Below are the report cards of the Midwest Division teams halfway through the 2002-03 NBA regular season.

DALLAS MAVERICKS
	Comment	Grade
Ric Bucher	The players are committed to playing defense -- the coaches designed one that works -- but the roster still doesn't have a legit interior defender or post presence, which means playoff trouble.	A
Fred Carter	Don Nelson has done a tremendous job improving a team that could not play defense or get a defensive rebound last season.	A
Dr. Jack Ramsay	They started great but may have hit a wall. Their combination defense has been getting shredded in recent games -- an ominous sign.	A-
Marc Stein	The Mavs win 32 games in 40 tries and all anyone talks about are the losses. Perhaps it's worth at least a mention that these guys are allowing almost 10 points a game less than last season, rank in the top five in defensive field-goal percentage and have resurrected Shawn Bradley.	A-
Bill Walton	Owning the best record in the NBA doesn't mean much if you can't beat the Kings, Lakers and Spurs. They need to turn it around against the NBA's elite in the second half in order to shed the pretender tag.	B+
	Grade Point Average: 3.7	A-

DENVER NUGGETS
	Comment	Grade
Ric Bucher	This year is about changing the team's culture and developing young players. They compete hard every night; no one likes going into Denver.	C+
Fred Carter	The Nuggets are playing hard, but the talent pool is just too weak.	C
Dr. Jack Ramsay	They're the least talented team but among the hardest working. Rookie coach Jeff Bzdelik maximizes the talent at his diposal.	C
Marc Stein	Call them the anti-Cavs. They're losing ... but with the admiration of the whole league for their gritty play and ability to control tempo.	C+
Bill Walton	They're closer than you think to becoming a good team, particularly when gauged against most observations that it will never happen. Nene Hilario appears to be the brightest of a number of solid building blocks.	B
	Grade Point Average: 2.3	C+

HOUSTON ROCKETS
	Comment	Grade
Ric Bucher	They're as inconsistent as young teams will be while battling through a lot of early injuries. You'd like to see the Rockets' development happen faster, but Rudy T's touch with players is hard to question.	B
Fred Carter	If they can get the guards to involve Yao in the offense a little more, the Rockets could be a B+ team.	C+
Dr. Jack Ramsay	They need consistency from big forward in Eddie Griffin and Mo Taylor. They're playoff-bound.	B
Marc Stein	Yao is already a feared NBA center. Steve Francis is scaring folks more than ever, too, to make you wonder what Houston can be if it develops a dependable power forward.	B-
Bill Walton	Please find some forwards and a more complex/diverse offensive scheme. Please, somebody call Barkley and Drexler.	B+
	Grade Point Average: 2.9	B-

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
	Comment	Grade
Ric Bucher	The switch to Hubie Brown improved the intensity and execution, and turning a team in midstream is hard, but they've backslid again since the initial response to Hubie's guidance. Are mute buttons already being pressed?	C-
Fred Carter	Hubie Brown has resurrected this team a little bit, showing that the old guys can coach in this young man's league.	C+
Dr. Jack Ramsay	This team hangs in there every game. Jason Williams is the greatest beneficiary of Brown's wisdom.	C+
Marc Stein	Jerry West's maiden season in Graceland began with the hope he'd see someone with franchise-player potential. Only Pau Gasol is anywhere near star territory.	D+
Bill Walton	Unlike his days as a broadcaster, it is sad that Hubie now coaches only one team at a time.	B
	Grade Point Average: 2.1	C

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
	Comment	Grade
Ric Bucher	How do they do it? They lose Chauncey Billups and Terrell Brandon for good and Wally Szczerbiak for half a season and yet they're on playoff-berth pace again.	B+
Fred Carter	We have yet to see the real T-Wolves. Kevin Garnett is getting too much blame for the poor play, but they have kept their heads above water.	C+
Dr. Jack Ramsay	They need Wally to be at his best -- and more help from other big men -- to hold their playoff spot.	B-
Marc Stein	It has taken KG's best just to keep 'Sota at No. 8 in the West. And his reward, inevitably, is more heat no matter how it turns out.	C
Bill Walton	KG's all-around game isn't enough by itself for the Timberwolves, especially against the NBA's playoff-caliber teams. The lack of overall team offense doesn't bode well for the second-half playoff push.	C
	Grade Point Average: 2.5	C+

SAN ANTONIO SPURS
	Comment	Grade
Ric Bucher	I didn't expect much from a roster built to open up salary-cap space this summer. Having the league's sixth-best record with the 18th-biggest payroll is impressive in any case.	B
Fred Carter	As Tim Duncan goes, so go the Spurs. They continue to win but always seem to lose early in the playoffs. Hopefully, they can avoid the Lakers this year.	B
Dr. Jack Ramsay	They have the best defense in the league, and their offense is starting to blend. But the Spurs need better shooting and to get Speedy Claxton back to challenge the Kings and Mavs.	B+
Marc Stein	Encouraging: Spurs actually have two guys scoring at least 12 a game (Tony Parker and Stephen Jackson) besides TD, which is progress. Discouraging: Spurs keep losing to Denver, Atlanta, New York and now Memphis, in spite of Duncan's dominance.	B-
Bill Walton	The team's depth -- Emanuel Ginobili, Kevin Willis and Steve Kerr -- and health will become bigger factors in the second half.	B
	Grade Point Average: 3.0	B

UTAH JAZZ
	Comment	Grade
Ric Bucher	Students get graded; these guys have taken over teaching the class. Lesson plan: How chemistry and character can be more effective than pure talent or athleticism.	A-
Fred Carter	Every year, people have their shovels out trying to bury Jerry Sloan, John Stockton and Karl Malone, but they keep one hand out of the grave and keep on winning.	A
Dr. Jack Ramsay	Andrei Kirilenko is a great sixth man and Matt Harpring is having a career year. Sloan pushes all the right buttons.	A-
Marc Stein	Perhaps someone might notice that Sloan has amazingly (and sadly) never won a Coach of the Year trophy. Is this the year?	B+
Bill Walton	Right behind Phoenix, Utah qualifies as one of the biggest surprise teams in the NBA. Why aren't the Jazz the role models for the league's perennial doormats?	B+
	Grade Point Average: 3.6	B+