HOOPSAHOLIC

Sorry for the awful delay between posts, but Mr. Hoopsaholic himself has been on vacation over the last two weeks, and now I'm back in the saddle to talk about some NBA action. Many things have gone down in the NBA world, and I couldn't wait to finally get my thoughts written down. 

When I was first made aware that this trade was most likely going to go down, my first thought was about the Western Conference as a whole. Mark Cuban pulled the trigger to bring in the biggest trade bait on the market to Dallas and turn the Mavericks into an immediate contender, while stacking up the West even more. The one weak spot on the already stellar Mavericks team was the point guard play. The addition of Rondo brings substantial improvement to that position and brings in a guy who knows how to win from his time in Boston with KG, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. The Mavericks have an electric pick and roll offense that can score at a high clip with Tyson Chandler rolling to the basket or Dirk simply picking and popping to a spot on the court where the German big man is most efficient. Rondo is a guy who can set his teammates up in positions to excell and after a couple of months in Dallas we'll begin to see just that. The Mavs are currently riding a five game win streak which featured a win over Rondo's old team the Celtics. Rondo scored a season high 29 points in the game and showed flashes of being the elite defensive stopper that he's known for. The West will be brutal, but the acquisition of Rondo turned the Mavs to a fringe playoff team into an immediate contender. 

It was no secret that Josh Smith wasn't the best "team player" that the NBA had to offer, but when the Pistons decided to drop him like he was infected, it's definitely safe to say I was surprised. It was only last off season that the Pistons chased Smith hard in free agency, and thought he would be a piece that helped turn the franchise around. It turns out that when you put two shot-first players such as Smith and Brandon Jennings on a team, more times than not, it won't work out. Smith was only available for a short time before the Rockets scooped up the power forward, and many people linked that to the friendship that Smith and Rockets big man Dwight Howard have. Since Smith has joined the Rockets six games ago, he's averaging 15 points to go with 7.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in 25 minutes of action. Smith has improved in every category from his start to the season with the Pistons even though he averaged seven minutes more per game in Detroit. Despite Smith's personal success, the Rockets are only 3-3 since he joined the team so it'll be interesting to see how he meshes in Houston. Personally, I don't think it gives them too much of a boost, but Smith is definitely an upgrade at the power forward spot. 

If you're not a die-hard NBA fan, then there's a good chance you haven't been able to see the Hawks play this season. If that's the case, then you sure aren't missing any flashy basketball, but you're missing the chance to see a team who knows how to win. With a 25-8 record, Atlanta has a 1 1/2 game lead at the top of the Eastern Conference and have gone 9-1 over their last ten games. Normally teams with that much success have a plethora of star players to credit, but with the Hawks, you can credit a complete team effort. Averaging 102 points per game, the Hawks score the ninth most of any team while ranking fifth in points allowed at 97.5. They aren't the best in either category, but to be in the top 10 of both shows they're a legit force and very well rounded. Jeff Teague leads the team by averaging 17 points per game, but everyone on the starting lineup averages at least 11.4 points a night to lighten the pressure on any one person. Paul Millsapp and Al Horford are proving to be a great post duo now that Horford is back and healthy, and Kyle Korver and DaMarre Carrol are proving to be stellar offensive and defensive role players. The Hawks average 25.3 assists per game and are winning games with great ball movement. I feel that as the season goes on, teams such as the Bulls and the Cavaliers will find their rhythym, but don't count out the Hawks as a legit team in a weak Eastern Conference. 

As a sports journalist, I wanted to make sure that I pay my respects to the legend Stuart Scott. Scott lost his fight with cancer over the weekend, and I was deeply saddened by the news. Ever since I started watching SportsCenter when I was a kid, Scott would grace the screen with his unique approach to sports broadcasting. His emphatic catch phrases sparked my attention and motivated me to someday work in the profession. I'm very sad that he's gone, but his legacy will continue forever and I'm thankful for the many years of entertainment and inspiration.