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Monday, January 2, 2012

Reaction to the First Week of the 2011-12 Season


With just over a week of games behind us, I wanted to make some quick notes on which teams I think are overrated, underrated, playing as expected, and teams we can’t judge yet.  Keeping in mind I am not making mention of every team at this point, here’s my early take on the NBA landscape:

Overrated:

New York Knicks
In the playoffs last year vs. Boston, the Knicks were competitive during the series’ first two games.  Then, Chauncey Billups got hurt, and they were swept shortly thereafter.   Well, after the team waived Billups this offseason, and with Baron Davis hurt, did you really expect the Knicks to be that good?  With Toney Douglass running the show, I have my doubts.  Sure the team signed Tyson Chandler, but he can only clean up so many mistakes that their porous D makes. 

With glaring weaknesses in their back court, it could be
 a very long season for Stat, Tyson and Melo (left to right)

“Superstars” Melo and Amare still have a LOT to prove, or they’ll be getting the overrated label themselves in the near future (if they haven’t already).  I foresee them definitely make the playoffs, but with teams like the Hawks and Pacers improving, and the Magic appearing to tread water – despite the drama surrounding Dwight’s probable lame duck season – I’m not so sure they’re good enough to obtain home court advantage in the first round.

Underrated:

Dallas Mavericks
Don’t be fooled by their slow start.  At the end of the day, I still don’t see any clear-cut team out West that’s truly better than them yet.   Vince Carter’s play has been a pleasant surprise so far, as has that of Delonte West.  Their regular season record may be so-so by season’s end, but I have no doubt that Rick Carlisle will have this team ready come playoff time.

Atlanta Hawks
As long as Atlanta keeps their three All-Star caliber
players, they are a virtual lock to be a top-4 team in the East
After shocking the world by eliminating the heavily-favored Orlando Magic in last year’s playoffs, this team appeared to take a step back by losing scoring juggernaut Jamal Crawford in free agency.  But in only five games, this team has proved once again that they are not to be overlooked.  But last I looked, they still have Joe Johnson, Josh Smith - who better make the All-Star team this year, as he hasn't yet been selected for one yet - and Al Horford.  And with Larry Drew running the show after a great first season as head coach, I don't think they're slowing down anytime soon.

Btw, did you see T-Mac playing like it’s 2003 vs. Miami and beating down the Heat?!  That blast to the past may have been the highlight of the season for me so far.  If he keeps this up in crunch time situations for the remainder of the season, the Hawks could be a real sleeper in the East.

Indiana Pacers
The team that gave a slight scare to Derrick Rose and the Bulls in last year’s playoffs has improved considerably this season.  You probably weren’t blown away by their acquisition of David West and George Hill, but Larry Bird has quietly constructed a talented and deep roster.  As long as West finds enough touches playing alongside Roy Hibbert, they have an above-average inside-outside attack scheme. 


As Expected:

Top Guns – Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder
The two teams that started off 5-0, the Heat and Thunder are popular picks to meet in the 2012 NBA Finals.  At this early stage, who can argue with that?  In Miami, LeBron and D-Wade are playing as well as they ever have.  LeBron, in particular, has shown noticeable improvement in the low post, after working with Hakeem Olajuwon over the summer (following the advice of Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard, who also benefited from the Dream's teachings) - one particular new move I noticed that has proven effective is where he holds the ball high and faces up in the "pinch" post, and in one motion, pulls up for a short jumper (a move too quick for defenders to stop, especially in that triple-threat position).  Miami also found a diamond in the rough in rookie Norris Cole, who already has received MVP chants.  Once Shane Battier gets acclimated and Mike Miller returns to health (which has been dubious lately), I can see Miami going on multiple double-digit win streaks this season.

KD is making a strong case to
be the league's best player
We also expected Kevin Durant and the OKC Thunder to come storming out of the gates.  Btw, I’m not going to make too much of the Westbrook and Durant scuffle last week vs. Memphis; I don’t believe there was any animosity there between the two.  They both are great players, and they both want to do whatever it takes to win.  Westbrook clearly has some growing up to do (particularly after the tantrums he pulled when Dallas eliminated OKC in last year’s WCF), but I think the two of them have patched things up.  Anyway, expect the Thunder to be the Western Conference’s top playoff seed this season.

Bottom Feeders – New Jersey Nets, Washington Wizards
These two teams have two of the league’s most dynamic point guards.  But that’s about all they have going for them.  Brook Lopez could not have picked a worse time to get hurt, and this could prove disastrous for the Nets in their efforts to surround D-Will with talent – and more importantly, to even keep him after he becomes a free agent this summer.

Paul Westphal (right) has grown tiresome
of Cousins' (left) pouty behavior
DeMarcus Cousins
I know, I know – dedicating a section for a particular player is not consistent with the format of this post, but I need to bring this guy up.  Prior to being drafted 5th overall by Sacramento in the 2010 NBA Draft, teams expressed a lot of concern about 21-year old Cousins’ maturity, or lack thereof.  Today, Kings Head coach Paul Westphal has publicly criticized Cousins’ poor demeanor, toxic attitude, and questionable work ethic.  In only his second NBA season, this guy has had his fair share of meltdowns going back to his days at Kentucky.  Wasn’t this guy supposed to prove his critics wrong?  Is he ever going to stick it to the teams that passed him in the draft?  I don’t think so, but he’s going to have to get his act together.  In a league where immensely talented Centers are hard to come by, someone else will give him a chance (the Magic and Nets are two rumored potential destinations).  But I’m not convinced that he’ll wise up anytime soon.


TBD:

Los Angeles Clippers
When the Clips acquired Chris Paul, people (myself included) immediately pinned them as playoff contenders.  But don’t be shocked at their early-season struggles.  With several shakeups to their roster over the offseason, they still need time to gel as a group – especially on defense, which has been atrocious in these first few games.  Lob City is still an appropriate team nickname, as they will undoubtedly have a very potent offense.  But Vinny Del Negro is going to have to get his team to crack down on D.

Memphis Grizzlies
One of the more disappointing teams in the league so far, Memphis has started off very slow after shocking the top-seeded Spurs and forcing hard-fought games against OKC last season.   With the hope that Z-Bo’s knee injury isn’t serious, this team still has a chance to recover from their rocky start.

The “Old” Teams – Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs
Everyone has dismissed these teams as title contenders, but I think there is hope yet for these aging veterans.  Their regular season record won’t wow you – especially since coaches Doc Rivers and Gregg Popovich will rest their top players on their respective teams often during this heavily condensed season.  But in the playoffs, you still never know if they have one more playoff run left in the tank.  By no means do I expect them to be serious contenders, but I’m not counting them out quite yet.