Sports

Entering the season, several teams were tapped to burst from the gates while others were written off as lottery-bound. Various offseason moves have left some teams barely recognizable. The top teams, however, have left their core largely untouched, adding only a few minor players to fill in the gaps. Others have revamped their lineups, greatly improving their offensive potentials. But two months in the young season, the different personnel moves have clearly left a lot of teams wanting in that most elusive of traits – chemistry. (Note: Records and stats are as of 12 January 2006.)

The Contenders

q Detroit Pistons. (27-5)After two seasons of Larry Brown’s tedious – though very effective – coaching philosophy, the Pistons are playing with renewed enthusiasm, especially on the offensive end, under Flip Saunders. The best thing is, even with an improved offense, Detroit still plays as pesky a defense as ever.

Frontcourt: (Ben Wallace , Rasheed Wallace , Tayshaun Prince )

Long, lean and athletic, the Pistons frontcourt are great board crashers at 23.5 caroms a game and post defenders. Big Ben won’t score in double figures but Sheed and Prince could explode for twenty any given night.

Backcourt: (Chauncey Billups , Richard Hamilton )

Good shooters and great clutch players. Rip gives the Pistons a reliable jump shooter, especially coming off screens (he is shooting .497 a night). Chauncey is always a threat from long-range and when the team needs a basket down the wire, he usually delivers.

Bench: (Antonio McDyess , Dale Davis , Carlos Arroyo )

Very deep in the frontcourt – and that’s without counting Darko Milicic . McDyess and Davis could even start on other teams. The guard slot is also firm, with Arroyo and Maurice Evans playing major roles this season.

q San Antonio Spurs. (27-8)The Spurs are on top of the competitive West, as everyone was saying in the preseason. Incredibly, Duncan is not the team’s leading scorer – Parker is. Manu, Finley and Barry all have suffered from injuries, yet they still win games. It is a very scary thought for other teams when the Spurs play at their full strength.

Frontcourt: (Tim Duncan , Radoslav Nesterovic, Bruce Bowen)

The only frontline that could match the Pistons’ in defensive intensity. Duncan and Bowen are both members of the All-Defensive First Team while Rasho is a very good shot blocker. Offensively, however, Duncan is the sole consistent scorer.

Backcourt: (Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili)

Great slashers, average shooters. Parker may be leading his team in scoring but he still needs to improve his shooting. (He is shooting just .231 from long-range and .644 from the stripe.) Manu is very quick and strong, able to slash at will and make the basket while being fouled. Although they run the half court set pretty well, the international backcourt is particularly effective in the open court.

Bench: (Michael Finley, Brent Barry, Nazr Mohammed)

Add Nick van Exel and Robert Horry and you have another starting lineup. This only shows the depth of the Spurs and the skill of GM and coach Gregg Popovich. Health is a major issue several key bench players have been injured in various times in the season.

q Dallas Mavericks. (26-10)Coach Avery Johnson is having a great rookie season. The team is still racking up the points and – surprise! – now is playing defense. The Mavs are very young and it shows in the inconsistency of some of their players. Good thing the team is very talented offensively.

Frontcourt: (Dirk Nowitzki, Erick Dampier, Josh Howard)

Very versatile and quick. Dirk is coming off a career year and is continuing his stellar performance, scoring from all over the court. He is averaging 26 points, 9 rebounds and 1.14 blocks a game so far. Howard is a vital part of the Mavs defense, as he grabs the loose balls, harasses opponents, crashes the boards and provides energy on the court.

Backcourt: (Jason Terry, Doug Christie)

Terry could distribute the ball and shoot it very well. Christie has been bothered by his sore knee and it shows. Never a scorer, Christie is a good defender even with his injury. And that is one area the Mavs could always use some help.

Bench: (Keith van Horn, Marquis Daniels, Devin Harris)

The Mavs’ young backcourt could light up the scoreboard anytime but have been inconsistent. Van Horn never developed into a franchise player but he seems to be comfortable playing off the bench for Dallas. The bench will be considerably stronger when Jerry Stackhouse fully recovers from his injury.

Stumbling Off The Blocks

q Miami Heat. (21-15)The Heat have struggled to win games as Shaq was injured in the second game of the season. In an effort to right the not-quite-sinking ship, Pat Riley retook the reins from Stan van Gundy. Could the maestro whip this team into game shape in time and push it to the Finals?

Frontcourt: (Shaquille O'neal, Udonis Haslem, James Posey)

Shaq is slowing down with age. He is still dominant but only when he's healthy, which is rare nowadays. Posey has been the best player in last summer's mega-trade, providing tough defense and reliable offense.

Backcourt: (Dwayne Wade, Gary Payton)

The Flash is whizzing past defenders, as usual. With Shaq playing limited minutes, Wade tends to do too much. In the process, he turns it over a lot (3.2 per game). Payton is still a good player but he can't light it up the way he used to.

Bench: (Antoine Walker, Alonzo Mourning, Jason Williams)

Zo is second in the league in blocked shots with 3.19 per game. Amazing for a guy who retired briefly because of kidney disease. His minutes will go down as Shaq recovers from his injury but the Heat will definitely need his intensity, as Shaq is not as durable as he used to be. Walker seems to have found his rhythm of late, but the knock on his game still holds true: shoot the three less and muscle it inside more. Williams is still recovering from injury and he has to adjust quickly as the season progresses.

q Houston Rockets. (12-22)Great teams can win even without key players (San Antonio won without Tim Duncan and the 90s Bulls won without Michael Jordan). With T-Mac out, the Rockets fell to the bottom of their division. It's not too late to make up for lost ground though.

Frontcourt: (Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Stromile Swift)

More of a wing player, T—Mac plays the small forward spot with the acquisition of Derek Anderson. Always a great scorer, what T-Mac needs is a able supporting cast. That’s why he left the Magic in the first place. Yao Ming is still improving. Though he is a perennial All-Star, his play has never quite lived up to the lofty expectations.

Backcourt: (David Wesley, Derek Anderson)

Not much defense and athleticism in the backcourt. They are good shooters and what they need to do is knock down the open shots to open the lane for T-Mac and Yao Ming.

Bench: (Juwan Howard, Luther Head, Jon Barry)

Not much firepower here, especially with Bob Sura out for the season. Luther Head could develop into a starter, if not this season then maybe the next.

q Sacramento Kings. (14-20)A retooling of the roster infused the Kings with fresh talent. So far, they have yet to play on the same page. Usually an offensively—gifted team, the Kings are struggling to make shots.

Frontcourt: (Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Predrag Stojakovic, Brad Miller)

Peja has always been a deadshot. He is having trouble finding his range, making .420 of his shots. Rahim has been very consistent, which makes one wonder why he failed the Nets’ physical.

Backcourt: (Mike Bibby, Bonzi Wells)

Bibby is also having trouble finding the basket in his first full season with the Kings without Chris Webber. Wells is shooting just .227 from long range.

Bench: (Kenny Thomas, Kevin Martin, Corliss Williamson)

The bench mob is gone. No bench player averages double digits for the Kings anymore, nor does anyone play consistently.

q Indiana Pacers. (19-14)The return of Artest was expected to spark the Pacers. Instead, he has been his usual self – a disruptive force, especially after his trade demand (which he subsequently took back). Currently, he is on the inactive list as the team looks for a suitable offer.

Frontcourt: (Jermaine O’neal, Austin Croshere, Stephen Jackson)

Is the best O’neal with the Pacers? He is averaging a team-best 22.3 points per game to go with 10 boards a night. With Artest gone, Jackson once more steps into the small forward spot. He has had some success last season in that position and has been comfortable playing at the frontcourt.

Backcourt: (Jamaal Tinsley, Danny Granger)

The confusion brought about by Artest’s absence has forced rookie Granger to start. Though he may not be the permanent starter, he is playing well, providing defense and offense for the Pacers. Tinsley has been bothered by injuries but he is averaging 11.5 points and 5.4 assists. Expect these numbers to go up as he recovers.

Bench: (Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fred Jones, Jeff Foster)

Sarunas is playing very well, even starting a few games for the Pacers. Foster may not be an offensive force but he is a good board crasher, with 6.3 a game – second best on the team.

Surprises

q Phoenix Suns. (22-12)With Amare Stoudemire gone, nearly everyone expected the Suns to roll over and wait for Amare’s return. Once again, coach Mike D’Antoni has proved the naysayers wrong as his tam is on top of their division.

Frontcourt: (Shawn Marion, Kurt Thomas, Boris Diaw)

This is probably the most unconventional of all frontlines. It features several players playing out of position – and one point guard. Marion is continuing his strong play from last season and Diaw is starting to blossom as an all around player in the NBA.

Backcourt: (Steve Nash, Raja Bell)

The MVP is running the offense with flair. Who would have thought the Suns would average 103.1 points without Amare? Nash and Bell are god perimeter shooters and penetrators. Plus they dish the ball well.

Bench: (Leandro Barbosa, Eddie House, James Jones)

Good shooters all. Not great defenders, though. Jones is a small forward who occasionally plays upfront. All three average in double digits, which is surprising for bench players.

q Milwaukee Bucks. (18-15)Last season, with Ford injured, the Bucks missed the playoffs. With new acquisitions Magliore and Simmons and top rookie pick Bogut, the Bucks are poised to make a comeback.

Frontcourt: (Jamal Magliore, Bobby Simmons, Andrew Bogut)

Magliore and Bogut give the Bucks arguably the best frontcourt in the East. Well, next to the Pistons, that is. Both are good post players and defenders. Bogut could only get better with time.

Backcourt: (Michael Redd, TJ Ford)

Redd is a creative scorer, able to hit it from outside and to take it to the hoop. Ford has recovered

Bench: (Maurice Williams, Joe Smith, Jiri Welsch)

Williams is playing very well, averaging 15.6 points – good for second in the team. Smith is a good rebounder while Welsch is shooting .500 from beyond the arc.

q Memphis Grizzlies. (22-11)This team is still searching for their first franchise playoff win. With veterans Stoudamire and Jones, they just might get it.

Frontcourt: (Pau Gasol, Shane Battier, Mike Miller)

Gasol is probably the best post player this side of Tim Duncan. Quick for his size, he is also a tough defender, averaging 2.54 blocks a game. Battier could mix it up inside and shoot it from long-range. Miller, as always, has a smooth stroke from outside.

Backcourt: (Damon Stoudamire, Eddie Jones)

The new veteran backcourt has worked wonders for the team, not only on-court but also off it.

Bench: (Bobby Jackson, Lorenzen Wright, Dahntay Jones)

Jackson is averaging double figures off the bench. Wright is a good rebounder and post defender.