Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

[trekfan]

The NBA Second Trimester Report

February 12th, 2016

By Vonny Lee



The Central



1. The Cavs -- are a powerhouse; they are slaughtering every team that comes against them and it's not much a contest most nights. They've only lost 11 games all year long and, though they won't eclipse the Bulls record of 72-10, they might not lose more than four or five games the rest of the way. LeBron is a hell of a player and, apparently, a GM; Tristan Thompson will, however, become a free agent at the end of the year and all signs point to him being out of Cleveland come the summer, championship or not.

2. The Bulls -- are insulted that they're in second place. Despite not having Thibs on the bench anymore, this team's defense is still very much Thibs inspired. Rose has avoided any injuries so far and the Bulls fans are praying that remains the case throughout the rest of the season. They're still holding onto the 5th seed, and will need to play better to get higher than that.

3. The Pacers -- made one of the big trades before the deadline (now in less than six days) by grabbing Derrick Favors for basically nothing; the Jazz were that desperate to unload him and get playing time for their younger players, or they know that Favors play this season is going to be what it's like for the future. Whatever the case, the Pacers are betting Favors can bring some interior toughness as they try to transition back to the team they were before this failed "faster paced" experiment. Right now they sit as the 9th seed, just a half-game back of the Hornets.

4. The Pistons -- are taking their lumps. Drummond is having a career year (15 points, 12 boards a game), as well as Jennings and Jackson, but this core isn't there yet. Jennings is slated to become a free agent and has made it public that he's going to go through the process no matter where he is, period; this has killed any team interest in trading for him. Jackson has shifted over to the two-guard in the interim and proven himself more than capable, but SVG doesn't have what he needs yet to replicate his success in Orlando.

5. The Bucks -- have become more disappointing as the year has gone on. The team has too much talent to waste away a season like this and the winds of change are blowing; MCW is still on the market, but no team is biting and the relationship between the two parties isn't great at the moment. The Bucks are looking forward to the draft, to the offseason, and to figuring out what they can do to be better. Is it MCW? Monroe? Or the injury to OJ Mayo, which has severely hampered him and their offense?

[trekfan]

The NBA Second Trimester Report

February 12th, 2016

By Vonny Lee



The Southeast



1. The Hawks -- have ascended to the lead of the division, their brilliant team play at the center of it. Al Horford, whom was reported earlier in the season to be considering his options, is now telling the team that he plans to stay; the move to add Wilson Chandler was a commitment from the Hawks to their current core and the team has opened up negotiations with Horford and his party.

On the court, Horford and Millsap are making sweet music together and this Hawks team is buzzing as they look to hold onto the 2nd seed.

2. The Heat -- have fallen off a bit from the blistering pace they set earlier in the season; injuries to Whiteside and super-sub Green have been part of the reason why the last month for the Heat hasn't been easy, but both are now back at full strength and should be ready to go for the last stretch. The Heat currently hold the 3rd seed and sit just a game behind the Hawks for the division lead.

3. The Grizzlies -- aren't as good in the East as many thought they would be. The tougher, defensively minded-Grizz have more than met their matches out East but have done well in the last ten, going 7-3. Currently in the 7th seed, the Grizzlies are not a lower seed anyone in the top three want to face.

4. The Hornets -- unloaded Lin, Roberts and Hawes, then won their last game before the All-Star break; fool's gold or have the Hornets finally gotten the team where it needs to be to get back to the playoffs? This is one of the more interesting threads to follow as, if the Hornets miss the playoffs, Jordan is reportedly looking to move on from his GM, Richard Cho.

5. The Magic -- just can't catch a break. Elfrid Payton is out with an injury and the Magic are having to rely on CJ Watson to guide the team in his stead. In the locker room, reports are surfacing that Tobias Harris and Victor Oladipo are butting heads with Scott Skiles; both players are suffering from down years and Skiles minutes management is at the forefront of their issues.


The Top Ten in the East

[Gensi2k]

Very surprised by Grizzlies' crisis. I would have predicted them in the top of the Conference.

[trekfan]

Quote: Originally Posted by Gensi2k

Very surprised by Grizzlies' crisis. I would have predicted them in the top of the Conference.

I thought for sure they'd be a top-4 seed, easy. Apparently not -- the East is tailor-made to match the Grizzlies talent blow-for-blow. They're not as unique in that conference as they were in the West.

[trekfan]

The NBA Second Trimester Report

February 12th, 2016

By Vonny Lee



The Southwest



1. The Spurs -- are looking to be the dominant team that everyone believed they would be at the beginning of the year. The Aldridge signing was a stroke of genius by this team and the front office is receiving plenty of praise for the squad it's assembled. The Spurs are just barely behind the Cavs for best team in the league and the Finals may feature a clash of titans if everything breaks the NBA wants it to.

2. The Rockets -- are fighting for the top spot in the conference and their division, but look to be just short of what they'll need to achieve the honor. Harden and Howard are having great years (Harden, in particular, is being more efficient with the ball now that he isn't the only offensive option) and Ty Lawson looks like he'll be kept around (Lawson is also benefiting from the presence of Harden and Howard); the ultimate fate of this team will be decided in the playoffs, where the Rockets sit as the 3rd seed, a game back of the Clippers and two back of the Spurs. Securing homecourt throughout the playoffs would be huge for Houston. Dwight's still iffy on whether he'll be back next year but, barring a disastrous playoff run, he'll likely be a Rocket again.

3. The Thunder -- are enjoying a much tougher division than they have in years past. The move to the Southwest has made their play seem less remarkable, but they're right in the thick of things and could vault up to the 1st seed if things go badly for everyone in front of them. Right now they're the 4th seed (four back from the Spurs) and their potential matchup is the Sonics; the ratings and vitriol between the two squads would be high. Both Durant and Westbrook are in the running for MVP and OKC looks to be back to a championship contender level.

4. The Mavs -- are desperate. The injuries to both Parsons (out for two more weeks) and Matthews (our for 2-4 more weeks) have torpedoed their season. Worse yet, the Mavs couldn't even get into the conversation for Derrick Favors, DeMarcus Cousins, or Kenneth Faried (all big men that have been traded recently). Rumors are swirling that the Mavs are lining up a big trade to secure their future, but the list of potential targets shrink by the day. Can Mark Cuban pull off a miracle to salvage something from this miserable season or are Dirk's last years going to look more like this?

5. The Pelicans -- are not adapting well to Alvin Gentry's coaching. Well, everyone not named Anthony Davis, anyway. The problem seem to lie in the turnovers by their ball-handlers, (Evans and Holiday are both averaging career highs) and the lack of Eric Gordon, whose injury has derailed their season yet again. Gordon will recover and be back after the All-Star break, but the conferences other teams (namely, the T'Wolves and Blazers) have used the Pellies difficulties to shoot ahead of them in the race for the final playoff spot. Is Anthony Davis alone good enough to propel the Pelicans back into the playoff race? The fans certainly hope so.

[trekfan]

The NBA Second Trimester Report

February 12th, 2016

By Vonny Lee



The Northwest






1. The Sonics -- have elected to keep most of their squad together, despite reports to the contrary. Heading into the All-Star Break, the Sonics are a team that plays like a team. They're fourth in the league in assists, shoot the fifth-fewest triples, have the sixth-highest three-point success rate, are top-ten in fewest points-allowed, and are holding onto the 5th seed. The team is a throwback-squad if there ever was one and the cooperation between the coaches, the players, and the front office is at an all-time high. The addition of Jeremy Lin to the second-unit should improve the Sonics bench, but whether Lin still has a bit of Linsanity magic left in him (which, if he has, it's been missing for a few years now) is another question entirely.

2. The T'Wolves -- have not gone quietly into the night, but rather have howled back into the playoff picture. The veteran leadership of Kevin Garnett is proving invaluable, as is the silky-smooth play of rookie Karl-Anthony Towns, who is averaging 13 point and 9 boards a game. The season will only get tougher from here, but the T'Wolves currently hold the 8th seed and making the playoffs would be a perfect way to send KG into retirement.

3. The Blazers -- aren't dead yet, either. A surge has them within four games of .500 and they could compete for that last playoff spot if things break their way. That said, when have things ever broken in a good way for the Blazers? They're a squad that's full of wounded right now, with Ed Davis still suffering from a hyperextended shoulder (6-8 weeks recovery time), Mason Plumlee out with a broken thigh (2 more weeks), and Aminu recovering from a sprained wrist (day-to-day). Still, this team is chugging onward and, if they make the playoffs, it could be the best work of Coach Terry Stotts.

4. The Jazz -- officially moved on from Derrick Favors, got some picks, and are looking to use the rest of this season for development, a term many Jazz fans are tired of hearing. Surprisingly, Trey Burke is still on the roster and looks to be on the roster till the summer at least. Hayward is still having a great year and the Jazz are going in some direction, though which one isn't readily apparent to many.

5. The Nuggets -- sold, sold, sold at the deadline and, in order to get rid of some of their players, had to sell some picks, too. It was a painful deadline for Denver, who got taken advantage of by many teams, but they have their own draft pick (likely quite high), they have cap space coming in the summer, and there are many young players slated to be in the FA pool. This is officially a rebuilding squad now and, with Gallinari's contract entering its last year next season, the team will have another asset to use to rebuild. Don't expect the Nuggets to be competitive again till 2017 at the earliest.

[Gensi2k]

Pelicans so bad? Maybe Gentry needs more reliable shooters in the backcourt to make a system heavily inspired by the Warriors.

[trekfan]

The NBA Second Trimester Report

February 12th, 2016

By Vonny Lee



The Pacific



1. The Clippers-- still sport the ugliest uniforms in the NBA, but with the success they're having, the players and fans are ignoring it. Led by the three-headed monster of Paul, Griffin, and Jordan (and also sporting one of the deepest benches, if not the deepest, in the NBA), the Clippers are taking aim at making the WCF and want to knock out either the Spurs or Warriors before it's all said and done. Currently holding the 2nd seed, they're close enough to taste the 1st seed ... can they keep focused on that and not the Rockets, Thunder, or Sonics squads behind them?

2. The Warriors -- are still without Bogut and Iggy, and look to be that way for another two months at least. They made a minor trade, bringing in big man shooter Spencer Hawes to spread the floor off the bench, and are beating teams by outscoring them at this point; defensively, this Warriors squad isn't remotely the same but they're making noise and, like any good champion, have adapted to their current squad's strengths. Other teams in the NBA don't fear the Warriors as much as they used to, but when playoff time arrives, that will change.

3. The Suns -- are almost as good as the Warriors, at least in terms of record. In terms of actual play, this Suns team is buoyed by the leadership of Tyson Chandler and the front office's willingness to leave well-enough alone. Rather than make any sort of trades that could torpedo the team like last year, the Suns are standing pat and letting the team play out the year; if they make the playoffs (currently the 7th seed), then the front office will look good. If they don't, missing the playoffs for a third year in a row, the Suns may look to making a move either on the bench (Hornacek still lacks a new contract after this season) or with their personnel (jettisoning Bledsoe or Knight for a true two-guard).

4. The Lakers -- are bad enough to feel pity for, but not bad enough to get their pick back at this point (unless the lottery is super-kind to them). Kobe is still out for the season and has been reduced to a bench presence that could double as a mannequin. Byron Scott is getting a great performance from Russell and Randle, but Clarkson is struggling (just 6.7 PPG) playing the off-guard role and insiders say the Lakers are looking at the previous year's performance as a fluke. What they decide to do with him this offseason will be very interesting.

5. The Kings -- are still pretty bad, but at least they managed to get George Karl a player he likes and nab a 1st rounder; they now have three picks in this upcoming draft (the Mavericks, the Celtics, and the Grizzlies) and they'll get at least one of those picks (the Mavs pick is protected 1-7, the Grizz pick 1-5 and 15-30, and the Celtics pick is completely unprotected). The rebuild is on and could be quick, depending on what picks they get and how the team comes together.

The Top Ten in the West