The NBA season is just over a week old, and already there is only one undefeated team remaining. There have been surprise teams in both directions, but the majority of teams near the top of the standings were somewhat to be expected. Here are my first rankings of the season, with teams grouped by similar level of performance.
TW. (LW) Team (Record)
1. (6) New York (3-0)
2. (12) Philadelphia (2-2)
3. (15) Memphis (3-1)
4. (1) Miami (4-1)
5. (7) LA Clippers (3-2)
6. (13) Utah (2-3)
7. (3) Oklahoma City (2-2)
8. (8) Dallas (4-1)
9. (2) San Antonio (4-1)
10. (5) Chicago (3-1)
11. (14) Denver (2-3)
12. (21) Minnesota (3-1)
13. (25) Golden State (3-2)
14. (27) New Orleans (2-2)
15. (11) Atlanta (2-1)
16. (10) LA Lakers (1-4)
17. (17) Milwaukee (2-1)
18. (18) Toronto (1-4)
19. (19) Orlando (2-2)
20. (28) Houston (2-2)
21. (26) Portland (2-2)
22. (29) Cleveland (2-3)
23. (9) Indiana (2-3)
24. (24) Sacramento (2-3)
25. (4) Boston (2-2)
26. (23) Brooklyn (1-2)
27. (16) Phoenix (2-3)
28. (22) Detroit (0-5)
29. (20) Washington (0-3)
30. (30) Charlotte (1-2)
One of the most pleasant surprises of the first week has been the New Orleans Hornets, which won two of their first three games, one on the road against the Chicago Bulls. They also beat the Utah Jazz and lost a close game to the Spurs, so they are playing far above expectations. Rookie Anthony Davis looked good against San Antonio, scoring 21 points in his debut, but a concussion in his second game has kept him out for the past two games and he is questionable for tomorrow's game.
The Golden State Warriors have also risen early in the season, taking the top spot in the Pacific Division, which features two supposed contenders in Los Angeles. They have gone 3-2 despite leading scorer Stephen Curry shooting less than 37% so far, and they could end up being a pretty good team once he gets going.
The Boston Celtics have been underperforming so far, despite the 2-2 record that would imply that they are all right. Both wins came in close games against the Washington Wizards, which hardly counts as a win, and neither loss was close. The updated Big 3 has been playing at the same high level as usual, but the supporting cast still hasn't quite meshed for one of the preseason favorites in the Eastern Conference.
The Pacers have also fallen on hard times, winning only against the Raptors and Kings, and losing a game against the lowly Charlotte Bobcats, which is their only victory in their past 26 games. To add to that, they just got the news that Danny Granger is out for at least 3 months, and by the time he gets back, it may be too late for them to make a playoff push.
Predictions
Oklahoma City at Chicago - Bulls by 1
LA Clippers at Portland - Clippers by 11
Prediction Results
NBA: 8-5 (.615) 40-24 overall (.625)
Upsets: 1-1 (.500) 6-5 overall (.545)
No comments:
Post a Comment