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It’s been an odd season in Orlando.

With dramatic twists at every turn, the never-ending saga of Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy has played out all season. Again and again and again. What was it like for the other Magic players? While teammates generally keep quiet about things like this, or dole out politically correct prepared responses that don’t ever really shed light on anything, J.J. Redick recently sat down with Russ Thaler of NBC Sports Talk and discussed his season.

Redick didn’t come out and take a side or trash anyone, but he did give a glimpse into the distraction that this mess created for everyone in the Orlando locker room. He also discussed that practice scrum when Van Gundy told reporters he knew that Howard was trying to get him fired, only to have Howard come over and put his arm around Van Gundy before Van Gundy dipped from the scrum, leaving Howard to trip over himself trying to deflect questions about the sticky situation.

It was especially interesting to see how players found out about what was going on. Via text messages and Twitter, fans and friends informed the Magic players that the secret was out: Howard allegedly wanted Van Gundy fired, Van Gundy knew and Howard was denying it. Sounds like a soap opera. Listening to Redick describe how the relationship between the two changed in March, it sounds more like a television drama than NBA basketball.

Here are his quotes, via Pro Basketball Talk:

About Howard:

“Within the team I think our perception has changed a little bit. I don’t see any way it couldn’t. But I am a Dwight supporter, I played with him for six years, I’ve been through some battles with him, won a lot of games tagging along side of him. He has been great for our organization.

“I think as anyone can attest, sometimes we get confused in life. Sometimes we get bad advice. I think Dwight at his core, at his heart is a great kid, a great person. Maybe he just got a little confused, a little sidetracked about what was important and then at the end of the year he gets hurt and can’t play. It wasn’t a great year for him. I’m sure he’ll bounce back, get healthy and have a great year next year.”

Interesting to see the 27-year-old Redick refer to 26-year-old Howard as “a great kid, a great person.” Howard has always come across as a giant kid, but it’s time to face reality. He’s still young, but at 26 and with the power to paralyze a franchise over his actions, it’s time to leave the child’s play alone.

On Howard’s relationship with Stan Van Gundy:

“To be honest with you, it didn’t seem worse or better than any other year. Those two have built a relationship based on winning and before things really started to turn for us we were 32-18 and had the fifth best record in the league. So for 50 of the 66 games this year that relationship was pretty solid.

“I’m not sure what happened and what transpired with management, with Dwight’s alleged request for Stan to get fired, I’m not privy to all the inside information. Certainly at some point that relationship started to change a little bit in March, and from that point on things got weird.”

Weird is one way to delicately put it. When it’s publicly known that coach and star player are not on good terms and that one wants the other fired, it’s got to be a strange dynamic in the locker room and during practices. It’s a testament to everyone involved that they were able to focus on the games in front of them and not get too caught up in what was happening off court.

About the press conference where Van Gundy said Howard wanted him fired, then Howard unknowingly walked in on it:

“We were all a little shocked. I cold plunge right after shootaround (take an ice bath). I had got my shots up after shootaround and had sort of seen Stan talking to the media and everything seemed normal from afar. Well I went back, grabbed my phone and jumped in the cold plunge and I have like 15 text messages and my twitter account is blowing up with ‘What did Stan just do?’ So I pulled up the video and saw it. By the time I got out of the cold plunge and back in the locker room all the guys on the team knew what was going on.

“It was a little shocking in that it’s not something you see every day, obviously. I think Stan, for whatever reason, just decided to put it all out there. He said in the interview he is not a fan of BS and I can attest to that having played with him for five years. He doesn’t like BS and decided not to BS with the media, I guess.”

It isn’t surprising that the news spread like wildfire through Twitter and text messages. That’s the social world that we live in these days. Still, it’s especially interesting to hear a player outline how a moment like this unfolded for those who were in the gym, only a few feet away, without realizing what was going down.

I doubt we’ll ever see a press conference moment like the one we saw between Van Gundy and Howard. It’s also probable that Redick will be the only Magic player to talk on the record about that moment. While he doesn’t tell us anything crazy and we could all assume things were weird this season, it’s always nice to hear it from someone on the inside.

In the end, the Magic need to sort this situation out. If history is any indication of how this will go, Van Gundy will be out despite his stellar resume. What else can the Magic do? Part with the player they’ve spent the past eight seasons bending over backward for?

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The Los Angeles Clippers are a NBA team, but they’re not acting like one. No problem going on in Los Angeles will be fixed with a new coach, regardless of what kind of mutiny may be building. 

According to Chris Broussard of ESPN The Magazine, talk of a coaching change is already in the works. 

With the Clippers having lost 11 of their past 18 games to turn this once-promising season into a mess, Del Negro’s job security would certainly seem to be in jeopardy. As it is, Del Negro is in the final guaranteed season of his contract. The Clippers hold a team option for next season.

Most of the players, according to sources, believe it’s time for a change. They cite the uncertainty of Del Negro’s rotation as a major problem.

Correct me if I am wrong, but this is a NBA basketball team. It is filled with stars, notably Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, who are two of the best players in the league and their respective positions. All of that is just a nice way of telling the Clippers to suck it up and act like professional athletes. 

I am not here to say that firing Vinny Del Negro would be a bad idea. Frankly, I don’t really have much of an opinion on Del Negro or his style of coaching. 

Should the Clippers and Vinny Del Negro part ways?

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But I can tell you that when you’re dealing with a team of veterans and All-Star caliber players, the coach is not the problem. If they fire Del Negro either before the season ends or in the offseason, the new coach will not have the answers to the problem. 

No, that comes from the on-court leaders, like Paul and Griffin are, or at least are supposed to be. Bringing a new coach may provide a temporary spark, but the problem is ultimately the same thing.

Rotations are going to be a little inconsistent, especially this time of the year and in a season such as this one with a compacted schedule. Teams bound for the playoffs should be mixing things up a little, trying to be sure that the starters remain fresh. 

A team of professional athletes has to be able to make those adjustments and not whine when they come. That’s exactly what the Clippers are doing, though.

If Del Negro is fired, the players are going to have to deal with the same problems this time next season with a new coach. They need to look to themselves if they want to take the next step and become a Western Conference power. 

Los Angeles has problems, but the biggest one is not Vinny Del Negro. 

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Kobe Bryant and the Lakers will be a better team as a result of this past weeks trades.
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Kobe Bryant is arguably the greatest competitor the NBA has seen since Michael Jordan retired. 

As much as Kobe Bryant will miss Derek Fisher, and as much as Bryant is not used to playing without Fisher, Bryant can’t be too upset about the moves the Lakers made at the trade deadline.

That’s because Kobe Bryant enters each season with one goal. To win an NBA Championship. The moves that the Lakers made at the trade deadline were not made to ensure that Kobe Bryant has a team made up of his closest friends.

The moves were made to ensure that Kobe Bryant has a team constructed to make the best possible run at a ring this June.

That means long-time teammates such as Derek Fisher and Luke Walton are both gone. It also means that talented and athletic Ramon Sessions is now in Los Angeles to give a needed boost in talent at the point guard position. It also means that Jordan Hill is now wearing purple and gold in an effort to provide the two Lakers’ big men a needed backup

Sure there are things about the trades that Kobe doesn’t like, but not many things in life are totally black-and-white. 

On a whole, if Kobe could return things to the way they were in Los Angeles pre-trade, he would be unlikely to do so. Bryant understands the nature of the business and he understands that from a raw talent standpoint, the Lakers are better post-trade deadline than they were pre-trade deadline. 

It’s important to remember just how long Kobe Bryant has been in the NBA. He was a rookie in the 1996-1997 season. That means he’s lost teammates that he loved and some he didn’t love, but more than anything else, he understands that the important interpersonal relationships forged while teammates, won’t be negated by an individuals change in address.

Bryant and Fisher have plenty of memories from a long time as teammates.
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“I don’t get that sentimental about it,” Bryant said. “I texted him (Thursday) and we kind of had a laugh about it because he knows how I am. We just talked about the good times and what a fun time it was to go to battle together and things like that, but that’s about as sentimental as I’m going to get.”- ESPN Los Angeles 3/17/12

The changes are, of course, very recent. The final verdict on these trades won’t be able to be properly evaluated until this season and even next season have played out. There’s no question that Bryant is not jumping for joy over Fisher’s departure. 

“Very difficult,” Bryant said. “I’m not used to it because I’ve been with him my entire career, aside from that little stint that he had away from us. So, it’s very different for me. It’s pretty weird.” -Hoopsvibe 3/18/12

“Weird” and “difficult” aren’t indictments of the trade. They’re merely candid personal assessments of how Kobe feels about being without the presence of Derek Fisher on his team after 13 seasons and five NBA titles together. 

That doesn’t mean he’s not happy about bringing Ramon Sessions aboard either. 

“Extremely fast, extremely crafty and just in the conversations that I had with him out on the floor about execution and things like that, he seems to have a really high basketball IQ,” – Kobe Bryant ESPN Los Angeles 3/17/12

For Kobe Bryant, NBA basketball is ultimately about winning championships. The trades of this past week give the Lakers a better chance to do that this season and next. While that’s not the only thing that matters, it’s the most important. And for Kobe Bryant, another NBA title would insure that the trades made in the past week are accompanied by good and not bad memories. 

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Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant squared off yesterday at Staples Center.
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The Boston Celtics are coming off a tough loss to their longtime rival Los Angeles Lakers. Following the Sunday matinee at Staples Center, another NBA basketball game was played. This one between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors.

The Clippers are in the midst of a very good season, but yesterday was a tough home loss, in which the team fell behind then battled back only to lose by a score of 97-93. 

Tonight, the Celtics and Clippers both retake the floor of the Staples Center in search of a win. 

12:00 AM ET

Blake Griffin leads all scorers with 15 points in the first half.
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At The Half: Clippers 49 Celtics 39.

The Celtics shot 50 percent in the first half but their first quarter rebounding advantage evaporated and with it the lead they once had did as well. 

With 7:56 left in the first half the Celtics had a 12-10 rebounding advantage and a 29-27 lead. From that point on the Clippers out scored the Celtics 21-10 and out-rebounded the Celtics 13-2. For the Celtics the story of this game and really one of the stories of the whole season is rebounding.

The Celtics don’t rebound the ball well and that makes it nearly impossible to win games consistently. To win without decent rebounding numbers the Celtics have to hit lots of open jump shots and force lots of turnovers.

Those are the types of things that young players with young legs can do consistently but for an aging Celtics team playing a lockout shortened schedule it’s a toxic mix that’s changed a former title winning team into a barely above .500 one.  

11:50 PM ET

Mo Williams was big in the first half with 14 points off the bench.
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Clippers 48 Celtics 39: Halftime. 

The Celtics have finally begun to show the fatigue that was anticipated. The Clippers were able to makea 15-2 run punctuated by a half-court alley-oop from Mo Williams to Blake Griffin.

The Clippers extended the lead to as much as 10 points before a pair of Garnett jumpers stopped the bleeding.

The Celtics finally missed too many shots and allowed one too many defensive rebounds to the Clippers. Holding the Clippers to only five fast break points in a half is great but if you’re still losing by nine that’s not a good sign.  

11:40 PM ET

Clippers 35 Celtics 33. 3:40 left in 2nd Quarter. 

The Clippers have superior athleticism at nearly every position but with the pace of the game reduced to a crawl they’ve have a hard time taking advantage of it. 

One way the Clippers have been able to take advantage of their athletic advantage is by drawing fouls on the Celtics. Both Paul Pierce and Brandon Bass have three fouls each. 

In spite of the pace not favoring the Clippers they’ve played good enough defense and hit enough outside shots to take a lead. 

11:32 PM ET

DeAndre Jordan has two points and five rebounds.
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Celtics 30 Clippers 30. 6:03 left in 2nd Quarter. 

The game has slowed down considerably. A pair of defensive three second calls resulted in both teams shooting free throws. 

Keep in mind that both teams played games yesterday and may be fatigued. The Celtics who are an older team as well as the road team could be impacted by that to a greater degree but the slowing down of the game and increased free throws also works in the Celtics favor. 

11:22 PM ET

Blake Griffin has scored seven points but has none of his signature dunks.
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Celtics 29 Clippers 27. 7:56 left in 2nd Quarter. 

We know the Celtics need to keep the Clippers from getting fast break baskets in this game but how does a team do that? 

The key to controlling tempo is rebounding. If you’re consistently getting beat on the boards then at some point an outlet pass or a long rebound is going to result in a fast break basket. The Celtics are one of the league’s worst rebounding teams but so far tonight they’re winning the battle of the boards 12-10. How many fast break points do the Clippers have? Zero. 

11:15 PM ET

Brandon Bass scored six points in the first quarter.
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Celtics 25 Clippers 21. End of 1st Quarter. 

The Celtics received a real nice boost off the bench from Avery Bradley. The second year backup point guard who is known as a real tough defender scored six points in just three minutes of playing time.

Boston outplayed the Clippers by almost every measurable statistic and if the game continues at the same pace and with similar performances then the Celtics should end up in good shape.

11:07 PM ET

Celtics 19 Clippers 16. 2:45 left in 1st Quarter

So far Boston has been able to play this game the way they wanted to. The Clippers have no fast break points and have committed four turnovers. In spite of that the score is still close.

Los Angeles has hit the open shots that Boston has given them. The Celtics are also shooting the ball well at 8 of 14 from the field. 

It’s been physical as well with Greg Steimsma and Blake Griffin getting hit with double technicals after some pushing and jawing back-and-forth. 

10:58 PM ET

Rajon Rondo got his 800th career steal early in the first quarter.
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Celtics 13 Clippers 13. 5:32 left in 1st Quarter

The Celtics are shooting the ball fairly well but continue to lack an assertiveness on offense. Boston is prone to standing on the perimeter waiting for open looks. If they’re not hitting their shots they don’t score and positioning everyone on the perimeter makes offensive rebounds very hard to come by. 

The Clippers haven’t been able to get any easy baskets yet but they’ve taken advantage of what the Celtics stingy defense has given them. Blake Griffin has knocked down some mid-range open jump shots and the Clippers as a whole are shooting the ball at an impressive 54.5% clip. 

10:48 PM ET

Blake Griffin’s dunks are a highlight of any Clipper game.
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Yesterday the Celtics squared off against the best rebounding team in the NBA. 

Tonight the Celtics face one of the best scoring teams in the league. The Clippers are fifth in the league in scoring at 98.2 points per game. The Celtics are 26th in scoring at 90.9 per game. This won’t be an easy win but it’s a better matchup for Boston. 

The Clippers generate a lot of points off of easy baskets. The team is known as “lob city” after the spectacular alley-oop dunks that have become the team’s calling card. Boston with it’s stingy defense won’t allow as many easy baskets as the Clippers are used to getting. 

Look for Boston to control the tempo and play deliberate offense while the Clippers will try and change the game into one that moves at a faster pace. 

10:15 PM ET

New acquisition Chris Paul has led a Clipper resurgence in Los Angeles this season.
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It’s a big matchup between Boston and Los Angeles but the Lakers aren’t playing in this game. 

The Los Angeles Clippers have become a pretty serious attraction in their own right this season. The team features the reigning NBA Rookie of The Year. The high flying Blake Griffin. The team made a big trade right before the season started and added point guard Chris Paul to the mix. Paul’s brilliant passing ability and Griffin’s penchant for rim rattling slam dunks have made the Clippers one of the league’s top attractions. 

The Celtics meanwhile are playing the second game of an eight game road trip and will try to rebound from their rough loss on the same court yesterday afternoon. 

Starting Lineups.

Los Angeles Clippers.

PG: Chris Paul

SG: Randy Foye

SF: Caron Butler

PF: Blake Griffin

C: DeAndre Jordan

Boston Celtics.

PG: Rajon Rondo

SG: Ray Allen

SF: Paul Pierce

PF: Brandon Bass

C: Kevin Garnett

Tip off is in 15 minutes.  

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Jeremy Lin: An intrepid floor general who has buoyed his mates.
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From the precipice to glory.

That is the theme of Jeremy Lin’s incredible NBA run so far.

But to offer a descriptive and apt Linism: This isn’t Linsynching, the New York Knicks revelation at point guard is for real.

When they bend the language for you—as has been done aplenty for the balling Harvard grad—you know you’re good.

But aside from the issue of linguistic love, old NBA watchers—and the millions of new professional round-ball onlookers Lin is magnetizing—value Lin because he is showing that he understands how to play basketball, how to make a team flow well on the court.

Which brings us to the importance of Linsanity to date. The legacy he is building is a refined dualistic basketball treat.

First, the tangible:

As a “point guard,” he can score—and right now with the best in the league.

Despite a certain flash and flamboyance to his game, he still makes other players better (he’s made Steve Novak a nearly 20-point scorer,  for goodness sakes). To wit: The Knicks have won five games in a row since his insertion.

He gets to the basket, which even reigning NBA stars are reluctant to try on a regular basis.

He can play system basketball, but he freelances wisely and in context.

Second, the intangible:

He is inspirational. He has even inspired the injured Knicks super-scorer Carmelo Anthony.

He is fearless. His heart is very big on the court versus any opponent.

He exhibits a consistent selflessness, putting his teammates above individual plaudits, in words and deeds.

Jeremy Lin has expunged practically all of the glaring Knicks flaws and foibles so readily apparent heretofore.

There was the pessimism. Gone.

There was the inability to score inside. Gone.

There was the team stagnation on offense. Gone.

There was the surrender in close games. Gone.

There was the misuse of Tyson Chandler. Gone.

And so on.

One could name a zillion Knicks deficiencies, now wondrously wiped away because of the exuberance and effectiveness of Lin.

Madison Square Garden has not been so alive since Latrell Sprewell brought his esprit to it in the late 1990s-early 2000s.

Further, Mr. Lin has made NBA basketball in general more fun than it has been in ages.

What’s more enjoyable: Observing Kobe, Carmelo or LeBron hold the ball for 12 seconds in a hit-or-miss isolation, or watching Jeremy Lin in motion, guilely eluding defenders for a lay-in.

Many millions of fans and a slew of aficionados would prefer the above-referenced aspect of the “Linnomenon,” than the tired one-on-one moves exhibited by more heralded NBA superstars.

The usual suspect pundits and commentators are asking, “Can he keep it up?” They miss the point.

The whole of the Jeremy Lin experience is about perseverance and endlessness. It’s about what he has given us so far, and what he’s willing to do to prove his point.

Their question is thus rhetorical in Lin’s favor.

Lin never gave up believing in himself—not in the onerous D-league, not in the January days before he was surely going to be cut by the short-sighted Knicks, not when he was recruited by virtually no one but Harvard University upon entrance to college.

Lin’s disposition says to us, “it’s not about Asian (his heritage); it’s about attitude.” An unmistakable Lin lesson.

The New York Knicks, since their regalement days of yore, have the trait of ruining a good thing.

However, even they can’t ruin Lin. He has too much will and passion for the game of basketball, a game which he plays so well.

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The Detroit Pistons lost their seventh game in a row to the New Jersey Nets Wednesday night, 99-96. While a loss is a loss in the NBA, the Pistons’ post-game chatter was a bit more positive after this one. They were actually in this game. Brandon Knight, the Piston’s rookie point guard, had a chance to tie it up when he got a great look at a three-pointer at the buzzer.

Unfortunately, the shot rimmed out. 

This was a good time to talk about silver linings though. Teams must do that when they’re in the midst of a dismal season like Detroit is.

Lawrence Frank, their new coach, pointed out that there were times the Piston’s could have “gone south” but instead fought back. Veteran, and lone championship holdover, Tayshaun Prince talked about how it felt good to be close in the fourth quarter for a change.

The Piston’s need to find positivity wherever they can. If not, a young team like this one might find it hard to be motivated every night.

One thing the team, and it’s fans, can stay positive about is the development of Brandon Knight. He’s been overshadowed—with good reason—by Ricky Rubio and Kyrie Irving this year, but the Pistons have to be happy with his development.

When you think about it, the Pistons’ woes might actually be beneficial for Knight; although he’d never admit it. He’d rather be winning games, I’m sure.

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For a 20-year old guy whose won everywhere he’s been, and is now being asked to command an NBA offense from day one, perhaps it’s good that the losing happens now.

No Pressure

When Knight joined the Pistons, they were already knee-deep in transition. A new owner and a new coaching staff were moving in, and several key members of the team were moving out. Despite some fans’ disbelief, the rebuilding process had begun.

For Knight, this means no pressure to win now. Sure, the Pistons want to win. Professional athletes need something to motivate them to go to work everyday. But it’s not like Knight was joining the Dallas Mavericks or Miami Heat.

Joining a championship-caliber team would probably sound great to Knight at this moment, but it would bring a whole new set of issues. He wouldn’t start or play nearly as much. If he did start, there would be tremendous pressure on him to play flawlessly and not be the one who derailed his team’s hopes of an NBA championship. 

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Not to mention the difficulty a rookie point guard might have flourishing in the giant shadow of megastars like Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony or Kobe Bryant.

Compared to situations like these, Knight has very little pressure to cope with. He’s free to focus his energies in other directions….

….Like Getting Better

Without the pressure to win from day-one, Knight has the benefit of taking his time. I’m sure watching Rubio and Irving get all the attention really stokes his competitive fire, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s meaningless.

Knight is learning the game of NBA basketball—a completely different game than the NCAA version—from a different perspective than other rookies.

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He can make mistakes, and learn from them, without having to worry about it being a disaster. He’s able to take last-second shots and not feel like the world is going to end because he missed. He’s learning to lead a team during the most difficult time for an athlete—losing.

In other words, he’s able to focus on what he needs to do to get better, rather than what he needs to do to win a game. That will come with time.

Losing 101

There is something to be said for learning how to lose. It’s a hard lesson to learn, especially for a young player; but it’s extremely useful.

We’ve seen it destroy athletes so that they never reach their full potential, and we’ve seen it turn athletes into crybabies who demand one-way tickets out of town.

Knight will survive this losing season. In doing so, he will learn what it takes to win, much like Isiah Thomas and the pre-Bad Boy Pistons. Before Thomas and company were winning championships, they lost a lot of games. They had to learn what it took to beat teams like the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers.

Not just during the regular season either. Winning in the playoffs is a whole other lesson.

Once they learned those lessons, they were a force to be reckoned with.

This isn’t the way all NBA franchises do things. Some teams can buy championships. They sign the best players available each year, then fill in pieces to keep them in contention.

The Pistons couldn’t do this if they wanted to. There are no marquee free agents beating down Joe Dumars’ door to sign. It’s just the hand Detroit’s been dealt.

So Dumars and the Pistons do it the old-fashioned way. Rebuild through the draft and develop winners. No instant gratification here. It’s a slow process, but it works. Dumars should know. He has history on his side.

Let’s hope history repeats itself with Knight and this Pistons bunch.

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At the start of every season, there’s always a blueprint to making the NBA playoffs.

Give the ball to Derrick Rose; don’t get monstered on by Blake Griffin.

Obviously some plans are a little more complicated than others, but every team, despite the realistic chances, has a blueprint to making the playoffs.

And yet despite sometimes simple and sometimes complicated blueprints, underlying each plan is the basic notion that winning home games makes you a playoff team.

Winning home games makes you a playoff team.

It sounds so simple and so basic, yet the numbers all point to it proving to be true. In the past few seasons, the sides that have dominated at home have been playoff contenders—even when they’re probably not the greatest sides in the league.

2009-10 Regular Season

In the 2009-10 regular season, the Atlanta Hawks finished with the number three seed heading in to the playoffs, despite having a 19-22 record on the road. Milwaukee finished with the number six seed after going 18-23 on the road; Charlotte the seventh seed after going 13-28 on the road.

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

All that was possible because because of their impressive home records. The Hawks were 34-7 at home, the Bucks 28-13 and the Bobcats 31-10.

A similar story happened in the Western Conference. Both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns finished with the first and third rankings respectively, despite having average road records. The Lakers were 23-18 on the road, and the Suns were 22-19.

You guessed it though, as the Lakers went 34-7 at home, and the Suns notched a 32-9 record.

2010-11 Regular Season

Again, home court prevailed in the 2010-11 season, as the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics secured the first and third seeds in the East while only going 26-15 and 23-18 respectively on the road. Both sides lost less than ten games at home all year though.

Adding to that mix, seeds five through eight all progressed through to the playoffs, despite putting up losing road records. The Philadelphia 76ers recorded a 15-26 record on the road and the Indiana Pacers went 13-28, showing the significance that a home record plays.

The West for 2010-11 also showcased the necessity to win home games to make the playoffs.

Denver Nuggets, fifth seed, 17-24 on the road, 33-8 at home.

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Portland Trailblazers, sixth seed, 18-23 on the road, 30-11 at home.

The Hornets, seventh seed, 18-23 on the road, 28-13 at home.

Memphis Grizzlies, eighth seed, 16-25 on the road, 30-11 at home.

All sides that wouldn’t have made the playoffs if not for their outstanding home records.

2011-12 Regular Season

And despite the season only being a month old and the contenders only just beginning to separate themselves out from the pretenders, we can see again the importance that a dominant home court has towards making a playoff appearance.

Currently, no divisional leader has dropped more than two games at home, and three of them have only dropped a single game at home, despite the fact that three of them have poor road records.

The 12-6 Philadelphia are 4-4 on the road, but 8-2 at home. The same goes for the LA Clippers who are 1-4 on the road, but are 8-2 at home and lead this division as a result. Look also at the San Antonio Spurs, who are 2-6 away from home but 10-1 at home.

All teams with playoff aspirations and all teams that will most likely be there come playoff time, yet have losing records.

It’s not magic, it’s not anything spectacular; it’s simply the truth that winning home games gets you in to the playoffs. And if the sides that are solid on the road, and have solid records could start to win a few more tight home games, they too will be making a genuine playoff threat.

It’s not the most complicated blueprint, but it is one that’s working.

And when it comes to playoffs, that’s all teams ever want it do.

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I entered this lockout-shortened NBA season with lower expectations than usual for my team, the Golden State Warriors.

This is not because I didn’t believe that Kwame Brown and Brandon Rush were nice acquisitions, that Stephen Curry and Ekpe Udoh wouldn’t continue to develop or even that Mark Jackson and Mike Malone weren’t an improvement at the helm.

The sole reason I was down on the Warriors prior to this season was simple: I am no fool, or at least, I try to avoid being fooled repetitively.

Four offseasons ago, I convinced myself that Corey Maggette and Ronny Turiaf would make the loss of Baron Davis forgettable. The Warriors ended the season with 29 wins, and with C.J. Watson as their starting PG.

I convinced myself the next year that a young nucleus of Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins, Stephen Curry, Anthony Randolph, Brandon Wright, Anthony Morrow, C.J. Watson, Ronny Turiaf and Kelenna Azubuike was going to shock the league. A combined 341 games lost to injury between those nine guys had the team go 26-56.

Last season, I convinced myself that Kieth Smart would motivate the team, that David Lee would provide a post presence that had been missing for ages and that better luck health wise would make Golden State a force. More injuries, more subpar coaching and less defense ensued, and the Warriors finished 36-46, the boost in wins likely coming due to David Lee.

Another new coach, maturing youngsters, a couple nice additions; I wasn’t falling for it this year.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

I predicted the Warriors to finish 10th in the West. I still attended opening night excited as always, ready to watch my favorite team play the beautiful, exciting game that is live NBA basketball in front of the best crowd in the NBA.

The game was one I had seen before. The Warriors hung in there with the Clippers through three quarters, but cold shooting and careless turnovers led to a short-circuiting offense late, while Chris Paul came down the court on three straight possessions to push the Clippers lead from seven to 13. The Warriors went on to lose 105-86.

Pretty much what I expected. After all, I predicted L.A. to finish second out West this year and eventually represent the conference in the NBA Finals.

With the team I picked to win it all this year (Chicago) coming to town the next night, and the team I picked to meet Chicago in the East Finals (New York) coming two nights after that, I said “if we win one of these first three games, it’ll be pretty amazing.”

The next night, the Warriors came out of the gate much hotter. They shot over 50 percent from the field in the first half while forcing Chicago into double-digit turnovers. Curry and Ellis combined for 32 points at halftime, and the Warriors were up by 16. 

Ellis and Curry inevitably cooled off shooting-wise in the second half, but David Lee and Dorell Wright picked up the scoring slack. The Bulls slowed the pace of the game to their preferred half-court tempo, limited their turnovers, turned up the defensive intensity and scored 50 points (30 in the fourth quarter), but the Warriors picked up enough buckets and got enough stops to stave off a Chicago comeback.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

The Warriors had won one of their daunting three-game opening slate, and I was satisfied. The Bulls were a team Golden State dismantled at Oracle last year as well, and the Dubs were due a good shooting game after opening night. Even though Stephen Curry landed badly on his already-injured right ankle midway through the fourth quarter, the Warriors had picked up a nice win.

In my opinion, Carmelo Anthony is the NBA’s baddest man offensively, and Amar’e Stoudemire isn’t far behind. With Tyson Chandler in the middle, the 2011-12 New York Knicks front line should give every team a hard time, but the Warriors, who thrive (when they do thrive that is) in spite of their undersized frontcourt and lack of inside scoring ability, looked doomed. With Steph Curry ruled out, this game looked like a throwaway.

At least they beat Chicago, the one win that I had dreamed of three days earlier. I headed to my second Warriors game of the season, expecting nothing more than to watch some great players play great. Which wouldn’t be too bad.

To say that the Warriors offense suffered in the first half of this game would be an understatement.

With backup PG Ish Smith running the offense half the time, the Warriors had trouble creating open looks for shooters. When Monta Ellis ran the offense, the Knicks took away the paint, and forced him to either shoot or find another perimeter shooter.

What do you make of the Warriors’ 2-1 start against three great teams?

Lucky Great play from starters Deeper bench Better coaching staff/new culture Other (please specify in comments) Submit Vote vote to see results

What do you make of the Warriors’ 2-1 start against three great teams?

Lucky

0%

Great play from starters

0%

Deeper bench

0%

Better coaching staff/new culture

0%

Other (please specify in comments)

0%

Total votes: 0

Monta went 4-of-15, and wings Dorell Wright and Klay Thompson allowed early misses and the lack of an ability to drive to stop them from shooting altogether. New York went into the half up 43-37.

Wait, no Steph Curry, six field goals from Monta and David Lee combined, no threes from any perimeter shooters, and the Warriors were only down by six?

Credit a smart, gritty defensive effort. The Warriors would swarm Stoudemire and Anthony when they got the ball, but rotate perfectly to prevent them from finding open shooters. This led to both of them forcing bad shots, and going 4-of-14 combined.

In the past, a cold Warriors offense and a high-powered forward duo like Carmelo and Amar’e would equal disaster. But the Warriors’ defensive intensity kept them within striking distance, and continued defensive pressure in the third quarter combined with 12 points from Brandon Rush had the Warriors and Knicks tied at 64 all. 

The fourth quarter may have been the best quarter of basketball the Warriors have played since their 48-win season in 2007-08. Not because they outscored a great team by 14 points when it mattered most, but because of how they did it.

With Tyson Chandler sitting due to foul trouble, Mark Jackson made a simple enough adjustment: let Monta Ellis attack the lane. Ellis would continuously drive around helpless perimeter defenders.

Rush stripping Carmelo
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

In the first three quarters, Chandler would appear in his way, and force a missed shot or a bad pass. Without Chandler on the floor, Ellis could either finish at the rim, or if Amar’e rotated, flip the ball across the lane to David Lee for the easy finish.

Defensively, the Warriors only cranked up the intensity. Double teams continued to frustrate Amar’e, while Dominic McGuire did a fabulous job keeping Carmelo Anthony out of the lane. With the Warrior bigs occupied with stopping those two, Dorell Wright and Brandon Rush became the go-to rebounders, and completely dominated the glass.

The Knicks were held to four points through the first 5:35 of the fourth, and Golden State was up 10. However, when Amar’e Stoudemire hit a turnaround jumper to cut the lead to eight and then made a brilliant defensive play, overplaying for a steal and throwing the ball off David Lee’s leg, it looked as though New York was ready to come back.

But another outside miss from Carmelo came on the ensuing possession, and Dorell Wright promptly hit his first three-pointer of the night. Melo missed a three the next time down, and Monta Ellis hit one of his own on the other end.

Just like that, the Warriors were up 14 points, and they coasted to a 92-78 victory. I left this game feeling a little differently about this team than last time.

Threes on back-to-back possessions are not a rarity in Golden State. Steven Jackson, Al Harrington, Jason Richardson, Baron Davis, Mikael Pietrus, Anthony Morrow, Stephen Curry, etc. have spoiled us fans in that regard.

What was the most impressive part of GS’s win over NYK?

Doing it without Steph Curry Shutting down Carmelo and Amar’e Great bench play from Rush, Brown, Udoh and McGuire Winning a defensive struggle rather than a shootout Other (please specify in comments) Submit Vote vote to see results

What was the most impressive part of GS’s win over NYK?

Doing it without Steph Curry

0%

Shutting down Carmelo and Amar’e

0%

Great bench play from Rush, Brown, Udoh and McGuire

0%

Winning a defensive struggle rather than a shootout

0%

Other (please specify in comments)

0%

Total votes: 0

But in years past, back-to-back fourth quarter threes would come in response to back-to-back threes on the other end. Maybe they would come with a three-point play on the other end in between, followed by a couple easy layups and put-backs. Either way, they would be one small chapter of a 122-118 loss. Or maybe win, that isn’t the point.

The point is that when the Warriors hold a team to 70 points through 42 minutes, even if they themselves have been held to 78, two threes are daggers. Not only does an eight point lead nearly double, but a 14-point deficit is much more daunting to an opponent that has not gotten any easy buckets all night.

The Warriors shooters will inevitably be cold sometimes. In the past, the team would have been out of the game by the time Dorell and Monta finally got those threes to go. But defense allowed the team to remain in the game through their rough shooting, and nine out of 10 nights, Dorell and Monta are going to hit one sooner or later. 

The Chicago game showed us how this team can win when things are going their way. The New York game showed us how they can win when things are not.

If this effort on the boards, matchup exploitation on offense, and most of all, commitment to team defense is something to get used to under Mark Jackson and Mike Malone, then winning may follow suit.

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If there’s anything David Stern should learn from the excitement surrounding Sunday’s Christmas debut, it’s that the NBA is better off starting later and playing fewer games per season.

Opening Presents (and Seasons) on Christmas Day

Christmas Day has long been the unofficial start of the season, at least for the casual fans who the league is constantly trying to court. Diehard hoops heads will tune in whenever and wherever the NBA tips off its season.

It’s the day the NBA rolls out its most thrilling slate of matchups, this year in a back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back format across three different TV networks. Nearly every one of the league’s superstars—including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard—will be on full, glorious display for all the world to see.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

And if a slate like that could generate this sort of buzz after a prolonged lockout, just imagine the sort of excitement that would come from a Christmas Day start as part of the normal schedule. 

As far as major professional sports leagues are concerned, the NBA practically owns Christmas and always has. Heck, even the NFL, which normally controls Sundays in the fall and winter with an iron fist, knew better than to mess with the NBA on Christmas this year, choosing instead to schedule the bulk of its games on Christmas Eve and leave only the Sunday night and Monday night games intact.

The NBA, then, should maximize the opportunity that comes with having what amounts to a captive audience and meld its two biggest days of the early season into one fan-trapping basketball bonanza.

Less is More

And while they’re at it, the folks at the league office should consider another logical extension from all of this madness—shortening the season.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

I know, I know, playing fewer than 82 games is blasphemous and that’s what the NBA schedule has always been like and blah blah blah.

But let’s be real here, folks. Again, those who eat, breathe and sleep NBA basketball will watch any number of games put out there.

Unfortunately, most of the league’s fans aren’t even half as enthusiastic as those who keep a tab open with the NBA League Pass and comb through box scores in search of fantasy gems.

Rather, the bulk of the league’s target audience doesn’t give two hoots about most of November and December, tune in a bit on Christmas and start paying attention again once the playoffs roll around.

From a purely business perspective, creating scarcity by paring down the schedule to, say, 70 or 72 games would make each game at least a bit more meaningful for those fans willing and able to open up their pocketbooks for tickets.

Especially since fewer games would likely result in greater quality of play during the season. Of course, fans are bound to see some terrible basketball this season with teams playing back-to-back-to-backs and seven games in 10 days after having had but two weeks of a preseason to prepare for a 66-game schedule.

Which potential change would be better for the NBA?

Opening Day on Christmas every year A shorter schedule Submit Vote vote to see results

Which potential change would be better for the NBA?

Opening Day on Christmas every year

66.7%

A shorter schedule

33.3%

Total votes: 3

All the league would need to do in the future, though, is tack on an extra few weeks across which to space out the existing games. Playing three games in four nights or four games in five nights, as was always the case before, was never conducive to a product that was crisp and fun to watch. Rather, the logistics of the schedule would too often get in the way of good basketball, forcing teams to play sloppy basketball on tired legs while wearing down the longevity of the league’s biggest stars.

Fewer games and more rest, then, would allow the players to give it their all every time out rather than having to conserve their energy, for fear of hitting a wall too soon.

And if the prospect of losing a balanced schedule is scary, it shouldn’t be. Even the 82-game schedule hasn’t prevented the demise of the four-game series between teams in the same conference, with some having to revert to three games against one another.

All told, if the NBA really wants to give fans of every ilk something to get excited about on Christmas Day, it should consider starting later and playing fewer games.

Follow @J0shMart1n

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Dwight Howard and Deron Williams would bring the New Jersey Nets back to the NBA Finals and win the franchise’s first championship.

Howard has requested a trade to the Nets and the Orlando Magic must trade him to avoid getting nothing in return for him when Howard can become a free agent next summer.

The Nets can offer three first round picks, which is quite valuable with a very deep 2012 draft class, as well as young, promising center Brook Lopez.

Would Howard and D-Will win a title with Nets?

Yes No Submit Vote vote to see results

Would Howard and D-Will win a title with Nets?

Yes

55.3%

No

44.7%

Total votes: 47

With Howard, Williams would finally have a dominating big man who will help the Nets at both ends of the floor. Howard is the three-time defending defensive player of the year, and would really solidify the interior defense of the Nets.

One of the reasons the Nets were not able to beat the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs in the 2002 and 2003 NBA Finals, respectively, was because they were far inferior at the center position to their opponent.

In an era of NBA basketball where there are so few dominating centers, having Howard would give the Nets a tremendous advantage over every team.

Howard effects the game in many more ways than his own individual play. Due to the fact he’s such a difficult player to defend in the paint, defenses are hesitant to leave him to close down shooters positioned at the three-point line.

Nets shooters like Jordan Farmar, Marshon Brooks, Anthony Morrow and even Williams will have many more open shots on the perimeter because Howard will prevent teams from leaving him one-on-one in the paint so they can defend the shooters.

In acquiring Howard, the Nets are also willing to take Hedo Turkoglu from the Magic and his massive salary-cap burdening contract that has three years and $34 million left on it.

Are the Nets the best trade partner for Orlando?

Yes No Submit Vote vote to see results

Are the Nets the best trade partner for Orlando?

Yes

55.0%

No

45.0%

Total votes: 40

Turkoglu would be a valuable part of the Nets’ roster despite his large contract. His experience with Howard would help the team, and his outside shooting will help stretch the floor and allow Howard one-on-one matchups at the basket. He also is a quality ball-handler for a small forward.

Williams and Howard would be the perfect PG/C combo because they each are supremely talented and have a desire to win. Both have been on multiple playoff teams and have gotten close to winning a title, but neither has won a championship.

With Howard and Williams leading the team into the future, the Nets would have an elite top player at the two most important positions in basketball, and the duo would lead them back to the Finals where they would finish the job.

Nicholas Goss is an NBA Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report.

Follow @NicholasGoss35

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