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The Golden State Warriors At The All-Star Break

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The Golden State Warriors got off to a slow start, but they’ve started to find their rhythm, and as we reach the All-Star break the Warriors are 31-22 and in the 8-spot in the NBA’s Western Conference. Given the current trend, you have to like Golden State’s chances to eventually pass at least Dallas and Phoenix (whom they trail by just a half-game) and move as high as #6. Let’s take a closer look at the team who advanced into the second round and then threw a scare into the San Antonio Spurs in 2013.

The Houston Rockets At The All-Star Break

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The Houston Rockets have been the NBA’s big mover and shaker each of the last two offseasons, getting James Harden prior to the 2013 season, and then adding Dwight Howard for this year. The results are showing up on the floor. Houston brings a 36-17 record into the All-Star break, good enough for #3 in the Western Conference.

The San Antonio Spurs At The All-Star Break

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The San Antonio Spurs have, in a unique way, defined NBA basketball for 15 years. They haven’t been a dynasty in the sense of the Shaq-Kobe Lakers or LeBron’s Heat, all of whom have won consecutive titles in that timeframe. The Spurs have just churned it out, winning four titles and nearly taking a fifth last June in Miami before Ray Allen ripped their hearts out. The Spurs are at it again, with a 38-15 record coming into All-Star weekend in New Orleans.

The Oklahoma City Thunder At The All-Star Break

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The Oklahoma City Thunder have been…well, thundering through the NBA’s Western Conference as we reach this weekend’s All-Star break in New Orleans. The Thunder are sitting on a 43-12 record, good for a four-game lead for the top seed in the West, and narrowly ahead of the Indiana Pacers for the NBA’s best overall record. What’s more, Kevin Durant is emerging as the odds-on favorite to be the MVP.

The Miami Heat At The All-Star Break

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The Miami Heat will finish up their pre-All-Star break schedule late tonight, with a road game against the Golden State Warriors (10:30 PM ET, NBA-TV). The Heat are sitting on a 36-14 record, 3 ½ games back of the Indiana Pacers for the top spot in the Eastern Conference and a game and a half behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, a potential NBA Finals opponent. TheSportsNotebook takes a closer look at how the Heat’s bid for a third straight NBA title is faring.

The Indiana Pacers At The All-Star Break

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The Indiana Pacers play their final game before the All-Star break tonight when the host the Dallas Mavericks. The Pacers come into the game riding high at 40-11, 3 ½ games ahead of the Miami Heat for the #1 seed in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, and percentage points of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the league’s best record overall. TheSportsNotebook takes a closer look at how the Pacers are doing it as we get set for the weekend festivities in New Orlean

The Toronto Raptors Move Up In The East

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The Toronto Raptors have gotten on a nice run, winning 10 of their last 13 games and moving up to third place in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. We’ll take a closer look at the Raptors and ask a question with a double meaning—can this team reach the second round of the playoffs, and what’s more can they be a legitimate second round team?—i.e., not just one tat cashes in because the rules require that two teams join the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers in the semi-finals of the awful Eastern Conference

A Creative Plan To Stop NBA Draft Tanking

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The notion of bad teams tanking games for draft position is hardly new, nor is it unique to the NBA. The 2011 NFL season was marred by the ridiculous “Suck For Luck” campaign, where teams ostensibly started throwing in the towel by October in a race to get the top draft pick and the chance to take Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. But NBA draft tanking is more persistent feature and with several top players expected to be available next spring, it’s a topic prominently on everyone’s mind this year.

NBA Championship Futures At The Christmas Checkpoint

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The NBA season hits its first early checkpoint as we get for their run of five nationally televised games on Christmas Day. Let’s take a look at how everything is shaking out, as defined by the NBA championship futures. The biggest story has clearly been the blazing start of the Indiana Pacers.

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