1. Golden State Warriors, 48-4 (24 H/28 A) +12.5. Offense: 1st (113.1)/Defense: 2nd (99.2)
- Despite missing their head coach for most of the year until now, the defending champs came out on fire, starting the season 24-0 to shatter the previous NBA record for the best start of a season that was 15-0, and that first loss was on the back-end of a back to back after a double OT game to cap off a 7 game road trip. The 72 win record is in sight.
- To go with the top offense (by a solid margin) in the league, they're edging out the Pacers and Celtics for the 2nd best defense in the league, a year after having the top defense and barely finishing behind the Clippers for the #1 offense.
- Stephen Curry, the reigning MVP, has gotten even better, leading the league in Player Efficiency Rating (32.1, which would be an NBA record), scoring (29.8, despite sitting out the 4th quarter 14 times), and 3's made (245, already the 7th most in a season and on pace for 392 to obliterate his own record of 286). He's also set to become just the 7th player to join the 50/40/90 club.
- Draymond Green, who should've been starting in the All-Star Game if not for the ridiculousness of fan voting, is having career highs across the board with a lot of the offense running through him, leading to an incredible 7.2 assists per game, the 7th best mark in the league and most of all non-point guards. Those numbers are padded by being able to pass to the best shooting backcourt in the league along with guys having surprising shooting years like Andre Iguodala (38.7 3P%) and Brandon Rush (45.0 3P%), but he is also shooting a career high 42.0 3P% to go along with that playmaking and usual versatile defense. Just an incredibly valuable player.
- Extensions were not reached with fourth year players Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli, meaning that the Warriors might have big overpayments to match in restricted free-agency this summer in order to keep their young core together.
- They are lacking in draft capital, owing their 2017 first rounder to Utah and not having a 2nd round pick until 2019.
- How high can the return of Steve Kerr raise their ceiling? Luke Walton did an incredible job helping them to a 39-4 record as head coach and is likely to garner offers from other teams like Alvin Gentry did last year as top assistant, but Kerr can better manage the rotations and minutes. Intermixing the starters more with 6th Man of the Year candidate Iguodala, swiss-army knife Shaun Livingston, and the rest of the bench can help prevent any offensive lulls.
- The NBA debut of first round pick Kevon Looney was a pleasant surprise recently, and he could become a key part of that bench if he puts it all together with his Green-like skill set.
- Despite the roster turnover, they have the best defense in the league, and it isn't even close. They allow 4 points per 100 possessions less than the next best team, which is more than the difference between the #2 and #16 teams.
- The offense is in elite company, as well, mostly thanks to the rise of the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Kawhi Leonard, who has an eye-popping 51.0%/48.2%/87.5% shooting line in still just his age-24 season. I thought it was ridiculous when he fell out of the lottery in 2011 and then traded for just George Hill (imagine him paired with Paul George!) because you knew he's a hard worker who would figure out how to shoot eventually, but he picked it up faster and way better than anyone could have expected.
- Tony Parker has looked much fresher than expected after his uneven performance for Team France over the summer, and he has been key in helping to work in newcomers LaMarcus Aldridge and David West, who have embraced the sacrifice of their system after signing in the exact way I described after the draft.
- Danny Green, the pinnacle of 3-and-D wings in past seasons, has struggled with his shot at times after signing his surprisingly modest contract to stay in San Antonio.
- After so many years of impeccable consistency, even in recent seasons, Tim Duncan has started to show his age, posting the first sub-20 PER of his career as a 39 year old (which is incredible in its own right). His 17.3 mark is still above the league average, but the knee issue that held him out of 9 of 11 games going into the break and 15 overall is something to watch.
- Boban Marjanovic, the monstrous 27 year old rookie who stands 7' 3" and has developed a sort of cult following online, was shockingly only signed to a one year deal, meaning he can hit restricted free-agency this summer. Along with D-League find Jonathan Simmons, who has also been a revelation, these under the radar signings once again show that R.C. Buford is among the best at filling in the margins. I'm intrigued to see how he continues to re-stock the shelf using various exceptions to sign all of their international prospects that were too numerous to make my screenshot of their assets.
- Kevin Durant has shown no ill-effects from the troublesome foot that limited him to just 27 games last year, already playing 47 this season. Since his return from a hamstring issue in late November, they are 32-8 with a +9.5 point differential.
- Both KD and Russell Westbrook have bought in to getting everyone involved under rookie head coach Billy Donovan. Westbrook's pass-first mentality has definitely grown throughout the year as he has gotten his assist average up to 10 a game, a career high and the second most in the league.
- Lottery pick Cam Payne has solidified the second unit and helped the team to a 15-3 record since taking over backup point guard duties. He also works well playing alongside Westbrook as he provides another shooter (39.7 3P%) and activity on defense with his 6' 7.25" wingspan.
- The defense has come and gone, leading them to even fall out of the top 10 in defensive efficiency at times, partly due to Serge Ibaka's career low rebounding and block rates.
- After giving up on on Jeremy Lamb, once among the key pieces of the James Harden trade, they still do not have a consistent 2-way wing to play alongside Durant. Although defensive specialist Andre Roberson has improved his offense, defenses will continue to ignore him, especially with the smarter teams in the playoffs, and he is dealing with a right knee sprain now. Dion Waiters is a streaky shooter with poor decision making and defensive fundamentals, especially in transition. Donovan doesn't trust Anthony Morrow's defense, no matter how much his shooting brings to the offense. Kyle Singler is just now back in the rotation after a horrible start to the season and still more of a small-ball option with KD at the 4. The Josh Huestis project was doomed almost from the start, and he has yet to earn any minutes. Alex Abrines remains overseas.
- They have some small trade exceptions and expiring contracts along with their variety of role players, but they don't control any valuable draft picks to attach to any potential trades. Being in the Luxury Tax already limits what they can do, as well, and they'll still be close to the Tax if Durant stays next season.
- How will Donovan do on the big stage with a roster built for a deep playoff run? He had his teams ready at the University of Florida, but the NBA is a whole different game. How he manages his lineups once you have to shorten rotations will be fascinating because Westbrook-Payne might be his best backcourt option due to the wing problem above, and playing Durant at the 4 always opens up so much on the floor. However, they already have a crowded frontcourt to manage with the valuable versatility of Ibaka, Steven Adams' offensive developments to go along with his stout defense, high-priced 6th man Enes Kanter's interior scoring and rebounding, and glue-guy Nick Collison. And that's not even mentioning their other controversial pick from the '14 draft besides Huestis: Mitch McGary, who has flashed at times but almost seems redundant with what he brings to the table, especially when compared to Utah's Rodney Hood, selected 2 picks later as a playmaking shooter with great size for a guard.
- Depending on how these playoffs go, there's the elephant in the room with Durant's impending free-agency. A lot of smart people think he'll sign a LeBron James-style 2 year deal with a player option for that second year, which is when Westbrook and Ibaka are also free agents, and that also makes the most financial sense. Not only will the salary cap total, which is what a max salary slot is based on, be higher in 2017 due to the TV deal boom, but he will also have 10 years of experience in the league at that point, meaning that he can command 35% of the cap instead of 30% this summer.
- They're clearly the most talented team in the East, and their record actually reflects that despite Kyrie Irving's absence the first 24 games, Tristan Thompson's contract holdout all offseason, and the slow recoveries of Timofey Mozgov and Iman Shumpert. I've already gone into great detail about how this roster is put together and should fit as a title contender.
- Even with a 60 win pace (30-11), an overall 83-40 record, and a Finals appearance that was more competitive than it should have been, 2nd year head coach David Blatt was fired in favor of the even less experienced Tyronn Lue. At the time of his firing, he had gotten them up to the #5 defense in the league (99.7 points per 100 possessions) to go with the #5 offense (105.6), but he was doomed from the start since he was hired to develop a young team before LeBron decided to come home. He didn't exactly endear himself to his players with the way his personality rubbed some people the wrong way, but a bona fide title contender having this sort of mid-season drama is an ugly situation.
- Kevin Love's shooting has been a major disappointment, especially considering all of the easy looks he gets created for him, and he has really dropped off after falling back to a #3 role since Irving returned. After averaging 17.6 PPG with 43.4%/37.0%/84.2% shooting in 33.2 MPG in those opening 24 games, he's at 14.0 PPG on 39.9%/36.6%/76.0% shooting in 31.1 minutes over the last 27.
- Lue has already committed to push the pace (a common new hire expression) and then followed it up by challenging his players' conditioning. Whether this will stick in the long-haul is the question, and it could be helped by playing small more with James at the 4 as he ages even though he still is opposed to it and with all they have invested in the frontcourt.
The good:- They recently won a franchise record 11 straight and are starting to put together a resume that looks like a legitimate contender to reach the Finals as one of just seven teams to rank in the top 10 of both offense and defense.
- Skinny Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan have become arguably the 2nd best backcourt in the league en route to being named to the All-Star Game being played in Toronto. DeRozan has really taken yet another step forward as he's getting to the rim practically at will, and if he maintains this career best assist rate and outside shooting, he'll have earned a max contract this summer as he's about to turn 27.
- Prized free agent DeMarre Carroll has only played in half their games and is currently recovering from knee surgery. He's not an All-Star, but he can help make the whole greater than the sum of its parts like with the Hawks last year. Even then, though, the ceiling for this team isn't clear.
- Masai Ujiri is as savvy a GM as they come, and he has done a great job of accumulating assets. Whether he cashes them in for a new big is the question because although Luis Scola has been playing surprisingly well and even making 3's, that is the spot that could use a young upgrade. They have the first round picks and intriguing young players like Lucas Nogueira, Delon Wright, Bruno Caboclo, Norman Powell, and Anthony Bennett that just haven't seen the floor for this contending team, so if the right is there, Ujiri can pounce.
- They've been able to go 18-5 since Blake Griffin's been out, albeit against a somewhat soft schedule, with Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, and DeAndre Jordan all having strong seasons.
- Although the big additions haven't worked out, their depth has improved a bit over recent years with Luc Mbah a Moute, Wesley Johnson, Cole Aldrich, and Pablo Prigioni pitching in.
- Griffin is going to be out even longer after breaking his hand punching the team's equipment manager, and losing a player of his caliber is going to catch up to them eventually.
- They're too guard heavy and don't have any real 3-and-D forwards. You can only get away with closing games with Redick and either Jamal Crawford or Austin Rivers on the wings so many times in the regular season, and that will definitely be exploited come playoff time. Maybe the aging Paul Pierce will be good to go when it matters, but Mbah a Moute is too limited to get any more than just spot minutes rather than starting. Lance Stephenson has shown the ability to be a valuable all-around playoff contributor in Indiana, but he has apparently been too volatile for this team.
- Zach Lowe went more in depth into the prospect of trading Griffin than I possibly could, so I'll just add that I don't think they'll trade him unless they can get the perfect package back, at least until the summer. The potential swap for Carmelo Anthony is the most intriguing and definitely something the Knicks should look into since Kristaps Porzingis is his ideal partner as a stretch 5 who can protect the rim, but Griffin is not even 27 yet, the youngest of LA's core. Come May, Paul and his buddy Anthony will turn 31 and 32, respectively, so choosing to invest in them over the suddenly polarizing big man might not be the wisest decision unless there is more to the package. I think the move right now is to package Crawford for some type of forward to better balance the roster and ride it out for this year, and then they can evaluate who makes the most sense to trade when they have more flexibility.
The good:- They're one of the deepest teams in the league, and their strong point differential displays that since they can put good lineups on the floor at all times.
- Between young players and draft picks, they have arguably the best set of assets in the league to make a blockbuster trade.
- Despite all these solid players, they don't have a true star, with Isaiah Thomas trying to fill that role and getting an All-Star nod as a result. However, he's best suited for a 6th man role, especially with his defensive limitations, and they are only 2-6 in games decided by 3 points or less.
- The other side of such depth is that not everyone can get a lot of playing time, resulting in inconsistent rotations and a lack of development for some of their young players. Injuries can be blamed along with adjusting to the bench for Marcus Smart not taking a step forward, but James Young, R.J. Hunter, Terry Rozier, and Jordan Mickey have hardly gotten any minutes.
- Although a James Harden-type trade opportunity doesn't come along very often, this team is obviously primed for a trade to consolidate assets at any opportunity, especially in the frontcourt. David Lee, whose expiring contract is the highest on the team, and Tyler Zeller, who is in a contract year and started 59 games for them last year, can't even carve out significant roles in the rotation. There will also have to be a decision to be made with Jared Sullinger in his upcoming contract since he has turned himself into a reliable defender next to free agent bargain Amir Johnson, but Kelly Olynyk has been incredibly more efficient on offense. With Jae Crowder, the gem of the Rajon Rondo trade, capable of playing a smallball 4 for stretches, as well, a volume trade to clear up some minutes should be expected.
8. Atlanta Hawks, 31-24 (26 H/29 A) +2.7. Offense: 15th (103.1)/Defense: 5th (99.8)
- They're a pretty complete group with skill throughout the roster. Kent Bazemore, in particular, has come a long way to become a legitimate 3-and-D wing who can also make some good passes. The gift of Tiago Splitter from the Spurs in their quest to sign Aldridge has given them more flexibility to play bigger at times, as well, especially since Al Horford has suddenly joined Paul Millsap in embracing the 3 point line, although neither is shooting it too well at the moment.
- They've provided perhaps the most light-hearted moment in the league with their riveting battles of Uno.
- They're just behind Washington for the worst rebounding rate in the league, including Horford's current 12.1% rate compared to his career 15.5%. Stepping out for 3's hasn't been too detrimental as his offensive rebound percentage (6.9%) is close to his career rate (8.5%), but he needs to get his 17.1% defensive rebounding back up towards his career 22.4%.
- Kyle Korver is about to turn 35 and has experienced a noticeable drop-off from his All-Star campaign last year with his 3P% dropping from 49.2 to 38.6, the second lowest of his career. This coming after a postseason in which he shot just 35.5% from deep in their 14 games has to be a concern and prompt an adjustment with how defenses are treating him.
- Their young big men, Walter Tavares and Mike Muscala, show some intrigue, but the biggest question is what they'll do with Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder. They can play together some, but they're both only under contract through next season (along with the underrated Shelvin Mack, who could step up to be an adequate backup), prompting a decision to be made about who is the point guard of the future. Their per minute numbers are nearly identical, with Teague's better efficiency while using slightly less possession to be expected as he's nearly 5 years older. Schroder could still bring a good return this summer since an acquiring team will have the power of restricted free-agency after the season, but if they decide to move on from Teague, now is when he'll probably have the most value. Going into the last year of his deal could put them in a tricky situation like with Horford now as he gets ready for a huge raise this summer, either in Atlanta or elsewhere.
- Paul George has come back healthy and better than ever, and his scintillating November helped them go 11-2 en route to winning Player of the Month honors. He benefited from their open-mindedness towards having C.J. Miles as a starter and defending power forwards, and they might benefit from a return to that since PG13's shooting has regressed to the mean in a hard way, especially with all of mid-range jumpers he takes.
- Rookie Myles Turner has performed as well as I hoped at draft time, and his recent insertion into the starting lineup alongside Ian Mahinmi could provide the right balance of offense and defense once he stretches out to the 3 point line, although that might not happen before the veteran having a career year hits free agency.
- Aside from that great November, they haven't had a winning record in any other month, and they're only 4-7 in games decided by 3 points or less, the second most such losses in the league.
- Splurging on an undersized shooting guard who relies on quickness over shooting and is now 30 years old hasn't worked out too well as Monta Ellis is having his worst season since he was a rookie, averaging under 14 points a game on 43.6%/29.4%/76.2% shooting. Like George, he could also improve with more floor spacing like he benefited from in his time with Dallas.
- There is a lot of flexibility here with all of their own draft picks and a variety of expiring contracts, which don't hold the usual value due to the rising cap but are still useful for matching salaries. They also got a couple of 2nd round rookies to sign the Lance Stephenson-style 4 year deal that could prove to be very valuable.
- Chris Bosh has returned to full health after dealing with a blood clot in ones of his lungs last year, and although his minutes are down, Dwyane Wade has missed only 3 games after injury issues limited him to just 234 out of a possible 312 games the previous 4 seasons.
- Hassan Whiteside has proven to not just be a flash in the pan, continuing his surprising impact on both ends after his breakout last year, and this year's bargain additions of Gerald Green and Amar'e Stoudemire have provided big value at times, as well. STAT has shown a lot of professionalism being ready to step right in and contribute with Whiteside hurt after hardly getting any minutes to begin the season.
- After costing two future first round picks and then a 5 year/$85 million contract, Goran Dragic has suddenly hit a decline at age 29 and sharing the ball with Wade. His career low free throw rate of .178 is much lower than his average of .307, and he's shooting a horrible 68.7% once he gets there to go along with just 33.1% from deep.
- The whole team is struggling from beyond the arc as their 32.3 3P% is the third worst in the league, and that lack of spacing would seem to be the root of their offensive troubles. I'm really surprised that Josh McRoberts has only 24 attempts in 25 games after that was a big part of his value in Charlotte that earned him his contract.
- Besides chopping down part of Miami's Luxury Tax bill and swapping backup point guards and projects, the trade of Mario Chalmers and James Ennis for Beno Udrih and Jarnell Stokes also provided another lefty for a Heat team full of them. This came days after they made history with the first ever full lineup of southpaws. It doesn't necessarily mean anything, but I'd qualify that as interesting.
- How they handle the rest of their Tax situation is what's really juicy since they're currently set to pay the harsh repeater rate since they've had such a high salary for multiple years. They could deal another one of their many players on expiring contracts again, but they'd likely need another expiring coming back like Udrih in order to preserve their free agency flexibility. A lot of their summer will depend on how much Wade will want to sign for since they need to address his massive cap hold first before they can try to sign either a major free agent or Whiteside, whose lack of full Bird rights means they can't go over the cap to sign him to anything more than the league average salary. If they don't want to dedicate their cap space to the polarizing center, I could see them packaging him with someone else for an upgrade elsewhere in the lineup, and the same could even be said for promising rookie Justise Winslow, although they should keep him and his valuable rookie contract.
- Steve Clifford has earned his contract extension as he's coached this team to be greater than the sum of its parts despite a couple of big injuries. The embrace of the 3 pointer has been a welcomed addition as they now rank third in both attempts and makes this season after being in the bottom seven last year en route to the third worst offense in the league.
- There is a lot of versatility throughout the roster, and the variety of lineups that can be put on the floor with so many players contributing at a high level has helped them land in the top 13 on both ends of the floor. Nicolas Batum has cooled down a bit but has proven to be a great addition as Kemba Walker's wingman with his all-around game; Marvin Williams' career high shooting and rebounding has made him a valuable stretch four and occasional wing; with the change of scenery, Jeremy Lamb has also rebounded at a surprising rate to go with his scoring on the wing; Jeremy Lin has provided a scoring burst in his ideal role as a combo guard off the bench; and Cody Zeller is starting to reach his potential as a skilled, mobile big man, teaming with Frank Kaminsky and Spencer Hawes to fill in for Al Jefferson at center and some power forward. Even Troy Daniels has gotten some run as a dead-eye shooter off the bench.
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist re-tore his labrum after playing well in his 7 game return and could miss the rest of the year. P.J. Hairston, whose team option for next season was surprisingly and almost needlessly declined, has been starting in his place for most of the year, but he hasn't lived up to his reputation as a shooter, hitting just 30.7% of his 3's so far in his NBA career.
- They are just 8-17 on the road so far, including an 0-4 West Coast trip during a disastrous 7 game losing streak to start a 6-11 January in which Batum was dealing with a toe injury and missed 4 games.
- Whenever Jefferson returns, it will be interesting to see how the team adjusts to his specific type of game, especially since he is an impending free agent. They already likely need to pay top dollar to retain Batum given the market landscape, and Williams could be due a nice raise if his strong season continues, as well.
- Like the Celtics in the East, they have an abundance of talented young players and draft picks that gives them both a bright future and the potential to make an upgrade now. 2nd year man Rodney Hood has become a surprisingly effective passer out of the pick and roll next to the steady Gordon Hayward on the wing, rookie Trey Lyles has looked more ready than expected in spot starts with either star big out, and rookie Raul Neto has been adequate in his minimal role as the starting point guard with Trey Burke thriving as the 6th man.
- After an uneven rookie year in which he wasn't asked to do too much as a 19 year old, former 5th overall pick Dante Exum tore his ACL playing for Australia over the summer, hampering his development with the rest of the young core.
- They are only 9-16 on the road and 14-18 within the West, both of which will have to improve if they hope to keep their spot in the playoff hunt.
- Whether or not they trade for a veteran point guard who is still young enough to fit into their peak window such as Mike Conley or Jeff Teague is the big question given the uncertainty about Exum's future. If fellow 6'6" combo guard Alec Burks could ever stay healthy, he could be a candidate to start and combine playmaking with Hayward and Hood, but he's still recovering from ankle surgery. They have the cap flexibility to pair with draft picks and smaller contracts to get a deal done, but I do wonder if they'd even consider dealing Hayward since he's slightly older than the rest of the core and could opt out next summer. Messing around in the trade machine, I could see Boston trying to reunite the former Butler Bulldog with Brad Stevens; Milwaukee resetting with this year's Brooklyn pick from Boston and Terry Rozier, last year's #16 pick; Memphis getting their '18 pick back from Boston, a 2nd rounder from Utah, younger with Michael Carter-Williams, an extra big in David Lee with Marc Gasol out, and out of the money owed Vince Carter; and Utah getting their pitch in to Conley ahead of time with his Bird rights and a younger, higher upside forward in Jabari Parker, whom they were rumored to be smitten with in the '14 draft...but I'm probably focusing too much on storylines.
- They've had pretty remarkable health, and their starting lineup has performed well, especially Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond. I thought they overpaid the lead guard in restricted free agency since they were basically bidding against themselves, but there's never been a doubt about his talent, which is showing through with his 19.1 points and 6.2 assists in just 31 minutes a game on 44.2%/37%/83% shooting. Playing with a dominant pick and roll partner like Drummond helps, and the young big man is getting better in the nuances of defense to go along with his dominant rebounding and dunks.
- Although his 3 point shooting is down, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has developed nicely in the other aspects of his game since being drafted in 2013, and the rest of the starting lineup was shrewdly acquired by essentially renting out their cap space to the Suns and Bucks to aid their free agent pursuits. Marcus Morris has surprisingly played the most minutes on the team, and although the former Jayhawk should be playing more minutes back as a stretch four to open up time for flashy rookie Stanley Johnson, current power forward Ersan Ilyasova has played well enough to maintain his spot there.
- Drummond's ridiculous 35.1% free throw shooting and the ensuing hacking strategy from other teams is an obvious concern, and it's astounding to me that he's so bad since he fancies himself to be a skilled big man, even claiming during the draft process that he wanted to be like his favorite player, Kevin Durant.
- They lost 6 out of 8 heading into the All-Star Break, including 3 in a row, and they're only 11-17 on the road for the season.
- Like so many other teams, they have a variety of expiring contracts setting themselves up as players in free agency this summer, and they have most of their own draft picks to create a trade package, perhaps to reunite the sulking Markief Morris with his twin brother or for the top stretch four trade candidate out there, Ryan Anderson. Depending on whether they make that kind of deal could determine whether they guarantee Ilyasova's contract this summer since waiving him would open up an addition $8 million in cap space.
- Dirk Nowitzki is ageless and still carries huge gravity in Rick Carlisle's beautiful offensive system, and they've managed to piece together decent additions to fit in around him yet again, with Zaza Pachulia proving to be one of the steals of the offseason with his defense, rebounding, and smart offense leading him to actually edge out Dirk for the most Win Shares on the team.
- Since the calendar change, Chandler Parsons has started to look like himself after a form of microfracture surgery over the summer, averaging 16.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists on 50.2%/44.6%/70.1% shooting over his last 22 games.
- Although Wesley Matthews somehow managed to recover from a torn Achilles in time for the start of the season, he has shown the effects of the injury in a career worst year, the first of a risky 4 year, $70 million contract.
- Rookie Justin Anderson, whose selection I was down on, hasn't been nearly as ready on offense as defense, and they haven't hit on their usual reclamation projects like Brandan Wright and Al-Farouq Aminu in the past, with Jeremy Evans trying to fit that mold and falling a bit short. While Deron Williams has had his moments, his numbers on the year are not efficient; JaVale McGee has unsurprisingly not earned Carlisle's trust despite his stats; and John Jenkins' inability to make an impact as a shooter remains a shocker.
- They're lacking in assets after the catastrophic Rajon Rondo deal cost them Wright, Jae Crowder, and likely this year's first rounder, but it did also net them an intriguing young big in Dwight Powell, who has performed whenever given the opportunity. He has the best offensive and defensive ratings on the team among players with at least 500 minutes, and his per 36 minute averages are 14.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 0.9 blocks with 50% shooting from the field and 74.8% from the line on 5.4 attempts. You might not be able to play him with Dirk too many minutes, but he definitely deserves more chances before hitting restricted free agency.
The good:- On paper, they have the most talent to challenge the Cavs for the East, and that's what has helped them get through numerous injuries. They're now settled into Taj Gibson starting next to Pau Gasol, which is their best big pairing, and giving rookie Bobby Portis, whom I loved for them during the draft, the chance to show what he can do.
- Derrick Rose has started to mesh better with rising star Jimmy Butler now that he's healthy and is up to 44.6% from the field over his last 20 games.
- After Joakim Noah succumbed to another injury in the last year of his contract, Nikola Mirotic had to have an appendectomy and will be out until at least late February, which is a shame since he was hitting 40.6% of his 3's since 2016 started. Although the skilled Montenegrin has played well overall, he has not shot well since coming to the NBA and may be better suited for a 6th man role in the long run. His defensive rebounding, steal, and block rates are good enough, but he doesn't make for as strong a partner to Gasol as a defensive stalwart like Gibson does, especially if he's not knocking down shots.
- Rookie head coach Fred Hoiberg was brought in to open up the offense, but they've fallen from the 10th best offense last season to 26th now. Meanwhile, the defense is still using the same principles that they had under previous coach Tom Thibodeau and remains elite.
- Mike Dunleavy Jr. finally made his season debut and not a moment too soon as Butler will now nursing his knee injury for the next few weeks. His presence in a lineup can make real differences for an offense thanks to his shooting and passing, and he can serve as a strong mediator between the star guards when the team is at full strength.
- How they handle the trade deadline will be fascinating since Gasol has a player option to hit free agency along with Noah, and they are currently over $4 million over the Luxury Tax. Given the injury and logjam among bigs, would they deal Noah's expiring contract for cap relief and other depth after he's been such a team leader for years and with the possibility they might lose Gasol, as well?
UPDATE: Part 2 can be found here
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