Sunday was a merry masterpiece for the NBA, featuring close and thrilling games, a handful of the select regular season matchups that actually matter, and of course, ridiculous fashion statements by NBA players to showcase their holiday spirit.
NBA fans have grown well accustomed to Chrstmas-themed red and green shoe-sock combinations over the years. But 2011 brought a number of new interesting installments in the holiday shoe department, most notably Brandon Jennings’ Rudolph themed shoes, which feature synthetic animal hide and a red nose tip, and Kobe’s purple and green Grinch themed sneakers, which in truth would have fit a lot better on the real Grinch who stole the competitive balance of the league, LeBron. Wait, scratch that. this year Kris Humphries was voted the most deserving Grinch. I really resent Kardashian hype overpowering LeBron hate.
Speaking of hype, this season already has as much as any ever before, despite an embarrassing lockout and the lack of competitive balance that is still present in the league. Basketball hasn’t been this alive in LA at least since the Kobe-Shaq days. All across the league, this year is shaping up to be just about as epic as partial seasons get.
There are several star studded teams this year that all have legitimate shots at a championship, and the playoffs are going to be must see TV once all these super teams are summoned to clash it out in seven game series. After these elite teams with stacked rosters, there’s a smaller handful of teams pushing to get into the elite class, who are just a hot streak or a key player acquisition away from chipping into the top tier. Then there’s 40 miles of sulphur fields, an abandoned factory filled with rejected ’06 NBA balls, David Stern’s reputability, and at the bottom of the shit ladder, the rest of the NBA.
What I do here at Sports Matters That Matter is separate the teams that matter and the teams that don’t matter. So I'll divide this Early Season Preview and Review into sections for the teams that matter, the teams that almost matter, and the teams that in the big picture don't matter.
Teams That Matter
Here are the super teams that have a shot at catching a Maverick-esque momentum in the playoffs and winning a championship, in order of how secure their position in this paradigm is: The Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics, and the Dallas Mavericks.
What I do here at Sports Matters That Matter is separate the teams that matter and the teams that don’t matter. So I'll divide this Early Season Preview and Review into sections for the teams that matter, the teams that almost matter, and the teams that in the big picture don't matter.
Teams That Matter
Here are the super teams that have a shot at catching a Maverick-esque momentum in the playoffs and winning a championship, in order of how secure their position in this paradigm is: The Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics, and the Dallas Mavericks.
This is likely the longest this list will be all year. As the season opens up, at least one of these teams will be proven to be too old, too inexperienced, or too mediocre to hang with the big three in Miami, who at this point are setting the standard for the rest of the NBA. For a team to matter, it must have some angle from which they could conceivably play the Heat to a tossup in a 7-game series.
Last year's trend of the NBA becoming a point guard’s league is likely to continue and expand this year. Dallas won a championship last year often using a two point-guard back court with a smaller floor general like JJ Barea and a bigger 1 guard like Jason Kidd splitting the duties of running the offense. After this model’s championship success in Dallas, this year features a handful other teams that have adopted that system into their in-game lineups, most notably the Clippers with Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups, and the Denver Nuggets with Ty Lawson and Andre Miller. It makes sense that this kind of lineup would work, especially with the surplus of talent in the league at the point guard position today. Factor in the aforementioned impressive play of new faces like Ricky Rubio and Kemba Walker, as well as Kyrie Irving, John Wall, and of course the still only 23-year old MVP Derrick Rose, and point guards are clearly here in the league to stay.
Having talent at point guard was a huge factor for these selections of teams that mattered. The weakest on the list at the point by far is the Lakers, and that is why they fall behind the team with perhaps the best point guard in the NBA, their rivals in earnest, the Clippers. But more on that later, I'll start with the two players that carry the teams at the top of the list.
Last year's trend of the NBA becoming a point guard’s league is likely to continue and expand this year. Dallas won a championship last year often using a two point-guard back court with a smaller floor general like JJ Barea and a bigger 1 guard like Jason Kidd splitting the duties of running the offense. After this model’s championship success in Dallas, this year features a handful other teams that have adopted that system into their in-game lineups, most notably the Clippers with Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups, and the Denver Nuggets with Ty Lawson and Andre Miller. It makes sense that this kind of lineup would work, especially with the surplus of talent in the league at the point guard position today. Factor in the aforementioned impressive play of new faces like Ricky Rubio and Kemba Walker, as well as Kyrie Irving, John Wall, and of course the still only 23-year old MVP Derrick Rose, and point guards are clearly here in the league to stay.
Having talent at point guard was a huge factor for these selections of teams that mattered. The weakest on the list at the point by far is the Lakers, and that is why they fall behind the team with perhaps the best point guard in the NBA, their rivals in earnest, the Clippers. But more on that later, I'll start with the two players that carry the teams at the top of the list.
It’s a two man race for MVP between LeBron James and Kevin Durant. LeBron looked as freakishly dominant as ever, dropping 37 points with 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks against the defending champion Mavs. They may not win 70 games, as some TV announcers and numerous sports writers have boldly predicted, (especially bold considering it’s a 66 game season…), but the Heat are the definite front runners to win it all at this point.
The freshly focused, me-against-the-world LeBron James is truly a force to be reckoned with. Most importantly, LeBron stopped trying to play like a diminutive point guard, as he seems to have come to the realization that he can physically dominate just about any human being in the history of the planet in the midrange game and the paint. He didn’t attempt a single three in the game, and the Heat acted like they now have frighteningly found out that it’s a waste to have the two best drivers in the NBA hovering around the perimeter on offense.
Kevin Durant on the other hand looks equally impressive, scoring 33 and 30 points in his two games. He should win his third straight scoring crown this year, and the Thunder look like major contenders in the West once again. In my eyes however, they aren’t the most talented team in the Western conference at this point. In my eyes, that team is the Clippers.
Which brings me to my next conclusion, which is that the Clippers are clearly the best team in Los Angeles now.
Their game against the Warriors was closer than the score would indicate, as the game was closely contested until the last few minutes. But Chris Paul looked unstoppable in crunch time, and paired with Chauncey Billups, the Clippers have the best back court in the NBA when it comes to hitting clutch, momentum-killing shots down the stretch. Add in Mo Williams as a guard to come in the second half with fresh legs, as well as Randy Foye and Eric Bledsoe once he’s healthy, and I like the Clippers back court as much as any in the league, easily.
DeAndre Jordan had a Dwight Howard-esque performance with 8 blocks and 8 missed free throws, on 12 attempts. He really seems to me like a just slightly downgraded version of Superman in terms of athleticism and explosiveness.
Blake Griffin remains an elite post presence, and he’s a hardworking player who has evidently worked a lot on his shot this offseason. I expect him to shoot over 70% free throws this year, and his confidence to shoot the midrange shot immediately will only grow as the season goes on.
Their game against the Warriors was closer than the score would indicate, as the game was closely contested until the last few minutes. But Chris Paul looked unstoppable in crunch time, and paired with Chauncey Billups, the Clippers have the best back court in the NBA when it comes to hitting clutch, momentum-killing shots down the stretch. Add in Mo Williams as a guard to come in the second half with fresh legs, as well as Randy Foye and Eric Bledsoe once he’s healthy, and I like the Clippers back court as much as any in the league, easily.DeAndre Jordan had a Dwight Howard-esque performance with 8 blocks and 8 missed free throws, on 12 attempts. He really seems to me like a just slightly downgraded version of Superman in terms of athleticism and explosiveness.
Blake Griffin remains an elite post presence, and he’s a hardworking player who has evidently worked a lot on his shot this offseason. I expect him to shoot over 70% free throws this year, and his confidence to shoot the midrange shot immediately will only grow as the season goes on.
All in all, the Clippers look like a team that is built to win a championship right now. They had by far the best offseason of any team, and people don’t always realize that they have 5 players on their roster who have been NBA All-Stars as recently as 2008 (Caron Butler, Mo Williams, Chauncey Billups, Blake Griffin, Chris Paul), and on a talent level they match up almost even with the Miami Heat. They may not be the team of Los Angeles now, or even in the immediate future, but they’re the one with the much better chance of winning in the playoffs.
If you’re a Lakers fan though, there’s absolutely no reason to throw in the towel or fret just yet. The Bulls loss was a ridiculous choke that was made possible by the fluke of going 0-5 on free throws in the final minutes, as well as a few inexplicable Ron Artest plays, the worst of which was a pass to a double teamed and cornered Kobe near half court that forced Kobe to throw a bad pass that was intercepted for his 8th and most costly turnover of the game.
Yesterday’s loss to the Kings quite frankly didn’t matter, and was just evidence of the fact that the Lakers aren’t contenders without Andrew Bynum’s inside presence. Without Bynum, all the Lakers’ flaws are put under a magnifying glass—suddenly it becomes apparent that Pau Gasol isn’t willing to take control of the post for himself, that Kobe can’t be the guy who dominates the ball and makes plays every time down the court at this point in his career, that Lamar Odom’s loss is fatal, that Derek Fisher is vastly outplayed by every point guard he faces, and that Ron Artest is usually a bumbling idiot who never in his career was a dependable one-on-one or 3-point threat, and certainly isn’t now.
The reason there’s still hope for this current Lakers roster though is that they have a new coach, a new system, and a new collection of talent, and some adjustment period is to be expected. Having the twin towers of Bynum and Gasol will cover up many of the Lakers’ faults, as well as give the team more opportunities to utilize their new 3-point ability.
Steve Blake is showing a refined shooting stroke with more arc that has paid off thus far. He was 8-10 from behind the arc in the preseason, and I expect him to take over as the Lakers starting point guard by the end of the season. He never fully grasped the triangle offense, and with a newfound shooting stroke and more familiar offensive design, he’s the best point guard the Lakers have.
Josh McRoberts and to a lesser extent Devin Ebanks can be young playmakers who can certainly contribute on this team. McRoberts especially is the type of athletic, hustling young inside player with length that they need to back up Gasol and Bynum. Here is Mike Brown describing his virtues for the team.
It’s going to be hard for a defensive-minded coach like Mike Brown to find room for our SoCal homegrown Jason Kapono in his lineup,but if he can find a way to utilize him, he could help spread the floor with Bynum and Gasol controlling the middle, and if Kapono can do one thing, it’s hit open shots from outside. Here's proof.
Troy Murphy also adds a unique element to the team as a versatile big man who can rebound and hit threes off the bench. The Lakers can’t rely on penetration from any perimeter players, but once Mike Brown instills a defensive midset and an inside-outside offensive game plan, this team will be as capable of winning it all as any in the league, even if it lacks the explosive playmakers of other teams.
Teams that Almost Matter
Steve Blake is showing a refined shooting stroke with more arc that has paid off thus far. He was 8-10 from behind the arc in the preseason, and I expect him to take over as the Lakers starting point guard by the end of the season. He never fully grasped the triangle offense, and with a newfound shooting stroke and more familiar offensive design, he’s the best point guard the Lakers have.
Josh McRoberts and to a lesser extent Devin Ebanks can be young playmakers who can certainly contribute on this team. McRoberts especially is the type of athletic, hustling young inside player with length that they need to back up Gasol and Bynum. Here is Mike Brown describing his virtues for the team.
It’s going to be hard for a defensive-minded coach like Mike Brown to find room for our SoCal homegrown Jason Kapono in his lineup,but if he can find a way to utilize him, he could help spread the floor with Bynum and Gasol controlling the middle, and if Kapono can do one thing, it’s hit open shots from outside. Here's proof.
Troy Murphy also adds a unique element to the team as a versatile big man who can rebound and hit threes off the bench. The Lakers can’t rely on penetration from any perimeter players, but once Mike Brown instills a defensive midset and an inside-outside offensive game plan, this team will be as capable of winning it all as any in the league, even if it lacks the explosive playmakers of other teams.
Teams that Almost Matter
Then there’s a couple teams with a shot of bursting into this top tier, again in order. The New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, and just barely the Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, and Portland Trailblazers.
All these teams are capable of knocking off one of the top tiered teams in a playoff series if the ball bounces the right way for them. Sorry Knicks fans, but Carmelo single handedly beating a Celtics team without Paul Pierce does not gain you entry into the elite class. I don't have much to say about any of these teams yet.
These teams are capable of competing with the Heat eventually and burst into the realm of fully mattering. But they'd need some unexpected boost, whether by trade, a key free agent acquisition, or some player stepping up extraordinarily.
These teams are capable of competing with the Heat eventually and burst into the realm of fully mattering. But they'd need some unexpected boost, whether by trade, a key free agent acquisition, or some player stepping up extraordinarily.
Teams That Do Not Matter
Then, there’s the rest of the teams, who often feature young exciting players that certainly matter, but who fail to leave any impression on the sports world otherwise.The David Sternland Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors Phoenix Suns, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Bobcats, Utah Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves, Washington Wizards, New Jersey Nets, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings, and finally the Cleveland Cavaliers.
These are a few of the guys on these teams that caught my eye in the first few games:
Ricky Rubio—as LeBron James tweeted, “Rubio can pass that rock!” Just two games into his career, the Spanish sensation has already provided a handful of uniquely remarkable plays that are rare to see in today’s NBA. He makes the bounce pass beautiful, and I’m excited to see him develop. There’s a lot more Steve Nash in this kid than there is Adam Morrison, and he is a fresh face with a unique play style based on dazzle and making his teammates better. Plus, he’s got a supporting cast that can make plays with fellow first year player Derrick Williams, as well as Michael Beasley and of course Kevin Love. Rubio’s already getting the crunch time minutes on the Wolves, and he’s just 21. The TWolves might be able to sneak into the playoffs as early as this year on their talented players' young legs in a condensed season.
Paul George—Another 21 year old already making splashes, the man with two first names efficiently filled the stat line with 12 points, 7 rebounds, two 3s, a block, and a steal in his first action this year. What most caught my eye is that he looked bigger than he did last year—and he is. The ex-Fresno State star, who mostly plays shooting guard, grew two inches in the offseason from an already lengthy 6’8 to 6’10. A well-rounded player who can play defense, shoot, rebound, and do all the small things, George is in elite company with Kevin Durant now as the only other extremely versatile 6’10 guard/forward without Durant’s uncanny scoring instincts. He also shares a quick, and effortlessly smooth stroke like Durant's from the perimeter. He’s the second best player out of the 2010 draft class next to John Wall, and he has all the chances to continue to improve.
Kemba Walker—you know you’re having an impressive debut when you manage to get Michael Jordan to get off his seat like he did after this impressive and-1 score. The national champion from UConn scored 13 points, including 7-7 on free throws, in his NBA debut. Allen Iverson comparisons may not be too farfetched, and Kemba’s already pushing D.J. Augustin for the starting PG spot in Charlotte and bringing some flair to the flailing franchise. I fully expect him to score 25-30 points when he plays against the Lakers current roster.I'll stop here, and really, the only thing stopping me from dissecting every player’s performance and jumping to conclusions is the fact that it’s an
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