April 3, 2008 - It certainly is a wild, wild West.

The NBA's Western Conference has provided fans with plenty of excitement this year. With less than 10 games remaining in the regular season, nine teams are within six and a half games of one another. A loss could mean a four-spot drop in the standings. However, even with all this uncertainty, some things haven't changed.

The San Antonio Spurs are proving once again that they can sleepwalk through 60 games of the regular season and still earn a high playoff seed. The reigning NBA Champions have rolled off eight straight wins and are now tied with the New Orleans Hornets for the top playoff spot in the West. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker have all hit their stride and seem set on winning another championship.

Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets have fallen on hard times after their historic 22-game winning streak. The Rockets have lost five of their last eight games and are showing vulnerability without Yao Ming. Houston is holding on to the sixth seed in the West and is up four games on the ninth-place Warriors, but it probably won’t be a contender in the playoffs.

Lastly, with their win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, the Denver Nuggets have catapulted the Warriors for the final playoff spot. The Nuggets have won six of seven and are playing with a chip on their shoulders. The Warriors are still only a half game back, so it will definitely be an interesting last two weeks.

Arenas Cleared to Play
The Washington Wizards received fantastic news this week when Gilbert Arenas was medically cleared to play. It is still uncertain when Arenas will return to action, but he will give the Wizards a much-needed boost. Washington has lost its last two games and currently sits three games back of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the fourth seed in the East.

Gasol Returns from Bum Ankle
The Los Angeles Lakers can also breathe easier after Pau Gasol returned to the lineup on Wednesday after missing almost 10 full games with a sprained ankle. The Lakers were 5-5 in Gasol's absence, but they are still clinging to the third spot in the West. The return of Gasol also takes some of the scoring pressure off Kobe Bryant, who averaged 31.1 points per game without Gasol.

Knicks Announce Walsh as President
After 24 years of service with the Indiana Pacers, Donnie Walsh has been lured away by the New York Knicks, the New York Post reported. Walsh will be named New York's new president on Wednesday after the Knicks agreed to give him a lot of authority and autonomy. On paper, this appears to be a good move for the Knicks; Walsh transformed the Pacers into a proud organization during his time with the team, and the Knicks are hoping he can restore the aura of their uniform.