NBA At the Half: Who's Hot, Who's Not?

After this just-completed long weekend, almost every NBA team had now played 39-to-42 games.  The unofficial halfway point of the season has been reached.

There are no real surprises in the top four teams from the East or the West.

Cleveland, Boston, Atlanta, and Orlando are all above .600 and at least five games ahead of everyone else in their conference.

Lakers, Dallas, Denver, San Antonio are also all above .600 and lead by at least two games in the West.

But over the past ten games, the leaders haven’t all been hot.  Some of them have looked downright average!  So who are the hottest teams in the NBA?

Hot Teams In the Eastern Conference:

No. 1: Charlotte Bobcats (8-2)

The red-hot Bobcats are on a five game winning streak and have unexpectedly raised their record to 20-19 to bolt into a three-way tie for fifth in the East.

Since the Stephen Jackson trade, the woeful Bobcats have become a force to be reckoned with.  But is this success all smoke and mirrors?

The Bobcats are almost unbeatable at home with a 17-4 record.  But these same Cats can’t win on the road, going 3-15.

After playing six of the last seven games at home, winning all six home dates but losing to New York on the road, the Bobcats play two of the next three at home before going on a six-game western road swing.

Will the Bobcats still be the hottest team in the East after facing Miami, Atlanta, and Orlando, then six Western clubs on the road?

No. 2 : Cleveland Cavaliers (7-3)

After beating Atlanta twice in a home-and-home, the first-place Cavaliers have had a relatively soft schedule over the past 10 games.  But there is nothing soft about the Cavaliers.  They have earned their second best in the NBA record.

The schedule going forward is heavily weighted with home dates.  Look for the Cavaliers to get even hotter over the next 10 games.

No. 3: Toronto Raptors (7-3)

After a 7-13 start to the season, the Raptors have reversed their fortunes to go 14-7 and earn a share of fifth place in the East.

And the Raptors faced a tough ten game stretch.  Six of the teams currently sport better than .500 records, and the Raptors played five home and five roads games.  Nothing was easy about the past ten games.

The Raptors are in a tough spot, playing the Cavaliers at the Q next.  But with only three games against teams over .500 in the next 10, look for the Raptors to stay hot.

Who’s Cold?

The 3-37 New Jersey Nets are 1-9 over the past 10.  Frozen would be a better description.

Honorable mention goes to a surprisingly-bad Detroit Pistons team that has gone 3-7, and a surprisingly cold Orlando Magic, who have also gone 3-7.

Hot Teams In the Western Conference:

No. 1: Memphis Grizzlies (8-2)

The red-hot Memphis Grizzlies are 22-18 and just a half-game out of the seventh playoff spot in the West!  On a four game home winning streak, the Griz have taken on all comers, beating Phoenix twice, Portland, and Utah over the past 10.

Don’t know anyone who saw this coming; the Grizzlies look like they could be for real.

No. 2 : LA Lakers (7-3)

The first-place Lakers have run their record to 32-9 and look every bit the part of last year’s championship team.

The only dent in the Lakers' armor is their 9-6 road record.  The Lakers have played about two-thirds of their games at home so far this season.

With the Lakers heading out on an eight-game road trip, we’ll get to see just how hot they can stay.  Bet on hot!

No. 3: New Orleans Hornets (7-3)

The 21-19 Hornets, nearly given up for dead, have revived their season and now sit just two games out of sixth place in the West.

Five games ago, the Hornets completed a six-game winning streak, and since then they have alternated wins and loses.

The Hornets have been good at home going 15-4 in the Big Easy, but the road had been unkind at 6-15.

With five of the next seven games on the road, can the re-surging Hornets stay hot?

Who’s Cold?

After a hot start to the season, the Sacramento Kings have gone 1-9, and any playoff aspirations appear to have gone with the decline.  The upcoming schedule looks really tough for the Kings; expect a chill to remaining hanging over the team.

The 9-33 Minnesota T-wolves have gone 2-8 over the past 10 games.  Frozen comfortably in second-to-last place overall.  The Nets are making deals to ensure the Wolves can’t overtake them.