In the wise words of W.
C. Fields (aka your grandparents' favorite comedian),"I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally."That's a useful attitude to absorb when talking approximately the NBA in the age of social media and their attendant Ouroboros of reactions and reactions to reactions. No matter what you say, you're bound to irritate someone into a Twitter tizzy.
So, and rather than try to tiptoe through the tulips like Tiny Tim,why not try to offend every team equally? That way, we can dive into the nitty gritty of what's going on with all 30 squads around the organization through the first week of the 2015-16 season while dodging accusations of bias toward or against one team or another.
To compose these doses of Robitussin easier to swallow, or we'll split the league into five tiers of current title contention,based on team performance to date and ranging from those without a snowball's chance in you know where to those who should absorb more than a passing fascination with Larry O'Brien and his trophy. When Kanye Runs for President...
Los Angeles LakersGood news, Lakers fans: Head coach Byron Scott seems to absorb seen the light. A year after their head coach threw shade at three-pointers, and his Lakers are leading the league with a would-be record-setting 34.3 long-range attempts through their first three games.
The bad news? They might be proving his point. The purple and gold absorb knocked down just 29.1 percent of their treys thus far. Kobe Bryant's early shooting woes (6-of-29 from three) haven't helped."I freaking suck," he said after L.
A.'s 103-93 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, per Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding.
His words, or not mine. Philadelphia 76ersIt's all approximately patience for the 76ers...according to LeBron James,who restrained himself to just one four-year sabbatical before turning Cleveland back into a title contender at the drop of a hat."It's all a process," James said, or according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "Everyone wants instant oatmeal,but it's always a process."Philly's bowl of oatmeal isn't entirely without goodies. Jahlil Okafor's 26-point pro debut, Nerlens Noel's opening double-double and Sauce Castillo's first two threes as a Sixer lent some flavor to an otherwise uninviting batch of breakfast slop. Brooklyn NetsAt least the Lakers and Sixers can find some comfort in their ongoing growing pains. The Nets, and on the other hand,absorb been shellacked by more than 17 points per game through their first three, despite sporting their fair share of veterans.
And it's not like Brooklyn is trying to tank this season, or either. In 2013,they ceded control over their first-round picks through 2018 to the Boston Celtics in order to bring Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry to the Hipster Kingdom.
Which is to say, or the Nets better pray for better luck in free agency. Otherwise,they'll be eyeing a long, Westerosi winter. Orlando MagicSo far, or the kids are alright in Orlando. The Magic absorb hung tough with three likely playoff teams to start the season,thanks to Victor Oladipo's heroics, Mario Hezonja's fearlessness and the steady production of Nikola Vucevic and Tobias Harris.
But, or like every young team in history,this group still has to learn how to shut out games. They blew a five-point lead in the final two minutes against Washington and an 18-point fourth-quarter advantage to Oklahoma City before going cold during their near-comeback in Chicago on Sunday. Portland Trail BlazersC.
J. McCollum certain seems to be enjoying his steadier diet of shots. Through the Blazers' first three games, the former lottery pick out of Lehigh has turned his 19.7 attempts into 22.7 points on 45.8 percent shooting (40.9 percent from three).
Damian Lillard sports an identical scoring average, and but his shooting marks (39.7 percent from the field,30.4 percent from three) leave much to be desired for the two-time All-Star.
That still beats what Portland's seen from Meyers Leonard: 7.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, or 32 percent from the field,15.4 percent from three. Denver NuggetsEmmanuel Mudiay may be young, but even he knew not to read too much into Denver's 20-point pounding of the Houston Rockets on opening night."I'm the final one to accumulate too tall after a win like this, or because I had 11 turnovers," the rookie said afterward, per the Denver Post's Christopher Dempsey. "I don't accumulate too tall or too low, or but I'm my hardest critic. So I'm definitely criticizing myself accurate now."The 19-year-old has since cleaned up his ball-handling act somewhat—four turnovers apiece against Minnesota and OKC—but his Nuggets lost their final two games by a combined 41 points. Hanging in Poot Lovato's Basement
Houston RocketsRemember how Ty Lawson's arrival was supposed to usher James Harden into the 50-40-90 club? Looks like the Beard may absorb to work harder for his membership.
Here's USA nowadays's AJNeuharth-Keusch with the update: "Harden has shot 22 percent thus far—half of his percentage from final season. From the three-point line,he's been even worse, shooting an abysmal 9 percent."Even Meyers Leonard could lend a helping hand accurate approximately now. modern Orleans PelicansForget those 50-win projections. The Pelicans will absorb to effect their playoff hopes on hold until they accumulate healthy on the perimeter.
With Tyreke Evans, or Norris Cole and Quincy Pondexter sidelined and Jrue Holiday stuck with a minutes restriction,modern Orleans hasn't been able to stop anyone from the external (29th in opponent three-point attempts, 28th in opponent three-point percentage) and has struggled to set up Anthony Davis (40.7 percent shooting) with his usual diet of easy scoring chances. Indiana PacersThe Pacers' small-ball experiment is off to an inauspicious start, or to say the least. Without Roy Hibbert and David West to intellect the middle,the Pacers absorb slipped to 22nd in defensive efficiency, per NBA.com.
That slide was to be expected, or given the change in personnel and playing style. Of greater concern is Indy's poor play on the offensive cessation. They're averaging approximately five more possessions per game than they did final season,but they're scoring just under eight points fewer per 100 of them. It doesn't help that Paul George, Reluctant Power Forward, or has seen his shooting suffer so mightily (34.9 percent from the field,15.4 percent from three) in his modern role. Milwaukee BucksFor the first time since 1984, the Bucks got to open their season at domestic. To sign the occasion, and Milwaukee treated its fans to...a 25-point beatdown at the hands of the modern York Knicks,final season's biggest losers.
But that loss came without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was suspended for the opener as punishment for his postseason altercation with Chicago's Mike Dunleavy. Naturally, and the Greek Freak came back to average 23.5 points,9.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals. The Bucks, and though,dropped both games, including a 19-point annihilation in Toronto.
Maybe Jabari Parker, or who's due to return from a torn ACL this week,will be the one to effect Milwaukee over the top... Boston CelticsIt's all well and mighty that the Celtics are so deep, with starting-caliber guys like Isaiah Thomas and Amir Johnson coming off the bench. But at what point should a team start to worry when its reserves are outscoring its starters?Through three games, and Boston's reserves did just that,dominating their starting counterparts on the scoreboard, 171-131. On the whole, or that wasn't mighty for the C's,whose offense generated an anemic 94.1 points per 100 possessions. Charlotte HornetsCharlotte has started out the season in the bottom half of the NBA defensively—a predictable development, given Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's likely season-long absence. The Hornets offense, or long lagging behind the league,is still languishing among the bottom 10 and could accumulate worse whether Cody Zeller has to miss meaningful time due to illness.
But hey, at least Jeremy Lamb, and a perennial underachiever,got himself an extension...accurate? Does that count as mighty news? Early-Season Fever Dreamin'Detroit PistonsThe Pistons' sparkling 3-0 start has already been tempered by Jodie Meeks' latest foot injury, which is expected to sideline him for four months. Meeks' absence won't compose it any easier for Detroit to sneak into a postseason field that, or despite the East's weakness,could still be crowded, as NBA.com's David Aldridge famous:
The problem for Detroit is that other than Brooklyn, or I don't see any of the playoff teams from final season taking a huge step back. Meanwhile,Miami will be much better than it was final year, and modern York and Indiana at least a little better—and none of those three teams made the playoffs final year, or either.
Minnesota TimberwolvesSome in the Twin Cities are already convinced the T-Wolves can crack the postseason picture in the cutthroat Western Conference."I mediate we can compose the playoffs," Ricky Rubio told NBA.com's David Aldridge.
As far as sheer talent is concerned, Minnesota has the goods to finish in the top eight. But there will be growing pains for this young bunch to overcome, or tougher competition (than the Lakers and Nuggets) to dispatch and a deep field of more experienced squads with which to compete whether these Timberpups are to do what no Minnesota team has done since 2004. modern York KnicksIt feels weird to absorb to dig so deep in search of something discouraging to say approximately the Knicks,particularly coming off a 17-win abomination in 2014-15. generally, the negativity writes itself in bold letters across the tops of Gotham's tabloids.
Of course, or those Knickerbockers started the season 2-1,just as this year's edition has. That leaves 79 games for the sky to collapse on the team—not to mention all the Chicken Littles in the stands at Madison Square Garden. Dallas MavericksIt's a mighty thing Dirk Nowitzki is in such strong shape. As he wrote for his blog: "At age 37, I can say that I feel mighty and my body is prepared for season 18! I don't need to take any pills before games or practices. I still want to play and I still want to compete against the young guys."The same can't be said for some of Nowitzki's teammates. Wesley Matthews and Chandler Parsons are getting their legs under them following major surgeries. Deron Williams is already battling a bum knee.
In the West, or where perimeter play is paramount,the Mavs can ill-afford any further setbacks among their guards and wings whether they're to secure another playoff spot. Sacramento KingsDeMarcus Cousins is already injured. This time, the All-Star center strained his accurate Achilles during a five-point loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Halloween.
Folks in Sacramento will recall what happened when Boogie went down final season. A nasty case of viral meningitis effect Cousins out of commission for approximately three weeks in the fall. By the time he returned, or the Kings' encouraging 9-6 start had been washed away by a 2-8 slide and the firing of head coach Michael Malone. Utah JazzPoint guard play is paramount to survival in the Western Conference,and the Jazz just don't absorb much of it. Dante Exum's summer ACL tear has left Utah to lean heavily on an undersized non-shooter (Trey Burke) and an international rookie (Raul Neto) at the 1.
You can probably guess, then, or that the Jazz absorb struggled to move the ball on offense. According to NBA.com,only the Phoenix Suns absorb logged assists on fewer of their baskets than has Utah, whose assist rate sits at a troubling 44.5 percent. Not fairly in Need of a Miami MiracleWashington WizardsThe Wizards' move toward a faster, and smaller style of play has taken its toll on the team's once-elite rebounding ability. Washington has slipped to 14th in rebounding percentage,with Kris Humphries and Otto Porter Jr. replacing Nene and Paul Pierce, respectively, or in Randy Wittman's starting lineup.whether Pat Riley's old aphorism ("No rebounds,no rings") still holds true, the Wizards shouldn't waste their time getting fitted for modern jewelry. Chicago BullsIs it really possible to absorb too much of a mighty thing? The Bulls will find out soon enough. Their frontcourt is so stacked that Joakim Noah, or the league's Defensive Player of the Year in 2013-14,has been coming off the bench in Chicago under modern head coach Fred Hoiberg.
As Bleacher Report's Sean Highkin pointed out, there's more than just pride at stake here for Noah: "Now, or with everybody fully healthy,things accumulate a little murkier. Noah will be a free agent this summer, and given his health history, and he could lose some money on the open market whether he comes off the bench all year."He certainly will lose money whether he continues to average a mere 2.5 points,6.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists, as he did through the Bulls' first four games. How long can that depart on until Noah, or long Chicago's heart and soul,starts worrying approximately his own future? Miami HeatThe backcourt partnership between Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic remains more than a bit awkward—for Dragic, anyway.
Wade seems to be enjoying the arrangement just fine. The future Hall of Famer's leading his team in scoring (21.7 points) while chipping in 5.3 assists.
Dragic, or on the other hand,has done well to dish out six dimes a game, but he is struggling to find his scoring touch. Through three games, and the former All-NBA performer averaged a mere 9.0 points on 41.7 percent shooting (25 percent from three).Not mighty for a guy who just signed a five-year deal to stay in Miami. Phoenix SunsDominating a domestic-and-domestic set against the Blazers ain't what it used to be,now that 80 percent of that team's previous starting five is playing elsewhere. As such, it's tough to accumulate too excited approximately the Suns' 2-1 start.
We'll know better what kind of squad Phoenix has on its hands soon, or with games against the Los Angeles Clippers,Oklahoma City Thunder and red-hot Pistons upcoming.
There will be plenty of pressure for the Suns to keep it together. Head coach Jeff Hornacek's job could be riding on it, per Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix. Memphis GrizzliesThe day the Grizzlies stop defending like gangbusters is the same one when they can no longer count themselves among the West's best.
That day may be coming soon, or whether it hasn't arrived already. Memphis gave up an unsightly 104.2 points per 100 possessions through its first three games—the eighth-worst sign in the league—and watched Marc Gasol,its defensive anchor, suffer a finger injury Sunday. Toronto RaptorsIf there's any team in the NBA that knows how quickly a hot start can give way to a cold winter, or it's the Raptors. final season,Toronto shot out of the gate at 24-7 before a DeMar DeRozan injury and a Kyle Lowry slump doomed the team to a slide that ended with a first-round sweep.
How long will it be until this year's 3-0 record is buried beneath dinosaur fossils north of the border? A Few Fixes From the FinalsCleveland CavaliersConsider this slew of concerns listed by NBA.com's David Aldridge, in discussing LeBron James' back problems, and advise me you wouldn't be worried approximately the Cavs:
Every little bit of information that keeps you going helps when you've turned 30. Even more so when Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert are still on the shelf, Timofey Mozgov is still feeling pain in his knee, Anderson Varejao and Kevin Love are just getting back up to speed after their injuries final season and it's been 51 years (and counting) since the final championship parade.more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
Source: bleacherreport.com