.png)
NBA is back! The new campaign is already building it's core, setting its' atmosphere, as most teams have now officially logged in ten games played on the prepped; spit-shined hardwood. We have experienced extreme weather swings out of the gates. There has been a hurricane of blowouts, polar temperatures, a nuclear heatwave, as well as strong winds of excitement. A whole lot of everything, just with incorrect tendencies. Let me hop in the meteorologist chair to break down this early season weather.
This week, the Winnipeg Jets officially set the mark for the best start to a season in NHL history. Like seeing the GRS of Jupiter in the scope, the Cavs saw the out of orbit Jets making history in the hockey world, analyzed the visual, and have since used the data to copy a similar heatwave of winds to mark history of their own in the basketball world.
Cavaliers are still unbeaten after 12 games, becoming just the 8th squad in NBA history to start a season 12-0. First team to accomplish the feat since 2015, when the Warriors started 24-0 (most wins to start a season without losing). Kenny Atkinson couldn't have asked for a better way to start his second rodeo as a head coach. Cleveland is hitting on all cylinders. The offense being the brightest spot. Cavs lead the league in points per game, field-goal-percentage, three-point-percentage, and hold the 2nd-best points differential behind the Thunder. A huge turnaround to start for a team that finished 20th in points per last season, despite being in the top-12 of field-goal percentage. Execution is key; and Cleveland is hitting on far better execution on the scoring end to start this season.
Cavaliers didn't make many changes to the roster, just the staff. Staying committed to Mitchell-Garland-Mobley. I felt that was the right course of action; so far, so good. Let see if Atkinson truly is the one to blossom the trio's true potential, but for now the immediate question is how far can they go with this streak? Cavs will be puttin' the streak on the line Wednesday night in Philly; usually whenever I write on a win-streak, it's ended quickly after I publish, but there is a good chance the Cavs can bring it to 15 going into the first season matchup against the defending champion Celtics. They have the 76ers, Bulls, and Hornets up next (in order). Will the eye of the heat storm shrink and come to an end? Or is this Cavs team destined to go even higher?
Cavaliers' streak is the only high temperature storm seen on radar right now, especially on the Eastern Conference side of the hemi... it's nothing but white, and ICE. The Eastern Conference sucks outside of the Celtics and Cavs. No need to be modest. The conference is dismantled, awfully structured, and flat out doomed. Boston and Cleveland are the ONLY two teams in the East that aren't at .500 or below. Looking at that stat is no early season exaggeration. Start with the 3rd place Pacers and make your way down the list. What you see, is likely what we will get for the coming months. Lets be real with it.
Magic don't have Banchero for the foreseeable future; Pacers are meh, might go win the in-season tournament or something; and the Knicks obviously ruined their chances when they made the KAT trade. That roster in New York is nasty, but at-least Jalen Brunson will have a chance to look good this regular-season (psh pash). Teams 6-15 have no value in terms of being a contender, just bracket fill-ins. The Doc Rivers led Bucks are a total disappointment early on... which is to no surprise. Then you have the dumpster fire 76ers who now have to place Maxey on the shelf for a couple of weeks. It's truly baffling when we compare the East to the West. Night and day. Far-side; near-side.
We have watched the East slowly get worse and worse in just a few years. I don't get it; I just can't comprehend it. The rosters are just awful up and down; which has lowered the quality of games across 4-quarters. The coaching has also tanked, which has lowered quality across the board. The coaches that do have some quality, have to deal with incompetent front offices that are dealing them awful deck of cards (outside of Mazzula)... I'm talkin' Nurse, Carlisle, and Thibs.
Coaching gets some blame. Team depth gets blame. Front offices get a TON of blame. There is surely blame in all aspects. The star power is limited. It's a bad era for the conference, no doubt. Hopefully the overall comp rises as the season kicks into gears. It is early, we can still see teams like the Knicks, Bucks (not), 76ers, Magic, and Pacers get better and quickly. Magic can be good with a healthy Paolo Banchero on the floor, activating his game-breaker. Banchero had things cookin' in the five games played before his injury (12/8 est), including a 50-piece on the Pacers' head. Not all hope is lost on the East. Still some light, but it has sure been a rough start to the season for teams 3-15.
Looks like the reigning MVP is hungry to win the award in consecutive years for the second time. Joker is on a TEAR to help the Nuggets win 7 of its' first 10 games. Jokić just continues to be the most consistent superstar in the game. Last time we saw him on a court, it took the hoop Avengers to be the cats to stop his dominance. Now, he's back, likely angry, to tear up the hardwood some more. Jokić is currently the league's rebound king (per), assists king (per), ranks 2nd in points per, and leads the league in player efficiency rating; win shares; offensive win shares; box plus/minus, and value over replacement. Are we honestly surprised?
Joker is just unreal as he begins his 10th season. The cat is in the stratosphere, staring down at the rest. The favorite for MVP; which would put him in the company of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James as the only men to win back-to-back MVPs; twice in their career. Which would add to what could be a season of record breaking. Joker has six triple-doubles to open the campaign, putting him just three away from surpassing Magic Johnson for the 3rd-most in NBA history. Six out of ten is quite nice. At this point, it's just easy for him. It's routine. History will be broken. Joker seems like he doesn't care, but he wants to be a champion again, and now.
The numbers are nice, no doubt, but it's the production and minutes that really floors ya. Joker sits only behind Maxey for the most minutes per game. Both guys play like damn race horses on the floor, they're just doing it at two different sizes and speeds. Jokić being the most impressive, if you ask me. We shall see if Mike Malone keeps him up above 38 minutes per game. That's quite the work load to withstand, especially at his size. Last season, Joker finished the campaign above 34 minutes per for just the second time in his career (34.7 career high - 72 GP). It doesn't matter if it's 38 minutes, 35 minutes, or 31 minutes- we know it's a guarantee that Joker will put in that WORK. Will anyone step up their game to his level? SGA brought it last season...
LaMelo is back spreading electricity
LaMelo is officially back after being knocked out of the 2023-24 campaign in January due to lingering issues with his surgically repaired ankle. Ball is back, and back to making some electric highlights on the offensive for Charlotte. A huge positive for the Hornets, whom now can have the duo of LaMelo and Brandon Miller return to growing and elevating with one another. LaMelo hasn't been off the walls amazing, the turnover numbers are still there and his game rides off hot-shooting. Despite the negatives, his energy and ability to spread the floor is big for the Hornets. Continuing the steal production is massive as well.
LaMelo is averaging 30.0 points in November, has reduced the turnovers by 1 per, and his steal numbers are solid. Now he just needs to put things together. Taking better shots, handling the ball more efficiently to limit turnovers, and being more discipline on the defensive. I do like the high volume of shooting. Ball is the Hornets' offense along with Miller. He's the only player they have that can activate a scoring game-breaker. LaMelo will still be handcuffed from reaching new heights due to needing more talent around him (and Miller), but seeing LaMelo make electric highlights again is a sigh of relief for the Hornets, whose roster sucks, to be frank. Highlights that lite the wick for the most lit announce crew in hoops, and highlights that are keeping the 'chise afloat as the duo of Ball and Miller look for a possible play-in berth:
video via @NBA//X
video via @NBA//X
Warriors Off To Hot Start:
Golden State is off to a fancy 8-2 start to open its' first campaign of the post Splash-Brothers era, surprisingly doing so without any crazy Steph Curry heroics. Warriors are getting things done with Curry only averaging 22.0 points per... he had just logged in his first 30+ point performance of the season, the other night. No, instead the Warriors are getting things done with all around team basketball, and a well structured machine.
Warriors are clicking! The team ranks 2nd in the NBA in points per game, 1st in rebounds per game, 3rd in assists per game, and have the 6th best field-goal-percentage. On top of that, the Warriors have the 3rd-best points differential. Mark them down with dubs over the Celtics, Thunder, and Rockets already. It's been a picture perfect start damn near, well at-least a great enough start that very little would have predicted. We immediately question the legitimacy of it, but as of now they sit firmly as a West power again.
Doc Rivers Striking Again:
Have we all returned back to the notion that Doc Rivers can't coach? Yes, it's early, but we all know the cat can't coach, right? Bucks starting 2-8 is just nasty. It really is. In no way, shape, or form does that team have any business being as bad as they are to open. It's not on Giannis; he's been playing to value leading the league in scoring and ranking 3rd in rebounding (with low turnover numbers). It's on Rivers and Horst (mostly Horst). Plain and simple.
Milwaukee ranks 19th on offense, and 20th on defense. The roster is below average in depth, especially with Khris Middleton still not making his season debut (big whoop), and Dame is far too hot and cold to be a consistent game-breaker. It's hard to believe the Bucks will get out of this hole any time soon. Lets see if I am wrong as they dive into more inner-conference warfare with the NBA Cup group-play starting up.
The early weather system for LXXVIII is all over the place. With the atmosphere set, will patterns form? It's safe to say the East and West have its habitable zones, but who in the West will shake things up, and who in the East can compete with the Cavs & Celtics going into the meat of November? Those are our next questions to find answers to. Hoops are officially back, baby! Winter is coming, but at least the sports world returns to its' peak season. Leave here with my updated power rankings:
Follow our Socials and my personal Twitter:
Twitter: @SpittinCap & @djp_spittincap
IG: @spittin_cap
Make sure to click the heart and leave a like... share for others to read!
Opinion. Fact. Or Straight Up Cap.
Comentários