February 19, 2008
The halfway mark of the NBA is upon us, with New Orleans hosting the annual All-Star weekend. But that’s not all there's been to cheer about in New Orleans.
The Hornets are one of the NBA's hottest teams in a highly competitive Western Conference. The Hornets are led by Chris
Paul, a breakout star in his third year out of Wake Forest. His up-tempo style of play has elevated many of the players around him.
Teammates David West and Tyson Chandler have made huge improvements, and this young team has a chance to be a force in the West for years to come.
Another surprise out of the West is the emerging Los Angeles Lakers. Just last summer Kobe Bryant was halfway out the door with trade talks to Chicago and was bad-mouthing Andrew Bynum on the streets of LA.
Bryant’s demeanor has changed, and Jerry Buss has retooled the Lakers, with the addition of star player Pau Gasol from Memphis.
Once Bynum recovers from his injury, the Lakers could rival the Phoenix Suns for the best lineup in the West.
They currently sit in fifth place in their conference, and I expect that to change once the team gets healthy.
San Antonio has somewhat slipped into mediocrity in the West, at 32-17.
Despite their low steals and blocks per-game average, the Spurs still hold opponents to only 91 points per game.
Their tough defense is their focal point, and with an ankle injury to Tony Parker, they will need that stingy defense to keep them afloat.
Their sixth place in the West is deceiving, though.
Tim Duncan is having his usual double-double, and both Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker have raised their scoring and assist averages since last season.
The veteran Spurs will have another legitimate shot of being crowned, and they certainly can still run with the Nashes and the Pauls, but their age might catch up to them sooner or later.
Portland seems to be everyone’s sweetheart this year, and their play of late has been deserving, but their clear lack of big man play might endanger their chance at post-season play.
Once Greg Oden is back, they will be legitimate contenders.
This is the team that could possibly make a move and disturb the giants of the West.
Their monumental upset of the Dallas Mavericks in last season’s playoffs could happen again this season.
Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson are vocal and statistical leaders of this team, and with key players Andris Biedrins and Al Harrington, they could make a run for the championship.
The only thing standing in their way is their defense. The Warriors give up the most points a game in the NBA.
In the East, Boston is running the conference, at 39-9, and although star acquisition Kevin Garnett has been out with an abdominal strain, Paul Peirce has picked up the slack.
The Celtics are going to be a huge force in the weak Eastern Conference. And their strength is one that not many expected: defense. The Celtics hold their opponents to the least amount of points in the NBA.
Newly acquired guard Ray Allen has always been a good defender, and Garnett left Minnesota as the franchise leader in steals and blocks.
Once again, the East is lagging in the standings. Take Cleveland, for example.
They are fourth in the East, but put them in the West, and the Cavs would be tied for 10th place in the conference.
The only real bright spot on the team is LeBron James, who’s averaging 30 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.
All the players around James are merely role players. He needs a star who can bring the Cavaliers to the next level.
The only other contenders able to compete with Boston are Detroit and Orlando.
Orlando’s Dwight Howard is living up to his expectations, and with new forward Rashard Lewis and the emergence of Hedo Turkoglu, the Magic are likely to play far into the playoffs.
The Magic are an all-around good team.
The great guard play of Jameer Nelson helps the offense flow, while Rashard Lewis is a sharpshooter and solid inside presence.
Turkaglu, an All-Star snub, is having a career year, and Howard is the ideal center.
As for our Sixers, we’re making a "playoff push" at 21-30 and riding a four-game winning streak.
I’ll admit, the Sixers look better than I thought they would, but at best we’re a seventh seed in a poor Eastern Conference.
The Sixers could be something in the future, with young talent like Lou Williams, Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Willie Green.
It will take a bit of a turnaround for us to make it to the playoffs.
