Mid-Season Awards
MVP – Kevin Durant – Thunder
Rookie – Kyrie Irving – Cavaliers
Coach – Frank Vogel – Pacers
Defensive Player – Serge Ibaka – Thunder
Most Improved – Kyle Lowry – Rockets
Sixth Man – James Harden – Thunder
Executive – Neil Olshey – Clippers
Elite Class
Chicago Bulls (27-8)
Even without Derrick Rose for a good portion of the season the Bulls still remain atop the Eastern Conference thanks to their tremendous depth. Luol Deng, Richard Hamilton and C.J. Watson have picked up the slack, but they will need Carlos Boozer to play better if they are to get past the Miami Heat.
Miami Heat (27-7)
You can’t deny that it looks as if LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh have finally figured out how to put it together for another shot at a title together. They have the right role players in place, but their lack of depth in the frontcourt may come back to haunt them towards the end.
San Antonio Spurs (24-10)
Just when you thought you could count out the Spurs. This time around Tim Duncan isn’t the most dominant player on the team. It’s Tony Parker. Even with Manu Ginobili’s injury woes the Spurs have enough depth to counter that problem. Time will tell if they can last through a rigorous Western Conference playoffs.
Oklahoma City Thunder (27-7)
Easily the best team in the West this year. It’s hard to find any weaknesses in the Thunder. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are a great duo. Even if Westbrook isn’t a prototypical point guard. Serge Ibaka is becoming a force defensively. And James Harden is their diamond in the rough off the bench. It will be hard to bring this team down.
Contenders
LA Clippers (20-11)
It has been a wild ride for the Clippers this year. Chris Paul has made all the difference in the world for them. Time will tell if they can hold off the Lakers for the top spot in the division, but they are here to stay. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are a great duo in the frontcourt. However, they will miss Chauncey Billups leadership on the floor in tight games.
LA Lakers (20-14)
Whether or not the Lakers make a trade they are still considered a contender because of their size in the frontcourt. If they realize this maybe both Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol can get them back to the Finals for another title. Kobe Bryant is still going about his business, but all the trade talk has affected him and the team this year.
Dallas Mavericks (21-13)
They are still the defending champs. For now at least. They have the depth to make another run, but will Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd hold up for another long playoff run during a fast paced season? That’s where guys like Lamar Odom and Vince Carter will come in handy, but neither one has really accepted their new roles on this team just yet.
Indiana Pacers (21-12)
No surprise here about the Pacers. They gave the Chicago Bulls fits in the playoffs last year and they are looking to get home court for the first round this year. Darren Collison is an excellent point man for this team. Roy Hibbert is having an All-Star season and Danny Granger is able to maximize his abilities thanks to the emergence of Paul George. This is a deep team capable of shocking some other contenders.
Philadelphia 76ers (20-14)
They have been the talk of the Eastern Conference all year besides the Miami Heat. They are at the top of their division and it’s a testament to their coach Doug Collins. He has preached defense first since arriving and the young Sixers have responded. Jrue Holliday has emerged as a great floor general for them. Andre Iguodala is able to maximize his skills from the wing instead of trying to create his own scoring chances. And their depth is scary good in the frontcourt.
Middle of the Pack
New York Knicks (17-18)
Thanks to the emergence of Jeremy Lin the Knicks have become the talk of the NBA going into the second half. They could easily win their division with Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire back playing together, but with the addition of J.R. Smith that will only help this teams depth in the now ultra competitive Eastern Conference.
Boston Celtics (15-17)
They are now on the outside looking in, but you can’t count them out just yet. Now is the time when they usually get themselves ready for the playoffs. There has been a lot of talk about trading Rajon Rondo, but as long as they remain in contention they will remain intact for the final run of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett on the same team.
Orlando Magic (22-13)
We’re now in the stretch run of the Dwight Howard sweepstakes. Will he or won’t he be traded? Orlando is a contender with him, but without him they are barely in the playoffs. This Orlando team isn’t even better than the team that went to the Finals a few years ago with Howard. And Orlando decided to dismantle that team. Now they will have to decide their future in the next few weeks.
Atlanta Hawks (20-14)
It’s tough to say that their playoff hopes rest with Joe Johnson’s health, but they do. So goes Johnson so goes the Hawks. When he’s at his best the Hawks are a tough team to beat. When he has 4-17 shooting performances they are an average team. Not having Al Horford has put a damper on their season, but they are hopeful he will be ready when the playoffs start.
Houston Rockets (20-14)
They have managed to play well with what they have even though they could have had Pau Gasol before the season in the botched Chris Paul trade to the Lakers. Luis Scola and Kevin Martin who were apart of that trade have been model citizens all year. Also Kyle Lowry is a game changer for them. Always doing the little things for them that don’t always make the national headlines.
Memphis Grizzlies (19-15)
They were expected to be higher in the standings, but it’s probably best that they don’t. They flew under the radar last year and it worked for them. This year they have a healthy Rudy Gay and are hopeful that Zach Randolph will return fully healthy for another playoff run. Marc Gasol and Mike Conley are quietly becoming great players at their respective positions.
Portland Trail Blazers (18-16)
Talk about a team flying under the radar. Portland is in the middle of perhaps the toughest division in the NBA with Denver, Oklahoma City, Utah and now Minnesota fighting for playoff spots. LaMarcus Aldridge is finally getting the recognition he deserves. Jamal Crawford is paying huge dividends for the Blazers off the bench and late in close games. They could be this years Memphis Grizzlies if they make the playoffs.
Denver Nuggets (18-17)
Don’t look know Knicks fans, but Denver is built to contend for many years thanks to the Carmelo Anthony trade. Danilo Gallinari quite possibly could have been an All-Star if not for an ankle injury. He should return shortly to help get the Nuggets back into playoff contention. Nene has been a force in the middle for them. And Andre Miller has been a model citizen all year after his tumultuous stay in Portland.
Outside Looking In
Phoenix Suns (14-20)
Not being talked about as much is whether the Suns will trade Steve Nash to a contender. He and the team are going about it the right way, but the question begs to be asked. What do the Suns get from hanging on to him when they aren’t contenders right now? How much longer will he play when they are contenders again? It could be a while for the Suns.
Golden State Warriors (13-17)
Depth has always been a huge concern for the Warriors. Injuries to Stephen Curry this year have hampered their plans this season, but David Lee and Monta Ellis have been great. And Ekpe Udoh has broken out into a legitimate threat down low for the Warriors. The future looks bright, but they need more depth.
Utah Jazz (15-17)
The future is now for the Jazz. They have some nice pieces in place with Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward as their frontcourt lineup. But who will be the point guard? Devin Harris isn’t a long term solution. But their fan base is very loyal and they should be able to find that franchise point guard in the next offseason.
Minnesota Timberwolves (17-17)
Surprised to see them playing at .500 basketball are you. What’s even more surprising is that this is basically the same team from last year. They’ve just added two rookies in Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams. It goes to show you just how great of a coach Rick Adelman is to get these guys and specifically Kevin Love to play up to their abilities and even exceed them.
Milwaukee Bucks (13-20)
You could say that I’ve been eating some crow on the Bucks the last two seasons now, but I don’t mind. They were a good team two season ago and I couldn’t have predicted that Andrew Bogut would suffer freak injury after freak injury. They have a good coach in place in Scott Skiles, but now they have to worry about keeping their best player Brandon Jennings around.
Cleveland Cavaliers (13-18)
I’m happy for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mainly for their coach Byron Scott who had a rough deal when he first took the job thinking that LeBron James was going to stick around. Well he has Kyrie Irving this year and the Cavs are actually a competitive team this year. A far cry from the embarrassing season they had last year. Put a couple more pieces in place and they could be back in the playoffs in no time under Scott.
Waiting for the Lottery
Toronto Raptors (10-23)
It’s amazing to think that Bryan Colangelo hasn’t been able to turn around the Toronto Raptors like we all thought he would when he took the job. What he did with Phoenix was amazing, but he’s had a stroke of bad luck and some puzzling deals in Toronto. It seems unlikely that he would be let go anytime soon, but he might have to make some moves to keep his job safe for a little while longer.
New Jersey Nets (10-25)
Like Orlando with Dwight Howard what will New Jersey do with Deron Williams? Will they try to acquire Howard to entice Williams to stay? Or will they trade Williams and start from scratch with the move to Brooklyn next year? The latter is highly unlikely since they have free agency to try and make a move then. But the key to a Howard trade starts and ends with the Nets.
Detroit Pistons (11-24)
It really has become a depressing scene in Detroit. Besides the economic troubles in the city the team has been tough to watch. There has been a few bright spots. Greg Monroe looks to be a fixture in the post for many years, but he doesn’t have much support from Rodney Stuckey. Nor the free agent acquisitions of Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva a few years ago.
Washington Wizards (7-26)
They’ve already fired Flip Saunders who really had no control of the team. It wasn’t entirely his fault as upper management let him down with the players they brought in. JaVele McGee is at the top of that list. And suddenly John Wall doesn’t look like the franchise point guard from a year ago. There’s still time for both McGee and Wall, but they better wake up sooner rather than later for a starving franchise.
Charlotte Bobcats (4-28)
Can the NBA close the book on having an NBA team in Charlotte once and for all. This franchise was in turmoil under their original owner Bob Johnson. Both financially and on the court. It’s still in turmoil on the court under new owner Michael Jordan. I’m sure he is wondering what more does he have to do to get this team to win. And the answer isn’t to pick up a #23 jersey and suit up.
New Orleans Hornets (8-25)
How’s that Chris Paul trade to the Clippers working out for the Hornets right now? Well Eric Gordon was the main piece of that trade and he hasn’t played in more than a hand full of games for them. They want to trade Chris Kaman and Al-Farouq Aminu has been a non-factor. The other would have given the Hornets Luis Scola, Kevin Martin and Lamar Odom.
Sacramento Kings (11-22)
They will be playing in Sacramento for many more years thanks to a financial agreement with the city. But will they be contenders for any of those seasons? They have too many wing players and not enough frontcourt players or even a point guard going forward. DeMarcus Cousins is a great talent, but they will have to decide if they want to continue to deal with his personality or they will continue to fire more head coaches.
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