We’re a bit greater than every week into the NBA season. Each workforce has performed 4 or 5 video games, so, in fact, the hot-take artists on TV and web have these enjoyable subjects to speak about:
- Do the Celtics have an opportunity to be the best workforce ever?
- Are the Lakers title contenders beneath new coach JJ Redick?
- Are the Nuggets in bother?
If the season ended at the moment, you possibly can simply argue “sure” to all these questions. However the NBA season is 82 video games, not 4 or 5, so let’s check out these early traits and assess whether or not they’re sustainable, idiot’s gold or someplace in between.
The take: The Boston Celtics (4-1) are the best regular-season workforce in NBA historical past!
As urged in our preseason power rankings, there are a whole lot of similarities between the 2023-24 Celtics and the 2014-15 Warriors. Each had traditionally nice common seasons with double-digit web rankings per 100 possessions — Celtics with a plus-11.6, Warriors with plus-10.2. Each breezed by means of an injury-riddled subject of opponents (not their fault!) on their option to championships and had been maybe not given the respect they deserved heading into their championship protection.
The 2015-16 Warriors opened their season on a 24-game profitable streak and dominated the remainder of the NBA (besides for his or her final three video games — all losses — in dropping the NBA Finals towards Cleveland) and gained a report 73 regular-season video games.
Led by Jayson Tatum, a bonafide MVP frontrunner, the Celtics gained their first 4 video games this season in a equally spectacular style, with a plus-15.3 web ranking, earlier than dropping an additional time sport on the street to the Pacers on Wednesday. Boston leads the NBA in three-point makes an attempt (51.6), three-point makes (21) and is second in three-point effectivity (40.7 %).
Will this development proceed? Sure! Nicely, no less than, inside motive. There are extra parity and expertise in at the moment’s NBA than in 2015-16, and the workforce might be with out Kristaps Porzingis for a few months, so the Celtics most likely gained’t win 70-plus video games. However don’t be shocked in the event that they as soon as once more run away from the NBA (although the Thunder and Cavaliers may grasp with them).
The take: The Lakers (3-2) are title contenders once more!
Told you Redick was going to be a good coach. The Lakers burst out of the gates with three wins towards high quality opponents earlier than dropping to the Suns and Cavaliers.
Anthony Davis has gone full Godzilla mode, averaging 30.6 factors, 12.2 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and 1.6 steals per sport, and would most likely win the MVP and Defensive Participant of the Yr awards if he continued to play this fashion the entire season.
LeBron James, although he has seemed rusty, continues to be able to ripping off GOAT-level performances like his fourth quarter against the Kings on Saturday.
Will this development proceed? Sure, with some caveats. As all the time, there may be an “if LeBron and AD can keep wholesome” caveat. Plus, the entrance workplace should do one thing to bolster the rotation depth, maybe by including Jerami Grant of the Path Blazers or bruising middle Jonas Valančiūnas of the Wizards.
The take: An absence of depth will doom the Nuggets (2-2).
Right here’s a stat that doesn’t even sound actual: Via the Nuggets’ first three video games, the workforce had a plus-1.5 net rating when Nikola Jokic was on the courtroom and a negative-30.5 web ranking when Jokic was off. He had solely been on the courtroom 33 minutes a sport. The Curse of Russell Westbrook, now with the Nuggets, is actual!
The Nuggets (2-2) received smoked by the Thunder of their opener, misplaced to the Clippers and wanted Jokic to placed on the Superman cape to flee doubtlessly catastrophic losses to the lowly Raptors and Nets. We knew the entrance workplace’s selections to let Bruce Brown stroll two offseasons in the past and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this previous summer season may come again to hang-out the Nuggets, however no person anticipated them to battle like this out of the gate this season.
Will this development proceed? Most likely not. The Nuggets needs to be simply high-quality so long as Jokic stays wholesome. The 2 additional time victories over the Raptors and Nets ought to have been losses, however Jokic calmly went to work on each possession down the stretch and ensured that Denver received a high-quality shot. And guess what? He’s going to do this in each shut sport — he’s nonetheless one of the best participant alive — so so long as the Nuggets aren’t getting blown out, they need to nonetheless be a playoff workforce and potential contender.
