Observations after one month of action:

EAST

Atlantic:

The biggest news of course is the Knicks. Under D’Antoni, they started off great, with a record of 6-3 after 9 games (now 8-8), and people are prematurely talking about the playoffs (the record is misleading because the wins were over weak teams like Bobcats, Wizards, Grizzlies and the team-formerly-known-as-Sonics). Then they traded away their top two players, trash the coming two seasons to stay a chance to take LBJ and/or Wade, Bosh etc in 2010 sweepstake. That means sacrificing two seasons for an admission ticket to be a bidder. I’m not so sure it is the right thing to do, but seems like the New Yorkers fully embraced the trade and are seriously thinking of the welcoming party of LBJ. I just don’t get it. Luckily I don’t hold the Knicks’ season ticket.

The Sixers is the most disappointing team this season so far. This is the team that many “experts” tabbed to be one of the top Eastern teams. I think people were over optimistic about the coming of Elton Brand. The East is no longer weak nowadays. The Sixers have serious difficulty in scoring (second last in the East).

The Nets surprised everyone by staying at 2nd in the Division. Devin Harris has been a beast since his return from injury. Rookie center Brook Lopez has been sensational. Charlotte was supposed to pick him at #9 in the draft, but somehow they chose D.J. Augustin. Is MJ regretting now?

Central:

Bold prediction: barring any major injuries, the Cavs will win the division and LBJ will win the MVP award. They are 14-3 so far while they are second in point differential in the league (behind the Lakers). Interestingly, LBJ’s stats have gone down. Yes, the team is less reliant on him and they are now playing with confidence.

The Pistons made a bold move by trading away one of their best players, Billups, for Allen Iverson. The coming of A.I. has completely changed their game. Gone are their crispy passes and ball rotation. They are now relying more on iso plays. Will that make it better or worse? Well, Iverson have never had such a good supporting cast before, so I’d give them the benefit of the doubt for now. But at the end, what they are looking for is just salary cap release after this season.

I repeat, Derrick Rose is the future point guard of the league. I really can’t see his ceiling yet.

Southeast:

Atlanta started off the season a prefect 6-0 and eventually ended Nov with a more realistic 10-6 record. That’s still very impressive considering PF Josh Smith played just 4 games. The training camp with Bibby did help, but the stepping up of Marvin Williams is equally significant.

D-Wade has been playing like a MVP but the team is just mediocre. Yes, their rookies (Chalmers and Beasley) are talented, but they are just flat out undersized. Udonis Haslem at C and Beasley at PF? Geez. Haslem is just 6’9”, and he’s not at all bulky. Imagine him guarding Yao Ming, Shaq, DH-12 or even Kendrick Perkins. Yikes!

Wizards fired coach Eddie Jordan… hmm, well, nothing to add.

WEST
Northwest:

The Blazers have been the sweetheart of the league, and they shows that they are no fluke. They played 11 road games in Nov and still posted a 12-6 record, including wins over Spurs, Rockets, Magic, Hornets and Pistons. While Roy has been great, Oden’s production is gradually increasing as of late. I haven’t seen them play yet this year but looking forward to it.

The coming of Billups has really revived the Nuggets. They have found leadership and a floor general in Billups. They were 11-3 since his arrival. For sure it’s a good trade for them, but I’m not sure how far they could get, esp. if players with injury history, i.e. Nene and/or K-Mart, sit out a long stretch in the future.

The Jazz struggled due to the absence of Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer. Expect them to be strong again after thanksgiving.

Pacific:

The Lakers look invincible. They are leading the league in pt differential, a whopping +13.7. They have lost just once and don’t seem like they will lose another one in a near future. Like their last game against the Mavericks, down by 78-67 in Q3, they scored 17 unanswered points and turned the table over. By their second team, no less. Yes, they are THAT invincible.

The Suns do have a solid record of 11-7 for Nov. But they are no longer the elite team in the league. The revival of Shaq is for sure impressive, but if it is at the expense of a diminished output of Amare, or a disgruntled Amare, I’m not so sure it is the best way for the team to move forward. I mean, Stoudemire IS their franchise player in the future, right? If the team is not winning, why bother displeasing or discourage him?

The two teams that traded with the Knicks, Warriors and Clippers, didn't benefit much from the trade and they continue their losing, just like they usually do.

Southwest:

Finally, we see the Rockets rolling. Artest looks like to be the final piece of puzzle. Just imagine when Battier is back fully. However, I’m still not convinced that they could beat the Lakers. I think they need to have that edge or toughness in order to win it all. Yes, that should start from Yao.

The Hornets is somewhat disappointing. Hailed as the second best team in the West, they started off so-so and lost a few easy games, like the Bobcats and the Kings. CP3 is still an automatic 20-10 guy but it seems like they have cooled down after last year’s success. Tyson Chandler has just 8.2 PPG and 7.9 RPG, both lowest since coming to New Orleans.

Two ex-elite teams, Spurs and Mavericks, are likely to fight for the eight spot this season, sigh! And that includes two of my favorite players, Kidd and Duncan, sigh x 2!