The NBA So Far - DissectingPopCulture

January 17, 2007

The NBA So Far

Since it’s been ages since I’ve written about the NBA, I have a lot to say. After two and a half months of watching League Pass, here are 10 NBA observations as we approach the halfway point.

1. The Triumvirate: Phoenix, Dallas, and San Antonio are undeniably the best teams in the league. The Spurs are a notch below the Suns and Mavs, but the Spurs are impossible to dismiss. Sure, they look a little old right now, but they weren’t that far off last year when Tim Duncan was practically playing on one leg. Dallas and Phoenix’s records speak for themselves.

If I must pick a favorite, I’ll take the Suns. They have easily the best offense, and though their defense is merely adequate, it was abysmal the past two years. Steve Nash is also looking for his shot more, especially in crunch time; that’s a good thing when you’re arguably the best shooter on the planet.

2. Beyond The Triumvirate, the Lakers and Rockets have the best shot: If the Rockets are healthy in time for the playoffs (a major if), they’re a threat against anyone. Oh yeah, Bonzi Wells has to get his head screwed on straight too. Probably too many uncertainties in Houston, but if everything falls into place, its top four (Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, Shane Battier, and Wells) is as formidable as any team other than Phoenix.

Meanwhile, the Lakers also need a healthy Lamar Odom. With him in the fold, the Lakers have Pippen to Kobe Bryant’s Jordan, and they even have Pip and MJ’s coach, Phil Jackson. Additionally, LA’s role players are getting more comfortable with Kobe all the time.

3. The ultimate variable: We can all speculate on how well Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony will mesh, but truthfully, no one has a clue. Currently, Denver is 18-17 and owns the final playoff spot in the West. Obviously, when Anthony returns from suspension on Jan. 22, the Nuggets will expect more.

I think Iverson is tired of losing and will do whatever it takes to make it work. Plus, there’s one thing hardly anyone is mentioning: Aesthetically, Anthony is a carbon copy of Iverson. Anthony has the cornrows, the tattoos, the headband, the facial hair, and the arm sock/sleeve. So what? Well, Anthony obviously idolizes Iverson, who is nine years Anthony’s senior. If there’s anyone Anthony would be willing to ignore a potential scoring title for, it’s Iverson. Anthony wants Iverson’s respect, and the only way he’s getting it is if he does everything he can to win like Iverson undoubtedly will.

Does the dynamic duo make Denver a contender? Only time will tell, but it should be fun to watch.

4. The West playoffs should be thrilling, but the Finals will likely bore: The AFC is much better than the NFC, the American League makes the National League look minor league – though the Cardinals won the World Series – but there’s no greater discrepancy in sports than the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference.

The Cavs, who currently have the East’s best record at 23-14, swept their two-game series with San Antonio, but they were embarrassed 109-90 at Phoenix on Jan. 11 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final indicated. If you put the Cavs in the West, I'm not sure they'd make the playoffs.

Just five teams in the East have positive point differentials, and Detroit is the only team with a winning road record (11-8).

And don’t get me started on the Atlantic Division, which is led by 18-21 Toronto.

Unless Miami peaks in the playoffs like last season, I don’t see any Eastern team making the Finals competitive.

Speaking of the Heat…

5. The champs have issues: Shaquille O’Neal’s injury is no excuse; the Heat look old and uninspired. I’m also concerned that Dwayne Wade, having spent a summer overseas and most of the season carrying the Heat on his back, will run out of gas in the playoffs. No contender needs to make a trade more than Miami.

Speaking of trades…

6. Potential blockbusters: Allen Iverson going to Denver was huge news, but more stars could be traded. Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, Pau Gasol, Corey Maggette, and even Kevin Garnett (probably a long shot) are possible bargaining chips. Until the trade deadline passes, you can’t set any predictions in stone.

7. The Jazz and Clippers are the biggest surprises: If someone figures out what’s wrong with the Clippers, let me know. They have essentially the same team that was one game from the Western Conference Finals last season. Sam Cassell’s injury hurts, but they were struggling before he went down.

On the other hand, Utah was one of the NBA’s biggest disappointments last season. Its 12-1 start this season was encouraging, but it’s only 12-13 since. Utah is a fine offensive team, a pretty lousy defensive team, and it’s the best rebounding team in the league. Bottom line: Utah is intriguing but not elite.

8. Injuries: It’s pretty sad when the All-Injury Team could compete with any other 12 in the league. Yao, McGrady, Shaq, Lewis, Odom, Cassell, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, the Hornets’ top three (Chris Paul, David West, and Peja Stojakovic), Michael Redd, Richard Jefferson, Pau Gasol, Chauncey Billups, Nenad Krstic, Josh Smith, Jason Richardson, and Kenyon Martin have all missed significant chunks of the young season.

Injuries are inevitable, but I can’t remember a season with this many great players MIA.

9. MVP candidates galore: At this point, Nash, Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Gilbert Arenas, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, and Yao (before he broke his leg) are all worthy candidates. This year’s MVP voting could be the most contentious in history.

10. Break-out players: Kevin Martin, Deron Williams, David Lee, Luol Deng, Luke Walton, Andris Biedrins, Al Jefferson, and Monta Ellis – among others – have proven themselves this year. All should be, at the very least, NBA starters for the next 10 years or so.

Martin has been the biggest revelation, averaging 21.2 points and trailing only Steve Nash in true-shooting percentage.

Lee has the league’s fourth-best rebound rate, yet Isiah Thomas still frequently gives Jared Jeffries more minutes.

(Finally, as a reward for reading this far, I implore you to read Bill Simmons’ latest column about the Phoenix Suns on ESPN.com. I would have written more about the Suns, but Bill said it all. As always, Simmons’ piece is an excellent read and well worth your time if you’re a basketball fan.)