The top four teams in the powerful Western Conference went at one another on Thursday night, and there was one clear loser -- Utah.

There's no shame for Phoenix losing in Dallas by a bucket. Shawn Marion and Boris Diaw had awful games and it still took a brilliant game-winning jumper from Dirk Nowitzki for the Suns to be done in.

Meanwhile, the Jazz went into San Antonio and were collectively trampled, 106-83. They put together a performance Jerry Sloan will no doubt use to remind his players that they're not as good as they think they are.

Hopefully, overzealous Utah fans heed that warning as well.

You don't compete with the best teams in the league overnight, and there is something to be said about paying your dues and learning what it takes. Thursday night's trip to San Antonio presented an opportunity for the Jazz to go into a hostile environment and demonstrate the ability to hang, but no one was prepared enough to show up.

Deron Williams was outplayed by Tony Parker. Carlos Boozer went 2-for-10 from the field. Mehmet Okur couldn't avoid foul trouble long enough to stay on the floor.

Those three, remember, are the players who will be counted on to carry the Jazz once the playoffs get here, where they're supposed to make this giant leap from not even reaching the past few postseasons to all of a sudden contending for a championship. Okur has a ring from his days in Detroit, but he's never proven he can deliver on that level as a go-to guy. Neither has Boozer, and Williams is just in his second year.

They're fine pieces, and will one day, perhaps soon, form a championship-caliber team. But don't go anointing Utah a contender just yet. The first two months of a season aren't enough to earn that label when you haven't been there before. That's unfair to San Antonio, Dallas and Phoenix, teams that have had success in numerous postseasons for years on end.

There's your lesson for tonight, kids. Utah could've continued this charade that it belongs in the same conversation with the West's big three, but finally, the jig is up. The Jazz all showed up looking as groggy as Andrei Kirilenko was felt following his mild concussion.

They'll learn from this and be better for it. The Jazz fans that have been bombarding me with letters demanding respect should take note as well. Support your team, but don't go out clamoring for something you've yet to earn.

I look forward to your hate mail.

Christmas is full of unexpected surprises, so it shouldn't come as a shock that Dorell Wright used a national showcase game to put his talents on display.

Wright just turned 21 three weeks ago, but was lauded by Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade as a future superstar while he was still a teenager. The kid is the truth. Just wait 'til you see him.

We've waited ... and waited ... and waited.

For two seasons, he watched, learned and thrilled teammates in practice with his raw ability. He barely got off the bench during last season's postseason run, and though you won't catch him returning his championship ring, his effort on Monday afternoon was what he's always dreamed of.

There he was, starting on Christmas Day against his hometown team, guarding Kobe Bryant and showing everyone why he's so highly regarded. Word is that Philadelphia was hot for him when it was looking to unload Allen Iverson, and now you know why.

Dwyane Wade's 40 points, 11 assists and five blocks were obviously the story. No one could upstage that, but take a moment and appreciate the latest new kid on the block, likely to be Wade's tag-team partner long after O'Neal hangs it up.

He played a major role in holding Bryant to 1-for-9 first-half shooting, setting the tone for what ended up being a disappointing day for the Lakers superstar. He finished with 10 points, threw sharp passes, finished in the lane and swatted a couple of shots himself, contributing to the impromptu holiday block party Miami threw.

Now keep in mind where Wright has been, and how much this meant to him. Last year, I saw him just hanging out a South Beach club, kicking back and minding his business, blending in as well as a 6-8 beanpole possibly can. He was as an anonymous as an NBA player can be, in part because of his youth.

No one would've believed who he was because no one had really seen him. Now we have. Wright has been unwrapped this Christmas Day; he can be anonymous no more.

Allen Iverson's debut in a Denver uniform will go down as a loss, but it was by no means a failure. The Nuggets have uncovered a jewel of a Christmas bonus, someone capable of walking right off a plane and knocking down eight of his first 10 shots.

No matter that he hadn't played since Dec. 6, A.I. still heated up the icy Pepsi Center with a strong first three quarters. He gave his team, one missing usual starters Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith and Marcus Camby, a way to hang around. That's what the first part of this stint in his new city is going to be about -- getting adjusted and staying competitive.

The more wins the Nuggets can get while Anthony and Smith sit, the lesser the ground that must be made up when they return. Iverson was brought in to deliver winnable games like this one against Sacramento, because these are the ones that come back to haunt you in mid-April.

He failed them in the fourth, perhaps because the layoff caught up with him, missing five of his last six. Still, you cut him some much deserved slack because he backed up the hype. Iverson gave Denver genuine hope to wrap its arms around with his early play. He really is special. Coming out in a new environment with all that pressure on him to perform, Iverson just cut loose and gave the type of full throttle effort he's become synonymous with.

He started the second half and teamed with Earl Boykins to get the Nuggets back in the game. Coach George Karl may have been employing one of the smallest backcourts in NBA history and never blinked. Having those two running around making things happen was his best play, and in riding that combination, served notice that he's unafraid to try the unconventional.

That kind of open-minded attitude is exactly what is necessary for relating to Iverson as a coach. Show him you won't be held back by pre-conceived notions and that all you're interested in is winning.

In that regard, Karl and Iverson will get along just fine.

If this debut is any indication, Iverson and Anthony will work, too. Iverson was effective without trying to force too much of the action, deferring to Boykins, who put up 23 shots. That's about the number it's going to take to keep Anthony happy, and Iverson looked comfortable letting things come to him.

If he takes what teams give him and utilizes the talent around him, Iverson in Denver is going to be a winning combination. The era got off to a rocky start, but that still can't spoil what resonated loudest on Friday night: Iverson is one of a kind, and Denver is a better team today than they were yesterday.

Can the reigning two-time MVP get some love, please?

I understand that All-Star fan balloting is merely a popularity contest, and that many fans -- I get a lot of your e-mail -- are misguided and biased, but seriously, Steve Nash can't beat out Tracy McGrady for one of the guard spots?

Nash is running a distant third behind Kobe Bryant and McGrady after the first return of balloting for the 2007 All-Star Game, more than 230,000 votes behind T-Mac for the West's second starting spot.

I don't want to hear about Rockets fans around the globe swaying the vote, either. The league makes it very easy to vote, providing ballots at all arenas and online at NBA.com -- in 20 different languages. You can even vote on your cell phone.

Where are you, Canada?

Yao Ming is deservedly the West's runaway leader at center, while it looks like Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki and possibly Carmelo Anthony will make the race for the two forward spots very close. It's interesting to see 'Melo making up ground in the popularity contest.

The worldwide Rocket vote has benefited Shane Battier, who is currently running fifth among forwards, ahead of Lamar Odom, Shawn Marion and Carlos Boozer.

In the Eastern Conference, Shaquille O'Neal is getting a run from emerging Magic center Dwight Howard, who is only about 100,000 votes behind. Will Shaq's continued inactivity continue to hurt him in the voting? It would be strange not to have O'Neal at All-Star weekend in Vegas, but the only way he's going to be there is if he can hold off Howard.

Allen Iverson, leading all Eastern Conference guards in votes, takes his votes over to the West side should he be traded out there. That would put him ahead of Nash, too.

That MVP award clearly doesn't do much for your popularity. I want to see some improvement when the next round of results are made available on Dec. 28.

In between chasing Allen Iverson rumors and chatting with Jay Williams and Dennis Johnson for a feature on J-Will's comeback tour in the NBDL, I watched some hoops on Wednesday night.

•  In Orlando, there was some amusing confusion that almost got the Raptors a technical foul. Apparently, whoever filled out the roster for the night put Kris Humphries on both the active and inactive list. Only on the inactive list, they spelled his name Chris, and no doubt meant Bosh, who missed his third straight game with a bone bruise in his left knee. Word is he could be back in the fold on Friday.

•  Noticed that Cleveland finally has its normal starting five for the first time in 13 games with Larry Hughes re-inserted into the mix and Drew Gooden back from a pulled groin muscle. Hughes' defense at the end resulted in a game-clinching steal and is exactly what the Cavs have been missing in their up-and-down performances of late.

•  Proof the Timberwolves need Allen Iverson badly was offered in a pitiful second half that cost them a win in San Antonio. Too bad the only way they can get him is to part with rookie Randy Foye, who hit three of their four field goals in the fourth and was responsible for 12 of their 26 measly second half points.

•  Denver looked like they could use Iverson, too. If they're not going to play any defense, you may as well try and outscore teams with two of the NBA's best. Washington dropped 120, and Carmelo Anthony looked like he needed a hand after contributing 37 points while his squad got killed by nearly 30.

•  Caught the final minute of Portland-Memphis. Travis Outlaw controlled the game late defensively to seal the win. He blocked shots on the Grizzlies' first two possessions, and then kept Rudy Gay penned on their third with the clock dwindling under seven seconds, forcing a bad pass from Chucky Atkins that ended up out of bounds. Had Mike Miller's desperation pass with 2.3 seconds left been close to catchable, Outlaw was in position to come up with that, too. He's quietly had a very productive start to his fourth season, and at just 22, has a bright future as a game-changing athlete and defender.

•  Got some radio to do in Sacramento, so the day's tasks aren't quite done yet. Unless Kobe Bryant goes for 50 in the second half against Dallas, I'll check back in come mo

The pending switch back to the leather ball wasn't met with the instant gratification you might have counted on. Phoenix's Shawn Marion called the move stupid, questioning the timing. Steve Nash, whose hands took a beating due to the friction caused by heavy use of the new rock, was astounded the league would even consider making the switch at this stage of the game.

"I'm sure Peyton Manning and Tom Brady would love it if the NFL went to a Nerf ball at the start of the season, then halfway through went back to the original football, just when they were getting used to the Nerf ball," Nash said.

"It's going to be a difficult transition back, another arduous time for us. I can't speak for everyone, but I would have preferred they waited until this summer. These balls are polar opposites with a totally different feel. It's a different game. And there's so little practice time during the season."

As it is, the league has chosen Jan. 1 as the date the swap goes into effect. The synthetic ball, which has a better grip than the leather ball but became known for strange bounces and getting slick when wet, will continue to be used in the NBDL to allow both the NBA and Spalding an opportunity to continue monitoring it's long-term effectiveness. When the calendar hits 2007, though, the players will be expected to adjust on the fly.

So how will teams prepare for the switchback?

"That's a really good question, because I don't know," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said, chuckling. "We have games on Dec. 31 and Jan. 2, and I know our practice on Jan. 1 isn't going to be good. We'll ask the players how they want to do it and go from there.

"We led the league in scoring with the new ball and we led the league in scoring with the old ball, so we'll work it out."

Ultimately, the synthetic "new" ball will be remembered as a failed experiment that was handled badly all around. You get the feeling that players and coaches are tired of having to talk about the ball and will be relieved when order is restored and things are back to normal a few weeks into January.

"I know it will help Dwyane (Wade) because of the way he dribbles the ball and how he likes the ball to come back up," Miami's Gary Payton told the Palm Beach Post. "He won't have as many turnovers."

Boston should have the most fun with this switch. The Celtics are the only team to have games on both Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Two nights, two balls.

"That's just like going to the park and playing," head coach Doc Rivers told the Boston Herald. "You never know what kind of a ball you're going to be using there, and it doesn't bother anyone."

The ball not bothering anyone? Now, there's an idea you can get used to.

David Stern's most recent comments regarding the NBA basketball didn't come as a surprise to Spalding. According to Dan Touhey, the company's vice president for marketing research and development, Spalding is in constant dialogue with the league.

"We're interested in putting the best on-court product," said Touhey. "This is what we've strived to do for years and it's what we're continuing to strive for. The whole point of the switch was to provide a superior product, and we'll take every measure to make sure that's the case."

At least they're not oblivious to the fact there's a problem. Cutting to the chase, does every measure include possibly going back to the old ball?

"I can't speculate on what the league will want to do," said Touhey. "We're prepared to stay the course that was decided on at the start of the year."

If I were to bet on it, I'd say the longest the microfiber basketball lasts in the league will be through the end of this season, which will then come to be remembered by asterisk as the year the leather ball took a hiatus. It would be akin to baseball allowing aluminum bats for a season, just to see what happens.

The new ball's days are numbered. In the interim, there will be more testing, and more bizarre stories of players having to wear bandages to protect their hands from the ball, and assistant coaches wearing gloves to work their players out. Talk about your hazardous work environment.

Why is it happening? No one seems to know. Guess we'll just have to wait to see what "more testing" brings.

I'm not one of those guys who likes to plaster my preferences all over the Internet, but I have to publicly condemn Philadelphia on its latest promotion.

It seems that Friday, the crowd at the Sixers' game will have the joy of watching Young B and DJ Webstar perform their hit song, Chicken Noodle Soup at halftime.

If you haven't heard the song, consider yourself fortunate. The chorus, "Chicken noodle soup with a soda on the side" offers the most nauseatingly ignorant lyric of the past year. It goes with a ridiculous dance that recently originated in Harlem.

Sounds like that area should've ended its innovations with the Globetrotters.

Don't get me wrong. I can appreciate a female doing any kind of dance in which gyrating is involved, but I don't want to be dumber for doing so.

Considering the NBA is all gung-ho about cleaning up the image of the game, adding a dress code and ensuring jerseys are tucked in and attitudes are professional, this little exhibition just doesn't fit in. The league works wonders with its "Read to Achieve" program and yet is contributing to the continued ignorance of America's youth by letting this performance go on.

Worse, there's video of guard/forward Andre Iguodala and team mascot Hip-Hop (he's a bunny) doing their version of the Chicken Noodle Soup dance on sixers.com. Go ahead and check it out. You can't miss it. It's being played up so much that it's the first thing you see when you click on the site.

Sad.

As if subjecting these poor people to Sixers basketball wasn't enough. Not surprisingly, there are plenty of seats available.