Nets stay perfect in 2013. The Lakers drama continues. Scott Skiles resigns as Bucks coach.

One team stays perfect in 2013, the drama continues in Tinseltown, and another coach is gone in the middle of the season. Here are the highlights of Week 11 of the 2012-13 NBA season.

Nets stay perfect in 2013.

Photo ©NBA/BrooklynNets.com

The start of 2013 has gone well for the Brooklyn Nets, as they have gone 5-0 early into the new year as they have propeled themselves back into contention for a top seed in the Eastern Conference as they currently sit in 4th place tied with the Atlanta Hawks at 21-15 and are. Their current win streak includes a blowout victory against the defending Western Conference Champions Oklahoma City Thunder on the road to open 2013. Interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo has gone 7-1 since taking over the coaching duties for the Nets from Avery Johnson with their lone blemish coming at the hands of San Antonio Spurs on the road. With the ballhandling of all-star guard Deron Williams, together with the scoring of another all-star Joe Johnson, as well as the inside presence of Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries and Reggie Evans who has been a revelation for the Nets this season. The Nets have found success and now are poised to challenge for a top spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Purple and Gold drama continues.

Photo ©NBA/Lakers.com

Out West though, one team has yet to pick up a win in the new year, and the surprising fact about it, is that the team who are on the hook are the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have suffered defeats in the six games they have played so far in 2013 losing to tough teams out West like the conference's top three of the Thunder, their co-tenants in Staples Center the Clippers and the Spurs as well as competitive West teams like the Rockets and Nuggets, and a lone East defeat against the 76ers at home. Also, the injury bug has hit the Lakers at the worst possible time as their big men of Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill are currently nursing injuries. Howard and Gasol will be back on the floor soon enough, however Hill will miss the remainder of the season to a hip injury. Despite a valiant effort by Kobe Bryant to keep them afloat the Lakers are sitting in 11th place in the Western Conference at 15-21, 5 games off the 8th seed out West which is currently held by the Houston Rockets. Head coach Mike D'Antoni has been disappointing in his performance with the Lakers angering an already restless fanbase as shown in their last game against the Thunder with regular Laker fan actor Jack Nicholson alongside fellow actor Adam Sandler leaving Staples Center in the fourth quarter. If things don't change, the Lakers could be well on their way to missing the playoffs for only the sixth time in their illustrious franchise history spanning 16 championships (11 of them won in Los Angeles.) We could be seeing the playoffs with the Clippers advancing and the Lakers heading for an early off-season. How rare are we going to see that moment if it does play out.

Scott Skiles resigns as coach of the Bucks.

Photo ©NBA/Bucks.com

Another coach during the season was shown the door out this week as Scott Skiles filed his resignation as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks after a 16-16 record which saw them fall down in the standings in the Eastern Conference. Skiles is the third coach this season to be relieved during the season. Jim Boylan was named the interim head coach of the Bucks after Skiles' resignation. The Skiles to Boylan transition is not something new as in 2007, Boylan took over from Skiles (after Pete Myers) with the Chicago Bulls after the team went on a 9-16 start under Skiles, but Boylan's tenure was uneventful as the Bulls missed the playoffs that season. With his resignation, Skiles finishes his tenure in Milwaukee with a 162-182 record spanning his more than four year tenure with the Bucks. Will Boylan be able to turn the Bucks' fortunes around? That we will find out in the coming days.

Meanwhile in Week 10, two players won their second Player of the Week honors this season with James Harden of the Houston Rockets taking the honors in the Western Conference, while Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks wins in the Eastern Conference.


Here are the standings across the association:

Western Conference:
1. Thunder (28-8), 2. Clippers (28-9), 3. Spurs (28-11), 4. Grizzlies (24-11), 5. Warriors (23-12), 6. Nuggets (22-16), 7. Trail Blazers (20-16), 8. Rockets (21-17), 9. Jazz (20-19), 10. Timberwolves (16-17), 11. Lakers (15-21), 12. Mavericks (15-23), 13. Kings (13-24), 14. Suns (13-26), 15. Hornets (11-25)

Eastern Conference:
1. Heat (24-11), 2. Knicks (23-13), 3. Pacers (23-14), 4. Nets (21-15), 5. Hawks (21-15), 6. Bulls (20-14), 7. Celtics (19-17), 8. Bucks (18-17), 9. 76ers (16-22), 10. Raptors (14-22), 11. Pistons (14-24), 12. Magic (13-23), 13. Bobcats (9-27), 14. Cavaliers (9-29), 15. Wizards (6-29)

Stay tuned as a brand new edition of the NBA weekly blog comes your way next week.

K-Smoove
P.S. I have not been blogging about my life stories for a while, since I'm getting busy with other important things I need to accomplish. I'll write one soon as I get a free day.