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With each and every NBA team having played 25+ games to this point, it’s high time we looked at how the sides are traveling so far.
Today it’s time to look to the West, after our Eastern grades came out last week.
A note that these grades are made in relation to a team’s expectations.
Dallas Mavericks (14-14 record at the time of writing)
C
I’m positive that the Mavericks hierarchy hoped for more than this.
Luka Doncic’s seasons thus far has earned an ALL CAPS A+ but his teammates haven’t really come along for the ride.
Big off-season acquisition Christian Wood has been a per-minute monster, though Coach Jason Kidd doesn’t trust his admittedly spotty defense enough to play him big minutes. JaVale McGee is already nothing more than a sunk cost. Spencer Dinwiddie has been at times brilliant but remains maddeningly inconsistent. Designated shooters Tim Hardaway Jr, Dorian Finney-Smith and especially Reggie Bullock have struggled mightily. On a positive note, young Australian wing Josh Green has looked the part as he becomes a regular part of the Mavs rotation.
Dallas might be a team that has a mid-season move in them. Another playmaker, maybe? Perhaps the team underestimated the impact that the departed Jalen Brunson had on them?
Denver Nuggets (17-10)
B+
Given Denver were always going to have to cautiously reintegrate Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr back into their setup, sitting 3rd in the West at the time of writing can’t be seen as anything other than a success.
Their key off-season additions of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown have both fit seamlessly into Denver’s schemes. Aaron Gordon was designed in a lab to play alongside Jokic. Bones Hyland continues to impress as a microwave scorer off the bench.
Despite the positives, so much of what Denver does still relies on the almost omnipotent Nikola Jokic. When the reigning two-time MVP is on the floor Denver look like genuine contenders, able to take down anybody. When he sits….yikes!
The Nuggets bench ranks 28th in the NBA with a -4.3 net rating; Murray is showing periodic flashes of his old brilliance but is understandably very inconsistent; Porter is playing at about 75% of what he was in his breakout 2021 campaign.
Defensively, Denver are as poor as you would expect, though interestingly they are currently the best clutch defense in the league – that is unlikely to last.
Perhaps most worryingly for Denver, they have played to this point one of the softest schedules in the entire league. It will be interesting to see if the continued reclamation of Murray and Porter can offset the more difficult fixture list that awaits.
Golden State Warriors (14-15)
C
The Warriors had to make a call at some point.
Their brains trust decided that this would be the season where we would see whether the much talked about ‘next generation’ would sink or swim. So far, the results have been mixed.
James Wiseman has been an unmitigated disaster every time he sets foot on the court. Moses Moody has been hit-or-miss. Jonathan Kuminga has looked better of late after a woeful beginning to the season. Jordan Poole looked off-kilter (with reason, it has to be said) to begin the year, though has started to come around as of late.
The Warriors are poor defensively, especially in the clutch, and turn to water away from the safe confines of the Chase Centre.
There is one rather bright beacon of hope, however: the starting five.
Golden State’s regular starters (Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney) are by any measure the best five-man unit in basketball. Their +23 net rating is miles ahead of the next best unit (Milwaukee’s starting five) who have played more than 100 minutes together.
When the playoffs come and rotations tighten up, the Warriors and their veteran core cannot be discounted.
Houston Rockets (9-18)
C+
This grade could be higher if you expected the Rockets to tank another year away, or lower if you thought that their young, exciting core could start to coalesce a little. I’m in the former camp, not imagining Houston to be up to much this season.
So why the middling grade then? Well, I’m just a bit disappointed with what I’ve seen.
In Jalen Green Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr, Kevin Porter Jr and veteran Eric Gordon, I at least thought that Houston would put points on the board (whilst gleefully handing them back at the other end), yet Houston ranks just 26th in the NBA in offensive rating.
As much as Green has improved as a facilitator, the team doesn’t seem to be gelling on the court, leading to some on-court ‘debates’ (check out Gordon’s ‘I’m too old for this shit’ face in the video below).
The Rox are on the right path, but perhaps not as far as along that path as they would have liked.
Los Angeles Clippers (17-13)
B-
The Clippers are, by design, a ludicrously deep team. When your tent pole superstars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have all the physical resilience of a wet tissue, you need to have options.
Despite Paul and especially Leonard – both dynamite defenders – missing substantial time this far the Clippers have done remarkably well to remain atop the league in defensive rating. Much of that comes down to the shockingly underrated Ivica Zubac (averaging a career high 10.8 boards and 1.6 blocks) covering for his teammates.
The Clips offense, however, is just plain offensive. They rank 28th in offensive rating, take the 2nd fewest shots in the paint and are 27th in passes per game, aligned with mediocre jump-shooting. Offense doesn’t have to be quick all the time; it can be deliberate and meticulous. The Clippers’ offense is simply slow and isolation heavy. John Wall gives them a nice injection of pace when he plays, but otherwise, this team is so reliant on its superstars to make something happen.
With an expensively assembled roster and an outstanding coach, they should be better than this.
Los Angeles Lakers (11-16)
C+
The Lakers proved very difficult to grade.
Their early season form deserved an F; the front office deserves whatever is worse than an F.
Yet, the Lakers have spent the past few weeks rounding into form, winning five of six before an Eastern road swing saw them lose three straight.
Much of the Lakers revival has come from the resurgent Anthony Davis. He’s leading the team in scoring, his career high 12.4 rebounds leads the league. His jump shot has recovered to a semi-respectable 31% from deep, whilst shooting a blistering 56.6% overall and 83.2% from the stripe.
Defensively, Davis has been a monster, able to smother literally any opponent that dares attack him. He might be the clubhouse leader for Defensive Player of the Year, at this point.
Rookie head coach Darvin Ham has had an immediate impact. He has seemingly convinced Davis to embrace playing the five on a full time basis, with outstanding results. Russell Westbrook looks to have begrudgingly accepted that he is an impact 6th man at this stage of his career. He’s been able to get a tune out of the talented but maddeningly inconsistent Lonnie Walker where even Gregg Popovich couldn’t.
That said, this roster as a whole is just too poorly constructed to be anything more than perhaps a 6th seed in the loaded West, no matter how good Davis and LeBron James are.
Memphis Grizzlies (18-9)
A
Memphis just keep rolling on.
No Jaren Jackson Jr to start the season? Watch the Santi Aldama train roll into town. Lose Desmond Bane for a month? John Konchar steps in to fill the breach. Ja Morant goes down? The perennially underrated Tyus Jones only goes and casually posts a casual 28 points/10 assists and 22 points/11 assists in his past two starts.
The Grizz are young and exciting; they’re also a remorseless basketballing machine.
Now, with Jackson back on the court, Memphis are protecting the paint superbly after struggling in that department early doors. Morant has returned and once Bane comes back – expected to return before the end of December – Memphis will again be the deepest and perhaps most exciting team in the NBA.
Minnesota Timberwolves (13-15)
D-
It just hasn’t worked, has it?
The expensive acquisition of Rudy Gobert was supposed to give the Wolves a defensive identity whilst also spacing the floor vertically and allowing Karl-Anthony Towns to flash his wonderful jumper more regularly.
Instead, Gobert’s defensive identity came at the cost of the Wolves previous defensive identity, where Jaden McDaniels, Patrick Beverley and Jarred Vanderbilt would hustle and switch relentlessly. Gobert has necessitated Town’s permanent move to the four, where he is no longer a matchup nightmare. He struggles to defend on the perimeter and opposing fours, with their superior speed, can guard him a little closer thus nullifying that deadly jumper.
The twin-towers alignment has also clogged up all of those driving lanes that Anthony Edwards used so spectacularly last campaign, leading to a sharp drop in production and some outward frustration.
On the flip side, D’Angelo Russell has looked good alongside Gobert, who in fairness is the perfect offensive partner for him.
There are mitigating circumstances that might buy the Wolves a little time. Gobert didn’t have a preseason with the team due to Eurobasket commitments and Towns missed large chunks of the camp through yet another Covid diagnosis.
That said, this is not anywhere near what the Wolves had in mind.
New Orleans Pelicans (18-9)
A+
How can topping your conference after barely scraping into the playoffs last season earn anything other than top marks?
Already enviably deep, stocked with top end talent and precocious young prospects, the Pelicans have only gone and added a seemingly healthy Zion Williamson, who this past week became the first player in NBA history to average 25 points per game whilst shooting at least 60% from the floor over their first 100 games. Zion is, as the always great Shea Serrano said, as if ‘a Rhino learnt how to fly’.
Even as Williamson has missed games (the team are rightfully very, very cautious when it comes to Zion’s health), Brandon Ingram has missed time and CJ McCollum has been out, the Pellies have simply kept on racking up wins. That’s a testament to that much vaunted depth.
There is something to be said for having base level competency on the floor at all five positions, at all times (Read: Utah Jazz). New Orleans has more than just base competency available to them. Rookie Dyson Daniels is, like Herb Jones last season, already a stout and versatile defender. Jose Alvarado has added offensive punch to his pesky defense. Larry Nance is one of the best reserve bigs in the league. Jaxson Hayes and Devonte’ Graham can’t even crack the rotation for this team!
Oklahoma City Thunder (11-17)
A-
I’m absolutely sure that the Thunder would have preferred to have seen Chet Holmgren doing his thing on an NBA floor this season, but the fact that he will miss his rookie campaign has worked in the teams favour in a few areas.
The obvious is that it will diminish their win total this season, leading to a better draft pick without the need to nakedly torpedo the season (that said, they’re on course to win about 33 games, far more than in previous seasons). It’s also allowed Shai-Gilgeous Alexander – putting up MVP-esque numbers – to establish himself as the undoubted Alpha of the squad.
This squad is coming together nicely. SGA is a star. Josh Giddey is rounding out his game around his incredible passing. Jalen Williams looks a keeper. Lu Dort’s Dillon Brooks tribute act (great defense, spotty shooting, horrible shot selection) continues to play the hits. The super raw Ousmane Dieng has shown flashes.
This season could hardly have gone better for the finally competitive Thunder.
Phoenix Suns (16-12)
A-
Since earning the West’s top seeding for last season’s playoffs, the Suns have endured their fair share of drama. From their infamous flameout against Dallas to former #1 pick Deandre Ayton attempting to leave the team to Jae Crowder demanding out to Chris Paul finally looking his age, the Suns have hardly been all lollypops and rainbows.
Yet, they just keep winning. Well…they did until a recent five game losing streak, anyway.
There are circumstances around their poor form: the first four of those losses came against very good opposition (Boston, Dallas, New Orleans twice) with the latest loss, a 14 point reverse to Houston, coming with both Devin Booker and Ayton sidelined.
That said, there is something about these Suns that just feels a little off. It’s hard to put a finger on, but something isn’t right in the Valley. Could it be a lingering animosity stemming from Ayton’s failed bid to leave via restricted free agency? Could Chris Paul – as he often does – be wearing on his teammates? Has Crowder’s particular brand of ‘leadership’ poisoned the locker room?
Portland Trailblazers (16-12)
A
They’re back, folks.
The Blazers, still starring Damian Lillard but sporting an almost entirely new supporting cast, are once again a top four seed in the West, at the time of writing.
Lillard did, frankly, start the season on somewhat of a cold streak though a recent four game tear where he posted 37.8 points with 24 made three pointers (on 55/41/100 shooting splits, no less) and 7.8 assists put pay to that.
Around their resident megastar, Anfernee Simons has rewarded the faith shown in him by management by averaging 23 points per game. Jerami Grant is playing at a borderline All Star level. Rookie Shaedon Sharpe has shown some most tantalising flashes. Gary Payton II has yet to debut for his new team.
To be sure, the Blazers have next to no depth and as such have no real margin for error, but at 16-12, the Blazers will be more than happy with their lot.
Sacramento Kings (15-12)
A
LIGHT THE BEAM!!!
Say it quietly, but these Kings are legitimately good at basketball.
Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox helm the best offense in the NBA (non-Celtics division), playing with a speed and verve that makes them one of the most exciting watches in the league.
The Kings fly up and down the court whenever possible. Even if you manage to get them into a half court battle, they still play with speed as the ball pinballs from hand to hand, causing defences to adjust and readjust every other second. It’s a delight!
Defensively, the Kings are admittedly horrid and it’s that 27th ranked defensive that will ultimately hold them back from genuine contention. But this is the Kings, folks! Breaking that embarrassing playoff drought is definite, tangible progress.
San Antonio Spurs (9-19)
C
The Spurs are rebuilding. Of that there is no doubt, but to be so obviously awful is such a jarring sight. This is the Spurs! They’re always at least competent, right? Yet these Spurs are bottom of the West sporting an average losing margin of over 11 points a game – they’re not even close to competing.
Of course, the payoff for San Antonio would be the opportunity to draft Victor Wembanyama or Scott Henderson, both of whom could re-energise a franchise in desperate need of a tent pole superstar. And the Spurs do have history of nabbing a top pick in years where franchise saviours are available.
In the here and now, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson are getting priceless reps as primary options and Tre Jones looks like a borderline starting point guard for a good team already.
Utah Jazz (16-14)
B+
Whilst their early season form was a lovely story, the Jazz were never going to be able to maintain their torrid pace. Still, though, they sit above .500 (It’s a sign of how competitive the West is that an above .500 record currently gets you into the play-in tournament!)
Much like the Indiana Pacers, the Jazz’s main bone of contention with their hot start is that it’s likely played them out of the Wembanyama sweepstakes. The main point of difference between the Jazz and Pacers, though, is that Indiana are being led by the young men who are expected to make up the core of the next very good Pacers team. Can the Jazz say the same?
Lauri Markkanen (parlour game time – see if you can spot the Lauri tribute throughout this paragraph) is firmly in the mix to makke his All Star debut this season, averaging career highs across the board. At 25 years of age, he’s somebody the Jazz can build around. Walkker Kkessler is making a name for himself as a rookie – he looks a kkeeper. Malikk Beasley is a bonafide gunner who has already proven he can be a part of a good team.
The rest, though? I’m not so sure. Even Jared Vanderbilt, who the team love, strikes me as an energy player off the bench at best. Mike Conley and Kelly Olynyk are too old. Collin Sexton might regain the form he showed prior to injury. In admittedly limited minutes, Ochai Agbaji has failed to impress.
Fortunately for Utah, much of their future draft prospects are tied up in other team’s fortunes. The Cavaliers are looking good. The Timberwolves are also looking good, only this time it’s for the Jazz.
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