NBA Power Rankings Halfway Through the 2014-15 Season
To paraphrase Buffalo Springfield, something's happening here, but what it is—in the NBA, anyway—is exactly clear.
It's mid-January. All-Star ballots are being cast. Musings on the portion of the season that's past and that which lies ahead are hot off the presses, though those presses aren't quite as scalding as the insanely active trade market.
All of which points to one thing: The halfway point of the 2014-15 campaign has arrived. It seems like only yesterday that the San Antonio Spurs were tipping off their title defense with a thriller against the Dallas Mavericks, doesn't it?
Time sure does fly, as well it should with how exciting the Association has been since late October. Pretty much every noteworthy race remains wide-open, save for the Rookie of the Year push, wherein Andrew Wiggins has taken a commanding lead.
Before we dive head-first into the next three months of regular-season basketball, let's take a moment to reset the league to date, ordering all 30 teams from top to bottom based on overall play and available personnel.
Click here for last week's edition.
30. New York Knicks
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Knee injuries or no, the New York Knicks were determined to put on a show for those curious Londoners who were able to score tickets to Thursday's showdown with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire, two of the key survivors from Phil Jackson's recent (and ongoing) fire sale, pushed past their respective knee problems to play in England, to varying effect. Anthony poured in 25 points on just 12 attempts, though the Bucks' long-armed defenders, Giannis Antetokounmpo included, pestered him into committing eight turnovers.
That easily beats out what STAT brought to the table. Stoudemire didn't score a single point in his eight minutes, none of which came after the half.
Indeed, not even New York's most handsomely paid players could keep the Knicks from extending their franchise-record slide to 16 games. As NBA TV's Vince Cellini quipped, the Knicks' futility knows no geographical bounds.
29. Minnesota Timberwolves
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Perhaps forlorn Knicks fans can take comfort in the miracle to which the Minnesota Timberwolves were witness on Tuesday. The end of their skid, like that of the Wolves' now-snapped string of 15 straight losses, is well within reach.
That is, so long as they can coax an incredible scoring explosion out of one of their players. Minnesota saw Mo Williams step up to the plate, scoring 52 points—a personal best, a franchise high, a 2014-15 season high for the entire league and the most ever piled up by an opponent at Bankers Life Fieldhouse—to lead the Wolves to their first win in over a month.
"When you are in the zone, you don't know the magnitude of the game," Williams said afterward. "I am glad to put on a show."
No game would seem that important for the Wolves, whose closest company in the league's race to the bottom hails from New York and Philadelphia. But for a banged-up squad that is trying to prepare its young talent for the future, every contribution from a veteran is that much more significant.
Especially when that contribution is the hoops equivalent of Smaug immolating Lake-town in one fell swoop.
28. Philadelphia 76ers
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Speaking of smoke and fire, here's what ESPN's Chad Ford had to say about Michael Carter-Williams' future (or potential lack thereof) with the Philadelphia 76ers:
"I've heard a lot of rumblings from GMs that Carter-Williams is available. There are some in ownership and in the front office, though not all, that don't see him as a long-term piece of the puzzle. There was a lot of chatter that direction before the draft, and in the past few weeks I know several teams have had exploratory discussions with the Sixers. I think the challenge right now is that the Sixers will want a lot in return, and MCW's play, to date this season, hasn't warranted multiple first-round picks for him. That makes him tough to deal.
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To Ford's point, Carter-Williams is shooting worse (38.1 percent from the field, 23.7 percent from three, 63.1 percent from the line), scoring less (15.3 points) and turning the ball over more (4.4 turnovers) than he did during his Rookie of the Year campaign. Then again, at least he had a few seasoned pros with whom to share the floor during much of the 2013-14 season.
You can't say the same this time around, unless Robert Covington's previous shuttles between the NBA and the D-League qualify him as such.
27. Boston Celtics
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To paraphrase the legendary (and fictional) Michael Scott, ain't no party like a Danny Ainge party because a Danny Ainge party don't stop.
The Boston Celtics general manager has been wheeling and dealing since he sent Rajon Rondo on his way to Texas. He kicked off the calendar week by shipping Jeff Green, Boston's other useful veteran, to Memphis in a three-team deal that brought Tayshaun Prince, Austin Rivers and a future first-rounder back to Boston. He then swapped Jameer Nelson, one of the pieces from the Rondo trade, for Denver Nuggets guard Nate Robinson and subsequently made NateRob a two-time former Celtic by buying him out.
Most recently, Ainge flipped Rivers to the Clippers, for whom Austin's dad (Doc Rivers) serves as the coach and team president, in another menage-a-trade that netted Shavlik Randolph from Phoenix and Chris Douglas-Roberts and a 2017 second-rounder from Los Angeles.
Don't expect Ainge to quit just yet. With his passel of young players and more draft picks over the next handful of years than even Teddy Roosevelt could've shaken a stick at, Trader Danny figures to have his fingers in more than a few substantive deals in the weeks and months to come.
26. Los Angeles Lakers
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Following the Los Angeles Lakers' loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday night, Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding considered how Kobe Bryant's balancing act, between old-school scorer and newfound distributor, would affect both the Mamba's game and the overall success of his squad:
"What everyone forgets is that when Bryant decides to wear different hats, everyone around him is forced to operate in varying styles, too.
But from Bryant's perch, he envisions a sweet spot where he sets guys up for easy shots, the game opens up some for them all and he seizes the right moments to get to his favorite attack positions on the floor for tide-turning buckets.
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That vision came to life Thursday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Bryant racked up a career-high 17 assists to go along with his 19 points (on 7-of-14 shooting) and six rebounds.
Bryant's phenomenal efforts weren't enough to lift the Lakers to their 13th victory, but they were a joy to watch nonetheless. It may yield more promising results down the line as Bryant and his teammates acclimate to this brave, new world.
25. Utah Jazz
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Enes Kanter may have unwittingly booked a ticket out of Salt Lake City this summer during his recent injury-related absence.
While Kanter was out, Rudy Gobert, the 27th pick in the 2013 NBA draft, opened more than a few eyeballs with his tantalizing play in the Utah Jazz's frontcourt. He averaged 8.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.8 blocks and 1.4 steals while converting an impressive 70.8 percent of his field goals.
A return to the bench thereafter, in a loss to the unstoppable Warriors, didn't seem to hinder the Frenchman's productivity in the least. All he did was pile up 16 points, 11 boards, four assists, three blocks and a pair of steals while earning 11 trips to the free-throw line, eight of which he converted.
If Kanter's contract demands prove onerous come July, Gobert could prove to be a cheaper—and, in the long run, better—solution to Utah's frontcourt quandaries.
24. Brooklyn Nets
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NBA weeks don't get much worse than the one the Brooklyn Nets just went through. Within the past week, word broke, courtesy of Bloomberg's Scott Soshnick, that team owner Mikhail Prokhorov is looking to offload the franchise. The NBA suspended Kevin Garnett for punking Dwight Howard, and the Nets saw their latest skid extend to a season-worst seven games.
And the bad news might not be through for Brooklyn. According to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nets are working hard to move Brook Lopez and may well take Lance Stephenson, a Brooklyn native, off the Charlotte Hornets' hands to do so.
If you're wondering what can happen when a hometown guard is brought back to the Big Apple, just ask Knicks fans to describe the Stephon Marbury era—and make sure you have an exit strategy in the event that you wind up in the presence of a riled-up New Yorker.
23. Orlando Magic
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The Orlando Magic are one of the toughest clubs to get a read on in the NBA. One week, they're trying to stave off a six-game losing streak. The next, they're beating the Bulls in Chicago and taking down Dwight Howard's Rockets in Orlando.
Even Grantland's Zach Lowe is perplexed by whatever it is the Magic have become in Year 3 A.D. (After Dwight):
"Watching the Magic is like looking at a blurry painting: You can kind of make out what they are trying to be, and in the brief moments when everything comes together, it looks pretty. But sometimes the portrait just stays blurry, and sometimes—as in their embarrassing home loss to the Hornets two weeks ago—it looks like the artist barfed all over the canvas.
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Of course, when Victor Oladipo goes off for 30-plus points, as he did in each of Orlando's last two games, that picture becomes much clearer—and cleaner.
22. Indiana Pacers
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Hey, Indiana Pacers fans! Need some cheering up after watching your team lose consecutive games to two of the NBA's worst (i.e., the Sixers and Wolves)? Of course you do!
This quick clip of Paul George dunking, just sixth months after snapping his leg during a Team USA exhibition, should help.
It's too bad that George isn't ready to play just yet. The Pacers could certainly use him, with games against the Pistons, Hornets, Rockets and Hawks on tap for the coming week.
21. Miami Heat
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The Miami Heat are hunting for help, as well they should be. At 17-22 and with Dwyane Wade shuffling into and out of the lineup, the Heat have hardly guaranteed themselves a franchise-record seventh straight postseason appearance.
It's no surprise, then, that Pat Riley has reportedly poked around Brook Lopez, per ESPN, and Nate Robinson, per Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears. Miami could use another scoring guard and may well need an upgrade in the frontcourt.
On the latter count, though, the Heat appear to have already found an inexpensive solution. Hassan Whiteside, a well-traveled center who was drafted in 2010, has chipped in 13.8 points, 10.2 boards and 3.5 blocks per game over Miami's last six and, as a result, usurped Chris Andersen's starting spot alongside Chris Bosh.
20. Charlotte Hornets
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The Charlotte Hornets have been playing much better ball of late, even without the services of Al Jefferson and Lance Stephenson. Their five-game winning streak is no more, but it came to an end by a mere five points at the hands of the defending champion San Antonio Spurs.
As it happens, the Hornets may soon see their fortunes improve further, at Stephenson's expense. According to ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard, the Hornets are trying to put together a three-team trade that would send Stephenson home to Brooklyn and bring Jarrett Jack and Jeremy Lamb to the Queen City. Both Jack and Lamb would help to bolster a backcourt that's dangerously thin behind the high-scoring Kemba Walker.
That swap may well be enough to boost the Hornets past the Nets and into the playoffs—that is, if Charlotte is able to pull it off.
19. Cleveland Cavaliers
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It's one thing for the Cleveland Cavaliers to lose to a quality opponent on the road when LeBron James goes for 30-plus points, as they did in Phoenix on Tuesday night. It's another when this Cavs squad still dances so dangerously close to the lowly Lakers, despite getting 36-5-5 from James, 22 from Kyrie Irving and 17 and seven boards from a gimpy Kevin Love.
That's what happens when a talented team defends as poorly as Cleveland does. The Cavs, deep into the league's bottom 10 defensively, allowed the Lakers to shoot 51.3 percent from the floor Thursday night, with L.A. center Jordan Hill hitting 10-of-14.
The Cavs are clearly better off now that LeBron is back and J.R. Smith, Timofey Mozgov and the currently sidelined Iman Shumpert have joined the fold. The snapping of a six-game skid in L.A. won't mean squat to Cleveland in the long run if this team doesn't work hard and figure out how to get stops consistently against much better competition than what the Cavs faced at Staples Center.
18. Detroit Pistons
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It's all over! The Detroit Pistons lost not once but twice this past week.
In recent years, that wouldn't have been such a big deal. After all, the Pistons haven't finished with a winning record since 2008. Frequent defeats have been the norm in the Motor City for the better (worse?) part of a decade.
Even if that streak of sub-.500 records continues in 2015, the Pistons can still claim to be a different team, at least for the time being. Winning nine times in 10 games will do that for a team, especially when that success comes after a key player (i.e., Josh Smith) has been cut loose.
Detroit had better enjoy the softer schedule while it can, though. Once the Pistons' weekend against the Pacers and Sixers is through, they'll embark on a stretch of five games during which they'll face four likely playoff teams.
17. Sacramento Kings
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Say this much for the Sacramento Kings: They won't let the reality of being in 12th place out West, 5-9 since Mike Malone was canned, preclude them from trying to upgrade their roster.
According to CBS Sports' Ken Berger, the Kings are now willing to part ways with rookie swingman Nik Stauskas in a deal to bring back a better frontcourt partner—ideally, a shot-blocker and/or perimeter-oriented big—for DeMarcus Cousins.
Not that Stauskas, the No. 8 pick in 2014, is going to bring back a big-time bounty. The University of Michigan product has managed just 3.6 points on 33.1 percent shooting (27.2 percent from three) in just over 14 minutes per game.
Meanwhile, Ben McLemore, Sacramento's second-year shooting guard out of Kansas, has taken a significant step forward, from raw prospect to capable perimeter contributor, this season. If McLemore is ready to hold down the 2-guard spot for years to come, the Kings would do well to get what they can for Stauskas now rather than leave him to rot on the bench.
16. Denver Nuggets
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Maybe the Denver Nuggets didn't send Timofey Mozgov to Cleveland and swap Nate Robinson for Jameer Nelson to incite a fire sale. Maybe they are trying to improve for the present, as this bit of scuttlebutt from Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix suggests: "The Denver Nuggets are among the teams expressing the most interest in Nets center Brook Lopez."
Then again, why would the Nuggets need to go after an expensive centerpiece in the midst of a five-game winning streak, during which rookie big man Jusuf Nurkic has more than held his own in the middle of the Mile High City? The Bosnian behemoth has averaged nearly 12 points and eight rebounds since Dec. 30, and he has only seen his role expand further with Mozgov's departure.
And who wouldn't want more of Nurkic, whose physicality, brash attitude and combative bloodlines are quickly making him a favorite of the basketball Internet?
15. Milwaukee Bucks
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If you're feeling down after a long week, might I recommend you take a moment to bask in the joyful glow of the Milwaukee Bucks' tour of London? Or peruse any of the other umpteen photo galleries from the Bucks' trip across the pond?
Milwaukee appeared to enjoy its midseason sojourn, both on and off the court. When the Bucks weren't busy touring the sights of the English capital, they were easily dispatching the Carmelo-infused Knicks on the court at London's O2 Arena.
The world may not be so kind to the Bucks once they return stateside, and not just because of the icy weather in Milwaukee. They'll face the resurgent Raptors, talented Jazz and newly competitive Pistons at home before hitting the road again, with stops in San Antonio and Miami.
14. New Orleans Pelicans
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We could use this space to talk about what Austin Rivers' departure, Quincy Pondexter's return and Jrue Holiday's ankle injury mean for the New Orleans Pelicans. But wouldn't it be more fun to marvel at Anthony Davis' exploits for the gazillionth time this season?
Yeah, I thought so.
This past week saw Davis pester Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol during a win over the Memphis Grizzlies and pile up 34 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three blocks in a shocking loss to the Celtics. He also demolished fellow 2012 draftee Andre Drummond—27 points, 10 boards and four blocks for The Brow versus two points, two rebounds and two blocks for Drummond—during a breezy win over the scorching-hot Pistons in Detroit.
The week to come should afford Davis ample opportunity to continue his domination. Four of New Orleans' next five opponents (the Sixers, Knicks, Lakers and Wolves) also happen to be the four worst teams in basketball.
13. Oklahoma City Thunder
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The Oklahoma City Thunder haven't snapped back to attention as quickly or as seamlessly as many expected they might once Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were both back from injury. OKC's 112-101 loss in Houston on Thursday was its third in four games, and it dropped the Thunder three-and-a-half games back of the final playoff spot out West.
General manager Sam Presti has already done well to bolster his roster at nearly negligible cost, albeit with some of it externalized in other ways. He gave up a protected first-round pick and Lance Thomas to bring Dion Waiters to OKC, and though Waiters has played well, his mere presence has already complicated things with Reggie Jackson. As ESPN.com's Royce Young wrote:
"The addition of Waiters has complicated not only Jackson's present but also his future. It gives the Thunder extra leverage and the ability to call any bluff in the offseason, as well as trade Jackson for return on investment now if they fear he's beyond keeping. You know, like they did with Harden.
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Jackson, then, would seem a natural choice to leave town in another deal for an impactful piece. According to Chris Broussard, OKC is discussing a deal that could net Brook Lopez from the Nets, but with Jeremy Lamb, not Jackson, as the biggest sacrifice.
Either way, the Thunder would do well to bolster their squad with a former All-Star who, per Young, has been on their radar for some time: "The Thunder were big on Brook Lopez in the 2008 draft. Room was split a bit between him and Westbrook."
12. Los Angeles Clippers
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Perhaps it was only a matter of time until nepotism came into play for Doc Rivers. His son, Austin, had been floundering in New Orleans from the moment he first set foot in the NBA. Once Austin arrived in Boston and Jordan Farmar's poor play made clear the Clippers' need for another guard, Doc's opportunity to be the first person to coach his offspring in an NBA game became clear.
Doing so, though, cost L.A. two of its few tradeable, non-core assets: second-year wing Reggie Bullock and a 2017 second-round pick. Now, the Clippers' already-lean means of upgrading without sacrificing one of their top six players (i.e., their starting five and Jamal Crawford) have slimmed even more, for a player who's yet to prove that he can hang consistently in the NBA.
And that's to say nothing of the uniquely challenging juggling act that Doc will have to face when dealing with Austin professionally, as Laker Nation's Andrew Ungvari pointed out: "How do you tell your son that you aren't re-signing him? If you have the power, how do you not re-sign him? How do you trade him? You can't."
11. Phoenix Suns
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Doc Rivers isn't the only NBA power player who's been working his relationship with Danny Ainge of late. So, too, has Ryan McDonough, the current general manager of the Phoenix Suns and a former assistant to Ainge in Boston.
McDonough has twice tapped into the Celtics' stores of easy-to-trade pieces. Last Friday, he snagged Brandan Wright for a protected first-round pick that's likely to turn into a pair of second-rounders in the future. Come Thursday, McDonough wound up in the middle of a deal between Rivers and Ainge, securing Reggie Bullock, a promising young wing, from the Clippers while Austin Rivers made his way to L.A.
Those moves won't transform the Suns into title contenders, but they should help Phoenix fend off challenges from OKC and New Orleans during the second half of the season.
10. Chicago Bulls
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The Chicago Bulls are scuffling, and in a way they rarely have: at home and on the defensive end. They've lost four of their last five games, with three of those defeats coming at home and three seeing Chicago's opposition score more than 100 points.
The Bulls defense still ranks among the NBA's 10 stingiest, but in the estimation of Bleacher Report's Sean Highkin, this team isn't going to contend for a championship if it doesn't return to the basics of bullying its foes on that end of the floor: "The Bulls already know what they want to be—a team with a chance to contend for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. To get there, they need to go back to their roots, lock in on the defensive end and trust that the scoring will come."
Trouble is, that probably won't happen all that soon if Joakim Noah's ankle injury keeps him out of action for an extended stretch.
9. San Antonio Spurs
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Tim Duncan has been arguably the most consistent player when it comes to fending off Father Time, not only among the San Antonio Spurs but in the entire NBA. But Manu Ginobili, while not as reliable from night to night, has had his fair share of flashback moments this season.
Wednesday's five-point win over the red-hot Hornets was another such moment. Ginobili racked up 27 points on just 14 shots to propel San Antonio to a gritty road victory.
There was certainly more poetry in Manu's motion than that, though. Let Grantland's Kirk Goldsberry break it down for you: "It was a gorgeous exhibition for an old guy on the wrong end of a back-to-back. He outwitted younger dudes. He made crazy diagonal pocket passes. He drew shady whistles. He invented basketball geometries that had never before existed. Ginobili is a national treasure."
He is, indeed, for Argentina and Spurs nation alike.
8. Toronto Raptors
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The Toronto Raptors are really good right now and will be even better now that DeMar DeRozan, who scored 20 points in his return, is back in action. This team is poised to not only defend its Atlantic Division crown and set a new franchise record for regular-season wins but also string together a deep playoff run in the top-heavy East.
And that may be just the beginning for the Raptors. As The Globe and Mail's Cathal Kelly revealed, Toronto is already putting the pieces in place to become an NBA powerhouse, with an eye toward luring Andrew Wiggins, among others, down the line:
"First off, there’s the team’s $30 million standalone practice facility on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition. It’s a keeping-up-with-the-Joneses thing—few NBA teams still practice at their arena, as the Raptors do.
It is more importantly an indoctrination hub. This facility will become an offseason drop-in centre for every Toronto-based pro—Wiggins, Tristan Thompson, Tyler Ennis, Nik Stauskas, et al. Nobody’s going to be dumb enough to actively recruit while they’re there, but it will help form a friend-of-the-family relationship that can massively goose future negotiations.
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In the meantime, the Raptors' on-court success should make them a more viable option for prospective free agents than ever before.
7. Houston Rockets
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Two-and-a-half years after the fact, James Harden looks like the biggest winner of all from the trade that sent him from Oklahoma City to the Houston Rockets. He got the max contract and the starring role he wanted, and now he's playing like an MVP on a team that's added Josh Smith and Corey Brewer to a title-contending core next to Dwight Howard.
Meanwhile, his old team is currently flailing on the fringes of the Western Conference playoffs, even with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook back in action.
Harden's circumstances looked that much more superior Thursday during the Rockets' 112-101 win over the visiting Thunder. The All-Star swingman fell one rebound shy of a triple-double (31 points, nine boards, 10 assists) while helping Houston build a 26-point cushion in the first half.
6. Dallas Mavericks
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A tough week yielded predictably tough results for the Dallas Mavericks.
After getting blown out by the piping-hot Pistons at home on Jan. 7, the Mavs suffered a similarly cringeworthy fate at the hands of the Clippers in L.A. this past Saturday. They followed that up by eking out an overtime win in Sacramento and coming up seven points short in Denver the very next night, albeit while resting Dirk Nowitzki, Tyson Chandler and Rajon Rondo.
Nowitzki should be back in action shortly. The greater concerns rest with Chandler's sprained left ankle and Rondo's sore left Achilles, both of which could hinder Dallas' pursuit of a top-four spot in the cutthroat Western Conference.
5. Washington Wizards
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This past week was an eye-opening one for the Washington Wizards and where they currently belong in the Eastern Conference hierarchy.
They're not the beast of the East; a 31-point beatdown in Atlanta at the hands of the red-hot Hawks made that crystal clear. But two wins against the Bulls, whom the Wizards dispatched from last year's playoffs, point to Washington's place as second in command of the NBA's lesser conference.
Of course, Toronto, with DeMar DeRozan back in tow, might have something to say about that. The Raptors will have their chance—and the Wizards theirs to rebut—when these two rising teams meet in D.C. at the end of the month.
4. Portland Trail Blazers
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As much as the Clippers enjoyed their impressive road win in Oregon, it's the Portland Trail Blazers who figure to have the last laugh between the two. Neil Olshey, who was responsible for bringing Chris Paul to L.A. before he came to Portland and drafted Damian Lillard, has proved to be far better at this general managing business than has Doc Rivers.
Rivers may be the better free-agent recruiter of the two, but as Grantland's Jason Concepcion wondered, that has worked out in Olshey's favor this season:
"Over the summer, Spencer Hawes spurned the Blazers for the Clippers, forcing Portland to go with second-choice former Lakers bench sleeper Chris Kaman. It’s the depth afforded by Kaman that’s allowed Portland to continue chugging along, even after losing Robin Lopez and Joel Freeland to injury. Meanwhile, Hawes has largely disappointed, shooting 39 percent this season.
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So long as he can keep the core of this club together once LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews and Lopez hit free agency...and tracks down some help on the wing behind the struggling Nicolas Batum in the meantime...and does so without any Rivers-esque missteps, Olshey should have no trouble maintaining his place among the NBA's foremost roster architects.
3. Memphis Grizzlies
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Jeff Green's arrival has hogged the headlines for the Memphis Grizzlies of late, and rightfully so. He is just the sort of talented, versatile scorer that Memphis needed on the wing, what with Vince Carter, just shy of his 38th birthday, playing about as well as his age would suggest.
The real story in the River City, though, is the resurgence of Zach Randolph. The two-time All-Star painted back-to-back gems in each of his last two games, both of which resulted in wins for Memphis.
In some ways, the Grizzlies have outgrown Z-Bo in recent years. Marc Gasol has supplanted Randolph as Memphis' go-to guy in the middle, while Mike Conley has morphed into a top-tier talent at his position.
But if the Grizzlies' return to winning ways and their 4-5 record without Randolph are any indication, the power forward still has a pivotal part to play in this team's pursuit of a championship.
2. Atlanta Hawks
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Talk about impeccable timing: On Tuesday, Grantland's Zach Lowe spilled a cartridge-worth of virtual ink in praise of Atlanta Hawks big man Al Horford:
"When he’s healthy, Horford is a legitimate NBA superstar—a chameleon who is good at everything, great at some things and always flying beneath the radar. He doesn’t pile up insane numbers, hog the ball or appear in national TV commercials. He is concerned only with winning, even if the path there involves sacrificing shots to focus on passing, setting good picks and battling 7-footers under the basket.
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That night, Horford did, indeed, pile up insane numbers (21 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) on the way to his first triple-double as a pro. Granted, his big night came against the sad-sack Sixers, while three of Atlanta's four other starters rested.
But the fact that Horford can still dominate an NBA game has to be encouraging to the Hawks, who may well need their All-Star center to be a force of nature not only to stay atop the East during the regular season but also to validate their elite standing come playoff time.
1. Golden State Warriors
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The Golden State Warriors are now halfway toward matching their franchise record for consecutive wins (16), which they set earlier this season.
Equaling that mark will be a tall order, even for a Dubs squad that's been nigh on unstoppable since the campaign began and now has Andrew Bogut back in the starting lineup. Golden State's quest to do so will continue with a tough back-to-back stint in Oklahoma City and Houston before returning home to host the streaking Nuggets and Rockets.
Josh Martin covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.
