Eastern Conference Insider: Assessing Atlantic X-factors

As part of NBA.com's 2008-09 Season Preview, we designated a "Man on the Spot" for each team. This was the player we saw as an X-factor, or as someone who needed to be at their best for their team to succeed.

This week, we're going to take a look at the Atlantic Division Men on the Spot and how they've performed through the first three-plus weeks of the season. It's still early, but so far, we have two positive developments, two disappointments and one incomplete evaluation due to a mid-November role change.

Chris Duhon's solid play has been key in the Knicks' improvement this season. Elsa/Getty Images

Devin Harris -- New Jersey Nets
23.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.14 SPG, .449 FG%
Harris is an early candidate for the Most Improved Player award, terrorizing opposing defenses with the quickness that has been unleashed by Lawrence Frank's new offensive schemes. "The thing he's doing better than what he was doing prior ... when he's attacking, he's hitting first on his penetration," Frank said. Hitting first (or drawing contact on his drives) has Harris attempting 11.0 free throws per game. But the other end of the floor is another issue. The Nets are the worst defensive team in the league and they need Harris to do a better job of guarding the ball to avoid an over-helping defense that often leads to wide-open jumpers for opponents.

Chris Duhon -- New York Knicks
9.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 7.2 APG, 1.45 SPG, .407 FG%
The Knicks are no longer a joke, currently standing at 6-5 and in the top eight of the Eastern Conference. Duhon's numbers don't stick out, especially for a team that plays at the fastest pace in the league. But digging a little deeper, you'll see that he ranks second in the NBA with a 4.16 assist-turnover ratio, which is a full point better than that what Steve Nash had (3.14) in his four years playing under Mike D'Antoni. Duhon needs to shoot better, but he's efficiently running a pretty solid offense.

Rajon Rondo -- Boston Celtics
7.8 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 6.7 APG, 2.08 SPG, .467 FG%
The Celtics are 10-2 so it's hard to complain, but their offense has taken a big step back from last season. If Rondo could develop a jumper, it would make the Celtics that much tougher to defend and open things up for his teammates. But a look at Rondo's hotspots chart reveals that 31 of his 35 field goals have come at the bucket and that he's shooting poorly from the outside.

Andre Iguodala -- Philadelphia 76ers
12.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.18 SPG, .381 FG%
The Sixers have been a disappointment so far for those who thought the addition of Elton Brand would make them an Eastern Conference contender, and Iguodala's offensive struggles have been a factor. His efficiency is at its lowest since his rookie season. The Sixers have admitted that they need to learn how to play with a post-up guy as their primary option offensively, and Iguodala may be one who needs to adjust the most.

Andrea Bargnani -- Toronto Raptors
10.6 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 0.8 APG, 1.45 BPG, .511 FG%
With the Raptors having lost four of five, Sam Mitchell made Bargnani the starting small forward three games ago. He's played well in two of the games (both wins over Miami) and struggled in the other (a loss in Orlando). Bargnani's inability to rebound won't hurt the Raptors when he's playing with Chris Bosh and Jermaine O'Neal, but he'll have a tough time guarding the quicker threes in the league.

• The Bobcats waived Andre Brown and Linton Johnson III on Wednesday, leading to some speculation that they are preparing to make a trade. Charlotte needs help on their frontline and the Newark Star-Ledger reports that they have been talking with the Nets, who have big men to spare. Charlotte may take a flier on former Cav Dwayne Jones and they're one of many teams interested in Antonio McDyess.

• Just five days after they handed the Lakers their first loss of the season, the Pistons ended the Cavs' eight-game winning streak in Auburn Hills on Wednesday. While Allen Iverson called streak-breaking "exciting," Rasheed Wallace characteristically downplayed it.

"We're just trying to make ourselves better," Wallace said. "We really don't care about what the other teams are doing at that moment."

• Late in the third quarter of that Cavs-Pistons game, Anderson Varejao attempted to get the ball to LeBron James in the post, but his pass bounced out of bounds. LeBron stood there for a three-count with his head tilted to the side and an exasperated look on his face.

He did one other thing before running back down the floor. He looked down at his wrist and adjusted the rubber bands he wears.

If you watch LeBron closely, you'll see that he does this quite often during games. After one preseason game, he was asked about it.

"That's my rubber bands," James explained. "They got 'King James' on them. Sometimes they get twisted up and I like to make sure I can still see it. That's a serious answer too. My wristbands get twisted and I've got to make sure I can still see my nickname.

"I've just always done it. I don't know. My family noticed the same thing. I'm a little crazy sometimes, I guess."

• After two-plus seasons, 82 career games and 92 DNPs, the Magic's J.J. Redick got his first NBA start Tuesday against Toronto, replacing Mickael Pietrus, who bruised his ribs on Sunday. Redick scored 10 points in Orlando's 103-90 win, hitting 2-of-4 from downtown and was a game-high +20 in 34 minutes.

• Bloggers had some fun with the long-sleeve compression shirt that Chicago's Larry Hughes wore upon returning from a shoulder injury that he suffered in the preseason. Hughes wore it for two games, but then shed it as the Bulls hit the road for their seven-game circus trip.

Hughes told NBA.com's Dave McMenamin that the NBA allowed him to wear the shirt for a couple of weeks "for protection and support," but that it was his choice to go without it for Tuesday's game in L.A.

"I'm trying to get away from it because it was really tight," Hughes said. "It did its job, but it kind of bothered me a little bit."