Heat, Spurs lead conferences after All-Star break

Introduction

With two-thirds of the NBA season already over, the All-Star weekend gave some players a chance rest up for their playoff push, and others a chance to show off and hope thier next season is better (i.e. Josh Smith of the hopeless Atlanta Hawks). Here is a look at the current Eastern and Western Conference standings, with team summaries.

*—Division Leader

Eastern Conference

1. *Miami (40-14)—The combo of Shaq and Dwayne Wade has proven to work well. The Heat have simply dominated Eastern competition, going 27-4. But that brings up the mediocre 13-10 record against Western teams. Shaq is still the most dominant big man when healthy, and Miami will be a force come playoff time.

2. *Detroit (32-19)—After getting off to a slow start, combined with the ugly brawl at the Palace Hills, Detroit is still playing their trademark defense and getting solid offensive output from Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups. But I’m still wondering; where’s Darko?

3. *Boston (27-26)—Because Boston is atop the dismal Atlantic Conference, even though barely being over .500, they are given the number three seed. Paul Pierce is doing his best to carry the team, because he’s not getting much support from Gary Payton or Ricky Davis. They’ll need a lot of that Boston luck to make it far in the postseason, if at all.

4. Cleveland (30-21)—LeBron James is the real deal. Big man Zydrunas Ilgauskas complements James well, and Drew Gooden has filled departed Carlos Boozer’s role nicely. The greats always step it up come playoff time, and LeBron will have his chance.

5. Washington (30-22)—Gilbert Arenas has upped his game in leading the Wizards. Antawn Jamison has also played well since signing with the Wizards in the summer. It will be interesting to see how the Wizards play out the rest of their season, maybe positioning themselves into the sixth seed instead.

6. Orlando (28-24)—Even though Stevie Franchise was snubbed for an All-Star birth, his game has been good. Grant Hill would be a shoe-in for comeback player of the year if such an award existed. Hill is finally healthy after three years, and is showing flashes of why he used to be billed as the next Jordan. With the sixth seed, Orlando currently has the good fortune of playing whatever team prevails in the weak Atlantic Conference.

7. Chicago (26-23)—The Baby Bulls are definitely the surprise team of the year. Kirk Hinrich seems to be the unofficial leader of the team. Rookies Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, and Chris Duhon are all contributing nicely.

8. Philadelphia (26-27)—Allen Iverson, fresh off his All-Star MVP, is doing his best to keep his team with a playoff spot. The 76ers need to get sharpshooter Kyle Korver more touches, though. Injuries have seemed to hamper rising big man Samuel Dalambert.

9. Indiana (25-26)—It’s sad that the reigning regular season Eastern Conference champions wouldn’t qualify for the playoffs if they started today. I guess that the horrible incident in Detroit took its toll. Without Ron Artest, the Pacers aren’t the same team. Reggie Miller won’t retire without a fight, though.

10. New Jersey (23-20)—The acquisition of Vince Carter has definitely given life to a team that was ripped apart in the off-season. The trade for Cliff Robinson helps fill the Nets’ need for a big man.

11. Milwaukee (20-30)—The biggest news about this team is the status of Michael Redd.

12. Toronto (21-32)—First year coach Sam Mitchell’s tough approach hasn’t worked well with the team, including Rafer Alston. Maybe “Skip to my Lou” should go join the “And 1” tour instead.

13. New York (21-33)—The Knicks need major help. Stephon Marbury and Jamaal Crawford form a nice duo, but Isaiah Thomas needs to find some more talent.

14. Charlotte (11-39)—The Bobcats can take pride in not having the worst record, even though they’re an expansion team. Emeka Okafor is the front runner for Rookie of the Year, too.

15. Atlanta (10-41)—Why Antoine Walker would want to stay here boggles my mind. The Hawks should just try to alley-oop to Josh Smith every possession.

Western Conference

1. *San Antonio (40-12)—The Spurs are the team with the best fundamentally sound big man in the game, exciting guard play, and strong defense. The Spurs are early favorites with their consistent play.

2. *Phoenix (41-13)—A definite surprise here, but they are one of the most exciting teams to watch. Steve Nash is the perfect man to run the offense, as the Suns are loaded with young athletic talent. Will they flameout come playoff time like other high offense, no defense teams (Dallas Mavericks)?

3. *Seattle (35-15)—Another surprise here as well. Ray Allen is finally getting the attention that he deserves. Second-year point guard Luke Ridnour has upped his game. The Sonics are getting solid production from their reserves up front too.

4. Dallas (35-16)—Dirk Nowitzki is probably the best shooting big man in the league. The signing of Eric Dampier has made up for his lack of defense. If Josh Howard can begin to play consistently, the Mavericks could be dangerous.

5. Sacramento (33-20)—Where have all the All-Stars gone? Traditional powerhouse Sacramento was not represented in Denver for the first time since 1989. Maybe it’s because they have been playing worse as a whole from last year.

6. Houston (32-21)—Tracy McGrady is doing what Steve Francis could not: carrying the Rockets. The Rockets are also getting good play from their role player. All that’s left is for Yao to hopefully take it to the next level.

7. Memphis (30-23)—Memphis is solid but not spectacular in any one area. Pau Gasol will be needing help down the stretch if Memphis is to go far.

8. Los Angeles Lakers (26-24)—Kobe Bryant’s ankle seems to be healed, but the Lakers will need more than that to stay in the eighth seed. Lamar Odom’s style doesn’t mesh well with Kobe’s, which is causing problems. A possible trade for Peja Stojakovic might solve things.

9. Minnesota (27-27)—The Timberwolves have been a disappointment all season. Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell aren’t playing near last season’s levels, and KG is showing signs of wear. Fans are counting on new coach Kevin McHale to get them in a playoff spot.

10. Denver (24-29)—The early loss of Voshon Leonard hurt. K-Mart was brought in to defend and rebound, but his rebounds and blocked shots are down from last year. Denver looks to be out unless something can spark their play.

11. Los Angeles Clippers (23-30)—Outside of Elton Brand, the Clippers have a lot of young talent and potential that just needs time to develop. But hasn’t that been the case for the last five years?

12. Portland (21-30)—With all the internal and external problems this team has, no wonder it’s near the bottom of the standings. One bright spot is the recent surprising play of center Joel Pryzbilla.

13. Utah (17-35)—After starting strong, the Jazz have gone off-key. Injuries have hampered star Andrei Kirilenko. The high-priced acquisition of Carlos hasn’t proved itself.

14. Golden State (15-38)—High-flying Jason Richardson is having a good year, but the Warriors are banking on Mike Dunleavy to take them to the next level. It could be a while.

15. New Orleans (11-42)—The poor Hornets went from playoffs to last place. Baron Davis’ injuries have killed this team. Even if they were still in the East, it wouldn’t matter.