Why Jamal Crawford for Ben Gordon Works

Atlanta Hawks guard Jamal Crawford will request a trade from the Hawks if he’s not signed to an extension, according to an ESPN report by Chris Broussard.

Crawford, who won last year's Sixth Man of the Year award, was traded to the Hawks by the Golden State Warriors and has also played with the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks.

Even though they added him last summer the Hawks were swept in the second round for a second time in a row.

If the Hawks aren’t willing to sign the 30-year-old scorer to an extension, maybe they’ll be interested in trading for Detroit Pistons guard Ben Gordon, who has three years left on his contract.

I'm Back! New Name, Better Game

It's been a long time since I used this blog for Yardbarker, and a lot of things have changed since then, including Yardbarker and my writing skills.

In the past 15 months I joined Sacramento Press to write for the Sacramento Kings' Tyreke Evans Rookie of the Year (RekeROY) campaign, where I met and got to know some of the best basketball writers in Sacramento and from around the country.

Evans won the ROY Award.

After the campaign ended I continued to write for Sacramento Press, mainly about the Kings while earning my Associate's Degree in Journalism at Sacramento City College.

Now I'm rebooting my basketball blog as I prepare to leave for Azusa Pacific University in January. Pre-season doesn't start for over a month but there's always a story in the NBA, no matter how quiet and boring it may seem.

Carmelo Anthony reportedly heading out of Denver, Team USA and the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Turkey, Jamal Crawford wanting to be traded if he doesn't get an extension (more on him later), there's always something, which is why you should check back here often.

There's plenty of ways to follow me and my work in basketball and other sports as well. You can follow me on Twitter and like my fan page on Facebook to keep up with all of the latest updates of when and where I post my stories.

You can also subscribe to this site where it says "Subscribe to Rob on Hoops" in the top-right corner of the page to get my stories via e-mail or use Google Friend Connect on the lower-right side of the page.

My resume blog on Wordpress, The Archives, holds all of my journalistic work from high school up until now. You can find my writing on Sacramento Press, Sactown Royalty and Sac Midtown.

I also post videos on YouTube and pictures on Flickr. Many of the pictures you see on The Archives are on my Flickr account.

Feel free to comment and share my stories if you like it. All I hope is that you'll enjoy your time here, starting on my next post explaining why a Jamal Crawford-Ben Gordon swap would benefit both the Atlanta Hawks and the Detroit Pistons.

2009 NBA All-Star Ballots Open (My Selections)

The 2009 NBA All-Star ballot has just been released and the voting is under way, so I'm picking up what I did last year by picking who I vote for and why. Two teams. Two guards, two forwards and a center each, and a write-in. It's not about the top talents like Chris Paul LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. They're already getting in. It's about getting other all-star talents recognized.

You can vote online everyday until January 19. You can vote on nba.com, or you can do it right here, using the NBA All-Star 2009 widget on the top-right side of my blog. T-Mobile will be helping out the Phoenix community by donating $1 for every ballot you cast in a T-Zone or T-Mobile's wireless web portal. So if you can, do it.

Enough talk, let's get it on.

WEST

FORWARD: ANDREI KIRILENKO Utah Jazz. He's coming off the bench now as one of the best sixth men in the league. He's getting 14 PPG on 55% shooting, 6.8 RPG, 2.9 APG 1.1 SPG and 1.4 BPG. He's an all-around player, efficient on both sides of the ball helping his team to a 6-1 record, which includes winning five straight. If he keeps this up, he'll make his first all-star team.

FORWARD: LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE Portland Trail Blazers. Aldridge, in only his third year, will be a dominant force in the NBA with his ability shoot. His numbers are 18.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 1.4 BPG. He has the ability to have a 20-10 game and he's had a 24 point, 13 rebound outing this year already. In the future when he's working with Greg Oden, the Blazers frontcourt will be a force to be reckoned with.

GUARD: KEVIN MARTIN Sacramento Kings. K-Mart looks like he's back with a vengence. He's come out as more agressive and has made his case on a 4-game homestand after starting 0-4 on the road. He's averaged 28.7 PPG on 53% shooting, 3 RPG, 3.7 APG and 1.6 SPG, leading the Kings on a 3-game win streak at home. Unfortunately, he re-sprained his ankle against the Warriors, but he should be back in a week. Otherwise, with some all-star moves early on in the season he's sure to make his case to get on the team again this season.

GUARD: STEPHEN JACKSON Golden State Warriors. Since Baron Davis left for the Clippers and Monta Ellis was injured and out until January and now Corey Maggette injured, Captain Jack has taken charge of the team with the best numbers of his career so far. He's averaged 23.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 5.6 APG and 1.4 SPG. Even though the team has struggled with a 2-5 record, he's doing everything he can to get his team through some tough times.

CENTER: ANDRIS BIEDRINS Golden State Warriors. Biedrins has been very good early on. Averaging 16.8 PPG on 53% shooting, 14.3 RPG 1 SPG and 1.8 BPG, Biedrins is an unstoppable force on both ends on the floor. He fights for every board, which is why he averages nearly five offensive RPG. There's no other way to put it, he's the best center in the West on the ballot.

EAST

FORWARD: ZACH RANDOLPH New York Knicks. So far, he's stayed out of trouble. Maybe Mike D'Antoni straightened him out. He's averaging 19 PPG, 11.5 RPG and 1.5 SPG as the Knicks' new center at 6'9. He's also helped lead the team to a 4-3 record. As long as he stays out of trouble and puts up some good numbers, I'll vote him. If he's really changed, there's a spot on the team for him.

FORWARD: TAYSHAUN PRINCE Detroit Pistons. In 2005, Ben and Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups were all-stars. Prince was the only one of the starting five who wasn't chosen. I think it's time he became one. He's averaging 18.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.6 APG and 0.9 BPG. He's really coming into his own. Don't worried about him being injury prone, he's an iron man. He's started in all 82 games for four straight seasons. He's played in all 82 games for five straight seasons. Even with Allen Iverson coming in, it's still Prince's time to shine.

GUARD: JOSE CALDERON Toronto Raptors. The Spanish Sensation up north, Calderon is starring beside Chris Bosh and Jermaine O'Neal. He's averaging 13.5 PPG and 9 APG and has over a 5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He was a big part of the Spanish National Team in the Olympics before he was injured, missing the gold medal game. Calderon came out of nowhere last year when T.J. Ford was injured. Now with the starting role he continues to shine.

GUARD: JOE JOHNSON Atlanta Hawks. JJ has led this team to 6-game winning streak to start the season, and he was questioned by Paul Pierce last year on why he made the team last year over Ray Allen initially. He's averaging 24.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 4.9 APG and 1.6 SPG in an effort to make sure the Hawks finish better than an eight seed. He and the Hawks are making sure that the whole NBA knows and Johnson is the perfect canidate for the Hawks.

CENTER: ANDREW BOGUT Milwaukee Bucks. He's probably one of the most balanced centers in the East right now when it comes to stats, but he's done better in the past. Averaging 10.1 PPG, 10 RPG, 1.2 SPG and 1.1 BPG, he's ready to prove that he earned his extension. He's playing with two very good scorers in Michael Redd and Richard Jefferson, but if he gets rolling like he did at the end of last season, the Bucks can start see some wins coming their way.

WRITE-IN: NENE Denver Nuggets. Filling the void Marcus Camby left at center when he was traded, he's bounced back from testicular cancer to play one of the best seasons of his career so far. He's avveraging 15.6 PPG on 67.2% shooting, 8.9 RPG, 1.4 SPG and 2 BPG in a bounce back season when it looked like his career may have been over. Now it's about staying healthy for his team because he's a key piece. Without him, even with Chauncey Billups they can't think about the playoffs. Nené is that important.

LAST THOUGHTS: There's a few newcomers on the ballot. Yi Jianlian, after getting a lot of votes as a write-in last year, is on the ballot this year. Rookies Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo and Greg Oden have made the ballot as well. If you haven't noticed, there're five international players that I've picked. Kirilenko (Russia), Biedrins (Latvia), Calderon (Spain), Bogut (Australia) and Nené (Brazil). It's amazing how many good players there are from overseas. Rudy Fernandez and Ricky Rubio could be next.

I'm done now, so go vote. There's 67 days left to do it, and you can do it every day. Be on the lookout for Part 2 in a couple of weeks.

Trade Possibilities for Jamaal Tinsley

The Indiana Pacers traded for T.J. Ford, sending Tinsley a clear message that he was unwelcome in Indiana. Even with back-up point guard Travis Diener out indfinitely with a foot injury, Tinsley is still chillin' at home in ATL. Progress was being made to send him to Denver but it was denied he was traded there. If the Pacers want to get Tinsley out, they need a point guard in return in case if injury-prone Ford ever gets hurt again. Tinsley isn't the easiest person to shop with his off-court problems. If any team wants him though, the Hawks, Warriors, Hornets, Thunder and Magic could all use Tinsley and give the Pacers who they want.

Atlanta Hawks: Mike Bibby for Tinsley and Rasho Nesterovic

31-year-old Bibby is on the tail end of his career. Two years ago, he was one of the premier point guards in the NBA averaging 21.1 PPG and 5.4 APG for the Kings. After being traded to the Hawks last season, he averaged 14.1 PPG and 6.5 APG and career playoff lows of 10.3 PPG and 3.1 APG.

Atlanta trading for Tinsley would be a better move for them than keeping Bibby. It also saves Tinsley the expense of moving out. Although Bibby outscores him by by 2 PPG, Tinsley is a better defender and distributor. Tinsley also turns 31 this year but is playing better than Bibby. Acie Law might not be ready to take over yet. Flip Murray signed with the Hawks and sparked a run for the playoffs for Indiana and barely missed it, but Tinsley will have a better impact. It also give them a quality point guard for 3 years. Nesterovic is just a trading piece to make the trade go through.

Indiana getting Bibby would give them cap space for next year to give Danny Granger an extension. Plus, you have Bibby backing up T.J. Ford. Bibby can play well with other point guards on the same floor. When Ford is on the floor, Bibby can play shooting guard, just like he did with Bobby Jackson and most recently, Beno Udrih. Good trade for both teams.

Golden State Warriors: Al Harrington and C.J. Watson for Tinsley and Shawne Williams

Golden State could really use a point guard right now with the injury to Monta Ellis. In the lead for the starting spot is C.J. Watson. Those competing for a spot are Marcus Williams, DeMarcus Nelson and recently signed Dan Dickau. Tinsley would be an instant upgrade over all of them. I have a feeling that the Warriors don't want Troy Murphy or Mike Dunleavy back.

Al Harrington's already been through Indiana twice. He averaged 13.6 PPG and 5.4 RPG last year. Getting him would give them a line-up of Murphy, Harrington, Granger, Dunleavy and Ford. Not that bad of a line-up. Harrington has an option to play for one more year and will most likely take it, but they'll be in contention this year. Watson and Travis Diener will contend to back-up Ford.

Tinsley would definitely help the Warriors' point guard troubles, with Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette, Ronny Turiaf and Andris Biedrins. The trade would give Turiaf, Brandan Wright, Anthony Randolph a chance to start for the Warriors. Williams would be tossed to the side. The loss of Baron Davis is huge, but Tinsley, if he acts right, could keep their hopes alive once Ellis comes back.

New Orleans Hornets: Mike James for Tinsley

If the Hornets have any glaring weaknesses right now, it's their depth at point gurad. They have the game's best point in Chris Paul, but no one to back him up. Jannero Pargo left for Russia and they're summer league star Bobby Brown signed with the Kings. Those minutes could take a toll on Paul at the end of the season, but Tinsley could play well as a back-up and give him time to relax. He only gets 11 minutes rest on average. Tinsley's a better player than James and they could really use his help.

Mike James was put in a position where he can't start, and he hasn't played well as a back-up to Chris Paul and played OK behind Rafer Alston before he was traded from the Houston Rockets. He's 33, but it's shown in the past that James performs better when given minutes. If Ford gets hurt again, James' performs better when he starts. He also has one year left on his contract, so it's a good trade for both parties.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Earl Watson for Tinsley

Russell Westbrook is the Thunder's point guard of the furture, but they can't really look at the playoffs until four years from now. Tinsley could speed up the process, playing next to ROY Durant and Oklahoma favorite Desmond Mason. He's one of the better defensive point guards in the league and can pass that on to Westbrook.

Watson is a very underrated point guard with 10.7 PPG and 6.8 APG with the Seattle Supersonics last season. He would be a very valuable back-up if anything happened to Ford. He's one of the more underrated distributors in the game and could help Indiana make it into the playoffs. Watson, who turns 30 next year, has three years left on his contract, but he is a valuable player to any team.

Orlando Magic: Jameer Nelson for Tinsley

If the Magic want to become championship contenders, they wait for Nelson. If they want to become contenders now, they get Tinsley. Tinsley is also a better defender and distributor than Nelson and could be the difference maker. He'd be a talent boost on a team that doesn't have to worry about anyone moving for a while, except for the fact that Hedo Turkoglu wants to opt-out next year for a pay raise.

Nelson only missed 13 games, but out of the 69 he did play he missed 7 starts. He started in all 77 games he played the year before. His numbers have gone down every season, probably because the emergence of Dwight Howard. Nelson would still be a reliable back-up to T.J. Ford. He's only 26 and averages 10.9 PPG and 5.6 APG.

Any one of these teams could use Tinsley and he could make them better. It's all about if they want to take the risk that comes with him. His stats are at an all-star caliber, and if he gets his act together, he'll be one of the league's best.

Shareef Considering Retirement, Coaching Career

Shareef Abdur-Rahim, second from the right, says he'll decide if he'll participate in the

Sacramneto Kings' training camp after coming home from a trip South Africa for the NBA.

(From left to right) Milwaukee Bucks' Charlie Bell, San Antonio Spurs' Matt Bonner,
Abdur- Rahim,and Washington Wizards' Caron Butler.

The last time Sacramento Kings' power forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim was heard from before going on the NBA's Basketball Without Borders trip to South Africa, he was practicing with their summer league team in Las Vegas. At the time, he was not doing well. Now that he's home, retirement looks more of a possibility than ever for the 31 year old.

Shareef is due $12.8 million over the next 2 seasons and has an early-termination option in 2009. The Kings, however have insurance on him so they won't have to pay him anything unless he plays for another team. According to Amick, he and the Kings have discussed the possibility of him becoming their big man coach.

The Kings were supposedly looking for a big man coach over the summer to develop the young bigs like sophomore center Spencer Hawes, rookie power forward Jason Thompson and third year power forward Shelden Williams. A good coach would do them well, and Shareef, a former All-Star in 2000, might be a good fit for them. He was one of the best power forwards in the NBA the first 8 years of his career. Right now, the playing part of his NBA career seems to be over.

Shareef was drafted #3 by the Vancouver Grizzlies where he played his best for 5 years, setting franchise records with 23 PPG in 1999 and 10.1 RPG in 2000. He was the by far the best player the Grizzlies franchise has ever had. He also won a gold medal for the men's USA Basketball Team in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

The Grizzlies traded him for to the Atlanta Hawks rookie Pau Gasol in 2001 where he played for two and a half seasons before getting traded for Rasheed Wallace, who only played one game for the Hawks before getting traded to the Detroit Pistons. Portland was the only place Shareef wore a different number than #3. He wore #33 there.

After 2 years in Portland, and not one playoff appearance with any team, Shareef was to be signed-and-traded to New Jersey for a first round pick, which Portland planned to trade for the Phoenix Suns' Leandro Barbosa. He failed the physical, putting the trade on hold, but he decided to go into free agency, signing with the Kings.

During his time in Sacramento, he broke his jaw and had it wired shut. Expected to be out for a significant amount of time, he came back early and played, with his jaw wired shut. He made his first and only playoff appearance against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round. Although they tied the series after being down 2-0, the Kings lost the series 4-2. In the 06-07 season, Shareef averaged career lows of 9.9 PPG and 5 RPG missing the playoffs. The next season, two knee surgeries limited him to 6 games out of the whole year.

If his career is over, he would have missed the playoffs 11 out of 12 seasons. Even so, his resumé includes a gold medal, an All-Star appearance, and 1996-97 NBA All-Rookie First Team. In college, he was the first freshman to win the PAC 10 Player of the Year Award at California. Not to mention, his extensive involvement in the community that extends from Sacramento, to New Orleans, to Atlanta and now, Africa.

Shareef was and still is a great ambassador for the NBA. His contributions on and off the court touched millions of people. He will not be forgotten.

Best of the East

Boston, Detroit, Orlando and Cleavland. All of them dominated the Eastern Conference, but their were a lot of great individual performances too. Atlanta clinched their first playoff spot since 1999, Philadelphia surged late in the season for their first playoff spot since Allen Iverson left and Washington relied on their other All-Stars Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison despite Gilbert Arenas missing most of the season. Even though the West had dominance, there were stories in the East too.

All Atlantic Division Team

Kevin Garnett

C- Samuel Dalembert PHI 10.7-10.4-.5-2.4
PF- Kevin Garnett BOS 18.9-9.3-3.5
SF- Andre Iguodala PHI 19.9-5.4-4.8-2.1 SPG
SG- Vince Carter NJN 21.6-6.1-5

PG- Jose Claderon TOR 11.5-2.9-8.3

Paul Pierce BOS 19.9-5.2-4.6
Chris Bosh TOR 22.5-8.8-2.5
Richard Jefferson NJN 22.5-4.2-3
Zach Randolph NYK 17.6-10.3-2

Andre Miller PHI 17.1-4-6.8
Ray Allen BOS 17.7-3.7-3.1
Jamal Crawford NYK 20.7-2.6-5

All Central Division Team

LeBron James

C- Andew Bogut MIL 14.2-9.8-2.6-1.8 BPG
PF- Danny Granger IND 19.1-6.1-2.1
SF- LeBron James CLE 30.3-7.9-7.2-1.9 SPG
SG- Michael Redd MIL 23.5-4.4-3.5
PG- Chauncey Billups DET 17.2-2.8-6.9
Drew Gooden CHI-CLE14.3-9.3-1.7
Zydrunas Ilgauskas CLE 14-9.3-1.4
Danny Granger IND 19.1-6.1-2.1
Mike Dunleavy IND 18.7-5.2-3.4
Mo Williams MIL 17.2-3.5-6.3
Richard Hamilton DET 17.6-3.3-4.2
Ben Gordon CHI 18.9-3.1-3

All Southeast Division Team

Dwight Howard

C- Dwight Howard ORL 20.9-14.4-1.4-2.2
PF- Antawn Jamison WAS 21.5-10.2-1.5
SF- Josh Smith ATL 17.3-8.4-3.4-1.5-2.8
SG- Dwyane Wade MIA 24.6-4.2-6.9-1.7 SPG
PG- Raymond Felton CHA 14.3-2.9-7.3
Caron Butler WAS 20.3-6.7-4.9-2.21 SPG
Joe Johnson ATL 22.1-4.6-5.8
Jason Richardson CHA 21.5-5.3-3.2
Shawn Marion MIA-PHX 14.3-11.2-2.5
Hedo Turkoglu ORL 19.6-5.8-4.9
Gerald Wallace CHA 19.4-6-3.5
Rashard Lewis ORL 18.3-5.4-2.4

Rookie of the Eastern Conference

Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks
10.2 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.9 BPG

Best Defensive Player

Josh Smith
8.3 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 2.3 BPG

Most Improved

Hedo Turkoglu

Last Season: 13.3 PPG, 4 RPG, 3.2 APG
This Season: 19.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG 5 APG

Bibby's Return Spoiled, Kings Win 119-107

It was an emotional return for fans and players alike, for this would be the last game Mike Bibby would play at Arco Arena for the rest of the year, and the first time in since 2000 he would play in a different uniform. He was warmly welcomed the former King only 4 days removed from his old team, the last survivor of the 2002 Western Conference Championship team. Fans showed him the appreciation of the many things he did for them as he waved to the crowd, and he will be missed by many Kings fans.

It would be a high scoring game , not to mention 4 technicals given out. Bibby knew the Kings' moves, and Shelden Williams and Anthony Johnson knew the Hawks moves. Despite the Kings knew that Bibby would give them everything he had, the Kings were ready to take on the Hawks and their new look team, and it would be a game to remember.

1ST QUARTER

After a jump ball between Brad Miller and highflyer Josh Smith, the Hawks struck first with a basket. It would be another tightly contested game like the previous Blazers game, each team exchanging shot after shot. Ron Artest and Kevin Martin led the charge against the Hawks with a combined 17/30 points in the first quarter. Bibby led the Hawks by hitting his first two 3 pointers. Since Bibby left, Beno Udrih would fill in the starting point guard spot, and he would end up doing a good job. Bibby would rest early because of his bruised heel, leaving fans wondering if he would come back.

2ND QUARTER

Kings head coach Reggie Theus got the first technical of the night and the second of his career. The game started to get intense as time progressed. Another T was thrown out to Brad Miller, but Joe Johnson missed it. Lead changes, ties, you get it. Newly acquired D-Leaguer Jeremy Richardson made a big splash on his new team by scoring 7 points. Josh Childress also had 7 points. The Hawks had a balanced attack with teamwork, but the Kings were right in the game as the Martin/Artest tandem combined for 38/62 1st half points (Martin 18, Artest 20). It was 62-60 a Kings lead.

3RD QUARTER

Kevin Martin came out with a 3 pointer, but Bibby answered right back with his 3rd stragiht of the night. The Hawks would start to take a tumble. Josh Smith would get T'd up when he got upset after he was called for a foul, but Martin missed the technical. For 3 1/2 minutes, the Kings went on a dry spell, allowing the Hawks to get back in the game. During that run, Martin got a T after fouling Marvin Williams, but Bibby missed the free throw. Shelden Williams, who just checked in, would get the Kings lead back at 85-84. Francisco Garcia hit a buzzer beater at the end of the quarter, and the Kings would lead 93-90 at the end of the 3rd quarter.

4TH QUARTER

For the second straight night on a back-to-back, the Kings would go down to the wire. Childress was impressive as he scored the last of a team high 18 points. Brad Miller only had 4 points through 3 quarters befan to light up Atlanta to finish with 12 points. Garcia would hit his fourth 3 pointer and finish with 14 points. Artest wouldn't let the Kings fall back, using his strentgh to stay in the game, scoring a total 29 points. Not only that, Artest completely shut down Johnson, who only had 4 points in the 4th quarter. Williams also had an impressive night and finised with 8 points as Udrih notched his 10th assist. The Kings would rout the Hawks in the quarter and win 119-107.

Highlights

Kings
Artest: 29 pts, 7 reb (3 off.), 3 ast, 3 stl, blk
Udrih: 18 pts, 10 ast, 0 TO, 3 reb
Martin: 26 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl
Miller: 12 pts (8 fourth qtr.), 13 reb, 4 ast, blk
Garcia: 14 pts (4/6 3pt.), 2 stl (bench)
Williams: 8 pts, 2 reb, 9 min (bench)
Spencer Hawes: 2 pts, 8 reb 13 min (bench)

Hawks
Al Horford: 12 pts, 12 reb, 3 ast, 3 blk, fouled out
Childress: 18 pts, 3 reb, 2 blk (bench)
Smith: 16 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast, 3 blk, stl,
Bibby: 17 pts, 3 ast
Williams: 13 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, stl, blk
Johnson: 16 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast
Richardson: 7 pts, stl, 8 min (bench)

The Kings are now 2-0 since trading Bibby over the All-Star Break, while the Hawks are 0-2, slipping out of the playoff race. Both teams had got contributions from the bench, but the Kings had the edge. The Kings go on the road for the rest of February, including ATL this Wednesday. The Hawks continue to jell together with Bibby, and as soon as they do, they'll get back in the race.

Look Ahead for the Eastern Conference

When the Celtics acquired Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen the East was considered to be a powerhouse once again. Then the only teams that really separated themselves from the pack were the Celtics, Pistons and Magic. Now a team doesn't have a .500 record to be in the playoffs, but like the West, many teams are still in the playoff hunt. Other than the Celtics, there might be a new playoff team.

1. Boston Celtics (41-9) Getting Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen made Paul Pierce very happy. The one weak spot that they were thought to have was a good point guard. Look at Rajon Rondo now. Center Kendrick Perkins has been a great starter too. That 72-10 record is out of reach now, but they're a top 2 playoff team at the least. They've lost KG for 9 games and played well for the most part. It could be tough for them later on because the Pistons are trailing them.


2. Detroit Pistons (39-13) The Pistons are still one of the elite teams of the East. They haven't done anything different than last year except move Rasheed Wallace to center. A big part of their success is the rise of Jason Maxiell in the starting line-up. They didn't re-sign Chris Webber and traded Nazr Mohammed, but things have worked out for the better. Unless the Magic or Cavs have something to say, the East is gearing up for the Celtics-Pistons Eastern Conference Finals match-up. It's been a while since that happened.


3. Orlando Magic (33-21) The Magic have had a great season this far. After a red hot 16-4 start under Dwight Howard's MVP play, the Magic have slowed down, but no question they're playoff bound. What was even more surprising is that after acquiring Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu outperformed him throughout the season. They have a powerful All-Star caliber frontcourt. They've struggled against elite teams like Detroit, Phoenix, and San Antonio, but they're also one of the few teams to beat the Celtics. They're set to go as far as the 2nd round of the playoffs at least, but the conference finals doesn't seem that distant for them.
   
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (29-23) The Cavs are back where they're supposed to be, with the East's elite. The East seemed to be off to such great start that the Cavs seemed to get left in the dust and out of the playoff picture. The reigning conference champions passed those teams and reminded everyone who they are. Even though they're in the picture, the organization failed to get a point guard that LeBron James really wanted, since Jason Kidd is heading to Dallas and Mike Bibby is now a Hawk. Bibby was the ideal player for him to take off the scoring load for him, but James wanted Kidd. Either way he's not getting either of them, but Larry Hughes might be making a comeback after dropping a few high scoring games this year. Paired with sharpshooter Daniel Gibson, the Cavs might not have to look far to take the load off of James.


5. Toronto Raptors (28-23) The Raps are right back where they were last year, only they haven't played with T.J. Ford most of the year. Enter breakout point guard Jose Calderon and they're still on track for last year. He's been phenomenal in terms of playmaking, and has even been compared to John Stockton. Along with Chris Bosh and highflying rookie Jamario Moon, Toronto still plays well and show no signs of stopping. They're one of 5 teams that are over .500 in the East so if they stay over, it's automaticd that they'rein the playoffs.


6. Washington Wizards (25-27) No Gilbert Areans, no problem. They were supposed to be one of the worst teams in the league with their superstar done for the at least most of the season, but All-Stars Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison were still on the team. Add the solid play of rookie Nick Young, DeShawn Stevenson and Brendan Haywood, and this is a team determined to make the playoffs. No need to find out if Young will lose his starting job because Arenas said that he would come off of the bench, maybe not to disrupt the team's chemistry. Arenas is still planning to opt out, but it's a toss up wheather he'll stay or go.


7. New Jersey Nets (23-30) The Nets are in danger of not making the playoffs this year. Despite Richard Jefferson's great year, Vince Carter averaging 20 PPG and having Jason Kidd, one of the best point guards in the NBA, for some reason they couldn't get it done. They're on of the many teams that have talented players but can't seem to get the job done. Now they're losing Kidd and there are 6 other teams behind them that can make the playoffs as well. By getting rid of Kidd and getting Devin Harris, they're starting the rebuilding process right now, but they have to trade Carter, someone who wants out too, as well to free up some more cap space and truly start rebuilding. Sean Williams has been one of the best defensive rookies of the year, and Josh Boone is starting to show his potential. If they play their cards right, the process might not take as long.


8. Philadelphia 76ers (23-30) The Sixers have been in the playoff hunt all year long. Andre Iguodala has been the best performer on the team so far. Samuel Dalembert has been an athletic center for the team too catching alley-oops from Andre Miller. It seems now that he's staying in Philly instead of being traded. If the team keeps up their chemistry, they can make a playoff push for the first time since Allen Iverson and Chris Webber were on the team.


9. Atlanta Hawks (21-28) Now that the Hawks recieved point guard Mike Bibby from the Kings, the Hawks now seem playoff bound for the first time since 1999. They were considered a darkhorse this year after a good start and are in a virtual tie for 7th place. Bibby has been seen as the answer to take the scoring load off of Joe Johnson and could be the point guard Atlanta has needed for a long time. Bibby can also throw good lob passes to Josh Smith. With a impressive young froncourt in Smith, Marvin Williams and rookie of the year canidate Al Horford, the Hawks could bring the playoffs back to Atlanta, maybe at a 6 seed.


10. Chicago Bulls (21-31) After counting the Bulls out of the playoff race. Coach Scott Skiles was doing a horrible job and was fired. After going 9-16 with Skiles, they're 12-15 with Jim Boylan. It's no surpise that Ben Gordon would continue his scoring ways, but it was a surprise that they asked him to go back to the bench for the 6th man role, an idea that some teams are benefiting from. Andres Nocioni has become a better 3 point shooter ever since the coaching change. New addition Joe Smith has been gettting better as time goes on. If Ben Wallace can improve this team might be back in the playoffs.
    
11. Indiana Pacers (21-32) The Pacers seem to have lost their playoff hopes. Once a 19-22 team, they lost 7 straight games resulting in a 2-9 record since then. Jermaine O'Neal is likely out for the season and the Pacers don't look like they're trying to do what the Wizards are doing without Gilbert Arenas. Jamaal Tinsley has been performing well at the point with back-up Travis Diener developing himself. Mike Dunleavy has come out this year as a good scorer for the team, and Kareem Rush may be another player the Pacers want to keep. With the way they're playing, they might not make the playoffs and O'Neal might not be around next year. It might be a rebuilding year for the rest of the team, but if he does come back, this team will look to the playoffs next year.


12. Milwaukee Bucks (19-34) The Bucks have a talented team in Andrew Bogut, Michael Redd, Mo Williams Charlie Villanueva and Yi Jianlian, but they can't seem to take off. Redd has been scoring 20+ PPG, Yi has been one of the great rookies of the year and Bogut has stepped up his game, but they just can't seem to take off. Hopefully, if they can't make it to the playoffs this season, they might be able to get another high draft pick, maybe the one to help this team get more competitive.


13. Charlotte Bobcats (19-34) Jordan's team hasn't been doing good as of late. The combo of Json Richardson and Gerald Wallace hasn't paid off as much as they hoped. Before going on a 7 game losing streak, they were seen as playoff bound. Now they have to make a big run in order to keep thier hopes alive. For next season, they might not have Emeka Okafor next season after not being able to reach an agreement on an extension.


14. New York Knicks (15-37) Getting Zach Randolph was supposed to be the last piece needed to help the Knicks make the playoffs in the East. It was supposed to be Eddy Curry, Randolph, Quentin Richardson, Jamal Crawford and Stephon Marbury reviving the team. No, what they got was a soap opera with fans chanting "Fire Isiah!" Randolph, Curry and Marbury were on the trading block, and Marbury ended his season with ankle surgery. The Knicks are lottery bound again and might break up their team again.


15. Miami Heat (9-42) From NBA Champions in 2006 to the NBA's worst. Why? Key players from the championship team were lost. Dwyane Wade came in the season coming off of 2 surgeries and he couldn't carry his team. They just lost Shaq and Shawn Marion couldn't replace him. They're in danger of getting the top lottery pick and Wade might not be there if he feels like it, and Marion could be out as early as after this season. Now the Heat find themselves rebuilding again. It will be another few years until they can be in the playoffs again, but with Marion, they might not finish as the worst team in the NBA this year.

The East might have a wild finish for the 7 and 8 seed, but it should be interesting to see who comes out.