If Noah can sustain his assists pace through next season, he will accomplish a truly rare feat. The only center to average more than 6 assists a game for a season was Wilt Chamberlain, who did it twice (1966-67 and 1967-68). Topping Chamberlain, however, may be too much to ask. In 1967-68, the Big Dipper led the league in assists with 702 while averaging 8.6 a game.

Rays of Hope in the East

At one point it appeared unlikely that the Eastern Conference would have three teams finishing the season with winning records. Behind the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat were 13 teams that seemed hopeless.

While the conference is still top-heavy — the gap between the No. 2 and the No. 3 teams is larger than the gap between the No. 3 and the No. 7 teams — things have evened out. It seems that just one or two teams will make the playoffs with losing records, rather than five or six.

Since Jan. 1, the standings show a conference that may be more wide open than many realize.

The top team in the East during the 2014 calendar year has not been the Pacers or the Heat, but rather the hard-charging Nets, who have a .719 winning percentage and improved their playoff position from No. 10 to No. 5. In all, seven teams in the East have a winning record in 2014, and perhaps the most surprising thing is that on the heels of a five-game winning streak, the Knicks would actually qualify for the playoffs had the 2013 portion of their season not existed.

That is not to say that Indiana or Miami has much to worry about. Those teams are not only the best in the conference but are also legitimate title contenders. But with the Chicago Bulls and the Nets firing on all cylinders despite a series of setbacks earlier this season, they are certainly making things more interesting.