Around the Association

My NBA power rankings are taking a week off, and will return next week. Right now, though, lets go around the association:

---What more do the Atlanta Hawks need to do to be considered an elite team? Last Friday's convincing defeat of the Boston Celtics in Boston served as proof that the Hawks have emerged as a legitimate power in the East. Josh Smith is having far and away the best season of his career, Joe Johnson is proving himself to be one of the most underrated players in the league, and Jamal Crawford continues to dazzle with his scoring ability. And I haven't even mentioned Marvin Williams, Al Horford, Mike Bibby, or Zaza Pechulia, all of whom are key contributors. Mike Woodson's team is the most athletic in the league, and they will be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time.

---That was an ugly loss for LeBron and the Cavs in Washington on Wednesday night. Granted, it came on the back end of a back-to-back, but Cleveland looked disturbingly lifeless in the second half, getting run out of the building by Flip Saunder's Wizards. If the Cavs want to be taken seriously as a championship contender, then they must show more energy and consistency on a nightly basis.

---On the flipside, it was a big win for the struggling Wizards. Gilbert Arenas played well, and Antawn Jamison looked sharp in his first game back from injury. However, the MVP of that game was Earl Boykins. Boykins is proof that small guys can indeed thrive in the NBA. He has so much talent, and he plays with so much heart. To this day, Boykins remains one of my all-time favorite Golden State Warriors. I'm happy to see him thriving in Washington.

---I hate the Lakers, but there is no denying it: They looked scary-good last night against the Bulls. Pau Gasol looked spectacular in his season debut, Kobe Bryant was lights-out, and Ron Artest had perhaps his best game as a member of the Purple and Gold.

---The Spurs, meanwhile, are floundering. I know they always get off to slow starts, and I realize that they have been bombarded with injuries to Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli. Still, their 4-6 start has been extremely disappointing. I picked Gregg Popovich's team to win the West, but I become less confident in that prediction with each passing game. Get it together, San Antonio!

---The Jazz benefited from the Spurs' woes last night in San Antonio, making history in the process. Last night's victory in San Antonio was the first time in ten years that the Jazz have beaten the Spurs in the Alamo City. The Jazz were buoyed by the superb play of Deron Williams and Paul Millsap, and perhaps last night's win will be the win that will finally get Utah out of its' road funk.

---Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith both gave a fascinating dissection of Bulls G Derrick Rose's game last night on "Inside the NBA". Barkley and Smith noted Rose's obvious talent and athleticism, but they remarked on his below-average shooting skills. If Rose wants to permanently establish himself as an elite point guard in the NBA, he needs to become a better jump-shooter.

---Nice to see J.R. Smith back with the Nuggets. In his return last Friday against the Lakers, a game Denver dominated, Smith showed his outstanding scoring ability, but he also showed his maturation at the defensive end. While Smith should not yet be classified as a lockdown defender, George Karl has to be thrilled with the progress that Smith has made on defense.

---Okay New Jersey Nets, the time is now. If you don't beat the lowly Knicks on Saturday to capture your first win of the season, you may not win a game this season.

---Encouraging win for my Warriors last night. We are severely shorthanded, but we still found a way to dismantle a very good Portland Blazers team. Monta Ellis had his best game of the year, Stephen Curry showed why he deserves more playing time, and Anthony Morrow delivered another lights-out, brilliant shooting performance.

---Coach Doc Rivers has expressed disappointment in the recent play of his Boston Celtics, and I don't blame him. For my money, the C's still remain the favorite in the East, but they suffered their second sluggish home loss in the span of one week last night against the Orlando Magic.

---LeBron James says that he plans on changing his number from 23 to 6 next season as a nod of respect to Michael Jordan. King James says that M.J.'s number 23 should be retired by the NBA out of deference to the greatest player of all-time. This is an admirable, genuine gesture by LeBron, but it is not a good idea. While Michael Jordan is indeed the best player to have ever stepped on the basketball court, he is not the player who had the most culturally significant impact on the game. If David Stern were to retire Jordan's number, he would also have to retire the numbers of Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, players who arguably left an even bigger mark on the game of basketball than His Airness.

---There is also something fundamentally misguided about LeBron's idea. If LeBron really wants to honor M.J., shouldn't he play the rest of his career with the number 23? That way he would be honoring Jordan with his greatness on the court. As Larry Bird recently said on "The Dan Patrick Show", he loves to see today's players wearing his number and has no interest in seeing it be retired.

---I was saddened by the news of Kareem Abdul-Jabaar's leukemia diagnosis, but I am also hopeful. Kareem is a champion in all aspects of life, and here's hoping he will be able to overcome this latest battle.