A GOOD WEEK FOR...
02/16/2009

With the interruption of the All-Star Weekend proceedings, this week in the NBA was cut down to a half-week - with just 28 games being played in total. What this means is that some of the league's poorer teams got the chance to go undefeated and receive a mention. For that reason the performances of those teams in the playoff seeds will be disregarded this week, in favour of a look at those who have struggled this season.

For the large part this season has been one to forget for the Toronto Raptors. Having acquired Jermaine O'Neal in the off-season, they believed that they were building a front-court tandem with him and their star Chris Bosh. Unfortunately for the Canadian based franchise, the move simply reinforced the notion that O'Neal's best days are long behind him. With that they traded him on Wednesday to the Miami Heat for Shawn Marion amongst other things, receiving another player who appears to have gone past his peak - although this could be due more to desire than anything else. Despite their struggles the Raptors managed two wins from their two games this week, with an eight-point victory over the Al Jefferson-less Timberwolves and an impressive two-point win at home to the Spurs. To accompany this mini-streak, the change in personnel will allow for greater court time for Italian Andrea Bargnani who has progressed greatly in recent months, with him starting at center in O'Neal's absence. Whether Marion will aid the team will be down to him, but if he comes ready to play then the trade could be an absolute steal for the Raptors and not just in a cap space sense.

The start that the Golden State Warriors have had to the season was to be expected - although it could be argued that they may have racked up more wins than their 19-35 record shows. Having had their star guard Monta Ellis suspended for the season's first 30 games for a violation of contract terms, rookie free-agent signing Anthony Morrow stepped in to provide the Warriors with some high-scoring games, but his overall play has lacked the consistency the team needs. This week they beat Portland by seven and in their win over the Knicks racked up 144 points. They gave up 127 in the process, but a 41 point first quarter shows that they are beginning to change the way they start games. If they continue to feed off the play of Stephen Jackson, complimented by Ellis' return, the second half of the season should be a much more enjoyable one for their fans.

Rounding out this section are the Charlotte Bobcats, who were the last of the non-playoff teams to post a 2-0 record for the week. The Bobcats have struggled for consistency and continuity this season with frequent changes in personnel and injuries suffered by key players. However, the All-Star break has given an opportunity for rest and come the first game back they hope to have Gerald Wallace and Raja Bell in their lineup. This week they managed victories against some of their fellow strugglers as they beat the Clippers and Wizards in two home games. With fourth-year center Emeka Okafor as solid as ever, the Bobcats will be looking to improve their fortunes through the season's later stages.

In keeping with the theme of this week's article, the players' section will look at those who do not regularly receive notice around the league. Newly crowned Slam Dunk Contest winner Nate Robinson had a great couple of games for the Knicks averaging 31.5ppg, 7.5rpg, 9apg and 3spg. As ever Nate's problem is consistency and for him to have back-to-back games with such high numbers should have been an indicator that he would provide something special at the weekend.

The Lakers' Lamar Odom was pivotal in their recent wins over the Cavaliers and Celtics and has continued to go about his business quietly this past week. The talented swingman averaged 15.5ppg, 18.5rpg, 1apg, 1.5spg and 1.5bpg in two games against the Thunder and Jazz.

Milwaukee's second-year point-guard Ramon Sessions managed 15 points, 7 rebounds and 17 assists in the game against the Pacers - a follow up to his 26 points performance in a win over the Rockets. The former Nevada player's stats this year have seen a shift towards a greater number of points at the expense of assists and with the absence of star Michael Redd, this trend looks set to continue.

The final name to be mentioned in the section is that of Tim Duncan who goes somewhat against the article's purpose, but again this week he showed his all-round talents and these should not go unnoticed. The Big Fundamental averaged 23.5ppg, 11rpg, 7.5apg and 2.5bpg in a week that saw the Spurs win one and lose one. Duncan is often overlooked in favour of those players in the league who provide flashy highlight reels (see his absence from the All-Star Game), so he's right at home in this underappreciated piece.

By Mark Pearl