking place in Saturday and Sunday’s festivities. If you are not familiar with the uber-likable Thunder, check out this recent column in GQ by @FreeDarko.

The Hawks have lost 3 of 4 and are slowly slipping down the Eastern Conference standings. Horford and Johnson will likely be in the shadows for most of All Star weekend, will it light a fire for them to make a statement when they return to action next week? Atlanta needs a spark, the question is where will it come from?

The one really impressive thing about Carmelo Anthony has been his ability to maintain his elite play throughout the months of trade rumors. It shows that behind it all, Anthony is a player who loves to play the game. Losing that will be difficult to swallow, but the Nuggets have to get something in return while they can.

For the first time since Allan Houston, the Knicks have an All Star. Additionally, one of the most improved teams in the league will match their victory total from last year with their first win after the break. The Knicks made an emphatic statement by pounding the Hawks before the break. New York is what Atlanta was 2 years ago, and Atlanta is no longer the team they were earlier this season. It would not surprise me to see these teams swap spots by April.

The Hornets have been one of the streakiest teams in the league this season. Right now happens to be one of their worst slides, dropping 6 of their last 7 games. There are BAD losses too, like a 102-89 loss to Golden State and losses to the lowly Nets and Timberwolves.

The Grizzlies are as hot as they can be. On a 4 game winning streak, winners of 8 of the last 10. So what’s the worst that could happen? Oh yeah, Rudy Gay out for 4 weeks. That, literally, is one of the worst things that could happen to a team that will be fighting for a playoff spot every night for the rest of the season.

For the last couple of weeks we have been able to proudly proclaim that Doug Collins has things turned around in Philly. Once again it seems like the Sixers are moving forward. They have won 7 of their last 10 and rank in the upper half of the league in most major statistical categories.

The curse of Jerry Sloan will continue, at least until February 23. Ty Corbin has yet to get his first win as head coach, and Utah has lost 5 home games in a row for the first time since 1982. Needless to say, things are not looking good for the post-Sloan Jazz.

Golden State Warriors

Golden State has been surging recently, winning 4 of their last 5 contests. What is particularly impressive is that the Warriors (26-29) have five wins in the month of February over teams above .500. Golden State hopes to reach that plateau themselves after the break, somewhere they haven’t been since November.

Phoenix has won four of their last five, but don’t be misguided by that statistic. They beat up on Golden State and wandering Utah squad, so they don’t necessarily mean that the Suns are back. Phoenix will be tested with a road trip after the break, we’ll see how they are doing after that.

Despite their hot start under interim coach Frank Vogel, the Pacers dropped back-to-back games heading into the All Star break. The winning did move them back into the playoff picture, currently sitting a game ahead of Charlotte for the eighth position in the East. Washington and a rematch with Detroit should give the Pacers an opportunity to build on that lead, and the Pacers roster will have plenty of rest over the weekend (that’s not a compliment).

Charlotte’s giant-killing ways came to a halt against the Bulls, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t hope moving forward under Paul Silas. The improvement has been so impressive that Silas got his contract extended through the end of the 2011-2012 season. Hopefully the winning will continue, even after the staff secured their positions full-time.

A homestead heading into All Star Break usually sets up perfectly for a talented team looking to climb back to the .500 mark. Instead, the Rockets lost 3 of 4 and enter the All Star game looking for nothing but answers.

One of the biggest problems for the Bucks has been getting things going offensively. Brandon Jennings being back has helped in recent weeks, but it’s the return of Carlos Delfino and John Salmons that should really get things going for Milwaukee.

Contrary to speculation, Blake Griffin still plans to take part in all of his All Star festivities this weekend. Rookie Challenge, Slam Dunk, and then the All Star Game on Sunday. When the Clippers take the floor again will he have anything left?

Detroit Pistons

Tayshaun Prince, has been playing some of his best ball of the season recently, but he is not trying to improve his trade stock. “I think I’ll be here for the rest of the year,” Prince recently said. Detroit has failed to pull off those upsets that make their games at least interesting, and will likely find themselves praying for grace from the Ping Pong Ball Gods come May.

Three game losing streak going into the break is tough to swallow for any fan base. But it can be even harder as the trade deadline approaches and Nets fans will likely see Carmelo Anthony head somewhere OTHER than the Izod Center. The Melo-drama likely did cost New Jersey some wins, but getting Anthony would have at least invigorated a restless group of Nets fans.

Aaaaand [deep breath] it’s done. After 25 straight road losses, Washington knocked off the Cavs in Quicken Loans arena to break a winless road streak that dated back to the 2009-2010 season. The Wizards have also continued to get quality production out of Nick Young, who along with Wall is making the foundations for a talented backcourt in the Capitol City.

The schedule has not been friendly to the Kings in February. All eight of their opponents have been a plus-.500 team, and thus seven of those games have resulted in losses for Sacramento.

The Raptors occasionally hang in the game in some of these losses, but the L’s are stacking up pretty quickly. Toronto has lost 17 of their last 19, and are 4-26 against teams with a better than .500 record. Close losses are still losses, and the post-Decision era is becoming almost as pitiful as Cleveland’s. Almost.

In just his third season, the ball-hawking Kevin Love will give the Timberwolves their first All Star game representation since Kevin Garnett. That’s about where the excitement ends in Minnesota these days.

The only disappointing thing about ending the league’s longest losing streak was the short celebration. Instead of turning the victory in a two-game win streak, Cleveland rolled over at home to let Washington get their first road victory of the season.