Top 10 teams so far:
1.Dallas Mavericks: The Mavericks have played very well this season, with the exception of the loss to the Lakers when they blew a 30-point lead. If they can play better on defense and get Dirk, Steve Nash and Michael Finley in the mix, they should pose a threat to everyone in the NBA. Without the big three stepping up, the Mavericks are going nowhere.
2. Sacramento Kings: The Kings keep getting bitten by the injury bug this season. With Chris Webber nursing an ankle injury and Bobby Jackson nursing a broken finger, the Kings look like the walking wounded right now. Mike Bibby needs to get back to the way he played in the 2002 playoffs when he torched everyone, including the Lakers.
3. Indiana Pacers: Isiah Thomas vows that his team is not dirty. Say what! Ron Artest, perhaps the NBA’s most essentric person, has the Pacers being compared to the bad boy Pistons of the ’80s. Besides that, the Pacers are really a solid team led by star forward Jermaine O’Neal. They are really young, with Reggie Miller being the exception, and they are probably the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.
4. San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan is the man. Tony Parker is becoming a man. David Robinson used to be the man. The Spurs are probably the league’s quietest team and could be representing the West in the finals if teams don’t catch on. Duncan, the reigning MVP, is having another solid season and looks to carry the Spurs to another title.
5. Portland Trailblazers: Oh boy. The “Jailblazers,” as most of us have come to know them as, are breaking out and this time, it’s a good thing. Scottie Pippen is playing well and Rasheed Wallace, when he’s not threatening officials, plays like one of the league’s top power forwards. Head Coach Maurice Cheeks has done a sensational job with this bunch, considering the problems that he’s faced.
6. New Jersey Nets: Why wasn’t Jason Kidd selected as an All-star starter? He doesn’t even know why. The Nets are the East’s second-best team, behind the Pacers, and Kidd is obviously the reason why. Kidd was robbed of MVP honors last season and probably will be this year as well. Who was talking about the Nets prior to Kidd?
7. Detroit Pistons: Defense led by Ben Wallace is the ignition to this Piston team. After trading Jerry Stackhouse for Richard Hamilton in the off season, the Pistons have gotten better, and Ben Wallace is absolutely a beast in the middle. He finally earned his respect this season as he was voted an all-star game starter for the eastern conference.
8. Minnesota Timberwolves: What will happen if the T-Wolves get knocked out in the first round of the playoffs agai this season as they have in the past six seasons? So much pressure is on superstar forward Kevin Garnett and he has produced. The problem is his supporting cast, which lacks the grit to win tough games. Minnesota should make a trade in the offseason to get a veteran with K.G. to take them to the next level.
9. Utah Jazz: The same “old” Jazz still know how to do one thing…WIN. As John Stockton and Karl Malone continue to be talked about as an afterthought, they continue to win and keep pressure on the rest of the Western Conference. This is likely each of the players’ last season and they won’t go out without emptying their tanks.
10. Los Angeles Lakers: As Robert Horry told reporters after the Christmas Day loss to the Kings, they Lakers are indeed back to the .500 mark for the first time since they were 2-2. At 23-23, the Lakers are still not back to championship form, but a recent resurgence has opened eyes around the NBA. Kobe Bryant is playing like an MVP this season, averaging 28 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per game and 6.8 assists per game, while Shaquille O’Neal continues to get back into playing shape.