Is there a more polarizing player in the NBA than Kobe Bryant? Within the past few weeks, he's been fined, suspended and, according to Phil Jackson, "witch hunt"-ed by the League for several elbows, all of which made contact with defenders' faces. On the heels of this controversy, Kobe scores 65 in an overtime thriller against the Trailblazers, prompting Zach Randolph to begrudgingly say, "If he would have missed one, it probably would have given us a chance."

The highlight of Kobe's performance was capped by a ridiculous fade-away three pointer from the corner against a double team trap. Did I mention that he faded-away by spinning to his unnatural side? It's a shot that kids in driveways will try to imitate, but turn cross-eyed in the process due to the shot's difficulty.

We've seen Kobe do this before, scoring 81 against the Raptors. But I'd like to talk about his elbows for now. On several radio talk-shows, commentators and callers alike could not seem to agree on whether Kobe had been intentionally elbowing his opponents. Was he flailing his elbows in an attempt to draw a foul? Is this simply an unnatural follow through that no one has noticed before? Or are his actions blatantly intentional, making his undoubtedly a dirty player? Kobe fans vehemently defended him, while Kobe haters attacked him. But it was apparent that no one really knows for certain.

I'd like to express my opinion. After watching these elbows several times, I've concluded that he had the intent to elbow his defenders. There are a number of incredible basketball attributes that Kobe has been blessed with. Among these include an uncanny ability to control his body, whether mid-air or on the floor. Not since Michael Jordan have I witnessed someone with better body control while scoring. He knows exactly what he's doing. This is my opinion, but it's clearly David Stern's too. The Commish couldn't hit five straight free throws to save his life, but he knows the personnel of his League better than anyone. That's why he probably spent hours and hours rewinding footage of Kobe's elbows before deciding that fines, a suspension and a lasting watchful eye was the correct punishment.

Enough about the mystery that is Kobe, and onto another mystery – these Hawks. How does a team struggling to find the winning edge with its one and only all-star, Joe Johnson, manage to win four straight, including a big one against a streaking Philly team, without him? And then, how do they have their streak snapped by losing to the Celtics? I can't figure us out. The only people more confused about the Hawks than I am might be Vegas lines-makers. So instead of trying to break down why the Hawks can look so good on certain nights and like a NDBL team the next, I'll simply give my observations.

Josh Smith will be a superstar one day. The kid (it's hard to believe he's only 21 years old) has shown the past few games that he's unafraid to take on the role as a team's leading scorer, play everything from off-guard to power forward, and take big shots down the stretch. Sometimes it takes an undesirable situation to bring out positives and that appears to be case here with Joe Johnson's injury. Josh has been forced to play a bigger role on the floor and his teammates clearly trust him to make plays. This isn't to say that he's done with his development. He still has a long way to go. One of my primary criticisms of Josh is that his body and hands are never in the "ready" position to shoot. He often looks like he's surprised when he catches the ball on the perimeter and his release is slowed by this. If only someone would help him with his shooting preparation, particularly with his footwork and hand-placement, I'm convinced that not only will he score more, but that he also will shoot at a higher percentage. I'll leave it at that for now.

The Hawks are still not out of it. With 15 games remaining, the East's bottom two playoff spots remain available for the taking. Both the NJ Nets and Orlando Magic only have 30 wins. It's not crazy to assume that 36 or 37 wins could get a team into the playoffs. It's a stretch, but it's certainly possible. So hopefully Joe's getting his well-deserved rest and he'll be available for the last few games of the season for one final push. Lets go Hawks!