The Wild, Wild West Is Gonna Be Fun

The NBA has reached the All-Star Break, and as much as everyone is talking about what dunk Dwight Howard is gonna come up with on Saturday night, the only thing that’s really worth mentioning is the stretch run of the Western Conference, following this little three-day hiatus. With all due respect to the Celtics, who are the only NBA team with 40 wins at the break, the Association has become all about the war of attrition that’s going on out west. The Western Conference has turned into a battle royale of quality teams, and none has been able to distance themselves from the pack yet. As we head toward the second half, this riveting drama is only going to get more compelling as the playoffs approach.

10 teams in the conference have a winning record, and all of them are at least four games over .500. On the other hand, the Eastern Conference is struggling to get five teams to reach that same plateau. After Boston and the Detroit Pistons, it’s hard to find much proven quality outside of the Lebron James’, aka the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Portland Trailblazers, owners of the longest of the league’s longest winning streak, a ridiculous 13-game run through December, are currently a whopping four games out of a playoff spot, even with that awesome winning streak. They are sitting in 10th place in the standings. Their winning streak is so two months ago; since then, both Utah and now Houston have passed them and are looking great after disappointing starts. Blazer fans don’t need to worry too much, knowing they have the league’s youngest team and a franchise 7-footer coming in next year.

Utah has been the hottest team in the NBA since the new year started, going 17-3, matching their win total from the first two months of the season. The Jazz are following a similar script to last year’s team, where Utah made it to the Western Conference Finals. They are doing things under the radar of the large shadow of some of their more flashy rivals. They may not have a Kobe, Duncan, or Nash, but they have Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, who complement each other like few other duos around the league.

Everything you want, the West has got it. It’s got the methodical, defending champion San Antonio Spurs, a surprising fifth place in the standings. They haven’t been impressive yet this season, but they always find a way to peak right before the end of the regular season. Then again, it’s an odd season, and if there’s any year you would doubt the Spurs, this is definitely it. Golden State, which overcame a horrific 1-7 start, represents the polar opposite of San Antonio, and runs at every opportunity. It doesn’t know the meaning of the words slow down. Since Steven Jackson’s return from suspension, the Warriors have become just like that well-oiled machine we remember and are now 7th in the standings, a mere two games behind the defending champions. Golden State has already beaten the Spurs twice this season, too.

Youth is being served with the New Orleans Hornets, who have blossomed before our eyes. Injuries hampered the team a year ago, and they were still in playoff contention until the end. This year, they’re healthy, and at the midway point, are tied with Phoenix at the pole position of the conference. Chris Paul and David West are All-Stars for the first time, and Tyson Chandler is finally showing why he was drafted number two. Seemingly out of nowhere, Byron Scott’s team has announced itself as a contender in a very strong conference.

Dallas and Phoenix have made at least the second round of the Playoffs in each of the last three years, and along with the Spurs, can be considered the veterans of the bunch. Both realize their window of opportunity is closing fast, and have worked to act on it. The Suns have already pulled the trigger, acquiring Shaq in one of the most talked about deals in recent memory. The hotly debated issue has divided experts on whether it can actually work (I’m just eager to see the Big Diesel in action, whenever that may be). The Mavericks thought they had made a move, but Devean George prevented them from getting Jason Kidd in another eye-opening blockbuster. Their remains hope that Dallas can acquire the man they drafted second overall in 1994, which has fans holding their breath.

These dramatic moves by perennial contenders are almost assuredly caused from the massive airwaves the Lakers made by acquiring Pau Gasol for essentially nothing two weeks ago. Los Angeles has a bounce in their step, and are going to be intriguing to watch once Andrew Bynum comes back from injury in a little over a month. It doesn’t seem fair that Kobe Bryant can whine about getting out, yet be rewarded in this grand fashion, but you must credit Mitch Kupchak for going out and getting a man that would reward his irritable superstar.

Any one of these teams is capable of making a run, and rolling off a 10-game winning streak; with these teams so closely bunched, a substantial winning or losing streak is going to cause massive changes. In a matter of days Portland went from fourth in the standings down to tenth, and have had a hard time working their way back up. There’s no favorite here, just a bunch of ultra-talented teams that will be battling it out over the next three months for a shot at a title. It should be great theater.

Midseason Awards

MVP: Chris Paul (Hornets)
The Hornets point guard has made exponential leaps in each of his first three years in the league, and is now one of the league’s best point guards. He makes life easy for his big men down low, and gets Peja Stojakovic wide-open looks from downtown with his relentless penetration. Paul’s defense is underrated as well, he’s averaging 2.6 steals a game, which leads the league.
Also Considered: Lebron James, Kobe Bryant

Coach of the Year: Nate McMillan (Trail Blazers)
The Trail Blazers and their organization understood that expectations would need to be modest without Greg Oden for the entire season, but McMillan has done an incredible job of relaying his message to the team. Portland has embraced McMillan’s philosophy of team ball, using unselfish play to help each other out and win games. GM Kevin Pritchard has given this franchise a facelift, and has surrounded McMillan with players that would buy in.
Also Considered: Byron Scott, Eddie Jordan

Rookie of the Year: Al Horford (Hawks)
This is a tough one; I don’t really think Kevin Durant has been overly impressive, but it seems that he is just going to get this award by default. However, Horford’s recent emergence has made me a believer that he can win this award. Averaging close to a double-double for the seventh place (in the East) Atlanta Hawks, Horford has been the most imposing presence for the Hawks down low. The two-time NCAA champ has been rising fast, and deserves this nod over Durant, who has stagnated and only averages his 19 points because he takes 17 shots a game. Horford gets half as many shots, and is much more efficient, both offensively and defensively.
Also Considered: Kevin Durant, Juan Carlos Navarro

Defensive Player of the Year: Marcus Camby (Nuggets)
No player in the league makes as a big a commitment to the other side of the ball more than this Nuggets 7-footer. Camby averages over 14 rebounds a game, and nearly four swats each and every night. The veteran from Massachusetts has already had two games where he has had more than 10 blocks, and has topped 20 rebounds in 10 different games. Everyone knows that the Nuggets can’t play defense, but that unit would be exponentially worse if it wasn’t for Camby. He’s been a stud at doing the dirty work for years, and should win this award for the second consecutive year.
Also Considered: Josh Smith, Kevin Garnett

Sixth Man of the Year: Manu Ginobli (Spurs)
It’s hard to consider Ginboli a sixth man, but he’s not on the floor during tip-off, so he’s eligible. Once you get past that technicality, it’s easy to see why he deserves it. The rugged guard leads the Spurs in scoring, and has inherited a large load this year, with both Duncan and Parker missing time with nagging injuries during the year. Ginobli is averaging a career-high in points (20+ for the first time in his career), rebounds, and assists. Despite not being on the floor at the beginning of the game, Ginobli is always on the floor during prime time in the fourth quarter, which is when it matters most.
Also Considered: Leandro Barbosa, Travis Outlaw

Most Improved Player: Chris Kaman (Clippers)
The Clippers have been terribly bad, but Kaman has done his best to make up for the loss of All-Star Elton Brand. The 7-footer has never been able to use his size to his advantage until now, and he’s putting together a terrific season. Kaman is averaging 16 and 13, and is improving his shooting as well. He’s a terrific free throw shooter, and has become a force in the middle averaging 3 blocks a game. Andrew Bynum would have made this a tough decision if he had been healthy and continued to sustain his outstanding play, but in his absence another center in Los Angeles takes it.
Also Considered: Rudy Gay, Jose Calderon