Around the Association

Hoops fans, gather round the computer. Here are my musings on the best sports league in the world, the National Basketball Association:

---So, in order to break the all-time regular-season wins record held by the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls, the Miami Heat will have to finish this season with a record 68-5. The Heat may well get their act together and have a great season, but there chances of being an historically great team are all but dead.

---I am taking great joy in Miami's early season struggles, so perhaps I am overreacting to their shaky, 5-4 start to the season. However, Erik Spoelstra's team has some serious, serious flaws. Their biggest weakness is a complete lack of depth, as evidenced by the home loss to the Celtics on Thursday night. In that game, Dwayne Wade was shockingly off, and while LeBron was terrific, the Heat had no one to help him. With the exception of Eddie House and the injured Mike Miller, Miami has an ineffective supporting cast. Compared to the remarkable depth of Boston and Orlando, Miami's supporting players are stunningly soft.

---Judging by Chris Bosh's underwhelming play so far this season, it's about time we stop calling the Heat "The Big 3".

---Meanwhile, kudos to Paul Pierce for coming up with this brilliant shot at LeBron after the Celtics beat the Heat for the second time this season. Pierce, via twitter, said the following: "It's been a pleasure to bring my talents to South Beach." Hey-ohhhhhhhh!

---After a sluggish start, the Utah Jazz are finally starting to hit their stride, thanks to remarkable resilience on the road. On Tuesday, the Jazz rallied from 22 down in the second half on the road to beat the aforementioned Heat, thanks to a 46-point masterpiece from Paul Millsap. The very next night, the Jazz rallied from 18 down in the second half in Orlando to stun the Magic. In the aftermath of these two incredibly impressive wins, I am thoroughly convinced that the Utah Jazz are back on track to finish near the top of the West again this season.

---The sterling play of Jerry Sloan's team is almost enough of a temptation for me to declare Deron Williams the best point guard in basketball. However, there is another point guard in New Orleans who is every bit as worthy of that title. Chris Paul has been brilliant this season, and he is the primary reason why the New Orleans Hornets are the only remaining undefeated team in basketball.

---As amazing as CP3 is, however, the Hornets will need to continue to receive superb productivity from Emeka Okafor if they want to truly contend in the West. Okafor is playing the best basketball of his career, and the Paul-Okafor duo is starting to conjure memories of the Paul-Chandler tandem that was so unstoppable a couple of years ago.

---Prior to the start of the season, I was merciless in my criticism of the Hornets, and I gave them essentially no chance to contend. So far at least, that prediction has been a giant swing and a miss on my part. They still need to show me more to eradicate my skepticism, but there is no denying that the Hornets have looked phenomenal this season.

---Maybe Carmelo Anthony will stay put in Denver after all. Maybe, just maybe, the 'Melo trade rumors were much ado about nothing. Granted, Denver embarrassingly yielded 144 points in a blowout loss to the Pacers on Tuesday night, but they responded with a passionate performance last night against the Lakers, handing the defending champions their first loss of the season. Carmelo poured in 32 points and 13 rebounds, and he sounded genuinely elated in his post-game comments, a notable contrast to the disillusionment he exuded in the offseason. Personally, I would love to see Carmelo stay in Denver, because when George Karl's team is at full strength, they are a joy to watch. Now, it appears as if 'Melo may indeed stay in a Nuggets uniform.

---'Melo was the MVP for Denver last night, but the Nuggets would not have won that game had it not been for the excellence of Ty Lawson and J.R. Smith. Lawson is an exhilarating young star-in-the-making who flustered the Lakers with his lightning-fast speed and athleticism. J.R. Smith, meanwhile, sparked the defining rally of the game with some clutch threes in the fourth quarter. Smith was undaunted by the defensive presence of Kobe Bryant, and his unapologetic swagger is key to the Nuggets' success.

---As if the incessant injury woes of Greg Oden weren't enough, the Portland Trail Blazers are now forced to deal with the shaky right knee of Brandon Roy. Roy, the Blazers' best player and one of the ten best players in the game, has asked the Blazers for less playing time due to a right knee injury. Nate McMillan's team is thus faced with a frustrating dilemma. Obviously, Roy's health is of utmost importance, but in the loaded Northwest Division and in the loaded Western Conference, the Blazers can't really afford to limit Roy's playing time. Can't wait to see how Nate McMillan handles this situation.

---I will end with some praise for Michael Beasley. Beasley caused quite the stir in the offseason when he declared that the T'Wolves are the team to beat, and he still deserves to be derided for that laughable claim. But Beasley deserves credit for backing up his words with his play on the court. Beasley, who underachieved in his time with the Heat, is finally showing great promise. He has been great for Kurt Rambis' team. The Timberwolves are really, really bad, but if Beasley continues to improve, the Kevin Love-Beasley duo could signal a bright future for the Timberwolves.