Everybody in the world loves Brandon Roy, except perhaps his own body. The former Portland Trailblazers star is among the most recent NBA greats to have their promising careers cut short by injury. With Roy’s current comeback in Minnesota in question, might Roy’s playing days be officially behind him?

Somewhat surprisingly, it’s a good time to be a Houston Rockets fan in 2013. I say surprisingly because 2013 was scheduled to be a rebuilding year filled with lots of losing for a young Rockets team. Of course, the Rockets have become somewhat accustomed to losing over the last four lottery-bound seasons, but the team was set to hit a new low in 2013. This was by design on the part of Rockets general manager, Daryl Morey. How quickly things can change.

It’s become an NBA tradition as time-honored as questionable draft night fashion choices or coach Gregg Popovich stonewalling sideline interviewers. Every year since that memorable championship season in 2008, the Boston Celtics have swayed and swooned their way through the regular season in relatively unimpressive fashion, and every year injuries or other controversies have seemed to spell the end for this latest era of success. Haven’t we learned our lesson by now?

In the NBA, the writing has been on the wall for quite some time now. Teams are getting smaller, and the action is increasingly moving away from the basket. This isn’t necessarily a new trend, but it has been a somewhat controversial one. Gerard Spalding sheds some light on which of the current teams are pulling it off in 2012-13 and which have found success doing the exact opposite.

It wasn’t long ago when John Wall was the on- and off-court start of the Kentucky Wildcats while backcourt-mate Eric Bledsoe tagged along contributing under the radar. These days, with Wall’s struggles in Washington well-documented, Bledsoe has thrived in a beautiful situation with the Los Angeles Clippers. If you had to draft one today, who would you take?

Reggie Evans made a name for himself by being an underdog who made it to the NBA. He redefined that name by becoming known as the league’s most notorious flopper. With two fines for the egregious act already against him this season, Evans is quickly establishing a benchmark for most annoying player in the Association.

In today’s NBA landscape, social media is king. Knowing how to brand yourself on Twitter and Facebook can make your appeal to the fans skyrocket, which is why the Association has decided to award players who are savvy enough to do so. These awards are highly competitive, which makes watching the races and predictions even more exciting that those boring old MVP and Rookie of the Year awards.

For years, the so-called “rivalry” between the two Los Angeles-based teams in the NBA, the Lakers and the Clippers, was little more than a David and Goliath scenario. But with the summer of 2011, all that changed as the Clippers seriously upgraded their roster. The Lakers responded in kind in 2012 and now, the battle for the Staples Center looks like it could be hotter – and more exciting – than ever.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have had some trouble in recent seasons, but it appears that a change is on the horizon. With the likes of Ricky Rubio, Nikola Pekovic, Andrei Kirilenko and Alexey Shved all on the team, the T’Wolves have a dangerous combination of imports that can play numerous styles. But it may be the young Shved who becomes the biggest contributor of all.