When the start of the NBA season was delayed for nearly two months because of the labor lockout, you knew this was going to be an atypical year in basketball. But I don't know that any of us bargained for this.

The Clippers are in first place. New Orleans and Charlotte, the two cities that have shared the Hornets franchise full-time, are only competing for who is currently more embarrassing. Meanwhile, the city that temporarily took the Hornets in after Hurricane Katrina, Oklahoma City, has the team with the best record in basketball.

Lamar Odom was devastated when he was shipped off in a trade. To the World Champion Dallas Mavericks, where they apparently do not have television cameras that can follow his ever move in another desperate Kardashian attention grab. Other stars are openly talking about other cities they might like to play in, to hell with their current teams and teammates. Dwight Howard, I'm talking to you.

These are indeed strange times for the NBA.

The misnomer of market size being the sole determining factor to a team's success has long been dead in this league. Sure, having the bright lights of New York City or Hollywood in your backyard helps lure players, but the Knicks and Clippers have been horrible; this season, while the Clippers have thrived, the Lakers, basketball's brightest marquee team, has struggled.

Then again, all of a sudden, some kid named Jeremy Lin is setting the NBA on fire in New York, a welcome sight for a franchise that has been blight on the league's landscape for most of the past decade.

Franchises that were once proud are now abysmal. What happened to the Detroit Pistons? What happened to the Sacramento Kings? Aren't they supposed to be the bellwether franchises that are models for the rest of the NBA?

But let's begin here at home.

The Milwaukee Bucks have lost a lot of casual fans. Their core is still there, but then again, the Admirals and Wave still have a core of fans, too. But somewhere along the line the Bucks have slowly become less cool. They were cool in 2001 when they came within one game of the NBA Finals. They were cool two years ago when the phrase "Fear the Deer" was on everyone's lips here in town.

But last season was a letdown. Injuries took their toll. Perhaps Scott Skiles disciplinary ways took their toll on some players as well. This season, even with new and different players, there is discord. Stephen Jackson has been in Skiles' doghouse for most of the season, despite his undeniable talent.

Brandon Jennings has reportedly been unhappy with the direction of the team and has made intimations about possibly leaving when his contract is up.

To hear sports talk radio here in Milwaukee there are several thoughts that permeate the airwaves.

One is that the Bucks are an awful, terrible, embarrassing NBA franchise. That they are not even worthy of mention, other than to deride the team in the mentions that are given.

Another is that if the Bucks would just move away that would clear the way for some mythical NHL team to magically arrive on the Bradley Center's doorstep and begin play the moment the Bucks pack up their moving vans and bolt town.

Hopefully the mentality of the NHL ready to take up shop in what would be the league's fifth oldest arena in Milwaukee will subside, as that has about as much a chance of happening as Aaron having Brett over to the house for a barbecue this week.

The reality of the Bucks right now is that they are a middle-of-the road NBA team. If the season were to end today they would miss the Eastern Conference playoffs by just ½ game. The deficit is not an insurmountable one, but the order of the teams that are in front of them may surprise you.

The one and two seeds are Chicago and Miami. No surprise there. But Philadelphia as the No. 3 seed? The 76ers have not finished a season above .500 in seven years.

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