As all teams in the National Basketball Association have played 41 games now we are smack in the middle of the 2010-2011 season...let's take a look at some notable Good...Bad...and Ugly


The Good...

There are a few places to start here...let's start with San Antonio...the Spurs are an Association best 35-6...the depth on this squad allows them to dictate tempo, and impose their will on most nights vs most opponents...this team has 9 guys averaging at least 7 points per game...Manu Ginobli is playing great, and Tony Parker too...the depth has allowed Tim Duncan to just go with the flow and contribute wherever he can...damn good team with a damn great Coach...Greg Popovich has my respect big time

The Celtics (Jermaine O'Neal...Rajon Rondo...KG... Shaq) and Miami (LBJ...Mike Miller) have had guys miss time due to injury, but the Celts are 31-9 and Miami is 30-12 currently...The Lakers and the Thunder have had ups and downs, but still have 58 wins between them...of the teams that lost Superstars in the off-season (Raps/Cavs/Suns/Jazz) only the Jazz have been good...Jerry Sloan has this team playing great on the road and the have a 27-14 overall record (currently tied for the #3 seed in the West)

Blake Griffin is a BEAST

In LaLa Land the Clippers have 2 players playing at an All-Star level...rookie Blake Griffin in the best pick-and-roll big man to enter the Association since Amar'e...this guy is a true beast...as we speak he is in the midst of 27 straight double-doubles (team record) and his 47 points the other night are the most in a single game in the NBA so far this season...the Clipps also have 3rd year Guard Eric Gordon...this guy has a 18 ppg career average, and is up to 24 this season

Amar'e Stoudamire has been the toast of New York...he is setting team records for scoring, and is currently #2 in the NBA at 26 points per game...Amar'e and new PG Raymond Felton have the Knicks at 22-18 (6th seed in the East currently)

At 21 years young Kevin Durant was the youngest scoring leader in the history of the NBA, and he is back at it again this season leading the NBA at 28 points per game...

Kevin Love has developed into a double-double machine in Minny...21 ppg with 15 rebounds per game is what this 3rd year Forward-Center is averaging...

In Memphis PF Zach Randolph is on pace to average a double-double 5th time in the past 6 seasons, and he is looking at 20+ ppg for the 4th straight season...



Rose is nearing the high level set by Rondo


3rd year PG Derrick Rose in Chicago has the looks of Rajon Rondo last season...2009-2010 season was the coming out party for Rondo, and Rose has taken several steps forward in his overall game this season...even Kobe Bryant has commented that he appreciates seeing a player with Rose's skills that gets better from year-to-year...Kobe follows the game closely and he knows the areas that require development from Rose and after playing the Bulls a few weeks ago Kobe said he was happy and impressed that Rose is clearly working on his overall game...

The Orlando Magic pulled the triggers on multiple trades that saw Vince Carter, Mikael Pietrus, Marcin Gortat, and Rashard Lewis get moved for Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson, and Gilbert Arenas...the new-look Magic lost the first 2 games with that new squad, but since that are 10-3 (the 3 losses were @ New Orleans...@ OK City...@ Boston and the 3 losses were by a combined 7 points)


The Bad...

If the playoffs started today the Phoenix Suns and the Houston Rockets would be surprise omissions in the West...in the East Charlotte and Milwaukee are currently on the outside looking in

Larry Brown was shown the door in Charlotte after a 9-19 start...the players have been very vocal at how much they appreciate new coach Paul Silas' offense-first approach, and have been vocal about how Larry Brown's slow-down style was nothing but frustrating...


as a GM Dumars has been horrible since '04


The 2004 NBA Title that the Detroit Pistons won has sure bought GM Joe Dumars a TON of leeway...in the years that have followed he has been terrible with his player-personnel decisions...this team is currently 15-26 and completely irrelevant in the Association

New Jersey and Minny are a combined 0-18 vs Division foes

Toronto-Sacramento-Minnesota-New Jersey-Washington all continue to be organizations that just stack L's

The Dallas Mavericks got out to an impressive 26-8 start, but Disco Dirk Nowitzki and Caron Butler went down to injury and as a result the Mavs have currently lost 6 straight...Dirk just came back, but the dynamic scorer Butler is lost for the season


The Ugly...

Cleveland Cavs are currently in the midst of a 13 game losing streak, and these losses are blow-out losses...their record is currently 8-32

Washington Wizards are 0-19 on the road

Players throughout the NBA are being warned on a daily basis about gambling with each other (fights and hard feelings going on all over from in-flight card games and gambling)



WHERE will Melo end up at trade deadline?



Players throughout the NBA are being warned on a daily basis about using extreme care and caution when using Social Media like Twitter...

The drama surrounding Carmelo Anthony and his future have become annoying on a Brett Favre level...every day...every story in the Association seems to be about where Melo will end up...he is sure to land in the State of New York, but what Borough?

Next up...video blogs to preview AFC and NFC Championship games... craig.ballard@hotmail.com