NBA Power Rankings: Is it time to start talking about San Antonio Spurs?
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Brooklyn Nets
7-20Caris LeVert’s return wasn’t really much of a return. The rookie has played sparingly despite dressing for the Brooklyn Nets in their past few games. Jeremy Lin has returned as well, but it’s unlikely we’ll see the same Nets from the beginning of the season anytime in the near future. Unlike with the Dallas Mavericks, there is no high first round pick payoff coming for all their losing this season. Nets fans were upset about being one-point underdogs against the Philadelphia 76ers and then their team went out and lost by one-point to the Sixers. Kenny Atkinson is looking like a greater hire the longer the season goes on and Sean Marks are starting to put together a solid foundation to build an actual franchise out of in Brooklyn. This season started off with a lot of promise, but ever since Lin was sidelined with an injury the team has bottomed out to become what many had expected them to be before the year started. Finding more players like Sean Kilpatrick would be the biggest plus that the Nets can get out of this year. With their own NBA Development League affiliate right next to them in Long Island, they’ll have the opportunity to find diamonds in the rough as the year goes on.Next: 29. Sixers
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Philadelphia 76ers
7-21We could talk about basketball with the Philadelphia 76ers or we could talk about all the cool and awesome things Joel Embiid has done this year. I think we’d all be better served by hearing more about the latter than the former. We can now add to that never ending list that he has “Trust The Process” embroidered into all his sneakers. Embiid has fully accepted the role of Sam Hinkie’s beacon of hope full on now that he’s back on the floor. From what we’ve seen there it’s hard to fault everything that Hinkie did during his time as the Sixers General manager. For all the forced losing and lack of NBA-caliber players it looks like Hinkie was able to deliver a true franchise player for the team. After all wasn’t that the whole point of “The Process”? Embiid poured in a career-high 33 points against the Brooklyn Nets and continues to look the part of franchise player the deeper we get into the year. Unless the turtleneck wearing Ben Simmons comes back and sets the league on fire with his 6-foot-10 point guard skills, it looks like Embiid has the Rookie of the Year race wrapped up already.Next: 28. Mavericks
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Dallas Mavericks
7-21Remember how doom and gloom I sounded about the New Orleans Pelicans during their rough start to the season? That’s how I feel about the Dallas Mavericks now. They might be better served keeping Dirk Nowitzki sidelined for the majority of the year in hopes of buying an extra year or two out of him when the team is ready to compete for something more than the number one overall pick. Rick Carlisle might be going insane on the sideline and I’m sure the frustrations will come out in the form of offensive creativity and genius playcalling. If not, it’ll be nice watching Mark Cuban wipe the egg off his face after years of championing himself as something greater than he is in terms of basketball operations. Dorian Finney-Smith has been the eye in the storm for Dallas. The rookie has more than just held his own when given increased playing time this season. He’s being molded into a 3-and-D wing after spending most of his time playing stretch-four at the University of Florida. That’s not a change that happens overnight and Finney-Smith is saying and doing all of the right things as a rookie. If he keeps putting in the work then the Mavericks might have stumbled upon a piece for their future.Next: 27. Suns
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Phoenix Suns
8-20The youth movement is still priority number one with the Phoenix Suns, but it is beginning to look less and less bright as the year goes on. Devin Booker has struggled to regain the form that saw him set the league in fire during the second half of his rookie season. Eric Bledsoe looks like he’s trying to showcase himself for a trade every night regardless of if it helps the Suns win or lose. Brandon Knight still hasn’t really fit in as part of Phoenix’s three-guard rotation. Marquese Chriss is plagued by foul trouble. Dragan Bender has looked worse than projected. It’s not the end of the world for the Suns future, but it might be time to shut the door on any hope of this team making noise in the 2016-17 season. Moving one of Knight or Bledsoe (or potentially both) is the next move for this team and the quicker they do it the quicker they can join the Dallas Mavericks in the race for the first overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. The Suns are set to make some noise, but it’s not going to come until a few more years down the road. In the blink of an eye we could be crowning the Suns as the new young “it” team (see: 2016 Minnesota Timberwolves) if their young pieces develop as projected.Next: 26. Pelicans
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New Orleans Pelicans
10-20A Tim Frazier triple-double earned the New Orleans Pelicans an overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night. I believe that is only the second time — Jrue Holiday’s return being the other — that I’ve led off this slide talking about someone on the roster besides Anthony Davis. New Orleans has significantly cooled off as of late making that win over the Suns crucial for this team going forward. After the top five or six teams in the Western Conference the rest is almost a toss up. It would require an extended win streak the likes of which New Orleans hasn’t seen since the New Orleans Saints brought home a Super Bowl trophy, but the fact that the Pelicans still have a shot at the playoffs is a legitimate shock. The best thing to happen to the Pelicans this season are the impending changes coming in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). After watching heavyweights like LeBron James and Kevin Durant leave their smaller market homes behind in free agency, the owners and NBA Players’ Association adapted the contract extension rules to make it harder for young stars to leave. Superstars are now going to have to turn down up to $100 million to leave for greener pastures.Next: 25. Heat
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Miami Heat
9-20The Miami Heat continue to do just enough to not move the needle in any direction. They’ll look bad one night and then follow it up by pushing a contender to the brink. They’ll look uncoordinated and like they lack chemistry and cohesion one game and the next night look as if they have been playing together for years. Maybe that’s the ultimate reflection of having Hassan Whiteside be your franchise’s best and highest-paid player. Goran Dragic is a name to watch out for as teams in the cusp of the playoffs could try to pry him away in hopes of getting into the postseason. Young talent or a first-round pick — Miami owes its 2018 first-rounder to the Suns as part of the Dragic deal — could be all it takes to net an All-NBA quality point guard. Their gamble on Dion Waiters is not really working out, but it’s hard to kill Miami for taking a chance when it’s only costing them around $3 million this season (less than half of the average NBA salary). The only worry is bringing in a new face of the team while Whiteside still believes it should be him could cause unnecessary friction. Watching how Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra work themselves out of this conundrum should be the NBA’s equivalent to the NFL HBO series Hard Knocks.Next: 24. Timberwolves
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Minnesota Timberwolves
8-19For the Minnesota Timberwolves, this has been the ultimate “two steps forward, one step back” season. Both Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine have upped their game and skill and look like great complementary star pieces to the supernova star that is Karl-Anthony Towns (two steps forward). However, the team has shown its youth as they have been unable to win close games for most of the year (one step back). Their third quarter struggles have really stuck out, but their failure to close out teams like the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors at home despite holding double-digit leads in the final quarter are really going to drive Tom Thibodeau crazy. LaVine and Wiggins must keep up their development if this team has any shot at coming close to matching the preseason prognosticators that projected them to vaunt into the playoffs as early as this year. There’s time for them to find their way back into the playoff race, but it means that they will have to start running off wins. That also means that they’ll have to stop squandering double-digit leads in the second half of games as well.Next: 23. Kings
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Sacramento Kings
10-17DeMarcus Cousins has gone on the record to endorse the Sacramento Kings — kind of. Cousins was quoted saying “I am a King, and I like it here.” Yet, that doesn’t mean that he will be there for his entire career or even this entire season. The feel about what could happen with the Kings and cousins teeters back and forth with every passing week. If the Kings are playing well the story coming out of California’s capital usually reads like: Kings would be insane to let Cousins go. If the Kings or even just Cousins are playing poorly than the narrative changes to: Kings would be insane to keep Cousins. In this damned-if-you-do-and-damned-if-you-don’t type of situation the Kings are truly stick in limbo. They’ll never get anything close to equal value for their star big man and with the team just opening a brand new arena trading away the one marquee player would empty the stands fast. His latest outburst on a Sacramento Bee employee — over the mentioning (and a perceived criticism) of his brother in an article — has resulted in a hefty fine for Cousins. It really is inching closer to a parting of ways being the best case scenario for both sides. However, given their recent history it seems unlikely the franchise goes about any of this the right way.Next: 22. Magic
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Orlando Magic
13-17The enigma of the NBA is once again an enigma for another week. The latest “what the heck?” moment from the Orlando Magic is the move to send last year’s fifth overall pick, Mario Hezonja, to their NBA Development League affiliate (the Erie Bayhawks). Hezonja was far from a finished product when he was drafted a year ago and took his bumps as a rookie, but he had flashes and moments where the skill and talent that got him selected high in the 2015 NBA Draft shone through. With a new coaching staff in place he has struggled to make any headway on the court from a season ago. Some time in the D-League might be exactly what he needs to get his confidence back and his confidence is his greatest skill. The Magic are going to need to make a trade at some point this year and it’s shaping up that Hezonja could be one of the pieces moved by the February trade deadline. Orlando is sitting just on the cusp of contention and if they are able to string some wins together they might actually emerge from this shipwreck of a season with their heads above water.Next: 21. Nuggets
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Denver Nuggets
12-16The Denver Nuggets have been steadily improving as the year goes on. They are one of the deepest teams in the entire NBA and they are starting to get healthy once again. While being able to play 10-11 players a game would help ease the burden and stress on a team’s high-level players, it also isn’t the best way to win games (unless you’re the 73-9 Golden State Warriors from a year ago). As I say everytime that I get to the Nuggets slide, they need to make a trade. Now is the time for them to push all of their chips into the middle of the table and get a superstar. If they are willing to make the right pieces available there are some big names potentially on the market that could help this team take the next step. Nikola Jokic is finally back to looking like the player that sneakily challenged Karl-Anthony Towns in the Rookie of the Year race a season ago. His passing ability helps unlock the best out of the remaining players on the floor with him. Jokic, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Gary Harris have quickly developed a rapport on the floor together. Next: 20. Wizards
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Washington Wizards
12-15Don’t look now but the Washington Wizards are no longer a complete dumpster fire! After upgrading to “lit cigarette in a bathroom trash bin,” the Wizards are now just two games out of a playoff spot. As long as John Wall and Bradley Beal can keep themselves from breaking down anytime in the near future than his team might be able to get back into the postseason this year. Beal has been on a scoring explosion of late and almost brought the Wizards a road win over the Indiana Pacers by going on his own scoring run to end the game. Scott Brooks is finally looking like he’s worth the huge five-year, $35 million contract that Washington handed him this offseason, as opposed to the reprise of Randy Wittman that he started the season off as. While the cupboard is pretty barren in terms of young talent, the Wizards could again be a team that makes a move at the trade deadline in hopes of it being the key to a playoff run. Last year, they brought in Markieff Morris and even though it didn’t work out in the end, Morris’ play this year has been key to the recent turnaround that the Wizards have undergone.Next: 19. Los Angeles Lakers
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Los Angeles Lakers
11-20The gang is finally all back together for the Los Angeles Lakers. D’Angelo Russell returned after being sidelined for the team’s past 10 games. However, he only played 16 minutes in his return against the New York Knicks on Sunday night. The rust showed as he shot 1-8 from the field and finished with four turnovers. Nick Young also returned and his gunner instincts picked right back up where they left off. With the full roster back — and the added experience Brandon Ingram got playing extra minutes due to the injuries — this team is better suited for a playoff run than many thought they would be when the season began. The Lakers need to get their situation turned around quickly if they still have any aspirations of making a run to the playoffs this year. Regardless of whether or not they do make the postseason, this year can only be thought of as a successful one for the franchise. While Los Angeles isn’t a city for rebuilding teams, the Lakers being one of the most exciting teams in the NBA makes up for the lack of winning, at least for this season.Next: 18. Pacers
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Indiana Pacers
15-15The Indiana Pacers have Paul George back and there really isn’t much else to say about them. They are one of the few teams that have bunched up in the middle of the league in terms of record and play. Despite Larry Bird’s plans to overhaul the team and bring the Pacers into the modern NBA game, it hasn’t really worked out that way. Indiana is playing smaller and faster, but it’s not resulting in wins for them. Lately, George has been able to will the Pacers to victories by being one of the better players in the clutch. If he can keep his scoring numbers in the 25 points per game realm than things could be looking up for Indiana. If they’re willing to go all-in on this season I could see them being active working the trade market in February to see if they can find the one piece their missing. My suggestions would be for an athletic four to play next to Myles Turner without having to worry about being at a complete disadvantage defensively (cough KENNETH FARIED cough). The new pieces are still sorting things out, but if it ever does click for the Pacers they have the talent to put a scare in some of the East’s top teams.Next: 17. Pistons
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Detroit Pistons
14-16Things for the Detroit Pistons have been a bit up-and-down most of this season. They finally have Reggie Jackson back, but they had to send Stanley Johnson down to the NBA Development League to get him some playing time. Johnson has fallen out of favor with Stan Van Gundy and had begun to rack up DNP-CDs (did not play, coaching decision) of late and saw fellow second-year player Darrun Hilliard take his place in the Pistons rotation. If anyone can get this team back on track it’s Van Gundy. Yet, it looks like Jackson is ready and willing to derail their chances at every and any turn. After word leaked that there have been grumbles in the Detroit locker room that the team isn’t happy with Jackson’s shoot-first style of play (downside of playing with Ish Smith too long –Smith doesn’t even shoot, he passes the ball to the rim). Jackson properly responded by shooting just five shots and playing one of his worst games as the team got shellacked by the Chicago Bulls on the road. Next: 16. Trail Blazers
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Portland Trail Blazers
13-16Something needs to change with the Portland Trail Blazers. This offseason they put their trust into their core developing together to make the jump from playoff team to contender. Up to this point, that hasn’t happened yet. With the decision finally being made to shut Festus Ezeli down for the year, the Trail Blazers are likely going to be actively looking for more big men in a trade and a player like Nerlens Noel could be someone they try to pry away from a team like the Philadelphia 76ers. Watching them get absolutely dismantled by the Golden State Warriors showed just how far they have to go before they can consider themselves potential championship contenders. Obviously, Damian Lillard wouldn’t agree with my assessment of his team, but he and McCollum can’t do everything for this team if they expect to have any real chance to improve upon last year’s playoff run.Next: 15. Bucks
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Milwaukee Bucks
13-13The longer the Milwaukee Bucks hang around the .500 mark the more I have to admit that the Bucks might actually be for real this season. Lost in all the hoopla of Russell Westbrook averaging a triple-double on the year is just how dominant Giannis Antetokounmpo has been as the team’s point guard. Antetokounmpo would be a worthy MVP candidate if the Bucks were one of the top teams in the NBA. Seeing as they are not, it looks like the Greek Freak will have to settle for a starting spot in this year’s All-Star game and a selection onto one of the league’s All-NBA teams. Milwaukee has also seen their other young stud, Jabari Parker, take a leap this season. Parker has become a solid number two to Antetokounmpo. If he can remain a consistent 20-plus point scorer than things look even better for Milwaukee. Malcolm Brogdon made a bigger name for himself last night thanks to slam dunks on both Kyrie Irving and LeBron James.Next: 14. Hawks
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Atlanta Hawks
14-14Now that the sky is finally done falling for the Atlanta Hawks, Mike Budenholzer’s team looks to have found its groove once more. With Dwight Howard nursing a tight back the Hawks decided to play Paul Millsap at center in their past two games. They won both. Millsap at center lets Atlanta use similar tactics and schemes to what they had been doing with Al Horford manning the middle. Dennis Schroeder and Kent Bazemore have also seen their play get a positive bump and the Hawks are right in the mix with about six or seven other teams to nab a playoff spot in the East. Atlanta has the benefit of a culture and system to revert to when things get out of hand and that is a plus that shouldn’t be taken too lightly. If the Hawks continue to follow Budenholzer’s tutelage they will emerge from their early season slump as a better team. Next: 13. Knicks
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New York Knicks
15-13Things have been going a lot better than expected for the New York Knicks this season. Aside from Joakim Noah looking like he won’t make it through year one of his four-year deal and Derrick Rose being in and out of the lineup with back spasms, the Knicks have enjoyed a relatively healthy year as they approach 30 games. Of course, Noah and Rose were Phil Jackson’s two biggest additions to the team this offseason. When Rose is out there playing the Knicks have looked like a team that could win around 45 games. With Rose sidelined they have looked more like a team that would only win about 30 games. Kristaps Porzingis continues to do unicorn things and the world should be terrified of what the kid could and will become in his prime. The trio of Anthony, Porzingis, and Rose notched their second game all season where each scored at least 20 points. More nights like that should be enough to secure the Knicks a spot in the postseason. Next: 12. Bulls
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Chicago Bulls
14-13IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE CHICAGO BULLS AND NEW YORK KNICKS COULD MAKE THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR???????? Well, yes. It always has been. But during the offseason the fans and media alike have been playing this or that with the two franchises’ postseason hopes. However, both teams share the same record at this point. The Bulls, as expected, have cooled off from behind-the-arc, but they are still giving opposing teams fits. Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade both look to get the ball down the court as quick as possible and with Jimmy Butler usually the recipient of these outlets, Chicago has found easy ways to score in transition. With a point guard like Rondo, the Bulls should continue to try and push the pace whenever they can. Rondo’s court vision and ability to finish at the rim work best in the open court. Wade’s transition from superstar to mentor rivals that of a legend like Obi Wan Kenobi. As long as Butler keeps playing at an All-Star level the Bulls will be a tough out every night.Next: 11. Hornets
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Charlotte Hornets
16-13After quietly starting out the season hot, and then just as quietly faltering, the Charlotte Hornets have found themselves on an upswing again. They currently sit just a half game back of the Boston Celtics for the three seed in the Eastern Conference through 28 games. Kemba Walker continues to make his case that he should be an All-Star this year. Walker is knocking down jumpers at an insane rate and is one of the better finishers around the rim in the league. Walker’s improved play coupled with Nic Batum’s all-around play and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist’s defense gives the Hornets have one of the best perimeter trios in the East. Hornets head coach Steve Clifford has made Charlotte a defense-first team and that has helped keep them at the top of the Eastern Conference standings this year. If everyone can keep playing at the level they have been so far than there’s no reason why the Hornets shouldn’t be fighting for home court advantage in the playoffs once again.Next: 10. Thunder
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Oklahoma City Thunder
16-12There really aren’t many ways to describe the Thunder that don’t involve the words: Russell or Westbrook. His 46-point performance against the Atlanta Hawks was great, but he also became the first player in 20 years to go 0-3 or worse on game-winning shots in a two-point game. The Thunder are going to need big nights from Westbrook game after game if they hope to remain in the top 10 of these rankings going forward. I’m going to stop babbling on about all this and just let you know that you haven’t seen Westbrook’s ode to the great God Shammgod stop reading now and go back and watch it on an endless loop for the rest of your life. Next: 9. Celtics
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Boston Celtics
16-12The Boston Celtics are finally looking like the team that many had them projected as heading into the season. They have Al Horford, Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder back and healthy and it’s allowing them to fully unleash their depth on the NBA. The games leading up to the All-Star Break will be critical for this team as they must form some type of chemistry if they are going to challenge the likes of the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers for supremacy in the Eastern Conference this season. The Celtics might also look to add another high-caliber talent to the above mentioned trio in order to give their team one final jolt. Their overtime win over the Memphis Grizzlies last night should serve as a huge boost to this group and it’s play as they get deeper into the season. The Celtics have the tools and the assets to make a move that could help them jump up in the standings as the season goes on. However, after taking their time to work in Al Horford it might not be wise to make too big of a change in the season too.Next: 8. Jazz
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Utah Jazz
18-10Health and injuries are finally done trying to ruin the Utah Jazz’s season and they have responded by ascending back towards the upper half of the Western Conference standings as many had projected before the season. They’ve gone 11-2 in their last 13 games after being one game below .500, and have won seven of their last eight games as well. While the long adage of don’t let success go to your head holds true most times, Rudy Gobert clearly doesn’t have time for adages and sayings. He believes he is the best center in the NBA and he’s going to let the whole world know about it. They have the athletes, length, and defense to give the Golden State Warriors trouble if they were to ever meet up in a playoff series. The Jazz can play up to 10 guys every night and not suffer any letdown or setbacks because of their deeper rotation. They are starting to take form as the team no one wants to face in the postseason. The Jazz are going to be a tough out regardless of where they finish in the standings this season.Next: 7. Raptors
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Toronto Raptors
20-8DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry are the two best of best friends in the entire world and anyone who thinks or says otherwise can meet me in Temecula. The backcourt buddies are once again leading Toronto to a top spot in the Eastern Conference –and are quietly right on the heels of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the standings once again. Also chipping in to help is swingman Terrence Ross, who is singlehandedly trying to make the Windmill a thing again (Dear NBA, please let him back in the dunk contest. Signed, the world). They are easily standing out as the second best team in the East but the question is if they can keep getting the production out of DeRozan and Lowry for the remainder of the year. While the Raptors are one move away from true contention, they are also one injury away from free-falling down the standings.Next: 6. Grizzlies
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Memphis Grizzlies
18-12I don’t know how David Fizdale is doing it and my inability to comprehend what’s going on with the Memphis Grizzlies is one of the main reasons they’ve jumped into the top 10 of these rankings. Confusion aside, the Grizzlies have been one of the most consistent teams in the NBA this year. Even with players like Mike Conley and Chandler Parsons sidelined they still manage to win two out of their three games against the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. Fizdale has been able to bring “Grit ‘N’ Grind” into the new age basketball landscape and has made Memphis a threat to the upper echelon of teams once more. Conley made a quicker than expected return to the lineup and has picked up right where he left off prior to the injury. As long as Gasol continues to have the hottest hands in all the land, they will be just fine in the long-run.Next: 5. Clippers
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Los Angeles Clippers
20-8Another year, another unforeseen mid-December injury for Blake Griffin. And after jumping out of the gates to the hottest start in the league, the Los Angeles Clippers have abruptly crashed back down to Earth. The writing was on the wall for Griffin as Markieff Morris completely dominated him in the Clippers loss to the Washington Wizards on Sunday night. Griffin will be out for anywhere between three and six weeks following a surgery on his right knee. The talk about what to do with the star trio of Griffin, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan will likely ramp up again with Griffin sidelined again — especially if the Clippers find a way to get their groove back without him. While it may not net them anything near market value, the injuries for Griffin are piling up and if he can’t stay healthy than keeping this core together will all be for nothing in the end.Next: 4. Rockets
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Houston Rockets
21-8Mike D’Antoni is back to being a genius again and it’s made everything right with the world –okay maybe not everything, but a guy can dream can’t he? James Harden should not be left off an All-NBA team this season (he might even be able to snag that MVP he felt was taken from him two seasons ago) and if the Rockets keep chucking up 60-plus threes in a game they’ll more likely than not outscore any team they face. A crushing home loss to the San Antonio Spurs last night showed that despite the improvement in play of late this team still has questions to answer. One of the reasons they’ve gotten better of late is the defensive play of Patrick Beverley. Beverley, who compares himself favorably to Gary Payton, goes as hard and aggressively on defense as Harden does on offense. With their backcourt anchoring both ends of the it allows the rest of the roster to key in and focus on being the best at what they’re good at.Next: 3. Cavaliers
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Cleveland Cavaliers
20-6The Cleveland Cavaliers are finally going to get to show the world what they are all about. Yes, the Toronto Raptors have been able to keep games close against them this season, but the only team anyone will measure the Cavaliers against come to Cleveland on Christmas Day. LeBron James and his cohorts have assumingly grown tired of the basketball world fawning over the Golden State Warriors and Christmas gives them a shot to remind the NBA as a whole that it is them who are the reigning champions of the league. LeBron James put on his Superman cape to claw a win away from the Milwaukee Bucks on the road last night. With Kevin Love not making the trip, James and Kyrie Irving had to step up to make sure the Cavaliers didn’t experience a letdown before their Christmas Day showdown with the Warriors.Next: 2. Spurs
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San Antonio Spurs
23-5The San Antonio Spurs are good and I am currently still wiping away the tears from my eyes following Tim Duncan’s jersey retirement ceremony. Because I’m a sentimental sap, here are some of my favorite quotes from what many believed to be the most boring franchise in the NBA. Parker: “He’s the only teammate that never asked me or talked to me to get the ball. He just looked at me. And when you’re 19 years old coming from France, that’s very scary when he looks at you. He doesn’t have to talk to you. Most of the guys [are like], ‘Hey, Tony, I’m open.’ But Timmy just looked at me. I’d be like, ‘Hey, Pop, Timmy looked at me. We should run a play.’ Pop would be like, ‘He really looked at you?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, so we should run a play. If you want me to be the point guard tomorrow, [let’s] pass him the ball right now.'” Popovich: “This is the most important comment that I can make about Tim Duncan: I can honestly say to Mr. and Mrs. Duncan, who have passed, that that man right there is exactly the same person now as he was when he walked in the door.” Duncan: “I’m going to tell you this: I won a lot of bets tonight, I didn’t wear jeans. I wore a sport coat, and I spoke for more than 30 seconds. Thank you, San Antonio. Thank you.”Next: 1. Warriors
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Golden State Warriors
24-4The Golden State Warriors are only getting better. They even pulled off the amazing feat of starting JaVale McGee at center and making him look like a competent NBA player — that alone is as impressive as 73-9 in my eyes. Kevin Durant continues to be the most lethal and efficient scorer the NBA has ever seen in his new location. The rest of the Big Four (Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green) have adjusted to Durant joining up and have found ways to keep being the players they were on their historical 73-win team from a season ago. The biggest storyline about the Warriors this year has to be the ongoing talk of just how they are going to be able to keep this team together in the future. With both Curry and Durant likely to be free agents this summer the team will need to do some elite salary cap gymnastics in order to keep the core four together and surround them with enough depth and talent to keep the well-oiled machine running at its best quality. But since they’re light years ahead this should be no problem for them.
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