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The NBA Through Travis Colored Glasses

- After spending the past couple of weeks out of the country I am happy to have re-immersed myself in everything NBA. While I had no access to anything NBA while I was gone, let's just say that my TIVO got a heavy workout. Here's a look at things that have changed, things that remain the same, and things that occurred that were just plain goofy during my brief hiatus.

- The Detroit Pistons are still really good. All they did was go 10-1 while I was gone. The lone blemish was surprisingly delivered courtesy of the Utah Jazz of all teams. With an overall record of 23-3 is it too early to talk about the Pistons making a run at the Bulls all time mark?

- The Miami Heat made a coaching change. I guess this is not really a surprise, since former Heat analyst Dr. Jack Ramsay predicted that this would happen last summer. The question now is whether or not this move will make the Heat better. I believe that it will. I can tell you that I observed the Heat get out-coached multiple times with the other Van Gundy at the helm. The game in Denver in early December comes to mind, where Van Gundy remained in a zone with a two-point lead late in the game leading to a wide-open game winning Earl Boykins trey.

- And of course the guy everyone has been talking about while I was gone -- and still is now that I'm back -- Ron Artest. Can anyone honestly say that they are surprised "Ron-Ron" demanded a trade? The NBA should be thrilled if demanding a trade is the most controversial thing Artest does this year. A loose cannon, the talented Artest can still definitely help a lot of clubs out there. Expect him to be moved to a team in the Western Conference in the next few days, with Denver, Golden State, and Minnesota being the frontrunners to land his services.

- The Hawks actually won a few games while I was gone, and now they are starting to think they are good. I have even heard rumblings that the Hawks are a little gun-shy now to trade free agent to be Al Harrington, and that they want to keep the team together as a result of the team's recent "success." When a team is 7-19 and they are talking about success, that just shows you how bad things have really been in the A-T-L of late. The Hawks would be foolish not to move Harrington for other assets if they get the chance, because he's going to bolt quicker than Jessica Simpson this summer.

- The Los Angeles Lakers recently have played solid basketball. As I predicted this preseason, Phil Jackson has the team playing very solid defense. And everyone enjoyed Kobe Bryant's 62 point outburst on the court against Dallas Mavericks a couple of weeks ago. However, his reported outbursts directed at teammates after the Lakers recent loss in Washington should be of more concern to Laker fans. Lamar Odom hasn't exactly been stellar so far this season, but yelling at a guy as sensitive as Odom (as evidenced by Gary Payton's exploits on Christmas) isn't going to help. And it's funny because after the Lakers turned the ball over with about 5 or 6 seconds still on the clock in the game against Washington, Kobe Bryant immediately started pouting and walking off the court as opposed to trying to foul to stop the clock. I'm not saying that the Lakers would have won the game, but this isn't the behavior a team wants to see from the guy that is supposed to be their leader. Despite Jackson's presence on the bench, I believe that the Lakers will fade in the season's second half just as they did a season ago.

- Carmelo Anthony has been sensational in the past couple of weeks, scoring over 40 points three times. However, his Nuggets team is still very mediocre. Kenyon Martin is a hit or miss proposition from night to night because of his knee problems, and Marcus Camby has also missed a few games of late as well with an issue with his shooting hand and will now be out a while with a broken finger. Assistant coach Doug Moe said that the team has yet to find any chemistry, and I wholeheartedly agree. I can't think of a team would benefit more from an Artest shake-up than the Denver Nuggets.

- The Houston Rockets are still bad. Yeah, Tracy McGrady has been hurt, but has anyone else noticed that he seems to appear "healthier" on the nights when his jump shot is falling. And with Yao Ming now out for a reported 6-8 weeks with an infected toe, one has to wonder whether the Rockets will be relevant this season. Is it possible that two Van Gundy's could be relieved of their duties in the same season?

- The Sacramento Kings are still a mess, and things appear to be getting worse. Team brass remains silent about a possible trade of Peja Stojakovic, and the status of longtime head coach Rick Adelman. It wouldn't shock me if both were gone by February.

- There is nothing I would like to see more than the Clippers winning the Pacific Division. That said, I'm very skeptical. Maybe I'm living in the past here, but can you really blame me? I think the Clippers are going to find a way to blow this thing. I'll even go as far as saying that in April, the Clippers will be fighting for their playoff lives.

- That's all for this week. Thanks for reading. It's good to be back!

Have a take about what you just read? Contact Travis at travismheath@msn.com. Travis Heath is a doctoral candidate in psychology, and a freelance writer. Travis currently resides outside of Denver, Colorado, but he has spent time in Washington, Nebraska, and both Northern and Southern California. He is also a self-admitted sports addict, with his primary vice being the NBA.