The New Year doesn't mean a new season for NBA teams, but maybe it's a fresh start for some. With the current campaign now a third finished, the Bulls have already shuffled the deck and fired head coach Scott Skiles. Read on as we track the NBA's best, worst and most notable for the coming week...
 

   Quick Hitz  
    In the PAINT...
    On the SHELF...
    Best and WORST...
    Three-POINTERS...
    Quick ANALYSIS...
    And the final WORD...


  On the SHELF... 

- Spurs SG Manu Ginobili has been out for three games with a sprained left index finger, but may be able to return soon. Lately Michael Finley has been picking up the slack for the Spurs.

- Rockets' G/F Tracy McGrady is injured yet again, this time with a knee injury. The Houston Chronicle says he may be out for weeks. Bonzi Wells is likely to take his place.

- Kings' SF Ron Artest looks to be out indefinitely after it was revealed he will probably need surgery on his right elbow to remove bone chips. Francisco Garcia will fill in.

- SuperSonics' uber-rookie Kevin Durant has a sprained left index finger that may sideline him a few games. Look for fellow rookie Jeff Green and veteran Wally Szczerbiak to step up.

- SuperSonics' F/C Chris Wilcox sprained his left knee in a recent game and could be sidelined for several games. Look for Nick Collison and Jeff Green to play more as a result.

- Knicks' SG Jamal Crawford bruised his right hand but he should be back soon. Still, keep an eye on the surging Nate Robinson, who has filled in well.

- Knicks' PG Stephon Marbury has been out for several games grieving his deceased father, but is back with the team and should be able to play soon.

- Bucks' PG Mo Williams has a sore left Achilles tendon which could sideline him for a few games. As long as he's out, the talented Charlie Bell should see an bump in P-T.

- Heat C Shaquille O'Neal has missed two games because of a sore hip, and is day-to-day. With backup Alonzo Mourning gone for the rest of the season, Earl Barron will see a bigger role going forward.

- Nuggets' PF Kenyon Martin has been out lately nursing a sore hamstring, which has meant more involvement for Linas Kleiza, Nene Hilario, and Eduardo Najera.

- Pacers' PG Jamaal Tinsley is out for at least a few more games with a hamstring injury, which has led to a starting gig for Andre Owens.

- Wizards' PG Antonio Daniels expects to return this week, which will mean the surging Roger Mason heads back to the bench.

  Best and WORST... 

TOP 3 TEAMS (SEASON-TO-DATE)

1. Boston Celtics (Eastern Conference) 
With the season one-third in, the Celts already have as more wins (26) than they had all of last season. Kevin Garnett is on a mission.

2. Detroit Pistons (Eastern Conference)
Very quietly they have built the second-best record in the NBA (24-7). They have also beaten the Celtics, so could be ready for another title run.

3. San Antonio Spurs (Western Conference)
Even with Manu Ginobili out lately the Spurs keep on dominating. Step-ups from Matt Bonner and Michael Finley have really helped.

BOTTOM 3 TEAMS (SEASON-TO-DATE)

1. Minnesota Timberwolves (Western Conference)
Their biggest problem is not youth, it's the fact the coaching staff refuses to decide on a lineup around Al Jefferson. Every game it's a different group.

2. Miami Heat (Eastern Conference)
It takes a lot to be worse than the Knicks, but the 8-23 Heat have been just that. Dwyane Wade continues to dominate but no other Miami player is doing anything.

3. Memphis Grizzlies (Western Conference)
After showing promise early on head coach Marc Iavaroni has made some very questionable personnel decisions. The team's release of Tarence Kinsey was especially baffling.

TOP 3 PLAYERS (SEASON-TO-DATE)

1. Kevin Garnett, PF, Celtics
He's not as statistically dominant as in recent years, but Garnett has been the biggest reason the Celts have gone from 29thöbest to best in one season.

2. Dwight Howard, C, Magic
He leads the NBA in rebounding, is top-five in blocks and field-goal percentage, and the Magic are an East power. And he's still only 22 years old.

3. Chris Paul, PG, Hornets
Probably the NBA's best all-round point guard, Paul has lifted the Hornets from also-ran to West power, which is saying something.

BOTTOM 3 PLAYERS (SEASON-TO-DATE)

1. Boris Diaw, G/F/C, Suns
Right now Blasˇ Boris is the only thing keeping the Suns from being the NBA's top team. For $9 Million this season he is producing seven points and three assists per game.

2. Andrew Bogut, C, Bucks
Now in his second NBA season, Bogut is looking like a big bust. His scoring (11.6 points per game) and rebounding (8.7 per game) are actually declining, and he still can't hit free throws.

3. Eddy Curry, C, Knicks
He complained recently about being benched, but had no right to. For almost $9 Million this season he's producing five boards, half a block, and half an assist per game.

  Three-POINTERS... 

ON THE RISE

- Hedo Turkoglu, SG/SF, Magic: At 28 he's finally having the breakout season many have long expected. His averages of 19.5 points, 6.1 boards, and 4.1 assists per game are all career highs.

- Roger Mason, G, Wizards: Antonio Daniels should take over the point again soon, but in four starts last week Mason averaged 17 points and 4.3 assists per outing.

- Linas Kleiza, SG/F, Nuggets: He still isn't starting, but with all the injuries to the Nuggets Kleiza is stepping up.

ON THE DECLINE

- Tracy McGrady, G/SF, Rockets: He's still elite when healthy%2C but that's not often enough these days. At 28 his body looks more like it's 35, and McGrady is injured yet again.

- Kenyon Martin, PF, Nuggets: He showed signs of life earlier this season but ongoing leg problems have turned him into a bit of a peripheral player.

- Stephon Marbury, PG, Knicks: Attitude problems, off-court issues, and injuries have all conspired to make the former Starbury a shadow of his former All-Star self. He's averaging career-lows of 13.6 points and 4.7 assists per game.

DEFENSIVE DEMONS

- Marcus Camby, C, Nuggets: He gets mentioned here a lot, and for good reason. Last week Camby posted a whopping 18 blocks and 42 rebounds in only three games.

- Ben Wallace, C, Bulls: Maybe the coaching change in Chicago will jump-start Big Ben. In three games since Jim Boylan took over, Wallace is averaging 10.7 boards, 4.0 blocks, and 2.3 steals.

- Kurt Thomas, PF/C, SuperSonics: With Chris Wilcox ailing Thomas has really stepped up. In four games last week he averaged 2.0 blocks, 13 rebounds, and almost a steal per outing.

BURIED ON THE BENCH

- J.R. Smith, SG, Nuggets: Sure he's shown immaturity, but it's hard to deny how productive Smith is. Last week he scored in double-figures in three games and didn't see 20 minutes of action in any of them.

- Hakim Warrick, F, Grizzlies: Possibly the most athletic guy on an athletic Grizzlies team, he would score 20 a game if he got a regular role. For now he's seeing under 14 minutes per contest.

- Charlie Villanueva, F, Bucks: Why is he still coming off the bench? It's not as though any of the other Bucks' frontcourt players are doing anything. He's seeing under 20 minutes per game.

SIXTH SENSE 

- Ben Gordon, G, Bulls: For most of his career Gordon has been shuttled between the starting five and sixth man, and now he's back to sixth man under new bench boss Jim Boylan. In three games in the new role, he's averaging 31.7 points per game.

- Nazr Mohammed, C, Bobcats: In his first five starts at center for the Bobs, Mohammaed was stellar, averaging 14.4 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. But now Bobcats' head coach Sam Vincent has decided he's better coming off the bench.

- Eddy Curry, C, Knicks: He isn't happy about it, but the one-dimensional Curry has been replaced by David Lee in the Knicks' opening unit. Curry's scoring is well off last season's pace, and he's not contributing much in any other area.

ROOKIE LOOKS

- Jeff Green, F, SuperSonics: With teammate and fellow uber-rook Kevin Durant ailing lately, Green has been playing more and averaged 17 points and two blocks in two recent starts.

- Daequan Cook, G, Heat: Injuries to teammates have opened the door to lots of opportunity for Cook. He averaged 30 minutes of action over three recent contests.

- Luis Scola, F, Rockets: The knee injury to Tracy McGrady should mean a bigger role for Scola, who might put up 20 points and 10 boards per game if he were a starter.

  Quick ANALYSIS... 

D-LEAGUE CORNER 

- He's not yet as famous as his baseball-player father Darryl, but D.J. Strawberry might eventually be÷especially if the Suns' guard keeps lighting it up in Albuquerque. He's averaging 30 points in three games so far.

- Jazz prospect Morris Almond has been the D-League's most consistenly dominant scorer so far. He is averaging 29.9 points over eight contests for the Utah Flash.

- A player to keep an eye out for is Rod Benson of the Dakota Wizards. Not currently under contract with an NBA team, the Dakota Wizard leads the D-League in rebounding with 13.5 per game.

COACH'S CORNER
Welcome to the big-time, Jim Boylan. The Bulls' new interim head coach, Boylan replaces the deposed Scott Skiles, who got off to a terrible 9-16 start and seemed to constantly battle with both players and media. Boylan inherits a talented but flawed Chicago team in need of clear roles, leadership, and cohesion. Boylan's biggest move so far: replacing Ben Gordon in the starting five with Chris Duhon.

EXECUTIVE SUITE
Less than a month after taking over as GM, Ed Stefanski has already started overhauling the Sixers. Last week he gave up sweet-shooting swingman Kyle Korver to the Jazz in return for a future first-round draft pick and the rights to Gordan Giricek. While Korver is better than Giricek, the deal is a cagey one for Philly. Why? Because Korver is a bit one-dimensional as a shooter and had three years left on his contract, and Giricek's $4 Million salary comes off the books after this season.
 

AND THE FINAL WORD...  "Me as the coach." -- Isiah Thomas to the Associated Press this week, telling reporters he has made his personnel decision on who will run the team. Thomas had said on Dec.18 that he would evaluate his own performance within two weeks.