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| Now this is more like it. (Getty Images) |
The Champagne award for things that are awesome this week
The Lakers: Outside of one disaster against the Nuggets on a back-to-back, this Steve Nash thing is working out pretty well. The Lakers went 2-1 this week and finished +2.7 in efficiency differential (points per 100 possessions). They're playing with better energy and focus. Still a long way to go, but this has been a rare good week for the Lakers this season.
Toronto Raptors: Well, Andrea Bargnani went down and ... stop. Let's not insult this team by acting like Bargnani is that young officer in Master and Commander whom everyone thought was cursed. The wind returned of its own accord, because the team started playing better and caught a weak part of the schedule. Bargnani has been awful, but the Raptors have played with better focus and control. That's why they're red hot right now.
Los Angeles Clippers: So hot right now. Like Hansel, or end-of-year lists. You guys excited for the inevitable "can they break the NBA record for consecutive wins?" questions in the next week, even though they'll need 13 more? I am.
Chris Paul: As you'll see below, the "Point God" has reinserted himself in the MVP conversation in a big way.
Atlanta Hawks: Do you realize the Hawks are a game back of Miami ... for the top spot in the Eastern Conference? The whole thing? Larry Drew is not getting enough talk for Coach of the Year, Al Horford isn't getting enough credit and Danny Ferry needs to be on some Executive of the Year lists.
Jimmer Fredette: Look who's turning out to be not a bad little NBA player? 10.7 points and 3.7 assists on 47 percent shooting per game this week, and 19 points and 7 rebounds per 36 minutes. The defense is still a problem, but Jimmer's finding a niche in the league, and good on him for it.
New Year's Eve parties: Yes, the hype is a pain, but really, this is the one holiday that you get to enjoy with friends. Thanksgiving and Christmas are for family, Memorial Day and Labor Day are for close family, Halloween is largely for coworkers. But New Year's Eve is the one where you can just hang out at a friend's house. You have to like that.
NBA Season of Giving: The NBA Cares program did a ton of good work for communities this year. We should take the time to note how much teams and players have given to try to make their cities and this world a better place.
The "New Year's Resolution" award for things that have been lame this week
The Nets' decision-making: There's impatient, there's brashly impatient and then there's the Nets. This is like ordering the most expensive item on the menu that you know is bad for you, then when you don't like it, demanding a refund. It's not that Avery Johnson coached well. He didn't. But the Nets' "fix it now, now, now" approach is bad in basketball and business.
The Eastern Conference: The Toronto Raptors are four games back of the eighth seed. The Charlotte Bobcats have lost 18 straight -- and are still just seven back. Atlanta, as stated above, is a game back of the whole thing, and the Nets, who fired their coach this week, would be the seventh seed if the playoffs started today. We're definitely back to the "Leastern" conference. Six of 16 NBA teams are on losing streaks but just four in the West.
Dallas Mavericks: Rick Carlisle is about to go "Michael Douglas in Falling Down" with how this is going. There's talk of suspensions for players not playing the right way, total miscommunication and outright chaos. The offseason acquisitions have been disastrous. At this point, they're looking at trades for DeMarcus Cousins to "calm the waters." That's not a good look.
Royce White: The ADA requires "reasonable accomodations" for people with conditions like White's anxiety disorder. But White's refusal to play in the D-League, without any clarification of what his actual problems are, speaks to hubris and pride from a young player. It's disappointing to everyone who defended White from unfair attacks that he has conducted himself in a manner that validates every critic that he's had.
Deron Williams: Publicly questions the system, which is the product of the coach, but balks at consideration of his involvement in the firing of said coach. Williams has wanted things his way for a while, and he is learning how tough things can be when you get your way.
Christmas Day schedule: I love basketball. I eat, sleep, breathe, dream hoops. Five on Christmas is too much. Not just for the writers who are suckered into 12 hours of keeping watch but from oversaturation of the public. If you want to pull in the casual viewer, put three games of top value on. No need to make Christmas like the meal. Keep it to appetizer, main course, desert -- and quit futzing with all these courses.
Boston Celtics: It has becoming apparent the problems aren't getting everyone on the same page, but getting everyone on a different page. Plenty of time. But, man, are things bad right now.
The Christmas Jerseys: Hot vomit on a turkey plate. The Nuggets, Thunder and Heat were the only acceptable ones, and a few (the Knicks especially) should be burned forever. The Houston grays vs. the Bulls' reds made the game seem like a prison-ball matchup.
"Year-End, Best-Of" lists: It's not that I don't appreciate them (and I read them), but so many of them are useless and such a cop-out. That said, look for more End of Year content from us on CBSSports.com! ("Always be hypocritically shufflin.'")
MVP
Note: The top three guys are obstensibly tied.
1. Kevin Durant, Thunder: He's still shooting better than 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three, and 90 percent from the line. Which is kind of crazy.
2. Chris Paul, Clippers: It can be reasonably argued that, over the past month, Paul has played the position of point guard at least as well as anyone in the history of professional basketball.
3. LeBron James, Heat: Had a dominating stretch vs. Golden State to give them a chance to win but couldn't knock down the game-winner. Not that that affected him here. He's right there with the top two.
4. Carmelo Anthony, Knicks: Slight slip due to injury, with a lot of whispers about the severity of the knee's condition.
5. Kobe Bryant, Lakers: Having Steve Nash certainly helps convert those 30-point-plus games into wins.
ROY
1. Damian Lillard, Blazers: Look at how well Davis is playing, and he's not even healthy yet.
I'm suspending the rest of this race until further notice due to the dreadful state of the Rookie of the Year race.
COY:
1. Mark Jackson, Warriors: A roster of poor defenders is defending well, a team with inconsistent offensive weapons has been consistent and they're winning close games. Believe in the preacher man.
2. Mike Woodson, Knicks: He continues to find ways to win when trouble comes the team's way. How does he re-insert Amar'e Stoudemire?
3. Larry Drew, Hawks: This team, man. This team.
4. Gregg Popovich, Spurs: How can he win so many games that he clearly doesn't care about?
5. Vinny Del Negro, Clippers: Look, at some point we can't avoid it, OK?
6MOY
1. Jamal Crawford, Clippers: Continues to be the spark for the league's best team.
2. Kevin Martin, Thunder: How can he be this good, this quietly?
3. Carl Landry, Warriors: Getting zero credit for yeoman's work on the most surprising team in the league.
4. Jarrett Jack, Warriors: Steady like a freight train, sharp like a razor.
5. Ray Allen, Heat: Bet he misses Boston. Wait, no, I mean the opposite.
DPOY
1. Tony Allen, Grizzlies: Do you think opponents have nightmares about him? I would.
2. Nick Collison, Thunder: One of the few big defenders you don't want to go ISO against on the switch in the pick and roll.
3. Tyson Chandler, Knicks: Tough as nails and keeping a team with poor tendencies elite defensively. Again.
4. Andrei Kirilenko, Timberwolves: Welcome back, AK.
5. Luol Deng, Bulls: Does so much work that never gets noticed just by swallowing possessions.
