How one cat feels about each team in the league right now...
(Disclaimer: Written after the sim results were posted but before any I saw any Day-60 trades)
NEW YORK KNICKS
The Knicks finally look like their young talent is finally growing into the tough force we thought they'd be, but the real difference this year has been the Knicks' bench. Chandler Parsons and Kent Bazemore have two of the four highest +/- differentials on the team; while the Knicks starters have been good, when the bench hits the floor they just leave other teams in the dust. The weakest link on this team is John Henson, who took a nasty TC hit, so if the Knicks find a way to shore up their starting PF spot, look for them to make considerable noise in the playoffs.
TORONTO RAPTORS
Don't let the 11-11 record fool you; this team was 8-4 before Derrick Favors went out with an injury and Whiteside getting nicked didn't help. Wave has done a great job of winning after trading away Lowry/Bosh and retooling around Curry/Whiteside. Biggest drag on this team? Their wings can't shoot. Evan Turner is shooting 41% from the field and noted chucker backup Monta Ellis is hitting just 43% of his shots (and taken more shots than anyone on the team not named Steph Curry). Maybe it's time to sit one or more of those guys in favor of Matthew Dellavedova, who at least shows an aversion to shooting and has pretty good ball-handling skills (the Raptors are among the worst in the league in turnover differential)?
PHILADEPLPHIA 76ERS
The Sixers could probably stand to make some lineup changes to give themselves some upward lift in the standings - the worst +/- on the team belongs to young SG Van Grimaldi. Yes, he's scoring, but that awful differential despite playing with the starters tells me he's not quite ready for primetime yet. Gerald Green and Chet Dooley are doing a great job helping the Sixers when they come off the bench ond one of them - probably Green - really out to be out there with the starting unit to help the 76ers build a cushion for when their bench comes in. It might even help Grimaldi as he would more often be matched against backups instead of starters. Philly is in the chase for a playoff spot this season, which should make the Eastern Conference a more than a little wary.
NEW JERSEY NETS
Their starting frontcourt has carried the scoring load but when Delonte West and his .404 field goal percentage is getting more shots than anyone on the team not named Buddy or Danilo, you've got room for improvement. Is it time to start callng for Medina to take the reins at point guard since it looks like he might be a more willing passer? Or do you try to address the team's utter lack of rim protection? That's the one hole in Buddy's big man game and since it's not exactly Tristan Thompson's forte, if I'm the Nets I'm looking to bring in a shot-blocking big man - maybe by shipping out West, which solves two of my problems at once.
BOSTON CELTICS
I'ts looking pretty obvious that the talent just isn't there for the Celtics this season. Melvin McCall is putting up points but since he's the only real offensive option outside of John Wall, it's tough to know how much of that is real and how much is fool's gold. Other than McCall, the "core" of thise team - Ibaka, Faried, and Wall - are all in their primes and that core is turning in the worest record in the league so far. Celtics fans, it's time to cut bait and move on... and unfortunately that probably means trading John Wall and his double-double self (on questionable shot selection at best) to a team that's desperate for a marquee point guard. The bright spot on this team has been Chris Arruda who has shown he can score efficiently in limited minutes. Time to give him a little more burn!
CHICAGO BULLS
I have to admit, after their 5-3 start, I wasn't that high on the Bulls because I thought they had traded away Gallinari hastily. A perfect 14-0 stretch since has made me come around though. They are still somewhat vulnerable on the glass and foul more than I'd like. Their starting unit looks excellent so far (I'm going to overlook Thomas Robinson's complete lack of finishing ability around the rim because his rebounding has been great) but their bench has been a little underwhelming. Zach Levine needs to put up numbers befitting a player of his ratings... or maybe be allowed to watch Elijah Millsap and/or Reggie Bullock get some playing time to motivate him a bit.
MILWUAKEE BUCKS
Ricky Rubio is a double-double machine with his passing and a great defender. Kanter has become a reliable double-double man on the glass. Kyrie Irving is lighting the league up for over 30 ppg. Yes, finding an upgrade at the forward spots would be nice (like Rudy Gay perhaps - oh, sorry, too soon?), but this team is kicking butt and taking names. The Central Division looks like it's going to be a wickedly tough division and expect the Bucks to be in it all the way to the end.
DETROIT PISTONS
Anthony Davis is destroying opposing power forwards on a regular basis. Ramon Sessions is showing he's a great complement to Davis (when Brooks gets healthy DON'T mess with Sessions!) and the Pistons are 3rd in the league in three-point shooting (mostly on the strength of Kyle Singler shooting 56% and Bojan Bogdanovic shooting 53% from three) to make sure AD keeps getting open looks. They'll probably fall off a bit in the next sim as they let Davis heal up, but expect them to roar back once he's healthy. The Adjusting the offense a little to cut down on the turnovers would be nice but like the Bucks, it's hard to find much to complain about as far as the Pistons are concerned. The scary thing is that the Pistons are armed with a ton of cap space again this offseason and can take another crack and surround Davis with talent.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
The Cavs are a very weird team. They are amoung the best in the league in steals and taking care of the ball and yet this isn't helping them because they can't shoot and get crushed on the boards. There's still hope for the Cavs if they can straighten out the shooting and rebounding issues without losing anything on the ballhandling end. Chris Paul is simultaneously what's holding the team up (defense and ballhandling) and holding the team back (awful shot selection and huge contract). The Cavs have two directions to go - either package some pieces, bring in a great defensive big, and hope that solves their issues... or trade CP3. I really think, though, that it's time to close the book on the CP3 era even if you don't have your own pick this year... this team will have to take a step or two back before it can start moving forward again.
INDINA PACERS
I get that the Deron Williams injury has led them into a tailspin recently but for the love of mud, Dwyane Wade should not be getting playing time any more. His field goal percentage over the last five seasons looks like this: .407 then .390 then .368 then .388 and now .309 - Dwyane, the mon-stars stole your shot in Philly in 2011 and you've never seen it since. If the Pacers don't find a way to start winning on the road, and fast, their game seven loss in last year's Finals will be all the more painful because it represented the window slamming shut on this group so hard it knocked the curtains off the wall.
ATLANTA HAWKS
The Hawks have a big fat tax bill coming thanks to their bloated salary and need to write lots of media articles for points (like this one). Insuring Draymond would've been a smart move in the offseason but that ship has sailed. Cutting down on their turnovers with a real point guard wouldn't hurt either... but they've been getting along okay ever since trading away Jeremy Lin and as long as Harden can do a decent impression of a point guard, they'll be fine.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
As expected, their size is paying dividends on the glass. Also as expected, the perimeter game here needs work. Also, they need to do a better job selling Wilson Chandler. The guy is putting up a +3.6 differential while starters Brandon Knight and Andrew Bynum both have negative differentials. Chandler is totally carrying this team right now. Flipping him at the trade deadline so the Wizards can stay good as long as possible (since they don't have their own pick) may be the best scenario possible for this team, if not terribly likely.
MIAMI HEAT
There just isn't enough around him any more for LeBron to keep dragging this team to contention. The Heat have been shopping James hard but it might be a better idea to shop Valancuinas instead - this would let them completely clear the books for next season (except rookie deals) and Jonas is on a small deal and young enough to be an attractive trade chip... and six seasons into his career, I think it's pretty clear he isn't (or shouldn't be) the Heat's next franchise player. You just kind of have to feel for LeBron who is likely to put up incredible - but empty - numbers this year.
ORLANDO MAGIC
Timofey Mozgov has been stashed away on IR all season so one hopes the Magic have a trade lined up for him already. This is a team that knew it was going to have to go through growing pains and it shows. The Magic are going to take a beating this year and they know it, but you don't have to look far for encouraging signs. Vernon DeSantis may not be ready yet but Harland Ellinger is showing nice shooting discretion in his second season, hitting 41% from the three point line and 46% overall. That bodes well for his future in Orlando. If the Magic could just find a taker for Bogut, they could accelerate that rebuild but if not they should be okay sooner rather than later.
CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
Much like the Magic, Bobcats fans knew this was going to be a rough season when they went into the year and while there hasn't been as much winning as in Orlando, there are signs of life from the Balls. The more important thing at least in the short term would be for the Bobcats to be able to establish a market for Gorgui Dieng and Ron Artest. Dieng has shown the ability to be a decent center in the league, averaging 8 points and 9 boards as well as just over a block - so it will be interested to see what team picks him up to add depth (the Bobcats have been shopping him around so you know a reasonable offer will be able to get him). Also impressive has been the hustle play of Charles Blow - it's a small sample size, but averaging 4.5 poitns and 2.5 boards in just 12 minutes of work per night makes you figure he's probably the heir apparent to Dieng once the Bobcats find a trade partner.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
They currently lead the Northwest but I thought the Timberwolves would jell faster than this. Brook Lopez may not be scoring at the rate Chris Bosh is, but he's got a much higher +/- which probably stems from the fact that he's shot much more efficiently than Bosh. Andrew Wiggins is really starting to come into his own too. I think the key to the Timberwolves pulling away or not is Otto Porter Jr. - he's shooting just 44% from the floor and not getting to the line much considering all the minutes he plays. I know the Timberwolves tout him as a Shawn Marion-like player but he needs to show a little better shot selection and maybe get a little more aggressive if the Wolves are going to get separation on the division.
DENVER NUGGETS
I still think Drummond is overpaid, but bringing in Al Jefferson to provide exceptional pop in the low post helps offset that. The Nuggets are getting a ton of rebounding and blocks out of their big men, which is good becaus ehty're certainly not getting anything out of the small forward spot. The Nuggets have four really good starters but their fifth starter and their bench have been stinking up the Mile High City. They're also pretty inept on offense if Jefferson, Thompson, and Holiday aren't all having good games, so they can't stand pat. Ryan's ingenuity will be on display as he angles to bring in a solution for the problems here.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Many, myself included, thought the Thunder could win the Northwest division. The problem has been their defense - they're just trying to flat outscore other teamsand that's not always working for them. Jabari Parker missing a large chunk of the season has probably hurt them some but Jabari isn't exactly a lights-out defender, so it's not like they're going to get significantly better on defense when he gets back. This team should probably try to cover its defensive deficiencies by slowing the tempo down, pounding the ball inside to the likes of Howard and Gortat, and letting Isaiah Thomas create with the shot clock winds down. That will let them set a defense - maybe a zone defense - that Howard and Vucevic can anchor. It just seems like the whole isn't adding up to the sum of the parts here and I don't know how that can change without so much trading overhaul that it breaks up their offensive chemistry, so it's going to have to fall on gameplanning.
UTAH JAZZ
We all know Paul George is great and Ryan Anderson and Darren Collison are both having really good seasons. The problem is the rest of the roster is giving them nothing right now. Steven Hill looks nice with his offensive rebounding numbers but he doesn't get steals, doesn't get blocks, and can't score. They need to bench this dude and fast. I'm not saying Jon Brockman is the answer either but at least he might give you something. Nando de Colo isn't doing much at SG either. Maybe I'm crazy, but if I'm the Jazz, I think you can start a super-quick Michael Beasley at SG to create matchup problems with his size and get you some offense. Maybe even move Ryno to the 5 to give you a stretch 5 and start Thomas Elliott at the four for even more shooting and offense. It would be a very unconventional and small ball lineup, but I'd love to see what it could do due to the matchup problems it would create - the Jazz don't have the horses to win with conventional bigs so they may as well have fun and go with really unconventional ones.
PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS
Too old, too slow, and zero outside shooting. The Blazers play like the old guys at the YMCA - lots of two point shots and position defense - but that's not good enough here. Teams are eating their defense alive and getting easy shots, and with no threats to stretch the floor, the Blazers can't create enough space for D-Rose to operate. We know kucoach has long had a love affair with Rose, but these old guys can't stop anyone any more. It's time to move Rose and move on... or at least play Phil Hogg more and see what you've got. This team is just plodding and not at all fun to watch. Only thing missing is a re-signed Stephen Hunter.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Kicking butt and taking names. Gobert is having a ridiculous offensive season (64% from the field? Are you kidding?!?) and the Warriors have been annihilating teams most nights. The only weakness I can see (besides the obvious "if they get injured") is Kyle Lowry has turned into something of an inefficient chucker. Then again, that might just be a way of letting Gobert and Jordan get tip-dunks on the glass. I think a team that can encourage Lowry to shoot them out of a game might have a chance but the Warriors look scary. The only think scarier than the Warriors this season will be their tax bill the next two seasons once Gobert gets maxed. Yikes!
PHOENIX SUNS
It's probably still a little arly to judge them because Love has missed a third of their games but it isn't like they were tearing the league apart before he went down. The thing that jumps out about the Suns is this is very much an isolation-based team... they're last in the league in assists and iso-ball can often be defused in the playoffs... if they manage to get there. I don't know where the Suns go to fix that, though. I think they're just figuring this is a season to play with house money if they make it to the playoffs and then they have a completely blank slate for the future in terms of dollars. Then again, they had nearly a blank slate this year and it didn't work out, so...
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
This team really reminds me of those mid-00's NBA Houston Rockets teams (the ones with T-Mac and Yao). Both have a huge wing that can score any time they want, a nice two-way center... and not a lot else. Bismack Biyombo is not living up to his contract and the backcourt situation here is awful - their guards shoot 37% and 42%. Durant may allow the Clippers to squeak into the playoffs but I don't see them as a real threat this season unless they find a gameplan that teaches their guards better shot selection (as in, give the ball to Durant and get the heck out of the way).
SACRAMENTO KINGS
This is turning into another rough season for the Kings. I thought Harrison Barnes would be more ready to play this season, but he's just not putting up the scoring numbers I expect - the experiment at PF doesn't seem to be working. C.J. McCollum is as good as advertised but he can't carry the team on his own. On one level, I can see the Kings' decision to sit Jeffrey Duren but I'm surprised they haven't shopped McCollum a little harder. I'm not sure both can play together and they're both a little undersized to play SF so one of them is going to have to go... and with McCollum in line for a max payday it would seem the Kings would want to move him now before people actually see the numbers on theat contract. Also intriguing to watch will be what Noel commands in the salary department. The Kings have been trying to accumulate cheap young assets and done a good job of it but unless they start making trades soon, those cheap young assets are about to become expensive assets.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
On paper, this is as talented a team as any team in the West except maybe Golden State but things just aren't coming together for Tray's squad, mostly due to injury. I'm not even sure I can blame the Embiid injury considering the four games he played start-to-finish the Lakers went 0-4. The problem is too many guys shooting bad shots - Brandon Jennings has taken more shots than anyone else on squad and shoots the ball the worst of all the starters. If I were in the Lakers' shoes, I'd seriously consider benching Jennings for a sim or two and starting the much more efficient and less shot-happy George Hill and seeing if that helped pop my rcord up even in the absence of Perk and Embiid. The Lakers also need to add depth - trying to get through the season with 8 players on your roster is never a good idea.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
It feels like Josh Smith has been in the league for 20 years, but he's only 31. And he continues to terrorize the league. Russell Westbrook may be putting up triple-doubles but Smith is the defensive glue on this team. Eazy just keeps the train rolling along. The Spurs are good and the only question I have is when will Schroder be moved out to a point-guard-starved team to give Eazy another top-5 draft pick that isn't his own.
HOUSTON ROCKETS
Last year was supposed to be their year to rule the Southwest... and it didn't happen. This year was supposed to be their year to rule the Southwest... and Ty Lawson got hurt. The good news is they've stayed afloat without him and when they can stick D.J. Augustin back on the bench, they'll get a great efficiency boost. They're almost forced to go with what they have due to having sent off their draft picks and playing a roster of vet min guys for pretty much every player that isn't a starter. They're just kind of in that purgatory where they don't have young assets that will improve, they don't have their own draft picks, and they might make the playoffs but nobody seems worried they'll make a ton of noise... and everyone is kind of watching to see if the wheels fall off again. If the Rockets go into a tailspin due to injury again, maybe they can trade Thadeus Young for a better athletic trainer?
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
Last year's champs started the season with a major hangover, but their current 7-win streak might get them thinking they've righted the ship. That could also be fools' gold - most of the teams they beat on the streak are struggling badly this year. The offense seems to be build around the perimeter and and I think that's a mistake - Greg Monroe and Blake Griffin are excellent scorers and shoot a very high percentage... Damian Lillard and Tobias Harris do not. In fact, Tobias has been a net negative for the Pelicans this season because he seems to think it's a good idea to chuck it up from anywhere on the court. If he can't find a way to turn it around, the Pelicans are in big trouble because the rest of their bench are awful shooters as well.
VANCOUVER GRIZZLIES
As Butler and Leonard enter their prime years, it's nice to see the Grizz finally featuring Butler and being competitive on a fairly consistent basis. There's a ton of potential with this team - the Grizz are top-5 in differential for assists, steals, and turnovers and great at fouls. If they could just find a way to improve their shooting and rebounding a bit, they'd be in business! Finding a quality Power Forward is probably the biggest need the Grizz have. It seems to me that the natural fit would be something like a trade to get Carlos Boozer out of Portland for Kevin Martin, matching salary plus points and/or a pick. Martin still has gas in the tank and isn't going to be used on a Grizz squad with a ton of wings, and Boozer is the kind of efficient scoring 4 the Grizz need... and shouldn't be too difficult to pry from the Blazers.
DALLAS MAVERICKS
LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan have been on the block for a year or two now and the Mavs haven't pulled the trigger. At this point, it seems like the Mavs should just ride out the year or two and let all their big contracts fall off the books then build around a very cap-friendly Bradley Beal contract unless they get a deal that really re-stocks the shelves. That's got to be tough for fearthebrow, who has seemed to be able to squeeze every bit of winning possible from his teams, but the talent just doesn't seem to be there this year.
