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.
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| 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
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
