Now the season is long, and much will happen, but I will try to justify my weekly or almost weekly rankings by factoring schedules, statistics, and probably some off the wall ideas or notions, but mostly it will be about the “W’s”.
***It should be noted that I wrote this during my Wednesday afternoon biology class but was not able to submit it until after Wednesday’s slate of games. So some stats are now wrong but will be accounted for in the next installment (Ed. Note: I fixed the overall records because I am great human - CT) I’m done wasting time up here though, lets get to the list…
1.) Indiana Pacers: overall 5-0: The Pacers are the first-week champions. They came out with a vengeance and discarded the Pistons, Cavailers, Pelicans, Magic and Bulls. While Chicago is the only noteworthy team they have beaten, Indiana is the last time without a defeat. The bench has improved thus far, but mostly it has been about Paul George. The dude has given zero fucks. His five game averages of 27 points, eight rebounds, five assists per game have made fantasy owners cream, and his 52% shooting has got everyone’s attention. Defensively they have only allowed 85 points per game which is good for first place in the NBA.
2.) Philadelphia 76ers:overall 321: I think it is safe to say this is where the 76ers will peak. Although I did expect Michael Carter-Williams to be a statistical success (He is my ROY front-runner[1]), I would be lying to you if I also said I saw him bringing immediate wins. MCW with his averages of 20 points, seven assists, five rebounds per game earned him Conference Player of the Week becoming the first rookie to open his career winning that awardsince Shaquile O'Neal. That is pretty cool. They got walloped by the Warriors as they were down by 45 points at one point, and I think that the 105 points per game they have been averaging will start to trend down. But for the time being let’s all give a golf clap for Philly coming out swinging.
3.) Los Angeles Clippers:overall 3-2: Their two losses are weird ones coming in an opening night defeat then a slip-up in Orlando last night but aside from that it has been the Chris Paul show. Paul has made an early statement for MVP, averaging 26 points, 13 assists and nearly four steals per game. They have beaten up on both the Warriors and Rockets (Spoiler alert: both teams will land in the top 10 of these rankings), and everyone has been scoring for them (Jamal Crawford 17 ppg, Blake Griffin 20 ppg, J.J. Redick 17 ppg DeAndre Jordan 11 ppg). Doc Rivers and Chris seem to been getting along just fine, this could be scary news for the league.
4.) San Antonio Spurs:overall 4-1: This is another one of your father's Spurs teams. They shoot at nearly 50% a a team (47% and counting) and Tony Parker and Tim Duncan are dominating in 30 min. a game fashion. Currently 10 different Spurs are averaging 10+ minutes a game, and Jeff Ayres[2] is averaging 9.8. If you were already bored of the Spurs, you will hate this team possibly more then the Spurs teams of the last couple years. Nonetheless, they will keep winning and winning, and winning…
5.) Minnesota Timberwolves: overall 3-2: I admit, this is somewhat of a homer pick. I could easily have slotted Houston or Golden State here. By seasons end, this probably will not be the Timberwolves spot, but let’s give it up for what the Pups have accomplished through the first week or so. Kevin Love, despite still searching for his 3-point stroke (currently shooting 29%) was the Player of the Week, and been averaging 26 points,14 rebounds per game. Kevin Martin has been another asset averaging 21 points per game thus far. Ricky Rubio, one of my personal favorites, has very modest averages of nine points and assists per game. He is leading the league in steals at four per game, but his shooting average of 29% is a reality check. If Minnesota stays healthy and Love and Rubio find their range, this is a lethal team.
6.) Golden State Warriors: overall 4-1: To me, this is the most aesthetically pleasing team to watch. The Splash Bros are so buttery it makes Mrs. Buttersworth herself blush. Stephen Curry is averaging 22 points, nine assists and four rebounds per game plus had himself a triple-double against Philly. Other Splash Bro, Klay Thompson, is averaging 22.5 points per game and has been shooting 52% from downtown. Meanwhile David Lee is averaging 19 points, eight rebounds per game. Andre Iguodala is starting his Golden State tenure off nicely with 14 points, five rebounds, four assists a game including this ridiculous pass. The Warriors only loss came when CP3 hung 40 on them. All is well in Oakland.
7.) Houston Rockets:overall 4-1: Like Golden State, James Harden and the boys have only lost to the Clips. The Rockets have been scoring in buckets, averaging 109 per game. Howard has looked more like Orlando Dwight, averaging 17 points and 14 rebounds a game but most importantly, Harden and him seem to have chemistry. Harden himself, is off to a nice start of 25 points, four rebounds and assists per game and that is all while being ice cold from downtown. Houston has been bad defensively, but Harden and Howard mean business in Houston. That is a whole lot of H’s.
8.) Miami Heat: overall 3-2 : As of now, Miami is ranked within the top three in the following categories: Field Goals, Field Goals Attempted, Field Goal Percentage, 3-point Field Goals, 3-point Field Goals Attempted ,3-point Field Goal Percentage. You simply cannot ask for anything more offensively. They played pretty lifelessly in both of their losses (Brooklyn, Philly), and have showed that they only thing stopping the Heat is themselves. LeBron James has been ultra tidy with per game averages of 26 points, eight assists six rebounds per game. Stoner Update: Michael Beasley has PER-36 averages of 54 ppg and 9 blocks.
9.) Dallas Mavericks:overall 3-2 : Dallas has come out the gate smokin’ hot! Monta Ellis, much to the chagrin of Bucks fans, is shooting over 50% and has been scoring 25 points per game to go along with five assists. Ellis had a very quotable offseason and I do not mind seeing him playing well. He did once say he is as good as Dwyane Wade. Let’s see how long his play can keep up with his mouth. Jae Crowder is a man asking for more minutes. He is averaging only 15 mpg but it has translated to nine points per game and he has been an incredible 10-14 from three. Dallas, surely won’t keep scoring 114 ppg, but for now, good wins against Atlanta, Memphis and Los Angeles Lakers, place them in the top 10.
10.) Oklahoma City Thunder:overall 3-1: Offensively, it has been a struggle for the Thunder. They hardly beat a terrible Jazz team, and the Suns win was not pretty either. Kevin Durant has been his usual self (29ppg/6rpg), but before Russell Westbrook’s astonishingly quick return, the Thunder have found themselves struggling to get buckets. As a team, they are shooting 39% for 95 points per game. Fear not though, Russell is back and looks just like the old reckless Russell. I have concerns about this Thunder team though…
11.) Phoenix Suns: overall 3-2: I will consider this the second honorary peak as the Suns really are not that good. Eric Bledsoe, the new cornerstone and starting PG, is really good. He has impressed to the tune of 22 points, 7.8 assists, 5.8 rebounds per game. Also, he has freakishly long arms allowing him to make more plays than the usual point guard. Realistically, these guys have beaten some shitty teams, but a justified pat on the back is in order.
12.) Brooklyn Nets:overall 2-2: A good home win against Miami, and so far they look pretty good. Too early to see which way they are trending offensively and defensively and as of now they are middle of the pack in both. A couple questions do arise when talking Brooklyn;
a.) How will the first back-to-back go?
b.) What is up with Deron Williams he is only averaging eight points and assists per game in a point guard happy system. I can already see Deron in whiney turd mode…
13.) Memphis Grizzlies:overall 2-3: Putting the Griz at 13 is a total respect move by me. In the Memphis games I watched, I was not impressed[3]. They have no scoring. And I have no clue how they plan to change that. They protect the rim better than anyone, but when your wing scorers are Mike Miller, Tony Allen, and Tayshaun Prince, it will undoubtedly be problematic at sometime…
14.) Atlanta Hawks:overall 2-2: This is another team that fits the 2-2 logjam. I did not expect Atlanta to be very good, even with their solid frontcourt. But so far, Al Horford and Paul Millsap seem to be figuring out how to win. I also remember questioning if Jeff Teague could be a guy to not only score himself but set the table for his shooters. He has proven to do both (18ppg/8.9apg), and Kyle Korver has been able to benefit with 14 points per game to begin his second season with the Hawks. I may have been sleeping on Atlanta coming into the season.
15.) Portland Trailblazers: overall 2-2: They have been scoring a bunch (107 per game) and have notched a win over the Spurs (Albeit San Antonio was on the second night of back-to-back). LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard have been splendid, both scoring 24 points per game while shooting 50%. Nic Batum has done Batum-like-things averaging 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists per game and also doing French-like-things like running up the floor and shooting a three at the final buzzer, even though the game was well within hand. If the Blazers starters continue at this pace, it will be interesting to see how many teams hate Batum by seasons end.
16.) Detroit Pistons:overall 2-2: I am putting them at 16 now, but I think this team is going to have consistent top-12 staying power. I love their frontcourt. Through the first four games, Greg Monroe/ Josh Smith/ Andre Drummond have combined to average 45 points, 28 rebounds, 4.6 blocks per game. Those are beastly numbers. To me, Monroe has been the best player on the team, so it will be interesting to see if Brandon Jennings will utilize him or just revert back to him Milwaukee ways and start chucking. For the sake of basketball, I hope Jennings uses these big guys because Detroit could upend some teams come May.
17.) Orlando Magic:overall 3-2: Hey! Way to go Orlando. The Magic have come out fiery, which is more than I thought they would and they have done it without Tobias Harris. What I like most so far: Nikola Vucevic and Andrew Nicholson are quite formidable in the frontcourt; the two have combined for 28 points, 17 rebounds per game. Kendrick Lamar’s boyAaron Afflalo has been better than expected. Most importantly, Victor Oladipo looks like the real deal.
18.) Charlotte Bobcats:overall 3-2: HEY HEY! Give it up for Charlotte as well. Big Al Jefferson is already nursing a bum ankle and may miss some time, but it has not stopped the ‘Cats from beating the Knicks and Cavs. Charlotte has been stingy defensively allowing only 95 points per game. Kemba Walker looks like he has improved again, which could move him past the likes of Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson and Brandon Jennings on the point guard totem pole. I am rooting for Charlotte. I hope their play continues, and if it does they need to figure out a way to get some help at the SG/SF position.
19.) Cleveland Cavs:overall 2-3: Kyrie Irving is outrageously good. For some reason, Mike Brown seems to not want to give every opportunity he can to Kyrie. Instead he is letting guys like Drunk Jarrett Jack and CJ Miles shoot whenever they please. With this plan, Cleveland is currently ranked dead last offensively, scoring less then 88 points per game. If Brown just let's Kyrie go, this will change. That is all.
20.) Toronto Raptors:overall 2-3: I almost ranked them 17th because I was impressed with the fact Drake scheduled a Toronto concert on the same night the Heat were in town. Reason being is I felt Drake was being thoughtful as he wanted LeBron and Dwyane to have something to do that night after the game. You could tell LeBron was pumped too because he had 35 points, eight rebounds and assists. Moral of the story, Raptors have only beat bad teams (Celtics, Bucks) and got beaten-up by good teams (Miami, Atlanta Charlotte?). If they want to be taken seriously, this is something that needs to change.
21.) Los Angeles Lakers:overall 2-3: They shocked the world by beating the Clippers game one (Thanks to 74 big points off the bench), but have since been on the decline. They give up 109 points per game, a number that seems inflated because of such a small sample size, but I doubt it lowers that much. They are going to struggle mightily without Kobe Bryant. This is something we know. If they want to make the playoffs (I know talking playoffs already), they are going to need Xavier Henry to continue his play until Kobe can come back. Hopefully Kobe does not murder Nick Young or something in the meantime…
22.) Chicago Bulls:overall 1-3: I predicted them to be wrecking balls, but it is evident Derrick Rose and company will need some time to figure each other out again. Rose has been rusty, especially in his jumpshot which has been a flat 28%. This will improve. Loul Deng and Jimmy Butler, both of who I figured would improve their own jumpers have yet to show they did anything this offseason. Butler is on par with last year, but Deng has come out horribly. Chicago will figure it out, it is just a matter of time.
23.) New York Knicks:1-3: Oddly enough, it has been the Knicks lack of offense that has been their early Achilles, not the other side of the ball. Carmelo Anthony has been good, but until JR Smith comes back, there will be a lot of pressure for him to score. Especially in crunch time. As for now, they will need to continue to rely on their third-ranked defensive to win games.
24.) Milwaukee Bucks:overall 2-2: With Larry Sanders punching people, Ersan Ilyasova and Luke Ridnour sitting and Brandon Knight popping his hammy, the Bucks have unfortunately had to join many of the Green Bay Packers in the hospital. They are injured, but still scrappy, not having been blown out yet. What is hilarious about the Bucks is that while seven players are averaging double figures the leading scorer heading into Wednesday's game with Cleveland is Zaza Pachulia. Let that soak in Milwaukee.
25.) Sacramento Kings:overall 1-3: A very exciting 1-3. Isaiah Thomas Jr. is starting to become worth a ticket, and there is nothing like watching Boogie Cousins yell at referees. I did not expect it, but this has been a fun League Pass team, even if they are terrible.
26.) New Orleans Pelicans:overall 2-3: Things are looking rough in the Big Easy for everyone except the Brow. Anthony Davis has been amazing averaging 22 points, 12 rebounds and 4.3 blocks per game. Their 44-million dollar free-agent Tyreke Evans has been anything but amazing, averaging only seven points per game.
27.) Washington Wizards:1-3: So far, this has been my biggest flop of a prediction. I still think theses guys will be good despite their early losing efforts. John Wall has been fun, and showed that he is not going to be afraid to shoot the ball. I hope they start to turn it around because I do not want to say anything bad about them yet.
28.) Denver Nuggets:overall 0-3: Poor Brian Shaw, finally get a team and I do not know if the personnel is going to be right for him. They do not have a lot of scoring and it seems as if Shaw would prefer to slow it down. If that is the case, trade Ty Lawson and start fresh. I think it is going to be a long year in Denver. Luckily, their fans will probably be too high to realize it.
29.) Boston Celtics: overall 0-4: Bad bad bad team. Without Rajon Rondo, they have nothing. Jeff Green does not create for others. Avery Bradley is just not good and a guy named Vitor Faverani starting the first four games.
30.) Utah Jazz:overall 0-3: Without question the worst team. They have very little scoring, a bad frontcourt, and no point guard. When is the draft again
~Andrew
[1]Think of him being like Tyreke Evans when he won the award. 6’6’’ point guard that has the ball every play on a shitty team. He will put up good stats. Also I did not realize he can shoot the three a little bit…
[2]Jeff Ayres for those that are wondering, used to be Jeff Pendergraph, but did not feel very connected to his game. So now basically he is just a less famous version of his journeyman NBA self.
[3] It should be noted that rarely are the Grizzlies called impressive when the person judging them would rather watch good “O” over good “D” any day…
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