NBA Thoughts and Observations: Amare, Mo Williams, Kobe vs. LeBron and More

What a crazy week it was in the NBA. Both Kobe Bryant and LeBron James had historical games in Madison Square Garden, and then their teams go head-to-head a few days later.

Amare Stoudemire seems to be the hottest name on the trading market right now. And Mo Williams was snubbed from the All-Star team for the second time this season.

There's plenty to talk about, so let's get it started.

Rising Sun: Amare Stoudemire becoming a hot commodity

For the past few days, numerous of rumors have spread around the league stating that Stoudemire will be sporting new threads this season. Phoenix wants to clear $40 million off of their payroll for next season, and word is everyone except Steve Nash is up for grabs.

If the Suns do indeed trade Stoudemire before the deadline, there is no way that they are getting someone just as good, or maybe even better, than Amare on the offensive end. So what is the best trade scenario for the Western Conference All-Star's starting power forward?

Chad Ford of ESPN wrote a column on the best potential deals for Amare--and of all possible deals, Chicago and New Jersey looked like the perfect fits.

Could Phoenix really split up their front court of Amare Stoudemire and Shaquille O'Neal? Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty Images

Now with Derrick Rose as the floor general in the Windy City, an offensive big man--who is also one of, if not the best athletic big man in the league, would serve as a great compliment to Rose. They would also still have Ben Gordon, Luol Deng and Larry Hughes, who are three good scorers.

If Stoudemire were traded to Chicago, the Bulls would probably dump Tyrus Thomas, Thabo Sefolosha, Cedric Simmons and Drew Gooden. 

Why New Jersey? The Nets already have two offensive weapons in Devin Harris and Vince Carter, but something else is missing. They already have low-post scoring with Brook Lopez, but adding Stoudemire to the mix would keep New Jersey in the playoff race instead of falling in and out every week.

If New Jersey turns out to be the winner, they would more than likely give up Yi Jianlian, a few more players and a No. 1 draft pick.

But ultimately, Chicago would be the best fit for him.

Mo Williams shafted again?

It was already an outrage that Cavs' point guard Mo Williams didn't make the All-Star roster after the Eastern Conference coaches selected their reserves. But it was even more surprising that he wasn't chosen by Commissioner David Stern as a injury replacement for Jameer Nelson.

Instead he chose the sweet-shooting, shooting guard from the Boston Celtics: Ray Allen. No disrespect to Ray-Ray, but Mo deserved more than him this season.

Allen may be averaging more points per game, but the impact Williams has had on the Cavs this season has been a tad bit more impressive than Allen's.

Maybe someone else gets hurts (god forbid), but that seems to be the only way Mo will be an All-Star this season.

Talk About Embarrassing: Denver gets annihilated in New Jersey

When I did my nightly routine of visiting NBA.com for final box score updates, I was thinking the New Jersey-Denver score had to be a typo. 114-70 was the final score, and Carmelo Anthony was the only Denver player to reach double figures in scoring.

The Nuggets were only down five after the first quarter, but New Jersey out scored them by at least 15 points in the second and third quarter. Denver shot 35.6 percent from the field, and a paltry 26.7 percent from behind the arc.

I can only imagine what was going through coach George Karl's mind after the game, but I can guarantee it wasn't anything positive. Look for Denver to come out with a chip on their shoulder when they play Miami on Tuesday.

Road Warriors: Lakers give Cavaliers first home loss, and goes perfect on road trip.

Los Angeles came into Sunday's game against Cleveland riding a five-game winning streak. Not only that--but all five wins were on the road, including a 61 point performance from Kobe Bryant and a thrilling overtime win in Boston.

Lamar Odom was impressive in Cleveland, scoring a season-high 28 points and grabbing a season-high 17 rebounds. Even without Andrew Bynum, the Lakers are the best team in the NBA right now. And if Odom plays the way he did Sunday, the Lakers have nothing to worry about during Bynum's absence.

Their offense is very balanced, and their defense, which was questionable last season, has improved. The Lakers' win in Cleveland gave the Cavs their first home loss of the season.

The Kobe-LeBron matchup didn't exactly turn out the way we hoped it would. LeBron shot just 5-20 from the floor, and Kobe scored 19 while suffering from what was said to be a fever.

Who's Better--LeBron or Kobe?

It's already beginning to become an old-aged questioned, but you never get tired of talking about it. Both Kobe and LeBron had a game to remember in Madison Square Garden last week.

Opinions vary when it comes to the old Kobe vs. LeBron debate. Harry How/Getty Images

If you ask me, Kobe is the better player. No one can score at will the way he can, and his killer instinct makes it even worse for his opponents. LeBron will be a great player, but until he possess those two attributes/characteristics, Kobe will always be the better player.

LeBron is a better team player, while Kobe is the better in the clutch. Nothing would satisfy die-hard NBA fans more than a Lakers-Cavs matchup in the NBA Finals.

Not only us, but Commisioner Stern would absoultely love it because the ratings would be sky high.

Michael Whittenberg is one of two NBA Community Leaders for bleacherreport.com