Grading on a Curve: The 2009-2010 NBA Final Grades

With the regular season over and done with, it’s time to see which teams are passing this season’s tests with flying colors, and which teams still need to do more homework.

The grades aren’t only based on performance, but on expectations as well.

For example, the Kings and Timberwolves are taking remedial classes to help them for the future, while the Spurs and Cavs are taking the most rigorous championship-level courses in a quest to become valedictorian.

On to the grade book.


Atlanta Hawks: A-


Atlanta’s improvement can be traced to the newfound maturity of Josh Smith. His discretion on offense and his focus on defense have transformed him from an athletic specimen into a true difference maker.

Jamal Crawford has been a boon off the bench, Marvin Williams has developed into a useful player, and Joe Johnson is one of the game’s most esteemed playmakers.

However, can a team which has suffered no real adversity throughout the year—look at their man-games lost to injury—and which relies primarily on isoball upset one of the East’s behemoths? The first guess is no.

Boston Celtics: F

The Big Three has transformed into the Big Two—Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce. Ray Allen has been mired in a season-long slump and the wheels look ready to fall off.

With Kevin Garnett’s knees shot, he can no longer be the rangy intimidator he was his first season and a half in Boston.

Rasheed Wallace and Sheldon Williams have been disasters, Nate Robinson continues to prove he’s too immature for good teams, and the Celtics have gotten nothing from their bench.

The Celtics look like Cavs or Magic fodder.

Charlotte Bobcats: A

The Bobcats commitment to defense gave them a backbone, and their acquisition of Stephen Jackson gave them a punch.

To Captain Jack’s credit, after playing the Golden State Warriors for suckers, he’s been on his best behavior in the Queen City.

Tyson Chandler’s had an ineffective season but by acquiring him, the Bobcats could rid themselves of the notion that Emeka Okafor was any kind of special player.

In his stead, Gerald Wallace put his freakish hops and fearlessness to good use in becoming a dominant rebounder, while Boris Diaw’s versatility opens up innumerable offensive options. Few teams are as well-coached as Larry Brown’s bunch.

Chicago Bulls: D-

Too many players have had too many bad years. Derrick Rose was timid early in the season recovering from an ankle injury, and Kirk Hinrich has been spotty offensively.

The team hoped that John Salmons would step into the two-guard role and produce, but he’s a small forward who was outquicked by the faster guards matched up with him.

The rookies play like rookies, and there’s still a void in the post. Vinny Del Negro’s had a rocky time as he’s learned the ins and outs of coaching, he may be the fall guy.

Cleveland Cavaliers: A

LeBron James may be the best defensive player in the game, and he’s clearly the best offensive player.

Anderson Varejao is the lifeblood of a terrific defense, and the rest of the role players all fit in.

Like Anthony Parker and Delonte West and their solid positional defense. Like Mo Williams and his ability to knock down open jump shots. Like Leon Powe’s power offense near the hoop.

There are still concerns, of course. Antawn Jamison has too many bad habits on defense. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is dead weight. Mo Williams has disappeared in previous playoffs.

But the Cavs are the safest bet to capture a ring.

Dallas Mavericks: B-

The acquisition of Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood increased the Mavs’ talent base, while banishing Josh Howard increased the team’s focus.

However, Dallas is only in the middle of the pack defensively, and their offense around Dirk tends to sputter, especially when Jason Terry’s jumpers are off.

The Mavs are a second round team, tops.

Denver Nuggets: C+

On the one hand, the Nuggets have looked into the belly of the beast and emerged unscathed—three wins in four games against the Lakers.

On the other hand, the Nuggets’ play has really fallen off since George Karl’s leave of absence for chemotherapy treatment.

Carmelo’s playing at an all-time high, Chauncey Billups is as steady as ever, but the Nuggets aren’t better than last year’s team. Why? J.R. Smith’s immaturity has prevented him from maxing out his enormous talent.

Detroit Pistons: F

Yes, there have been injuries, but has any team looked so lifeless? The offense goes through the motions and nobody plays with an edge defensively.

Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva simply want to shoot, Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum aren’t point guards, and nobody can set the screens and deliver the passes Rip Hamilton needs to be successful.

What a steep fall for Joe Dumars, who’s devolved a title-contending nucleus into a roster with limited talent and toxic contracts.

Golden State Warriors: F

It’s been a circus on and off the court, but what would you expect with Don Nelson in tow? Maybe now that he’s won more meaningless games then anyone else, he’ll step aside and let someone with a clue run the team.

Either way, he’s proven that midget ball is an abject failure.

Houston Rockets: B+

Houston had a good run while it lasted but you need more than spunk and guts to make the playoffs...you need talent.

Shane Battier isn’t the defender he once was, Trevor Ariza can’t be a go-to scorer, and without length up front, the Rockets defense offered no interior resistance.

How the team got so far is a testament to Rick Adelman.

Indiana Pacers: D

Where are the athletes? Where are the defenders? Where’s the talent? There are too many role players and not enough firepower for Indiana to be competitive.

Sure, the Pacers have successfully shed its thug image, but with the days of Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, and Jamaal Tinsley ancient history, its time for the Pacers to worry less about reputation and more about winning basketball games.

Los Angeles Clippers: C+

In Eric Gordon, the Clippers have a strong, athletic two-guard to complement Chris Kaman’s interior skills. Al Thornton was a mistake player who was shipped out, but the real mistake has been the signing of Baron Davis.

Too comfortable, and too lazy, Davis has done little more than throw on his uniform and cash his humongous checks. Can Blake Griffin be a franchise savior?

Los Angeles Lakers: C

For whatever reasons, it hasn’t clicked this year. Kobe Bryant’s been spectacular in the clutch, but has never looked so mortal over the first 46 minutes of games.

Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown still take too many bad shots and make too many bad decisions for Phil Jackson to replace the rapidly fading Derek Fisher.

And injuries to Luke Walton, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum have exposed the Lakers bench as being Lamar Odom and a lot of smoke.

Kobe’s going to have to recapture the magic and get a lot of help from Pau Gasol for the Lakers to repeat.

Memphis Grizzlies: A+

Their defense wasn’t playoff caliber, but what a ride! Zach Randolph played the best basketball of his career by getting in shape, moving the ball, and feasting on offensive rebounds.

Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo are dynamite scorers, Marc Gasol plays with a wisdom beyond his years, and Mike Conley is no longer an outright liability.

The next step will be improving the bench, and adding defenders to an impressive nucleus.

Give Lionel Hollins all the credit for having the backbone to stand up to Allen Iverson, for getting Zach Randolph to shed his bad habits, and for putting his players in the best chances to succeed.

Miami Heat: B+

Despite inconsistent seasons across the board, the Heat continue to persevere. Dwyane Wade hasn’t been as inconceivably good as he was last year, but he’s still played at a high level.

Michael Beasley has no feel for the game, but Udonis Haslem keeps picking up the slack with his defense and rebounding.

If Jermaine O’Neal can only play consistently effective basketball one day a week, Joel Anthony always plays defense, sets screens, and hustles consistently well.

Dorell Wright and Carlos Arroyo have provide small boosts, and the team’s overall defense is up to par. That and Dwyane Wade gives the Heat a fighter’s chance in the playoffs.

Milwaukee Bucks: A+

The Bucks are evidence as to how playing with purpose can overcome a lack of talent. No team gets after it harder than the Bucks, a tribute to Scott Skiles’ fascist dictatorship.

Brandon Jennings is puny, but he can create his own shot and has uncanny court awareness. Carlos Delfino and Ersan Illyasova have been pleasant surprises, while Andrew Bogut gave the team some post scoring before his unfortunate injuries.

Even if the Bucks are ousted in the first round, no team has overachieved as much as Milwaukee.

Minnesota Timberwolves: F

The same questions that have plagued the Timberwolves for several seasons still aren’t answered. Al Jefferson and Kevin Love don’t defend well enough for the T-Wolves to play both, but whom do they move?

Is Corey Brewer a keeper? Who is their point guard going forward? Jonny Flynn is a notch below the premier rookie point guards that have taken the NBA by storm, and Ricky Rubio may never play for the T-Wolves.

Where is the wing scorer? Where is the shot blocker? Another lost season up north.

New Jersey Nets: F

All New Jersey’s competitive streak has done has made it that much more damning that Devin Harris decided to take the first four months of the season off.

Brook Lopez is legit, but not as a first option. Plus, he’s so slow that he’s perpetually late on help assignments defensively.

Terrence Williams has shown flashes of potential, but Yi Jianlian is without a doubt the softest player in the NBA.

With bushels of cap space this offseason, the Nets will back up the truck and start over. They need to.

New Orleans Hornets: C-

Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton were bright spots in an otherwise gloomy season. Peja Stojakovic plays like the oldest player in the league, and Emeka Okafor is an ordinary player making extraordinary money.

No wonder with those two taking up much of New Orleans’ salary, the team didn’t go anywhere, even when Chris Paul was healthy.


New York Knicks: C

Off the court, the season was a rousing success as Donny Walsh pulled a Houdini act and got the Knicks far enough under the cap where they may be able to acquire two max contract free agents.

David Lee went from being a hard-working glue guy to a star once he perfected his 18-foot jump shot, but his defense is amongst the league’s worst.

Tracy McGrady showed nothing in his brief cameo, the Knicks’ shooters fired too many blanks, and the team, in true Mike D’Antoni fashion, was inept defensively, with Danilo Gallinari as the lone caveat.

At least the Knicks played with passion, a scarce commodity during the Isaiah Thomas era. With the financial maneuverings of Donny Walsh, the Isaiah era is now mercifully put to rest.

Oklahoma City Thunder: A+

Kevin Durant is the real deal and the young Thunder play both free and loose, but also smart and disciplined. In other words, they don’t play like the new kids on the block they really are.

Give credit to Scott Brooks for keeping the kids on the right path, and to the precocious players for not straying into selfishness or bad habits. Dangerous now, imagine how good the Thunder will be when they grow up?

Orlando Magic: B

Dwight Howard has improved by leaps and bounds as a defender while his post game continues to evolve marginally. That’s why the Magic have been near the top of the standings despite the uneven moments they’ve had this season.

Vince Carter finally appears comfortable with what Stan Van Gundy wants him to do, and as Jameer Nelson’s health has improved so has the team’s consistency.

Are they better than last year’s team? Perhaps. But are they better than Cleveland is the more important question.

Philadelphia 76ers: D

Eddie Jordan coaches too much on whims and fancies, which means puzzling substitution patterns and an unset rotation. His Princeton offense was doomed from the start with the lack of shooters and high-post passers on the Sixers.

The team played without a head, strikes against Jordan and Lou Williams, who is best served as a backup. The team couldn’t run without getting defensive stops, or without Andre Miller’s ability to generate transition opportunities.

Andre Iguodala does many things well, but his jumper is still broken, which limits his effectiveness as a prime scoring threat.

It was a lost year, so why not a failing grade? What did anybody realistically expect from this club?

Phoenix Suns: A-

A trip back to their “run-and-gun” roots meant fun times in Phoenix. Steve Nash continues to defy nature by not breaking down, and after a bad first half, Amare Stoudemire has reminded the league why he’s one of the most purely talented frontcourt players in the game today.

Goran Dragic and Robin Lopez have turned ballers after rookie season busts, and Channing Frye tortures opponents who have to sell out to stop Nash/Stoudemire screen/rolls.

Another exciting reason for Phoenix’ success, an interior defense far more alert and active than at any time during the Mike D’Antoni era.

Portland Trail Blazers: B+

Too many games were lost early because of petty squabbling about being more or less comfortable in certain roles.

Only after Steve Blake was traded, and Andre Miller confirmed as the starting the point guard, did the Blazers hit their collective stride.

Trading for Marcus Camby shored up Portland’s void in the middle after losing both Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla, and Nate McMillan continues to max out the Blazers talent.

Give the Blazers credit for making the most of their tough luck, and being a threat to win a playoff series.

Sacramento Kings: B

For several years, the Kings have needed an infusion of young talent and they finally got it.

Tyreke Evans’ strength and quickness can win games by themselves when he learns to challenge them. Jason Thompson and Omri Casspi are players, while Carl Landry is relentless in the post and on the glass.

The next step for the Kings is translating their young talent into wins, not an impossible task with that roster.

San Antonio Spurs: C-

Tim Duncan has declined so gracefully you almost don’t notice it, but he isn’t a shell of the automatic double team he was in his prime.

Richard Jefferson has been a disappointment. Not only has he been passive, but he’s been mistake prone, especially on the defensive end of the court.

Antonio McDyess looks over the hill, of course the big three would suffer a serious injury (Tony Parker), and the Spurs suffer from a team wide lack of athleticism.

George Hill and DeJuan Blair have been A-OK, but if not for Manu Ginobili’s recent renaissance, the Spurs appeared they’d go down listlessly in the playoffs.


Toronto Raptors: F

With the playoffs in sight, a serious choke job down the stretch has the Raptors once again uninvited to the playoff party. For all the talk about Chris Bosh’s and Andrea Bargnani’s improvements, the Raptors are still pathetic defensively.

Of course, poor perimeter defenders like DeMar DeRozan, Hedo Turkoglu, and Jose Calderon don’t exactly help.

Speaking of Turkoglu, he learned that the grass Dwight Howard is on is always greener. Without Howard’s ability to suck in defenses after screen/rolls, Turkoglu looked like just another guy—but everyone who watched last year’s Magic already knew this.

The Raptors have been a team of cream puffs for too long, and they’ve proven their philosophy isn’t working. It’s time to blow it up and rebuild.

Utah Jazz: B

Wesley Matthews’ emergence made Ronnie Brewer obsolete, and gives the Jazz a more versatile offensive player than the chicken-wing jump shooting of Brewer.

Deron Williams continues to amaze, Carlos Boozer can still score, and the players cover for each other defensively.

Still, it’s the same old tune for the Jazz. Not enough athletes in the frontcourt to contend. They need Andrei Kirilenko desperately.

Washington Wizards: F

A collection of inefficient, albeit talented inefficient players does not make a winning basketball team.

Gilbert Arenas was a fool on the court long before his foolishness off the court and is the next to go after Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison were shipped out.

Is Andray Blatche the player Washington builds around? While he has big-time talent, his total lack of maturity will keep the Wizards well short of their expectations.

There are worse teams in the league, but is there any more embarrassing team?