MVN: Most Valuable Network

Studs:

Wilson Chandler, New York Knicks

Chandler netted a new career high, scoring 31 points in a surprising win over the Celtics. The win was especially crucial for the Knicks as they were riding an eight-game losing streak. Along with his strong scoring effort, Chandler had 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. [boxscore]

O.J. Mayo, Memphis Grizzlies

Mayo was on fire from downtown tonight, sinking 5 of 8 behind the line. He finished with a team-high 21 points and also had 6 rebounds and 2 assists to lead the Grizzlies to victory against the Mavericks. [boxscore]

Anthony Parker, Toronto Raptors

Parker was lights out tonight, scoring 26 points on an extremely efficient 13 of 16 shooting performance. He also added 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in a big win against the Magic. [boxscore]

Duds:

Jason Kidd, Dallas Mavericks

Kidd got outplayed by a young Grizzlies backcourt and was a virtual non-factor in today's loss. While Kidd did have 5 rebounds and 6 assists, he finished with only 1 point and was 0 of 4 from the field. [boxscore]

Quentin Richardson, New York Knicks

While the Knicks got a big win against the Celtics tonight, it was certainly not due to Richardson's performance tonight. Richardson was an ice cold 1 of 13 from the field (0-5 from downtown) and finished with only two points. [boxscore]

Miami Heat at Orlando Magic, 7 p.m. EST
If watching the league-leading scorer (Dwyane Wade), rebounder and shot-blocker (both Dwight Howard) aren't enough for you, then how about the clash of two division rivals? The Heat (17-13) have won five of their last six games and are coming off of a huge win against the Cavaliers. The Magic (25-7) are also rolling, as they've won nine of their last ten contests including wins against tough teams like the Spurs, Lakers and Hornets. Add in the fact that it's an in-state matchup and we've got ourselves a ballgame!

New Orleans Hornets at Portland Trail Blazers, 10 p.m. EST
While it looks like Blazers guard Brandon Roy is listed as questionable in tonight's game, this should still be an entertaining matchup between two of the future Western Conference powerhouses. The Blazers are coming off of a dramatic win against the Boston Celtics, so hopes should be high. They will need big performances again from LaMarcus Aldridge and Travis Outlaw to make up for the absence of Roy's scoring. The Hornets were 10-3 in December and are looking to keep that momentum going in the new year. Chris Paul continues his consistent and breathtaking play, making the Hornets a threat to win every night. Peja Stojakovic is back in the starting lineup for the Hornets, which should open up the floor even more for Paul to operate - however Stojakovic will need to shoot much better than his 1-9 threes effort that he produced last game.

What will you be watching tonight?

Studs:

Jason Terry, Dallas Mavericks

As the Mavericks fell 29 points behind the Timberwolves, Jason Terry came to the rescue. Terry scored 24 of his 29 points in the second half to lead the Mavs to their largest comeback in franchise history. Terry buried 5 threes to go along with his 3 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks. [boxscore]

Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets

CP3 tied a Hornets record with his seventh career triple-double in tonight's 97-85 victory against the Washington Wizards. Paul finished with 15 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds.[boxscore]

Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks

Joe Johnson had another great game tonight, dropping in 27 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter and the team's last 5. Johnson also chipped in 7 rebounds and 5 assists to help lead the Hawks to a 110-104 victory over the Pacers. [boxscore]

Duds:

Baron Davis, Los Angeles Clippers

BDiddy's struggles continue as he built a brick skyscraper with a 3 of 17 shooting performance. Add that to his four turnovers and a loss to the Sacramento Kings, and you have earned a spot in the "Duds." [boxscore]

Ray Allen, Boston Celtics

Ray Allen's Celtics are really struggling right now, as they were visibly out of their groove against the Brandon Roy-less Blazers tonight. Aside from two three-pointers, Allen missed the rest of his nine shots in the game and was a virtual non-factor in the Celtics' 86-91 loss. [boxscore]

Studs:

Al Jefferson, Minnesota Timberwolves

Timberwolves fans can rejoice with their second win in three games, and Al Jefferson was a major part of tonight's. The Grizzlies had no answer for Jefferson, who scored a season-high 38 points and snagged 16 rebounds in a 108-98 overtime victory. [boxscore]

Shaquille O'Neal, Phoenix Suns

After Steve Nash went out of the game in the first quarter with back spasms, the Diesel took the game into his own hands and helped the Suns get a 110-102 win against the Thunder. O'Neal put together a complete game with 28 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and made a very un-Shaq-like 8 of 12 free throws. [boxscore]

Stephen Jackson, Golden State Warriors

In true, frantic Warriors fashion, Stephen Jackson produced his fourth 30-point game as the Warriors beat the Raptors 117 to 111. Jackson also got himself involved in all other aspects of the game as he had 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. [boxscore]

Duds:

Yao Ming, Houston Rockets

Yao had a tough game tonight in a loss to the lowly Washington Wizards. He shot 4 of 14 shooting and missed a relatively easy turnaround at the end of the game that would have pushed it to overtime. In a game where the opposing starting center is Andray Blatche, the Rockets expect to see more than 12 points from Yao. [boxscore]

Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets

I think Carmelo's elbow must still be bothering him. After scoring 32 points on 13 of 19 shooting last night, Anthony had an underwhelming 4-17 shooting performance tonight as the Nuggets lost to the Atlanta Hawks 109-91. [boxscore]

There is a lot of great writing and analysis being created by talented NBA bloggers around the globe. Sometimes the hardest part is just finding them. NBA Noise will be sharing some of their favorite NBA blogs by having interviews with the bloggers themselves in what we call the "NBA Blogger Spotlight."

Our kickoff NBA Blogger Spotlight is with Zach Harper of Talk Hoops. Support the habit.

How long have you been writing for Talk Hoops and how would you describe your blog?

I started Talkhoops.net in June of 2007 because I had a decent number of people pushing for me to get back into writing about basketball.  I used to write for a website that was ultimately disbanded before the 2006-2007 season and had a modest following of readers that I kept in touch with.  So giving into peer pressure, I decided that I wanted to start my own site just before the 2007 draft. 

I describe my site as a poor man's attempt at covering the NBA in the way Bill Simmons has done for the past decade.  That's not to say that we're successful at it by any means.  We still have quite a bit of room for improvement.  But that's we've aimed for in the past year of figuring this thing out.  I think the way that we can continue to get closer to pulling that off is with the people we have involved in the site.  We have some really talented writers and thinkers with a fantastic sense of humor.  The best thing about Talkhoops.net for me is that it has opened up opportunities and relationships with media members who have fantastic basketball minds, which allows me to converse with people who are as obsessed with the game as I am.
Let me give you two different types of answers:
The Competitive Nature of My Answer: I was tired of guys incorrectly analyzing the league and how good players are and/or can be.  I was sick of guys like Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith.  And I was tired of not reading enough about Kevin McHale needing to be fired. So I figured I would throw my name into the hat and see if I could make some headway into the industry.

The Nicer Answer: The movie Finding Forrester is probably what combines the two things I'm most passionate about - writing and basketball.  The fact that I could potentially combine the two with my own voice and maybe make a living out of it just seems too perfect.  I think the thing that keeps me motivated the most is people emailing me and letting me know that they either liked what I wrote or hated what I wrote.  If I can spark discussion, then that's something I am very prideful for. 
Other than our podcast, which ties directly into the site,  I up until recently did fantasy basketball analysis for an up and coming fantasy website that was very popular with Yardbarker. Unfortunately, it had to shut it down due to economic issues for the time being. It gave me the opportunity to write and design the NBA Preview for Yardbarker for this current season, which was a lot of fun.
Unfortunately, I'm one of the few remaining Minnesota Timberwolves fans left from the Kevin McHale/Glen Taylor Catastrophy of the past decade plus. Many people find it odd and don't necessarily buy the story, but when I was around eight years old, I was obsessed with basketball and didn't like my hometown team of Sacramento for some reason. Maybe it was Joe Kleine or the people around me who liked the team but I didn't want to like the Kings. So I found out that the Magic and T'Wolves were being added to the league.  I decided that I would be a fan of a brand new team. I flipped a coin and it landed on whatever indicated the Wolves.  And ever since then, I have suffered through it. 

I've dealt with guys like Tony Campbell, Felton Spencer and the curious spelling of Micheal Williams.  I've tried to talk myself into Christian Laettner, Donyell Marshall, and Isaiah Rider.  I became infatuated with KG and Tom Gugliotta.  I've loved then hated Stephon Marbury.  I've screamed about the drafting of Wally Szczerbiak, William Avery, and Ndubi Ebi.  I've been confused and infuriated with the Joe Smith debacle and prayed that LaPhonso Ellis could fill that void.  And now I'm dealing with life post-KG as they attempt to build around a guy in Al Jefferson who isn't good enough to be a franchise guy.  Needless to say, it's been great.  But everything has been worth it to see KG win a title last year even though it was with a different team.
I don't know if it's absolutely my most memorable but the first one that came to mind when I read this question was the 1991 Celtics-Pacers first round series in the playoffs.  I was only nine years old when it happened, but I distinctly remembering that Larry Bird looked way too old to compete.  The fact was that he happened to just have a bad back injury and old age wasn't the problem.  But at the time, he looked too old to me to go toe to toe with Chuck Person, who I thought was a star in the making (I was nine, so what did I know?).  Looking back, it was the ultimate testament to how incredible of a competitor Larry Bird was.  He had no business averaging 20 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists without a lower back to support him.  But he simply wouldn't let his team die out that early into the playoffs.  Watching him and Chuck Person exchange words nearly after every shot and take each other to a higher level was truly memorable for me.

Michael Jordan is the greatest player of all time so I have to take him above everybody.  For me, a guy has to have the attitude and determination to demand greatness from his teammates and also be able to intimidate through how focused he is.  And that's what made Michael Jordan so great.  I don't know that Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have that complete package to compliment their physical prowess and incredible skill set.  So I'll take Jordan first, Larry Bird second, and third place can be determined later.  

I've always maintained that I could beat Mateen Cleaves one-on-one so my initial reaction this question is to say him.  But I'd like to dunk on Dikembe Mutombo.  I don't think that people realize how truly incredible he was defensively because he played in an era with so many great centers.  Plus, anytime you can throw the finger wag back in his face, you have to take that opportunity.  It would be worth the technical. 
Chris Paul and that's with the understanding that it was obvious he was the best point guard of today and the next 15 years going into this season.  And despite the struggles of the Hornets, his play has been transcendent on the basketball court.  I've watched nearly all of his games this year because his ability to keep his dribble alive while orchestrating and composing on the offensive end is striking.  Throw in his defensive prowess and how intense he is on the court and I don't know that I can handle watching him over the next 15 years.  He's simply too good for my senses.

I still maintain that the Celtics should be the favorites to win it all this season but I'm starting to turn towards the Cavaliers right now.  I think there are only six legit contenders for the title - Celtics, Cavs, Lakers, Hornets, Spurs and Jazz (when healthy).  The Celtics now are battled tested and seem to be able to go to a different level in the third quarter to put games away.  But the Cavs may be the most complete team going into the post-season and if they can get a decent low post presence like Joe Smith, I find it hard to see how they get beat four times in seven games.  

Who will develop into the better player - Andrew Bynum or Greg Oden?

I think it's Greg Oden and I don't know that it's all that close.  Andrew Bynum has potential to be an All-Star player for a decade or more but Greg Oden has the potential to be a game-changer for his career.  Oden is already an imposing force on defense and has good offensive skills for someone with such little experience.  Both guys have big health concerns in my opinion but what will separate them is mental toughness.  Bynum seems soft to me right now. 
I'd like for Stephon Marbury to give up his ego and antics and just try to be a basketball player.  We don't need the show.  We don't need the ego.  We don't need to know how great you think you are.  Just try to be a productive member of the NBA society and focus on using your talents for the greater good of a team instead of self-promotion. And if he can't do that, then I'd like for him to keep his promise and go to Europe.


For more from Zach Harper, click through to Talk Hoops!

The NBA is a league of giant men, but it is the little guys who we often find the most endearing. Maybe is that us "average Joes" can relate to being the little guy, or even live vicariously through the short players in the league. Some of everyone's favorite absurdly small, but productive Lilliputians included the 5'3" Mugsy Bogues and the 5'7" Spud Webb - a former Slam Dunk Contest winner. Currently, there are 17 players on active NBA rosters who are 6'0" or less. While I don't even believe that many of these guys are as tall as they say they are, let's take a look at the top 10.

1. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets, 6'0"

CP3 is undeniably one of the best players in the whole league. Even at only 6'0", people generally don't associate him with his diminutive stature. Maybe that is because of the diverse skill set that he brings to the table. Paul is a consummate floor general with superb court vision and passing ability. He is one of the best slashers in the league, and he also is a reliable three-point shooter if defenders try to back off. Paul is also a stellar rebounder for his size, and is the league leader in steals. I honestly had to double check that Paul was only 6'0", because we only talk about his greatness, not his size, which is certainly a kudo to him.

2. Allen Iverson, Detroit Pistons, 6'0"

Iverson has long been known as one of the greatest scorers to be 6'0" or under. Although he has had to take on a smaller role this season in Detroit, he is still an effective scorer at 18 ppg. His career average is an astounding 27.4 ppg, including five seasons averaging over 30 ppg. Iverson has always had the ability to break down defenders, make tough shots in traffic and is great coming off of screens. While it appears Iverson is beginning to slow down a bit, he is still a major threat every night if he gets hot.

3. Jameer Nelson, Orlando Magic, 6'0"

The Orlando Magic are off to a stellar start (23-6), and Jameer Nelson is a major part of the reason why. Nelson is having a career year, averaging 17 points and 5 assists per game. The staple of Nelson's game continues to be his outside shooting. December has been particularly kind to Nelson, as he has hit a ridiculous 26 of 43 three pointers. Sure, it doesn't hurt having guys like Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu to draw attention off of you, but Nelson is certainly capitalizing on his opportunities this year.

4. T.J. Ford, Indiana Pacers, 6'0"

While Ford has struggled with injuries in recent years, he has established himself as enough of a commodity to be the major piece in the trade to the Pacers for Jermaine O'Neal. Ford is a speed demon of a player with a soft jumpshot. While he has struggled with consistency, it isn't uncommon for Ford to chip in 20+ points and a handful of dimes. Ford had to share the backcourt during the past two years with Jose Calderon and never quite got the run he thought he should. In Indiana, Ford will be a focal point of their rebuilding process and a key to their future success.

5. Nate Robinson, New York Knicks, 5'9"

Nate Robinson is a bundle of energy and a serious spark off of the Knicks' bench. At 5'9" he finds himself often playing point guard, but he is really a combo guard due to his athleticism and ability to score in a variety of ways. Of course, Robinson is most known for his high-flying dunks, but he is a threat to score from anywhere on the court. Robinson is averaging 16.5 ppg, and nearly 25 ppg in the last six games. Most importantly though, his confident swagger is unparalleled.

6. D.J. Augustin, Charlotte Bobcats, 6'0"

You can tell that Augustin is the real deal because he has cracked Larry Brown's regular rotation, a feat that isn't particularly easy to do as a rookie. Although small, Augustin is a solid ball-handler, good decision-maker, and fearless shooter. He is averaging 13 points, 4.5 assists per game. He is also developing into a real threat from downtown, as he is shooting over 42% from behind the stripe. It's no fluke either, as nearly 40% of his field goals are three pointers.

7. Aaron Brooks, Houston Rockets, 6'0"

Aaron Brooks is another short player that utilizes his quickness advantage on the floor. With a quick first step and a deadly outside shot, Brooks is a dilemma for opposing defenses. While his playing time can be sporadic at times as the backup for Rafer Alston, Brooks has proven to be a key contributor off the Rockets' bench. He is averaging 11 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists for a team where playing time isn't easy to come by.

8. J.J. Barea, Dallas Mavericks, 6'0"

Jose Juan Barea has slowly but surely become an integral part of the Dallas Mavericks' rotation. While Jason Kidd does a bit of everything for the Mavs, Barea is a nice change of pace especially when they are looking to have someone in the game who is a bit more offensive-minded. In Barea's six starts this season, he has averaged 14.5 ppg, and 5.3 assists, leading the Mavs to a 4-2 record during that time. Barea is often overlooked, but he is certainly appreciated in Dallas.

9. Kyle Lowry, Memphis Grizzlies, 6'0"

Kyle Lowry is in another one of those point-guard-by-commission situations in Memphis, as he is splitting time with Mike Conley. Still, Lowry has recently established himself as the Grizzlies' starter in the backcourt alongside O.J. Mayo. Lowry is a thick and physical point guard that relies heavily on his explosiveness and speed. While he is not a big-time scorer, he is a solid defender who is capable of orchestrating an offense and should only improve in upcoming seasons.

10. Sebastian Telfair, Minnesota Timberwolves, 6'0"

Things haven't panned out the way that Telfair or analysts would have hoped. He has struggled in structured systems, and his lack of a consistent jump shot has hindered his offensive effectiveness. Still, Telfair is a streaky player with excellent slashing and ball-handling ability. While he is a shoot-first point guard, Telfair has solid court vision and is good at getting others involved. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that one day Telfair will fall into a system that plays into his strengths. He's still young, and he could still develop into a solid point guard in this league (or maybe I'm just high off of his 20 point, 8 assist performance tonight against the Knicks).

Studs:

Kosta Koufos, Utah Jazz

No Carlos Boozer, no Mehmet Okur, no Paul Millsap. It's no problem when you have Kosta Koufos on your team...wait, what? Koufos, a rookie averaging 4 points per game in about 12 minutes per contest, put together  an impressive performance with his newfound playing time. With Koufos in the lineup, the Jazz didn't miss a beat as he scored 18 points and grabbed 8 boards to go along with 2 steals and a block. [boxscore]

Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets

After finding himself on the "Duds" list last night after a lucklaster performance, Paul redeemed himself by leading the charge in a gritty Hornets win over the Rockets. Paul looked like a new man as he controlled the pace of the game and always kept the Hornets' head above water. Paul dropped in 26 points to go along with 10 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. [boxscore]

Sebastian Telfair, Minnesota Timberwolves

This season hasn't been too easy on Telfair, with suspensions, role changes and inconsistent play. However tonight, in his hometown, he put together a stellar performance that helped the lowly Wolves (who were 4-23 before tonight) to a win against the Knicks - who on their road trip played both the Suns and Lakers very tough. Telfair had an aggressive game off of the bench and produced 20 points, 8 assists and 3 steals. [boxscore]

Jermaine O'Neal, Toronto Raptors

It's been a while since we've seen Jermaine O'Neal put up numbers like the Jermaine O'Neal of old. While he's had several solid games, he has largely been a shadow of his old self. Tonight was a different story altogether. O'Neal put together a dominant performance by scoring 36 points (his highest-scoring game in two seasons) on 15 of 19 shooting. He also had 9 boards, 3 steals, 2 blocks and 2 assists to help the Raptors get a 107-101 victory over the Kings. [boxscore]

Allen Iverson, Detroit Pistons

While A.I.'s stat line is nothing out of the ordinary (22 points, 3 assists, 2 steals) he came through for the Pistons in a big way. In a game that was a battle all the way through, Iverson hit a tough shot in traffic with .2 seconds left to play to give the Pistons the win against the Thunder. Saving your team the shame of losing to the Thunder (3-27) at home is worthy of a "Stud" nomination. [boxscore]

Duds:

Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics

Ok Celtics, you won 19 straight and lost to the Lakers on Christmas day. I get it. It hurts. But KG, as the emotional leader on this Celtics team, should not have allowed the Celtics to wallow in their sorrows and lose to a mediocre Golden State Warriors squad. In a comeback situation, and getting to play 38 minutes, I would expect more than the 14 point (5-14 shooting) and 4 rebound performance that Garnett had tonight. [boxscore]

Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

Derrick Rose had a tough go of it today in a nationally televised game that hyped up the meeting between Rose and Michael Beasleay (the 1st and 2nd picks of the draft). Rose looked out of rhythm for much of the game, and had a very difficult time scoring. Although he finished with 10 points, it came on an abysmal 3 of 14 shooting. Add that to his 5 turnovers, and you are on tonight's "Duds" list. [boxscore]

Studs:

Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

Tim Duncan was a force on both ends of the floor in today's thrilling win over the Phoenix Suns. Duncan dropped in a tough-earned 25 points and also grabbed 17 rebounds, often playing through foul trouble. Tip of the hat to Roger Mason, whose three-pointer at the buzzer gave the Spurs the win. [boxscore]

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks

Dirk Nowitzki torched the Blazers for an astounding 24 first-half points. This scoring outburst put them in a position to stay close with Portland and pull away for the win in the fourth quarter. Nowitzki finished with 30 points on 12 of 18 shooting, and also chipped in 5 boards, 2 steals and 2 assists. [boxscore]

The Los Angeles Lakers

Sure, Kobe Bryant had 27 points, and Pau Gasol chipped in 20 of his own, but tonight's win against the Celtics was a total team effort. If you beat a team that has won 19 straight games - you deserve to be in the studs column. Not only that, but this win is huge for the morale of this Lakers team which hasn't played particularly well in the past couple weeks. Lakers fans hope that this win will get them back on track. [boxscore]

Duds:

Caron Butler, Washington Wizards

"Tough Juice" wasn't a complete dud tonight, as he dished out 10 assists within the Wizards' offense. However, as the team's leading scorer, his inability to score tonight really hurt the Wizards. Butler shot only 3 of 13 from the field and finished with just 6 points in the Wizards' 89-93 loss to Cleveland. [boxscore]

Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets

Chris Paul was pretty much a non-factor in the 20-point drubbing that the Orlando Magic handed down on the Hornets today. I just expect much more from (who I consider to be) the best point guard in the league. 12 points and 4 assists are just to average and mediocre to be mentioned in the same breath as CP3 - but that was tonight's reality. [boxscore]

While the Cleveland Cavaliers matchup against the lowly Washington Wizards was likely the least appealing one on Christmas day, there had been much buzz about Lebron James sporting his new shoe for the first time. The shoe pays homage to James' traditional pre-game ritual of throwing talcum powder into the air at the scorer's table (as seen in this Nike ad) and is officially called the Zoom LeBron VI Chalk Edition. This is the lightest LeBron shoe to date at 14.5 oz., and features a silhouette of Lebron in the "chalk pose" on tongue top and sockliner. Check out more pics and specs here. Apparently Nike provided fans with confetti to throw along with James' ritual for tonight's game.

What do you think of these new kicks?

Dwight Howard is back to defend his Slam Dunk Contest title, and he will be up against some familiar competition. Competing against Howard will be Memphis' Rudy Gay and New York's Nate Robinson. Because of Howard's height, he has had to rely on his creativity, while Robinson has the ability to wow the crowd with the huge hops necessary for a man of his stature to throw down. Gay is more of your prototypical acrobatic high flyer that we have come to expect in the Dunk Contest.

What makes this year different is that the fans will have a say as to who the final participant in the contest should be. Among the contenders for the final spot include Milwaukee's Joe Alexander, Portland's Rudy Fernandez and Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook. Despite my homer tendencies, I'd honestly be surprised if Fernandez doesn't get the bid, he's just got too much flavor. Click here to cast your vote! Who are you voting for?