Midseason awards
Atlanta: Mike Woodson has kept the Hawks believing in themselves and one another, and has kept his job in the process. Acie Law hasn't had the immediate impact Atlanta was looking for, but most rookie point guards don't. In contrast, Horford has been exceptional in his first season, which hammers in how off management was in selecting Shelden Williams in 2006. At this point, they're in the mix for a postseason berth, but haven't solidified themselves as a playoff team, which is what they should've graduated to by this point given their talent base. Victories against Dallas and Phoenix prove they are capable, but they have yet to find consistency. Grade: C-
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| Caron Butler's depleted Wizards earn an A for playing hard through tough times. (Getty Images) |
Charlotte: Jason Richardson's acquisition has worked out in that the Bobcats finally have a go-to scorer, but obviously they're still another couple of pieces away. That said, hanging on to Brandan Wright's draft rights would not have been the way to go, because this team did have to force the issue some. There's a fine line between patience and complacency. Clearly, taking on Nazr Mohammed's contract indicates the Bobcats are tired of playing doormat and although they're on pace for 50 losses, they've been competitive against some strong teams in the last month. Progress is being made. Grade: C
Chicago: The Bulls resisted the temptation to mortgage their growth by parting with Luol Deng in a package for Kobe Bryant. It turns out that willingness to maintain the status quo filtered down to the entire group, because the players stopped listening to Scott Skiles and ultimately got him fired because of their willingness to continue the pattern of starting slow and ramping up in the season's second half. Without a dependable low-post scoring threat, Chicago has grown overly reliant on the jumper, has seen Ben Wallace's production regress and has had to deal with Joakim Noah, who wants to step up and be a leader because he walked on the scene to surprisingly find that complacency thrived. Grade: F-
Cleveland: Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic held out, there were whispers that Mike Brown was going to be fired and LeBron James missed a winless stretch due to a finger injury. All in all, this could've been a disaster. Lesser issues completely derailed the Bulls. As things stand now, Brown got an extension, James is an MVP candidate, Varejao and Pavlovic are back in the fold and the Cavs are in the mix for a top-four seed. Are they an elite team? No. Have they displayed growth from their unexpected Finals appearance? Yes. Their maturity through all the drama is proof. Grade: B-
Dallas: Avery Johnson has opted for the kinder, gentler approach, sticking to his guns in accelerating Devin Harris' development by handing him the reins, and trying not to push too hard following last season's playoff meltdown. The Mavericks found out the hard way that regular-season performance goes only so far, so patience has been the prevailing theme. Eddie Jones was told to get in better shape, Dirk Nowitzki was told to involve teammates more, Terry was been given a chance to get re-acclimated to a reserve role, and Dallas still protected its home-court better than anyone in the league. All in all, the Mavericks have come through their Golden State-induced hangover fine. Grade: B
Denver: The Nuggets broke training camp chirping about 60 victories, but their usual bad luck with injuries has prevented that. Nene has been out for lengthy spells twice, most recently with testicular cancer, while Kenyon Martin has had to take it easy on the knees and Chucky Atkins probably won't be available to contribute. Still, they have to feel blessed that Iverson and Carmelo Anthony have worked well in their first full season together. Camby has stayed on the floor and been brilliant, and Linas Kleiza and Anthony Carter have become dependable contributors. They won't win 60, but are in the running for a Northwest Division title. Grade: B
Detroit: All these Pistons really wanted to do when the season began was prove to themselves they weren't washed up. Mission accomplished. The development of Jason Maxiell and addition of rookies Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo has provided a boost, but the team's success has stemmed predominantly from the fact that its reliable core remains among the most effective in the game. Barring injury, the Pistons believe they'll be there in the end. That's all a team that doesn't take the regular season too seriously was interested in. Grade: B
Golden State: The Warriors started off poorly without Stephen Jackson and weren't thrilled with dropping a home game to lowly Minnesota earlier this week, but as a whole, being right in there in the tightly packed Western Conference is where they wanted to be. Their rise last season wasn't merely about catching lightning in a bottle or a favorable matchup with the Mavs. Grade: B
Houston: There weren't supposed to be any excuses this season. That meant Jeff Van Gundy and his restrictive offensive philosophies were ousted in favor of Rick Adelman's more free-flowing approach, which Tracy McGrady took to from the jump. It didn't last, in part because T-Mac's body failed him again, but also because the team got inconsistent play at the point and struggled with cohesiveness. Give the team credit for coming together without their leading scorer after an initial period of ineptitude, but being three games above .500 and out of the top eight in the Western Conference is not where anyone imagined the Rockets would be at this point. Some progress has been made in the development of potentially important pieces like Luis Scola and Aaron Brooks, but the first half still has to be considered a failure. Grade: D
Indiana: Jamaal Tinsley has thrived under Jim O'Brien, but behavior issues still linger, as do Jermaine O'Neal's knee problems. The Pacers are fighting for a playoff spot, which in the Eastern Conference isn't saying much. However, they have gotten improvement out of core pieces like Danny Granger, Shawne Williams and Mike Dunleavy -- players they're intent on building around. Could be better, could be worse. Grade: C
L.A. Clippers: Not sure what Sterling expected given his aging guards and season-altering injuries to Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston, but Dunleavy is right in feeling he's being thrown under the bus in light of his team's lack of success. He has done all he can with a short-handed roster. It has been encouraging that Chris Kaman looks like he'll live up to the lucrative contract the Clips signed him to before last season and that rookie Al Thornton looks like a player. The dissension behind the scenes is a bad sign, though, threatening to make this season a total loss. Grade: C-
L.A. Lakers: Bynum's development makes the first half of the season a home run, in part because it has kept Bryant at bay and restored his belief that he doesn't have to relocate to win another ring. No matter how you slice it, that's great for the franchise. The next few months might be a different story altogether depending on how patient he is and how the rest of the roster responds. But being in the thick of the Pacific Division race at this stage of the game given the ominous dark clouds that lingered during training camp is a major victory. Grade: A
Memphis: New coach Marc Iavaroni hasn't won right out of the gate, but the Grizzlies have made conclusive strides thanks to the development of Rudy Gay and the positive signs Mike Conley has made since becoming healthy enough to play in 2008. It's too bad the trade rumors involving Pau Gasol won't go away, so it's hard to make a definitive determination on the direction this franchise is headed until the trade deadline passes. At the very least, the team is exciting to watch and the sense of despair and uncertainty that reigned last season has dissipated some. Grade: C+
Miami: What a disaster. If hindsight is 20/20, the only thing that could've saved the Heat would have been if Ricky Davis had come out and shocked everybody by averaging 25 points alongside a dominant Smush Parker. Davis wound up alienating Riley with his inconsistency while Parker got himself in trouble with a female parking attendant. Some dynamic duo they turned out to be. In the meantime, Miami's normal tag-team, Diesel and Flash, were grounded by nagging injuries. On top of all that, Alonzo Mourning's career has likely come to an unceremonious end due to injury. The only bright spot is that the draft pick they sent to Minnesota to help land Davis is lottery-protected. That will come in handy. Grade: F-
Milwaukee: The Bucks again linger at the bottom of the Central Division despite the marked improvement of Andrew Bogut, steady play from top scorer Michael Redd and a decent showing from rookie Yi Jianlian. Larry Krystkowiak seems like a capable guy still feeling his way through his first full season as head coach, but clearly he has got to find a way to demand consistent effort from his guys night in and night out. Through 41 games, sometimes they show, sometimes they don't. Grade: D+
Minnesota: You knew things were going to get bad when Kevin McHale finally granted Kevin Garnett his pardon in exchange for a host of prospects, but expectations dwindled further when Randy Foye couldn’t play due to an injured knee. As a result, one learning curve has been sacrificed and the Timberwolves are on pace for 70 losses. At least Al Jefferson, locked into a long-term deal, is worth building around. Grade: D-
New Jersey: By now, most of you know I picked the Nets to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. Considering they're five games under .500 and look lifeless more often than not, that choice looks pretty foolish now. It's bad enough New Jersey hasn't been able to count on a healthy Nenad Krstic, but Vince Carter's slow starts and a lack of significant production inside has delivered full-blown mediocrity. It's a shame, too, because they're wasting another superb season from triple-double king Jason Kidd and a breakthrough effort from Richard Jefferson. This team should be performing far better than it has. Grade: D-
New Orleans: The Hornets have survived playing in front of the lowest attendance totals in the NBA, which in a roundabout way might have prepared them for life away from home given they have the best road record in the Western Conference. Paul has shown no ill effects from having a screw inserted in his foot. He is leading an attack that has benefited from Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakovic remaining healthy and productive. Considering this team hasn't made the playoffs in years, being one game out of the top spot in the West at the 40-game mark is an amazing development. The best part is -- barring injury -- there's no reason to think this won't continue. There are no smoke and mirrors involved. Grade: A+
New York: Isiah Thomas tried to sell the Knicks as a playoff team even when everyone knew the Zach Randolph/Eddy Curry combination likely wouldn't work. Still, things didn't hit rock bottom until the season's first month, when owner James Dolan reportedly ordered Thomas to bench Stephon Marbury and all hell literally broke loose. This is a pathetic franchise that has been the laughingstock of the NBA for far too long with ownership barely shrugging its shoulders about it. Grade: F
Orlando: The Magic started out as one of the Eastern Conference's top teams but have fallen back to the pack some, done in by inconsistency at home. The major problem has been at the point, compounded by Jameer Nelson getting a five-year extension on the eve of the season opener despite not proving he's the right guy to run the show. Stan Van Gundy has struggled to find a capable floor general but has found ways to win in spite of that, demanding effort on the defensive end and riding Howard's steady presence in the middle and the solid play of Turkoglu and top acquisition Rashard Lewis on the wing. Grade: B
Philadelphia: Billy King was replaced by New Jersey's Ed Stefanski in the biggest development in Philly this season, but no other splashes have come as a result. Because Andre Miller has found ways to put his team in position to pull off some upsets and Samuel Dalembert has been better in the first half of the season than he has usually been, the Sixers have remained competitive. First-rounders Thaddeus Young and Jason Smith look like they belong and Andre Iguodala has been solid, although he hasn't been dominant enough to make the Sixers regret not handing him the max contract he wanted in the offseason. All things considered, this team has performed about as well as expected. Grade: C
Phoenix: Despite the Western Conference's top mark, the Suns have been through more than their share of acrimony. There have been whispers of Amare Stoudemire being shopped and Steve Nash unhappy with the team's chemistry, but the talent level on the squad and their ability to dictate a game's pace on a nightly basis have resulted in Phoenix being right in line with its customary 60-win finish. Sometimes great teams need a little controversy to keep things interesting. The Suns have to hope that's the case here. If a lot of these guys aren't happy playing with one another, at least they've been professional enough to play through the adversity, which should come in handy when the stakes are raised come April. The trade deadline can't come soon enough. Grade: B
Portland: When Oden went down, this team was written off. They blocked out all the noise, bought into the team-first concept and put together a 13-game winning streak that became the story of the season's first half. Grade: A+
Sacramento: Reggie Theus has made a seamless transition into coaching on the professional level by coming in willing to step on toes and demanding that his players adhere to his wishes. That's the main reason he has endured losing Kevin Martin and Ron Artest for stretches and being without Mike Bibby up until last week. He hasn't accepted excuses and hasn't broken out the kid gloves. As a result, Sacramento has an unexpected outside chance of making the playoffs, but more important, knows who the sheriff is, one who could care less whose name is on the back of a jersey and more concerned with the team moniker on the front. Grade: B
San Antonio: We're hearing the same "Spurs are done" talk that made the rounds last season despite the fact they continue to sport one of the Western Conference's best records. Unlike last year, defense hasn't been the problem, which is actually the way Gregg Popovich prefers it. The effort is there. What has happened is that San Antonio, as defending champ, is taking everyone's best punch. They've reserved the right to save their best counter-punch for when it matters and have skated by nicely considering they've dodged a pair of bullets as far as Duncan is concerned. He has had to hobble off the floor twice with apparent knee injuries and lived to tell about it. Grade: B
Seattle: The Sonics knew they were in for growing pains when Ray Allen was dealt and Rashard Lewis walked, but they would've liked to have a few more victories at this point. P.J. Carlesimo was hired to teach defensive principles, so it's not a good sign that Seattle ranks near the bottom in those categories, but it can get away with that at this evaluation stage. Durant looks like a future star. Jeff Green has shown traits that will prove invaluable and the team is in stable financial position at this stage in the game. Grade: C-
Toronto: The Raptors have surrendered their status as the Atlantic Division's best, but have endured the loss of point guard T.J. Ford to a neck injury and Andrea Bargnani to a sophomore slump. Moon's emergence has been a definite boost, but what really has pulled this team through is that it has some know-how under its belt. Sam Mitchell has gotten excellent play out of Jose Calderon in place of Ford and has pressed on through thick and thin, not babying anyone along the way. Being three games over .500 at the halfway point is nothing to write home about, but should wind up paying off in the end. Grade: C+
Utah: The Jazz would find themselves out of the playoff race at this point, so they've taken a decided step back. Softening the blow, they traded in Gordan Giricek for Kyle Korver, seem to have gotten Andrei Kirilenko back on the same page as everyone else, and have gotten through a couple of injury-related absences from All-Star center Mehmet Okur. Carlos Boozer is having another career season. Deron Williams has made progress and the team is in prime position to strike. Utah's first half is definitely a glass half-empty/half-full situation. Grade: C
Washington: The Wizards could've mailed it in upon losing Gilbert Arenas, especially since the initial plan was just to try and stay afloat until his return. Having already lost center Etan Thomas to an unexpected heart ailment in training camp, this team could've simply written the season off but instead discovered they're better than anybody thought. The Wizards are playing the best defense seen in D.C. in a decade, and should benefit from a newfound confidence when the postseason rolls around. Although the circumstances haven't been ideal, Washington has transformed itself from pretender to contender over the season's first half. Grade: A
