Let's check in on the NBA...
Bona Fide Contenders:
San Antonio Spurs - I thought before the season that Tony Parker would be traded off as the Spurs refused to commit. I was really wrong. Instead, they signed him to an extension, and the Spurs are off to a ridiculous 23-3 start.
Boston Celtics - Off to a 22-4 start. Garnett playing very efficiently, in only 32 mpg.
Miami Heat - Slow start, but they are playing better now of course. As a Clevelander, I'm not allowed to write anything more about it at this time.
Dallas Mavericks - Tyson Chandler is finally healthy for the first time in what seems like 2 or 3 years. As a result... the Mavs have been fantastic. Dirk is also playing out of his mind (56% FG%, 42% 3-pointers, 25 ppg, 7.6 reb.)
Biggest Surprises:
Utah Jazz - Deron Williams and Millsap have been great. CJ Miles has been giving solid production off the bench surprisingly. Plus, Okur just came back from his injury. He's easing into the season, but they should get even better I assume.
NY Knicks - I tentatively have to mention them... though they don't play defense and I don't think they've beaten any good teams still. Stoudemire, Felton, and Gallinari have played well together.
Biggest Disappointments:
LA Clippers - 7-21 - They've won some games lately... but sheesh. Chris Kaman hasn't been good at all this season and has been injured. Blake Griffin's putting up big numbers... but everyone else other than Eric Gordon are playing awful.
Portland - 14-14 - Brandon Roy's knee problems have turned him into a below-average player. He should just rest up and not come back until he's healthy. Wesley Matthews has saved them a few nights... but Roy still has a higher ceiling of course.
Players: Biggest Surprises:
PF Kevin Love (T-wolves): A preposterous, 21 ppg, 15.7 rebs, and 2.3 assists per game!
PG Raymon Felton (Knicks): 18.4 ppg, 9 assists, 1.9 steals... and the Knicks are winning some games at least!
SF/SG Wilson Chandler (Knicks): Another big surprise, 17.1 ppg, 6.3 rebs, and 47% FG%.
SG Manu Ginobili (Spurs): An MVP-type season... and 19.8ppg, 4.9 assists, and 1.7 steals.
Players: Biggest Disappointments
Gerald Wallace (Bobcats) - Has struggled shooting (again), at 42%. 2.7 TOs per game, and only 8.1 rebounds per game... after getting like 12 last season.
Brook Lopez (Nets) - I'm just disappointed that this 7-footer is only getting 6.3 rebounds per game. That's terrible. If you look on basketball-reference, you'll see his rebounding percentage has been awful this season.
Chauncey Billups (Nuggets) - A few injuries. A super young PG playing great behind him (Ty Lawson). Billups age may FINALLY be catching up with him (35% FG%, 14.4 ppg, 5.4 assists, 2.9 TOs)
Joe Johnson (Hawks) - Here's a big surprise. The guy who really didn't deserve max money is playing poorly. Shooting 40% from the field and still not contributing much else (4.1 rebs, 5.4 assists).
Mo Williams (Cavs) - Shooting 41% from the field, and an awful 28% from 3-point land (despite being a career 40% from 3-point land). Boo.
Tyreke Evans (Kings) - The Kings have been awful so far this season. I thought Tyreke would make the leap to greatness this season... and I was really wrong. Shooting 39% from the field, only 17 ppg, 5.3 assists, and a whopping 3.1 TOs.
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3 comments:
@Gutsy: Galinari hasn't played well at all. I don't know what the stats are but, from watching him, he's a piss-poor basketball player. Can't hit open shots, can't pass, can't dribble, can't rebound, can't defend, and has an uncanny ability to miss free throws. And here all this time I thought Europeans were supposedly good at the fundamentals.
I cited Gallinari... but it looks like Chandler is the bigger surprise. I obviously haven't seen gallinari in person, which is more valuable in a lot of ways than any stats I can pull up.
MJ - you have to at least be happy the that the Knicks are competitive though, right?
@Gutsy: The Knicks are competitive? They just lost to the Cavs the other day. All due respect but, since the Cavs lost to the Heat on that nationally-televised night a few weeks ago, they've been arguably the worst team in the NBA. How a supposedly competitive team loses to the Cavs is beyond me.
The Knicks are the same old team they've been since the start of the 2001-2002 season. They have a poorly-constructed roster of role players, none of whom takes any great interest or pride in defending. The Knicks stink, that recent hot streak notwithstanding.
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