Mid-Season Report
I’m not sure what’s hardest to believe; that we’re at the All-Star break already, that we’re at the half-way point of the season already or that both of these events are happening at the same time for once? With the exception of Golden State (30), Cleveland & the Clippers (31) and Boston, Charlotte & Utah (32) every team has played at least 33 games as we begin the ninth annual MSR. With apologies to the Jazz and Warriors I think we are down to ten squads in each conference vying for the eight playoff spots.
OPFG% = opponent field goal percentage
RBDF = rebound differential
3P% = 3-point field goal percentage
* = teams I had making the playoffs in late December
EAST
1. *Miami Heat (27-7) – They are first in 3P%, 4th in RBDF and tied for 5th in OPFG%. If that wasn’t enough they also boast the top two players in PER in LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. They are first in offensive efficiency (points per 100 possessions) and 7th in pace factor (95.3 possessions a game) so they are even playing an entertaining brand of ball. None of those numbers will matter though if they choke in the playoffs again. They have to be considered the odds on favorites to win it all barring injuries.
2. *Chicago Bulls (27-8) – They are first in RBDF, 5th in 3P% and 7th in OPFG%. It’s a testament to Coach Tom Thibodeau’s mentality that they have the record they do with all the injuries they’ve had. Richard Hamilton has missed 24 games, C.J. Watson 12, Derrick Rose 10 and Luol Deng 7. That’s three starters and a top reserve if you’re keeping track. If the Bulls are healthy for the Eastern Conference Finals the series against the Heat will be epic but I fear health will be the determining factor either way come June.
3. *Indiana Pacers (21-12) – They play defense (8th in OPFG%), rebound (8th in RBDF) and shoot threes (9th in 3P%). They are also well positioned to make a move at the trade deadline with the most salary cap space in the league and plenty of tradable assets. Making rash moves has never been the style of team President Larry Bird but if something presents itself I think he almost has to be opportunistic at this point. The Pacers are likely a few upgrades away but still should advance to the second round.
4. *Philadelphia 76ers (20-14) – The can defend (tied for 3rd in OPFG%), shoot threes (8th in 3P%) and lead the league in bench scoring. However they aren’t a great rebounding side (22nd in RBDF), have lost 7 of their last 9 and have only played 15 road games thus far. I expect them to “regress to the mean” over the second half of the season but they are certainly a lock to make the playoffs. I don’t see them making much noise once they get there unless President Rod Thorn decides to make a trade or two.
5. *Orlando Magic (22-13) – Dwight Howard’s numbers are down in scoring (20.1 from 22.9), blocks (2.2 from 2.4), shooting (55.4% from 59.3%), free throw shooting (49.2% from 59.6%) and PER (24.02 from 26.13). Yet despite Dwight’s obvious indifference the Magic are still 4th in 3P% and 9th in OPFG%. They can possibly win a round in the playoffs if they keep Howard but the big question is what will President Otis Smith do with his star? I don’t see Otis getting great offers for Dwight by 3/15 but you never know.
6. Atlanta Hawks (20-14) – They play decent defense (11th in OPFG%) and can shoot threes (7th in 3P%) but I have a bad feeling about this group. For starters they have lost 8 of their last 12 games and Joe Johnson (left knee) has joined Al Horford (left pectoral) on their injury report. It doesn’t stop there as Marvin Williams and Tracy McGrady have joined Josh Smith in complaining to the media about their roles. I’ve written them off before but I don’t see them winning a round if they make the playoffs.
7. *New York Knicks (17-18) – They don’t defend (16th in OPFG%), rebound (19th in RBDF) or surprisingly shoot threes (27th in 3P%) but those numbers don’t reflect their current rotation at all. Iman Shumpet and Toney Douglas have been replaced by Jeremy Lin and Baron Davis at the point. J.R. Smith and Steve Novak replacing Shumpert and Bill Walker as wing reserves should really improve their 3-point shooting. This is a dangerous squad that if on the same page can challenge anyone in the East.
8. *Boston Celtics (15-17) – They have really picked up their defense (2nd in OPFG%) and shoot it well from deep (6th in 3P%) but they don’t rebound at all (26th in RBDF). I worry about their lack of depth at literally every position if they have injuries. Then GM Danny Ainge could blow up the roster by trading one of his “Big Four” at any minute. They’ve only played 15 road games so the second half figures to not be very kind to them. It wouldn’t shock me if they missed the playoffs or got swept in the first round.
Cleveland Cavaliers (13-18) – Kyrie Irving leads all rookies in estimated wins added by a whopping 1.4 wins a season. It’s an obscure stat but it’s the best way I can sum up what he means to the Cavs. Their defense was suspect to begin with (19th in OPFG%) and without Anderson Varejao (right wrist) manning the middle I expect it to get worse along with their rebounding (7th in RBDF). These guys play hard every night for Coach Byron Scott and had a legitimate shot at the playoffs had Varejao not broken his wrist.
*Milwaukee Bucks (13-20) – Time has to be running out on both Coach Scott Skiles and GM John Hammond. In fact, if I were Hammond I’d have fired Skiles roughly a month ago. This team has more than enough talent to make the playoffs in the East but Skiles hasn’t decided on a playing rotation for going on two years now. Losing Andrew Bogut (left ankle) hurt and the Stephen Jackson experiment hasn’t worked out but I think another voice in the huddle is what this bunch needs to make a run.
Detroit Pistons (11-24) – Granted they don’t have many defensive minded players or rebounders but I’m still shocked that a Lawrence Frank coached team is 29th in OPFG% and 24th in RBDF. Outside of Greg Monroe and Jonas Jerebko I can’t come up with a compelling reason to watch these guys. They are still a mismatched bunch of shoot-first PGs and tweener forwards. I think new Owner Tom Gores needs to can President Joe Dumars sooner rather than later. In fact, tomorrow would be good.
Toronto Raptors (10-23) – New Coach Dwane Casey has them playing defense (10th in OPFG%) and rebounding (15th in RBDF) for the first time in years. The real story to the Raps season is Andrea Bargnani who was sporting career highs in points (23.5), rebounds (6.3), assists (2.1) and PER (22.13) before he strained his left calf. They are a respectable 6-7 when Il Mago plays and an ugly 4-16 when he doesn’t. If Jonas Valanciunas arrives next season things could be looking up in T-Dot.
New Jersey Nets (10-25) – They are dead last in OPFG%, 24th in RBDF and have been hit hard by the injury bug. The good news is with Brook Lopez coming back they now can trot out 4/5 of a reasonable NBA starting lineup with Deron Williams, Kris Humphries and rookie MarShon Brooks joining Lopez. The elephant in the room is what will President Billy King do with D-Will if he can’t acquire Dwight Howard by 3/15? My gut feeling is King will panic and take back Pau Gasol so he’s not left empty handed.
Washington Wizards (7-26) – They were 2-15 when they fired Flip Saunders as coach and have gone 5-11 since Randy Wittman took over. They are 25th in OPFG%, 28th in RBDF, 29th in 3P% and possess one of the most dysfunctional rosters in the entire Association. I’d say President Ernie Grunfeld has to be on borrowed time by now as is everyone else on the team not named John Wall, Jan Vesely, Chris Singleton or Trevor Booker.
Charlotte Bobcats (4-28) – This is by far the most painful side to watch in the NBA. They are last in RBDF, 27th in OPFG% and 26th in 3P%. I really couldn’t say with any assurance who I think their best player is as they are one step above a D-League team in my opinion. Things can only get better since they figure to have a high draft pick this summer and tons of salary cap space after next season.
WEST
1. *Oklahoma City Thunder (27-7) – They’ve been the cream of the crop out West all season and are 2nd in offensive efficiency, 6th in RBDF and tied for 5th in OPFG% & pace factor. In other words they have almost the exact same statistical profile as Miami outside of 3P% (14th). I can’t tell you which club will do it yet but I think the Thunder can lose in a 7-game series to a Western foe because their late game offense is still too stagnant and reliant on the greatness of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
2. *San Antonio Spurs (24-10) – Manu Ginobili has played in only 9 games so far with a variety of injuries, Tim Duncan has his lowest PER ever and they don’t defend (26th in OPFG%) or rebound (20th in RBDF). So how in the heck are they 2nd in the West? Tony Parker has the second highest PER of his career (’08-09), they are 3rd in 3P% and Gregg Popovich is one hell of a coach. These guys could win the West with a few breaks or be out in round one with a bad matchup. The West is that wide open.
3. *Los Angeles Clippers (20-11) – They are a middle of the pack defensive (14th in OPFG%) and 3-point shooting (13th in 3P%) side. However like all Chris Paul led squads they don’t waste possessions (tied for 4th in offensive efficiency) and they can also rebound (3rd in RBDF) with the best of them. I fear they are too reliant on CP3 creating offense though and losing Chauncey Billups (left Achilles) didn’t help that any. I think GM Neil Olshey needs to make a trade or the second round is probably their ceiling.
4. *Dallas Mavericks (21-13) – Nobody predicted they’d be first in OPFG% after losing Tyson Chandler to free agency, but they are. That said they don’t rebound (18th in RBDF) or shoot threes (21st in 3P%) all that well and are getting lackluster production from more than a few players. President Donnie Nelson isn’t going to make any moves that take on salary and may even dump Shawn Marion for cap space by 3/15. The Mavs are still as dangerous as anybody in the West and fall in the same class as SA above.
5. *Los Angeles Lakers (20-14) – They are 2nd in RBDF and tied for 3rd in OPFG% but only 28th in 3P% and last in bench scoring. The Lakers have three of the best players at their positions in Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol but the roster falls of a cliff after that, and no, Rasheed Wallace isn’t the answer to their problems. They likely aren’t going to be contenders this season unless GM Mitch Kupchak manages to find an upgrade at PG but they are a playoff team barring injuries.
6. Houston Rockets (20-14) – They are below average defensively (21st in OPFG%), ok shooting the three (12th in 3P%) and decent rebounding (9th in RBDF). They get by on their superior depth with kudos going to Coach Kevin McHale for making some tough choices early on when settling on a rotation. Goran Dragic, Courtney Lee, Chase Budinger, Patrick Patterson and Jordan Hill form a tough and versatile second unit. They could certainly make the playoffs but are likely one and done if they get there.
7. *Memphis Grizzlies (19-15) – They are tied for 10th in RBDF, 12th in OPFG% and 20th in 3P% but beyond the numbers it’s amazing that they are still in the playoffs hunt with Zach Randolph (right knee) appearing in only 4 games thus far. When he returns to the lineup shortly they should be in good shape going forward but I’m not so sure. This group of players has never been healthy at the same time and I still wonder how their chemistry will be. That said the Griz are perfectly suited to upset OKC early.
8. *Portland Trail Blazers (18-16) – The stat geeks all think Portland is really better than their record due to their 5th best point differential. Well I’m here to tell you that this is a very average bunch that can’t win on the road. They are 15th in OPFG%, 17th in RBDF and tied for 16th in 3P%. Since they still have no GM and an unpredictable owner it’s hard to say what’s coming next for them. To comfortably make the playoffs Ray Felton is going to have improve on his career low PER or it’ll be back to the lottery for PDX.
*Denver Nuggets (18-17) – Their depth was supposed to be their calling card until everyone got hurt. Al Harrington and Andre Miller are the only Nugs to appear in every game with starters Nene Hilario (12 games), Danilo Gallinari (10), Timofey Mozgov (9), Ty Lawson (5) and Arron Afflalo (3) all missing time. They aren’t a great defensive (tied for 23rd in OPFG%), rebounding (12th in RBDF) or shooting (22nd in 3P%) team either. They can still make the playoffs and possibly win a round if they get healthy though.
Minnesota Timberwolves (17-17) – They are without a doubt my favorite club to watch play this season. Ricky Rubio’s passing and enthusiasm is infectious and Kevin Love is a flat out superstar. New Coach Rick Adelman is not known for his defense but the Wolves are tied for 12th in OPFG% and are 5th in RBDF. They don’t shoot it well from deep (23rd in 3P%) and are probably a year away from being in the mix but if injuries hit a few of the teams above them I could see them sneaking into the playoffs.
Utah Jazz (15-17) – They benefited from a home heavy early part of their schedule but have come crashing back to earth recently losing 13 of 19 games with most of them coming away from EnergySolutions Arena. The bad news is they’ve only played 14 road games so far and are tied for 23rd in OPFG% while being dead last in 3P%. The good news is they have a nice young core and ZERO dollars committed to the salary cap after next season. The future is bright for the Jazz.
Golden State Warriors (13-17) – I have to give rookie Coach Mark Jackson credit, he’s much better at his job than I thought he’d be. They still don’t defend (22nd in OPFG%) or rebound (29th in RBDF) but they still can shoot it (2nd in 3P%). The main thing that’s changed for the Warriors under Jackson is they compete every single night now. That’s said they’ve also played the fewest total games (30) and road games (12) league wide, so the schedule figures to eat them up over the second half of the season.
Phoenix Suns (14-20) – The “brain trust” of Owner Robert Sarver, President (and former agent) Lon Babby and GM Lance Blanks waited far too long to trade Steve Nash. Nash won’t request a trade but would be open to it if the organization came to him. The problem there is at this point they won’t get anything close to equal value for him. Steve has also said that the Suns won’t be able to keep him at a below market value price next season. This franchise is going nowhere fast as Nash waves goodbye.
Sacramento Kings (11-22) – They were 2-5 when they replaced Paul Westphal with Keith Smart as coach and have gone 9-17 since. Not surprisingly the Kings play no defense (28th in OPFG%), don’t rebound (23rd in RBDF) nor can they shoot it from deep (25th in 3P%). The one saving grace for them going forward is Smart seemingly ending the Tyreke Evans at PG era and replacing him with rookie Isaiah Thomas. Unfortunately Keith moved Tyreke to SF rather than his natural SG position. Oh well.
New Orleans Hornets (8-25) – Eric Gordon came out this week and admitted that he didn’t have a bone bruise on his right knee but rather cartilage damage. Gee, ya don’t say? Gordon didn’t stop there saying that he first experienced pain in the knee prior to the blockbuster Chris Paul trade. D’oh, that would be a double bad for you Commissioner Stern. The Hornets do play hard every night for Coach Monty Williams but they lack the talent to compete unless the opposition is sleepwalking.
Mid-Season Awards
Defensive Player – Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia)
Sixth Man – James Harden (Oklahoma City)
Coach – Gregg Popovich (San Antonio)
Rookie – Kyrie Irving (Cleveland)
MVP – LeBron James (Miami)
All NBA
PG – Chris Paul (Clippers)
SG – Kobe Bryant (Lakers)
SF – LeBron James (Miami)
PF – Kevin Love (Minnesota)
C – Dwight Howard (Orlando)
My blog is going dark for the next three weekends (if not four) as I prepare for, travel to and recover from my third trip to Europe. During my time away trading season will open (3/1) and close (3/15) so depending on the activity at the deadline my first post back may or may not be the “Trade Spectacular.”
OPFG% = opponent field goal percentage
RBDF = rebound differential
3P% = 3-point field goal percentage
* = teams I had making the playoffs in late December
EAST
1. *Miami Heat (27-7) – They are first in 3P%, 4th in RBDF and tied for 5th in OPFG%. If that wasn’t enough they also boast the top two players in PER in LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. They are first in offensive efficiency (points per 100 possessions) and 7th in pace factor (95.3 possessions a game) so they are even playing an entertaining brand of ball. None of those numbers will matter though if they choke in the playoffs again. They have to be considered the odds on favorites to win it all barring injuries.
2. *Chicago Bulls (27-8) – They are first in RBDF, 5th in 3P% and 7th in OPFG%. It’s a testament to Coach Tom Thibodeau’s mentality that they have the record they do with all the injuries they’ve had. Richard Hamilton has missed 24 games, C.J. Watson 12, Derrick Rose 10 and Luol Deng 7. That’s three starters and a top reserve if you’re keeping track. If the Bulls are healthy for the Eastern Conference Finals the series against the Heat will be epic but I fear health will be the determining factor either way come June.
3. *Indiana Pacers (21-12) – They play defense (8th in OPFG%), rebound (8th in RBDF) and shoot threes (9th in 3P%). They are also well positioned to make a move at the trade deadline with the most salary cap space in the league and plenty of tradable assets. Making rash moves has never been the style of team President Larry Bird but if something presents itself I think he almost has to be opportunistic at this point. The Pacers are likely a few upgrades away but still should advance to the second round.
4. *Philadelphia 76ers (20-14) – The can defend (tied for 3rd in OPFG%), shoot threes (8th in 3P%) and lead the league in bench scoring. However they aren’t a great rebounding side (22nd in RBDF), have lost 7 of their last 9 and have only played 15 road games thus far. I expect them to “regress to the mean” over the second half of the season but they are certainly a lock to make the playoffs. I don’t see them making much noise once they get there unless President Rod Thorn decides to make a trade or two.
5. *Orlando Magic (22-13) – Dwight Howard’s numbers are down in scoring (20.1 from 22.9), blocks (2.2 from 2.4), shooting (55.4% from 59.3%), free throw shooting (49.2% from 59.6%) and PER (24.02 from 26.13). Yet despite Dwight’s obvious indifference the Magic are still 4th in 3P% and 9th in OPFG%. They can possibly win a round in the playoffs if they keep Howard but the big question is what will President Otis Smith do with his star? I don’t see Otis getting great offers for Dwight by 3/15 but you never know.
6. Atlanta Hawks (20-14) – They play decent defense (11th in OPFG%) and can shoot threes (7th in 3P%) but I have a bad feeling about this group. For starters they have lost 8 of their last 12 games and Joe Johnson (left knee) has joined Al Horford (left pectoral) on their injury report. It doesn’t stop there as Marvin Williams and Tracy McGrady have joined Josh Smith in complaining to the media about their roles. I’ve written them off before but I don’t see them winning a round if they make the playoffs.
7. *New York Knicks (17-18) – They don’t defend (16th in OPFG%), rebound (19th in RBDF) or surprisingly shoot threes (27th in 3P%) but those numbers don’t reflect their current rotation at all. Iman Shumpet and Toney Douglas have been replaced by Jeremy Lin and Baron Davis at the point. J.R. Smith and Steve Novak replacing Shumpert and Bill Walker as wing reserves should really improve their 3-point shooting. This is a dangerous squad that if on the same page can challenge anyone in the East.
8. *Boston Celtics (15-17) – They have really picked up their defense (2nd in OPFG%) and shoot it well from deep (6th in 3P%) but they don’t rebound at all (26th in RBDF). I worry about their lack of depth at literally every position if they have injuries. Then GM Danny Ainge could blow up the roster by trading one of his “Big Four” at any minute. They’ve only played 15 road games so the second half figures to not be very kind to them. It wouldn’t shock me if they missed the playoffs or got swept in the first round.
Cleveland Cavaliers (13-18) – Kyrie Irving leads all rookies in estimated wins added by a whopping 1.4 wins a season. It’s an obscure stat but it’s the best way I can sum up what he means to the Cavs. Their defense was suspect to begin with (19th in OPFG%) and without Anderson Varejao (right wrist) manning the middle I expect it to get worse along with their rebounding (7th in RBDF). These guys play hard every night for Coach Byron Scott and had a legitimate shot at the playoffs had Varejao not broken his wrist.
*Milwaukee Bucks (13-20) – Time has to be running out on both Coach Scott Skiles and GM John Hammond. In fact, if I were Hammond I’d have fired Skiles roughly a month ago. This team has more than enough talent to make the playoffs in the East but Skiles hasn’t decided on a playing rotation for going on two years now. Losing Andrew Bogut (left ankle) hurt and the Stephen Jackson experiment hasn’t worked out but I think another voice in the huddle is what this bunch needs to make a run.
Detroit Pistons (11-24) – Granted they don’t have many defensive minded players or rebounders but I’m still shocked that a Lawrence Frank coached team is 29th in OPFG% and 24th in RBDF. Outside of Greg Monroe and Jonas Jerebko I can’t come up with a compelling reason to watch these guys. They are still a mismatched bunch of shoot-first PGs and tweener forwards. I think new Owner Tom Gores needs to can President Joe Dumars sooner rather than later. In fact, tomorrow would be good.
Toronto Raptors (10-23) – New Coach Dwane Casey has them playing defense (10th in OPFG%) and rebounding (15th in RBDF) for the first time in years. The real story to the Raps season is Andrea Bargnani who was sporting career highs in points (23.5), rebounds (6.3), assists (2.1) and PER (22.13) before he strained his left calf. They are a respectable 6-7 when Il Mago plays and an ugly 4-16 when he doesn’t. If Jonas Valanciunas arrives next season things could be looking up in T-Dot.
New Jersey Nets (10-25) – They are dead last in OPFG%, 24th in RBDF and have been hit hard by the injury bug. The good news is with Brook Lopez coming back they now can trot out 4/5 of a reasonable NBA starting lineup with Deron Williams, Kris Humphries and rookie MarShon Brooks joining Lopez. The elephant in the room is what will President Billy King do with D-Will if he can’t acquire Dwight Howard by 3/15? My gut feeling is King will panic and take back Pau Gasol so he’s not left empty handed.
Washington Wizards (7-26) – They were 2-15 when they fired Flip Saunders as coach and have gone 5-11 since Randy Wittman took over. They are 25th in OPFG%, 28th in RBDF, 29th in 3P% and possess one of the most dysfunctional rosters in the entire Association. I’d say President Ernie Grunfeld has to be on borrowed time by now as is everyone else on the team not named John Wall, Jan Vesely, Chris Singleton or Trevor Booker.
Charlotte Bobcats (4-28) – This is by far the most painful side to watch in the NBA. They are last in RBDF, 27th in OPFG% and 26th in 3P%. I really couldn’t say with any assurance who I think their best player is as they are one step above a D-League team in my opinion. Things can only get better since they figure to have a high draft pick this summer and tons of salary cap space after next season.
WEST
1. *Oklahoma City Thunder (27-7) – They’ve been the cream of the crop out West all season and are 2nd in offensive efficiency, 6th in RBDF and tied for 5th in OPFG% & pace factor. In other words they have almost the exact same statistical profile as Miami outside of 3P% (14th). I can’t tell you which club will do it yet but I think the Thunder can lose in a 7-game series to a Western foe because their late game offense is still too stagnant and reliant on the greatness of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
2. *San Antonio Spurs (24-10) – Manu Ginobili has played in only 9 games so far with a variety of injuries, Tim Duncan has his lowest PER ever and they don’t defend (26th in OPFG%) or rebound (20th in RBDF). So how in the heck are they 2nd in the West? Tony Parker has the second highest PER of his career (’08-09), they are 3rd in 3P% and Gregg Popovich is one hell of a coach. These guys could win the West with a few breaks or be out in round one with a bad matchup. The West is that wide open.
3. *Los Angeles Clippers (20-11) – They are a middle of the pack defensive (14th in OPFG%) and 3-point shooting (13th in 3P%) side. However like all Chris Paul led squads they don’t waste possessions (tied for 4th in offensive efficiency) and they can also rebound (3rd in RBDF) with the best of them. I fear they are too reliant on CP3 creating offense though and losing Chauncey Billups (left Achilles) didn’t help that any. I think GM Neil Olshey needs to make a trade or the second round is probably their ceiling.
4. *Dallas Mavericks (21-13) – Nobody predicted they’d be first in OPFG% after losing Tyson Chandler to free agency, but they are. That said they don’t rebound (18th in RBDF) or shoot threes (21st in 3P%) all that well and are getting lackluster production from more than a few players. President Donnie Nelson isn’t going to make any moves that take on salary and may even dump Shawn Marion for cap space by 3/15. The Mavs are still as dangerous as anybody in the West and fall in the same class as SA above.
5. *Los Angeles Lakers (20-14) – They are 2nd in RBDF and tied for 3rd in OPFG% but only 28th in 3P% and last in bench scoring. The Lakers have three of the best players at their positions in Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol but the roster falls of a cliff after that, and no, Rasheed Wallace isn’t the answer to their problems. They likely aren’t going to be contenders this season unless GM Mitch Kupchak manages to find an upgrade at PG but they are a playoff team barring injuries.
6. Houston Rockets (20-14) – They are below average defensively (21st in OPFG%), ok shooting the three (12th in 3P%) and decent rebounding (9th in RBDF). They get by on their superior depth with kudos going to Coach Kevin McHale for making some tough choices early on when settling on a rotation. Goran Dragic, Courtney Lee, Chase Budinger, Patrick Patterson and Jordan Hill form a tough and versatile second unit. They could certainly make the playoffs but are likely one and done if they get there.
7. *Memphis Grizzlies (19-15) – They are tied for 10th in RBDF, 12th in OPFG% and 20th in 3P% but beyond the numbers it’s amazing that they are still in the playoffs hunt with Zach Randolph (right knee) appearing in only 4 games thus far. When he returns to the lineup shortly they should be in good shape going forward but I’m not so sure. This group of players has never been healthy at the same time and I still wonder how their chemistry will be. That said the Griz are perfectly suited to upset OKC early.
8. *Portland Trail Blazers (18-16) – The stat geeks all think Portland is really better than their record due to their 5th best point differential. Well I’m here to tell you that this is a very average bunch that can’t win on the road. They are 15th in OPFG%, 17th in RBDF and tied for 16th in 3P%. Since they still have no GM and an unpredictable owner it’s hard to say what’s coming next for them. To comfortably make the playoffs Ray Felton is going to have improve on his career low PER or it’ll be back to the lottery for PDX.
*Denver Nuggets (18-17) – Their depth was supposed to be their calling card until everyone got hurt. Al Harrington and Andre Miller are the only Nugs to appear in every game with starters Nene Hilario (12 games), Danilo Gallinari (10), Timofey Mozgov (9), Ty Lawson (5) and Arron Afflalo (3) all missing time. They aren’t a great defensive (tied for 23rd in OPFG%), rebounding (12th in RBDF) or shooting (22nd in 3P%) team either. They can still make the playoffs and possibly win a round if they get healthy though.
Minnesota Timberwolves (17-17) – They are without a doubt my favorite club to watch play this season. Ricky Rubio’s passing and enthusiasm is infectious and Kevin Love is a flat out superstar. New Coach Rick Adelman is not known for his defense but the Wolves are tied for 12th in OPFG% and are 5th in RBDF. They don’t shoot it well from deep (23rd in 3P%) and are probably a year away from being in the mix but if injuries hit a few of the teams above them I could see them sneaking into the playoffs.
Utah Jazz (15-17) – They benefited from a home heavy early part of their schedule but have come crashing back to earth recently losing 13 of 19 games with most of them coming away from EnergySolutions Arena. The bad news is they’ve only played 14 road games so far and are tied for 23rd in OPFG% while being dead last in 3P%. The good news is they have a nice young core and ZERO dollars committed to the salary cap after next season. The future is bright for the Jazz.
Golden State Warriors (13-17) – I have to give rookie Coach Mark Jackson credit, he’s much better at his job than I thought he’d be. They still don’t defend (22nd in OPFG%) or rebound (29th in RBDF) but they still can shoot it (2nd in 3P%). The main thing that’s changed for the Warriors under Jackson is they compete every single night now. That’s said they’ve also played the fewest total games (30) and road games (12) league wide, so the schedule figures to eat them up over the second half of the season.
Phoenix Suns (14-20) – The “brain trust” of Owner Robert Sarver, President (and former agent) Lon Babby and GM Lance Blanks waited far too long to trade Steve Nash. Nash won’t request a trade but would be open to it if the organization came to him. The problem there is at this point they won’t get anything close to equal value for him. Steve has also said that the Suns won’t be able to keep him at a below market value price next season. This franchise is going nowhere fast as Nash waves goodbye.
Sacramento Kings (11-22) – They were 2-5 when they replaced Paul Westphal with Keith Smart as coach and have gone 9-17 since. Not surprisingly the Kings play no defense (28th in OPFG%), don’t rebound (23rd in RBDF) nor can they shoot it from deep (25th in 3P%). The one saving grace for them going forward is Smart seemingly ending the Tyreke Evans at PG era and replacing him with rookie Isaiah Thomas. Unfortunately Keith moved Tyreke to SF rather than his natural SG position. Oh well.
New Orleans Hornets (8-25) – Eric Gordon came out this week and admitted that he didn’t have a bone bruise on his right knee but rather cartilage damage. Gee, ya don’t say? Gordon didn’t stop there saying that he first experienced pain in the knee prior to the blockbuster Chris Paul trade. D’oh, that would be a double bad for you Commissioner Stern. The Hornets do play hard every night for Coach Monty Williams but they lack the talent to compete unless the opposition is sleepwalking.
Mid-Season Awards
Defensive Player – Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia)
Sixth Man – James Harden (Oklahoma City)
Coach – Gregg Popovich (San Antonio)
Rookie – Kyrie Irving (Cleveland)
MVP – LeBron James (Miami)
All NBA
PG – Chris Paul (Clippers)
SG – Kobe Bryant (Lakers)
SF – LeBron James (Miami)
PF – Kevin Love (Minnesota)
C – Dwight Howard (Orlando)
My blog is going dark for the next three weekends (if not four) as I prepare for, travel to and recover from my third trip to Europe. During my time away trading season will open (3/1) and close (3/15) so depending on the activity at the deadline my first post back may or may not be the “Trade Spectacular.”
posted by D$ at 3:30 PM
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