The Rest of the Best: 2013 All-Star Reserves

I'm trying to stay ahead of the curve here; Banter's All-Star reserve ballot is being served up as a sequel to the starters before the coaches screwball everything and I have to write a column about why DeAndre Jordan is an All-Star.

First though, I've been taking some heat from a few readers about a couple of my selections as starters, namely Paul George over Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant getting "snubbed" by James Harden. I'll be the first to admit: I'm a huge hater of "reputation votes" and tried to find some underlying bias in these decisions, but still feel as though those two deserve to be there.

Through my jaded eyes, the All-Star game is a representation of the NBA season thus far, and should be an opportunity for the players who've defined it to be celebrated. It's not about who the better player is, it's about who has mattered more this season, that's George and Harden in this case. Let's travel back to the alternate universe where I decide the NBA All-Stars as I explain:

East Reserves

Dwyane Wade
Sure Dwyane Wade is a better player than Paul George, but Miami has been somewhat underwhelming at times this season, and never has it been more apparent that he's the second-best player on his team. Meanwhile, George's sudden eruption after their "franchise" guy went down and their "max" player couldn't cut it as a two-way focal point is the main reason Indiana's leading the Central. He's their leading scorer, gives them 8 rebounds/game from the 3-spot, and - on the League's #1 rated defensive team - is the most versatile, and probably best defender.

Kyrie Irving
Cleveland might be one of the NBA's worst teams, but Irving is without question one of its best young talents and belongs in the All-Star game not only on the merits of his stellar offensive play this season, but as an exciting, dynamic franchise talent that has loudly declared his arrival. There's only so much of a "his team's terrible" argument one can make to keep a player this skilled and - from the League's perspective -marketable out of the lineup (not that this should really influence things, but it's like Blake Griffin's nod as a rookie; it's good for the game).

Luol Deng
The answer to all of the following questions is: Luol Deng

Who is the only player in the NBA logging over 40 minutes/game? ____________

Who has been the best two-way player for a Bulls team that's pacing itself extremely well while their MVP heals up? _____________

Who is probably the most under-rated player in the entire League? ______________ (as evidenced by Shane Battier snaring more votes than him. Seriously)

Who unquestionably deserves a spot on this bench? ______________

There shouldn't really be any more questions.

Tyson Chandler
The 2nd-most important component to the Knicks' sudden dominance, Chandler has been a complete package, obviously defending at an All-World level while upping his scoring and leading the League in FG% by a simply astounding margin. There's an extremely valid case to be made that he should be starting, which even three years ago would've been an absurd notion. As late bloomers go, Chandler's been a stunning surprise, and yet another player Mark Cuban will likely eternally regret not re-signing.

Joakim Noah
Arguably as crucial to the Bulls' early success has been Noah's ever-consistent energy and defensive presence; he anchors an elite defense, disrupting everything around the basket with an irritating tenacity, and doing everything on offense excellently, save for actually putting the ball in the basket. Noah will likely never be a #2.... or 3 scoring option, but has increased his offensive production in Rose's absence, averaging career-highs in scoring and assists (as well as blocks and steals) to help fill the void.


Deron Williams
After some December faltering and Avery Johnson being taken out by Prokorov's elite squad of  covert-ops assassins, Brooklyn's new team has been reeling off some decent-to-impressive games, with Williams finally hitting shots and playing with the kind of swagger he used to show off in Utah before Sloangate. I don't think "over-rated" is the word, but as skilled as he is, it seems absurd that there was ever debate between him over Chris Paul.

Chris Bosh
The final spot on this roster came down to Bosh and Jrue Holiday, and while Holiday is in the midst of a breakout year that will put him in the thick of the MIP conversation all season, Kyrie Irving pretty much stole all his "awesome young point guard on a crappy team" thunder, and having the point guard of a 2nd sub-.500 team here seemed redundant. On the flipside, Bosh - a player who was never known for his toughness or versatility on defense - has manned up this season and spent most of his time effectively playing center, holding his own and producing impressively, while allowing Miami to maintain its optimal lineups. I rarely find room to compliment Bosh, but his and Dwyane Wade's contributions this season are the epitome of "less is more" in terms of the box score.

West Reserves

Kobe Bryant
So, about the whole Kobe thing: both Harden and Bryant are having amazing seasons, and that the Mamba is still doing it at this rate, at this age, is truly remarkable. But to me, this isn't even much of a question. Kobe's been visibly passive on D this year while still unloading on offense; a once-elite defender - the leader of these Lakers - selectively coasting to save energy for offense, on a team whose defensive issues have highlighted what is the most universally disappointing season of any NBA team. All Harden's done is put up similar numbers while still being a great defender, for a team with a better record and much less talent, who are performing above anyone's expectations largely because of him. I'm not sure what other than the weight of Kobe's name earns him the starter's nod, but here he is, an All-Star for the 482nd consecutive season.

Russell Westbrook
There's a lot of things you can say about Russell Westbrook, many of which used to be legitimately negative. As the seasons pass, those items are being steadily eradicated and have left us with the second-best point in the NBA this season. He's the most athletic guard in the League. He's a fearless competitor who plays hard every night (and I do mean every night; he hasn't missed a game in his career yet). He does many things at an elite level, always had the confidence to exert himself when needed, and is developing a much better sense of when to do so. He doesn't even turn the ball over that much anymore. He's a Top-10 player, helping to lead the NBA's best team this season. He's guaranteed not to mail in the All-Star Game and throw down 2 or 3 awesome dunks. Enough said. (for those of you who think I actually use dunks as All-Star criteria, I'm merely mentioning it as icing on the cake, honey on the blunt, chrome on the Bugatti, whatever lingo you like to use)

Blake Griffin
So, for those of you who thought this may have been some insane meta-joke by David Stern on his way out, the Clippers are actually awesome now, and Griffin's been his usual All-Star self. Though his numbers are down (on a team that's so deep their most legitimate rotation issue is finding minutes for everyone within the flow of the game) he's harnessing his athleticism and - especially on defense - playing with more control and focus. As for in-game dunk potential, well, when one's jaw-dropping poster shots have almost become redundant, one's presence in an event with defense as lazy as the All-Star Game is a must.

David Lee
Who needs Andrew Bogut? Lee's larger-than-life play for the surprise of the season makes him a must on the West bench. There's almost a certain algorithm at play here: ~20/10 Guy + Massively Over-Achieving Team + Playoff Solidification + Tough Conference - All-Star Caliber (when healthy) Center = All-Star Appearance. Easy math.

Zach Randolph
People thought Z-Bo was finished. People thought he couldn't be the same player after his injury. People were fucking wrong. Randolph has been the definition of a beast this season with his constant low-post assault of the basket and boards. He gives up quite a bit height and athleticism-wise to most NBA 4s, but makes up for it with raw hustle and pure positioning, leading all non-Dwights in rebounding and serving as the Grizzlies' go-to guy in a balanced attack.

Speaking of Dwight, you may notice he's not here, which I had brief second thoughts about, but don't really regret. Yes, he's been much more impressive over the past couple of weeks, but I haven't forgotten the first month and a half of the season when he was a complete shell of himself, nor can I look beyond the Lakers' utter dud of a campaign and honestly say they deserve a second player here. Sorry, but if the All-Star game is at all a "representation of the season thus far", the Lakers should be sweeping the floor on dead balls after they mowed down so many headlines, didn't hire Phil, and have sucked this much.

Stephen Curry
Like Lee, Curry has been lights-out for a Golden State team that's putting everyone's preseason predictions to shame, and most of the Western Conference on watch. He scores nearly at will, is one of the NBA's most underrated playmakers, and makes up for any size he gives up on D with lightning lateral quickness. The freedom he's been afforded in the backcourt this year without Monta Ellis has allowed him to truly find his role, and leaving no doubt that his team kept the right man.

LaMarcus Aldridge
Honestly, this feels like a bit of a freeroll since Kevin Love's knuckle pushups are the only reason this spot's available to begin with, but lost amidst the shuffling storylines and franchise-altering injuries, is the reality that the Blazers are above .500 in the West, and shallower than Kim Kardashian. Lamarcus Aldridge is still really, really good, and giving this team's fans just one reason not to hang themselves. So for trucking it out, being consistently awesome, and not making the slightest bit of pretentious media rumble about your team's long-term predicament, this spot's all yours Mr. Aldridge. See ya in Houston.

2012 Banter Awards: Part 2

The NBA needs some new awards. Seriously. Six trophies isn't nearly enough to honor all that transpires during the regular season. Even if they did it on-the-low, less-publicized awards like those ones that get handed out before the Grammy telecast because nobody really cares about them. Plenty of players had seasons that demanded recognition, so giving nods to both the good and bad, here's Part 2 of the 2012 Banter Awards:

Bobby Boucher Trophy - Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

The player whose arrival on a new team created the greatest positive impact.

The Clippers knew this guy was worth the trouble. Even after their first attempt was stymied, they continued pushing, and haven't come close to a shred of regret. Paul's been almost Frankenstien-like with his ability to assemble such maligned talent and create such a scary monster of a team that has far too many point guards, depth issues, a lethal combination of defensive amnesia and apathy, and a clueless coach whose word his players probably value less than CP3's. The Clips have always been a wayward vessel, but at least they have the steadiest hands possible at the helm.

Regards to: Jeremy Lin, Tyson Chandler, Ramon Sessions

Simmons Beauty Rest Award: Tyson Chandler, New York Knicks

The player who had a ridiculously good year, and everybody slept on very hard.

Safe to say this is not what Tyson Chandler thought he was getting himself into. His offseason departure from the reigning champs was a much-scrutinized pass by a team he'd played a vital role for, but he'd landed in an ideal situation: basketball's Mecca needed a center badly, preferably a defensive-minded one, and had plenty of money to throw at a recent championship catalyst to help their own efforts. Chandler held up his end of the bargain; having his best season ever, completely dummying the FG% category while basically playing 1-5 defensively. And all year, few said a fucking word about his play or gave him any credence for the All-Star spot that ROY HIBBERT was awarded, while his team (bar a certain #17) garnered national headlines all season about how they were imploding around him.

Regards to: Josh Smith, Greg Monroe, Ersan Ilyasova

Canibus Award - Demar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors

The player who looked like he was going to blow up this year, and never became much.

Derozan looked to have it all this year; he was coming off a strong campaign for a rebuilding team that was ready to give him all the shine he needed as a vital cog to their young core. Instead of continue to grow, Demar almost regressed; often playing without the vigor that fueled him last season, and showing a wavering commitment to everything but scoring. Even with Andrea's Bargnani's prolonged absence, Derozan's failed to make an impact anywhere near what his potential suggests. It's certainly not too late for him, but, well... I feel like the LL Cool J beef isn't far off.

Regards to: Javale Mcgee, Nicolas Batum, Deandre Jordan

Justin Bieber Award - Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

The player who was everywhere this year for the wrong reasons; over-exposed through foolishness that warrants some serious down time.

It was Dwight's year; but we all knew that coming in. The looming drama surrounding his impending free agency - and his desire to milk it 'til it bled - was bound to dominate this season from the moment we found out we'd have a season at all. Of course, apart from extremely annoying, this was entirely unfair to the Magic, who had their attempts to reconfigure their roster sidetracked by a year or so.... And even after the months of pretentious indecision, he couldn't even wait 'til after the season to try and get his coach fired. I hate using chat acronyms, but f***ing SMH... That's 2/2 on superstars openly trying to build their brand/public profile in the past couple years, making themselves look like idiots and becoming targets for widespread public scorn in the process. Just give it up and play basketball.

Regards to: Javale Mcgee, Andrew Bynum, Dwyane Wade

Kevin Willis Memorial Award - Grant Hill, Phoenix Suns

The player who nobody could've blamed for retiring a long time ago, and still grinds it out.

Why is Grant Hill doing this? He's 38. He's in his 16th season. He's playing a supporting role on a team stuck in NBA purgatory. That's he's even walking at this point after his busted wheels stole a first-ballot-HOF career from him is astounding. That he's still balling with enough heart to heave led the league in charges drawn last season (I know, it was last season, but still) is truly unique. But why? It's not for the money; Hill comes from a wealthy, well-educated family and has made more himself than even Antoine Walker could blow (ok, maybe not). It's not for a title, otherwise he would've discretely asked for a trade (because he's far too classy to just demand one) long ago. It's for the love of the Game. And that's what this award's about.

Regards to: Kurt Thomas, Anthony Carter, Juwan Howard

JR Rider Memorial Trophy: Dunk of the Year - Gerald Green, New Jersey Nets

Regards to: Lebron James over John Lucas III, the families of Blake Griffin's many victims

Christopher Wallace Award - Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves

The fallen player whose team was most hurt by his absence.

Rubio's much-delayed arrival in Minnesota obviously reaped massive benefits; the team that had acquired his rights, and then hoarded point guards as though a nuclear holocaust were approaching (where were Ramon Sessions' minutes) could finally hand the keys over to their quarterback of the future. The on-court translation was almost immediate: Rubio was taking the League by storm with his dynamic court vision and defensive precision, while the Wolves were contending for the playoffs?? And Nikola Pekovic was absolutely destroying people?? Okay, obviously Pekovic's explosion and Rubio's arrival are only loosely connected, but the young Spaniard brought with him something that Minnesota hadn't had in a while: hope. There was a buzz about the Wolves this year; they were competitive, and their disparate parts were playing with a well-oiled cohesion and sense of purpose that nobody expected. That it all basically fell apart when Rubio went down for the season should surprise nobody.

Regards to: Nobody, really. The top three candidates here: Chicago, Memphis, and Atlanta, all played remarkably well in their stars' absences.

Hindenburg Award - Charlotte Bobcats

Given to the NBA's biggest disaster.

It seems redundant and downright cruel to continue bashing the Housecats at this point, but...DAMN. I just slid over to their website to check out their roster for my own amusement, and was greeted with a full-page popup excitedly announcing that the team had signed Jamario Moon?!?!?! Fuck, I'm sorry. This is supposed to be a somewhat-serious award rationale, but I can't even keep a straight face doing this. If Corey Maggette's the best scorer on your team and even a headstrong gunner like him can only muster 15/game...Just fold. No wonder MJ wants out.

Regards to: Washington Wizards, New Jersey Nets, Golden State Warriors (Want to make some easy money? Go find a sports book/dumb friend, throw down on a progressive bet of the Warriors' two best players never making it through a full season together, and wait.)

Congrats to all the winners! Playoff previews coming this week, stay tuned...

Watch out for Thorns: Back at the Rose Garden

I kicked off my last post with a bit about how shitty my timing was, and how excited I was to finally get to enjoy every second of playoff basketball, now that it's finally back. Well the Gods are either mocking me, or my karmatic vibes are coming back around for all the merciless Dirk hating I've done. Sure enough, my cable company's inept accounting department has cut my service for an allegedly "overdue" bill that was paid four months ago, leaving me in a nomadic trek between my parents' place and nearby bars, watching when I can, not enjoying things like I should be. I feel like Drew Gooden.

Today, I've decided to kick back at the parents' pad for Game 4 of the Mavs/Blazers opening rounder, a great matchup, turned Brandon Roy soap opera (more on that in a second), and my only upset pick in the first round. Despite their 2-1 lead, the Mavs haven't looked to be decisively in control of this series, and still look vulnerable. I wouldn't be surprised if this went back to Dallas knotted up, but this is also coming from the guy who thought the Knicks might stand their ground at MSG last night; hopefully the Blazers can make me look slightly less stupid.

Before we get into the thick of things, much has been made of Brandon Roy's tearful outburst over a lack of playing time, with many stances being taken on his comments. It's a difficult and delicate situation, and Roy has been through hell trying to get back on the court. But the sad reality is that this team made the playoffs without him, centered around LaMarcus Aldridge, and developing roles for other players. For Roy to return and expect to attempt to re-gain a rhythm, against a superior team in a playoff series, taking minutes from the guys who got them there, on two paper mache knees, if his coach doesn't feel comfortable with it, is unreasonable. Roy's an incredible player if he's healthy, and showed flashes of it in Game 3, but regardless of his former status, and heroic return, his minutes can't be pre-ordained right now.

Anyways, with that out of the way, on with the show...

- Catching the end of this Pacers meltdown is the most hilarious bonus coverage ever. Up 15 with 2:15 left. Up 1 with 15 left. With your season on the line. Joakim Noah just got left open enough for him to break an inbound play and drive for an and-one from 18 feet. Just unreal.

- They finally wake up, defending like madmen on the final Bulls possession and forcing a Carlos Boozer 3 (career 1-9) for the tie. Now, instead of pondering whether this was a good shot, let us wonder why one of the best offensive rebounders in the NBA was straddling the 3 point line, when a quick put-back would've been crucial. Such a shitty way for an awesome comeback to end.

- We've entered The Garden. Ya, after the dud the Knicks threw down last night, Portland's stolen "The Garden" from them, meltdown pending.

- Toss-Up: Wesley Matthews dropping 22 in the first half again, or Jason Kidd dunking on Marcus Camby?

- Deshawn Stevenson's carrying the offensive load early with two treys; 8-4 Mavs at 6:30

- Wesley Matthews promptly shuts me up with an icy three-ball.

- Matthews again, walking right through 4 Mavs in transition. Maybe Kidd's been on Air Alert?...And put on a couple inches?...And owns a time machine?

- Tyson Chandler was possibly the most under-rated player in the NBA this season. For all the (deserved) hype Dwight got about his defense, Chandler was the backbone of an equally atrocious group of perimeter defenders, disrupting penetration and waxing glass all year. He's been huge early.

- A perfect storm of passive offense and solid D, with a touch of sloppy play, has produced a painful first quarter; 16-11 Mavs after 1. 12 combined turnovers. Barea and Matthews have the only field goals in the paint. Good times.

- Barea knows no fear! Really though, his aggression against Portland's bigs is impressive, especially for a guy who makes Eric Murphy look like Arvydas Sabonis.

- Brandon Roy watch: 0-5 early, all jumpers. If this were the regular season I'd have no problem, but this just isn't the time to try and shoot yourself into a rhythm.

- More jumpers for Portland: 5-21 early, they trail 22-13 at 9:05

- Barea keep getting to the hole but the Blazers body up; first a Roy charge, then a Camby swat

- Hard Stojakovic foul on Roy going to the hoop. He seems shaken up, but I have little faith that Peja can hit this guy hard enough to take him out

- Dirk Diggler with a fading, off-balance jumper over two defenders, off a spin into the lane. I wish I could find Nowitzki (for some reason) climbing out of a zoo bearpit, so I could re-enact Wes Mantooth's "I HATE YOU!...But dammit, I respect you" speech. And then push him back in.

- Ason Kidd's putting in a decent campaign to have the "J" returned to his name. Take Wilt's 100, Oscar's season-long triple-double, and shove them; the most incredible stat is Kidd being 3rd in career 3's. I find that completely incomprehensible, somebody with connections is lying.

- Tyson Chandler: perhaps not the guy you want to run your offense through. Though, the way Portland's looked so far, he'd make a great PG for them. 35-27 Mavs at 3:30

- Aldridge turns upcourt, runs straight into Chandler's elbow and gets up in his grill. Chandler raises his arms and walks away. So Aldridge shoves him. Well, that was perfectly reasonable. 'Couple technicals.

- The scrappy play continues as Dirk and Miller fall to the hardwood fighting over a loose ball. Dirk: "So THIS is what playoff basketball's like..."

- Great team play from Portland: Aldridge deflects a pass, saves it to Matthews, who hits Wallace for a nice oop in transition....Matthews again! Suddenly the Blazers are alive and within 4.

- With Dallas' offense on life support, Portland closes the quarter on a 10-2 run. They trail 37-35, and their best player's been a complete non-factor so far; this is very winnable.

- Chuck on Carlos Boozer: "The key to life is knowing your limitations". How many times have those words found their way out of his mouth at the Palms?

- Dallas has 2 points off 8 turnovers and hasn't been to the line as the third quarter begins. Yikes. This game's been a struggle offensively.

- Both teams come out with more jumpers; watching Gerald Wallace settle for a pull-up is like seeing a girl with an amazing butt in really loose sweatpants.

- ..."the other balls" aren't the only ones you kill. Every time you're on TV, we all die a little inside.

- "J"ason Kidd wets another three, the kind that hurts your ears from the mesh twanging so close to the mic.

- The Blazers are 0-7 from the field this quarter and trail by 9, but Chandler just picked up #4 at 7:20

- More J's for the Blazers. (haha, seems about right) Now 0-9, down by 15. At least they're in bonus now so they might be able to get something going at the stripe.

- Dirk bangs a 2nd chance 3; Portland needs to wake the f*** up.

- Portland, again, gets no penetration and settles for a 3 from a streaky shooter (Nicolas Batum) who's hit nothing all day. Somebody, please slap these guys.

- Portland then has Aldridge BACKING DOWN JASON KIDD on the block, who against no double, kicks it out for another missed 3. 0-12.

- Ok, we're down to under 3 minutes. Portland has yet to hit a field goal in this quarter, in 14 futile attempts (now 24% for the game). As much as I wanna see Dallas lose, that seems highly unlikely now, and seeing them go a whole quarter would be really funny.

- Conversely, Peja bangs another 3, the Mavs are 8-14 from deep

- Finally Aldridge catches the ball deep and nets the field goal Portland needed 10 minutes ago, off the look they should've been exploiting the second Chandler hit the bench. Instead, they listlessly drifted the quarter and Trail by 18 heading into the fourth. I'm going to grab some beers.

PED Watch: The Early Most Improved Candidates

Now well into December, we're already rounding the corner of the regular season's first quarter, weird as it seems. "Weird"s also a rather appropriate way to describe the NBA season so far; things are just a bit out of place. I mean sure, the Lakers, Spurs, Magic and Celtics are kicking ass, Greg Oden and Yao Ming are down for the count, the Clippers are underwhelming and every player who isn't a Boston Celtic hates Kevin Garnett, some things never change...

But look at the other side: The almighty Heat, despite having hit their stride since The Return, have kinda sucked so far. The Indiana Pacers, long buried in boredom and awfulness, have been kinda good. A 6'9" white dude who your arthritic grandfather can outjump is owning the rebounding game. Derek Rose can suddenly shoot, Brook Lopez suddenly can't, Darko Milicic suddenly is a legit starting center and the Post-Bosh Raptors (!) actually look like playoff contenders. Hell, the early-season MVP favorite hasn't been the best player on his own team so far, in a race where the names "James" and "Wade" are nowhere to be found for the first time in over a half-decade.

Yep, things are-a-changin' all over the league, as it is with these next few players; the guys who really put in work over the summer and have come out with significantly improved game, the early season favorites for Most Improved Player...


Roy Hibbert - A big part of the Pacers' impressive early start (and subsequent shaking of Least Relevant status) has been Hibbert showing up looking 50 pounds lighter than last spring and displaying a more polished offensive game than ever. His svelte new cut has meant an improved motor without all that weight to carry; he attacks the boards harder, still imposes as a shot blocker, and finishes with greater athleticism. Indiana's resurgence this year has been almost as unlikely as Hibbert's transition from immobile mass to future All-Star.

Eric Gordon -Despite his recent 3-point woes, the all-around maturation of Gordon's game has given the Clippers one of the best young prospects they'll ever eventually lose to free agency. One of the many beneficiaries of the "Team USA" effect(no joke, with the exception of a slightly-injured Kevin Durant, every player from that team has come back much better than last season), Gordon has become a relentless basket-attacker who gets to the line at an alarming rate and defends the wing much better than your typical scoring 2. Unfortuantely for him, the growth he experienced this summer is unlikely to be fostered well while sharing a backcourt with Baron Davis and playing for the f***ing Clippers.

Kevin Love - Nobody's arguing about playing time now. Perhaps sparked by an opening-night benching, Love has been dropping 20/20 more than your local optometrist and pairing with a fellow MIP candidate (see below) to make Minnesota's frontcourt future without Al Jefferson look pretty bright. Another Team USA vet, Love has also displayed an impressive touch from distance, recently icing 43 straight free-throws and tying a franchise mark with 8 consecutive 3's made. His improved scoring, unlikely dominance of the boards, and now unquestioned role in Minny's frountcourt will make him a strong candidate all year.

Michael Beasley -Emerging from his purple haze, Beasley has been re-born in a T-Wolves jersey as a much more potent scorer who plays with more energy on both ends of the floor. His early-season outburst of 25+ games fueled his confidence and earned him the green light as the go-to guy Minnesota thought they'd spend the whole season searching for. While he waits for his defensive attention span and decision-making to catch up with his knack for putting the ball the in the basket, Beasley can operate under the low expectations and long leash of one of the NBA's worst teams, and hopefully not lose his mind again.

Darko Milicic - I mean, the rest of Minnesota's frontcourt's here, why not round out the lineup? Milicic has come out of nowhere this year with several monster offensive performances to complement his league-leading shotblocking. He rebounds with more aggression, is becoming a more confident passer, and scores efficiently when Michael Beasley decides to share the ball. He's still eons away from justifying his immortal draft selection, but after such immense disappointment, its encouraging to see he's finally becoming, well, something.

Russell Westbrook -Team USA stand up! Westbrook has been putting up absolutely gaudy numbers for a Thunder squad that's found itself in an awkward early-season purgatory between last year's 8th seed and this season's immense expectations. While Kevin Durant's been at less than 100%, Westbrook has picked up the slack as a lethal scoring threat, improving his jumper while getting to the hoop against anyone and wetting 90% from the stripe. He's upped his assists, rebounds and steals, while owning the floor in recent overtime Ws at Indiana and New Jersey. Everyone knew Westbrook was good, but if the season ended today he'd likely get more MVP votes than his boy KD.

Dorrell Wright -Wright, foolishly disbanded from the Heat's makeover, landed in Oakland where he found a niche in the Warriors' new slightly-more-defensive scheme with his length and athleticism on the perimeter. Along the way, he proved himself to be a lethal 3-point shooter, which never hurts your stock in Golden State. The result has been increased numbers across the board for Wright, including a double-up in scoring. He may be seeing the floor twice as much, but his game has obviously improved if he could only log 20/game with the shallowest team in the League last year.

Raymond Felton - Mike D'Antoni has significantly augmented the career prospects of yet another point guard. After getting two MVP's for Steve Nash and a guaranteed contract for Chris Duhon, Mike plucked Raymond Felton from the obscurity of the Bobcats and made him a star in the Big Apple. Felton's responded by playmaking at a much more efficient rate and becoming the dangerous scorer that the Bobcats' molasses-paced offense never allowed for, and unlike previous D'Antoni quarterbacks, he's a solid defender, hawking almost 2 balls/game. When the Knicks return to the playoffs in April, they should give him a garnished portion of Eddy Curry's salary.

Tyson Chandler - Everyone and their grandma claimed Chandler had gone the way of forever-linked-classmate Edward Curry after the dud he put up last year. A trade to Dallas and a summer with the best young players in the country did wonders for a re-born Chandler who appears to have gone the way of Hedo Turkoglu circa 2008 instead. Anchoring the best defense the Mavs have ever fielded, he's a feared rebounder and shot-blocker who's proving he can finish without Chris Paul setting him up and earning praise from teammates and media alike for his improved basketball IQ and court awareness.

Jrue Holiday -Surprising nobody, the Sixers are pretty bad this year. A mis-matched bunch of youngsters with very little identity or cohesion are bound for another wayward season. In this instance though, the lack of direction should be blamed on the ship and not the captain, for the guy running the point for the Sixers might be the only thing that's right about them right now. Holiday brings a unique mix of scoring and adept playmaking; he's Lou Williams on ritalin. He plays a controlled game, defends well, and would be getting many more assists on a team that wasn't so shitty on offense. The 76ers have been part of rampant trade talk, in which Holidays has been rumored to be their only untouchable, which can't be very good news for him.

It's Been a Long Time/I Shouldnt've Left You...

What's up? I've been on the road for most of this week and haven't gotten a chance to put anything up here in a while; bad timing I know, this being one of the busiest times of the year in the NBA and whatnot, but I'm putting this up on a buddy's computer in Sackville, New Brunswick; the first time I've had internet since Sunday. So don't say I'm not trying here. With so much going on in the league right now, I figured I'd just post some random thoughts about the All-Star festivities, impeding trade deadline, and whatever else works. Enjoy:

- The All- Star Game was good fun as always; gotta love to see the league force the Kobe/Shaq co-MVP on us. As a die-hard fan I'm tired of these attempts to publicize a "feud" that, if it weren't for the league's publicity machine (and Shaq's subsequent attempts to fuel it), would've died a long time ago. Still, it's good to know these two can still join forces and win basketball games, even if they don't mean anything. Personally, I think Shaq had the MVP locked since his intro with the Jabawockeez (or however the hell they spell it). It was also nice that Mo Williams finally got the injury nod and received some recognition for the huge difference he's made in Cleveland this year; if Orlando got a requisite third All-Star based on their record, didn't it seem odd that the All-Star coach's squad only had one?

- The Dunk Contest kinda disappointed me; I was glad Dwight finally got to dunk on the 12-foot net (am I the only one who thinks he could've gone higher?), and it was cool to see Nate jump over a 7-footer (even if he did vault himself, just getting that high for 5'9" guy is 50-worthy), but fuck...I can't help but feel like the contest has become a gimmick. Dwight's phonebooth intro was hilarious when I first saw it, but in retrospect (especially after seeing Nate don his kryptonite outfit), it's getting a little out of hand. By the time the finals rolled around I felt like I was watching the Super Dave show or something...And the Commish needs to re-tweak the rules...2 minutes to get a dunk down and then 2 more attempts? I thought they learned their lesson a few years ago when the Birdman couldn't take flight. And don't force players to include a second man on their dunks. That's fucking stupid.

- Lebron in the dunk contest next year? Say it ain't so. Let's all pray he doesn't wuss out and other stars follow his lead; this could be the start of something huge.

- Word to Daequan Cook.

- And Kevin Durant....wow. Is anybody still claiming him and Oden have anything within the realm of a rivalry?

- Back in the real World, the Hornets had an awkward situation on their hands when Tyson Chandler, a recent victim of their cap-clearing efforts, failed his physical and was denied entry to Oklahoma City. Tyson now rejoins a team that tried to cut him loose, sending him to the Thunder of all teams, knowing that the top brass doesn't approve of his presence. Thing is though, Chris Paul does, and that's really all New Orleans should care about.

- Meanwhile, the Bulls actually did something kind of smart in the way of personnel moves; trading Drew Gooden and Andres Nocioni to the Kings for John Salmons and Brad Miller. I've been a fan of Salmons' game for a while; he's a versatile player who can handle, score and defend; really fill whatever role the Bulls ask of him. His addition also essentially relegates Larry Hughes to the bench, which can never hurt your chances if your team's short-term goals involve avoiding the Lottery. Miller gives them an able body in the post on offense; he may not be the player he was when the Bulls mistakenly got rid of him years ago, but he can still score better than any big man they've had since his departure and remains one of the best passing centers in the league. The Bulls also cleared the glut of power forwards ahead of Tyrus Thomas, who can hopefully become more consistent with some consistent minutes and deliver on those glimpses of brilliance he flashes every now and then. I dunno what to say about Sac-Town here, I have no idea what direction they're even headed in, and I don't really care either. They've officially assumed Indiana's old role as the League's most irrelevant team.

- ...And it appears the obituary I wrote for the Phoenix Suns might've been slightly premature. Instead of dealing Amar'e, they canned Terry Porter (as I'd suggested) and got back to the run game they thrived on. They consequently kicked off the season's second half with back-to-back 140-point blowouts of the Clippers (sure it's the Clippers but Phoenix will take it at this point). Good to have ya back fellas.