As this season began, we heard heaps of praise for 3rd year point man Deron Williams, who helped the Jazz to the Western Conference finals (although not as much as Baron Davis helped them get there.) Williams was complimented in interviews, congratulated on his performance with team USA, and even introduced after leading scorer Carlos Boozer.

It seems as though Deron Williams has Detroit Piston Syndrome or DPS. DPS is when you think you've earned something and play as if the officials owe you something just for being the great and amazing person that you are.

(Note: I call it DPS because after Detroit beat the far more talented Lakers in 2004 based purely on match-ups, they have been so unlikeable and cocky that they lose games that they feel are beneath them. They also have five starters on the "All-Whiner" team, because of their genuine shock that a call would go against them. The shock is genuine, of course, only because of the DPS.)

Anyway, it looks as if Deron Williams is developing a nasty case of DPS. His effort level is in the basement compared to last year, while draft-mate Chris Paul is showing everyone who picked against him in the Williams vs. Paul debate that they are absolute morons. And Williams is not the only player in the league bringing down their team with DPS...

Dwyane Wade. I know, he really did earn it, but he needs to play like he is trying to make the team if he wants to get that misshapen heap of players called the Miami Heat to respectable levels. Right now, he turns the ball over, looks at the official and chews solemnly on his gum as Ricky Davis makes a mental note not to pass to anyone for the rest of the game.

Shaq has a different syndrome, CWS (Chris Webber Syndrome) which is debilitating in a different way. Chris Webber led the Kings to the Western Conference Finals in 2002 and should have won, except the officials had DSLL (David Stern Loves Lakers Syndrome). He tried to bring it too much the next year and destroyed his knee. I still remember the play, because I knew the Kings title shot was gone, and I cried.

When he came back after microfracture surgery, he was never the same, but he couldn't be taught that. His brain knew how to play. His hands still had impressive dexterity, but his legs simply can't do what they're supposed to. And he's mad about it. You can see it on his face all the time; he is mad all the time, because he remembers how to be a top five player and thinks he can still do it.

Shaq has that. Clearly his career is over, and a buyout for Miami would be way more beneficial than him honoring the silly contract Pat Riley signed him to. Obviously the ship is sinking, which is why Riley is knocking down women and children as he tries to escape back to his Presidents office. Too late, Riles. We know who had all the cocktails and then steered into an iceberg.

I'm going to pass on the Rockets and T-Mac, who just quits when things get hard, and doesn't have any of the aforementioned syndromes. And I'm also not going to badmouth LeBron James, who has way less help then Kobe and never complained about it. No, let's finish with Larry Hughes instead. (Note: Why didn't the Cavs get in on the Kyle Korver trade? I guess a deadly three point shooter wouldn't have helped out there at all.)

Larry Hughes looked to be Gilbert Arenas junior; an average sized guy who no one ever thought would go anywhere but refused to be mediocre and dominated. Then he got a contract, and unlike Agent Zero, who continues to find reasons to have a chip on his shoulder, Hughes usually finds a reason to settle for the outside jumper.

What do you think? What other players have DPS?

Apologies all around for taking such a lengthy holiday hiatus. I just figure if Bill Simmons gets two weeks off I should too.

Every year people want to hear about surprises in the league, and this years surprises are clear cut. The Celtics are playing out of their minds, Portland is a legitimate team out west, and yes, Chris Paul wasn't a fluke.

What we're not talking about is the super talented league that we get to watch this year. Tell me a bad team and I'll tell you about the great young talent on board. Honestly, the Kings stink, but what about Francisco Garcia and John Salmons? The Clippers are bottom dwellers, but Chris Kaman is averaging 18 points and 14 rebounds. The lowly Timberwolves still have Al Jefferson, who does 21 and 12.

With all of this talent, more important than the inevitable All-Star Game snubs are the teams who are not going to the playoffs this year despite being really good teams.

I doubt that the Cavs will miss the playoffs. In the entire world, no one is as good at basketball as LeBron James. I had my doubts last season about Bron Bron, but in the series against the Pistons, he vaulted himself into the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Superman.

The Cavs currently sit two games below .500. If LeBron gets healthy and Verejao and Pavlovic get back in rhythm, they'll still make noise in the playoffs.

What a mess. I have never been in love with this Chicago squad. The team that couldn't score spent all of their money on one of the most overrated players of all time, Ben Wallace. Wallace is now not only a disgruntled and overpaid burden to the team, he's also predictably under producing. I'm glad I'm not taking over Scott Skiles job right now.

This team needs a trade quite badly. Ben Wallace, Ben Gordon and Joakim Noah for Al Jefferson would put them into contention. All you lose is two overrated defensive rebounder, and a streaky shooter who hasn't streaked enough lately. I doubt even McHale would take that bait, however.

A few teams ahead of Chicago: Philadelphia, Indiana, and Atlanta. People picked this team to win the title.

This is what life is like for Britney Spears. You sell your soul to win one Championship and then become an old pudgy version trying to relive your glory days, but in reality every one is looking at them with a "that's sad" face.

New York Knicks

I know everyone badmouths the poor Knicks, but they really deserve it. People have stopped being polite about it, and I don't mean just New Yorkers.

The truth is, Isiah Thomas is a jerk who has no clue what he's doing. He says that he wants to leave behind a legacy in New York, and that he will be part of a championship while he is still there. I'm not being funny, but that is a flat out lunatic talking there. Hall of Famer Larry Brown threw his hands in the air with that group, and things have only been worse since Thomas arrived. This team has no prayer.

Now, I did predict that this would happen. The Clippers had a similar run two years ago to the one the Jazz had last year and then fizzled out before the playoffs the year after. Utah will still probably make the playoffs, but there's a chance they still might not. Who honestly thought that Utah would be behind Golden State, Portland and New Orleans at this point?

Luckily for Jazz fans, GM Kevin O'Connor body slammed Philidelphia into giving them Kyle Korver for a disgruntled and hot tempered Gordon Girecek. Korver is a great fit for Utah and helps give them what Mehmet Okur had been sleeping through so far this year.

T-Mac is hurt. It's a familiar story, but there should have been enough help this year. Yao is healthy, Steve Francis and Mike James were going to score, and even Bonzi Wells was going to try for this coach. So far, none of that seems to be happening. Somewhere, Jeff Van Gundy is smiling. He's also been the best announcer this year.

Side Note: Why doesn't anyone acknowledge the fact that Kobe was a big fat whiner? He complained about the talent on the Lakers so bad last year, he had people writing (literally) that the Lakers without him could not even win the Pac-10. They would consume the Pac-10's All-Star team. With one trade and one free agent signing (which adds a total of 9.2 ppg between Fisher and Ariza) suddenly Kobe has the best bench in the NBA and a Western contender. The guy was just being a cry baby.

I think all the criticism made the other Lakers pretty bitter. It looks like they did something about it, too.