It's a tie! Both Lakers coaches probably were saddled with unrealistic expectations, but Mike D'Antoni (left) and Mike Brown (right) have made things even worse with offensive systems that don't suit their personnel. Brown and his Princeton offense were canned after a winless preseason and 1-4 start. D'Antoni's up-tempo approach also seems ill-suited for an old, slow team with strong post players. This is why Lakers fans wanted Phil Jackson back.

A lot of good candidates for this one, including Golden State's Mark Jackson, San Antonio's Gregg Popovich and New York's Mike Woodson. But Chicago's Tom Thibodeau has done a masterful job of navigating through the season without superstar Derrick Rose. He gets his players to play intense defense every night and instills mental toughness and attention to detail throughout the organization. Very few coaches can manage that.

Of the top 10 picks, Sacramento Kings rookie Thomas Robinson has been the biggest bust. Taken fifth overall – one spot before Lillard went to Portland – the Kansas big man has been too small to dominate down low like he did in college and lacks the perimeter skills to be effective otherwise. He's averaging 4.6 points and 4.5 rebounds for a team that desperately needs a frontcourt complement to DeMarcus Cousins.

Even if No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis hadn't been injured for a chunk of the season, Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard would be the front-runner for Rookie of the Year. The No. 6 pick out of Weber State, Lillard is averaging 18.3 points and 6.5 assists and has Portland in contention for a playoff spot.

Add Dwight Howard and Steve Nash to a team with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol? What could go wrong?! Ummm ... where do we begin? Injuries to Nash and Gasol have taken their toll. Howard, coming off back surgery, doesn't look comfortable mentally or physically. Kobe is leading the league in scoring, but he also nailed the Los Angeles Lakers' biggest problem: "We're an old damn team." Fans waiting for this 12th-place team in the West to make a charge should probably forget it. They're 0-6 against the Clippers, Spurs and Thunder and they ain't getting any younger.

The New York Knicks were a dysfunctional mess most of last season, except for a few magical weeks of Linsanity and a late-season surge into the playoffs. An offseason of depressing news – the loss of Jeremy Lin as a free agent and another Amar'e Stoudemire knee injury – seemed to foretell another sad season at Madison Square Garden. But with Carmelo Anthony playing like a superstar, J.R. Smith playing like an All-Star and the oldest roster in NBA history providing mental stability, the Knicks are hanging with the Miami Heat for the top spot in the East.
 

It's hard to believe that Andris Biedrins averaged 12 points and 11 rebounds per game four years ago at the age of 22. Now, when he should be in his prime, he may be the league's worst player. The 7-foot Latvian is averaging 0.6 points and 3.6 rebounds for the Warriors while shooting 36.4 percent from the free-throw line, which is actually an improvement over the previous three years. For this he's being paid $9 million, part of a six-year, $54M deal he signed in 2008.
 

LeBron James isn't our midseason MVP choice. That's Kevin Durant. Yet it's silly to deny that he's the best player in the league. A transcendent talent at the height of his powers, LeBron may be having his best individual season. He's devastatingly efficient on offense and dominating on defense. And he's been anywhere from very good to great every night, scoring at least 20 points in all but one game.
 

The Washington Wizards own the league's worst record, but at least they have an excuse: John Wall's injury. The Charlotte Bobcats can't blame bad luck for their miserable season. After a surprising 7-5 start, matching their win total from last season's lockout-shortened season, they've gone 2-24. They're slightly better than last year, but they're still the worst team in the league.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have a slightly better record, but we're going with the Los Angeles Clippers because of their number of quality wins. Against teams with winning records, the Clips are 17-6 with road wins over the Spurs and Grizzlies, while the Thunder are 13-6 without a truly impressive road win. We also like LA's depth and camaraderie, the polar opposite of Staples Center's other team.
 

With the NBA regular season roughly at the midway point, it's a good time to look at the extremes around the league. Who's had a memorable first half? And who would love to forget it? LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers make this list for very different reasons.