MVP – Derrick Rose – Bulls

Rookie – Blake Griffin – Clippers

Coach – Gregg Popovich – Spurs

Defensive Player – Dwight Howard – Magic

Most Improved – Kevin Love – Timberwolves

Sixth Man – Lamar Odom – LA Lakers

Executive – Otis Smith – Magic

Boston Celtics (40-14)

The ‘Big Three’ (Garnett, Pierce, Allen) are averaging over 15 points per game and are shooting over 50 percent from the field.  Rajon Rondo is leading the league is assists per game at 12.2.  Glen Davis has been a force off the bench for the Celtics.  Even with injuries to the O’Neal’s (Jermaine and Shaquille), Boston is getting by with the return of Kendrick Perkins.  They are positioned nicely for a good run to one of the top three seeds in the Eastern Conference.

Miami Heat (41-15)

After a 9-8 start to the season, Miami went on a tear through the NBA.  LeBron and Wade are putting up amazing numbers and Chris Bosh has been having a good year, but not what we’re accustomed to seeing from him.  Even with injuries to Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, the Heat were able to get through the middle of the season with decent production from James Jones and Zydrunas Ilgauskas.  As long as LeBron, Wade and Bosh continue to produce and stay healthy, the Heat will be in contention through the Conference Finals.

San Antonio Spurs (46-10)

They have been playing perfect basketball all season long.  Manu Ginobili is having another stellar season.  Tony Parker isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.  Tim Duncan is averaging a career low in points per game (13.4), but has been a great defender.  The supporting cast has been spectacular.  Richard Jefferson is having a bounce back year.  DeJuan Blair is slowly becoming a great player around the basket.  George Hill can play either guard position superbly.  True to the Spurs great talent evaluators they found another gem in undrafted rookie Gary Neal.  The Spurs are the real deal.

Chicago Bulls (38-16)

Derrick Rose is without a doubt the MVP of the first half.  If you don’t believe me, just look at what he’s been doing without Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer for most of the season.  With Boozer back and Luol Deng shooting near lights out, the Bulls haven’t had to play a shutdown defense as much with Noah out.  When he returns, expect the Bulls to be able to compete with the likes of Boston, Miami and Orlando.  

Orlando Magic (36-21)

They made a major decision before the New Year by trading Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat, Mickael Pietrus and Rashard Lewis.  They received Gilbert Arenas, Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Earl Clark.  It dramatically changed the appearance of the team, but they continue to have Dwight Howard as their focal point.  Jameer Nelson’s production has gone down a bit since the trade.  However, Brandon Bass and Ryan Anderson have seen their numbers soar with extended playing time.  Richardson and Turkoglu will have to produce at a high level if they are to get past Boston and Miami.

Dallas Mavericks (40-16)

They find themselves staring up at their cross state rivals in San Antonio.  Dirk Nowitzki, thankfully is back in the fold after a knee injury sidelined him for nine games.  Even with the season ending injury to Caron Butler, Dallas is getting great production from Jason Terry and Shawn Marion who is filling the void left by Butler’s injury.  Tyson Chandler is having a career year for Dallas.  The Mavericks depth in the frontcourt is the one thing that will help them down the stretch.

LA Lakers (38-19)

Everyone is trying to make something out of the Lakers struggles of late, but it all has to do with their attitude.  They’ve appeared to be out of it and not ready to play.  That will change as long as you have Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson at the helm.  Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom are having terrific seasons while Ron Artest is having the exact opposite.  All three will need to be on their game and Kobe will have to get that killer instinct back for the playoff run.

Oklahoma City Thunder (35-19)

Kevin Durant is doing his thing.  Leading the team and the league in scoring (28.9).  Russell Westbrook is behind him with a respectable 22.2 points per game.  Those two are fast becoming one of the best duos in the NBA.  If you asked them, it isn’t all about them though.  Jeff Green, James Harden and Serge Ibaka are big contributors to what the Thunder have built going forward.

Atlanta Hawks (34-21)

Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford have been playing great basketball.  Jamal Crawford is still playing up to his usual role of the sixth man.  Atlanta isn’t out of the conversation of contenders so much as what they will be able to do in the playoffs.  They will get in, but what will the trio of Johnson, Smith and Horford be able to do?  History shows that the Hawks will probably get through the first round, but might last past the semifinals again.

New York Knicks (28-26)

Even if they don’t acquire Carmelo Anthony before the trade deadline, they still have a lot to be happy about.  Raymond Felton has been playing at a high level all year.  Amar’e Stoudemire is proving his worth as an elite player.  Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler have actually increased their production from a breakout season a year ago.  Landry Fields has been quite the find in the second round.  The rookie is rekindling Knicks fans memories of John Starks.  They can wait for Carmelo to be a free agent.  The pieces they have are keepers.

Philadelphia 76ers (27-29)

They are getting great production out of Elton Brand for the first time since his arrival.  He and Andre Iguodala are both great complements to each others game.  Louis Williams is continuing to give the 76ers a prominent scorer off the bench.  Jrue Holiday is starting to show signs of becoming a great floor leader in Philadelphia.  Head Coach Doug Collins has found a nice mix that should keep the 76ers in the fold for the playoffs.

Indiana Pacers (24-30)

They made a coaching change by letting go Jim O’Brien and replacing him with assistant Frank Vogel on an interim basis.  Since then the Pacers are 7-3.  Thanks in part to the resurgence of Roy Hibbert and Darren Collison.  Both have been disappointing thus far, but with Danny Granger being a consistent scorer for the Pacers both Hibbert and Collison picked a perfect time to get back on track.  Mike Dunleavy is giving them what they need, which is a spark off the bench.  They will be in a three team battle for the final spot going forward.

Charlotte Bobcats (24-32)

Still not quite sure if Larry Brown decided to quit, was fired or a little of both.  Either way the Bobcats had to know it wasn’t going to last much longer with him.  He was the interim, but will be the full time head coach, Paul Silas, has the Bobcats hopefully on the upswing for the final playoff spot.  Leading scorer Stephen Jackson has been the source of trade rumors, but he and Gerald Wallace provide a good complement to each other.  Charlotte will probably stay pat and worry about the roster after the season.

Portland Trail Blazers (32-24)

No team in the NBA has suffered more with the injury bug.  Brandon Roy and Greg Oden both missing significant time this season.  Roy will return, but will be limited in his playing time.  LaMarcus Aldridge has been playing like an All-Star since Roy went down.  Andre Miller and Nicolas Batum have increased their productivity and Wesley Matthews has been worth every penny the Blazers have given him this year.  

New Orleans Hornets (33-25)

Things aren’t as bad as we thought in New Orleans.  Chris Paul is healthy and playing at his usual All-Star level.  David West is back to his former self.  They are even getting consistent play from Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor has been a defensive stalwart for New Orleans.  First year head coach Monty Williams has done a great job with so much turmoil to start the season.  The Hornets should be in the playoff conversation the rest of the way.

Denver Nuggets (32-25)

Will they or won’t they trade Carmelo Anthony?  If you’re Denver you have to do what’s best for the team, not the player.  They should get something for him.  Yet, they are still in the playoffs with him.  Crazier things have happened, but you know that Denver’s window has pretty much shut.  If Melo and Chauncey Billups are dealt, they do have a good core in J.R. Smith, Aaron Afflalo and Ty Lawson going forward with whatever they get for Anthony and Billups.  Denver is in a lose-lose situation, but they need to make a decision now.

Utah Jazz (31-26)

The legendary head coach Jerry Sloan decided to call it a career recently.  The real reason only he and the Utah Jazz know for sure, but we can leave the speculation alone for another time.  Going forward Utah’s interim head coach Tyrone Corbin has a lot on his table.  First to get Deron Williams’ focus back on basketball and not talking to the media.  Second to find a cohesive second unit to help take the pressure off Williams, Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap.  Utah was given a big blow losing Jerry Sloan and they could be in danger of falling out of playoff contention.

Memphis Grizzlies (31-26)

Zach Randolph and Rudy Gay are as good as it gets for Memphis.  They couldn’t ask for a better inside outside combo.  To help them along has been Mike Conley.  To many analysts surprise, Conley has been a pretty adequate point guard after a subpar 2009-10 season.  O.J. Mayo has been a disappointment and has been relegated to a bench role.  He seems to fare better off the bench.  Marc Gasol needs to be more aggressive around the basket.  Memphis has a lot of offensive weapons, but not a lot of depth to make a serious run.

Milwaukee Bucks (21-34)

Brandon Jennings is back and healthy for the Bucks.  It’s a good thing since they are on the outside of the playoff race, but they aren’t behind by much.  Record aside, it’s been a disappointing year.  Andrew Bogut hasn’t been the force inside like he was last year before getting hurt.  The Jennings injury and the inconsistent play of John Salmons.  Thankfully with the team getting healthy, they still have a chance, but high expectations look to have got the best of them.

Detroit Pistons (21-36)

They’ve had lineup problems and the issue of Richard Hamilton wanting more playing time.  Overall they weren’t expecting to have a let down this year.  Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey are having good seasons, but Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva are turning out to be $60 million dollar busts if they don’t pick up their game soon.  Tracy McGrady is having a nice bounce back season, but it’s going unnoticed in Detroit.

Phoenix Suns (27-27)

They made a move with Orlando acquiring Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat and Mickael Pietrus for Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Earl Clark.  Since then, they’ve only managed to have a .500 record and are considered an outsider from the crowded field for the final playoff spots in the West.  Steve Nash will not be traded and Phoenix doesn’t have many other assets to use in a trade.  It’s best for them to finish the year with what they have and hope that they can start fresh with Jared Dudley, Gortat and Goran Dragic being more involved in the rotation.

Golden State Warriors (26-29)

Not a whole lot to the Warriors except for Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry and David Lee.  With Dorell Wright and Reggie Williams, they basically have a five man rotation night in and night out.  There has been a lot of talk about them eventually trading Ellis or Curry.  It probably won’t happen until after the season as the Warriors don’t want to mess with the chemistry they’ve developed this season.  Ellis has been a big time scorer for them and Curry has improved in the assist department this year, but both players are the same type of two guard scorer.  Lee has struggled with injuries, but he is a capable double-double machine.

Houston Rockets (26-31)

The Rockets are just one player short of being in the thick of the playoff hunt.  The one player would have been Yao Ming, but with his injury aside the Rockets might be looking to make a move to give Kevin Martin and Luis Scola some help.  Both Martin and Scola are having terrific seasons and there has been talk of getting Carmelo, but it would be best for them to get someone like John Salmons who Milwaukee acquired from Chicago last year.  Houston has had trouble at the point guard position where Aaron Brooks has been injured.  Houston should be in the fold, but probably won’t until next year.

New Jersey Nets (17-40)

Even if they acquire Carmelo Anthony, they won’t be in the mix for a playoff spot.  They want to build towards the future and they will make a deal or two to position themselves for that.  Going forward Brook Lopez is the future for the team.  Devin Harris, if he’s not dealt, is still the point guard who will setup the attack.  Sasha Vujacic has been a pleasant surprise since being acquired before the New Year.  He and Jordan Farmar have been a good duo off the bench.

Washington Wizards (15-39)

John Wall has been as good as advertised for the Wizards.  He and leading scorer Nick Young have been superb and Washington is building something for the future.  With Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee in the frontcourt, Washington might have a good core that will help them compete in the near future.  All they need is just a few more pieces to mix in and they will be just fine going forward.

Toronto Raptors (15-41)

There have been only two players that have consistently produced for the lowly Raptors this year.  Andrea Bargnani is putting up All-Star like numbers.  DeMar DeRozan is having a breakout year for Toronto.  After that, it’s pretty much it.  Jose Calderon might be better suited elsewhere as the Raptors have a trade piece to get something in return for the future.  Not that they were any better with Chris Bosh, but they were a competitive team.

Cleveland Cavaliers (10-46)

When Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao went down with injuries, that seemed to take the life out of the rest of the team.  With Williams returning and J.J. Hickson playing at a high level, the Cavaliers are starting to get out of the losing trend.  However, don’t expect them to win more than 20 games the rest of the way.  Most of the teams in the NBA don’t play with as little motivation as Cleveland does.

LA Clippers (21-35)

A horrible start to the season didn’t help them in their quest to be competitive.  They did find some solace in knowing that Blake Griffin was exactly what they thought he was going to be when he was drafted last year.  DeAndre Jordan will slowly make All-Star center Chris Kaman expendable if he continues to struggle staying healthy.  Eric Gordon is having a career year with his scoring output.  They have a good mix at point guard with Baron Davis and rookie Eric Bledsoe.  They won’t get back in contention, but they have a good starting point going into next year.

Sacramento Kings (13-40)

Unable to find their identity, Sacramento is now looking into playing elsewhere next season.  As if things couldn’t get any worse, first round pick DeMarcus Cousins is having a bit of a meltdown.  With his frustration, the Kings are slowing losing any edge they might have had.  Cousins is having a good year and Tyreke Evans is still producing at a high level.  They will have to consider what their identity is going forward and whether they have the right coach in place.

Minnesota Timberwolves (13-43)

It goes to show you that if you give a player time, he will blossom.  Kevin Love has done just that this year.  He and Michael Beasley have led the Wolves in almost every major category and they might be on their way out if they don’t get help fast.  There is no identity at the point.  Jonny Flynn has struggled mightily.  Luke Ridnour has salvaged it, but they are counting on Ricky Rubio to eventually save the day.  It could be a disaster if they don’t fix the supporting cast pronto.