Sometimes it's hard to tell where the hair gel ends and the forehead grease begins.

Just because I used up all of my remaining vacation days to skip two weeks of work over the holidays, it doesn't mean the NBA did. In fact, I think some teams even had to play on Christmas day (I can't remember if there were any high profile names involved). So in order to start fresh in 2006, I thought I'd look at what went down at the end of 2005.

The Camby Man Can't
Seeing Marcus Camby pop up on the injured list is almost as shocking as finding out the truth about Santa Claus…or Hanukkah Harry…or Kwanzaa Karl…or Karl Malone.

Farewell 'Fro
When you're the Spurs, a playoff favorite that doesn't start peaking until April every season, your star's haircut in December is what gets you in the headlines. But seriously, good riddance to Big Chia—Tim Duncan and natty hair clash worse than David Stern and the average NBA fan.

Nets Gains
Kidd's passing is so infectious, a jumper like Richard Jefferson is tossing the alley-oops on the break now. It also helps that Vince Carter is trying again. As long as Jersey's Big Three stay hot, the Nets' porous interior defense won't be a problem—until the playoffs start.

Don't Call it A Comeback…Call it His Fifth Comeback
Grant Hill has returned from the dead more than Cher, but the real news here is that a healthy Hill combined with man-child Dwight Howard and problem-child Steve Francis give the Magic the offensive firepower they need to complement their stingy defense. If Hill can stay off the injured list, Orlando can fight its way back into the playoff picture. (Granted, that "if" is bigger than a Pat Riley hair gel stain, but it's a start for Brian Hill and company.)

Ron Artest Traded!
Psyche!

NuWarrier
Then again, who needs Ron Ron back when we have Danny Fortson accumulating fouls like Shawn Kemp accumulates kids. Throw in the fact that he's first in the league in ejections, second in technicals, and has been suspended twice already this season, it seems Fortson is only one terrible music career away from his very own 73-game suspension.

LeBron's Legal
I'm not wishing anybody a happy 21st birthday until I see a birth certificate. Or a Hummer.

Clippers Crash Back Down to Earth
…and you know Sam Cassell doesn't feel comfortable there. After feasting on the energy created by a new roster and an easy schedule, the Clipp show desperately needs Corey Maggette back if they want to continue to steal the headlines away from famed L.A. boxer, Kobe Bryant.

Fantasy Wasteland
One look at my fantasy team's drop in the standings these last three weeks and it's clear that Jermaine O'Neal, Stephen Jackson, and all white people aren't the only ones upset with Ron Artest's latest media fiasco.

Jazzed Up
It was only a matter of time before Jerry Sloan got his team back on track. The return of Andrei Kirilenko and the surprisingly effective play of Mehmet Okur are starting to make this one of the hardest rosters to beat regularly, and spell correctly.

Doubting Thomas
You can talk all you want about how Isiah Thomas and the Knicks are just going through a rebuilding phase, but the next time I spend $120 million on something, it better be able to beat the Hawks.