NBA 2011-12 Season Storylines

The NBA lockout officially ended the day after Thanksgiving to the delight of hoops fans and of course the players, teams and owners. With the return of the NBA on Christmas day there will be quite a few big stories and stat-chasers heading into the shortened 66-game regular NBA 2011-12 season. All the teams will be in tact for this season, as far as their locations. Personnel may change as the free agency opens December 9th. Also, several top caliber players can move up higher on major stats lists, some surpassing NBA legends and Hall of Famers: * Dwyane Wade is looking to surpass Alonzo Mourning for the all-time "games played" list as a Heat Player. Wade needs fourty-some games out of the 66 this season. * Jason Kidd is closing in on 2nd place on the all-time steals list. He'll be passing a guy nicknamed "Air" Jordan if he can tally just 38 steals in this short season. * Paul Pierce can pass Larry Bird for 2nd all-time on the Boston Celtics scorer's list. * Kobe Bryant is close to passing Shaquille O'Neal at 5th on the NBA's All-time scorer's list. The other storylines will revolve around players and teams. For example, will this be an easier season for the Dallas Mavericks to repeat as champions, or will it benefit the Miami Heat? Also, which big name players will be moved for this season - Dwight Howard, Chris Paul? Those are two of the biggest names on many teams' shopping lists with the Boston Celtics, LA Clippers, New Jersey Nets, and New York Knicks among a few of the potential (rumored) suitors. There was more time spent on labor-negotiations and revenue sharing meetings than there was in training camps for the upcoming season, but many fans are just happy they'll have the sport they love back for another season. Game's start December 26th, 2011..let's ball! What will you be looking forward to the most as the 2011-12 NBA season gets started on Christmas Day?

NBA All-Star game 2010 results: East outlasts West 141-139

(MVP D-Wade's 28 points gives East the 2 point win)

On Sunday night, the largest crowd ever to witness a basketball game, let alone the All-Star game was on hand in Dallas. The Dallas Cowboy Stadium held 90,000 plus as they watched the 2010 NBA All-Star game. The previous record for a basketball game was back in 2003 with over 78,000 watching Michigan St. battle Kentucky at Ford Field. For an NBA All-Star game, 44,735 packed into the Houston Astrodome in 1989. And to further illustrate the large scale nature of the stadium, an 11,000-plus foot HDTV Jumbotron hung over the court to show the action. The court was set around the 50-yard line and raised up about 30 inches so the coaches and bench players could sit below it on the sides.

Intros were flashy, but nothing like Shaq dancing with the Jabberwockeez at a previous All-star affair. This time around, pop R*B star Usher did a mini-concert on a stage behind the court, then lowered into the set with his dance crew, before each squad was introduced. As guessed, the Mavs Jason Kidd and then Dirk Nowitski received the biggest applause of the bunch, although Kobe and Lebron didn't do so bad.

In the first quarter, the East shot 53% from the floor and closed out with a 37-34 lead. There weren't any particular flashy plays for a surprise start to the game, with both squads seeming to play some tight defense early on. It almost seemed like the absence of AI and Kobe may have made things a bit dry in the earlygoing, as the 90,000 plus crowd didn't seem to wake up much.

In the second half there were plenty more dunks and "ahhh" moments from the crowd, including some fancy passes and breakaways. At halftime, the East had jumped out in front by a score of 76-69 behind double digit scoring from Lebron (11), Howard (11), Wade and Bosh (10 each). Meanwhile, the Western squad was lead by Carmelo Anthony's 17 points with 8 rebounds, as well as 10 points from Kevin Durant off the bench. Hometown favorite Dirk Nowitski had 8 points despite some flat shooting early on. Steve Nash provided his own leadership in the form of 7 assists for the West.

Halftime performances made the Who's Superbowl 44 gig pale in comparison as a sexy Shakira opened with her She Wolf hit in a cage. Kenny Smith called it "sensory overload". Her performance was followed by Miss Alicia Keys who did a medley of hits including a version of "Empire State of Mind" using All-Star in place of "New York".

Dwight Howard's rebound followed by taking it all the way down the court for a one-handed jam, highlighted the third quarter as the East continued with their double digit lead. Lebron had two impressive reverse slams to get the crowd oohing and ahhing heading into a commercial break. At the 7 minute mark, the East was up by 11, after Amare Stoudemire's tip-in. Carmelo Anthony continued his hot-scoring streak to get up to 25 points in the third. TNT's Craig Sager spoke to Kobe Bryant on the sidelines who was out due to his ankle injury. Kobe mentioned it was disappointing to be just watching, and Craig Sager joked how a woman said to Kobe she had payed 8g's for his seat at the All-Star game, then was thrown out. It's unknown exactly what that incident was about. Kevin Durant's 3-point shot as time expired brought the West to within 10. The East lead 118-109.

The West closed the gap significantly in the fourth, as it was as close as 1 point. Down just two points at the final minute, "Mr Big Shot" Chauncey Billups tied it at 137 a piece with his fallaway jumpshot. Lebron lost the ball on the next possession but it went off Melo as Stan Van Gundy called a time out to draw up a play. James missed a catch-and-shoot opportunity, and his possible new teammate Amare Stoudemire fielded the rebound. Thinking the West was down by 2, Derron Williams made a big mistake fouling Dwyane Wade, putting the Heat star at the line with 12.7 to go. Wade hit both to put the East back ahead by 2. Howard fouled Nowitski on the West's play out of a timeout, putting the hometown hero at the line. The 90% shooter tied things up with 7.7 left, making for an exciting potential finish to the game.

In the closing seconds, Chris Bosh was tripped up on the inbounds play, sending him to the line. The Raptors star hit both, and once again the East was up 2. With 5 seconds left, the West gave the ball to Carmelo Anthony for an attempted 3 at the buzzer. Guarded by D-Wade, Melo's shot drew iron and bounced off the rim. The Eastern Conference takes the game 141-139, with the MVP trophy handed out by Commissioner David Stern to Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat. Wade's 28 points and 11 rebounds helped the East win the game, and gave the star his first ever All-Star MVP award.

A massive crowd of over 108,000 witnessed tonight's close game in Dallas to set a new attendance record for a basketball game. David Stern noted it was a new Guiness Book of World Records record. They really did it BIG in Dallas, TX for All-Star Sunday night...

See more 2010 NBA All-Star game coverage at NBA.com

All-Star game 2010 roster changes

Kobe's out. So is AI. Chris Paul's on crutches. So who exactly is playing in Sunday's game? Starting for the Eastern Conference will be Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard and recent addition, Joe Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks. On the Westside of the equation, Dirk Nowitski gets the start in place of the injured Kobe Bryant (sprained ankle). He'll be the hometown hero since the game is to be played in Dallas, Texas. Joining Dirk will be the familiar All-Star faces: Carmelo Anthony, Steve Nash, Amare Stoudamire and Tim Duncan.

As for reserves we've got Derrick Rose, Chris Bosh, Al Horford, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Gerald Wallace and yes last minute replacement, David Lee of the New York Knicks. Lee received a call earlier this past week that he had just 20 minutes to go catch the NBA charter flight to Dallas so he could play in his first ever All-Star game on Sunday.

On the Western bench will be MVP candidate Kevin Durant of the OKC Thunder, Pau Gasol from the Lakers, and the Clippers Chris Kaman replacing the injured Kobe. Other reserves include Derron Williams of the Jazz, Zach Randolph (Memphis), and Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups (replacing Paul).

The big stories are the fact that Kobe and Iverson won't be part of the game. Kobe's got a legitimate injury he's been sitting out with from regular games. Iverson has been missing games recently due to an undisclosed family matter. Some are starting to speculate that Iverson will officially retire soon due to the fact he was a no-show for the big game after the fans voted him to start.

Other news is that Derrick Rose will battle through injury to play because this is a dream of his. There's been some contentions that Jason Kidd doesn't deserve a spot on the reserves with his current stats, while maybe rookie star Tyreke Evans does. The best reasoning for the Kidd inclusion is the fact the game's in Dallas where the fans will root for Kidd, and he's been amongst the All-Stars for several years, with league-leading assist numbers. Also, the Kings aren't exactly getting it done record-wise, while the Mavs are among the playoff contenders in the West. The best case for Tyreke Evans may be the fact he picked up the MVP award in today's Rookie's vs Sophomores game to prove just how good he is as the Rookies actually won.

Could this be the year Dirk picks up the All-Star MVP award? Or will a newcomer like Kevin Durant or Brandon Roy snag the honor? Don't count out the East either with Lebron and the rest of the crew.

Feel free to leave your comments about the new additions to the All-star game lineups, and your predictions on who will win the game and MVP award below.

E! True Hollywood Story Basketball Wives

A recently broadcast episode of E!'s True Hollywood Story "Basketball Wives" showcased what it's like to be the wife of a NBA star these days. Various NBA players and basketball wives were featured in the inside look at professional basketball relationships. Included on the show were Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, Dwyane Wade, Charlie Bell, Jason Maxiell and Kiki Vandeweghe among others.

Milwaukee Bucks star Charlie Bell and his wife Kenya were just one of the couples spotlighted on the show. The couple first met in college, when a shy Charlie Bell kept calling Kenya and finally got his first date with her. The two stuck together since then. They discussed the ups and downs of Charlie getting signed one minute, then cut or traded the next. It went from the good life right back to not knowing how they were going to pay for life. They talked about having a nice apartment fully furnished and then before they knew it having to use food stamps to get food. Bell was traded between the Suns and Dallas Mavs, and eventually signed with a team over in Italy. His wife discussed how she had made the decision to marry Charlie for better or worse so she decided to make the move to Europe with him.

The E! Hollywood Story "Basketball Wives" also offers an in-depth look at the Siohvaughn Funches Dwyane Wade story and has insight on other relationships including those of Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson. The show is next scheduled to air at 12 AM EST on E! right after All-Star Saturday should be wrapping up.

NJ Nets start 0-18, Can they buy a win?

Devin Harris must have been jumping for joy when he learned he was heading to the New Jersey Nets. Not only was he being traded for one of the all-time greatest point guards in the game, Jason Kidd, but he was at least going to have an alley-oop wingman in Vince Carter. Harris who's been known to score in bunches probably felt like he could at least garner some attention for future free agency. However, he soon inherited a team minus Vince Carter, full of newbies and guys who skipped the D-League. And now, Devin Harris and the Nets have officially sank to a new low, as the team has began the 2009-10 campaign at 0-18. The loss is a new record for worst start to an NBA season, with 23 games the longest losing streak in NBA history during a season. Ironically that 18th loss came to Harris' former team, the Dallas Mavs.

It's a dismal record and beats out previous awful starts by the LA Clippers and expansion Miami Heat. New Jersey is playing like an expansion team right now, with no real identity, young players, a new coach - GM Kiki Vandeweghe (Lawrence Frank was fired last week), and lack of offense or defense. The interesting stat to see would be how many games part owner Jay-Z has sat courtside for this season. It's likely Jigga man preferred slapping hands with VC, Kidd and Richard Jefferson, but isn't exactly in a rush to give a fist bump to Yi or Josh Boone after a score. For several years now, the talk of Jay-Z and Nets officials has been discussion of moving this team to Brooklyn, but would the city really want this team?

Perhaps the answer is for Jay-Z to do something about this. The mogul could arrange a who's who of rap artists for a "Rappers Unite for New Jersey" campaign. Then the Nets could buy a win, or some players to help stop the bleeding. New Jersey's upcoming games against the Charlotte Bobcats, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, andIndiana Pacers offer the team a glimmer of holiday hope for that first W. Right now, they're in contention for next year's #1 draft pick, but surviving the 82 game season will be quite a ride for Nets fans, players and personnel.

Read more about the NJ Nets at NY Daily News

Jason Kidd & Hope Dworaczyk Playboy model girlfriend

Since his divorce with Joumana, things aren't going so bad for Jason Kidd in 2008-2009. In the tradition of Beyonce's "Upgrade" song, Kidd seems to have found himself a nice new girlfriend. According to news reports and Wikipedia, Jason Kidd and Hope Dworaczyk are now a couple who stand tall together. Dworaczyk is a Playboy model who's nearly as tall as Kidd, as she stands 5'10. She's stated before that she doesn't get approached much, but that could be due to the fact that 1) she's a gorgeous model and 2) she's really tall.



Dworaczyk appeared as the April 2009 Playmate on the Playboy magazine cover in April of 2009, with actor comedian Seth Rogen. Originally born in Texas, Hope's 25 years old, with measurements listed at 34C-23-35 and a weight of 125 lbs. In the above photos you not only see her towering size and assets, but also her painted on Dallas Mavericks Jason Kidd jersey. Not too bad!

According to Hope's Wikipedia entry, she got advice from her grandmother about whether or not to pose nude for Playboy magazine. Hope's grandma told her that if she were her age, she'd pose for Playboy if she had the opportunity. That was all the advice Hope needed and in April 2009 she posed naked for the men's magazine.

Apparently, Jason Kidd & Hope Dworaczyk had dated before. News broke in early 2008 that Hope was expecting a child with Jason Kidd. Hope claimed that these were merely tabloid trash rumors, because they never had a child together. The couple currently shares a penthouse apartment in the Dallas area, after relocating from New York-New Jersey, however Hope does runway modeling gigs all around the world. Kidd travels a lot too, to other cities, and occasionally on the court.

Jason Kidd passes Magic for Assists

On Sunday, Dallas Maverick point guard, Jason Kidd, moved past Earvin Magic Johnson for the third spot in terms of All-time assists for the NBA. A pass from Kidd to Josh Howard for a jump shot was the milestone during a Mavs game against the Phoenix Suns.

Jason Kidd now has a career total of 10,142 assists, playing for three teams during his career thus far (Phoenix, Dallas, New Jersey). In Dallas for his early career, Kidd spent time alongside Jimmy Jackson and Jamal Mashburn, racking up assists. Once he was sent to New Jersey, he had even more teammates to dish to, including Richard Jefferson, Kenyon Martin and eventually high-flyer, Vince Carter. Last season, a trade saw Jason Kidd sent to the Mavs for multiple players including Devin Harris. Now in Dallas, Kidd has enjoyed having guys like Jason Terry, Josh Howard and former league MVP, Dirk Nowitski to pass for layups and jumpshots.

When Kidd's latest accomplishment was announced in Dallas, Mark Jackson was one of the spectators on his feet who at the time was serving as one of the commentators for the game. Kidd now takes third place behind Mark Jackson (10,334) and Utah Jazz great John Stockton (15,806) for overall assists.

Dirk Nowitzki Out for 2 Weeks

An unfortunate injury came to Dirk Nowitzki in Sunday's Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs game. The 7 footer went down awkwardly on his left leg with just 3:18 remaining in the 3rd quarter. According to Mark Cuban the forward/center will be out of action for 2 weeks time.

From Sporting News:

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has confirmed that superstar forward Dirk Nowitzki will be out about two weeks after suffering a lower leg injury Sunday afternoon, the Dallas Morning News reports.

The Mavericks lost the game to the Spurs, 88-81. Nowitzki was injured with 3:18 remaining in the third quarter when he came down awkwardly after blocking a shot by Ime Udoka.

"I fell awkwardly, and my left leg got caught underneath me," Nowitzki said in a news release.

Sources close to Nowitzki indicated Sunday night that a post-game MRI exam, like earlier X-rays, turned up no immediate issues with the knee, ESPN.com reported.

The Mavs will need to rely on a "step-up" in play from Josh Howard and Jason Kidd now as they'll be facing some tough upcoming games. According to ESPN Sportscenter, they may get some relief from 2 games against the LA Clippers though..

No Easy $ on NBA Contenders

It's definitely still looking wide open in the NBA title chase. As of this point it's going to come down to which team gets an unfortunate injury, or which star player steps it up come the playoffs. Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitski, even Shaq could all help elevate their teams to the promised land. The West still claims to be the best.

One guy who definitely has elevated his play out West is Jason Kidd. When you see his recent assist totals at numbers like 17, it's apparent he's happy where he is, distributing the ball in a much higher scoring, potent offense with the Mavs. It would be pretty impressive to see Kidd break Scott Skile's all time assists in a game record this season.

The Pau Gasol-Kobe Bryant tandem also seems to be working very well in LA. Either Kobe's become a lot less selfish, or Pau Gasol doesn't complain a lot. Either way, it's been working nicely for the Lakers who are up top in the Western Conference. When you add Andrew Bynum back into the equation, the Lakers are that much better.

I hate to jinx Houston but they really seem to be in a "seen it before" almost Groundhog day like performance. We see flashes of how great T-Mac, Yao and the Rockets can be each season, then they falter, and get knocked out of the playoffs early. This season many analysts continue to place them in the candidates for NBA Finals team or champs.

Phoenix may still be a question mark. While many praise the Shaq move, they seem to forget the Suns lost a stat sheet filler with Shawn Marion. Having that "does it all" type player is always an advantage to any team. Lately the Suns couldn't seem to keep up with the East Coast favorite, Detroit Pistons, but the Suns were able to take out Boston. A question mark indeed.

Let's not forget the East because as much flack as they get, they will be sending a competitor to the Finals, and that team will not be a pushover. Lebron's new look Cavs are impressive now that Ben Wallace, Wally Sczerbiak and Delonte West have joined the crew. The knock had been Lebron was all they had going, and that he desperately needed a supporting cast. Now he has it, and that puts Cleveland along with Boston, Detroit and even Orlando as NBA Finals potentials.

At this point, there's no easy money made by betting on any single NBA team...so keep your wallets tight and stay tuned.

Friday's NBA Numbers

In the words of Mos Def from his song Mathematics, "it's really just a numbers game". Stats rule everything around the NBA, just ask ESPN Sportscenter. Counting down from 15 here's a look at how numbers figured into Friday night's NBA contests.

15 assists by guard Jason Kidd against Memphis
14 rebounds for new Phoenix Suns center, Shaq
13 games total on last night's schedule
12 losses now for the Boston Celtics
11 straight wins for the Houston Rockets
10 is number of Carlos Boozer's rebounds or Deron Williams' assists
9 Pacers players suited up for a win (Nets)
8 Cavs players suited up for a win (Wizards)
7 turnovers for Knick Jamal Crawford who also had 43 points
6 game losing streak snapped by Hawks, 117-110 win over GS
5 fouls a piece for Ben Gordon & Kirk Hinrich, Bulls still win
4 points total scored by Phoenix Sun, Shaq
3 technical fouls called in Hornets vs. Rockets
2nd straight game between Portland and Seattle, Sonics win it.
1 point, the difference in the Cavs win over Wizards

Just 7 games on Saturday's slate, but more numbers to come...

2 Big NBA Debuts Spoiled

The two big names in the recent NBA trades made their debuts Wednesday night. Shaq suited up for the Suns as they faced Kobe's Lakers. Jason Kidd also debuted in a Mavs' uniform as his new team took on the New Orleans Hornets. Unfortunately the debuts were spoiled as they were facing the top two teams in the West.

Chris Paul and the Hornets made sure that Jason Kidd saw a glimpse of how tough the West competition is. The Hornets are the surprise leader in the Western Conference right now, thanks to the play of their excellent floor general. Chris Paul is showing why he is the next ambassador for the role of top point guard in the NBA. He does it all; scores in bunches, dishes the ball very well, gets steals and plays smart basketball. And the Hornets sit on top of the Conference thanks to that.

On the other side, Kobe and his Lakers held off Shaq's new team, the Phoenix Suns by just 5 points. The game was a seesaw affair into the 4th where the Lakers managed to keep ahead and win it. Kobe had his 5th 40 point game against the Suns, but he combined with Gasol and Odom for about 80 or 90 of the team's points. Not bad for an NBA trio and this may be a glimpse of the conference finals in the playoffs. The Lakers appear to be back to life.

So last night gave a clear view of why New Orleans and the Lakers are at the top of the West. Basically the two top players out West might be Kobe and Chris Paul right now who both could be considered in the MVP vote. Kobe's Lakers are once again playing well and Andrew Bynum isn't even back yet to man the middle. Paul is going to be a huge star in the league as Stephen A. Smith of ESPN made sure to exclaim. Don't count these four teams out of the NBA finals spot, but then again the Spurs are being overlooked, and that's when they are most dangerous.

Changing of the NBA Guards

We now have a shift of guards going on in the NBA from East to West, West to East. Just as All-Star weekend descended upon us, we saw Mike Bibby sent over to Atlanta in a multiplayer deal. This gives the Hawks a better floor general and greater chance at a playoff spot. While Bibby is a great player, he won't put the Hawks into the Finals this season. He makes for an extra scorer and passes well, but it's hard to see him leading them to the promised land. Playoffs? Yes. out of round 1? Probably not.

The other move is Jason Kidd is finally headed back to Dallas. The funniest part of this trade was that Keith Van Horn, a retired NBA player, had to make the decision to finalize the trade. How often is that seen in the NBA? Van Horn's contract amount allowed the trade to happen, so Van Horn returns to his original team, the Nets. It remains to be seen if he will play. Kidd arrives into Dallas to help Dirk and Josh Howard try to get back into the Finals and win it. Everyone knows Kidd immediately improves any squad he's on. The Nets have just shown us this season an example of lackluster play by the rest of the team despite Kidd's continued all-around floor leadership.

Both moves improve these teams easily. Kidd will definitely have the bigger impact of these two trades, which is a no brainer. The Nets will probably start to play more like the Heat, and the Hawks just may take the Nets' playoff spot away. The Mavericks are still considered amongst 3 or 4 West coast teams with a legitimate chance to make the NBA Finals and win it all.

2008 NBA All-Star Game Review

This year's All-star game from New Orleans featured plenty of starpower and playmakers looking to showcase their talents. Prior to the game Kobe Bryant spoke about his injured right pinkie and having to play despite his coach or GM not wanting him to. Kobe has a torn ligament in his finger but will play the remainder of this season and wait to get surgery. Jason Kidd told TNT reporter David Aldrige he expects to be in Dallas within the next 48 hours. TNT's Ernie Johnson added in that Keith Van Horn may be part of the deal and have to come out of retirement to sign a $4 million contract with the Mavs.

First Quarter:
Kobe Bryant came out within the first 3 minutes of the 1st quarter with no points scored. The East squad jumped out to an early lead. Chris Bosh had a ton of dunks early on and J-Kidd threw an impressive lob to Lebron for a throwdown. At one point all three Detroit Pistons were in the lineup along with the lone 2 Bost Celtics. Crowd members shown included Alyssa Milano, Gabrielle Union, Governor Schwarzenegger, Terell Owens and Ludacris.

Second Quarter:
The East continued to maintain its lead thanks to the West's turnovers. Lebron and D-Howard had several alley oop exchanges for dunks. An interesting stat flashed about Dwight Howard as well. He has 145 dunks total this season which is more than 4 different NBA teams have for total dunks. East closes out the first half up 74-65, on pace for one high scoring game.

Third Quarter:
The West narrowed the gap several times, but the East continued its lead by 13. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen of the Celtics scored the last several points of the quarter. During the quarter Chris Paul continued to display why he's such a great floor general in New Orleans.

Fourth Quarter:
This game got good in the 4th Quarter making for one of the better finishes to an all-star game in recent history. Ray Allen had 27 points as did Lebron. Ray hit a flurry of three's in the 4th quarter to help his team out, and Lebron had a strong key jam. There was also a critical foul called on Chris Paul where he caused Ray to hit the deck. Brandon Roy hit a late 3 to bring the West within 3 with under 10 seconds to play, but Ray Allen kept his team ahead with free throws. Allen was 1 shy of tying Mark Price's previous record for 6 three pointers made in an All-star game.

Overall impressions:
A little disappointing to see Lebron win the MVP over Ray Allen. Not that Lebron had a bad performance, but Allen's always been a deadly sharpshooter and three point shooter in the league and should have been rewarded for his great shooting in the game. Still Lebron's performance was just as deserving as he had just about every stat possible excluding popcorn sales.

There didn't seem to be the high flying razzle dazzle that All-star games of the past 5 years may have had. Notably, Kobe Bryant was out with a pinkie injury and high flyers like Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady weren't present. Two other guys missing who add a great deal of personality to the game are Shaq and KG (injury). However it was a great showcase for the Best of the rest of the NBA this year in New Orleans and an exciting fourth quarter finish.

Kidd Trade on Hold

Thanks to the contract of Dallas Mavs' player Devean George, the Jason Kidd trade has been put on hold. George blocked the trade by saying he did not want to give up his "early Bird rights", which is a provision he earned by being in his second year and on a second contract with the Mavs.

According to the Associated Press:

Under the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, a player who has "early Bird rights" at the end of a contract - like George has this year - has veto power over a trade because he'd lose those rights if dealt. By keeping them, Dallas could exceed the salary cap to re-sign him.

"We're not trying to hold things up or be difficult, but just like teams make tough decisions all the time - about cutting players or making trades - they do what's best for their team, and it's my obligation to do what's best for Devean," his agent, Mark Bartelstein, said Wednesday night.

"You don't want to stop teams from doing their business, but we don't feel like it makes sense at this time. He's starting right now and things are going pretty good."

It was not immediately clear whether this was just a snag or a deal-breaker. (SOURCE: AP)

Have no fear Mavs fans... J-Kidd can still move from NJ to Dallas within the next week, prior to the February 21st trade deadline.

J-Kidd Returns to Dallas

Call it a come back. According to ESPN.com, the Jason Kidd trade is a done deal. Kidd will be moving back to Dallas where he began his career, and the Nets will acquire Jerry Stackhouse with Devin Harris.

"Dallas is sending 24-year-old point guard Devin Harris, veteran swingman Jerry Stackhouse, the expiring contracts of center DeSagana Diop and swingman Devean George and guard Maurice Ager to New Jersey for Kidd and forward Malik Allen.

Sources say Dallas will also send the Nets the league-maximum $3 million, the Mavs' first-round draft pick this June and a first-rounder in 2010."(SOURCE: ESPN.com)

So now the Mavs improve with the services of J-Kidd, who is coming full circle. Kidd will definitely help Dirk and Josh Howard compete for a title with the West's elite teams, such as the Lakers and Suns who both made big moves.

Read the full ESPN.com story here.

The West is Making Moves

Not Jerry West, but the Western Conference. It's just becoming painfully apparent that the Western teams of the NBA want to improve and want to win. It seems as if the Eastern teams with the exception of 2 teams that made moves this offseason (Orlando & Boston), do not want to win for now.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Jason Kidd wind up in Dallas before February 21st's trade deadline. The Mavs are looking to improve upon their team and that surely would help a lot. Nothing against their current guards, but adding a court visionary and leader like J Kidd will absolutely improve their offensive flow. Dallas is already known as a relatively high scoring and uptempo team, and having Kidd with Dirk would be akin to having Nash with Nowitski. Great point guard, great front court player. It's a winning formula that could push them past the Suns or Spurs. Ron Artest may also be dealt from Sacramento. It would not be surprising if he went to yet another team out West.

Looking at what the East has done, the Miami Heat were DOA before the Shaq trade, so it's hard to really give them props right now. The Nets picking up Stromile Swift helps, but not enough. I wouldn't expect this to turn NJ into contenders. However, if they swing a deal with Dallas and pick up some new talent, possibly it inspires Vince Carter to step it up. The Cavs are one team who has made the Finals but doesn't appear interested in going back or winning it. No moves made, yet.

The Celtics are one of few Eastern teams who went leaps and bounds to improve in the East. That will be put to the test on Sunday when the Spurs come to Boston. Unfortunately, KG who makes the Celts tough to beat will be watching courtside with his abdominal injury. Orlando is the other as they added Rashard Lewis who is a deadly scorer. Combine him with the incredible inside presence of an emerging Dwight Howard, and you can't ignore Orlando as a possible contender.

Watch for a few more moves before February 21st, and don't be surprised if analysts continue to praise the Western Conference for the next few years.

Webber Comes Full Circle

Chris Webber started his NBA career with the Golden State Warriors. He then bounced around from the Wizards to Kings to the Sixers and then the Pistons. Now Webber has returned to his origins as he has been signed by Golden State. The Bay Area star is back, but aged of course. Webber hasn't played in any games since losing with the Pistons in last year's Conference Finals. Read the Associated Press story here

In other trade rumor news, Jason Kidd is now saying he is ok if he is traded. Kidd says he doesn't feel he'll win a title in New Jersey, and they need to trade him for a bunch of guys to give them a championship chance. Kidd also says when he would achieve a triple double in a game it usually meant a win, but it's just not working out right now. Heading to tonight's game against the Bucks, the Nets have lost 9 in a row, and are sub-.500 in the Eastern Conference. Possible teams interested in J Kidd right now are the Mavericks and Nuggets, so a deal is looming before the February 21st deadline.

Kidd Trade? Kobe v Lebron

In recent reports it's looked like Jason Kidd's agent has requested that the New Jersey Nets trade the star point guard. According to NY Daily News, Jason Kidd hasn't spoken with his agent Jeff Schwartz in weeks so he has no knowledge of any requests. As for now Kidd is still in New Jersey leading the show for the losing-record Nets. However you'd have to believe his career is in the late stages and he wouldn't mind playing for a title contender. Somehow the Nets botched the game in Minnesota Sunday night despite having the lead late in the fourth. May be a good time for J Kidd to find his new team. Read the full story here

In other news, Andris Biedrins is officially a rebounding monster. The Golden State F/C pulled down 26 rebounds in a win against the New York Knicks last night. This is the highest number of boards pulled down by anyone this season, with 24 being the previous high. The Warrirors beat the Knicks 106-104 in a contest that came down to the wire. Read the full story here

In other games, Hedo Turkoglu's buzzer beater ended up beating the Celtics 96-93 in Orlando. This is the second time Orlando has taken out the team supposed to be top contender of the East. It shows the Celtics vulnerability to lose to top contenders in the Eastern Conference, so it's hard to see them knocking off a West Coast team in the Finals, should they even make it. There has been recent speculation that the Celtics may try to add Damon Stoudamire to the mix.

Also Sunday marked a battle between Lebron and Kobe. Despite a pause for a leaky roof, Lebron James got the best of Kobe at the Staples Center and the Cavs were victorious. Lebron scored a game high 41 points and Kobe led the Lakers with 33.

3 Pointers, Triple Doubles & Starbury

An article at thestar.com discusses "how to succeed in the NBA" and looks at the fact that the league in general is heading towards a record-breaking season in terms of 3 pointers hoisted up. According to the report the average team has attempted 36 three-point shots per game, which is about 5 more attempts a game than five years ago. Five years ago saw the arrival of Steve Nash to the Phoenix Suns and this style of play has certainly seen a lot of 3 point shots taken.

In terms of triple doubles, ESPN.com has a look at whether or not King James and J-Kidd can average that for a season. The legendary Oscar Robertson did this, with an impressive 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists back in 1961-62. Kidd has 11.6 points, 10.7 assists and 8.6 rebounds this season. Lebron has 30.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.6 assists. Both guys are surely capable of doing it, but will need to pick up their overall production. Lebron is currently sidelined with a finger/hand injury. The ESPN report speculates that due to the NBA game slowing down so much it makes the feat harder to achieve. Check out the ESPN.com article here.

Condolences are extended to Stephon Marbury whose father passed away after falling ill at the Knicks-Suns game the other night in NYC. Stephon Marbury had the recent tirade with Coach Isiah Thomas where he left the team over an argument about not starting. He also lost his aunt back on November 19th, so these are surely trying times for the Knicks guard.

Kevin Martin is a Scorer

Taking a look at the stats leaders for the NBA as of today reveals much of what you'd expect it to be. The listings seem to make sense for the most part. Perhaps the biggest surprise comes here from the scoring leaders though:

NBA Scoring Leaders:
LeBron James CLE 30.9
Kobe Bryant LAL 27.0
Carmelo Anthony DEN 25.8
Kevin Martin SAC 25.2
Tracy McGrady HOU 25.0

Lebron, Kobe, Melo..Expected. T-Mac also a usual suspect. But Kevin Martin? Very surprising. Last season he came on strong, but didn't expect him to keep it up. He averaged about 3 points his rookie season, then went up to about 10ppg and then doubled it to 20. Now he's sitting pretty with the other scorers. He's got to be one of the most deceptive scorers around because looking at his body type you wouldn't expect it. He's also picking up extra points with Mike Bibby sidelined (out 10-12 weeks after thumb surgery). A small guy like AI was up there but that's AI. Kevin Martin is definitely a guy who flew under the radar and probably will have a high value for other teams. If I were him I might even shop for one as soon as he can because Sacramento is going nowhere fast.

Rebounding Leaders:
Marcus Camby DEN 15.5
Dwight Howard ORL 14.6
Chris Kaman LAC 14.1
Emeka Okafor CHA 13.0
Kevin Garnett BOS 12.8

Rebounding leaders make sense so far. Camby is a pogo stick basically and his abilities as a center and defensive player are pretty amazing. Chris Kama checks in on the list most likely due to Elton Brand's injury status. KG, Okafor and D Howard are steady on this category each season.

Current Assist Leaders:
Steve Nash PHX 10.8
Chris Paul NOH 10.3
Jason Kidd NJN 10.2
Baron Davis GSW 9.0
Deron Williams UTA 8.3

No surprises for assists leader either. A very close race there too which goes to show how valuable point guards are to a team. Nash has been a two time MVP, and Kidd was nearly MVP. A recent article looks at the idea that maybe the Nets should trade Kidd to the Lakers to play with Kobe.

Overall, it's still relatively early in the NBA, but the statistical leaders seem on track. View the full stat listings at NBA.com.