Who's up, who's down in free agent rankings

As we hit the halfway point of the NBA season and approach All-Star weekend, free agency should be the last thing on everybody's mind, right?

Of course not!

The 2012 NBA free agent rankings received a massive overhaul over the weekend, including the abolishment of the Richard Jefferson rule.

First, the new top 10:

1. Dwight Howard
2. Deron Williams
3. Steve Nash
4. Eric Gordon
5. Ryan Anderson
6. Ray Allen
7. Roy Hibbert
8. Gerald Wallace
9. Jeremy Lin
10. Nicolas Batum

You get a pair of sharpshooters at 5-6. Anderson has been the league's most lethal threat from downtown, already with 97 3-pointers in 33 games. Allen continues to be the model of consistency, meaning he'll get a short-term deal somewhere.

Then, you get this year's biggest surprise, Lin, sandwiched behind two not-so-surprises in Blazers forwards Wallace and Batum. Lin's a restricted free agent next year, so no matter what, if the Knicks choose, they could bring him back. If Lin keeps up his play -- which we have no reason to believe he won't -- he'll continue to move up this list, possibly into the top 5.

Some other notable movers:

It's not at all crazy to think Williams could make more than his $8.5 million player option in free agency. He's looks good enough to start somewhere, and that won't happen with Chris Paul in Los Angeles.

A couple of years ago, would you have ever thought that a 35-year-old Carter would actually be motivated to be a role player on a contender? He's shooting a career-high 44 percent from three, and is averaging 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per 36 minutes. Seeing that he is willing to come off the bench, teams will come knocking.

Post-hype sleeper, anyone? Lee looked promising his rookie year in Orlando, looked a little too raw his sophomore year in New Jersey, and took a heavily reduced role last year in Houston. Finally with some continuity in his second year with the Rockets, Lee has been very effective off the bench, shooting 40 percent from three while averaging 14 points per 36 minutes. It could be time to for a team to give the 26-year-old another chance to start.

Before Lin broke on to the scene, Hawes' early-season success was the NBA's most surprising story. In 14 games, Hawes posted a field goal percentage way above his career average (56.8 percent vs. 46.5 percent), and was averaging a career-best 10.8 rebounds per 36 minutes. On top of that, his offensive (114) and defensive ratings (94) -- measures of how many points are produced and allowed per 100 possessions -- were elite. However, the Sixers center has battled injuries and hasn't been able to stay on the court. If he comes back and can handle the increased role and increased minutes, he'll move back up the list.

Pretty easy, here. The smart money is on neither Billups nor Oden playing basketball again. But both have been insistent they'd like to give it a go. Billups definitely won't be ready for the start of next season, though, and you'd have to guess Oden won't be either. 

It looks like Brown made a huge mistake leaving the Lakers for a one-year deal in Phoenix. The move seemed to make sense -- put Brown in an offense-happy system, pump up the stats for a year, then sign a big deal in the offseason. Instead, he's has been in and out of the Suns' rotation, shooting just 39 percent from the field in 27 games.

2009-10: 55.4 percent from the floor. 2010-11: 45.8 percent from the floor. 2011-12: 37.4 percent from the floor. You think that sort of regression will excite anybody?