We’re just over halfway into the 2020 NBA season and with the NBA All-Star game a few weeks away, I think it’s time to take a quick peek in on how each team has been faring this season. Now realistically nobody except the creeps in their basement are going to read a full drawn out summary of each team’s progress over the year. So I’m going to keep the summaries short and sweet, while still allowing you to see who’s been making impacts for their team, and how each team as a whole have been performing so far. I’m reviewing the teams in order of the current NBA standings as of January 24, 2020, starting with the Western Conference.
Western Conference
Los Angeles Lakers
Looks like the arrival of Anthony Davis is just what the doctor ordered, the Lakers are sitting comfortably at the top of the West with a 36-9 record, and are 20-4 on the road. LeBron James is still defying the stereotypes of age in the NBA, there is a prominent veteran presence on the squad, and basketball in Los Angeles is suddenly the state’s favorite pastime again.
Utah Jazz
I’m pretty sure anyone outside of Utah didn’t know this, but the Jazz have found a way to take the next step as a team, and it’s clearly evident as they’re in a tight race with the Clippers and Nuggets for the second seed in the West. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert are still an effective one-two punch on offense, and the team shows up every night with a stout defense. They’ve definitely flown under the radar for a majority of the season, but they could definitely wake us up in the playoffs this season.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are currently the “Kings of Los Angeles” in the star studded series with the Lakers right now, and are primed to make some serious noise in the postseason this year. Kawhi Leonard is now a 4-time All-Star, Lou Williams is pouring in buckets as usual and if Paul George can get healthy, I don’t know who can stop this Clippers team? Doc Rivers may reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 10 years.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets continue their consistent play as they always have, and Nikola Jokic continues to be the guy. But as the season wears on, injuries may threaten their chances if they can’t get guys like Jamal Murray and Paul Millsap back on the floor soon.
Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic is still doing Luka Doncic things, Kristaps Porzingis is living his best life away from New York right now, and Dorian Finney-Smith can play some damn defense. I really like how the Mavericks are playing this season, the Mavericks are finally exciting to watch again.
Houston Rockets
You would think a basketball team with James Harden and Russell Westbrook on it would easily the best team in the NBA right? Sike bitch, don’t get me wrong Harden and Westbrook are putting up career numbers and are liable to casually drop 159 points on you when they feel like it. However, things like a four game losing streak aren’t acceptable when you have the expectations that this team does.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Most of us thought the Thunder would be the conference bitch for a few seasons after Westbrook left, but Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had something to say about that. They’ve got to grow a sack of nuts on the road, but they’re still in a position to catch the Mavericks and Rockets if they continue to ride their three game win streak.
San Antonio Spurs
DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldrige, the two M’s are putting on offensive clinics as expected, and somehow Gregg Popovich is still kicking at age 70. An eight-game losing streak in November banged them up pretty bad but they’re still clutching onto that eight seed in the conference. It’s not going to be an easy road but if we know anything about the Spurs, we know a team under Coach Pop will always be a resilient one.
Memphis Grizzlies
Ja Morant is pretty exciting, Mike Conley is a great veteran presence and Jaren Jackson Jr. may develop into something special if he continues to develop his game. They still have a chance to reach the playoffs, but at this point, it solely depends on keeping their gap between the Spurs as close as possible, they’ll have to pull a few surprises as underdogs if they want to continue their season past April.
Portland Trail Blazers
Dame Dolla, Melo and CJ McCollum all know how to get to the bucket, but on defense they love letting 3-point shooters rain fire, and they can’t keep their hands off grown men, (they rank 7th in opponent free throw attempts) no homo. It’s also a frustrating deal when you’re star point guard is playing his best basketball of the season, and it still doesn’t result in wins.
Phoenix Suns
Devin Booker, DeAndre Ayton and Kelly Oubre Jr are all certified ballers but between them also not being able to keep their hands off grown men, and a horrendous eight game losing streak, there isn’t much those three can do. Prepare to make another splash in the 2020 NBA draft boys!
New Orleans Pelicans
It’s a good thing Zion Williamson decided to just fuck shit up before I decided to write this article because before his arrival, outside of Brandon Ingram and Jrue Holliday, absolutely nothing looked exciting about this Pelicans squad. Making the playoffs is still a very long shot considering they went almost a month without winning a basketball game, but Williamson will definitely help the Pelicans sell out home games for a while.
Minnesota Timberwolves
It’s the same story as it always has been for the T’Wolves. KAT and Andrew Wiggins ball out and earn every penny of those giant contracts they signed, meanwhile their team manages to ride an 11-game losing streak in December, and are currently on track to match that losing streak with a seven game streak they’re dealing with right now.
Sacramento Kings
The Kings have always been the team with college superstars littering the roster, but when you can’t sustain a winning streak past three games, losses tend to add up pretty fast. Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox have been encouraging, but those are only a few bright spots in what became a lost season pretty quickly, Sacramento’s quickly becoming known as the destination where college basketball stars careers’ go to die.
Golden State Warriors
Frankly, you can only feel sorry for every seven year-old wide eyed Steph Curry fan right now, if the little shits haven’t bandwagoned over to the Lakers by now. Without Chef Curry and Klay Thompson there isn’t much that this team can do to win games on a nightly basis. D’Angelo Russell knows how to score very well, and Eric Paschall shows flashes at times, other than that this basketball isn’t worth a damn this season. Let’s hope they’re focusing on selecting an absolute superstar in the draft and gearing up for a playoff run next season with everybody at full strength. That cute little dynasty the Warriors put together is dead and gone, they need to prove themselves all over again next season.
Eastern Conference
Milwaukee Bucks
All-Star Captain Giannis Antetokounmpo dominates every section of the stat sheets virtually every night on his way to potentially another MVP title, Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe form a solid supporting cast and when you put together an 18-game winning streak on top of that, it’s not a big surprise when you have the best record in the NBA. Barring an injury to the Greek Freak and consistent play, I think this might be the year that the Bucks reach the NBA Finals.
Miami Heat
Jimmy Butler knows that he runs Miami and it’s been working out very well for the Heat. Rookies Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro have big careers ahead of them while Bam Adebayo is really just starting to crack the shell of his true potential in my opinion, which is a scary ordeal for other big men in the NBA. A suspect 11-12 record on the road is pretty concerning, but with only one loss at home, the Heat know how to defend their turf. This team may be as exciting as the “Big Three” era for Erik Spoelstra, and he would do well not to piss away this golden opportunity.
Toronto Raptors
I hope you weren’t expecting a Kawhi Leonard or NBA Finals hangover from the Raptors because there isn’t either located in Toronto. Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam have been leading the charge this season in what has been the best display of team basketball all season in my opinion. If they uphold this mentality, they’ll make some shit shake in the playoffs this season.
Boston Celtics
Well, what can I say? Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward and Jayson Tatum have been unreal all season, I mean they won 10 of their first 11 games for a reason, including that clinic they put on the Raptors on Christmas Day, and the 139-107 throttling of the Lakers on Monday. They’re recovering from a pair of 3-game losing streaks earlier this month, but don’t take your eyes off this team this season, I have a feeling they might seriously challenge the Bucks for the conference crown if they stay fully healthy.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers are usually right in the thick of the East every season, and this year is no different. Domantas Sabonis continues to prove how valuable he is in more ways than one, and T.J Warren scores effectively on a nightly basis. Combine that with the fact that the Pacers shut down their opponent behind the arc on a nightly basis, and welcome back Victor Oladipo in about a week, and you get a very motivated basketball team with all of the right pieces at the right time.
Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons continue to lead a talented supporting cast back to the promised land of an Eastern Conference Finals appearance that narrowly avoided them last season. With a 20-2 home record, they know how to get it done in the Wells Fargo Center, but subpar performance on the road (9-15) is what’s holding them back right now. There’s a four game road stretch coming up for them against the Celtics, Heat and Bucks which will be a really good gauge as to what the 76ers are capable of on the road.
Orlando Magic
Statistically, the Magic have one of the best overall defenses in the league so it’s a little interesting Steve Clifford’s gang is sitting back this far in the conference. Well, rounded scoring efforts from Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier are keeping them competitive in the conference this year, however, four spurts of 3+ game losing streaks have hurt their consistency as a unit.
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets were actually playing pretty well this season, until they just magically forgot how to play basketball the day after Christmas. They’ve only won two of their past 14 games, and Kyrie Irving’s mouth has not helped matters one bit, don’t get me wrong, he’s having a damn good season, but his mouth ain’t making shit better in Brooklyn. I’m giving them immunity this year considering one of the league’s best scorers won’t be on the court for them at all this season, but if they want to hang on to that last playoff spot, they need to find their way as a team and fast.
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are in a prime position to strike and steal eighth place from the lackluster Nets considering they face them twice in these next five days, but with trade rumors surrounding Andre Drummond and Derrick Rose the future may be uncertain. However, if they can leverage some beneficial moves at the trade deadline, they may be able to build themselves back into a solid contender in the East.
Chicago Bulls
As a Bulls fan I’ve barely got 17 excuses not to kill myself this season, either that or I use the entertaining success of the Lakers to make myself feel somewhat better. Zach Lavine shoots lights out every night, Lauri Markkanen showes flashes and Tomas Satoransky manages to impact the game in ways that don’t always involve points. All three narratives are encouraging but their inability to consistently put wins together will be their undoing this season. Free agency won’t be the long term solution for them, and so their best hope will involve grabbing a gem in next year’s draft.
Washington Wizards
Now these motherfuckers here remind of Oprah, and not in a positive way. YOU GET A BUCKET! YOU GET A BUCKET! EVERYBODY IN THIS BITCH GETS A BUCKET! The Wizards 159-158 slugfest against the Rockets earlier this season is the sixth-highest scoring affair in league history. They’ve only scored below 100 points twice all season, but they also allow 120 points per game, the highest in the league. Bradley Beal is having a career year and the decline of Isaiah Thomas continues to become present with each passing day. A string of six 3+ game losing streaks have frankly been the nail in the coffin for this team over the course of the season. Either this team starts coming out on the right end of these high-scoring affairs or they learn to play some damn defense, and I don’t think the latter is going to happen anytime soon.
Charlotte Hornets
Outside of Kemba Walker, nothing was exciting in Charlotte and that has remained the case since his departure. Terry Rozier and Devonte’ Graham are talented building blocks for the Hornets, but neither are capable of leading this team to wins on a consistent basis, and this seven game losing streak of theirs isn’t exactly inspring any confidence.
New York Knicks
Well, it’s a good thing the Knicks are naturally a big market team because those ticket prices cost about as much as my lunch money did in elementary school by now. Julius Randle and Marcus Morris Sr. are having stellar seasons, but when your basketball team had as many losses this season as they did wins in 2018 before 2019 even ended, it makes the atmosphere in Madison Square Garden rather bleak.
Cleveland Cavaliers
In the midst of another season of endless losses, it’s clear Kevin Love wants out of Cleveland, but won’t state it publicly which is only hurting his career. Collin Sexton is the clear star of the show right now, and somehow Tristan Thompson actually looks like a serviceable big man again. Hopefully, the Cavs can rely on those factors considering they’ve only been able to put together a three game win streak once, and a two-game win streak twice all season, their only win streaks of the season. Get ready for another stellar draft process this offseason fellas.
Atlanta Hawks
It made me happy to see Trae Young’s reaction to being selected as an All-Star this season, he’s been a hands down certified baller all season. We all knew he would have to develop coming out of college, but I firmly believe in about a year or two, Young will be one of the top three deadliest scorers in the league. Young has been the bright spot in what’s been abysmal campaign for the Hawks who couldn’t even muster 10 wins before 2020. He’s frankly the only reason anybody even goes through the trouble of turning on the TV when the Hawks are playing. John Collins, Cam Reddish and De’Andre Hunter are solid foundational blocks, but it’s frankly going to take another big name or two ending up in Atlanta in the next year or so for the Hawks to be taken seriously again.
