Three random observations ...

... about the NBA:

1. I look up and down the Bulls box score from last night, and I don't see anything they did wrong. Then I look at the Hawks' side of the ledger and realize Mike Bibby went off for 31 points and nabbed 5 steals to guide Atlanta to a 105-102 win. Ah, the perils of employing a rookie point guard, even if that rookie is Derrick Rose. By the way, Atlanta's starting backcourt played 45 minutes each last night, as Mike Woodson is hamstrung by injuries and is hesitant to dig down the bench for untested players.

2. If you're wondering why the Kings haven't traded Brad Miller yet, last night's game against the Nuggets could provide some insight. The veteran center went 0-for-4 with 2 points and 3 rebounds and was completely outplayed by Nene, who has been 16.5 points and 6.9 rebounds in January but isn't exactly going to be mistaken for Wilt Chamberlain. It's hard for Miller to showcase himself for contenders when he does little more than show up at the arena.

3. Things are tough in Utah this season. Carlos Boozer is hurt, and then Paul Millsap, his backup, goes down. Just as Paul Millsap gets back, Andrei Kirilenko goes down with inflammation in his ankle last night. Deron Williams, who went 4-for-14, has missed time, too, but showed last night that even as his team crumbles around him, he's still one of the best. He mitigated the poor shooting night by distributing the ball for 11 assists and getting to the line, where he was 9-for-10. It was a performance the shorthanded Jazz needed to get by Minnesota and pick up a win they'll need to stay afloat and keep alive the hope of a late-season run.