CHANGE IS NAME OF THE GAME LOOKING IN AT THE HALFWAY POINT.

Byline: RICH HAMMOND  NBA 

Given all the attention paid to The Fight (Detroit-Indiana) and The Feud (Kobe-Shaq), it's easy to forget that there's been some great basketball played in the NBA since early November.

The midpoint of the season has arrived. In many ways, it's been a year of change - neither of last year's NBA Finals participants, the Lakers or Pistons, have a better record than the Washington Wizards - but in others, familiarity has reigned, as the league's top players continue to assert their dominance.

A lot can, and will, happen over the next three months, but let's take a look at the top midseason candidates for a couple league honors. If nothing else, it will be good for a few laughs in April.

MVP 

--Tim Duncan, San Antonio: Duncan is the conductor of a fine-tuned orchestra, and the Spurs are so clearly the league's top team that it's easy to take Duncan's remarkable talent for granted.

Duncan shouldn't be punished for his consistency. Yes, his per-game averages are down slightly this year, but he's also playing five minutes per game fewer than he did four years ago. That doesn't mean he's getting old, or getting worse. Coach Gregg Popovich is just saving him for the playoffs, a wise move.

With a nod to Shaquille O'Neal, no other big man impacts a game like Duncan, plus Duncan does a better job of making his teammates better. Duncan, at age 28 and in his prime, is a sight to behold.

--Allen Iverson, Philadelphia: He might be a hands-down pick if the 76ers were even over .500. It's unfortunate the some of Iverson's best work is being partially obscured by his team's struggles.

Before the season, Iverson volunteered to return to point guard, and he has run the offense well. Of course, that's not too difficult, since most nights he is the offense, but Iverson is shooting better than 41 percent from the field, which would be his best mark since the 2000-01 season.

Iverson has been a model citizen this year and is on track for his finest all-around season.

--LeBron James, Cleveland: Purists in all sports believe this award should go to the player who means the most to his team. If that were the sole factor, the award certainly would belong to James.

Remember everyone, this guy is 20 years old. Remember how we used to talk about whether Kobe Bryant was better than Michael Jordan at a certain age? James has bypassed both of them.

James, last year's Rookie of the Year, has loads of talent but isn't selfish on the court, and by all accounts is a tireless worker in practice. Oh yeah, and he's also putting up 25, seven and seven every night.

--Steve Nash, Phoenix: A car can't go anywhere without a steering wheel and a gas pedal, and Nash is both of those parts for the Suns, who stunningly surged to the top of the Western Conference.

Nash has been doing these things throughout his career, but now he's surrounded by players who mesh perfectly with his style of play, and the result is a joy to watch. Nash is averaging 10 assists per game while also remaining a scoring threat by averaging approximately 15 points per game.

Here's all you need to know, though: When an injured Nash left a Jan. 14 game, the Suns lost that game and the next three without him. Phoenix is 34-6 when Nash makes it to the end of the game.

--Shaquille O'Neal, Miami: We know Shaq will always get Shaq's vote for MVP, but he should get several others, since he has helped turn the Heat into a favorite to reach the NBA Finals. Meanwhile, without him the Lakers will be fortunate just to make the playoffs.

The same knocks that O'Neal faced with the Lakers are emerging again in Miami: he's hurt, and he's starting to bicker with teammates. But this is still Shaq. When he's on his game, there's no more dominant player in the league, and he's still putting up huge numbers despite infrequent shot attempts.

Also give credit to O'Neal for bringing out the best in Dwayne Wade, a superstar in the making.

--The pick: Flawless arguments can be made for both Duncan and Nash, but there's just something special about James this season. Wednesday's game said it all. James was out there playing with a sprained ankle and a plastic mask on his face, and he was still easily the best player on the court.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

--Luol Deng, Chicago: Major factor behind the Bulls' stunning turnaround.

--Ben Gordon, Chicago: Good scorer, but all-around game is still developing.

--Dwight Howard, Orlando: Already a double-double threat; should be a great one.

--Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia: Doesn't need to be spectacular on a team with Iverson.

--Emeka Okafor, Charlotte: Great numbers, but then again, who else is on that team?

--The pick: Deng was considered something of a project coming out of the draft, but he's displayed a mature all-around game and will only get better.

COACH OF THE YEAR

--The candidates: Mike D'Antoni, Phoenix; Eddie Jordan, Washington; Nate McMillan, Seattle; Paul Silas, Cleveland; Stan Van Gundy, Miami.

--The pick: Give a huge nod to Jordan, but the choice is D'Antoni. His players have bought into his system and are running it to perfection. The same could be said of McMillan's SuperSonics, but the Suns have been just a little more impressive.

NBA FINALS PREVIEW

--West: It's hard to find fault with any of the three division leaders (Phoenix, San Antonio and Seattle) except that only the Spurs have been there before, and experience counts for a lot.

--East: Miami certainly has the talent, and without question O'Neal would be motivated for a playoff run, but don't count out the defending champions from Detroit just yet.

--The pick: San Antonio over Detroit, in six games.

OFF THE GLASS

BASELINE-TO-BASELINE COVERAGE OF THE WEEK IN THE NBA

ROCKY ROAD?

Everyone is about to learn a lot about George Karl, and the potential of the Denver Nuggets. Karl, who has coached teams to the playoffs in 13 of his 16 seasons, finally got another chance when the Nuggets hired him this week, but this is far from an easy job. Denver was perceived to be a team on the rise but has stalled recently, and it will be interesting to see how Karl, who has clashed with star players in the past, deals with Carmelo Anthony and Kenyon Martin. Also, here's to a successful future for Michael Cooper, who, if there's any justice in the NBA, will get another chance to show his skills as a head coach.

BEANTOWN BREAKUP

Newsflash: the Boston Celtics are retooling their roster. What a stunner! The Celtics are run like a fantasy basketball team, with a roster that seems to turn over every season. The way to win is through consistency, but these guys don't seem to get it. The moves they're thinking about making - trading Walter McCarty and Gary Payton - aren't necessarily bad, but they do show that things are far from stable in Boston. McCarty, whose playing time has dwindled to nothing in Boston, could be headed to Phoenix and Payton, who never wanted to play for the Celtics anyway, is rumored to be headed to Minnesota or Sacramento.

THE BIG DIVIDER

Will Shaquille O'Neal ever learn? Even if the things he says are accurate, it's not always wise to say them. After Monday's game, O'Neal took a thinly veiled shot at teammate Eddie Jones for missing open shots when the Philadelphia 76ers double teamed O'Neal and Dwayne Wade. Yes, Jones did miss nine of 12 shots from the field in that game, but O'Neal also missed 11 free throws and totaled only five rebounds. Shaq is treading a fine line here.

THEY SAID IT

``Sitting in that hotel room and knowing I could have made one play to help determine the outcome (of a close game), or at least pat somebody on the butt, that really destroyed me.''

-- Indiana's Stephen Jackson, reflecting on his 30-game suspension before his return Wednesday.

THIS WEEK'S BEST BET

HOUSTON AT MIAMI

10 a.m. today, Ch. 7

They're in different conferences now, but Shaq vs. Yao is always a fun matchup.

- Rich Hammond

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2 boxes

Box:

(1) OFF THE GLASS (see text)

(2) Daily News/CBS 2/KCAL 9 SPORTS CENTRAL POWER RANKINGS

- Ross Siler