Early 2014-15 Report Card Grades for Every NBA Team
Break out those red pens. It's NBA report card season.
Why yes, the 2014-15 crusade is still in its infancy. Glad you noticed. But that doesn't mean the Association's teams aren't in need of grading.
Parents and spouses of players, owners and general management have been anxiously awaiting progress reports, checking briefcases, backpacks, duffel bags, satchels and, in Gregg Popovich's case, rucksacks for the updates we're (selflessly) about to provide.
In making our assessments, we will absolutely take into account that 2014-15 is still wearing diapers and sucking on binkies—which is to say, we won't be cruel. We'll also be considering records, offensive and defensive standing and subjective interpretations of future outlooks.
Grades that are handed out will be relative to expectations, too. The Philadelphia 76ers aren't 0-for-Christmas before Thanksgiving, so they get an "A++++." The Cleveland Cavaliers, meanwhile, won't be going 82-0, so they'll be awarded an "F-."
Seriously, though, expectations matter. Bad teams that aren't bad will be weighted favorably. Great teams that aren't playing great will suffer. And so on and so forth.
Now, put on your discretionary caps. It's time to pass judgment on people you don't have to face at the water cooler tomorrow. Or ever.
Atlanta Hawks
1 of 30
Life hasn't changed much for the Atlanta Hawks. They boast a mediocre offense and a middling record after playing through a modestly molded schedule. If there's one thing that's stood out, it's their fast-fading defense that ranks in the bottom 10 of efficiency and hasn't buoyed a trademark victory.
Atlanta has feasted on low-end opponents like the New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz, but it has fallen to fellow playoff hopefuls such as the San Antonio Spurs, Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors. The Hawks also came up spectacularly short against a Cavaliers team that torched their perimeter defense from the jump.
Still, unlike many other transitioning teams—the Knicks, for instance—there's a clear blueprint for improvement. Atlanta is on pace to have the league's highest assist percentage once again, and it's still shooting and draining three-pointers in volume.
(Waits for Kyle Korver to take 60 straight bows.)
Mediocre basketball culminates in Eastern Conference playoff appearances. The Hawks have been predictably pedestrian in the early going, but their motion-heavy system is progressive and capable of turning this steady ship into a surging rocket. Enjoy these vanilla beginnings while they last.
Grade: B-
Boston Celtics
2 of 30
Credit the Boston Celtics for hanging tough early on despite grinding through one of the league's toughest schedules. Only two of their opponents—Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder—have sub-.500 records and they've already faced the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls and Cavaliers.
Had you told yours truly the Celtics would start 2014-15 flirting with .500 status while fielding a top-seven offense amid a contender-crammed schedule, some choice-phrasing like "Are you kidding me?!?!?" would have been thrown around.
That's where the Celtics are, though. Their defense is awful—bottom-five ranking—but their point-piling prowess has benefited from Rajon Rondo's return. They rank first in assists per game, their passes are frequent and crisp, and Kelly Olynyk, Jared Sullinger and Avery Bradley are (way too) early Most Improved Player candidates. Jeff Green has even reprised his role as the player who does more than brick threes.
Clinching a postseason berth still seems out of the question, even with this potent offense. But the Celtics' once-fickle rebuild is now hauling long-term hope, which, for now, is more important than early-season wins.
Grade: B
Brooklyn Nets
3 of 30
Joe Johnson's premature alarm-sounding now feels incredibly appropriate.
"Offensively, I just think guys kind of exhaust their options and then, when there's nothing else for them, then they'll pass when they have to," Johnson said six games into 2014-15, per Bleacher Report's Fred Katz. "But for the most part, we've been very selfish."
Since Johnson's insightful rant, the Brooklyn Nets still haven't beaten anyone special. Their three-game West Coast trip offered ample opportunity for them to make a statement and quell Johnson's fiery wrath. Instead, they dropped three straight to the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors in games that were competitive, though never really close.
All of which makes you wonder whether the Nets are doomed to expensive mediocrity. Their offense remains in the top 12 of efficiency, but it's punctuated by a lack of ball movement—they rank 26th in passes per game—and complemented by a defense that doesn't yet engender Lionel Hollins' famed fortitude.
Relative to where the Nets are supposed to be, this is, admittedly, of little surprise. They lost key contributors in Paul Pierce, Shaun Livingston and Andray Blatche during the offseason. Accounting for their absences while undergoing offensive and defensive changes is going to take time.
Grade: C+
Charlotte Hornets
4 of 30
Where there was supposed to be ascension for the Hornets, there has instead been regression.
Placing Lance Stephenson beside Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker hasn't helped their offense. They rank in the bottom five of efficiency and are shooting threes about as well as you would expect a team with almost no three-point shooters.
Not even their previously touted defense has been enough to carry them; they're in the middle of the pack for points allowed per 100 possessions one season after finishing in the top five. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's foot injury only complicates their standing. As long as their most effective perimeter defender is out, the Hornets stand to fall even further.
For a team that has invested serious cash in its current core—see: contracts of Walker, Jefferson and Stephenson—sub-.500 starts like these are Bobcats-level troubling.
Grade: C-
Chicago Bulls
5 of 30
Derrick Rose's status is right where it's supposed to be: up in the air. The Bulls, in turn, are right where they're supposed to be: atop the Eastern Conference.
Bumps and bruises haven't fazed Tom Thibodeau's band of resilient players. An exceedingly easy schedule has helped, but hey(!), improvement abounds.
Jimmy Butler has become the face of the Bulls offense; Pau Gasol is pumping in points like it's 2009; Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott are...wait for it...actually playing; Taj Gibson still looks at home coming off the bench; and Joakim Noah's hair and defensive flair remain intact. And this has all amounted to a fantabulous two-way attack the Bulls didn't boast last year.
Basketball-Reference is now beckoning:
| 28 | 24 | 2 | |
| 8 | 9 | 11 |
Tactical imbalance has killed the Bulls since Rose won his MVP award in 2010-11. Less than 15 games in 2014-15, even those lamenting their not-top-three defense must admit they've mastered it—without Rose playing like an MVP or, in some cases, at all.
Grade: A
Cleveland Cavaliers
6 of 30
Let's run down the typical early-season stages of a LeBron James-piloted team, shall we?
- James' team starts slow.
- WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR STUPID STAGES! EVERYBODY PANIC NOW!
Overreactions came out in full force following the Cavaliers' season-opening loss to the Knicks. Though they've gradually subsided, Cleveland's tepid record doesn't have anyone cutting Kevin Love-shaped confetti in anticipation of a title this year.
But while the Cavaliers defense has been brutal, the offense is coming together. The ball is moving a bit more freely, James' field-goal percentages are starting to climb, players are burying three-pointers with foul-shot frequency and the team is putting in 113.3 points per 100 possessions, which would give them a top-30 offensive rating of all time.
This from a team that's less than 10 games into its tenure together and still "struggling" to get on the same page. If this part of 2014-15 in any way resembles the Cavaliers' basement, the rest of the league is in trouble once they hit their ceiling.
Feel free to worry about their bottom-five defense. Just do it without preparing to duck falling skies.
Grade: B-
Dallas Mavericks
7 of 30
Speaking of potentially historical offenses...
Should the Mavericks continue tallying 117.3 points per 100 possessions, they'll finish 2014-15 with the highest offensive rating in league history. Yes, it's still early. And yes, a 123-point explosion against the Sixers' YMCA affiliate helps. But the Mavericks offense is legit—historically legit.
Their defense? Not so much.
"You miss a couple of defensive assignments because it’s new personnel and then all of a sudden you’re thinking about that, and the next possession you’re standing up," Tyson Chandler said of the team's defense, per the Star-Telegram's Dwain Price. "You’re not in a stance, you’re not locked in."
Statistically, the Mavericks defense hasn't been Los Angeles Lakers terrible. At the same time, they're approaching bottom-10 status after playing just three top-10 offenses in Boston, Portland and New Orleans.
Floundering defensively has put more pressure on the offense—the livelihood of which is firmly fixed to a 36-year-old Dirk Nowitzki (19.6 points per game) trying to become just the second player in league history to average 20-plus points in under 28 minutes a night. Sure, the Mavericks look like contenders now, but unless they get their defensive affairs in order, that status will be forever fluid.
Grade: B+
Denver Nuggets
8 of 30
Words cannot even begin to describe how agonizing the Denver Nuggets' start to 2014-15 has been—except for those written by The Denver Post's Benjamin Hochman, with the help of an anonymous buddy:
"I'm sitting here at a coffee shop, trying to think of how to start this piece about the Nuggets. Just how can I capture this utter embarrassment? And then, I spotted this fellow I know, a die-hard Nuggets fan, who came up to me and summed it up in six words:
'It's not even fun to watch.'
It's not. A team with all these supposed fan favorites — the speedy Ty Lawson, the "Manimal" Kenneth Faried, the supposedly improved Arron Afflalo — makes you want to change the channel (or re-watch 'Too Many Cooks.') Just over two weeks into the season and there's little cohesion, little inspiration, little hope.
"
The outlook in Denver is not good. It's worse than not good. The Nuggets rank in the bottom 12 of offensive efficiency and bottom six in defensive efficiency, their stable of talent is underperforming, an alpha dog has yet to emerge and coach Brian Shaw's rotations look like recurrent leaps of faith.
Each loss feels more disheartening than the last, too. Denver has found itself drowning beside the undermanned Lakers and absence-addled Minnesota Timberwolves despite having logjams at almost every position. Beating up on Cleveland—and basically the entire Central Division (Detroit and Indiana)—doesn't help them escape. It's fleeting euphoria.
Losses have been ugly, and wins meaningless. If the first part of 2014-15 is any indication of what's to come, the Nuggets' season will reach irreversible futility by Thanksgiving.
Grade: D
Detroit Pistons
9 of 30
So much for Stan Van Gundy's magic touch.
Nothing has come easy for the Detroit Pistons thus far. Andre Drummond is struggling mightily on the offensive end; Josh Smith's shot selection has been more Josh Smith than usual, even at the rim; Greg Monroe and Smith still cannot play together; and the offense ranks among the league's six worst.
Even the Pistons' victories have been unnecessarily onerous. They've had to scrap and claw and crawl their way to wins against the rebuilding Milwaukee Bucks, short-handed Thunder and reeling Knicks. And though some of their losses—like those against the Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies— have been close, this unit hasn't yet pieced together a performance worthy of lasting hope.
Van Gundy was supposed to instill order and two-way discipline into a Pistons squad that spiraled out of control in 2013-14. But instead of transforming an obviously flawed roster into an early-season playoff contender, Detroit's head honcho is finding himself at the mercy of a team that, as currently constructed, is immune to his sideline sagacity.
Grade: D
Golden State Warriors
10 of 30
Steve Kerr's offense is starting to look good on the Warriors. Like, really good. Not only is the team tossing nearly 76 more passes per game this season (322.5) compared to 2013-14 (245.8), but it's climbing up the offensive ranks. That 12th-ranked disappointment from last year has been replaced by a faster-paced, eighth-ranked, point-totaling machine.
Turnovers are still an issue for the Warriors, to be sure. They're coughing the ball up 17.9 percent of the time, which would tie them with the 1977-78 Pistons for the 11th-highest turnover percentage in league history if the season ended today. But sloppy slights of hand are combated by a top-four defense that has the Warriors soaring up the Western Conference ladder, the NBA's second-best point differential in hand.
Oh, and they're doing all this without David Lee, their resident double-double machine, who is still out nursing a hamstring injury.
Think of what they'll be able to do when he comes back if Stephen Curry keeps exploding, and if Klay Thompson keeps catching fire, and if Andrew Bogut stays healthy. The possibilities are endless, their ceiling limitless.
Grade: A-
Houston Rockets
11 of 30
There has generally been no stopping the Rockets this year.
Aided in part by the league's fourth-easiest schedule, they've handed out drubbing after drubbing. Only two of their victories have come against projected playoff teams—one of which was the deliberately depleted Spurs—but we don't need to see them embarrass championship-chasers on the road to know they're for real. Not the way they're playing and winning.
Wrote Grantland's Zach Lowe:
"James Harden and Howard are both playing like MVP candidates; Harden has rediscovered the concept of trying on defense, and Howard, always destructive on that end, is a tidy 21-of-40 on post-ups so far, per Synergy. Trevor Ariza is hailing death from long range, and this team’s shot selection—all rim, threes, and free throws—is comically Moreyesque.
"
Some of what the Rockets are doing won't stick long term. But most of what they're doing is sustainable. They can—and almost assuredly will—set the record for most treys made and attempted, while a healthy Howard and Ariza give them the means to continuously service a top-ranked defense.
Wondering if and when they'll falter is officially overrated, even after falling to the Grizzlies. Start imagining how high they can rise instead.
(Hint: Really high.)
Grade: A-
Indiana Pacers
12 of 30
Be honest: After losing Paul George for the season, Stephenson to free agency and David West and George Hill to injuries of their own, the Pacers shouldn't be avoiding rock bottom. And yet somehow they are.
"We're trying to hold it down until everybody gets back," Roy Hibbert said following the team's win over Chicago, per The Associated Press, via ESPN.com.
He's not kidding.
Offensively, they're a mess, which is to be expected with their top-three scorers from last season either incapacitated (West, George) or buzzing around Charlotte (Stephenson). Defensively, though, they're holding their own. They rank in the top 10 of efficiency, and they're finding ways to stymie some of the league's most potent offensive attacks (Chicago, Utah, Miami).
Never mind that Chris Copeland is their leading scorer. Or that their previous six-game losing streak may be more indicative of who they really are. Or that their recent stretch of three wins in four tries has featured plenty of A.J. Price.
These Pacers are exceeding expectations by staving off the listless existence their roster appeared to be barreling toward.
Grade: B-
Los Angeles Clippers
13 of 30
Slowly, surely, the Los Angeles Clippers were rebounding from their early-season offensive malaise. Then they met the Bulls.
Clinging to top-half status, this offense is a letdown. Chris Paul is passing up shots like they're peanut butter and mayonnaise smoothies, and their presence from beyond the arc—where they rank in the bottom half of conversion rate (34.2)—is nonexistent.
More disappointing, though, is their defense. The Clippers are allowing opponents to shoot 46.5 percent from the floor, the sixth-worst mark in the league, and there's a clear hole on the perimeter, where Matt Barnes, J.J. Redick, Reggie Bullock and Jamal Crawford aren't getting the job done.
“We don’t have that one guy. I’m not going to tell Matt, ‘I need you to go stop LeBron.’ I’m not going to tell Chris that or J.J. or Jamal or Reggie,” head coach Doc Rivers said, per NBC Sports' Kurt Helin. “It’s going to have to be a team effort, and we knew that coming into the season."
Rim protection hasn't been a strength either. The Clippers rank 29th in opponent field-goal percentage at the iron, and they haven't found anyone who can thwart interior attacks aside from DeAndre Jordan.
Just last season they fielded a top-10 defense. The early part of 2014-15 has seen them do a complete about-face, plunging into the bottom 10 of efficiency. Said regression is especially troubling given how well the Warriors are playing. If the Clippers aren't careful, their championship pursuit will be impeded—and perhaps ruined—by ceding control of the Pacific Division.
Grade: C-
Los Angeles Lakers
14 of 30
There hasn't been much to smile about for the Lakers this season. There has, however, been plenty to get all death stare-y about.
Kobe Bryant is being asked, or taking it upon himself, to assume an unprecedented offensive load. Nearly 39 percent (38.9) of the Lakers' offensive plays are running through him, meaning he, a 36-year-old, is on pace to have the highest usage rate of anyone in NBA history. The previous record (38.7) was set by a 27-year-old Bryant in 2005-06.
"I'm more than willing to sit back," the missing-est player in Association history quipped, per Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding. "If you think I want to shoot as many times or be as aggressive at 36 years old, you're freakin' crazy."
Some people might be that crazy. They might embrace Bryant padding his point totals at the expense of teammates and shooting percentages. The Lakers rank 15th in offensive efficiency and would be flirting with an 0-for-Thanksgiving record if it wasn't for their win over their Hornets. If Bryant isn't shooting, what else can fans find comfort in?
Certainly not the defense, which is allowing 117.8 points per 100 possessions, putting the Lakers on track to have the—(clears throat) (cracks knuckles) (grabs mic) (passes out tissues)—worst defense in NBA history. Bryant's offense, however inefficient and ill-advised, is all this team has.
This is to say, the Lakers don't have much at all.
Grade: F
Memphis Grizzlies
15 of 30
What the Grizzlies are doing isn't always pretty, but the results are far from ugly.
True to their homely, worn-down roots, the Grizzlies are gritting and grinding their way to victories. Their defense once again ranks inside the top five, and they've made a habit out of squeaking past opponents, be they the lead-squandering Sacramento Kings or the plummeting Lakers.
It's this penchant for close calls that can—and should—incite skepticism. The Grizzlies offense is average at best, its effectiveness predicated on Marc Gasol and Mike Conley doing everything and Courtney Lee playing outlying basketball.
We saw how this infirm dynamic can betray the Grizzlies in their loss to the Bucks, when they held Milwaukee to 93 and still fell. Their point totals—shellacking of the Rockets notwithstanding—are usually bogged down by inefficient shooting, longstanding stagnancy and an absence of three-pointers.
Kevin Pelton of ESPN Insider (subscription required) even found that the Grizzlies' record belied their performance. He writes:
"While Memphis' lone loss also came by a single point to the Milwaukee Bucks, on average a team with the Grizzlies' point differential would have a 7-3 record thus far. Memphis doesn't have to apologize for those wins, which count just the same in the standings, but they also shouldn't be taken as evidence that the Grizzlies have been the West's best team in the early going.
"
Make no mistake: The Grizzlies are real Western Conference threats. Just don't misinterpret a hot start as proof of their ability to be anything more.
Grade: B+
Miami Heat
16 of 30
Navigating 2014-15 was never going to be easy for the Miami Heat, even if James didn't board the first flight to Cleveland. Issues were staring this team in the face as it wrapped up a fourth straight Finals appearance, and they haven't gone anywhere.
Dwyane Wade has played well when available, but availability is proving problematic once again. He missed three straight games after appearing in each of the first eight, and the Heat's offense has suffered as result; it's the equivalent of a bottom-five attack when he isn't on the floor, according to NBA.com (subscription required).
Inconsistent defense hasn't helped matters. Miami finds itself without a true rim protector and is allowing opponents to shoot 63.3 percent within the restricted area, which ranks 22nd among all teams. The Heat also haven't found a solution to their years-long rebounding conundrum. They rank dead last in boards grabbed per game.
Playing within the enfeebled Eastern Conference will keep these shallow Heat in the postseason hunt. But their 3-0 start wasn't anything near an accurate barometer of what to expect. Recent struggles and injury woes have revealed more about their ceiling and where it levels off.
Grade: B
Milwaukee Bucks
17 of 30
Easy schedules are just the best. Ask Jason Kidd's Bucks. They'll tell you—just as soon they're done basking in .500 glory.
Few teams have been more surprising than these Bucks. Don't take this the wrong way. Their offense is a disjointed eyesore that will go miss for miss with the Sixers if the mood strikes. But the defense has been incredible. The Bucks rank second in defensive efficiency and have allowed more than 100 points just three times.
The caveat, of course, is they've played only one top-10 offense (Chicago), but even so, there's a sense of optimism emanating out of Milwaukee that hasn't existed since Ray Allen, Sam Cassell and Glenn Robinson set fire to the Eastern Conference in 2000-01.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is starting to put some production to that potential of his; Larry Sanders is making a world of difference on defense (not so much on offense); O.J. Mayo appears to have a pulse; and drinks will be on Brandon Knight from July until forever once he signs the lucrative contract his provocative stat lines will demand.
To wit: The Bucks weren't supposed to be this tolerable, this soon.
Grade: B (Automatically increases to B+ once Kidd comes to his senses and plays John Henson more.)
Minnesota Timberwolves
18 of 30
Ricky Rubio's ankle injury temporarily ruined any chance the Timberwolves have of shocking the world. They've played one of the league's toughest schedules to date, and they rank in the bottom 10 of both offensive and defensive efficiency as the losses continue to pile up.
Coach Flip Saunders has been distributing minutes at large in Rubio's absence, experimenting with different combinations, seemingly hoping to strike rotational gold. He hasn't been shy about playing his youngsters either. Zach LaVine is starting at point guard, Andrew Wiggins ranks fourth in minutes played among all rookies and Gorgui Dieng is definitely an NBA player.
Still, the Timberwolves, despite what their record suggests, are caught in this weird transition limbo. They're neither contending nor fully embracing the youth movement. Veterans Nikola Pekovic, Kevin Martin and Corey Brewer—the latter of whom is being shopped, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein—still dominate the rotation.
Grasping the standing of this team isn't possible until Rubio returns and management does something to clean up the rumpled rotation. For now, the Timberwolves are just an inefficient mess of talent that's being schooled by superior opponents.
Grade: C-
New Orleans Pelicans
19 of 30
Observation: The NBA's Southwest Division is scary. As if having the Grizzlies, Spurs, Rockets and Mavericks jostle for playoff position wasn't enough, the New Orleans Pelicans are trying to throw themselves into the conversation. And it's working.
Health has been their biggest boon. Ryan Anderson, Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans are all healthy and productive. Eric Gordon is healthy, too, just not productive. Omer Asik has helped the Pelicans field a respectable (top 15) defense as well. There's also the not-of-this-world Anthony Davis, who is carrying a top-five offense by being all not-of-this-world-y.
"Anthony Davis eats souls and destroys planets," The Bird Writes' Kevin Barrios explains. "Dr. Octagon had a song, 'Halfsharkalligatorhalfman' and Davis is a similar Frankenstein monster of a creature. He’s more, 'Halfpterodactylgazellehalfstretcharmstrong' but whatever he is, it’s beyond anything the world has ever seen."
Little more can be said of the Pelicans. They're on the cusp of something special. Assuming health and Davis' superpowers, they're a playoff contender that won't go quietly—which is good, because their division likes to make noise.
Grade: B
New York Knicks
20 of 30
Triangles are pointy, and therefore painful. But the Knicks' submissive defense has been far more painful than their oft-disorganized triangle offense.
Here's Joe Flynn of Posting and Toasting with more:
"New York has a great deal to fix on defense. They don't guard the pick-and-roll well, they foul too much. This isn't all going to get fixed overnight. But they need to adjust their priorities and focus on what is hurting them the most -- the fatal flaw that opponents love to exploit. And that is their three-point defense. Fisher must teach his players to stay home on dangerous three-point shooters.
"
Opponents are draining a league-high 42 percent of their deep balls against the Knicks defense. The team's failure to adjust has been absurd.
Players aren't closing out, and help defense is late or nonexistent. The Knicks are almost daring rival offenses to shoot threes. Wide-open threes. It's a strategy that's landed them in the bottom seven of defensive efficiency and only accentuated their offensive flaws.
See, where the Knicks are allowing teams to shoot three-pointers at will, they've been stingy from behind the rainbow. They rank in the top five of long-range efficiency, but in the bottom seven of attempts.
Rather than embrace the long ball, the Knicks' 18th-ranked offense is opting for highly inefficient mid-range jumpers. While those looks are a staple of the triangle offense, the Knicks need to start adapting and adjusting—on both ends of the floor—lest they stay right were they are now: near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Grade: D
Oklahoma City Thunder
21 of 30
Treading water is the goal in Oklahoma City, and the Thunder aren't doing it well.
Without Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook's guiding hands, the Thunder offense has devolved into a dormant disaster. The ball is sticking—they rank 20th in passes per game—and only three players are shooting 45 percent or better from the floor while also attempting at least five shots (Perry Jones, Steve Adams and Serge Ibaka).
There's an every-man-for-himself element to an offense short on order and creative play-calling. Not even a top-10 defense is offsetting its artlessness. That the Thunder rank 28th in efficiency and failed to clear 70 points in a loss to the Rockets is fitting; it helps us understand just how much they depend on Durant and Westbrook's offensive transcendence.
“There’s an understanding, deep in back of our minds, that we have to stay afloat, that we have to tread water,” Reggie Jackson told Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. “For us, it’s about getting into the playoffs now. The seeding doesn’t matter. If we can get to the playoffs, we’ll be better for this.”
Indeed, this a valuable learning experience for players such as Jackson, Jones, Adams and Jeremy Lamb—one that won't matter as much if the perilous waters they're trapped in remain too deep to tread.
Grade: C-
Orlando Magic
22 of 30
That blinding light in your eye is the Orlando Magic's future.
If effort and diligence guaranteed victories, the Magic would have plenty. They run, they attack, they defend. Their offense remains a work in progress—especially now that Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton are sharing the backcourt—but they're already a first-rate defensive squad that's parlaying energy into a top-12 ranking.
Really, the only low point for this team has been rookie Aaron Gordon's injury. He's out indefinitely after fracturing a bone in his left foot, according to Magic.com's John Denton. Mostly everything else has been encouraging.
Tobias Harris has found his touch from beyond the arc and looks like a viable No. 2 offensive option; Nikola Vucevic is collecting double-doubles like they're Pokemon cards; Evan Fournier is rivaling Harris' offensive potency; Payton looks like he'll be the best defender at his position one day; and Oladipo didn't lose a step while tending to his facial fracture.
None of this will make much of a difference in 2014-15. The Magic are gearing up for another lottery finish. Yet, as they continue dispatching fellow rebuilders like the Knicks, Bucks, Pistons, Timberwolves and Sixers, it's clear they're at least heading in the right direction.
Grade: B+
Philadelphia 76ers
23 of 30
Look, it could be worse for the Sixers. Their 2014-15 catastrophe in the making could be an accident rather than the unavoidable byproduct of an extensive rebuild.
Solace can also be found in knowing the Sixers are right where they're supposed to be. Maybe an 0-10 start isn't what general manager Sam Hinkie had in mind when he pieced together a roster using coupons and rolls of quarters, but this is the talent evaluation period he's paying bottom dollar for.
Prospects like Nerlens Noel and K.J. McDaniels are seeing burn. Michael Carter-Williams and Noel are finally getting a chance to play alongside one another. Tony Wroten's ceiling is ballooning by the second, and he could be Philly's shooting guard of the future.
Does any of that make watching the Sixers any easier? God, no. Their offense is a fast-paced black hole that bruises rims and creates transition buckets for opponents. The lone bright spot has come on the defensive end, where the Sixers don't rank in the bottom five of efficiency and Noel is holding players to 42.3 percent shooting at the rim.
Here, then, is to the most dimly lit of bright spots.
Grade: D
Phoenix Suns
24 of 30
Offseason excitement has given way to regular-season confusion in Phoenix.
Adding Isaiah Thomas to a point guard rotation that already included Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe hasn't bought the Suns victories in volume. They rank in the bottom half of both offensive and defensive efficiency, and they're shooting poorly from outside (34 percent from deep) for a team that runs so many small lineups.
Stable rotations have yet to take shape as well. Jeff Hornacek is making lineup decisions on the fly, and it's resulted in a rotation that stretches nine, sometimes 10, players deep. This research has visibly impacted decision-making, fostering a system in which the ball isn't moving enough—Phoenix ranks 23rd in passing—and players are left creating their own shots.
Adjusting to Channing Frye's absence hasn't been mindless either. The Suns no longer have that lethal-shooting stretch forward who can consistently make collapsing defenses pay. Marcus Morris has come the closest to replacing Frye, and he's hitting just 34.1 percent of his treys.
And so it goes when honeymoons come to a screeching halt. Last year was all about the Suns exceeding expectations no one had. This year, as of now, is all about them failing to meet the standards their surprising 2013-14 campaign set.
Grade: C
Portland Trail Blazers
25 of 30
Breaking: Damian Lillard still spits hot fire.
Also: The Blazers won't ever say die.
After beginning 2014-15 by going 3-3 through their first six games, the Blazers responded by registering five straight victories, four of which have come without Nicolas Batum, who's still grappling with a knee injury. During this stretch, not only have the Blazers shot up the Western Conference standings, but their offense has honed its mojo.
Portland now ranks in the top five of offensive efficiency and has seen Lillard come alive. He's averaging 27 points and 8.3 assists over his last four games. Impressive still, the Blazers rank ninth in points allowed per 100 possessions and have fended off two top-12 offenses in Brooklyn and New Orleans.
Depth beyond the starting lineup remains a long-term concern, but coach Terry Stotts has two stars in Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge who double as iron men. There's enough talent here for the Blazers to build off last year's performance, and early on that's just what they're doing.
Grade: A-
Sacramento Kings
26 of 30
Much, if not all, of what the Kings have done this season doesn't make sense. They are not doing anything particularly well right now, have played the league's second-toughest schedule and have managed to keep their heads above .500.
Easily the most puzzling part of the Kings' early-season run has been their offense. They rank in the top 13 of efficiency, yet don't play an above-average offense's game. More than one-third of their total shot attempts are coming between 16 and 24 feet, and more than 62 percent are coming within four feet of defenders.
"That Memphis loss could have unraveled them," wrote CBS Sports' Matt Moore. "But to get it together and outwill the defending champs, even with San Antonio on a back-to-back was huge. Their offensive numbers, all the way down to shot selection, say they should be worse. But they're finding ways to win and have an identity."
Somehow, in spite of a baffling offensive model—that also includes very little ball movement—and unremarkable defense, the Kings are where they are, with a winning record, pulling out victories they shouldn't, trying to sustain what, statistically, shouldn't even be possible, let alone sustainable.
Grade: B+
San Antonio Spurs
27 of 30
Worrying about the Spurs is so 1986. Their start to 2014-15 has been disturbingly average, but that's mostly because of the crazy standards Popovich's crew are constantly measured against. It actually hasn't been that bad, or even bad at all.
The Spurs are still above .500, their defense ranks in the top five and they've already registered victories against projected contenders such as the Clippers, Mavericks and Warriors.
While the offense has been uncharacteristically ordinary (21st in efficiency), it's hardly time to panic. Should the urge to panic strike, one need only heed the words of Sixers coach Brett Brown.
"Pop is remarkable about delivering a team physically and mentally to April, walking a season down," he said after his Sixers fell 100-75 to the Spurs, per the San Antonio Express-News' Jeff McDonald (subscription required). "When it starts slow, I don't pay attention. When it starts fast, I don't pay attention. It takes far greater shape after the All-Star break."
See? Everything is going to be fine.
Grade: B
Toronto Raptors
28 of 30
Tactical balance is taking the Raptors to new heights.
Other teams are wont to rely on star power. But not these Raptors. They depend on depth and consistency. They bank on Kyle Lowry torching opposing defenses for 18 points and six assists regularly. They count on DeMar DeRozan to bully his way to the foul line. They know Lou Williams will give them instant offense off the bench.
Theirs is a model prided on continuity and trust. There was next to no turnover in Toronto over the summer. These Raptors made a conscious decision to stand relatively still—a choice that's paying huge dividends.
No other NBA team ranks in the top seven of offensive and defensive efficiency. Just the Raptors. Falling to the Bulls deprived them of a doubt-destroying victory, but they're still the East's most consistent team overall.
In a conference devoid of established stability and light on legitimate contenders, the Raptors would like the Bulls and (post-grace period) Cavaliers to make room. They're coming.
Grade: A-
Utah Jazz
29 of 30
Gee whiz, the Jazz are all kinds of fun.
This holiday season, they're also thankful—grateful that the Lakers' historically inept defense exists. If not for Byron Scott's throng of sieves, more attention would be devoted to Utah and the fact that it's tracking toward the seventh-worst defense in Association history.
Absence of a defensive conscience aside, the Jazz are still fun. First-year head coach Quin Snyder has installed an offense founded upon motion, running, deferring and shooting (and missing) three-pointers. It can be a slopfest at times—the Jazz rank first in ball movement—but, for now, this is a top-10 offense threatening to eclipse every expectation ever.
Such potency will inevitably yield surprise victories, like those against the Knicks and Cavaliers. It will also spawn coming-of-age moments, like it already has for Gordon Hayward and Trey Burke, as Sports Illustrated's Chris Johnson explains:
"The Jazz have passed the point in their rebuilding process where incompetence outweighs intrigue. This is a maturing team whose pieces are finally beginning to resemble something more than just raw talent with upside. It’s why some observers predicted Utah to be this year’s 2013-14 Suns. The Jazz, in simple terms, are getting closer, and watching them bridge the gap from fun outfit to playoff combatant will be fascinating.
"
Talent abounds in Utah. From Hayward and Burke, to Dante Exum and Rudy Gobert, to Alec Burks and Derrick Favors, this Jazz team is awash with swiftly evolving weapons. And while today's ceiling—relative to previous projections—is high, tomorrow's is even higher.
Grade: B
Washington Wizards
30 of 30
Watching the Wizards of today is like looking through a window into 2013-14.
Favorable matchups have them situated near the top of the Eastern Conference, but the Wizards aren't much different compared to last year. Their offense is still run of the mill on its best days (19th in efficiency), and they lean on a top-six defense to carve out victories.
Lateral progression isn't the worst thing in the world, though. The Eastern Conference isn't brimming with contenders, so more of the same ensures the Wizards of top-four standing.
Bradley Beal has yet to play as well. His return will spearhead offensive improvement through shot-making alone. The Wizards also know they have a long-range firecracker in Garrett Temple now, who becomes a defensive afterthought once Beal returns.
Everything should be easier at that point. John Wall will have his sidekick back, and the team will be equipped to play better-than intermediate offense. That the Wizards have taken advantage of their cake schedule without markedly improving means they've done their job.
Grade: B+
*Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference and NBA.com, and are current as of Nov. 18, 2014.
