TSNs Jack Armstrong offers his thoughts on the Christmas Day extravaganza, including the Nets struggles, the improvement of Serge Ibaka, the feisty Mario Chalmers, the performance of Chandler Parsons and the lane presence of DeAndre Jordan. China Shoes 2020 . 1. BROOKLYN NETS: I know Brook Lopez is a good player but come on now. The Chicago Bulls didnt have Derrick Rose and Luol Deng wasnt suited up and they get their tails kicked at home. What I see is a team thats disjointed and just not on the same page in terms of what the plan is. Injuries and the lack of practice time with a healthy group have been factors no doubt but when I see inconsistent effort and lack of fire/passion, then I wonder. I think we all thought this team would be so much better. Now what? Tough decision for GM Billy King. Theyve gone all in with this group and it will be a difficult fix. 2. SERGE IBAKA (Thunder): Each time I watch him, Im more and more impressed with what I see. Hes continuing to improve his game and has become a very nice third piece to compliment Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Plays the game very hard. Relentless in his rebounding effort, finishes in the lane and has become so much more confident in his face-up game and jump shot. He was so raw when he first entered the league but not anymore. Its a true testament to his work ethic. 3. MARIO CHALMERS (Heat): Doesnt get a lot of attention on this team yet hes a feisty perimeter defender and gets the ball to the right places at the right time. Is a guy that can hurt you with the 3-point shot and loves the big moment. Perfect complimentary fit for this club. You dont need to run a lot of plays for him and the style of play is good for his game. Has a really good motor and compete level and playing with such great players has taught him to slow down and concentrate on making the smart play which he does with better consistency. 4. CHANDLER PARSONS (Rockets): Never thought hed be this good as a pro when he came out of the University of Florida. Not a big, strong guy and when you look at him, hes far from a physically imposing figure yet at an explosive/demanding position, hes more than held his own. His performance yesterday against the Spurs was one of pure efficiency and productivity with 21 points, six rebounds and six assists. He makes you guard him from deep (5- 3 Pointers) and has a neat change of pace with his ball skills. Plays the game at a controlled speed yet with superb energy and awareness. A keeper. 5. DE ANDRE JORDAN (Clippers): He gives his team the lane presence that is so important to win consistently in the NBA. Gets 13 rebounds and six blocks against the Warriors and takes only terrific high percentage shots in the lane, usually on offensive rebounds or off of Chris Paul penetration for dunks. As we get into the playoffs in April, Ill be curious to see if Doc Rivers continues to play him major minutes, particularly late in games with his shaky free-throw shooting. Rivers has made it a point of emphasis to play him and boost his stock and compliment him and its paid dividends in an improved player. With coaches leaning towards playing small and adding skill to the court in bigger games, this will be an interesting dynamic to watch develop. Cheap Shoes Free Shipping .Lets go back to the Avs, who have become one of the funnest teams to watch in this years playoffs. Discount Shoes For Sale . -- Houstons All-Star tandem of James Harden and Dwight Howard refused to let the Rockets give in to fatigue. http://www.wholesaleshoesusa.com/ . The Suns termed Fridays surgery by team doctor Thomas Carter a success. No timetable was given for Bledsoes return but the team said in a news release that he "will pursue a possible return to action during the second half" of the season.The Toronto Raptors are sold out. For the first time since the 2000-01 season, Canadas lone National Basketball Association team has sold out of season tickets. Thanks to the Raptors fast start, interest among fans and corporate Canada alike has been strong. Though the Cavaliers have set the season-ticket sales benchmark this year -- they sold out more than 12,000 season tickets within eight hours of announcing LeBron James had signed with Cleveland - the Raptors have boosted season ticket sales this season by 50 per cent over last year. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment chief commercial officer Dave Hopkinson said the Raptors have sold 12,500 season seats, up from about 8,000 a year ago. The team on Saturday began informing fans it was sold out of season tickets. The Raptors strong play on the court has been the talk of the NBA and also offers a reminder that in professional sports, there is no tonic to bolster a teams bottom line like winning. Its unprecedented, Hopkinson told TSN in an interview, adding that the Rapptors have never before experienced a 50 per cent year-over-year season ticket increase. Wholesale Nike Shoes. Its a testament to the commitment our fans and the marketplace are making to the Raptors. Season tickets is a commitment. This means we will be able to sell out every game this season, Hopkinson said. That means a louder, more energetic environment for the fans and a major home court advantage for the team. He said the Raptors success puts us in elite company in the NBA. Our business has surged. Record TV ratings, sponsorships, ticket sales and consumer product sales. We are setting high water marks across the board. The Raptors plan to announce the sell-out with ads in the Toronto market that could debut as soon as Monday. New corporate sponsors also include Sun Life Insurance, Sentry Investments, Unilever and China-based car tire maker Aeolus Tires. MLSE charges about $700 to $7,500 for season tickets. The only time the team has sold out previously was during the 2000-01 season, during Vince Carters heyday. ' ' '