We are officially at the halfway point of the NBA season. Some trends I’ve noticed:
- Offense is king. We are seeing multiple teams run some of the most efficient offenses in league history. Pace is at an all-time high, and almost every team is running at every opportunity. Spacing has increased as well, and shooters have improved. We are possibly entering the next chapter of basketball pace-and-space set by Steph Curry almost a decade ago.
- The MVP race is currently between Jokic, Luka, and Tatum. It’s still open to the likes of Giannis. I must admit, I did not expect there to be potential for a 3rd MVP repeat, but I would not be opposed to Jokic winning again if Denver stays as the number 1 seed in the western conference.
- Western conference is going about as expected. Nobody can ever really say what’s going on with either Los Angeles team because they are simply all over the place. I bet Clippers to find a spot in the playoffs still, but they need a consistent rotation fast to make any real noise again. Oh, and Kawhi must play. Memphis, Denver, New Orleans, and Dallas have shown the consistency to stay even with limited rotations. Golden State had a bad road month but appear to still be in for the hunt; their issue is simply depth and the aging core of the team. Phoenix to me is done as a threat, but Booker could prove me wrong in the playoffs. Minnesota is still figuring things out.
- I was very wrong about Sacramento: their offense literally is carrying them to a playoff spot the first time in almost 20 years. Even with a bottom-half defense, Fox has improved in his shooting ability, and they have plentiful gunners from three. Sabonis is small but has great chemistry as a passer and finisher for this team being surrounded by shooters and speed. Don’t get it twisted; they’re not Bibby and Webber exactly, but it’s a start.
- Nothing surprising about the east as well. Philadelphia needs to get healthy, but they also don’t look as threatening as I expected. Brooklyn still will have defensive issues in the playoffs, but their offense is enough to climb in the east. Boston, Milwaukee, and Cleveland have all been solid teams this year and switching positions constantly. Who are the contenders from this conference? If all are healthy, I anticipate a Boston and Milwaukee conference final. Cleveland is still amazingly good enough to beat one of these teams, but their small forward position is still a big concern. It will be interesting to see how the twin towers fair in Spring.
- I didn’t quite bite on Indiana, but they slightly exceeded expectations as well. Playoffs will tell the full story, but once again, Indiana is a middling eastern conference team. Miami’s aging core just doesn’t have it more often than not. Trae Young seems to be losing the locker room as Atlanta’s offense has grinded itself into becoming your-turn-my-turn between Young and Murray. New York might have a second wind if Brunson and Randle don’t run out of steam. Still, I don’t foresee these teams climbing significantly above say Cleveland.