|
Post by Miege22 on Oct 23, 2023 9:05:08 GMT -5
I can't believe it, but we're back already! And boy do we have a doozy lined up for the first week of the season. We start with the heaviest of heavyweight match-ups in the Midwest between the Houston Rockets and the Colorado Swannies. The Swannies have taken two of the last three from Houston, and they advanced a round farther in the postseason despite Houston finishing with the best record in the conference. Stylistically, you couldn't have a more diametrically opposed match-up. While Colorado does have guys who can fill it up and shoot from deep, that's an area where the Rockets thrive. With Steph Curry and Dame Lillard in the backcourt, teams are going to be hard-pressed to outshoot Houston. On the flip side, the Swannies have quite the edge in the frontcourt, particularly when it comes to rebounds and blocked shots, with the team possibly being the best in the league in the latter category. These two will meet again to end the season in a match-up that could have major division and conference implications, so it's fitting we'll also start the year with these two squaring off.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Oct 30, 2023 8:52:54 GMT -5
We're back, baby! Week 1 kicked us off with close match-ups all over the board, and some surprising results that could have major playoff implications down the road. Let's head to Colorado, where the Swannies and Rockets treated us to an epic first game of the week. Colorado Swannies (1-0) over Houston Rockets (0-1), 5-4It was a big week for the Swannies. Fresh off their first postseason appearance in over a decade, there was a lot of optimism that this could be the team to get them over the hump into the Finals. They were going to find out just how good they were right off the bat with the Houston Rockets coming to town, the team widely regarded as the favorite in the West. The terms of this battle were laid down immediately, as Colorado jumped out to leads in four of the five categories they ultimately won. Where things got dicey was points, as Houston ultimately tracked down Colorado and won the category rather easily. As the match-up entered the final day, it was anyone's ballgame. However, uncharacteristically poor shooting games from Steph and Dame, combined with Dame's 6 turnovers, allowed the Swannies to escape the season opener with a win. That the Swannies were able to pull it off despite getting just one game from Darius Garland, and LaMelo Ball shooting a ghastly 8/32, was all the more impressive. Anthony Davis was the star for Colorado, averaging 26/12/3/2/3, and making 20/22 free throws. KCP deserves a shoutout as well for 10 big steals, helping Colorado win that one going away. The surprise here for Houston was that they actually rather dominated the rebounds category. In fact, they finished with the third most rebounds of any team in the league last week, which bodes well for them moving forward. Steph may have had a tough shooting night to end the week, but he still shot 51% in his three games, averaged 31 points, and dropped in 17 threes... so he was just fine. Dame had a smashing debut in Milwaukee, pouring in 39-8, but he followed it up with a stinker that cost them this one. The way he and Jaylen Brown adjust will be something to keep an eye on. Houston gets OKC next, while Colorado heads to Kansas City. Brooklyn Nets (1-0) over Washington Wizards (0-1), 5-4Another nailbiter, the Brooklyn Nets are above .500 for the first time since February of 2022. Despite playing nearly 100 fewer minutes, some of that by design considering they played for turnovers on Sunday, the Nets were able to eke out a win over a division rival. Still, it was a mixed bag for the young Nets, which is to be expected. After an uneven first game marred by foul trouble, Victor Wembanyama dazzled in game two to the tune of 21/12/1/3/3. His last game of the week was a true "welcome to the NBA, rook" moment, as the Clippers spent much of the game taking all of the Spurs' lunch money... and their lunches. Scoot Henderson really struggled this week, averaging just 7 ppg. Evan Mobley had a rough first couple of games before exploding for 33-14 on Saturday. The revelation for this group may be Ausar Thompson, who absolutely stuffed the stat sheet (6-11-5, 2.3 blocks per game). And Jalen Duren... holy cow, 18/15/4/1/3 on the week and 80%(!) shooting from the floor. This team had five guys block 5 or more shots on the week, and they are already running away from the league in that category. The Wizards may have lost, but it's entirely possible they would have won had Giannis had one more game on the schedule. They also have to be thrilled with the way MPJ boarded to start the season (11 rebounds per game), and Desmond Bane has looked great (24-3-4, 10 threes, 12/13 from the line). Frankly, Washington has plenty of reasons to be encouraged for the season after this one. They were among the top-5 in threes, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, and they had the 7th most points on the week... it just so happened that Brooklyn got them in boards and blocks, and that was the difference. One week in, and this Wizards team feels like a playoff team. They'll have the chance to right the ship against Orlando. Portland Traiblazers (1-0) over Las Vegas Gamblers (0-1), 6-3We'll get to the winning team in a second, but first, pour one out for the Gamblers, man. They lost Steven Adams for the year before the season, and Anfernee Simons for at least a month after just one game. Just a real tough go of it off the bat, and they were right there. Portland clipped them by 0.0003% from the field and just 0.0001% from the free throw line. Literally one more make in both from Vegas, or one more miss from Portland, and the Gamblers would have pulled the upset. Instead, shout out to Paul George for putting up 27-4-4 with 9 threes and 8 steals while shooting 55% from the floor and a perfect 17/17 from the line. That Kevin Durant guy is pretty good too, huh? Just a ho hum 28-9-4 to start the season. Those two more than made up for a truly horrendous shooting start (26.5%!) for Trae Young. Fun Naz Reid game on Saturday too (25-8 and 4 threes). Watch out for this team. Vegas lost, but they have to be heartened by what they got from Cade (22-3-8) and Chet (15-7, 6 threes and 7 blocks). Oh, and Zion looks healthy, which is great. But I think we all know what the story is here... that's right, Kelly Oubre. After not signing until, seemingly, the day before training camp, Oubre went out and averaged 19 ppg, shot 50% from the floor, picked up 6 steals, and made 14 of 15 free throws. The future of the Gamblers is obviously going to be predicated on their young stars, but how they fare this season is going to come down to the swing role players like Oubre and Ziaire Williams (signs of life to start the year, with a 12-8). Vegas gets a surprising Jazz team in week 2. Seattle Supersonics (1-0) over Phoenix Suns (0-1), 7-2Predictably, the Suns lost, but there are some fascinating things brewing behind the scenes that we will touch on in a moment. This recap can only start with Seattle's star guard that can shoot with the best of them. Yep, it's Max Strus time in Seattle. Strus exploded in his first game in Cleveland, dropping in 7 threes and putting up 27-12. Well, two games later, he put up 21-11-6, and he's now averaging 19-9-4 with 13 threes after one week. It proved to be a remarkably shrewd grab for the Sonics as, obviously, James Harden did not play. If Harden does come back, and we know he will at some point, he may be coming back to a playoff team, as these Sonics looked pretty darn good in week 1. Kevon Looney continued where he left off last year (7-11-3), and Brandon Ingram looks healthy (23-7-5). Despite trading both Dejounte Murray and Jimmy Butler in the summer, the Sonics still picked up 33 steals in week 1 (tied for second most in the league), and Marcus Smart was a big part of that (9 steals). Without their pick, the Sonics wanted to stay competitive, and it looks like they'll do just that. Now, Phoenix... Jokic is Jokic (26-13-8, 62% shooting lol), and on a better team, he's probably the runaway MVP. The interesting player to keep an eye on: Jalen Johnson. If you'll remember, Johnson was part of the 11-team trade that basically ended the summer, and he got off to a great start in week 1 (15/8/2/2/1). The Hawks were clearly comfortable moving John Collins in large part because they thought Jalen Johnson was ready. And it looks like they're right. Phoenix is not going to win a ton of games (they were bottom-5 in 6 categories last week), but they've got enough pieces to really make some noise next season. Memphis Grizzlies (1-0) over Chicago Bulls (0-1), 6-3The Grizzlies... might be the best team in the East. New York was so good this past week, that we can out and out call Memphis the best, but the Grizz played 130+ fewer minutes than the Bulls in week 1, and it simply did not matter. Donovan Mitchell was partially responsible for that minutes disparity, as he missed a game to end the week, but in his first two he only averaged 35/7/6/4/2. Scottie Barnes might be making the leap (29/9/7/1/3). Kawhi looks just fine (23/6/5/2). And how about Xavier Tillman (13/9/3/2/1... though the Grizz missed out on one of those games). As a reminder, this is a team still without Trey Murphy and Santi Aldama. Imagine what they'll look like when both guys are back playing. They get Atlanta and Orlando next before their first big test against Tampa Bay in week 4. Chicago had some positives to take from this week (Fox is still a star, and Tyrese Maxey responded well to a bigger role - both guys averaged over 30 ppg on the week), but there are some glaring red warning signs. Both Fox and Maxey suffered injuries to end the week, the extent of which is unknown (Fox twisted his ankle and Maxey hurt his hand). And Patrick Williams might outright stink (4/3/2/2). That said, the bench was largely ok, and Zinger is adjusting just fine in Boston. If Fox and Maxey avoid missing significant time, this Bulls team is frisky. If they are out for an extended period, it gets really dicey. OKC Thunder (1-0) over Golden State Warriors (0-1), 7-2The Warriors are no doubt having PTSD after an opening week in which Beal, Booker, Jaden McDaniels, and Middleton combined to play just 2 of 10 games. That was the difference in starting the week with a win and losing in an upset to a massively top-heavy Thunder team. How top-heavy are the Thunder? Well, Luka, Tatum, and Edwards combined to score 56% of the team's total points this week... and each only played two games. That's almost unfathomable. The Thunder currently have 6 guys averaging 5 or fewer points per game. 6, if you count Will Barton, who isn't even on a real life roster. Only 6 guys are playing 20+ minutes per game. Of course, we have to spotlight Luka for a ridiculous week (41-12-9, 12 threes). He might have been the best player in the whole league in week 1. Tatum wasn't far behind at 28-10-5. Still, even if those two, and Edwards, put up monster numbers every week, this team should have a hard time winning games. Though who knows, maybe they'll pull another upset against Houston in week 2. For the Warriors, it's the same story: health. That said, they also just got bad weeks from Vuc (11-8), Tre Jones (9-4-6), and Middleton (6-3-4). The trio of FVV, Siakam, and DiVincenzo shot 40/107. Jalen McDaniels and Kris Murray did nothing. There's... room for improvement, to say the least. The good news is they get Phoenix this week, so that should give their injured guys another week to heal and rest up. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (1-0) over Atlanta Hawks (0-1), 7-2A real workman-like performance from the Bull Sharks, who jumped on the Hawks and never let them get a whiff of hope. Jamal Murray looks like a stud (21-6, 8 threes). Zach LaVine bounced back from a tough first two games to drop 51 points in game 3. Sabonis put up 18-15-6. Just a solid win. Now, the potentially concerning stuff. KAT averaged fewer than 16 points per game and shot just 35%. Malaki Branham seems to have fallen down the pecking order in San Antonio (just 17.7 minutes per game). And Kyle Lowry might be washed (5-5-5). Dereck Lively had a great debut, but it doesn't look like Jaquez or Coulibaly will contribute much (at least not early on; we'll see about later in the season). Still, this team looks like a top-5 team in the East, so those are just things to keep an eye on. A big early showdown with Miami awaits. The Hawks played fewer minutes than any other team in the league this week, but holy crap, Cam Thomas. The gunner from LSU had back-to-back 30-burgers to start the season and is averaging a cool 33 ppg. And he did it while making just 3 threes. Ben Simmons doesn't look much better than last year, but he did put up 7/10/91/1.5 on the week, so that's at least something from a fantasy perspective. The rookies and second year guys didn't do much this week, but we'll track that moving forward. New York Knicks (1-0) over Toronto Raptors (0-1), 7-2And now onto our current East favorite, who, like the Bull Sharks, had a fairly pedestrian win over the Toronto Raptors. Here's a crazy stat: there are only 2 players left from the 03, 04, and 05 drafts still playing. Both of them play for these Knicks. Yes, LeBron James and Chris Paul are the last two from those three drafts still lacing them up. How old are they? Well, James Jones (03 draft) is in his SIXTH season as Suns GM. Willie Green (03 draft) is in his THIRD season as Pelicans coach. These guys are ancient, but they show no signs of slowing down. LeBron averaged 23-10-7 on 57% shooting in week 1. Chris Paul put up 11/4/9/2, though he couldn't buy a bucket. Meanwhile, Joel Embiid? Still good (31/10/7/1/3). The Knicks look ready to defend their title, and they welcome the last repeat champion this league has had, the Nets, to the Garden this week. The Raptors got good weeks from Tyrese Haliburton (21-6-12... assists champ?) and Tobias Harris (20/5/2/1/1), but concerns about playing time were well-founded. Poku hardly saw the floor. Ditto for Ochai Agbaji (though a knee contusion may have played a role). James Wiseman didn't play. Jalen Williams, Jalen Green, and Keldon Johnson have been fine, but new adds have pushed them down their respective pecking orders. The Raps get the Bulls next, and had the two played in week 1, the Bulls would have smoked them. That could be a problem moving forward. Miami Heat (1-0) over Orlando Magic (0-1), 5-4Maybe the finish of the week, as three Keegan Murray threes in the last game of the week flipped this from a Magic win to a Heat win. Keegan was solid in week one (16/8/2/2/1 with 10 threes), but this team is probably going to need him to score more this season. The Heat were one of four teams to score fewer than 300 points this week, though the only one that won. They were able to do so because 6 players swiped 4+ steals, and the Magic really couldn't rebound or pick up assists. After one week, the Heat look like they might be closer to the Nets/Wizards/Bulls/Raptors tier than the Grizzlies/Knicks/Bull Sharks tier, but it's early, and Herro and Jabari Smith won't both shoot 37% for the season. They also dealt with injuries (Allen, OG, and Caleb Martin all missed games), so a win is a win is a win. Orlando is going to rue this as a missed opportunity, and, to be blunt, their guys just weren't good enough. Jordan Poole shot just 36%, Franz shot 39%. Nic Claxton was somehow 3/10 despite only taking shots at the rim (then missed the second game of the week). They've got to be better, and, certainly, the schedule will help some of that (Gobert, Derrick White, Poole, Claxton, and Wagner only played 2 games each). This upcoming game against the Wizards is huge. Utah Jazz (1-0) over Kansas City Kings (0-1), 6-3We close with a semi-surprise, as the Utah Jazz thoroughly dominated the Kansas City Kings. Both these teams projected to be on the playoff bubble, so this is a big-time win, and statement, for the Jazz. This Jazz team may just be for real. They put up the most rebounds and points this week. Every single player on this roster averaged double-digit points, save Jusuf Nurkic, who put up 9-10-4. Brandon Miller got off to a nice start to his first year, averaging 15-5-2 and knocking down 5 threes. It's modest, but compared to some of the other rookies, it's at least helpful. DeMar and Lauri averaged 24 ppg each, but other than that, just a real solid performance from this group. They'll try and keep it going against the Gamblers. The bigger story may be the drastic underperformance of the Kings. Kansas City knew they were sacrificing some shooting bringing in Butler and Dejounte, but they couldn't have imagined sinking just 15 threes in a week (2nd worst in the league). SGA started the year with back-to-back 30+ point games before an absolute stinker against Denver (just 7 points). It's never a good sign when the team leader in threes is Isaiah Stewart, though, to his credit, he had a solid week (14-10, 50% shooting). Butler, Dejounte, and Jerami Grant combined to shoot 35% on 114 attempts, which is... it's just terrible. Walker Kessler blocked 2 shots on the week and averaged 6-6. Paolo Banchero is currently averaging 13 ppg. It's all just bad. Really, really bad. One has to assume there is some flukiness to it, but they better turn it around quick with Colorado up next.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Nov 1, 2023 14:12:03 GMT -5
Something I'm going to do, since we stopped doing power rankings, is naming a "team of the week." It's not always going to be the team that had the best statistical week, though that will happen; it could also be a team that just came up with a huge win, beat a rival, etc. Without further ado, your week 1 team of the week... The Utah Jazz entered the season with a number of questions (is the Lauri thing legit? Are they actually better after trading Jamal Murray for a rookie? Can they really finish in the top half of the West?), and they responded by absolutely throttling the Kansas City Kings, a team they will likely be fighting for a playoff spot. The Jazz appear to have dramatically improved their depth, Markkanen had a great week, and this team led the league in both points and rebounds. More performances like that, and we will need to start looking at the Jazz as a Finals contender.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Nov 1, 2023 14:58:20 GMT -5
Our game of the week takes us to the Sunshine state where we've got the battle of East Florida and West Florida. The Heat picked up a crucial division win against Orlando in week 1, and the Bull Sharks had no problems dispatching the Hawks. The Heat come in still missing Jarrett Allen and Caleb Martin, but the Bull Sharks haven't really gotten as much from KAT as they probably would have hoped, so big man categories could be in play here. Where the Heat will need help is keeping up with the potent guard trio of Murray, LaVine, and D'Angelo Russell. The winner will bank their second early division win and set themselves up nicely to start the year.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Nov 6, 2023 9:40:42 GMT -5
Week 2 has already thrown the league for a loop as a favorite is on the ropes, a potential budding monster is rising in the East, and an unexpected challenger can cement itself with a huge game this week. Let's get to it... Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (2-0) over Miami Heat (1-1), 6-3The Bull Sharks won the battle of Florida, and remain one of the last unbeatens in the conference. After a shaky opening week, some signs of like from KAT (21-8-3), though no blocks, which is rather disappointing. Fortunately, Eric Gordon unexpectedly picked up 3 blocks (and shot 52% with 9 threes), and the Bull Sharks were able to hold onto that category. The unsung hero of this group so far is most definitely PJ Washington. PJ averaged 18-5.5-2, knocked down 8 threes, and shot 53% from the floor. They're definitely going to need him to keep up that production, and they'll certainly need D-Lo to keep it up (22-3-6 last week) with Jamal Murray out for an undisclosed period of time. The Bull Sharks welcome their rival, Brooklyn, to Florida in week 3. Tough pill to swallow for the Heat, who were right there despite the injuries. It got even tougher this week as WCJ fractured his handTh and is out at least a month. They should be pleased, however, with what they've seen from their young backcourt to this point. Jalen Suggs is a stat sheet stuffer (10/6/3/2), and Tyler Herro got on track (30-7-6, 12 threes, 54/85 splits). Herro is actually up to 25.8 points per game this year, ahead of the likes of LeBron, Giannis, Lauri Markkanen, and SGA. If he continues to play like this, with Jarrett Allen finally back, this is going to be a formidable team. They should get back on track in Atlanta this week. Washington Wizards (1-1) over Orlando Magic (0-2), 7-2The Wizards were seriously considered for team of the week, that's how good they were after dropping a tough one to the Nets. They had a ridiculous minutes advantage against Orlando (nearly double!), and they made sure this one was a blowout. Desmond Bane was incredible (28.5/6/4/2, 13 threes), and Jalen Brunson may have finally gotten going (29-5-3). When those two are playing like that, this Wizards team can beat anyone. Big shoutout to Herb Jones (8 steals, 7 blocks) and Grayson Allen (12 threes). With the East looking a little closer than originally expected, there's a real window of opportunity for the Wizards to make some noise. This is a big week for that, as the Wizards get the division rival Raptors in week 3. Orlando... what are you gonna do? Just kind of have to throw this one in the trash and move on. The Magic were already hampered by the schedule, and when you throw the injuries to Barrett and Claxton on top of it, it just makes things basically impossible. The news got worse as the team found out Claxton's ankle injury is in fact a high ankle sprain, and he will likely be on the shelf for a while. To be honest, there's not much to say here. The Magic will try and pull an upset against Memphis to right the ship. Portland Trailblazers (2-0) over Seattle Supersonics (1-1), 8-1The Blazers seem to be the team to beat in the Western Conference this year. They detonated on the Sonics, riding a 260+ minutes advantage to a convincing win over their highway rivals. Kevin Durant was a monster (31.5/5/4/1/1.5). Trae Young still can't get a shot to drop, but he dished out 10 assists per game and was 18/20 from the line. After a slow start, Brook Lopez is blocking shots again (10 total including 8(!) in one game). And Paul George is off to his best start in a while (31/6.5/4/2, 12 threes, 58% shooting). When this team is firing on all cylinders, there's really not a whole lot opponents can do. The key for them, as it always is, is health. They need KD, PG, and Draymond to stay healthy in the postseason. If they do... good things will happen. The Sonics may have lost, but things are looking up. The James Harden saga finally reached it's logical conclusion with Harden getting moved the Clippers. He's set to take the floor this week, and that's just in time with a big division game coming up against Golden State. Marcus Smart was probably the standout here (10 steals), but the Sonics have to be wondering what's going on with Tyus Jones (just 8-2-5 in week 2). Golden St. Warriors (1-1) over Phoenix Suns (0-2), 7-2Speaking of the Warriors, they got back to .500 with a drama-free, yet less than convincing win over the Suns. Khris Middleton still doesn't look like himself (9-5-3), and Bradley Beal has yet to play. Devin Booker came back for a game and looked great (31-9-13), then promptly went back to the bench to deal with a calf injury. Pascal Siakam (16-5-5) might as well be in witness protection at this point. On the plus side, Mark Williams looks like a beast (18-8), and the Warriors have to feel like they're going to come out well ahead on the JJJ trade from last season. Also Nikola Vucevic continues to be a metronome (19-14). The Warriors look like they'll have to beat the Sonics without Booker and Beal, so they're really going to need some struggling rotation players to pick up their games. Phoenix kept it closer than they had any right to, and Nikola Jokic continues to put up truly hilarious numbers (28-12.5-8, 65% shooting (lmao)). We put the spotlight on him last week, so this could become old hat, but Jalen Johnson was really that good again (14-9-3). Outside of those two, lot of untapped potential. The Suns are adding another guy to that group, it appears, as they're going after Marcus Sasser. This team won't win much, but they're definitely going to be fun (and it wouldn't surprise anyone if they played a spoiler role late in the year). Memphis Grizzlies (2-0) over Atlanta Hawks (0-2), 6-3We had Donovan Mitchell down as the best trade of the summer, and it continues to pay dividends for this Grizzlies team. Donny was magnificent in week 2 (31/5/6/2, 15 threes, 54/92 splits). He might be, to this point, the league's MVP. Meanwhile, the Scottie Barnes leap is real, folks. The third year forward put up 24/11/5/1.5/1.5 and 12 threes on the week. He looks great. DeAndre Ayton continues to board his butt off (14 rebounds per game last week), and he even blocked 5 shots, helping the Grizz maintain in the big man cats. Oh, and how about Kawhi playing 41 minutes in the 2nd night of a back-to-back. The Grizz are off to a great start, as they're top-7 in 7 of 9 categories, and they'll look to firm up their grip on the Eastern Conference against Orlando. Cam Thomas came back to Earth a bit in week 2, but he still averaged 22.5 points per game, which is nothing to sneeze at. There's more talent here than, say, the Suns, but they need it all to play to have a shot. Kyrie Irving's balky foot has really hampered them. If he plays this week, they'll have a shot against Miami. OKC Thunder (2-0) over Houston Rockets (0-2), 6-3And now onto our trio of upsets on the week, starting with the biggest of the bunch. The OKC Thunder comfortably knocked off last season's regular season champs, sending the Rockets to a stunning 0-2 start. In the pre-season preview, we expressed great concern about OKC's depth. It hasn't mattered. Luka (27.5-10-10, 14 threes), Tatum (32-10-3, 13 threes), and Anthony Edwards (29-5-5) have been that good. With the bench quartet of Gordon, Bogie, Braun, and Okongwu consistently chipping in every game, the Thunder are doing enough to pull out victories. Now, the key will be the big three staying healthy, and Luka is questionable tonight against Colorado. If they do stay healthy though? Maybe this is all they need to make the playoffs. On the Houston side, it's certainly not time to panic. Though things will start to get really shaky if they lose to the Jazz this week. Steph was dynamite (30-5-5, 23 threes, 57/87 splits), though both Brown and Dame have taken small steps back in production. That wouldn't be a problem except Julius Randle... is off to one of the worst starts we can remember. Randle shot just 27% this week, and two weeks into the year, that's what he's shooting from the floor. At the same time, Kevin Huerter is shooting a ghastly 29% for the year, though on lower volume. Alperen Sengun was good (17-8-5), but this team is just going to have a tough time if their main pieces are playing as poorly as Randle. A couple of stats that are likely keeping Houston up at night: Steph Curry is shooting an incredible 54.5% from the floor, which would be his best shooting percentage by a country mile. He and Dame are also combining to shoot 93.5% from the line on over 15 total attempts per game. Despite that, the Rockets are DEAD LAST in FG % through two weeks (almost 2 full percentage points behind 19th place Tampa), and they rank 17th in FT % as a team. This is a team built on shooting, and they're not going to win if those categories aren't closer to the top of the league. Brooklyn Nets (2-0) over New York Knicks (1-1), 7-2Our second upset may have had a little more to do with the minutes advantage the Nets had (200+), though there's reason for excitement with this young Nets team. The kids BE HOOPIN, as they say. Wemby (25-9-2 with 11 blocks and 7 threes) is firmly in the driver's seat for ROY. Ausar Thompson is surely in that discussion (15/8/3.5/2/2). Shaedon Sharpe continues to soar through the air as if he's playing on the moon (21-6-3, 10 threes). And despite his offensive game seemingly taking a step back, Evan Mobley is filling up the box score (12/11.5/4/1/2). The Nets are riding high heading into a showdown with the Tampa Bay Bull Sharks, though it looks like they're going to have to win that one without Devin Vassell, who strained his groin late in the week. Through the first couple of weeks, the Nets are smashing the league in blocks (82... 29 ahead of second place KC), and are surprisingly competent scoring the ball (4th in the league). We'll see what they have this week against Tampa. New York's guard rotation took some major hits in this one. Already without Monte Morris, the Knicks lost both Markelle Fultz (knee swelling) and CJ McCollum (collapsed lung). This is actually the second collapsed lung of McCollum's career. He suffered one a few years back with Portland and missed a month and a half. It seems likely the Pels will exercise caution bringing him back. New York lost, but it wasn't the fault of LeBron (26/8/5/2/1) or Joel Embiid (27-12-5). The big guns for this team continue to play well, but they desperately need more from the likes of Wiggins, Olynyk, and Chris Paul. If last week was a preview of this week, they should take care of Chicago rather handily. Kansas City Kings (1-1) over Colorado Swannies (1-1), 6-3The last result that made us go, "wait, what happened?" The Kings looked dreadful in their season opening loss to Utah, and the Swannies looked rather great (despite injuries) in taking down Houston. After this result, and the subsequent Utah and Houston results, we may need to recalibrate our Western Conference expectations. Make no mistake, minutes did play a role here (+260 for KC), but a lot of that had to do with Colorado injuries. Even though they got Darius Garland back, they immediately lost Robert Williams. The Kings were the story though. Dejounte Murray (28-6-7) was awesome, and Paolo got going after a tough first week (20/6/6/2). Some concern though for the Kings as SGA was held out to end the week, and is now questionable to start the next one. The Kings are going to need him if they want to have any shot against Portland. Colorado gets OKC, and we'll see if their depth can take down that three-headed monster. The good news is Anthony Davis looks better than ever (27-14-4, 14 total blocks!), and the schedule looks just fine this coming week. Chicago Bulls (1-1) over Toronto Raptors (0-2), 5-3-1Chicago pulled out this win despite Toronto playing more minutes, which does not bode well for the Raptors moving forward. How about Dillon Brooks? He put up 23/6/3/3 this week, but the incredible part is he shot 70% from the floor. That's not a typo, either. He's come out scorching the nets to start the season. Outside of him, solid weeks for Maxey and Zinger, though the depth is still a problem. Hali led the way for Toronto (27-3-13), and Keldon Johnson was solid (20/5/4/2)... and actually Jalen Williams looked good too (18-6-6). The bench is where it's falling apart for Toronto, as Ochai, Duarte, Springer, Poku, and Wiseman just don't really do anything. Toronto goes up against a deep Wizards team, and this thing is in danger of spiraling out of control. Utah Jazz (2-0) over Las Vegas Gamblers (1-1), 7-2If you're not taking the Jazz seriously at this point, you really should. This team is for real. We're two weeks into this thing, and thirteen of the fourteen players on this roster are averaging 10+ points. The only one who isn't, Jusuf Nurkic, is averaging 9/8/4/1.4/1, so he's no slouch either. This is, maybe, the deepest team in the league, and they've ridden that depth to top-4 placements in 4 categories. These next two weeks are going to be very instructive about Utah's staying power. They got off to a hot start last year and faded down the stretch as the league caught up to them. However, if they win the next two against Houston and Colorado, respectively, it's hard to imagine a scenario in which they fade the way they did last year. And the thing about the win against Vegas is that this is not the same Gamblers team of the last few years. This Gamblers team is good! They've just been hampered by injuries. Cade averaged 24/3/6.5, Zion put up 21-7-5, Chet averaged 19/8/4/1/2 and shot 68%. There's a lot of good stuff happening in the desert. If these guys stay on the floor, the Gamblers are going to win their fair share of games, and it's easy to see the foundation of a real contender being laid.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Nov 6, 2023 9:48:37 GMT -5
We touched on it a bit in the recaps, but the Blazers were dominant in their win over Seattle. With Houston's rough start to the season, it may be time to move Portland up to the top of the Western Conference contenders list. They're certainly in pole position out of the gate.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Nov 7, 2023 11:27:54 GMT -5
Fresh off an impressive victory over the Colorado Swannies, the Kings look to take down the other Western Conference finalist from last year in Portland. This has never really been a true rivalry, Portland was in Cleveland for much of these match-ups, after all. However, last year was the first time since 2017 that the Blazers (then the Cavs) managed to defeat the Kings. There won't really be much of a games advantage either way (at least, barring injuries), so this is truly best on best for these two teams. A Portland win probably solidifies their spot as THE favorite in the West, while a KC upset would really throw the conference into chaos.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Nov 13, 2023 12:19:34 GMT -5
Week 3 may go down as one of the more dramatic weeks in league history. An old favorite resurrected their season. The new favorite went down. The defending champs were upset (again!), and the league's two oldest rivals produced yet another epic chapter in their illustrious history. We'll start with our game of the week... Kansas City Kings (2-1) over Portland Trailblazers (2-1), 6-3Fresh off leading his real life team to the NCAA tournament (GO DUKES!), King Poopy scored a major upset by going to Portland and taking down the previously unbeaten Trailblazers. It's possible we look back on the season and say, "this is the week SGA became the MVP." The herky-jerky Canadian was sublime against Portland, putting up 35/7/5/1.5/1, with 60/88 splits. It was arguably the best performance of the season to date. However, it was the three-point shooting that stood out in this one. Going into week 3, the Blazers had made 39 more threes than KC. But Isaiah Stewart, Luke Kennard, and Dejounte Murray combined to knock down 35 threes, while SGA and Butler (not exactly known for three point shooting) knocked down 6 a piece. Those big weeks allowed KC to not only win the three point category but dominate in points as well (+127 on the week). With performances like that, the Kings will be hard to beat. And they'll need another big week with the undefeated Thunder on deck. Portland may have lost, but they can take solace in the fact that this wasn't a division game, so it doesn't sting too bad. With Phoenix up next, they should have no problems getting back on track. There is probably a little concern about Trae Young though. He averaged 30-10 last week, and made 33 of 35 free throws, but he is down to 36% shooting almost a month into the season. With Paul George also struggling in week 3 (17 ppg on just 34% shooting), it's tough for the Blazers to overcome. This is still a team to reckon with, but they could really use some better shooting from their star point guard. Memphis Grizzlies (3-0) over Orlando Magic (0-3), 5-3-1This was one of those match-ups that looked over in the middle of the week, only to check in on Sunday and see that the Magic were somehow still alive. Ultimately, Orlando fell 3 assists shy, and their hard luck start to the season continued. To be honest, we're not entirely sure what happened here. Memphis was outscored, and that's becoming something of a warning light indicator. Only the Heat, Hawks, and Suns scored fewer points this past week than Memphis, and two of those teams are in the tank. No doubt some of that had to do with the schedule. Scottie Barnes and Donovan Mitchell only played two games each, and neither was all that great in their two games (Donny averaged 20.5 ppg on 35% shooting, though he did averaged 6 boards, 5 assists, and 2 steals; Barnes had a miserable shooting week, putting up just 12 ppg on 27% shooting, though, like Mitchell, he contributed in other areas). But they also aren't getting the scoring they'd like from Jrue Holiday, Bennedict Mathurin, and DeAndre Ayton. At the end of the day, this team is still 3-0, and the ceiling is still remarkably high. RJ Barrett was great for Orlando (25-4-4 on 53% shooting), but Sexton, Poole, and Franz Wagner continue to be disappointing. None of the three are averaged 20+ ppg, and they were supposed to be the scoring backbone of this team. Sexton isn't even averaging 20 minutes per game, which is a whole other problem. The good news for Orlando is they get Miles Bridges back, and their next game is against the Hawks. There is still time to salvage this thing, but they need to start stringing wins together. Washington Wizards (2-1) over Toronto Raptors (0-3), 5-3-1Somewhat similar to the Grizzlies/Magic game, the Wizards looked like they had a stranglehold on this one after wrestling the lead away going into the weekend. But Toronto was very much in this one on Sunday, and had they gotten better scoring nights from Jalen Green and Christian Wood, they could have pulled off the upset. Instead, their season looks much the way Orlando's does right now, but we'll come back to that. This is about the Wizards, and how they've managed to bounce back from a tough opening night loss to Brooklyn. Giannis was incredible (35/11/4.5/1.3/1.8 on 61% shooting). He led the Wizards in total points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and had the 2nd most steals. Had the Wizards knocked off a better opponent, his week would almost certainly be in contention with SGA's for best performance. And the Wizards needed every bit of it, because the rest of the team was merely ok (though Desmond Bane did average 26 ppg). With New York's loss, the Wizards control their GM Cup destiny, and they can move one step closer to the knockout round with a win over Chicago in week 4. The Raptors have been eliminated from knockout contention, but they can still play spoiler against Brooklyn. Tyrese Haliburton was great once again (23-4-12 with 12 threes on 55/100 splits). Toronto actually had three guys perfect from the line. Haliburton, Tobias Harris, and Jordan Clarkson combined to shoot 45/45 from the stripe, which was easily enough to counteract the poor free throw shooting from Wood and Keldon Johnson (13/23). Toronto did get Precious Achiuwa back over the weekend, which should help against Brooklyn's front line. Seattle Supersonics (2-1) over Golden St. Warriors (1-2), 6-3The Sonics bounced back in a big way, scoring a crucial division win over the Warriors. Bam Adebayo was the star here, putting up 25.5/14.5/5/2/2 on 54/85 splits. Bam appears to be in the midst of a nice little leap this season, as he is now averaging 23-10-4. Brandon Ingram (24-4-5) joined him in leading Seattle to victory. The Sonics will step out of group play to take on the Houston Rockets in a surprisingly big game for both teams. James Harden finally returned to the lineup for Seattle, and while he shot it well (47/100 splits), the Sonics likely were hoping for a little more production (13.5/5/4/1.5). No doubt that will tick up as he gets more comfortable in his role. For the Warriors, it probably feels like they've seen this movie before as this team just cannot get completely healthy. Bradley Beal finally came back... but Devin Booker missed the whole week with no end in sight. Then Tre Jones went down with a hamstring injury to end the week. In brighter news for the Warriors, Khris Middleton may finally be coming around. He averaged 15-5 and shot 55% from the floor. He still needs to do more, but he's getting there. A crucial match-up with the Gamblers to keep their GM Cup hopes alive awaits in week 4. Miami Heat (2-1) over Atlanta Hawks (0-3), 6-3Throw this one in the Memphis/Orlando and Washignton/Toronto category where the Heat looked to be in control in the middle of the week then had to sweat it out just a bit on Sunday. The Tyler Herro injury has a chance to really sink Miami in the points category, and they were already shaky there. However, Jalen Suggs is now up to fourth in the league in steals after averaging just under 3 per game on the week. He was a real bright spot in week 3 for a Heat team that probably doesn't feel great even after moving to 2-1. Both Mike Conley and Jabari Smith averaged under 10 ppg on the week. Keegan Murray shot only 38%. Jarrett Allen only averaged 5.5 rebounds. On the one hand it's nice to get a win in a week you don't play well. On the other, a wounded New York Knicks team is waiting, and you'd like to have a little more positivity to latch onto. The Hawks played the whole week without Cam Thomas and got just one game from Ben Simmons, so they just didn't have the firepower necessary to complement a solid Kyrie week (26/5.5/6). If those two were healthy, they'd have a real shot to beat Orlando. As it stands, they'll likely end up 0-4. OKC Thunder (3-0) over Colorado Swannies (1-2), 5-4The Thunder are officially here. With Portland's loss, the Thunder are the only unbeaten team left in the Western Conference. They snuck past the Swannies thanks, once again, to their three-headed monster. Luka averaged 33.5/5/7/2, made 17 threes, and had splits of 59/84. Anthony Edwards put up 31/6/7/2 with 47/85 splits. And Jayson Tatum "only" averaged 24.5/9/4/2 with 11 threes. When those three are playing like that, OKC can beat anyone, and that's exactly what's happened so far. They also added reinforcements, getting rid of some dead weight and bringing in Alec Burks, Jae Crowder, and Larry Nance Jr. If those guys can merely be ok, the Thunder are going to compete for a playoff spot. Colorado may have officially reached the danger zone of their season. Things looked great after a season opening win against Houston, but back-to-back losses against division opponents brought them crashing back to Earth, and a tough Utah team is up next. Injuries were the name of the game again. Anthony Davis missed 1.5 games, and had he played, Colorado almost certainly flips rebounds and the match-up. LaMelo Ball finally got going (30-6-7 on 58% shooting), but this team needs more from Garland and Giddey. Both players have four games on the schedule, so if they have a good week, the Swannies will have a real shot to get back to .500. Houston Rockets (1-2) over Utah Jazz (2-1), 5-4The nightmare was unfolding for Houston Sunday night. After scratching and clawing to take the lead going into the final day, Utah had managed to take it back heading into the final game of the week. The Rockets desperately needed Rui Hachimura to just not miss any free throws... and he obliged by going 6/6 and clinching their first win of the season. Had they lost, it certainly would have been a sign that this season likely just wasn't to be. They finally shot it well (49% field goal shooting, 82% free throw shooting; two areas they're in the bottom-6 in despite the solid week), they scored the most points of anyone in the league and dropped in more three-pointers, so a loss would have been crushing. Instead, the Rockets not only keep their season alive, but their GM Cup hopes as well. Alperen Sengun was the star here (21/8/6 on 63% shooting), and Julius Randle was good(!) - 24/10/4/1 on 45% shooting. Kevin Huerter also broke out of his slump in a big way (19/6/3/2, 11 threes, 50% shooting). More weeks like this one, and the Rockets will be just fine. As for Utah, they're surely lamenting a missed opportunity to put Houston on life support. Don't blame Lauri Markkanen though (26-7, 12 threes, 55/95 splits) or DeMar DeRozan (24/3/4/2/2). Despite the loss, the statistical indicators here are still quite good. The Jazz remain top-5 in points, rebounds, steals, blocks, and threes. This team is good enough to win on any given week, the Rockets just got the best of them this time. Brooklyn Nets (3-0) over Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (2-1), 4-4-1 (Nets win on points)How about that one, huh? Raise your hands if you had the outcome being decided by a precocious teenage Frenchman putting up a monster defensive game? Keep your hands raised if you thought that would come from the guy on Tampa's team? Put your hands down, liars, because Bilal Coulibaly came out of nowhere to grab 4 steals on Sunday and put that category in play after it looked like the Nets had it locked up. Coulibaly matched his season total in steals on Sunday alone, and the Bull Sharks ended up tying the Nets in the defensive categories. They managed to hold onto rebounds by just one board to win the match. The Bull Sharks are undefeated, and they have to feel good about their rooks. In addition to Coulibaly, Jaime Jaquez contribued 20 points, 3 boards, 4 assists, and 1 steal on Saturday, and Dereck Lively chipped in 2 steals and 3 blocks this week. While those may not seem like much, in a week where every steal and block mattered, they were huge. For the Nets, it was a tough week for JJJ to have his worst defensive games of the season. Last year's blocks champion swatted just two shots in three games, which was matched by Karl-Anthony Towns, which is both disappointing and embarrassing. Evan Mobley only blocked two shots as well, though he had just two games. The Nets were without Jalen Duren for most of the week, but Ausar Thompson really picked up the slack on the boards (13 per game). And Austin Reaves might be busting out of his slump (16-4-6, 50/91 splits). Still, this is a team that is reliant on it's bigs, and when they don't play well, they don't win. They do have a chance to move onto the knockout round of the GM Cup with a win over Toronto this week. The NBA went back and adjust the scoring of the Pistons/Bulls game on Sunday, crediting Ausar Thompson with the block on Zach LaVine that initially went to Cade Cunningham. This has retroactively flipped the result of this match-up, and the Nets are the unbeaten team. I'm not recreating the scoreboard since it has already been updated for week 4, so... womp womp.)Chicago Bulls (2-1) over New York Knicks (1-2), 5-4Ruh-roh, we might have a problem in New York. After getting by their crosstown rivals in Brooklyn, a minutes disadvantage popped up again against Chicago, and Tyrese Maxey rained fire on the Big Apple to close out the week. The Knicks now find them in a similar situation to last year, which should give them some solace, but we'll get to them in a second. Holy crap, Tyrese Maxey. Maxey averaged 31.5/6/8/1/2 and 15 threes to help clinch the win. That they managed to do it without De'Aaron Fox made it all the more impressive. Big shoutout to Caris LeVert (25.5/4/5/2) who really came up big filling in Fox's shoes. Next up for the Bulls is a massive division game against the Wizards. A win not only gives them a leg up in the playoff race, but it would also clinch a spot in the knockout round of the GM Cup. On the Knicks, we mentioned how this was a similar situation to last year, and we weren't kidding. After consecutive losses to the Bulls and a young upstart (Toronto last year), the Knicks went into a week 4 match-up against Miami. Guess who's up next for the Knicks this year? That's right. Last year, the Knicks used the win over Miami to springboard them to a 9-1-1 record over their next 11 games. Can they pull it off again this year? Joel Embiid is certainly going to try (36/12.5/5/2). What he needs is for others to join him. Las Vegas Gamblers (1-2) over Phoenix Suns (0-3), 5-4Last but not least, the Gamblers picked up their first win in what was surely a bittersweet moment for them. After waiting a year for Cade Cunningham and Chet Holmgren to get healthy, they finally got those two in the lineup, only to lose Steven Adams, Cam Johnson, Anfernee Simons, and Mason Plumlee in the first two weeks. Then right after Cam Johnson comes back, Kelly Oubre, a feel good story after a hot start, literally gets hit by a car. It seems as if nothing can go right for this group. In most weeks, teams are going to pencil themselves in for a W against the Suns, but Jokic is always going to make that feel precarious. He averaged 35/16/9/1/1 last week on "only" 56% shooting. He's the best player in the world, but Phoenix's cast is going to keep him out of the MVP race. Despite the injuries, Vegas is still alive for a knockout berth in the GM Cup. A win this week over Golden St. gives them a chance to play for a spot in week 7 against Seattle.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Nov 13, 2023 13:10:33 GMT -5
Their performance, combined with the opponent they took down in week 3, is what ultimately put the Kings over the top in the team of the week race. Not only did they look great, but they picked up a massive tiebreaker as these two teams will only play once this year. After a dreadful opening week, the Kings are starting to look like the team Poopy envisioned when he was wheeling and dealing this summer.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Nov 13, 2023 13:24:00 GMT -5
Normally, an early season match-up between a couple of 2-1 teams would be interesting, but nothing to write home about. One team would have a small leg up, but in a 16-game season, there would still be 75% of the schedule for the loser to catch up. With the new GM Cup, however, this game is now vitally important. The Bulls enter this one 2-0 in the North Division, while the Wizards are right behind them at 1-1. A Chicago win would send them through to the knockout round in January, with the only thing left to decide on their end being which half of the bracket they'd be in. A loss would eliminate the Wizards, as there would be no way for them to win a potential tiebreaker with the Nets (Washington would need to beat New York and have the Nets lose their last two to get a tie, but they already lost to Brooklyn, meaning the Nets own the tiebreaker). On the flip side, depending on how things shake out, a win for Washington could make their week 7 game against NY a win or go home endeavor. Get excited folks. The GM Cup is entering it's crucial final two weeks of group play.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Nov 20, 2023 13:57:17 GMT -5
One of the most exciting weeks in recent league history as several match-ups weren't determined until the final day of the week. The last remaining Western Conference unbeaten fell, leaving just the lads in Brooklyn without a blemish. All of that pales in comparison to our match-up of the week, however, and that's where we start... Chicago Bulls (3-1) over Washington Wizards (2-2), 5-4Ho. Ly. Crap. What a game! As if the game itself wasn't exciting enough, adding to the intrigue was the fate of the North division's two GM Cup knockout round spots. As we pointed out in our match-up preview, a loss by Washington in this game would eliminate them from knockout round contention. With that as the backdrop, things did not look good for the Wizards as Chicago jumped out to some pretty sizable leads after three days. Of course, with the way the schedule lined up, Washington's best chance was always going to come with an end of the week flurry. After playing Chicago to, essentially, a draw on Friday, the Wizards exploded on Saturday. Injuries limited Chicago to just 34 minutes that day split between three deep bench players, and Washington took advantage. The Wizards dropped 127 points (+116), 39 rebounds (+35), 31 assists (+30), and 9 threes (+8), effectively flipping the first three categories, and putting themselves in great position to hold the fourth. Or so we thought. The Bulls opened Sunday with a huge 6-three game from Tyrese Maxey, immediately giving themselves some cushion going into the evening games. It did not last. Michael Porter Jr. and Jalen Smith made 6 threes between them, trying up the category (Cole Anthony had one for Chicago) with just a few games left. That's when the unexpected happened for Chicago. De'Aaron Fox made SIX threes against the Mavs, a feat he'd only accomplished twice in his career before yesterday (and one of those times was as a rookie five years ago). Normally one would think, "oh, that's it. That's the dagger." WRONG. Desmond Bane came back with SEVEN threes of his own, and Grayson Allen, in a game that went to double overtime, made 3 of his own. That meant Chicago would need at least 5 threes from Dillon Brooks to pull out the win... and damn it if he didn't go out there and knock down SIX of those bad boys. For the fourth, or maybe even fifth, time in less than two days, the match-up flipped back to the Bulls. This time for good. So what does this mean? Well, Chicago and Brooklyn have clinched the knockout spots for the North in the GM Cup. The winner of the group will be determined when the two play in week 7. It also means the Bulls are now 3-1, with early season wins over three division opponents, something that could have playoff implications down the road. The league steps out of round robin play next week as conferences do battle, so the Bulls get the red hot Kings. Washington may have lost, but things are definitely looking up for the Wizards. This team IS GOING to be in the playoff conversation, and more weeks like this past one with surely net them wins. They get Utah in week 5 Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (3-1) over Memphis Grizzlies (3-1), 6-3The Bull Sharks bounced back from a devastating stat change loss to throttle the Grizzlies, buoyed by a more than 300+ minutes advantage. The win clinches Tampa a spot in the knockout round of the GM Cup, and locks them in as the group winner. Karl-Anthony Towns was fantastic last week, and, really, he's been rolling since this faceless narrator referred to him as "a bum." 29-8-4 with 59/94 splits is about as good as it gets with him, which is pretty darn good. Domantas Sabonis has, somehow, been even better, putting up 28/13/7.5/1/1 on 75%(!) shooting. If he keeps playing like this, and the Bull Sharks keep winning, he's going to be in the MVP race. Tampa gets to take advantage of what would have been a juicy match-up last year with the tanking Suns in town. Memphis may have had their unbeaten start finally spoiled, but sometimes the schedule, and injuries, just conspire against you. Scottie Barnes still looks legit, and Donovan Mitchell was really good before the hammy. Special shoutout to Salti Aldama, who averaged 23/9/4/1/1 and has filled in quite admirably for a (real life) depleted Grizzlies team. Memphis still holds their GM Cup fate in their hands with a week 7 match-up against Miami, but first they take on Golden State. Kansas City Kings (3-1) over OKC Thunder (3-1), 7-2It's official, everyone. The Kings are streaking. And they've made it to the top of the Western Conference. Who could have seen that coming after the shellacking they took to open the season? At 3-1, with wins over Portland and OKC, the Kings are atop by themselves, and SGA is a big reason why. 30/4.5/5.5/3 on 56/100 splits (including 25/25 from the line) this past week. He just may be the leader in the clubhouse for MVP at the quarter mark. It has to be heartening for the Kings to put up a relatively comfortable win over the Thunder despite not having much of a minutes advantage. SGA was joined by Jimmy Butler (31/4/3/1/1) to dominate the week. It helped that Luka, Ant, and Tatum had "down" weeks, relative to their respective, lofty standards. The Kings will try and make it a four-game streak with the Bulls up next. OKC might feel as if someone is playing a cruel joke on them after last week. Two of their three in-season signings (Jae Crowder and Larry Nance) immediately picked up multi-week injuries, while both Thomas Bryant and Davion Mitchell fell out of their rotations. Sometimes that doesn't matter, but when the big three aren't MVP-level, weeks like this one can happen. They get a banged up Brooklyn team next. Seattle Supersonics (3-1) over Houston Rockets (1-3), 6-3Speaking of surprises, how about the Sonics? Not only did they record their second straight win, but they dug an even deeper hole for the Rockets to climb out of. It was a true team effort for Seattle, but Bam Adebayo is leading the charge, and he did again this past week (22/9/4/2). Throw him into the MVP race, and the DPOY race while we're at it. James Harden might be finding his way too (22.5/5.5/5.5), and if he can keep this up, this Seattle team is dangerous. The downside here is Marcus Smart sprained his foot and will be out at least a month. We will see how the Sonics manage that loss, but for now, they celebrate. On the other hand, Houston? We have a problem. (I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself.) The Rockets are now 1-3 with losses to the Swannies, Thunder, and Sonics. Steph Curry, fortunately, didn't miss any time, but the team somehow lost the free throw battle... again. We've said it before, but this is simply not a team built to lose that battle. Julius Randle actually seems to be coming around (24-8-7 on 46% shooting), but Dame once against shot it miserably (39%), which basically sunk the Rockets in FG %. It's just not good enough from their stars. Things don't get any easier with the Knicks coming to town. Orlando Magic (1-3) over Atlanta Hawks (0-4), 7-2The Magic finally got off the schneid with their win over Atlanta. Both Claxton and Gobert blocked 6 shots a piece, and everyone else just kind of filled in the gaps. Probably still some level of concern here that Franz Wagner continues to shoot it poorly (44% in week 4, though that did bring his FG % for the year up to 42%). Frankly, no one really shot it all that well last week for Orlando. They just had such a staggering minutes advantage (300+) that it really didn't matter. They actually get the Sonics this week, so we will see if they can keep the winning momentum going. Atlanta was already struggling with guys not getting real minutes (Jordan Walsh, Jarace Walker, Ousmane Dieng, Nikola Jovic), but now they have several guys out with injuries (Ben Simmons, Cam Thomas, Dennis Smith Jr., Nick Richards). One bright spot though? Keyonte George looks legit (12-4-8). The rebuild may be long, but he's a foundational piece. The Hawks will try and get their first win of the year against Las Vegas. Colorado Swannies (2-2) over Utah Jazz (2-2), 6-3For the first time, maybe all year, the Swannies finally had a full roster, and they took advantage of it. Colorado notched a big-time win over the Jazz to get back to .500 and keep their knockout round hopes alive. LaMelo Ball was awesome (33/5/8/2), and Anthony Davis continues to block everything in sight (16 more blocks on the week; he leads the league with 3.3 blocks per game). He is probably the leader in the clubhouse for DPOY this year, as he looks to win his third DPOY (but his first since 2018). Darius Garland may be rounding into shape as well (23-3-5), and Deni Avdija has proven to be a worthwhile pick-up (14/5/4/1). The West looks like it's going to be a dogfight all year, so notching a crucial division win early in the season is huge. They'll try and get back above .500 against Toronto. The Jazz had a second straight week where, under normal circumstances, they'd probably win. They could definitely use more assists though, and Russ moving to the bench is not going to help in that area. Lauri Markkanen notching zero for the week, despite scoring a lot and shooting well, really can't continue either. He needs to be a bit more well-rounded for this Jazz team. Buddy Hield was also a massive disappointment last week, averaging just 2.5 points. But hey, Brandon Miller is a stud, so there's that. A tough battle with the Wizards awaits. Golden St. Warriors (2-2) over Las Vegas Gamblers (1-3), 6-3It was a bittersweet week for the Warriors. They got the win to move back to .500, but they also lost Bradley Beal in the process, which will only make things tougher these next three weeks. Devin Booker came back and put up 27-4-9, but he'll need to do even more with Beal out. The really good news here for GS is Pascal Siakam looking like his old self again (24-8-6 on 60% shooting). The brothers McDaniels, though, have been wildly disappointing. We'll see what happens with those two as the season moves along, but Jaden is missing out on a big (fake) payday with his play thus far. The Grizz are next on the docket. Vegas got a glimpse into their future over the weekend when Chet dropped 36/10/5/2/2 on the Warriors, including a ridiculous game-tying three to send it to OT. Unfortunately, the universe really does seem to be conspiring against them with all the injuries. At full strength, this team is probably capable of making a real run at the playoffs, especially when Tim Hardaway Jr. is a flamethrower like he was last week (16 threes). Maybe we'll see it before the season is over. If they don't beat the Hawks in week 5, though, the season quite possibly could be over. Brooklyn Nets (4-0) over Toronto Raptors (0-4), 5-4Well, here we are. One quarter of the season is behind us, and the Brooklyn Nets are the last remaining unbeaten. It wasn't easy, and three of their four wins have literally come down to the final game of the week, but they're here. Despite losing Jalen Duren, Amen Thompson, Scoot Henderson, Devin Vassell, and, to end the week, Killian Hayes, the Nets are still, somehow, undefeated. Things looked bleak after a Toronto explosion on Friday (130 points including 37 from Jordan Clarkson, 29 from Tobias Harris, 21 from Keldon Johnson, and 20 from Jalen Green). The Nets got 27 big points from JJJ on Saturday, along with 19 from Wemby (and 8 blocks for the rookie, locking up that category for good) to put points in the last remaining flippable category. The Nets caught a break with Jalen Williams being a late scratch, and just 31 combined points by Jalen Green, Tyrese Haliburton, Christian Wood, and Jalen Green. With just a 5-point gap heading into the final quarter, Austin Reaves scored 9 fourth quarter points to seal the win for Brooklyn. After a slow start, Reaves is coming around (12-8-6, 50% shooting). The big guns were mostly fine, though only Mobley shot it well. The other headliner here may just be Dyson Daniels (11/5/6/2), who is really taking advantage of his increased playing time in CJ McCollum's absence. What happens from here on out is anyone's guess (the task against OKC was daunting enough before the injuries), but the Nets have banked four big conference wins, including a tiebreaker on the Bull Sharks. They've done literally all they could do in the first quarter of the season. Just another brutal loss for the Raps in a season that has been nothing but brutal losses. They keep getting better each week and just missing out, and they'd certainly be .500, at least, if Morant were available. Clarkson, Achiuwa, and Jalen Williams were all very good, but having just two Hali games was always going to be tough. It does look like Jaden Springer could be a player though, so that's something to keep in an eye on moving forward. New York Knicks (2-2) over Miami Heat (2-2), 7-2Is history repeating itself for the Knicks? They'd sure hope so. Last year after two early losses to the Bulls and a young upstart, they throttled the Heat, 7-2, and ripped off 9 wins in 11 games en route to the top seed in the East and, eventually, the title. This year, after a loss to the Bulls and a young upstart, they throttled... you guessed it, the Miami Heat, 7-2. LeBron James and Joel Embiid were sublime agaain. Embiid put up 31/10/7.5/1.5 and made 41/42 free throws. And LeBron? Just a cool 29/7.5/9/2.5 with 13 threes on 63% shooting. I mean, honestly, what can we really say about this guy? Five years ago, when he won his first title with the Nets, we marveled at how good he was at such an advanced age... and that was FIVE YEARS AGO. He turns 39 in six weeks, and he is shooting 68% from inside the three-point arc (lol), which is not to say he's shooting poorly from outside the arc (39.7%). If LeBron maintains this field goal percentage for the season, it will be his best FG % of his career. By nearly two full percentage points. In his 21st year in the league. Seriously. What. The. F***? If I weren't a LeBron fan, I'd be the Aaron Paul meme from Breaking Bad. The Heat only got one game from OG Anunoby, though even flipping steals and threes wouldn't have been enough to pull out a win. At least Lonnie Walker stepped into the Cam Thomas role (20 ppg and 11 total threes) pretty seamlessly. Not going to be easy for the Heat with Portland up next. Portland Trailblazers (3-1) over Phoenix Suns (0-4), 8-1Speak of the devil... Portland thoroughly dominated the Suns behind a big week from Kevin Durant (36-8-8, 12 threes, 63% shooting, 16/16 from the line). Throw KD's name into the MVP ring a quarter of the way through the season. Brook Lopez blocked 18 shots this week, which is hilarious in it's own right, and even funnier given he won the category by himself (Phoenix had 16). Trae Young continues to shoot like he has hooks for hands (just 9 made field goals in 2 games), but at least he's dishing assists (30 on the week) and making free throws (17/19). Draymond Green's temporary insanity kicked in, and he (finally) got himself suspended. Probably the two main concerns for Portland right now, but they can work through those. Jokic averaged a triple-double on the week, but he shot it poorly (46%), as if to remind everyone that he is, in fact, a mere mortal. The Sochan at point thing is getting a little more fun, and Jalen Johnson continues to be a fun wrinkle in an otherwise tough season for Phoenix.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Nov 20, 2023 16:07:57 GMT -5
Week 4 featured some great late-week heroics by a couple of Eastern Conference teams, but the week itself really belonged to the Tampa Bay Bull Sharks. They were utterly dominant in their win over the previously unbeaten Grizzlies. What makes that win even scarier is Jamal Murray missed all of it. Just wait until he gets back. This Tampa team may just be the team to beat in the East.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Nov 20, 2023 16:17:44 GMT -5
Some may consider it an odd choice when Brooklyn plays OKC, Chicago plays KC, and New York goes to Houston... but Atlanta/Vegas may as well be an elimination game for both teams. It would be remarkably difficult for the Hawks to make the playoffs after an 0-5 start, and, while 1-4 wouldn't eliminate Vegas, it's hard to see them making the playoffs after a loss to a winless Hawks team. This is as must-win as a week 5 match-up can get.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Nov 22, 2023 14:27:52 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Nov 27, 2023 13:08:57 GMT -5
The West dominated in the first of three interconference weeks, taking 7 of the 10 match-ups. Those results saw further upheaval in the Western Conference landscape, and the cardiac kids did it again. All that and more in our week 5 recap. Las Vegas Gamblers (2-3) over Atlanta Hawks (0-5), 7-2Vegas avoided a disastrous loss to the Hawks, and stayed within reach of the other Western Conference playoff contenders. And now, we wait. If this team can just hang around for a couple more weeks, it looks like both Oubre and Simons will be back sooner rather than later. They may still not have enough to get there, but they can make noise... especially if Zion and Chet continue to play like this. Zion was magnificent, putting up 28/5/5/2 on 61% shooting, though it does appear he will miss the second night of any and every back-to-back set. Chet was possibly even better, averaging 25.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3.5 blocks. He is certainly making his case for rookie of the year, and his efficiency will go a long way in that argument. The rookie big man out of Gonzaga is shooting 56% from the floor, 88% from the line, and knocking down 1.8 threes. He is right up there with Wemby. Beyond those two, Cade was solid 29/2.5/7/1.5, though he shot poorly (just 39.5%). Klay showed signs of life (19-3-3 with 14 threes), which has to be a welcome sight for the Gamblers. And Cam Johnson continues to be a pleasant addition (17-6-5). Vegas gets Colorado next, and a win would go a long way toward their playoff hopes. Atlanta brought in Dario Saric to try and boost a staggering frontcourt, and he should help if he stays on this little heater he's got going (18-6-3; he was not signed early enough to actually get in the lineup against Vegas). An all-around tough week for the Hawks who were at a significant minutes disadvantage thanks to the schedule and injuries, but at least Kevin Love is back on the floor (9-8). They'll get a Bulls team stinging from a loss against KC. Utah Jazz (3-2) over Washington Wizards (2-3), 7-2The Jazz took the lead in this one by Wednesday, and, despite some really great Washington performances after the Thanksgiving holiday, they were able to hold on for a "much closer than the score indicates" win. Dennis Schroder (20.5-2-4), DeMar DeRozan (21.5-4-5), and Buddy Hield (24-3-2, 16 threes) led the way for the Jazz. Jusuf Nurkic chipped in 10 blocks and 4 steals, and Clint Capela, John Collins, and Lauri Markkanen grabbed 79 boards combined. Nurkic actually pushed his scoring average for the season into double figures, which means the Jazz are now just 0.3 points on Sam Hauser's average away from every single player on this roster averaging double-figures in points. Speaking of Hauser, he threw in 7 threes for the Jazz, helping them win that category by just 5 threes. It was a nice bounce back win for the Jazz, and they'll get the Blazers next, though possibly without Lauri Markkanen. The Wizards were awesome this week, even in a loss, and that's doubly true for Giannis. 32/13/5.5/2/1 on 59% shooting for the Greek Freak, and if the Wizards can start flipping some of these close losses to wins, he'll be in the MVP convo. Jalen Brunson put up 28-4-6 on 57% shooting, and MPJ tossed in 15 threes. It was a tough week for Desmond Bane though (14-5-6, just 35% shooting), and it seems all the Grizzlies injuries (real life Grizzlies) are taking their tolls on him and JJJ. The depth for the Wizards fell off some as Cason Wallace, Gordon Hayward, and Daniel Gafford didn't provide much help. Still, we're going to keep saying it, this is a good team. They don't lead the league in points scored for nothing. The week 6 match-up against Miami could be huge for both teams. Kansas City Kings (4-1) over Chicago Bulls (3-2), 7-2The Kings are streaking, and SGA may just be the frontrunner for MVP following a 35.5 point, 5.5 rebound, 8.5 assist, 1.5 steal, and 1.5 block week. He also shot 52.5% and knocked down 27/28 free throws. He's fourth in the league in points per game, leads the league in steals, has the best free throw percentage of any player taking 7+ free throws per game, and is second only to Jokic in field goal percentage for players taking 18+ shots. He was flat out awesome this week, but he wasn't alone. Paolo Banchero put up 23.5/5.5/5 and has fully shaken off the early season rust. Walker Kessler returned from an elbow injury to put up 11-11 with 2 blocks, and Jerami Grant averaged 26 points per game while making 13 threes. Kansas City has shot up to 2nd in steals, 4th and blocks, and they're third in points, a pretty potent combination. They get a big week 6 match-up with Seattle (game of the week?). Chicago was close for a while but ultimately ran out of steam, and now they'll wait and see what the deal is with Porzingis' calf. He's already been ruled out for the week 6 match-up with Atlanta, which they should still be able to win. If he's out the following week against Brooklyn, though, it gets a little sketchier. The play of Cole Anthony against KC was a pleasant surprise (20-5-6). Both DeAaron Fox (25-4-6) and Tyrese Maxey (25-6-6) put up nice counting stats but struggled with efficiency (42/77 and 41/73 splits, respectively). That kind of free throw shooting, especially, is just not going to be good enough against a Kings team that is not only a great free throw shooting team, but gets to the line quite often. It will be interesting to see what kind of role Saddiq Bey has moving forward with Jalen Johnson out, and surely Chicago could use a little boost from him. Portland Trailblazers (4-1) over Miami Heat (2-3), 8-1Just not enough horses on this Miami team, particularly with WCJ and Herro out, to stay with the Blazers. Even one missing KD for a couple of games and with Draymond still suspended. The numbers continue to suggest the Blazers are the best team in the league. They are scary efficient (3rd in FG %, 1st in FT %, 3rd in points, 3rd in threes), they defend (1st in steals, 5th in blocks), they share the ball (3rd in assists). The only "weakness" is on the boards (8th). They look like a team determined to get back to the Finals and win it this time, and they'll have a great shot if Trae Young keeps playing like that (35/4/8.5/2 with 24(!) threes on 50/80 splits). Paul George also seems to have gotten out of his funk (28/7.5/4), and Brook Lopez blocked 13 more shots. He now leads the league in blocks per game (2.9), which is pretty remarkable given his slow start. He also picked up 6 steals and made 9 threes. Just a scary all-around performance from this team. The Heat are going to rue the injuries, but they'll be pleased with how Jarrett Allen has played of late (17/9/3/1 on 71/88 splits). This team just really lacks offensive firepower (18th in points) despite being a good shooting team (7th in FG %, 8th in threes). Of course, when you're, really, only high-volume shooter is out, that's going to happen. They also lost two games from Keegan Murray. The good news is Herro is out of the walking boot. Will he be back in time to face the Wizards this week? That is... less clear. Seattle Supersonics (4-1) over Orlando Magic (1-4), 5-4This one looked like it was setting up for an Orlando comeback on Sunday. Yet, despite shooting well from the floor (50%), they just couldn't knock down enough free throws (28/36) or threes (6) to flip either category and get the win. That was thanks, in no small part, to the awesome game Max Strus had Sunday for the Sonics (20 points, 11 boards, 4 threes). He was awesome on the week (15-6-4, 14 threes) and continues to be one of the better trade acquisitions of the summer. Seattle also got a big week from Brandon Ingram (27.5/4.5/5, 53% shooting) and Bam (22/11.5/4), despite only getting two games from Bam because of a hip issue. James Harden, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Tyus Jones combined for 87 assists, which would have won that category by themselves. With the win, the Sonics now set up a showdown with the Kansas City Kings, made all the more fascinating by the number of players that swapped sides. Strus, Kevon Looney, Ingram, and Dinwiddie were all Kings last year while Dejounte Murray, Jimmy Butler, and Isaiah Stewart were Sonics. Given their respective records, and the fact that it's the only meeting between the two, this tiebreaker could go a long way in a few months. Because of New York's win, the Magic did lose some ground this week, but Miles Bridges is back and playing well (23-12-2), which is something we simply have to point out (it will always be "screw that guy" around these parts though, if you will allow me to add that author's aside). He played well, but Rudy Gobert's tough free throw shooting week ultimately did in the Magic (8/15). They now get almost a must-win against Brooklyn, but who knows what the roster will look like with Poole, Isaac, and Claxton all dealing with ankle injuries, and Reddish still feeling the groin issue. Brooklyn Nets (5-0) over OKC Thunder (3-2), 5-4Speaking of the Nets, the kids did it again. After winning games this year by 5 turnovers, 1 block, and 14 points, the Nets proceeded to shoot an incredible (for them, given they’re 14th in the league), 23/27 from the line on Sunday to beat the Thunder by just 1 made free throw. The final day was, potentially, a scary look into the future as their full lineup proceeded to score 124 points, hit 17 threes, grab 45 boards, and rack up 10 steals and blocks each. Wemby was awesome (19/9.5/3/2/3) as was Evan Mobley (15/10.5/3/1/1), and they combined to shoot 32/34 from the line. They got Scoot, Vassell, and Duren back, and they needed every last stat those three grabbed. Coby White exploded for 20 threes, and Dyson Daniels averaged 6 boards, 4 assists, and 2 steals (including a crazy 6-steal game on Saturday). Austin Reaves also looks to have settled in (17-5-7 on 51/92 splits). With the win, the Nets are now 5-0 for the fifth time in their franchise history. The Thunder losing in a week that Bogdan Bogdanovic put up 19.5 ppg, 15 threes, and shot 57% from the floor is tough, but Tatum (32/9.5/4, 14 threes), Ant (28-7-6), and Luka (30/7.5/6/2) did all they could - and they combined to shoot 78/88 from the line. The good news for OKC is they get Phoenix next, so they should get back on track. Golden St. Warriors (3-2) over Memphis Grizzlies (3-2), 5-3-1The Warriors picked up a massive victory over the Grizzlies. Devin Booker was the catalyst (30-5-8), and Pascal Siakam turned in a solid week (22/6/6.5), as the Warriors held on by 1 steal and 20 points. Unfortunately for the Warriors, Khris Middleton got hurt again at the end of the week, and now his status moving forward is up in the air. That Mark Williams trade looks better and better as well, as he put up 14-12 and 7 total blocks on 57% shooting on the week. He's now up to 13.5 ppg, 10 rpg, and 1 block per game on 68% shooting on the season. Week 6 is huge for this team as they will likely need a win to keep pace with the other Western Conference contenders and they have a chance to, effectively, end Houston's season. Memphis will probably chalk this one up to injuries, and for good reason. They lost two games each from Jrue and Mitchell, and getting just one more game from each probably flips this result. Mikal Bridges certainly did all he could (28-6-4), and Scottie Barnes had himself a decent week (15.5/9.5/4/2). But yeah, tough to win when the starting backcourt is one ice for most of the week. They'll now get a massive game against the New York Knicks. Colorado Swannies (3-2) over Toronto Raptors (0-5), 8-1A workman-like win for the Swannies who were never really threatened in this one. They played nearly 400 more minutes than the Raps, and it showed. Unfortunately for Colorado, LaMelo got hurt to end the week, and it did not look good. It's especially poor timing because LaMelo had been playing so well (4-straight 30+ games, 9-straight 25+). Darius Garland is back, so maybe he can take on some of that load, but it's going to be tough if Ball misses an extended period of time. How about Kyle Kuzma dishing out 35 assists on the week? He was really good again, 21-6-9 on 51/100 splits. He's playing like a real top-30 guy, and they'll certainly need that to continue. Meanwhile, Myles Turner blocked 11 shots and is now up to 2.2 blocks per game on the season. We'll see if they can survive the LaMelo injury against Las Vegas. The Raps lost, but certainly not because of Tyrese Haliburton (32-3-14, 19 threes, 51/87 splits). In a different year, he'd be an MVP candidate. Unfortunately, it's a year from hell for Toronto, and they might already be out of the playoff race. They were already down Ja, and they had to play the whole week without Jalen Williams. It's just tough to win with that much talent on the sidelines. And now they get the Bull Sharks. New York Knicks (3-2) over Houston Rockets (1-4), 7-2It looked like it could be a rough end of the week for New York, with only Goga and recently signed Malik Beasley active against a full Houston line-up, but the Knicks had the opposite set-up on Saturday and did enough to put this one out of reach. In fact, it was even more drastic as NY had 6 guys going up against no one. Embiid and LeBron didn't shoot it well, but they still put up big numbers. Embiid averaged 33.5/12/7/1.5/4.5 and made 32/37 free throws. LeBron put up 22-7-7 and hit 8 threes. With those two playing well, the Knicks can beat anyone. They're also getting surprisingly productive minutes from Goga Bitadze (7/8/3.5/1/2), which every contender needs somewhere along the way... not from Goga, specifically, but a Goga-type of player. You know what I mean. They'll try and keep the good times rolling against Memphis. For Houston, we've officially reached scary hours. They're 1-4, in 8th place, and 2 full games behind the last play-in spot. Still a lot of season left, but they absolutely have to start winning. The next three (GS, KC, Tampa) are tough, but the three after, well, they aren't (Toronto, Vegas, Phoenix). If they can get two of the next three, they'll be favored to win the three after that. 5-1 gets them over .500 with 5 to go. It's doable. More weeks like the ones they got from Steph, Dame, and Randle will help, Sengun too... but the others are letting them down. If that doesn't change against the Warriors, we don't know what the future holds for this team, but it's probably not the Finals. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (4-1) over Phoenix Suns (0-5), 8-1For a short stretch there, it looked like the Bull Sharks would be the only Eastern Conference team to pull out a win last week. There's not a ton to say with this one. Tampa Bay dominated, and they continue to get inspired play from KAT (22/9/3/1.5/1 on 56/90 splits). This was probably a "down" week for Sabonis, and he put up 16-10-6 on 56% shooting which is hilarious. Gordon, D-Lo, Duncan Robinson, and RON combined to hit 37 threes. And Jaime Jaquez is just good (18.5/5/3/1). Tampa actually jumped Houston this week to lead the league in 3 pointers, and they may not relinquish it, which is impressive considering the Rockets employ Steph and Dame. Tampa gets Toronto this week, and Jamal Murray is on the verge of returning. Look out. Phoenix knew this was going to be a tough season, but losing Jalen Johnson (and potentially Jeremy Sochan) is just cruel. Phoenix can take solace in the fact that they could have three lotto picks in the upcoming draft, including two that could be in the top-5.
|
|