Things Done Changed...

Every now and then, sudden and illogical absences arise at the worst of times; Jordan spent a year of his prime on his Field of Dreams. Family Guy got cancelled when it was just getting started. And, on a much more inconsequential level, I fucked off Banter for the last three weeks, a stretch that covered the Trade Deadline, All-Star Weekend, and a whole bunch of important games that are shaping the playoff picture as the season winds down. While I wish I could consistently devote more time to this thing, partying, poker, school-related procrastination, and (clearly) watching ball have been ruling me, and the time to rant about the NBA for free on a website that like 5 people read isn't always found.

Timing was never my strong suit, and a whooooole lot done changed over the past couple weeks. The Passion of the Carmelo came to an end the only way Spike Lee could see it. Jerry Sloan got his revenge on Deron. Blake Griffin somehow managed to underwhelm us in the Dunk Contest. Boston did the un-thinkable and shook up their core. All the Lakers shook was some rust, and look like the contenders we always knew they were. The Heat can't beat the elite (I guess some things actually don't change), and Derrick Rose straight up took the MVP trophy from Lebron on national TV. Hell, the Blazers are suddenly healthy and the Cavs could sweep the season series from the Knicks. It's a vastly altered landscape, one marked by uncertainty; only fitting for a League potentially headed into a lockout. Here's a quick recap of the chaos: the Top 10 moments from the past three weeks.

10. Craig Sager on All-Star Friday Night

TNT's sideline vet, infamous for his shamelessly tasteless attire, wore somewhat normal clothing in LA this year, but made up for the muted suit by providing several hilarious moments, first when he took the Ben Roethlisberger approach to interrogating Carmelo Anthony about his ongoing trade drama, then drawing some much-unneeded publicity to the plight of embattled rookie DeMarcus Cousins (..you know, the guy who beat up his teammate for icing him out on the last possession of a game) while giving John Wall the MVP trophy. The NBA: Where Awkwardness Happens!

9. Rupaul's Softer Side

Admit it, you laughed a bitwhen you heard Chris Bosh - the same guy who has a mild seizure when he hits big baskets and sees fit to talk shit to Kevin Durant - broke down and wept in the locker room after the Heat blew yet another lead to a good team on national TV. 

8. The Dunk Contest: upgraded from "critical" to "stable" condition

Say what you will about the car dunk and the seemingly pre-odrained outcome and DeRozan being robbed like the bank in Heat (I will, I thought it was pretty fucking lame), the Dunk Contest was twenty-thousand times better than last year. The excitement was contagious, and even as The Highlight Clip struggled to duplicate his in-game exploits, the dunkers all came with imaginative, high-concept attempts that were even impressive after five botched attempts. That the contest came down to a leaked Kia commercial was unfortunate, but we saw enough hype to bring the contest off life support. We probably won't ever see Lebron, but at least we were spared Brandon Jennings....and Nate.

7. Gilbert Arenas (insert joke about "'open firing") on Miami

So much was important about Agent Zero channeling his '07 self and scorching Miami last week. We saw Gilbert come out of his shell and have a relevant big game for the first time in three years. We saw Orlando stick it to their cross-state rivals and re-assert themselves as threats in the East. We saw the Heat melt themselves, losing a massive lead in a statement game, dropping them to a pitiful 1-8 (soon to be 1-9) against the NBA's top teams. Suddenly, Miami was exposed, the panic button was within reach, players were on the verge of tears...The likelihood of a Gilbert Arenas 3-point barrage being the turning point of Miami's season might have ranked right up there with Jerry Sloan quitting. Which brings us to...

6. Miami's Meltdown

The Heat are in full-out crisis mode again, and since nobody's memory is faint enough to forget their lame-ass, boisterous welcome party last July, everybody outside of South Beach is enjoying it. Just when Lebron was starting to convince some people he was still MVP-worthy alongside Bosh and Wade, the Heat dropped four in a row - including national TV games against top East foes - and brought in a whole new wave of doubts regarding their title aspirations. Wade and Lebron STILL aren't really clicking in the halfcourt. Mike Miller's turned out to be completely useless. And they're a stunning .100 against top competition. This was not what anyone had in mind.

5. Danny Ainge's Massive Balls

Trading a piece of a title contender's core is very risky move. Doing so when your team's core is as close-knit and revenge-hungry as Boston's, and at the risk of pissing off Kevin Garnett, demands immense testicular fortitude. Ainge shipping Perkins to OKC was the ultimate dice roll on a team that's leading the East despite not being fully healthy all year. It doesn't make sense because Boston's core chemistry was unrivaled by any other team in pro sports, because Perkins could protect the rim against Wade, Lebron and Rose and defend Dwight Howard better than anyone in the league, and because, well, they're leading the East despite not being healthy all year. It also makes a lot of sense because Boston was 4 deep in serviceable big men, gained depth and versatility (not to mention a player with much more upside), and (to hush those concerned about the O'Neals' durability) was arguably a Perkins injury away from a title last year. But the balls to pull it off...

4. Derrick Rose: Your 2011 NBA MVP

Sorry, I know a lot of people have plenty of reasons why he shouldn't win it, but barring the most dramatic turnaround ever from Orlando or Miami (and I'm talking them winning every game for the rest of the season), Rose is going to be the MVP. The icing was his cold dismissal of Miami's comeback attempt on Sunday, literally making them cry as he stole their 2-seed in the East. Rose is playing lights-out and saving his best games for big opponents, has a healthy team for the first time all year and has people who know things realistically talking about Chicago winning the conference. Actually. Give me a list of reasons why he shouldn't be MVP, I'll give you a bigger one for your guy, and an offer to wager any amount of money that Rose won't falter enough down the stretch to lose his grip.

3. LA Completely Ruining San Antonio

All season, the Lakers and Spurs were on opposite courses; one cruising beyond expectations while the other insulted them and drifted listlessly. Still, there was this lurking feeling that the Lakers were going to wake up and Sunday it happened, when the defending champs blew out their biggest threat on their home floor. It wasn't even close; a loud statement from a team who's apparently not set to roll over. Better yet, it was by far the Spurs' worst loss of the season, and the first sign of them faltering in a very long time. Those who predicted their eventual collapse are clearing their throats, but San Antonio still has a cushy lead in the West and enough time to rest their aging stars for a playoff run. Let's not get ahead of ourselves - the Spurs break our hearts every time we do - but the Champs are here.

2. The Return of the East

Used the be the West was running s*** in the NBA. The deadline delivery of two superstars to rebuilding Eastern teams was the latest in a series of moves that's beginning to restore some geographic equilibrium. While the East still lacks the depth and competitive balance of the West, its top tier is making the contender conversation two-sided again, sporting as many as four legit threats depending on who you ask. The Melo and Deron acquisitions highlight the urgency of the other teams to keep up and if it can light a flame under the likes of Michael Jordan and Bryan Colangelo, we might not be calling it the Leastern for too much longer.

1. Officially never having to hear the term 'Melo-Drama again

Well, it's over. The latest in a long line of Knicks-related soap operas that consumed headlines ever since Miami's big free agency score finally ended when Carmelo Anthony finally forced his way through to the Big Apple. It was fucking painful. The months of speculation, the sad attempts to feign loyalty and nonchalance, the media shitstorm because this involved a team from New York, the uncertainty that unjustly plagued an emerging team and a coach who just defeated cancer to put up with this crap. The Knicks now have their man and are a Chris Paul theft away from making everyone forget about Lebron signing with Miami, but more importantly, the latest stupid NBA media saga is beyond us, let us rejoice, and enjoy the rest of the season.