Every sports season, there's always some team that makes an unexpected jump, whether it be forwards or backwards. The NBA is no exception. As of Wednesday night, every team in the Association will have played 20 games, meaning this current rendition will have reached the proverbial "quarter pole." During this stint of games, there have been the usual "where'd they come from" and "what happened to them?" For me, these are the ones who've stood out the most.
Eastern Conference: Biggest Surprise
When the season started, we basically knew a few traits about the East. First, Cleveland and Chicago had the star power to be named frontrunners. Second, Washington and Toronto were up-and-coming squads that could be slapped with the "contender" label. Third, the rest of the conference was basically up for grabs. Sure, Miami had the championship experience, but a major piece left. Yes, Brooklyn contained the logistical pieces to make a push, but they've been a bit on the underachieving side.
Then, there's the annual question that permeates through the conference. What about the Atlanta Hawks? This current rendition of the franchise in the 2009-2010 campaign, going 53-29 (.646 winning percentage) and earning the three-seed in the postseason. Save for the strike-shortened season (2011-2012), it has been a steady decline since the turn of the decade. The start of the season appeared to hold more of the same. However, after beginning 5-5, they've suddenly taken off, winning 9 of their last 10 (including their last seven).
The offense under Mike Budenholzer has really kicked in, placing the team in the league's top ten in points per game (103.7, good for 7th), assists per game (25.5, good for 4th), and team field goal percentage (.475, good for 4th). If they can continue this hot shooting, their rebounding deficiency (39.7 per game, 4th to last) may not matter as they tussle with the Wizards and Heat for the Southeast Division.
Eastern Conference: Biggest Disappointment
Among the questions we fans have when it comes to NBA franchises, there's one that keeps rising to the surface. "Can Michael Jordan ever turn himself into a good NBA executive?" Despite having the unequivocal status as the greatest to ever play the game, Jordan's turn at front office responsibilities hasn't worked out so well. The tide, though, seemed to be shifting this offseason. His Charlotte Hornets finished last season above .500 and 7th in the conference standings. The nucleus of talent (Kemba Walker, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Al Jefferson, Gerald Henderson) were youthful and full of talent. They went out during free agency and added a talented swingman to the roster.
For some reason, this hasn't made Steve Clifford's bunch better through the early going. Despite all those positive steps, Charlotte exits the first part of the season with a 5-15 mark. While it's still within striking distance, it has them buried on the low side of the conference standings. Now, we're starting to hear whispers about their prized free agent (one Lance Stephenson) not being a cohesive fit for the team. Could the trade rumors involving Stephenson actually come to fruition? Can the squad (with or without a trade) fix these supposed chemistry issues? And what will they look like when Kidd-Gilchrist comes back from his stress fracture injury?
Western Conference: Biggest Surprise
Meanwhile, the West is kind of loaded. As we pass the quarter-pole of this season, seven teams (seven) are sitting 10 games above .500 or better. Thing is, I'm not stunned at any of the names sporting those records. All of them have been highly regarded contenders for (at least) the last year or two. At this point, it also doesn't leave much room to sneak in as a Playoff dark horse. Phoenix currently holds the eighth spot, but they missed the last postseason by a game (with 48 wins). So, again, not much of a shock.
That means I've got to go outside the Playoff ladder to even find a surprise. The next rung down is where I'll stop. The Sacramento Kings have been mired in a sea of stink for the past nine years. They've only reached 35 wins once since the 2006-2007 season. They aren't spectacular by any means, except when it comes to rebounding (they're tied for fourth in the NBA with 44.8 rpg). What they do have is a three-headed attack that is making enough plays to push the squad over .500.
DeMarcus Cousins appears to be coming into his own. The power forward leads the team in points (23.5) and boards (12.6) per game. Rudy Gay continues to put points on the board. He's offering up his best scoring (21.5) and assist (4.3) averages as a pro. At the top of the attack, Darren Collison seems to be fitting in just nicely. The journeyman point guard is having his best output with respect to points (15.8) and dimes (6.3) per game. This trio will need more help before everything settles in April, but, at the moment, they're in a good position.
Western Conference: Biggest Disappointment
Just like the "surprise" category, there's not a lot of candidates that truly fit this category. You could possibly look at Phoenix's record as a slight bummer. You could talk about Oklahoma City's awful start, but no Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook speaks (loudly) to the team's 8-13 record. There have also been injuries to other squads near the bottom of the standings (i.e., L.A. Lakers, Minnesota). But, instead of punting on this category, I'm picking the slightest of disappointments (by the slightest of margins).
If there was a preseason favorite dark horse that could possibly crash the Western Conference Playoff party, it was probably the New Orleans Pelicans. Anthony Davis had shown strides during his second season. Coach Monte Williams, while guiding one of the Association's youngest teams, currently has a plethora of athletic wing players (Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon, Jrue Holiday) and length (Davis, Omar Asik, Jeff Withey) at his disposal.
But even with Davis' gaudy numbers (24.8 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 2.9 bpg), the Pelicans are a sort of "blah" 10-10 after 20 games. I understand that this franchise is in the NBA's toughest division. I also get the fact that they were 34-48 at the end of last season. However, the buzz around this organization gave the impression that this campaign would launch a little bit higher than sea level.
Most Valuable Player
Now that I've looked back on the portion of the season that was, figure I might as well head the other direction. There's still a ton of ball to play before we find out the Most Valuable Player. But I'm a bit on the impatient side sometimes. So, here's my Why-Even-Do-This-Now MVP candidates. (These statistics include all players whom have played this season, not just qualified candidates.)
Anthony Davis
Tied for third in league scoring (24.8 ppg)
Tenth in league rebounding (10.6 rpg)
League's leading shot-blocker (2.9 bpg)
Twelve double-doubles on the season (tied for 2nd)
DeMarcus Cousins
Seventh in league scoring (23.5 ppg)
League's leading rebounder (12.6 rpg)
Twelve double-doubles on the season (tied for 2nd)
John Wall
Leads the Wizards in scoring (18.0 ppg)
Tied for second in the league in assists (10.4 apg)
Second in the league is steals (2.2 spg)
Twelve double-doubles on the season (tied for 2nd)
Kyle Lowry
Top-20 league scorer (tied for 20th at 20.1 ppg)
Eighth in the league in assists (7.5 apg)
Stephen Curry
Eighth in league scoring (23.5 ppg)
Tied for sixth in the league in assists (7.7 apg)
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