In a turn for the unexpected, we are seeing pre-Kerr-Warriors level of parity in the Western Conference this year. We are also receiving a dose of the heavily expected in the post-LeBron East that has revealed a barren throne (calm down Raptors fans). After looking at these standings everyday, I cannot help but shake my head and say, “The Clippers? Really?” And then I make that excruciatingly painful movement of my finger on the mouse, and scroll down one click to see my 11-12 Spurs in the bottom four of the West. What do you do when your team can’t be displayed on the same screen as the Los Angeles Clippers in the standings because they suck?! The third thing I do is immediately close the tab or NBA app, and I check the google news alerts for Lonnie Walker’s injury status. (He just played in his first G-League game for the Austin Spurs [formerly the Austin Toros] on Friday, for those who were genuinely wondering or for those who want to laugh at my desperation.)
Ok, that last thing was just me, but this has been a refreshing regular season after the past couple, even if we still know who’s going to get that Dub (no pun intended) in June. In the interest of trying to illuminate some of the gems in the swollen muck of the NBA’s massive and nearly all-encompassing middle class, I’m going to look at the hottest teams in the league. These teams are all 8-2 in their last 10 games:
Toronto Raptors (20-4) No.1, East
They are still the deepest team in the league, that has not changed, and now Kawhi is beginning to click. He, as well as Danny Gree,n have settled into their new team, and found their roles. Leonard’s numbers are extremely similar to the 2016-2017 season when the Spurs finished second in the West and made it to the conference finals. His shooting percentages are a little down, but his rebounds are up — 25.5-8.6-3.1. The front court of Pascal Siakam and Serge Ibaka has blossomed, and is officially competent offensively.
I like the chemistry between Kyle Lowry and Kawhi. Leonard has struggled late in games, which has been his biggest issue thus far in the season, where Lowry has thrived. Kawhi shouldering the load for most of the game, and Lowry coming alive in the fourth quarter works. As a 32 year old six foot point guard, it is best to minimize Lowry’s work and minutes game to game, especially since playoff/late season durability and fatigue have been issues for him in the past. He is averaging 34 minutes a game, which is two more than last season, but his usage rate is slightly lower (21 percent last year, 19 percent this year), and he can ease up on defense at times since he is surrounded by the best group of perimeter defenders in the league.
A “nice job” to rookie head coach Nick Nurse, but with the Raptors the bar lies where it always has: show me in the playoffs.
Philadelphia 76ers (17-8) No. 3, East
This team has been really exciting. Joel Embiid’s stats have been phenomenal with 27 points per game. His 3pt percentage has dipped a bit, but everything else has been an improvement. Jimmy Butler has nestled nicely, hitting two humongous game winning threes for his new squad. Beyond these two stars, a big portion of their recent success has been moving JJ Redick from the bench to the starting lineup. I don’t know why Bret Brown ever thought it would be a good idea to start Markelle Fultz when JJ was so naturally a perfect fit, and is now second on the team in scoring.
Looking towards the star that has kind of flown under the radar this year—Ben Simmons’ numbers are actually almost identical to last year, and I think the story line of him struggling is a little overblown. It’s more of just something to feed the rumbling stomach of the perpetually famished sports media beast. Are there three “alphas” on this team? Yes, but as of yet, there has not been any sort of uproar from the locker room, and they’ve been getting it done on the floor.
Moving our eyes to the box seats, I really like Elton Brand as their new GM. He worked within the Sixers’ organization before getting the big job, so he has had experience (often times when players move directly to coach or general manager directly after playing, it goes poorly). He sounds good in interviews, and seems to be well liked and respected around the league. The Butler trade has worked out so far (for both teams), but even discounting that, definitely an upgrade over a Colangelo.
Detroit Pistons (13-7) No.4, East
I want to congratulate Detroit, but at the same time I’ve been burned before with this team getting off to a quick start. Blake Griffin has been about Blake Griffin, a smidge better than last year, but that’s all I’m giving him. He is still a good player, but not All-NBA caliber. Andre Drummond has been about Andre Drummond, again a smidge better, and again not an All-NBA player. The Stan Van Gundy firing was a positive for this team, the salary sheet train wreck he put together aside, Casey has improved the chemistry, a.k.a. Reggie Jackson looks less pissy.
But this team is still a pretender. Their schedule has been pretty easy, and can someone explain to me why they have played FIVE less games than the Sixers, as of this morning?! That’s 20 percent less games in the same time frame. Avoiding complete pessimism, they did get some quality wins over their past 10. They had a little Dwane Casey f-you revenge win against the Raptors, and they did beat the sputtering Warriors and Rockets, both of whom are going through their own rough patches. Apart from those three games the other seven have been against the Bulls, Knicks, Cavs, Suns, and Hawks which are literally the worst five teams in the league, and then they lost to the Hornets and the Rockets. So, we’ll be seeing them in the 6 through 10 spots of the East Conference post All-Star, and they’ll be scrapping for a playoff berth.
Los Angeles Clippers (15-7) No. 2, West
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Montrezl Harrell, Lou Williams, Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, Mike Scott, Danilo Gallinari, Avery Bradley, Luc Mbah a Moute, Patrick Beverley, Marcin Gortat — they’ve all been good. Despite what I said in the intro, I don’t hate this team. They’re a great storyline and have turned into the darling of NBA fans.
They have done a great job of edging out Doc Rivers as the general manager, while retaining him as the head coach, and replacing him with one of the most competent collections of executives in the league. However, do not let this season fool you, this is still a collection of assets out their on the floor. They are team of solid players that has developed off the charts chemistry, however, every player on that roster knows they can be wearing a different uniform come next season. Because the Clips will be swinging for the fences. The only real untouchable is Shai.
Dallas Mavericks (11-10) No. 8, West
Just “wow” with this team. And yes I’m talking about J.J. Barea and Devin Harris. At ages 34 and 35 respectively, they are still getting it done and hitting shots. No, but the real story here is two things…and that’s J.J. and Devin! No no, but really, the first and most obvious is Luka Doncic. So far the 20 year old 2018 number three pick and former Euro League MVP has been as advertised, with an 18-6-4 average stat line. His passing vision is elite, and along with his 6’8” frame and above average shooting percentages, he is a problem for opposing defenses. He schooled LeBron on several plays, including back to back blocks, in their lose against the Lakers on Friday. He is an exciting watch, but NBA-hipsters, please relax. We get it, he’s good, we all thought he would be good. Let’s just enjoy it.
The second reason the Mavs have been performing so well is scheme and coaching. People forgot between several years of poor Cuban roster building, Dirk nostalgia, and now what feels like prehistoric Rondo drama that Rick Carlisle has always been a top three NBA coach. This team has overperformed, based on its roster, every year he has been standing on the sidelines, obscuring the view of behind-the-bench-fans. Carlisle took the Spurs to 7 games in the first round of the 2014 playoffs, the same year the soon to be LeBron-less Heat got smacked by San Antonio, losing in 5 in the Finals. But no one brings that up for some reason. They push the ball, get creative with playing multiple pgs at the same time, and run a deadly amount of backdoor cuts and timely slashes.
Now Dallas is still very young, and I have zero faith in anything positive happening when Dennis Smith Jr. has the ball on offense. Or for that matter when he is playing defense, which is rarely. I shouldn’t be so hard on the kid, but something about him reminds me of a Knicks era Derrick Rose, with pre-2012 D-Rose ACLs . Hopefully I am wrong, though. He still is an exciting athlete, and he did bury two clutch free throws last night against the Clippers to seal the win. I also want to give a quick mention to Dorian Finney-Smith who is a wing/forward in his third year with the Mavericks, and had put up career highs across the board. He is a very good defender, and has really put in the work this offseason to improve his shooting stroke. Finney-Smith has worked his way into the starting lineup, and will often close games.
I am still refraining from a final judgement with this team, and I’m enjoying the ride. It would be fun to watch them lose in the first round of the playoffs, but if they miss out, everything will still be ok, since they will begin to come alive over the next few seasons with their budding star in Doncic. On a rebuilding note, this team has the perfect combination of aging veterans and youth.
Honorable Mentions:
Oklahoma City Thunder (14-7) No. 3, West [7-3, last ten]
Russell Westbrook has improved, just kind of generally since his return (still abysmal from three though at 21.7 percent). I like the lineups with Dennis Schroder, and Russ, which is shocking. Steven Adams has looked good. Hamidou Diallo has been a nice addition for them through the draft, providing some much needed shooting. Jerami Grant is playing well, defying all odds and eyes, as he has put together a decent three point shot. Finally Paul George has been great. He is leading the team in scoring and remains the most underrated defender in the league. He should be first team easily, especially since OKC is the number one team in defensive rating.
Los Angeles Lakers (14-9) No. 5, West [7-3, last ten]
Yey Lebron. If Luke Walton gets fired in favor of Brian Shaw this offseason, I will lose it.