Around the NBA: December 12th, 2013

Paul George and Kevin Durant named players of the month.

Paul George of the Indiana Pacers and Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder have won the NBA's Player of the Month award for their respective conferences. George averaged 23 points and 6.1 rebounds on 47% shooting from the floor and 40% shooting from deep on the month. He currently leads the NBA in DWS with 1.9, as he continues his absolutely stellar defensive play from last season, in which he also led the league in DWS. George has accumulated 4.4 total Win Shares this season, leading the Pacers to a league-best 19-3 record and has emerged to be the favorite to take home the MVP this year.

Durant averaged 27 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists in the month of November for the 16-4 Thunder, while shooting a 47.5% and 37% from 3 point range. Durant is tied with George with 4.4 total Win Shares, but they get them from opposite sides of the ball; Durant is worth a stellar 3.1 OWS and "only" a 1.3 DWS. He has taken a larger offensive responsibility from years' past, as Durant is now distributing the ball on top of scoring; his assists per game are at 5 for the year, the highest in his career.

Michael Carter-Williams and Ben McLemore named Rookies of the Month

Carter-Williams has been simply phenomenal for the 76ers and has emerged as the front-runner for Rookie of the Year, averaging a surprising 17.7 points, 7.3 assists, 5.8 rebounds and is leading the league in steals with 3.1 per game. Despite an abysmal 40.8% shooting percentage from the floor, Carter-Williams has still managed to put up a PER of 19.1 and a solid .089 WS/48. Although the 76ers are only 7-16, Carter-Williams has shown off his massive potential to start the season.

McLemore hasn't been impressive at all, in my opinion; he has been as inefficient as they come, scoring 9.7 points on 9.3 shot attempts, which is just brutal. He's shooting 36.7% from the floor and has a well-below-average-PER of 10.8. The flashes have been there for McLemore, as he has displayed a solid shooting stroke at times, but he hasn't been making good decisions with the ball, averaging nearly as many turnovers as assists (0.9 turnovers to 1.1 assists) and has frequently taken ill-advised shot attempts. The Western Conference's rookie class has been weak compared to the Eastern Conference (The Magic's Victor Oladipo is right on Carter-Williams' heels for the Rookie of the Year), and there really isn't a strong candidate out there in the West, save for Utah's Trey Burke, but he has only played 12 games to McLemore's 20 games. I understand why McLemore won the award, but I would have given it to Burke. That's not to say Burke has been great, or even good, but he outperformed McLemore, mostly thanks to his passing ability and had a PER of 15.1, which is slightly above league average. It will be interesting to see if any other candidates emerge from the West, as the top-two candidates aren't looking like Rookie of the Year material.

Rudy Gay dealt to Sacramento

This one is an interesting move for both sides. The Kings traded Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes for the Raptors' Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray. This deal makes Sacramento more talented, as Gay has been seen as a good player for most of his career, but it does make the Kings bench a lot weaker as Isaiah Thomas has now been inserted into the starting lineup. Gay has struggled to start the year with Toronto, shooting only 38% to go with his 19.4 points per game; he's had his worse WS/48 of his career since his rookie season at .034 and has been worth a -0.4 OWS, which is awful for a player who is known for his offense. The Kings acquiring Gay may not be as good for them as they think; this makes the Kings a lot closer to mediocrity in a brutal Western Conference and hurts their chances at a Top-5 pick in what may be the most talented draft class since the 2003 draft class, which had LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony.

Kobe Bryant makes his return

Bryant returned to the Lakers line up on Sunday and looked awful; he only scored 9 points and had 8 turnovers in a Lakers loss to the Raptors. He admitted to being over his normal playing weight at 225 pounds (he is listed at 205 pounds on NBA.com). Bryant had a much better outing his second time around, leading the Lakers in scoring with 20 points on 6-11 shooting, but the Lakers still came up short against the Phoenix Suns. It is nice to have Bryant back, but it will take some time before he gets back to form and for the Lakers to get used to playing with him and vice versa.

UPDATE: Steve Blake diagnosed with a torn ligament

Blake had an MRI on his hyper extended elbow and it was revealed that he had torn ligaments in his elbow. Blake will be out at least 6 weeks and this leaves the Lakers without an active point guard until Jordan Farmar. The Lakers have stated that Mike D'Antoni will not be looking at another point guard until he sees how Kobe Bryant handles the starting point guard duties; Xavier Henry will continue to run the backup point guard duties. We discussed yesterday how the Lakers should look into another point guard and now seems like a good time to invest in somebody (D.J. Augustin should be ready for a phone call from his agent).

Standings: 

Eastern Conference Standings	Western Conference Standings
1. Indiana Pacers (19-3)	1. Portland Trailblazers (18-4)
2. Miami Heat (16-6)	2. San Antonio Spurs (17-4)
3. Atlanta Hawks (11-11)	3. Oklahoma City Thunder (17-4)
4. Boston Celtics (10-14)	4.  Los Angeles Clippers (15-8)
5. Charlotte Bobcats (10-12)	5. Houston Rockets (15-7)
6. Washington Wizards (9-11)	6. Denver Nuggets (13-8)
7. Detroit Pistons (10-13)	7. Phoenix Suns (12-9)
8. Chicago Bulls (8-12)	8. Dallas Mavericks (13-10)
9. Cleveland Cavaliers (8-13)	9. Golden State Warriors (13-10)
10. Toronto Raptors (7-13)	10. New Orleans Pelicans (10-10)
11. Brooklyn Nets (7-14)	11. Minnesota Timberwolves (11-11)
12. Orlando Magic (7-15)	12. Los Angeles Lakers (10-11)
13. Philadelphia 76ers  (7-16)	13. Memphis Grizzlies (10-11)
14. New York Knicks (6-15)	14. Sacramento Kings (6-14)
15. Milwaukee Bucks (5-17)	15. Utah Jazz (5-19)

NBA Stats Leaders: 

Points per Game	Rebounds per Game	Assists per Game	Player Efficiency Rating	Win Shares	Win Shares per 48 minutes	True Shooting Percentage
1. Kevin Durant - OKC: 28.4	1. Kevin Love-MIN : 13.8	1. Chris Paul- LAC: 11.9	1.LeBron James -MIA: 28.9	1.Kevin Durant - OKC: 4.6	1. Chris Paul - LAC:  .278	1. Kyle Korver-ATL : 71.6%
2.Carmelo Anthony -NYK: 25.6	2. Dwight Howard - HOU: 13.2	2. John Wall - WAS: 9.1	2. Brook Lopez - BRK : 28.5	2. LeBron James - MIA: 4.5	2. LeBron James- MIA : .275	2. Wesley Matthews -POR : 67.3%
3. LeBron James - MIA: 25.0	3. DeAndre Jordan-LAC:  13.0	3. Stephen Curry - GSW: 8.9	3. Anthony Davis- NOP: 28.3	3. Chris Paul- LAC: 4.4	3. Kevin Durant - OKC : .272	3. LeBron James-MIA: 67.2%
4.   Paul George - IND: 24.7	4. Andre Drummond -DET: 12.7	4. Ricky Rubio - MIN: 8.4	4. Kevin Durant - OKC: 27.4	4.  Paul George - IND: 4.4	4. Paul George - IND: .258	4. Jodie Meeks-LAL: 64.8%
5. James Harden - HOU: 24.6	5. DeMarcus Cousins - SAC: 10.5	5. Ty Lawson - DEN: 8.4	5. Chris Paul - LAC: 27.0	5. Kevin Love - MIN: 3.8	5. Anthony Davis - NOP : .250	5. Marco Belinelli - SAS: 64.6%

Around the NBA: December 5th, 2013

Around the NBA is a new, weekly segment that will appear on Hack-a-Shaq with weekly news,

standings, stats and more!

Anthony Davis fractured his hand on Sunday.

Davis sustained a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal in his left hand. Davis was having a superb season, averaging 18.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and a league-leading 3.6 blocks, with a 28.3 PER. This is a huge blow for the Pelicans, who are currently the 12th seed in the absolutely ridiculous Western Conference, as Davis will miss 4-6 weeks.

A plethora of Lakers are injured.

Bad news for the Lakers, as Pau Gasol sustained an ankle sprain last weekend, Steve Blake hyper-extended his right elbow, Kobe Bryant isn't yet ready to return and Jordan Farmar has a torn hamstring.

Blake, Gasol and Bryant participated in full practice (Bryant was even seen dunking); Blake and Gasol will play on Friday, though might be limited and presents a big problem for the Lakers in point guard depth because Farmar is supposed to miss 4 weeks and Steve Nash, despite participating in a short practice session on Tuesday, will not return in the next few days. Mike D'Antoni will likely play Xavier Henry as the back up point guard, pushing Shawne Williams over to small forward and giving some playing time to rookie Ryan Kelly.

J.J. Redick has a torn UCL and fractured hand.

The Clippers J.J. Redick tore his UCL and fractured his hand this past weekend. Redick will not require surgery, according to his hand specialist, but will still miss 6-8 weeks. The Clippers will certainly miss Redick's shooting, but should be able to replace his production with Doc Rivers' choice of Jared Dudley, Jamal Crawford and Darren Collison.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has a left hand fracture.

Kidd-Gilchrist, the 2012 2nd overall pick, will miss 4-6 weeks with a left hand fracture, reports the Charlotte Bobcat's official website. Kidd-Gilchrist has improved defensively, but has still been an offensive disappointment for the Bobcats.

Michael Carter-Williams and Victor Oladipo make history.

In an absolutely insane game that ended after double-overtime in a 126-125 Philadelphia 76ers win over the Orlando Magic, Michael Carter-Williams and Victor Oladipo became the first rookies to record a triple-double in the same game. Oladipo finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and three steals on 8-18 shooting, Carter-Williams countered with 27 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and three steals on 11-19 shooting. Both players are the early front runners to win the rookie of the year.

Standings: 

Eastern Conference Standings	Western Conference Standings
1. Indiana Pacers (17-2)	1. Portland Trailblazers (16-3)
2. Miami Heat (14-4)	2. San Antonio Spurs (15-3)
3. Washington Wizards (9-9)	3. Oklahoma City Thunder (13-4)
4. Boston Celtics (8-12)	4.  Los Angeles Clippers (12-7)
5. Atlanta Hawks (10-10)	5. Houston Rockets (13-7)
6. Detroit Pistons (9-10)	6. Denver Nuggets (11-7)
7. Chicago Bulls (7-9)	7. Dallas Mavericks (12-8)
8. Charlotte Bobcats (8-11)	8. Golden State Warriors (11-8)
9. Philadelphia 76ers  (7-12)	9. Memphis Grizzlies (9-8)
10. Toronto Raptors (6-11)	10. Phoenix Suns (10-9)
11. Orlando Magic (6-12)	11. Los Angeles Lakers (9-9)
12. Cleveland Cavaliers (6-12)	12. New Orleans Pelicans (9-9)
13. Brooklyn Nets (5-13)	13. Minnesota Timberwolves (9-10)
14. New York Knicks (3-13)	14. Sacramento Kings (4-12)
15. Milwaukee Bucks (3-15)	15. Utah Jazz (4-16)

I think the Portland Trailblazers are the story so far. A huge turnaround from last years' disappointing 33-49 finish, the Blazers have a few very impressive wins over the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder and have taken to Western Conference's top seed. LaMarcus Aldridge has officially emerged as an early MVP candidate, averaging 23.5 points and 9.7 rebounds with a 22.4 PER. As has been the story, the West continues to dominate the East and it's not even close; only two teams over .500 basically guarantee's one of the worst conferences in recent history.

NBA Stats Leaders: 

Points per Game	Rebounds per Game	Assists per Game	Player Efficiency Rating	Win Shares	Win Shares per 48 minutes	True Shooting Percentage
1. Kevin Durant - OKC: 28.5	1. Kevin Love-MIN : 13.6	1. Chris Paul- LAC: 12.0	1.LeBron James -MIA: 29.8	1.LeBron James - MIA: 3.9	1. LeBron James - MIA:  .295	1. Kyle Korver-ATL : 71.6%
2.Carmelo Anthony -NYK: 26.3	2. Andre Drummond DET 12.8	2. John Wall - WAS: 9.2	2. Anthony Davis - NOP : 28.3	2. Paul George - IND: 3.7	2. Chris Paul- LAC : .279	2. LeBron James -MIA : 69.0%
3. LeBron James - MIA: 26.0	3. DeAndre Jordan-LAC:  12.8	3. Stephen Curry - GSW: 8.8	3. Chris Paul- LAC: 27.3	3. Chris Paul- LAC: 3.7	3. Paul George - IND : .256	3. Wesley Matthews-POR: 68.3%
4.   Paul George - IND: 24.6	4. Dwight Howard -HOU: 12.6	4. Ricky Rubio - MIN: 8.5	4. Kevin Durant - OKC: 26.6	4.  Kevin Durant - OKC: 3.5	4. Kevin Durant - OKC: .256	4. Andre Iguodala-GSW: 65.6%
5. James Harden - HOU: 23.8	5. Nikola Vucevic - ORL: 10.9	5. Brandon Jennings - DET: 8.4	5. Kevin Love - MIN: 25.6	5. Kevin Love - MIN: 3.4	5. Anthony Davis - NOP : .252	5. Ryan Anderson - NOP: 65.0%

Around The NBA: November 26th, 2013

Around the NBA is a new, weekly segment that will appear on Hack-a-Shaq with weekly news, standings, stats and more!

Bulls' Derrick Rose, who was diagnosed with torn meniscus, underwent surgery on Monday: 

Derrick Rose hurt his knee during the third quarter of Friday night's loss against the Portland Trailblazers; the Bulls have said that Rose will miss the remainder of the season. The former NBA MVP had the medial meniscus in his right knee repaired. This is the second season ending knee injury Rose has sustained, having torn his ACL in his left knee during the 2011-2012 NBA playoffs and having missed all of the 2012-2013 NBA regular season because of it.

Rose was having an awful season, being worth a total of -0.1 Wins on the season, and having a PER of 10.5. Obviously, this doesn't bode well for Rose's career, as it may have a negative effect on his style of play, one which predicates on sharp, quick and awkward cuts and jumps. Including this season, Rose will have only played 49 games in the past three seasons.

The Charlotte Bobcats will change their name to the Charlotte Hornets next season.

The Bobcats have confirmed the name change last week and will also be changing the color scheme of their jerseys to purple and teal, which are the same colors the original Hornets wore during their time in Charlotte from 1988-2002, before relocating the franchise to New Orleans. Bobcats owner Michael Jordan said that it was important for them to acknowledge the heritage of the Charlotte Hornets when bringing the name back into the market.

The purple and teal color scheme is instantly recognizable to the average NBA fan as Hornets colors, and I am glad Charlotte was able to reclaim the name.

Grizzlies' Marc Gasol out indefinitely with a left knee sprain.

Unfortunate news for Memphis, but still better than initially anticipated, as Marc Gasol was diagnosed with a grade-2 MCL sprain this past weekend; it was initially reported as an MCL tear. Luckily for him and the Grizzlies, he will not require surgery. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year was having an impressive season, averaging a career high in points (16.0), posting up a career high PER (20.5) and was second on the team in points, rebounds and assists before getting hurt during Friday night's game vs. the San Antonio Spurs. Gasol will be on crutches for at least 3-4 weeks before he is able to begin the rehab process.

Warriors' Andre Iguodala out indefinitely with strained hamstring. 

Andre Iguodala, as you might recall, was injured during the 3rd quarter of Friday's game against the Lakers. Iguodala grabbed his left hamstring and limped towards his bench near the end of the 3rd, and hasn't played since, missing Saturday's contest vs. the Portland Trailblazers, in which the Warriors took their 6th loss of the year and were dropped to 8-6. The Warriors have yet to set a potential timetable for his return, but Iguodala has said his return will likely be sooner than everyone thinks.

Dirk Nowitzki passed Kevin Garnett for 14th on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

Dirk Nowitzki (in his 16th season) has passed Kevin Garnett (in his 19th season) on the NBA's all-time scoring list, having added 18 in Monday night's loss to the Denver Nuggets. He currently has 25,361 points and could swap places once again with Garnett, as the Brooklyn Nets will head north for a road game against the Toronto Raptors tonight; Nowitzki's Mavericks don't play until Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors, though it is extremely unlikely seeing as how Nowitzki is averaging 20.7 points per game while Garnett is averaging a career-low 6.5 points per game. When you consider that the only active player ahead of both of them is the Lakers' Kobe Bryant (4th all-time with 31,617 points), it becomes an even more impressive accomplishment for both of them.

John Wall and LaMarcus Aldridge named Players of the Week. 

Huge numbers put up by the Wizard's John Wall and the Blazers LaMarcus Aldridge. Wall led the Wizards to a 3-1 weekly record and put up some monster numbers; he averaged 24.3 points per game, 8.5 assists per game and 2.8 steals per game, posting up back-to-back double-doubles to start the week, before closing strong with two straight 30+ point performances against the Raptors and the New York Knicks. Aldridge led the surprisingly good Blazers to a 4-0 week, which included a 21 point come back win against the Chicago Bulls, behind 22.5 points per game and 10.5 rebounds per game. Aldridge set a season high in points (30) rebounds (21) and blocks (three) and tied his season high for steals (three).

Kobe Bryant re-signs with the Lakers.

There is a lot to like and dislike about this deal (more on that later). Kobe Bryant resigned on Monday to a two year, 48.5 million dollar deal. Bryant is 35 and is coming off of a season ending (and potential career ending) injury, has yet to officially play in a game this year and yet, he will still be the highest paid player in the league for the next two years, including this year, which is the final year of his current contract. He is set to make 30.4 million this season. The 2008 NBA MVP and five time champion will receive 23.5 million for the first year and 25 million for the second year.

With this signing, the only two players under salary for the Lakers next year are Bryant and Steve Nash.

Standings: 

Eastern Conference Standings	Western Conference Standings
1. Indiana Pacers (13-1)	1. San Antonio Spurs (13-1)
2. Miami Heat (11-3)	2. Portland Trailblazers (13-2)
3. Atlanta Hawks (8-6)	3. Oklahoma City Thunder (9-3)
4. Toronto Raptors (6-7)	4.  Los Angeles Clippers (10-5)
5. Charlotte Bobcats (7-8)	5. Houston Rockets (10-5)
6. Chicago Bulls (6-7)	6. Dallas Mavericks (9-6)
7. Detroit Pistons (6-8)	7. Golden State Warriors (8-6)
8. Philadelphia 76ers  (6-9)	8. Denver Nuggets (7-6)
9. Washington Wizards (5-8)	9. Phoenix Suns (7-7)
10. Boston Celtics (6-10)	10. Los Angeles Lakers (7-7)
11. Orlando Magic (4-9)	11. Memphis Grizzlies (7-7)
12. Cleveland Cavaliers (4-10)	12. Minnesota Timberwolves (8-8)
13. New York Knicks (3-10)	13. New Orleans Pelicans (6-7)
14. Brooklyn Nets (3-10)	14. Sacramento Kings (4-9)
15. Milwaukee Bucks (2-10)	15. Utah Jazz (2-14)

The Western Conference is simply insane right now. Any of the top 13 teams have the talent to make the playoffs and potentially win the West. In the East, it's largely a two team race between the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat, though if the Knicks or the Nets ever get their act together, they could make a serious run. With Derrick Rose gone for the rest of the year, the Bulls don't really have enough fire power to beat the Heat or the Pacers in a seven game series. Atlanta has the inside presence to be a pesky opponent, but they don't have the elite perimeter player needed to topple either of the top two Eastern Conference teams.

NBA Stats Leaders: 

Points per Game	Rebounds per Game	Assists per Game	Player Efficiency Rating	Win Shares	Win Shares per 48 minutes	True Shooting Percentage
1. Kevin Durant - OKC: 28.6	1. Kevin Love-MIN : 13.8	1. Chris Paul- LAC: 12.6	1.LeBron James -MIA: 30.6	1.Chris Paul- LAC: 3.2	1. LeBron James - MIA:  .300	1. Kyle Korver-ATL : 71.7%
2.Carmelo Anthony -NYK: 26.5	2. Dwight Howard -HOU: 13.2	2. John Wall - WAS: 8.9	2. Anthony Davis - NOH : 28.6	2. Kevin Love - MIN: 3.1	2. Tiago Splitter - SAS : .297	2. Wesley Matthews-POR : 70.2%
3. LeBron James - MIA: 26.0	3. DeAndre Jordan-LAC:  12.7	3. Stephen Curry - GSW: 8.9	3. Chris Paul- LAC: 27.6	3.LeBron James - MIA : 3.1	3. Chris Paul- LAC: .286	3. LeBron James -MIA: 70.0%
4.  Kevin Love - MIN: 24.6	4. Andre Drummond-DET: 11.9	4. Jeff Teague - ATL: 8.8	4. Kevin Durant - OKC: 27.2	4. Paul George - IND : 2.8	4. Kevin Durant - OKC: .283	4. Jodie Meeks -LAL: 66.5%
5. Paul George - IND: 24.3	5. Blake Griffin - ORL: 10.8	5. Ty Lawson - DEN: 8.7	5. Kevin Love - MIN: 26.9	5.  Kevin Durant - OKC: 2.7	5. Paul George - IND : .263	5.Andre Iguodala-GSW: 65.6%

Around The NBA: November 20th, 2013

Around the NBA is a new, weekly segment that will appear on Hack-a-Shaq with weekly news, standings, stats and more!

LeBron James and Blake Griffin named Players of the Week. 

Not much of a surprise, considering the incredible numbers both posted up this past week. James averaged 34 points per game and shot an insane 70% from the floor while keeping Miami undefeated for the week (3-0). Griffin put up 25.7 points per game, 11.3 rebounds per game and a surprising 4.7 assists per game, helping the Clippers also go 3-0 on the week, and thus claiming the Western Conference Player of the Week award. 

Kobe Bryant goes through 2nd practice with the Lakers.

This time, Bryant went through a full, 5-on-5 practice with contact. The Lakers' star shooting guard, who sustained the injury in April, looked a lot like his former self, showing off surprisingly good handles, good vision, a nice post game and an ever improving mid-range game. Despite not yet playing above the rim, he appears to be well on track to return at the end of November, or in early December, like he said yesterday after practice. 

Warriors' Stephen Curry out with concussion.

Stephen Curry sustained an ugly looking concussion in the fourth quarter of Monday night's win over the Utah Jazz, after the Jazz's Marvin Williams fell on his head during a scramble for a loose ball. His status is day-to-day. Curry is averaging 19.9 points and 8.7 assists. 

Grizzlies' Tony Allen suspended for kicking Chris Paul in the face. 

Yep, you read that right. Tony Allen jumped and stuck his foot out, which just so happened to strike Paul in the face during a drive to the basket. Allen was ejected immediately, as he was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and will miss Wednesday night's contest vs. the Golden State Warriors.

Bulls' Jimmy Butler to undergo MRI on toe. 

Butler was injured on Monday night, during a contest vs. the Charlotte Bobcats, though X-Rays revealed no damage. Butler is having himself a solid season, averaging a career high 11.4 points per game to go with 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals. 

Standings: 

Eastern Conference Standings	Western Conference Standings
1. Indiana Pacers (9-1)	1. San Antonio Spurs (9-1)
2. Miami Heat (8-3)	2. Portland Trailblazers (9-2)
3. Chicago Bulls (6-3)	3. Golden State Warriors (8-3)
4. Philadelphia 76ers (5-7)	4. Oklahoma City Thunder (7-3)
5. Atlanta Hawks (6-5)	5. Houston Rockets (8-4)
6. Charlotte Bobcats (5-6)	6. Los Angeles Clippers (7-4)
7. Detroit Pistons (4-6)	7. Dallas Mavericks (7-4)
8. Orlando Magic (4-6)	8. Minnesota Timberwolves (7-5)
9. Cleveland Cavaliers (4-7)	9. Memphis Grizzlies (6-5)
10. Toronto Raptors (4-7)	10. Phoenix Suns (5-5)
11. Boston Celtics (4-8)	11. Los Angeles Lakers (5-7)
12. Washington Wizards (3-7)	12. Denver Nuggets (4-6)
13. New York Knicks (3-7)	13. New Orleans Pelicans (4-6)
14. Brooklyn Nets (3-7)	14. Sacramento Kings (3-7)
15. Milwaukee Bucks (2-7)	15. Utah Jazz (1-11)

I think the story here is the disparity between the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Currently, the East only has four teams over .500, while the West has a whopping nine teams over .500 and another currently at .500. If you're a fan of a Western Conference team, you are really hating just how deep the West is.

The Battle of New York hasn't exactly been off to a good start, as both the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets are severely under performing; both have a 3-7 record. The big difference between them is the Nets were built this off season by trading for Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry, as well as completely reconstructing their bench and shaking up their team's core, while the Knicks have basically brought back the same team as last year. Though I'm sure both teams will make the playoffs and will be dangerous squads in the playoffs, how far they go, however, is anybody's guess at this point.

NBA Stats Leaders: 

Points per Game	Rebounds per Game	Assists per Game	Player Efficiency Rating	Win Shares	Win Shares per 48 minutes	True Shooting Percentage
1. Kevin Durant - OKC: 29.6	1. Dwight Howard - HOU: 13.9	1. Chris Paul - LAC: 12.6	1.Anthony Davis - NOH: 29.7	1. Kevin Love - MIN: 2.7	1. Kevin Love - MIN: .305	1. Andre Iguodala - GSW: 72.2%
2. Kevin Love - MIN: 26.7	2. DeAndre Jordan - LAC: 13.5	2. John Wall - WAS: 9.8	2. Kevin Love - MIN: 29.2	2. Kevin Durant - OKC: 2.2	2.Anthony Davis - NOP: .271	2. Kyle Korver - ATL: 71.9%
3. LeBron James - MIA: 26.0	3. Kevin Love - LAC: 13.4	3. Ricky Rubio - MIN: 9.0	3. LeBron James -MIA: 28.9	3. Chris Paul - LAC: 2.2	3. LeBron James - MIA: .264	3. Wesley Matthews - POR: 70.5%
4. Carmelo Anthony - NYK: 25.7	4. Andre Drummond - DET: 12.0	4. Jeff Teague - ATL: 8.8	4. Brook Lopez - BRK: 27.8	4. LeBron James - MIA: 2.2	4. Kevin Durant - OKC: .262	4. Jodie Meeks - LAL: 68.6%
5. James Harden - HOU: 24.3	5. Nikola Vucevic - ORL: 11.4	5. Stephen Curry - GSW: 8.7	5. Chris Paul - LAC: 26.8	5. Andre Iguodala - GSW: 2.0	5. Chris Paul - LAC: .260	5. LeBron James - MIA: 68.4%