Recognizing five stories that have been underplayed

	You don't often hear Tim Duncan's name mentioned prominently in the MVP race, but he has the Spurs poised to contend for yet another championship. John W. McDonough/SI

It's almost time for some bracketology, NBA-style, and the great thing is, the board is a mystery. You can use ink to put Dallas on that top line in the West and a pretty heavy pencil to do the same with Detroit in the East. And if Phoenix beats San Antonio in Thursday night's eagerly awaited TNT game, the Suns are all but a lock for second. But everything else will have to wait.

Before it becomes all playoffs, all the time, here is a five-pack of teams, individuals or storylines that may have slid under the radar during the regular season.

Old reliable

The MVP race is probably going to come down to Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash. Kobe Bryant gets more than 50 four games in a row. LeBron James has taken up permanent residence on the ESPN highlights. What's Gilbert Arenas writing on his blog? When's Shaq coming back? When's Dwyane coming back? Where did you see Tony Parker and Eva Longoria?

Hmm, who are we forgetting ...

Oh, that's right. Good ol' Tim Duncan.

All he's done this year is play every game, average 20 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 3.4 assists, shoot 54 percent from the floor, stay out of foul trouble, stay out of any kind of trouble, and keep the Spurs in contention for an NBA championship, which would be his fourth.

One of the best players in the world, and we often forget about him.

And that's just how he likes it.

Karl and Coby

A couple years ago I remember the pride in the voice of Denver Nuggets coach George Karl when he talked about his son, Coby, an outstanding player at Boise State. Watching Coby grow into a fine athlete and fine young man had, Karl said, changed him, made him more mellow, gave him an idea about priorities. I think it did exactly that.

Still, Karl has one of the most difficult jobs in the NBA, a team of volatile personalities and extreme talent. It's not just Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony, either. Nene isn't easy. Marcus Camby isn't easy. J.R. Smith isn't easy.

The Nugs' up-and-down season and up-and-down personalities commanded much of the attention, even recently when Karl missed a couple of days to be with Coby, who had surgery to remove cancerous lymph nodes. It was Coby's second surgery in 13 months. It's hard to imagine the personal toll this must've taken on Karl.

There was much feeling around the NBA that Denver, with perhaps the toughest late-season schedule in the league, would tumble out of the playoffs, ceding the final three spots to the Lakers, Clippers and Warriors. Well, as of Thursday morning, the Nuggets are seventh, close to catching the Lakers for sixth, and their coach is still doing his job with a lot on his mind besides getting enough shots for A.I. and 'Melo.