What We Know About Top Tier Teams In The NBA After One Week Of Play
When it is all said and done, it is still about the "Mamba," Kobe Bryant. The media hype surrounding a certain South Beach team has cast a shadow over the Lakers successful defense of their NBA crown.
The lads in Miami it seems have already been handed the 2010-11 crown and "The" actual team to beat is flying under the radar with the most celebrated player in the modern game chomping at the bit to debunk the mythical triumvirate in Miami.
Because of the shift in focus, the NBA is seeing a rare glimpse of how real basketball was played in the Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Micheal Jordan, and 'The Bad Boys" Detroit Pistons era. Commissioner David Stern has finally decided to put a stop to all the whining players made and has instituted a more stringent criteria when accessing technical fouls.
As a result the superstars are not coddled as much, stay tuned to see if this holds up through the regular and second season.. The surprise of the NBA so far is that, oh my goodness, can it be true, the Heat are not an instant success. The New Jersey Nets are 3-1 and Tom Thibodeau is finding out that its not enough to have talent you must also be an amateur psychologist.
All-in-all it has been a fair to middling week for some of these contenders, here is my assessment of what I have seen so far.
By the way here are the names of the players of the week for both conferences:
Eastern Conference: Rajon Rondo
Western Conference: Pau Gasol
Not one of the vaunted threesome in Miami made the cut.
Los Angeles Lakers: Still The Team To Beat
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This is a surreal year for the Los Angeles Lakers; Kobe Bryant is no longer in the bottom-tier of most hated players. He has been surpassed by Miami Heat forward LeBron James. It will be quite the feat when their teams meet up because, if only for one night Celtic fans will be rooting for their legacy rival.
I'm sure this will cause them to see a counselor before they could even bring themselves to do so. I know I will be one of them.
Like the rest of the contenders, they too have made changes to their roster that have largely gone unnoticed. Even the mercurial Ron Artest has made wholesale changes; he has lost weight and donated his championship ring to charity. His explanation, he wanted motivation to go after another championship ring.
They have added Theo Ratliff as an insurance policy against another annual Andrew Bynum collapse. If he manages to return to fulfill the flashes of brilliance he demonstrated in a limited roll then the Lakers can match the Celtics with the added depth in the front-court. Neither Miami, Orlando or any other contending team can put claim to that.
A more mature Lamar Odom has surfaced, Shannon Brown has finally become one with the 'chi' of shooting and Steve Blake is helping Derek Fisher preserve his leg, by getting key minutes early in the season.
Due to his off-season surgery, Kobe has temporarily taken a back seat to Pau Gasol. The NBA rewarded his play by selecting him Western Conference player of the week.
They still are the team to beat until June, they have the best superstar player if only because he has five rings and is going for a Micheal Jordan-like second three peat. That is his sole purpose, to obliterate Jordan's name as "The Best" player ever. To do so with Phil at the helm will add to the measure of his Hall-of-Fame career.
The NBA world waits for the next climatic game of the season, when the Heat and Los Angeles Lakers meet on Christmas Day. I dear say, like the Celtics the Los Angeles Lakers will stand tall on that day, if only to keep pace with the Celtics who beat the vaunted Miami trio right out of the gates.
Oklahoma Thunder: Keep Rolling Along
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Kevin Durant is the face of the franchise and Russel Westbrook is happily playing the robin to his batman.
They both went through a bonding experience in the FIBA World games and came away with the gold medal with Durant leading the way. Now, it is up to them to put it together and prove that last year's playoff run was not just a spike on the odometer in their growth.
Durant signed an off-season extension and unlike LeBron, did not go on national television to announce his decision. A tweet about his good fortune was good enough for him thank-you.
Thunder management has kept its young core intact and has added draft pick Cole Aldridge to shore up their thin front-line. This may be in answer to how they lost the battle of the boards to the Lakers in the first round.
Eric Maynard is a change of pace guard that provides solid backup at the point and versatile wingman Jeff Green keeps doing a little of this, and a little of that. He makes a perfect complement to Westbrook and Durant, in that he doesn't need the ball in his hands to do much.
They have enjoyed success so far in this young season, but a loss to an 0-2 Utah squad showed the unevenness of Durant's' and Westbrook's budding leadership skills. It is still to early to tell what they will be, however their potential provides a formidable opponent for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Dallas Mavericks Running On Empty
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The Dallas Mavericks have a burr in their saddle called The San Antonio Spurs, each year the teams meet and inevitably the Spurs come out on top. This year they have added more length and athleticism in the form of Tyson Chandler to the front-court. They were so impressed with last year's mid-season acquisition Brendan Hayward that they gave him a new contract, then started Chandler in his place.
It seems like a head scratcher, but it's actually a smart move on Rick Carlisle's part. Haywood's game demands that he gets touches, he is a decent rebounder but he tends to mope if he doesn't get the ball. Chandler's natural inclination is to run the floor, block shots, and rebound, the Mavericks have enough players who need the ball.
Resident star, Dirk Nowitzki re-upped with the only NBA team he ever played for and Caron Butler is learning how to play with an actual no-drama team.
In spite of having a potential Hall-of-Fame duo in Dirk and Jason Kidd, Dallas can't seem to get beyond the second round. Their sole entrance in the Finals they couldn't stand the pressure and collapsed under the weight of a Dywane Wade led Miami Heat in 2006.
Now that the Phoenix suns have flamed out with the departure of Ama' re Stoudemire, they may have a chance to make it to the Western Conference Finals.
Utah Jazz Playing a Fine Tune
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It doesn't matter who walks through the doors, as long as Jerry Sloan coaches the Utah Jazz they have a chance to make a solid playoff run. SLoan seems to have cornered the market on star undersized power forwards, dating back to Karl Malone.
He showed faith in Paul Millsap by jettisoning the oft injured Carlos Boozer and added AL Jefferson to his cache. There seems to be better chemistry between the players.
Mehmet Okur should be back on the court by mid-February, which will move Jefferson back to his natural position and Millsap will go back to his sixth man role. Okur will then stretch the floor with the long bomb and al Jefferson will have free reign in the paint.
Draft pick Gordon Hayward is getting minutes because of his high basketball IQ, but he needs to work on his ball-handling skills.
Deron Williams has been made the only captain to enhance his vocal leadership skills.
They lost their first two games and seemed to have righted the ship with a resounding thumping of the Oklahoma Thunder on Sunday night. Andre Kirilenko is finally healthy and it showed as he frustrated Kevin Durant who couldn't deal with his length.
Jefferson makes a better complement to Williams' skills than Boozer and can board with the best of them.
They will make the playoffs but will not make it past the second round because of a lack of consistency at the shooting guard position.
Portland Trailblazers' Making Their Own Way
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The Portland Trailblazers and the Los Angeles Lakers are perfect in the early season and they have yet to have the services of Greg Oden. Marcus Camby has made it possible for Portland to allow Oden to go through a longer healing process; in hopes he can finally play his first healthy season ever. Oden also became the first overall number one pick to not get his option year picked up. He has to prove to management that he can remain healthy.
They traded Jerrod Bayless and have picked up the fourth year option on Nicolas Batum and Rudy Fernandez. Fernandez hasn't endeared himself to management by declaring he wanted out of his contract, but more money does wonders for the psyche.
They have added rookie Luke Babbit, whom unlike Gordon Hayward of the Utah Jazz, has not been able to crack the rotation.
Brandon Roy has vowed to be a more vocal leader and life with Andre Miller as his starting point is still a work in-progress.
LaMarcus Aldridge gets his usual numbers but, he still succumbs to the pressures of a tight game.
Portland has a young roster and they have playoff experience; this Roy lead Blazer team has the edge in winning over the Lakers.
If only they could make it far enough to see if they can actually beat the Lakers in a series.
As off this writing Portland is in jeopardy of losing their first game against the Chicago Bulls.
San Antonio Spurs Riding Into The Sunset
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Just like the Boston Celtics, this big three have a limited extended warranty for one more championship run. The only problem is that Kobe has new incentive to three-peat in the Miami Heat and he isn't about to let the Spurs or anyone else get in his way.
Tim Duncan worked on his physique in the off-season and Greg Popovich gave his okay on giving Tony Parker a much deserved new contract.
DeJuan Blair is continuing to make the most of his minutes allowing Popovich to give Duncan more rest.
Once again "Pops" eye for talent has resulted in the undrafted guard Gary Neal making the roster. Neal is an excellent shooter and is not afraid to let it go.
Richard Jefferson has found his groove within the confines of the 'big three's game and has been more decisive in his moves to the basket.
Tiago Splitter the Spurs draft pick from 2007 finally made it across 'the pond' and is ready to contribute to a team that sorely needs his presence in the low-post.
The Spurs feel to a man, that they still have what it takes to beat the Lakers. They will make the race interesting for sure.
Denver Nuggets Striking Out On Future Concerns
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Carmelo Anthony is the Denver Nuggets, he is the player that makes the team relevant and the organization knows it. Even though native son Chauncey Billups is there to play big brother to Anthony's sometimes petulant ways.
For Anthony it is the draw of Madison Square Garden that has him yearning to make his way back to the East Coast. He also sees that he doesn't have any viable help in the foreseeable future which makes it an easy choice for him.
Denver has struggled with coach George Karl's health issues and his absence sent a negative ripple through the team last season. There was a shakeup in the Denver Nuggets front office, therefore the stability of the team is in question.
They picked up Al Harrington and Mr. Candace Parker himself, Sheldon Williams, other than that they have not made any noteworthy additions.
If Anthony is not traded, they may possibly make it difficult for the likes of the Portland Trailblazers or the Dallas Mavericks in the post season.
Atlanta Hawks Look To Shed Flegling Status
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Mike Bibby was supposed to be the grizzled veteran to stabilize this team and help them take the next step. It didn't happen and now Jeff Teague has been the opportunity to be at the point.
Management finally let the hammer down on Mike Woodson and promptly promoted assistant Larry Drew to head coach status. The problem here is that the Hawks may have maintained stability but they really didn't get a change of voice.
The newly minted 100 million dollar man Joe Johnson has to be the man for the team in name and game. His production in the post season did not warrant such a big deal, but "Le Decision" made general managers across the NBA panic and overreact.
Homegrown prodigy, Josh Smith is trying to redefine his game in order to make more of an impact on the team. Al Horford is the lone bright star that seems to get it, but the rest of the team still struggles when dealing with success. He recently got a new deal which will allow him to raise his game to another level without having to worry.
The Hawks are blessed with talent and athleticism yet they have not able to apply it to make a deep playoff run. They also drafted another Crawford, Jordan; whose only claim to fame as a high schooler, was to dunk on LeBron James. Crawford is insurance, just in case malcontent Jamal Crawford is traded.
Now that Miami has loaded up with its super-duper trio, it is going to make it that much harder to make any noticeable noise in the playoffs.
Orlando Magic Disappearing Act
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It is impossible to miss man-child, Dwight Howard when he is on his game. His defensive tenacity has garnered him defensive player of the year, but not MVP of the NBA Finals yet. They had their chance two years ago when the Boston Celtics were dealing with an injured Kevin Garnett and simply ran out of gas.
Kobe Bryant showed them that this was personal when he refused to acknowledge him when the captains were introduced. True to his nature, Howard felt offended, he did not understand that this was about redemption for the Lakers regardless of who the opponent was.
Last year with KG on the mend Boston took a three nil lead and do as they always do, lose focus before recovering in the end. Lilliputian coach, Stan Van Gundy simply doesn't have the inter;al fortitude to rally his troops when it really counts.
Howard has made measurable advances because of his work with NBA legend, Hakeem Olajuwon.
The diminutive Jameer Nelson does an admirable job, but you still get the feeling that he needs to be a backup. His play in the Miami Heat home-opener left a lot to be desired. He had that deer caught in the headlight look and was wholly ineffective.
Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis and new addition, Quinton Richardson couldn't stop the run away train called the Miami Heat. They were clearly outmatched and outclassed on that night.
The Magic are already a fragile team, What this massacre did to their psyche is anyone's guess until they play another top contender or the Miami Heat.
It was clear that they could not back up all the talk about they were the team to beat in the Southeast.
Chicago Bulls Looking To Crash The Party
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For better or worse, Derrick Rose is the defacto leader of the Chicago Bulls. Tom Thibodeau, has given him the freedom he didn't get under Vinnie Del Negro to search out his offense more. As a result his name is the only name mentioned in all of the Bulls highlights. Luol Deng has not hit his stride and new acquisition Carlos Boozer is on the mend as usual.
They will be without his services for a minute, but second year man, Taj Gibson is an adequate fill-in for now. It seemed they've inherited a good portion of last years' Utah Jazz team with Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver giving them instant offense, solid defense and a veteran presence.
Joakim Noah, like his former school chum Al Horford has received a new contract; keeping this defensive anchor was critical to Thibodeau's defensive schemes.
Thibodeau even gave former Celtic Brian Scalabrine a home after the Celtics decided to part ways with him.
The baby Bulls have not been out of the first round off playoffs the past three years; Thibodeau was hired to help them take that next step.
Everyone remembers how he froze last season, when Doc Rivers was tossed in a game. Rivers made sure that would not occur again by hiring former New Jersey Net head coach, Lawrence Frank.
Thibodeau is now in the hot seat and will have to answer for his teams failures; the credit for success will always go to the players.
Miami Heat Steaming To Take Charge
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The opening night act didn't go exactly as planned. The new Heat trio had a repeat performance of their former solo-act, of losing to the Boston Celtics. They found their mojo by manhandling NBA fodder teams like the Philadelphia 76'ers and formerly undefeated New Jersey Nets.
They fattened up their chops for the ensuing tsunami that they unleashed on the now deflated Orlando Magic.
One thing this early season is telling us is that Dywane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh will gain their chemistry by beating up on the unfortunate franchises of the NBA. History has also proven that if James dominates the ball when they play equally talented teams, the Heat will not go far.
James has to accept the fact that it is still Wades' team and coach Erik Spoelstra showed that by making Wade and Udonis Haslem co-captains of the team. This must have been a very humbling experience for the boy that would be king.
James has taken recent measures to help boost his image with a new Nike ad and then finely admitting that "Le Decision" was probably not a great moment for him.
NBA fandom thanks him for his apology but they still have a bad taste in their mouths about his maturity and playing the race card.
Will the Heat win it all this year? Probably not; that is only because there is a significant drop off in talent level on the rest of the roster. They may yet find away to somehow finagle a deal to get the necessary help, but until they do, they will just be paper champs.
Boston Celtics Looking To Turn Back The Hands of Time
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Boston faced the Heat and did not wilt under the pressure because of the stellar play of Rajon Rondo. Prior to the must-see game against Miami, Rondo had received his defensive player of the year award.
When the lights were turned on for real Rondo controlled the game with his 17 assists and scored only 4 points. He served notice to the rest of the upper-echelon point guards, that he is the man because he has the ring.
He started off slowly against the New York Knicks, turned it around somehow and led his team to victory with his fifth regular season triple double. The big three, are so happy with his progress, that they look like they will run through a wall to catch his passes.
The NBA took notice by making him Eastern Conference player of the week.
The Celtics added front court depth by signing the only O'Neal's in the game in Shaq and Jermaine, both are presently injured. This will make room for a Semih Erden sighting and it doesn't hurt that Glen Davis is playing like it is his contract year.
Luke "cool-hand" Harangody has shown glimpses that he can develop into a legitimate NBA game and Marquis Daniels is looking to remain healthy throughout the season and Nate Robinson has assimilated himself to Celtic culture.
The team is showing it has chemistry issue; is turning the ball over a lot and has a tendency to over pass the ball.
There is a reason the Lakers and the Celtics are featured first and last respectively; it is to remind the NBA that they both have the crowns that the other teams want. In the Lakers case it is an NBA championship, with the Celtics it is the Eastern Conference Crown.
Either way Miami still has to go through either one of those teams and the Celtics showed at least for one night that they weren't having it.
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