Ok, so it’s not actually mid season (it’s more like 5/8 of the way through), but we are just coming out of All-Star Weekend, and that is always a good time to reflect on how everyone is doing thus far. (Note: teams are listed by conference in reverse order of the current standings).

Western Conference:

Lottery Bound:

Minnesota Timberwolves (10 – 41) – Losing Kevin Garnett did exactly to the T-Wolves what everyone thought it would…it caused them to lose…a lot. Here’s the silver lining, though. They weren’t going to win this year with Garnett anyway, and in exchange they got cap room, and a few good pieces. Al Jefferson is really good, and I think that Cory Brewer is one of those guys you can build a winning team with (not around, but with). Also, they will get a good pick in the 2008 draft too, so things are on the up and up…they have to be (I mean, they’ve only won 10 games).

Seattle Supersonics (13 – 38) – Seattle has a lot of problems, with the biggest one being that they don’t even know where they’ll be next year. That always weighs heavy on team morale. Obviously they have Kevin Durant, who will be a great player in this league (though the Sonics are playing him a little out of position), and I think that Jeff Green will be ok too. Other than that…well, we’ll see how they do in Oklahoma City (or wherever) next year.

Memphis Grizzlies (14 – 38) – Congrats to the winners of the Kwame Brown sweepstakes! Oh wait…what? I’d like to be positive here, but did they really just give Pau Gasol away from basically one expiring contract? The Lakers should send the Grizzlies all rings this year if they win the NBA Championship. By the way, don’t you love the teams who have moved, and now their mascot doesn’t coincide at all with the city they play in. Memphis Grizzlies? LA Lakers? How bout Utah Jazz? Yeah, when I picture a bunch of old black guys jammin to some jazz, I think of Utah. Gotta love it!

Los Angeles Clippers (17 – 33) – What happened to the Clips? It seems that no matter who their personal is, they always find a way to scamper back to the comfort zone of losing. I don’t really know if there’s a quick fix for them either. I feel like they need to gut the whole thing and start over…of course, I feel like they need to do that every year.

Sacramento Kings (23 – 28) – Considering some of the injuries they’ve had, their record (for the West) isn’t actually all that bad. I don’t see them making the playoffs, but they definitely would in the Eastern Conference. Of course, they just sold off Bibby to Atlanta, but they have some very promising guys like Kevin Martin, and they might be able to find the right bidder for Ron Artest at some point too.

Bubble Teams:

Portland Trailblazers (28 – 24) – You have to love this team! They play hard every night and are the complete opposite of the Jailblazers of years past. Brandon Roy is good…I mean, really good. As Hubie Brown was saying, “he’s one of those young guys that just gets it.” With Roy, Aldridge, and if Oden is all we dream him to be next year…look out…this team could be good for many years. That being said, with the hyper-competitiveness of the West this year, I don’t see them getting in the postseason just yet.

Denver Nuggets (32 – 20) – Denver is like the really talented inner city that never really can beat their slower, more methodical, suburban rival. With Melo, Iverson, and Camby, this team should be really, really good. I mean, they’re good, 32 – 20 is nothing to shake a stick at, but they always seem to be underachieving, especially defensively. With Camby as one of the best defenders in the league, one has to wonder how much of it is lack of effort from the likes of Melo and friends? In the end, I think Denver gets in with a 7th or 8th seed and goes out in the first round…again.

Houston Rockets (32 – 20) – The Rockets have been on a tear lately, winning their last 9 of 10. However, they won’t keep that up all year, and most likely they won’t be healthy all of the rest of the year either. Yao is having an outstanding year, and McGrady plays well when he’s healthy, but being that his health is such a crapshoot, I’m going to say that Houston gets bumped from the post season this year. In fact, they may be the first 50-win team to not make the playoffs in NBA history. We’ll see. Another note about Houston: they are battling Denver for the Biggest Underachiever award over the last few seasons.

Golden State Warriors (32 – 20) – They are running and gunning, and it’s all fun and games, but my thoughts are that though it will allow them to squeak in to the playoffs again, this time I don’t see them getting out of round one. I also don’t see the recent pick up of Chris Webber helping them much at all; if anything, I think he may hurt them a bit. I don’t know how Golden State will ever get over the hump to be a real contender, but Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson are some of the best players at what they do in the league, and for the time being, at least, they’re fun to watch.

The Contenders (forgoing the “Intriguing, but Not There Yet” category):

Dallas Mavericks (35 – 18) – Dallas leads us off in the most crowded group of contenders I’ve ever seen. It’s ridiculous, as only 4 1/2 games currently separates 1 through 9 in the Western Conference. This makes it really hard to predict anything, since with an injury or a bad lull any of the top West seeds could literally end up missing the playoffs altogether! It’s really pretty amazing. Now, back to Dallas specifically. They are currently in the process of shipping off half of their team to New Jersey for Jason Kidd. Will this help them? I’m of the opinion that it won’t long term, but that it may short term. I think in the long run they’re killing themselves, and losing Devin Harris will hurt more than they realize. However, short term they are getting one of the 10 best point guards of all time in Kidd; it’s just that they are giving up a lot for a 35 year old guy with a huge contract. Moreover, the whole thing seems a little panicky to me. The biggest plus that they’ll get with Kidd, I think, is a degree of mental toughness that has been missing over the past few seasons. The biggest losses are Devin Harris, any future financial wiggle room, and the loss of big guys like Diop. While their biggest rivals are upgrading with big men, Dallas (when the Kidd trade goes through) will have no one left down low but Dampier…and I have to say that that’s a little disconcerting. Time will tell how it all pans out, though, time will tell.

San Antonio Spurs (34 – 17) – Oh, to be in the Spurs shoes. Again, while battling injuries all year, here they are again with a .667 winning percentage more than half way through. Ginobli is having an outstanding year, and since you know that Parker and Duncan will be hard to deal with come playoff time as well, it’s stupid to ever write off the Spurs. However, they do look a little older and a little slower than years past. That being said, count me in as one who won’t be shocked to see them in the mix of it when it’s all said and done.

Utah Jazz (34 – 19) – Boozer and Williams are the new Stockton and Malone (I mean, they’re literally running the same plays and everything). The Jazz are good, and I can’t say that I would be surprised in the least if were to come out of the West this year. I hesitate to say that they’re a favorite, per se, but they’re definitely not a team to sleep on for sure.

Los Angeles Lakers (35 – 17) – I think LA could end up going in two directions: NBA Champions (or at least a Finals appearance) or early exit in the playoffs. Their outcome this year depends on nothing more than their health. Bynum’s out and Kobe’s hurt. That pretty much sums it up. Assuming that Kobe is 100% and Bynum is back in form in a month or so, the nucleus of Bryant, Odom, Gasol, Bynum, Fisher, Farmar, Walton, etc. is ridiculous. They have a chance to be crazy good. The Gasol trade (read: steal) really put an already good LA team over the top. The question is, though, will they be healthy enough for a sustained run?

Phoenix Suns (37 – 16) – Shaq? Wow, the Marion for Shaq trade was a surprise to everyone, to say the least. My first reaction to the deal was similar to that of most everyone. What.are.they.thinking? They just added a 36 year old big man with an enormous contract, who is slow, prodding, and having the worst year of his career to the league’s most run and gun, up and down offense…and they gave up an All Star caliber player for him. Whew…take a breath. However, in thinking about the trade some more, I can see what Phoenix is thinking…to some degree. This could work for the Suns, but it is based on some serious assumptions. Assuming that Shaq is rejuvenated, stays healthy, and assimilates quickly and easily, they just added maybe the greatest center of all time (and a 4 time NBA Champion) to a group that already includes Nash, Stoudamire, Hill, Barbosa, and Diaw. To be honest, too, as good as Phoenix is and has been over the past few seasons, I didn’t see them getting over the hump with who they had anyway. So, it seems with the risk of taking a huge step backwards, they have perhaps leapt forward enough to finally bring home the trophy to the desert.

New Orleans Hornets (36 – 15) – Who would have thought at the All Star break that New Orleans would have the best record in the West! Chris Paul, Chris Paul, and Chris Paul…this guy is special. He’s like a modern day Isaiah Thomas. Alongside Paul, with guys like Peja, Mo Pete, Tyson Chandler, and David West, this team stands to be a contender for many years to come. I personally think that they may be a year or two away from actually representing the West in the Finals, but I can’t help but be impressed with this team…especially given the overall lack of attendance and support from the local community in New Orleans.

Eastern Conference:

Lottery Bound:

Miami Heat (9 – 42) – Ouch. This has been a dismal season for Miami. However, the Shaq trade was perfect for them. They never thought they’d be able to unload his contract, but they did, and it has given them new life for the future. With Wade, Marion, and a high 2008 draft pick, they could be back in the hunt before we know it.

New York Knicks (15 – 37) – It’s hard to see my favorite player of all time (Isaiah Thomas) systematically destroy the league’s signature franchise, but it’s true…the Knicks are a mess. The reality is, they’re several years away from even getting back to a place where they can realistically even try to rebuild properly.

Bubble Teams (sadly):

Charlotte Bobcats (19 – 34) – The Bobcats are a little hesitant to spend money, and when they do it’s on decent (but not franchise) guys like Jason Richardson. Adam Morrison was a bust, and unfortunately for them, I can’t see Charlotte working their way out of the bottom of the East for a while.

Milwaukee Bucks (19 – 34) – I feel like the Bucks should be better than they are, and I can’t really put my finger on why they aren’t. Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut are two guys that could forseeably be built around, but I wouldn’t necessarily fault the Bucks if they dealt one or both of them and blew the whole thing up either.

Indiana Pacers (21 – 32) – Man, the 2004 Palace brawl really destroyed this team. They have never been the same since. Jermaine O’Neal is always hurt (as is Tinsley), and other than Granger (and maybe Dunleavy) there aren’t a lot of bright spots on this team. I don’t know if there is a quick fix either; it seems that O’Neal’s injury problems are scaring a lot of teams away from making a deal for him.

Chicago Bulls (21 – 34) – The Bulls are by far the most disappointing team this year. They should have pulled the trigger on some bigger trades earlier, and they should have never pulled the trigger on Ben Wallace, but hindsight is 20/20. The really sad part is that the Bulls (as well as Charlotte, Milwaukee, and Indiana…all mentioned earlier) are all still in the playoff hunt. It’s really pathetic. While there is 4 1/2 games separating teams 1 through 9 in the West, there is 19 1/2 between 1 through 7 in the East…and there stands to be probably 1 to 2 teams in the postseason from the East with losing records…ugh.

Atlanta Hawks (21 – 28) – With the recent acquisition of Mike Bibby, Atlanta actually has a decent shot of moving up the East standings, and with Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, and Al Horford they are not really all that bad…just young. I’d say that they have the most promise of the other Eastern Conference teams I just listed.

Philadelphia 76ers (23 – 30) – Philly has actually been playing very well as of late. That being said, whether or not they make the postseason is irrelevant as they stand to be a first round and out team at best anyway. Andre Miller is fairly underrated, but he’s also in his 30′s, so I’m not sure what moves the Sixers can make to take this team to the next level. For them, and many of the teams on the bottom of the East, the next few years seem like they’ll be more of the same.

New Jersey Nets (23 – 30) – It’s hard to say what losing Kidd and gaining Harris and friends will do for NJ this year, but long term I believe it helps them. Jefferson is good, and young enough to build around, but the signing of Vince Carter to a huge deal this past summer was maybe the dumbest thing I’ve seen in some time. New Jersey should make the playoffs again this year, but the 2nd round is definitely their ceiling.

Intriguing, but Not There Yet:

Toronto Raptors (28 – 23) – The Raptors have a good core of Bosh and Calderon, and they have the potential to be a contender over the next few seasons. As of now, though, they just can’t quite be considered a contender. I like this team, though, and with some tweaking, they could be atop the East in a year or so.

Orlando Magic (33 – 21) – (Note: The Magic actually have a better record than the Cavaliers, but I am listing them out of order to properly categorize them). Dwight Howard is a monster, and even though the Magic horribly overpaid for Rashard Lewis in the off-season, they have a bright future with Howard, Lewis, and Turkoglu. If they could add a reliable point guard to the mix, in a year or two, look out East. This year, though, I can’t see them making a realistic run for a title.

The Contenders:

Cleveland Cavaliers (29 – 23) – The Cavs have had major injury problems all year, but assuming that everyone is back come playoff time, they are a team that can’t be ignored for one reason: Lebron James. He is having his best season to date, and he is really a one man wrecking crew. The Cavs didn’t upgrade around him in the off-season, and they don’t really have any assets to do so this year either, but with Lebron you can never count them out.

Detroit Pistons (39 – 13) – Riding a 10 game winning streak into the All Star break, the Pistons look primed for another run deep into June. The biggest difference between this year and the last two years (where they ran out of juice in the East Finals) is the emergence of a their bench. Over the last 10 games, their bench of Rodney Stucky, Jason Maxiell, Jarvis Hayes, Arron Afflalo, and Amir Johnson has averaged over 30 points a game. Detroit’s starters minutes are way down across the board, and they look fresh, focused, and ready to reclaim the glory of 2004. Let’s hope they do 

Boston Celtics (41 – 9) – Wow, what a difference a year makes. Enter KG and Ray Allen, and this team is off to one of the best starts in franchise history. They have a potent offense and a league best defense, and they will probably end up with home court throughout the postseason as well. There are really only two questions that I have for them: #1. As good as he’s been playing, how will Rajon Rondo hold up during the rigors of the post season (point guard play is so important down the stretch), and #2. with as many minutes as the big three of Pierce, Allen, and Garnett are playing now, will they have enough gas left in the tank 3 months from now?

Recap: It’s been an interesting and exciting season so far, for sure. The Eastern Conference is home to the two best teams in the league in Boston and Detroit, but then the next 9 best records are in the West. The West playoffs this year should be one of the best ever, as should the seemingly impending Celtics – Pistons East Finals match up. If I were to take a shot at it right now, I’d say we’re headed for a rematch of the 2004 NBA Finals of LA vs. Detroit. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s anything but. Either way, I’ll be watching!