With no “real” football this weekend (the Pro Bowl doesn’t count), the eyes of the sporting world will be squarely on the NBA. Here is a rundown of the bigger games of the weekend to consider while formulating your NBA picks.

Last season, the Los Angeles Clippers pronounced that they had arrived and were going to be contenders in the Western Conference. This year, not a lot has changed, but the addition of Jamal Crawford has clearly brought the team to the next level, where it can certainly feel like it has a shot of winning the NBA title this year.

The Phoenix Suns have had a frustrating season, as they are 13-28 through the first half of the year and have the worst record in the Western Conference. As a result, Head Coach Alvin Gentry was dismissed, and Lindsey Hunter is taking over in his first ever head coaching job.

The 3-Point Shootout is one of the great events of the All-Star weekend in Houston, and today, we’re making our NBA picks for the men we think should be in the event.

Good news for the Chicago Bulls: former NBA MVP Derrick Rose is likely to return to the lineup for the first time this season immediately following the Feb. 15-17 All-Star break.

It’s not often that a team with one of the best records in the NBA is trying to sell off its top scorer and arguably its best player, but that’s what the Memphis Grizzlies are working on right now with F Rudy Gay.

With just over a month until the NBA trade deadline, speculation is starting to increase on what players are on the trading block. One name being dangled as possible trade bait is Tyreke Evans, the young, dynamic guard for the Sacramento Kings.

Portland Trail Blazers starting power forward LaMarcus Aldridge is quietly putting together one of the most productive seasons by an individual player in the NBA this season. The six-year pro has averaged 20.6 points and 8.4 rebounds a game to help spur the Trail Blazers to a 19-15 record and the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference playoff race.

For a season that has otherwise stunk with just a 9-28 record, at least Cavaliers fans can rest assured, knowing that they have a new face to their franchise that should carry them into the future.

Any time a player goes through the entire offseason without any training camp, he is going to need some time to get back into the swing of things. The Dallas Mavericks played it safe with Dirk Nowitzki, who had offseason knee surgery and missed the first quarter of the season. He came off of the bench and was limited to right around 20 minutes per game for his first six games, but on Saturday, he made his first start of the year against the New Orleans Hornets.