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.

Streak-busters: Bobcats snap losing streak. Nuggets snap Clippers win streak at 17. Award winners for December.

The year 2013 has arrived, a brand new year, and streaks came to an end this week across the association. Here are the highlights from Week 10 in the NBA.

Bobcats snap losing streak in Chicago.

Photo ©NBA/Bobcats.com

For the team who had the roughest year in 2012, they ended the year on a high note. As the Charlotte Bobcats snap their 18-game losing streak with a 91-81 victory against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. The Bobcats with the win, surpass their win total from last season where they finished 7-59 making history as the worst winning percentage in NBA history.

Sophomore guard Kemba Walker led the Bobcats with a great all-around game, 18 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks on 6-13 shooting from the field, Gerald Henderson scored 16 points, while Ramon Sessions and Ben Gordon came off the bench and scored 15 points each. Bismack Biyombo grabbed 11 rebounds.

Luol Deng led the Bulls with a double-double 20 points and 12 rebounds with 4 assists and 3 steals. Carlos Boozer also finished with a double-double 19 points and 14 rebounds. Rip Hamilton scored 11 points.

Bobcats head coach Mike Dunlap has been preaching patience to all the people who are on watch with the team. Who knows in 2013, maybe the Bobcats will make some noise in the East.

Nuggets snap Clippers 17 game win streak.

Photo ©NBA/Nuggets.com

A losing streak came to an end out East, while in the West, a winning streak came to an end, as the Denver Nuggets snap the 17 game winning streak the Los Angeles Clippers held, as well as getting a measure of revenge from their Christmas Day defeat in Los Angeles as they take a 92-78 victory at the Pepsi Center.

Danilo Gallinari led the Nuggets with 17 points and 6 rebounds. Kenneth Faried finished with a double-double 14 points and 11 rebounds. Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller each scored 12 points, Miller also dished out 12 assists, while Igouldala dished 8 assists. JaVale McGee off the bench added 11 points and 7 rebounds including his first career 3 pointer. Corey Brewer scored 10 points.

Blake Griffin and Eric Bledsoe led the Clippers with 12 points each. Griffin added 9 rebounds. DeAndre Jordan finished with a double-double 11 points and 11 rebounds with 3 blocks. Chris Paul added 10 points and 6 assists. Jamal Crawford and Matt Barnes each scored 9 points.

The Clippers are now in second place in the Western Conference behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. With a tight race in the West, who knows who will coach in the NBA All-Star Game in Houston for the West? 

Meanwhile in Week 9, Monta Ellis becomes the second Milwaukee Bucks player after Brandon Jennings and the sixth player to receive the Eastern Conference Player of the Week Award this season. While Greivis Vasquez of the New Orleans Hornets becomes the eighth receipient of the Western Conference Player of the Week Award.

LeBron James of the Miami Heat wins his second straight Eastern Conference Player of the Month Award for the month of December, while Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers won the Western Conference Player of the Month in December.

Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers wins his second straight Western Conference Rookie of the Month in December, while Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards won the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in December.

Vinny Del Negro of the Los Angeles Clippers wins the Western Conference Coach of the Month after leading the Clippers to a perfect December (16-0). While Larry Drew of the Atlanta Hawks won in the Eastern Conference after leading the Hawks to a 10-5 record in December and see them competing in the Top 3 of the Eastern Conference.

Now, here are the standings from around the association:

Western Conference:

1. Thunder (25-7), 2. Clippers (27-8), 3. Spurs (27-9), 4. Grizzlies (20-10), 5. Warriors (22-11), 6. Rockets (20-14), 7. Trail Blazers (18-15), 8. Nuggets (19-16), 9. Timberwolves (15-15), 10. Jazz (17-18), 11. Lakers (15-17), 12. Mavericks (13-21), 13. Kings (13-21), 14. Suns (12-22), 15. Hornets (8-25)

Eastern Conference:

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

Stay tuned as the next NBA weekly blog comes your way next week.

K-Smoove