1. LeBron James, Cavs	G	MIN	FG%	3P%	FT%	STL	BLK	RPG	AST	PTS	PER
		49	38.6	.502	.360	.770	1.5	1.0	7.1	8.0	29.4	31.2
	January was a good month for the James Gang, who went 12-3. Thanks to LeBron, the Cavaliers haven't missed a beat without Mo Williams (6-0 since his injury). (Last week: 1 | Team record: 38-11)

	2. Kobe Bryant, Lakers	G	MIN	FG%	3P%	FT%	STL	BLK	RPG	AST	PTS	PER
		49	38.6	.463	.323	.817	1.7	0.3	5.3	4.7	28.3	23.5
	Black Mamba dropped in 44 points in a two-point loss to the Grizzlies on Monday to pass Jerry West and become the Lakers' all-time leading scorer with 25,208 points. (Last week: 2 | Team record: 37-12)

	3. Dirk Nowitzki, Mavs	G	MIN	FG%	3P%	FT%	STL	BLK	RPG	AST	PTS	PER
		47	38.1	.479	.382	.893	0.9	1.2	7.8	2.4	25.2	23.1
	The Mavs have lost their past three games. But Nowitzki still performs well even though he somehow didn't get off a shot in the final period of Monday's game. (Last week: 4 | Team record: 30-18)

	4. C. Anthony, Nuggets	G	MIN	FG%	3P%	FT%	STL	BLK	RPG	AST	PTS	PER
		38	37.9	.464	.361	.861	1.3	0.4	6.5	3.3	29.7	24.7
	I'm a believer in the theory you can't lose your starting spot thanks to injury, but you can drop in the MVP race. (You're not too valuable wearing a suit on game day.) (Last week: 3 | Team record: 33-15)

	5. Kevin Durant, Thunder	G	MIN	FG%	3P%	FT%	STL	BLK	RPG	AST	PTS	PER
		47	39.9	.488	.372	.875	1.4	0.9	7.3	3.0	29.6	25.3
	The league's second-leading scorer had his best game of the season against the Warriors on Sunday, sinking 45 points on 16-for-21 shooting and grabbing 11 boards. (Last week: 5 | Team record: 26-21)

	6. Steve Nash, Suns	G	MIN	FG%	3P%	FT%	STL	BLK	RPG	AST	PTS	PER
		50	33.7	.521	.434	.938	0.5	0.2	3.2	11.1	18.3	23.3
	While CP3 sits out with a knee injury, Nash is the NBA's top PG. Playing with an abdominal strain, he had 11 points, 8 rebounds and 16 assists Sunday against the Rockets. (Last week: 8 | Team record: 29-21)

	7. Joe Johnson, Hawks	G	MIN	FG%	3P%	FT%	STL	BLK	RPG	AST	PTS	PER
		46	37.6	.458	.357	.832	1.1	0.0	4.8	4.8	21.4	19.6
	The underappreciated star was selected to his fourth consecutive All-Star Game. He has averaged at least 20 points, 4.1 boards and 4.4 dimes for five straight seasons. (Last week: 7 | Team record: 30-16)

	8. Tim Duncan, Spurs	G	MIN	FG%	3P%	FT%	STL	BLK	RPG	AST	PTS	PER
		43	32.6	.526	.000	.756	0.5	1.8	10.7	3.2	19.7	27.1
	He showed the Hawks that he is still capable of completely dominating games, scoring 21, grabbing a career-high 27 boards and giving out 6 dimes in a win last week. (Last week: 6 | Team record: 27-19)

	9. Dwight Howard, Magic	G	MIN	FG%	3P%	FT%	STL	BLK	RPG	AST	PTS	PER
		48	35.1	.599	.000	.595	1.1	2.7	13.4	1.6	17.7	23.1
	The Magic have won six of seven. D12 showed Al Horford the difference between All-Star starter and reserve with 31 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Atlanta. (Last week: NR | Team record: 32-16)

	10. Chris Bosh, Raptors	G	MIN	FG%	3P%	FT%	STL	BLK	RPG	AST	PTS	PER
		48	35.9	.521	.400	.788	0.6	1.0	11.4	2.2	24.0	26.2
	During the Raptors' current five-game win streak, the Eastern POW is averaging 22.4 points, 13.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists. He is playing as well as any big in the NBA. (Last week: NR | Team record: 26-22)

Awards Watch past: Nov. 17 | 24 | Dec. 1 | 8 | 15 | 22 | 29 | Jan. 5 | 12 | 19 | 26

Noah

1. Joakim Noah, Bulls: He has emerged as one of the best defenders in the league, and his numbers across the board are way up.

2. Carl Landry, Rockets: With T-Mac and Yao Ming MIA, someone had to step up and be the man in crunch time for the Rockets. So far, that honor has gone to Landry.

3. Josh Smith, Hawks: Not only has he become a better decision-maker with the ball, he also has showed an all-around maturity that wasn't present during his first few seasons in the league.

4. Corey Brewer, Wolves: He has gone from being just a lockdown defender to being a lockdown defender with a jumper. His shooting range, shooting percentages and points-per-game average have risen each month this season.

5. Marc Gasol, Grizzlies: He leads all second-year players in shooting (60 percent) and rebounding (9.8), is second in double-doubles (21) and third in blocked shots (1.6).

Howard

1. Dwight Howard, Magic: According to Magic VP of communications Joel Glass, Howard is on pace to become the first player to lead the NBA in rebounding and blocks per game in more than one season.

2. Gerald Wallace, Bobcats: He has three straight double-doubles and averages 1.2 blocks and 11 rebounds a game for the Bobcats, who with the Grizzlies and Thunder are the biggest surprises of the league.

3. Josh Smith, Hawks: He has become a more efficient player on both ends of the floor by taking better shots on offense and playing better defense. So why, again, is he not an All-Star?

4. (tie) LeBron James and Anderson Varejao, Cavs: Although his chase-from-behind blocks are what are shown on "SportsCenter," his ability to get physical and shut down the game's top perimeter players are why he's on this list. And Varejao is his partner in crime, bringing high energy to the league's second-ranked defense.

5. Ron Artest, Lakers: The way he locked down Paul Pierce on Sunday reminded Lakers fans why they were so happy to get him this past summer.

Hollins

1. Lionel Hollins, Grizzlies: Memphis won just 46 games combined the past two seasons. After beating the Lakers on Monday night, the Grizzlies are on pace to exceed that win total this season. (Last week: 1)

2. Nate McMillan, Blazers: It's amazing how he continues to have the Blazers playing at such a high level despite all their injuries. Brandon Roy can't get back into the lineup fast enough. (Last week: 4)

3. Larry Brown, Bobcats: He hated to see January end. Charlotte went 12-4, including a franchise-tying six-game win streak. (Last week: 3)

4. Scott Brooks, Thunder: Not enough attention is paid to the fact that Oklahoma City not only has a winning road record but also is one of the top defensive teams in the league. (Last week: 2)

5. Mike Woodson, Hawks: With the exception of shaving off his eyebrows, almost every decision Woodson has made this season has worked out for Atlanta, which is 14 games above .500. (Last week: NR)