NBA Midseason Report: Which Teams Have Downgraded Since Last Year?
The 2010-2011 NBA season has reached the halfway point. We have seen teams establish themselves as true contenders and we have seen teams battle for position in the NBA draft lottery and everything in between.
A number of teams have fallen on very hard times this season after being playoff contenders last year. Of course, you have to start that list with the Cleveland Cavaliers. We knew that LeBron James was hands down the best player on their team but did anyone know that he meant THAT much to the franchise?
We have a run down of all 30 teams as they sit at the unofficial halfway point in the season.
Who has the best chance to keep their first half hot streak going?
Who has overachieved in the first half and will come back to the pack?
Here is a quick look at how every team has done so far and where they might go in the second half of the season.
Boston Celtics
1 of 30
Record: 32-9, First In Eastern Conference
For the Celtics the only thing that stands between them and a deep playoff run is their health. Kevin Garnett has missed nine games this season and his absence is felt in that lineup. When he is playing, the Celtics are one of the best teams in the NBA. Without him, they could fall in the first round.
Grade: A-
New York Knicks
2 of 30
Record: 22-19, Second In Atlantic Division
The Knicks have become relevant (finally) and the NBA is better for it. Amar'e Stoudemire has been a monster in the middle for this team. Sadly they don’t have the talent to win a championship this year.
They will get to the playoffs, which is a big step given where they have been most of the last decade.
Grade: B
Philadelphia 76ers
3 of 30
Record: 17-24, Third In Atlantic Division
Right now the 76ers are the seven-seed in the playoffs, which speaks more about the conference than it does the team.
It would be in the teams best interest to try and find a taker for Andre Iguodala and/or Elton Brand so they can go into full rebuild mode. However, with the team in the playoff chase right now they probably won’t move any major assets.
It’s a shame because one or two arbitrary playoff games that they won’t win will keep them behind the eight-ball for the future.
Grade: C-
Toronto Raptors
4 of 30
Record: 13-29, Fourth In Atlantic Division
It’s really a testament to the Raptors that they have won as many games as they have this season. Looking over the roster it’s difficult to find how they won 13 games up to this point. This team needs a lot of help if they hope to get back into playoff contention sometime soon.
When Chris Bosh left for Miami this summer all of the talent on the roster was gone.
Grade: D+
New Jersey Nets
5 of 30
Record: 11-31, Last In Atlantic Division
With all the Carmelo Anthony talk dying down, at least for now, the Nets can focus on what they need to be focusing on: the future.
Throughout this whole ordeal the Anthony deal to New Jersey never made sense. This team needs to build around their young nucleus of Devin Harris, Brook Lopez and Derrick Favors. They will be better in the long run if they focus on the talent they have, instead of the “name” that they want.
This team needs to be patient and they will get back to contention in the next year or two.
Grade: D+
Chicago Bulls
6 of 30
Record: 28-14, First In Central Division
Chicago was just floating along this season up until early December. At that time this team was 9-8 and struggling to find their footing. Since that time they have gone 19-6 and firmly established themselves as the best team in the Central and one of the best in the East.
Derrick Rose has been playing at an MVP-level all year long. They rebound and defend as well as any team in the league. If they can find a true shooting guard they can be dangerous in the playoffs.
Grade: B+
Indiana Pacers
7 of 30
Record: 16-23, Second In Central Division
Jim O’Brien has this team playing hard every single night. They are a very tough minded team. The problem is that they don’t have the talent to compete with the better teams in the league.
Danny Granger is terrific and Roy Hibbert is pretty good. They are a young, scrappy team that can give opponents fits. They just aren’t quite good enough as a whole yet.
Grade: C
Milwaukee Bucks
8 of 30
Record: 15-24, Third In Central Division
Milwaukee is stuck in a holding pattern. Every year they always have a lottery pick but none of them have been franchise changing players. Brandon Jennings, their 2009 first-round pick, is solid but nothing special.
This team is abysmal on offense and it’s really a shame because their defense is very good. They rank last in the league in points scored (91.2) but are third in points allowed (92.9). This team could be dangerous if they had any kind of offense.
Grade: C-
Detroit Pistons
9 of 30
Record: 15-27, Fourth In Central Division
The Pistons have a few guys that were good players once but are not worth anything close to the money that they are making now. Guys like Ben Gordon, Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton have all fallen pretty far, though Hamilton is still a solid contributor.
This team is in desperate need of a full blown rebuild but they have to get rid of a lot of bad contracts before they can start. It could be a while before that happens.
Grade: D+
Cleveland Cavaliers
10 of 30
Record: 8-33, Last In Central Division
Remember when Dan Gilbert promised that the Cavaliers would win a championship before Miami?
I vaguely recall it and it makes me want a hit of whatever he was smoking.
Things have gone from bad to as completely God-awful as they can get. This team has lost 24 of 25 games. There comes a point when you just feel bad for the franchise.
Grade: F
Miami Heat
11 of 30
Record: 30-13, Second In Eastern Conference
This Miami team is still difficult to figure out. They won 21 of 22 games and have since lost four straight. Yes, they haven’t had the big three on the court together in any of those games. This team can win the East but if any one of the big three gets hurt come playoff time they will be in trouble.
Grade: B+
Atlanta Hawks
12 of 30
Record: 28-15, Second In Southeast Division
For all the talk about Miami and Orlando in the Southeast division, Atlanta is sitting in second place in the division.
They aren’t the most spectacular team in the world but they have talent and they play very well together. They can be a dangerous team in the playoffs because of their youth and defensive intensity.
Grade: B+
Orlando Magic
13 of 30
Record: 27-15, Third In Southeast Division
Since making the big trade in mid-December that completely reshaped this team they have looked like the powerhouse that a lot of people thought they would be before the season.
The offense has gotten infinitely better since bringing in Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Gilbert Arenas. The defense has suffered a bit but because the offense is better it doesn’t hurt that much.
They are the hottest team in the southeast division right now, winning 11 of their last 14.
Grade: B
Charlotte Bobcats
14 of 30
Record: 16-24, Fourth In Southeast Division
Charlotte is a fringe playoff team in the East. They are a half-game behind the Pacers for the eight spot right now. They have had to deal with a head coaching change and rumors about Gerald Wallace, their best player, possibly being on the move.
Grade: C-
Washington Wizards
15 of 30
Record: 12-28, Last In Southeast Division
Washington has to be breathing a huge sigh of relief after Orlando took Gilbert Arenas and his monster contract off their hands. They are able to completely focus on making John Wall the star of the franchise now.
There are going to be growing pains along the way but the team will be better off moving forward because of it.
Grade: D+
Oklahoma City Thunder
16 of 30
Record: 27-15, Tied First In Northwest Division
After a sluggish start to the season, the Thunder has built up a little bit of momentum halfway through the season. This team still isn’t quite as good as they were last year when they won 50 games but they are very dangerous because of the talent they have.
They need to get stronger defensively and prove that they can compete with the top teams in the West.
Grade: B
Utah Jazz
17 of 30
Record: 27-15, Tied First In Northwest Division
Jerry Sloan has done a terrific job with this Utah team. He has them playing at a high level and they have completely bought into what he has been teaching them.
Aside from Deron Williams, who is fantastic at the point, they don’t have anyone that really scares you. Al Jefferson needs to be more aggressive near the basket.
Grade: B+
Denver Nuggets
18 of 30
Record: 24-17, Third In Northwest Division
It appears that the Nuggets are going to keep Carmelo Anthony for the remainder of the season. Given the deal that they had in place with New Jersey, there are probably a number of people in the front office upset about that.
The team will probably make the playoffs, but they aren’t a threat to do anything. The talent they would have gotten back in the Anthony deal would have set them up to make a real run at a title in the near future.
Grade: B-
Portland Trail Blazers
19 of 30
Record: 23-20, Fourth In Northwest Division
For years fans and analysts were waiting for Portland to breakout. They have as much pure talent on their roster as any team in the NBA. The problem is the talent was so young and inexperienced. Now the talent is older but the production isn’t there.
Brandon Roy could be done for the year after having surgery on both knees. Greg Oden couldn’t stay healthy if you paid him too. It’s going to be another year of disappointment in Portland.
Grade: B-
Minnesota Timberwolves
20 of 30
Record: 10-33, Last In Northwest Division
Don’t you feel bad for Kevin Love? He is having one of the great seasons in NBA history and he will have nothing to show for it.
The good news is that the team is so young that they will only get better as time goes on. The oldest player on the roster is Luke Ridnour, who is 29. They will get another lottery pick this year to give Love another viable teammate.
Perhaps Ricky Rubio will decide to play for the T’Wolves after getting drafted 2009.
Grade: D-
Los Angeles Lakers
21 of 30
Record: 31-13, First In Pacific Division
Have we yet figured out what the Lakers are? They can look like the best team in the NBA on one day and one of the worst the next. They have been so hot and cold that it’s almost surprising that their record is as good as it is.
Honestly, the Lakers know that they will be in the playoffs so they probably just go through a lull. Come playoff time they will kick it into gear and be right there with San Antonio fighting for another Western Conference title.
Grade: B
Phoenix Suns
22 of 30
Record: 19-21, Second In Pacific Division
The numbers look almost the same as they did when Phoenix was winning 60 games in 2006. The problem is the team lacks that explosive element to them. They will score a lot of points but they don’t have the same “uumph” that they used to.
Steve Nash plays his heart out and deserves to win a championship before he retires, but it won’t happen with this team.
They tried to get some of that flashy scoring back by acquiring Vince Carter and Marcin Gortat from Orlando but the results haven’t changed.
Grade: C+
Golden State
23 of 30
Record: 18-23, Third In Pacific Division
The Warriors have a good nucleus of talent with Monta Ellis, David Lee and Stephen Curry. They need to get a stronger defensive presence on the team in order to get into playoff contention. They are doomed to another losing season in the Golden State.
Grade: C
Los Angeles Clippers
24 of 30
Record: 16-25, Fourth In Pacific Division
The Clippers overall record is a bit misleading. This team started out 1-15 this season but since that time they have gone 15-10 and are one of the most exciting teams in the NBA. Just writing that sentence about the Clippers is strange.
Blake Griffin has made basketball relevant in Clipper-land. He is probably the most exciting young talent that has come into the league since LeBron James in 2003. He has made Clippers games must-see TV.
Grade: B-
Sacramento Kings
25 of 30
Record: 9-31, Last In Pacific Division
What is there to say about the Kings? They are a mess right now. Tyreke Evans is the only reason to go see this team play and even he can’t do anything with the people around him. All of this has led to the Kings having the worst record in the Western Conference.
Grade: F
San Antonio Spurs
26 of 30
Record: 36-6, First In Western Conference
While the Lakers, Heat and Celtics get all of the headlines, the Spurs just keep playing great fundamental basketball and winning games. They are so solid in every aspect of the game that it’s difficult to see them not winning a championship this year.
The key will be to stay healthy going into the playoffs. With Dallas struggling right now, the Spurs have built a nice cushion in the Southwest division. That will allow them to rest guys down the stretch when they want to.
Grade: A
Dallas Mavericks
27 of 30
Record: 27-14, Second In Southwest Division
The Mavericks were 26-8 before Dirk Nowitzki went down with a knee injury. When he was out the team really struggled, losing six straight games. He made his return, against the Lakers, last night and Dallas looked pretty good.
At the risk of oversimplification, the Mavericks will need Nowitzki healthy to make a run at the Spurs in the Southwest division in the second half of the season. They don’t play offense like they used to, so Nowitzki’s health is crucial for this team to be successful.
Grade: B+
New Orleans Hornets
28 of 30
Record: 27-16, Third In Southwest Division
New Orleans has been a .500 team since they started the season 11-1. They don’t score with any kind of efficiency. They are a very hot-and-cold team there is no middle ground with them. Right now they are in the midst of a six-game winning streak. They could turn around and lose their next six games, that’s the kind of year they have had.
Chris Paul is still electric and he makes this team a playoff contender. Sadly, he doesn’t have the players around him to take down the big boys in the West.
Grade: B+
Houston Rockets
29 of 30
Record: 20-23, 4th In Southwest Division
The Rockets lost Yao Ming for the year (again) due to a stress fracture in his left ankle. This team is only three games out of the eight spot in the Western Conference.
They got a $5 million injury exception because of Yao’s injury. They have the money to be able to make some kind of move to improve the team. It’s just a question of finding the right deal for the team. Another defender would be a huge boon to their postseason chances.
Grade: C+
Memphis Grizzlies
30 of 30
Record: 19-23, Last In Southwest Division
The Grizzlies are a difficult team to figure out. They had one stretch where they beat the Lakers, Thunder and Jazz in consecutive games. Problem is they can’t sustain any kind of momentum.
They can beat the best teams in the league on one night but they will go out and lose to Cleveland and Houston right after that. There is no consistency with this team and as a result they are in last place in their division.
Grade: C+
