With Wednesday’s blockbuster James Harden trade out of the way, let’s take stock of who’s trending up and down on each NBA team:
Atlanta Hawks
- Up: De’Andre Hunter is off to a terrific start. The Hawks have many weapons but with Bojan Bogdonovich’s injury, Hunter will have even more of an opportunity. In his rookie year, Hunter shot 41% from the field and averaged just over 12 ppg. This year, Hunter is at 51% from the floor and 16.4 points a game, and this is on a much more crowded roster. The Hawks must have a very good scouting department because they keep hitting on their draft picks.
- Down: John Collins is not hitting on all cylinders. He’s also questioning Trae Young’s ball distribution and Collins is in a contract year, so he needs his own numbers to be high. Collins is down almost five points a game from last season. That will not suffice and this is a situation worth watching.
Boston Celtics
- Up: Jaylen Brown has shown no signs of slowing down. He’s averaging over 26 ppg, which is output better than the Celtics dared hope. The Brown-Jayson Tatum duo is special and despite available stars on the trade market Boston really has to keep these two together.
- Down: Veterans Jeff Teague and Tristan Thompson are just not adding that much to the Celtics yet. Teague had a golden opportunity with Kemba Walker out, but Teague is averaging just 2.6 assists per game and at key moments has been supplanted by Peyton Pritchard.
Brooklyn Nets
- Up: Jarrett Allen was doing so well! Now he’s gone. Wow. Should we say James Harden is up? Harden now has a chance to compete for a title.
- Down: Kyrie Irving hasn’t been on the court lately and we’re not sure what is keeping him off of it. Irving also may be in trouble with the league for his appearance at an event that GM Sean Marks referred to as a “family gathering.” Irving has had issues before and now the Nets, a championship-caliber team, have to work with Irving to get him back on the court. Not a situation the Nets want to be in so let’s hope this works out.
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Up: Draft Picks – the Thunder control Houston’s top pick in the coming NBA Draft. Given that the Rockets may not be a playoff team, the Harden deal is good for OKC.
- Down: Trevor Ariza is on the Thunder roster – did you know that? Ariza has not played this season as he’s dealing with “personal issues.” Those issues may get resolved by dealing Ariza to a contender. Between Ariza, Al Horford, and George Hill, who do you think gets to a contender first?
Charlotte Hornets
- Up: LaMelo Ball is beginning to show the many skills that made him the third pick in the Draft. He is the youngest player to record a triple-double and is already averaging 7 assists and 6 rebounds a night. And Ball has done what some thought to be impossible: he has helped turn the Hornets from a bore into one of the league’s most fun teams. The Charlotte backcourt of Ball-Terry Rozier has potential.
- Down: However, also in the backcourt, Devonte Graham has not matched his unexpected output from last season. Graham was not a good shooter to begin with, just hitting 38.2% of his shots last season, so he did not have a big margin of error. Now Graham is shooting 28.6% and an NBA player cannot shoot that poorly.
Chicago Bulls
- Up: Coby White was on the down-side in our first report and we are pleased to report he may be turning it around. Against Sacramento, White had 36 points and zero turnovers. If White can continue his efficient play of late – he’s now shooting over 42% from the floor after many months at below 40% – the Bulls will know White is a keeper.
- Down: Wendell Carter Jr. seemed like the perfect modern-day big man but it has not clicked yet. He’s been better since a slow start, but with all the health issues with the Bulls’ frontcourt, Carter needs to do more.
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Up: Isaac Okoro. Did you know that Cleveland has the top-ranked defense in the NBA? Okoro is a prime example of how hard the Cavs are playing. When you see a pass deflected, you will see that it was Okoro that knocked the ball. When you see a player fall to the fall and the ref yell, “Charge!” you will see that it is Okoro on the floor.
- Down: Health is the biggest issue here. Tough to keep winning when you have so many good players sidelined. Maybe the Cavs want to take off this week so they can watch the Browns!
Dallas Mavericks
- Up: Tim Hardaway Jr is hitting his shots with much more consistency this season. He’s been in the starting lineup, he’s come off the bench. Hardaway is doing what he can to help this team win.
- Down: Dallas has been playing better of late, despite missing a bunch of players due to COVID protocols. Luka Doncic is getting to the basket more and Kristaps Porzingis is coming back so the Mavs now have their 1-2 punch.
Denver Nuggets
- Up: It’s easy to say Nikola Jokic so I’m going to say Nikola Jokic. Look, we have to acknowledge that his numbers are ridiculous. And it’s not like he looks the part or seems super athletic, but man, it all works. Jokic has to be in the MVP conversation.
- Down: For a team with title aspirations, Denver is off to a middling start. A main cause of the issue is that the Defense has been poor. Perhaps this is a result of losing Jerami Grant but that is just one issue. Denver allows opponents to convert 81.3% of shots at the rim, the highest level in the league. Denver also allows the seventh most three-pointers. So that’s bad on the inside and bad on the outside.
Detroit Pistons
- Up: Let’s talk more about Jerami Grant. He signed a three-year, $60m deal in the offseason and just about everyone questioned the move. Grant has answered with 25.1 ppg. Kudos to Pistons GM Troy Weaver for this move.
- Down: Blake Griffin has not shown his previous athleticism. Maybe he needs time but the Pistons need some of the old Blake to show up – so they can deal him.
Orlando Magic
- Up: Nicola Vuvecic has seen a lot of losses in Orlando but that does not seem to impact his attitude. Vuvecic may be having his best season yet, and if there was an All-Star game, Vuvecic would have a good claim to the starting center spot.
- Down: We had Markelle Fultz as “up” last time and look what happened. Cole Anthony has stepped into the starting point guard role and it’s been rough going. Anthony is not much of a threat from the three-point line but is not making shots from anywhere else either. Anthony did not expect to be thrust into this role so soon; let’s be very patient.
Miami Heat
- Up: Kelly Olynyk has moved into the starting power forward role and may not relinquish it. Always known as a solid three-point shooter, Olynyk spaces the floor for Miami and is now playing the fifth most minutes on the team and the most of his career.
- Down: Jimmy Butler is off to a slow start on the floor but a torrid start in the press room. This week, he said about the Heat, “I think we be playing dumb sometimes…Playing dumb, playing lazy…” Butler is neither dumb nor lazy but he is down to 15.8 ppg, far below what Miami needs from its best player.
Houston Rockets
- Up: John Wall has fit in well thus far. He looks to be healthy and as fast as we remember. If he stays healthy, this is a solid acquisition, as was Christian Wood. The Rockets also just acquired Victor Oladipo and a bunch of draft picks, so the scouting team should also be getting an “up” arrow as they will be busy.
- Down: The Rockets did not keep James Harden, the long-time face of the franchise, so that isn’t great. And while they did acquire a plethora of picks, Oladipo is a free agent at season’s end.
Indiana Pacers
- Up: Malcolm Brogdon has been terrific, an All-Star, and has averaged 27 ppg over the last five games. There are many Pacers players that fit the “up” category right now. Oh, and they just got Caris LeVert. LeVert is going to enjoy it in Indiana.
- Down: Aaron Holiday has been given opportunity but has yet to shine. Perhaps it’s the potpourri of ball handlers on this team that prevents Holiday from playing his best role.
Los Angeles Clippers
- Up: Nicolas Batum was not high on anyone’s list of best offseason moves but this would be a really awkward sentence if it turned out he was not one of the best off season moves. Batum, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard are all freakish NBA players. They all have natural small forward size but play in the post, from the three-point line, handle the ball, and excel at defense. Batum has been reborn.
- Down: For a team with a bunch of standout defensive players, the Clippers have one of the very worst defenses in the league. Ivica Zubac, who backs up starter Serge Ibaka, has had a very hard time. The Clippers allow almost 14 more ppg when Zubac is on the floor. Wow.
Los Angeles Lakers
- Up: LeBron James. You may know about him. What separates LeBron from nearly every other player in NBA history is the longevity of LeBron’s career. I saw LeBron play in the Magic Johnson “Midsummer Night’s Magic” charity game at Staples Center when LeBron was just finishing high school in 2003. Ron Artest tried to guard LeBron. Artest has a similar same build, so maybe he’d be strong enough to stop LeBron. No, LeBron just shot over him. Lamar Odom tried to guard LeBron because he’s about LeBron’s height. No, LeBron just went around him. Now it’s almost 18 years later and LeBron is still dominating every player that comes up to guard him.
- Down: I hate to pick on Kyrie Irving but he demanded a trade from Cleveland because he did not want to play with LeBron James.
Memphis Grizzlies
- Up: The team defense has been really good, so let’s give a hand to the hands of Tyus Jones. The backup point guard has transitioned to the starting role while Ja Morant is out with an injury. Jones is averaging 1.6 steals a game, the same as teammate Dillon Brooks, both tied for 12th in the league. Memphis’s defense allows 106.6 points per game, good for fifth-best in the NBA.
- Down: The team offense has been really bad. With their two best players, Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., sidelined, it is natural for a team to struggle. Memphis has the fourth-worst offensive rating in the league and shoots just 44.7% from the field.
Milwaukee Bucks
- Up: Khris Middleton has been on fire lately, averaging 25.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists over his last four games. Middleton’s playing about two and a half minutes per game more than last season and he is also shooting much better, at 55.4%. Can he keep that up? The Bucks hope so.
- Down: Brook Lopez is down almost three points a game on one less minute of playing time. The Bucks do not need Lopez to score much now but an offensive threat from their big men will help when it is playoff time.
Minnesota Timberwolves
- Up: Malik Beasley makes Page Six more than he makes ESPN, but he is playing as well as the Wolves could have expected. Beasley is averaging almost 20 ppg. The Wolves acquired Beasley last season and his on the court experience has been a big positive.
- Down: Ricky Rubio was acquired this offseason and so far has not been a positive. Rubio’s always been a passer first but scoring 6.3 ppg is not enough to get the Wolves into the winning column. Minnesota needs help and Rubio is not providing enough of it.
New York Knicks
- Up: Elfrid Payton was let go by the Knicks during the offseason. Now he is the Knicks starting point guard and he is playing well – well enough that Dennis Smith Jr., for one, does not see the court. Payton’s not the best outside shooter but he is very effective at getting to the hoop.
- Down: It’s tough to say RJ Barrett but do anyone’s shooting numbers fluctuate so wildly night-to-night? One game, RJ’s hitting 10 of 19 and the next night he’s 4 for 14. RJ is getting all the playing time he can handle and he has shown solid improvement in every other aspect of his game.
New Orleans Pelicans
- Up: Zion Williamson has scored 711 points in 32 games. According to ESPN Stats Info, that’s the fifth most by any player since 1981 and the most since Shaq in 1993.
- Down: The backcourt of Eric Bledsoe and Lonzo Ball has not gelled. A lack of real preseason time certainly hurt the chemistry and the ins and outs of this season have not helped either. Still, the Pelicans have one of the league’s lowest-scoring offenses and one of the worst three-point outputs. The latter is to be expected as neither Bledsoe nor Ball shines from downtown, but this team needs more than Zion and Brandon Ingram to keep defenses honest.
Phoenix Suns
- Up: Cameron Johnson was a controversial draft pick as he went higher in the 2019 draft than was expected by all the experts. Johnson has shown that the Suns were right to have such faith in him. All of his numbers are up in his sophomore season and they are better than starter Jae Crowder’s numbers as well.
- Down: DeAndre Ayton needs to pick it up a bit. He’s averaging 12.5 ppg when we all know he can average 20.
Portland Trail Blazers
- Up: CJ McCollum apparently had more upside. Who knew? McCollum’s third in the league in scoring at 28.1 ppg and leads the league in three pointers made. He’s attempting 15% more from three than he did last season. He also hits game winning shots.
- Down: Jusuf Nurkic was expected to continue his strong play from the league bubble. It has not yet worked out that way. One big flaw this season is that Nurkic is attempting nearly three free throws per game less than last season and he’s also doing terribly from the line when he does get there, at 50%.
Philadelphia 76ers
- Up: Tobias Harris started slowly but has performed much better until health protocols took him out of the lineup. There was speculation that Harris would do well when reunited with Doc Rivers and that has proven to be true.
- Down: Ben Simmons was on the trading block and now he’s staying put. How this impacts the Sixers remains to be seen.
Sacramento Kings
- Up: De’Aaron Fox is what he is: he is super fast, gets to the hoop, makes his teammates better players and gets a bunch of steals. The Kings signed him to a huge deal and now Fox needs to take over just a bit more.
- Down: Marvin Bagley will forever be associated with Luca Doncic but let’s hope he’s not associated with another number two pick and bust, Darko Milicic. Bagley’s off to a middling start and his father is complaining to the media.
San Antonio Spurs
- Up: DeMar DeRozen has spent years looking at three pointers and thinking, “What would Ben Simmons do? But now he’s taking nearly three a game and his expanded repertoire has not come at the expense of the team. DeRozen’s quietly having an excellent all-around campaign as he is among the league leaders in assists with seven per game.
- Down: The other key veteran, LaMarcus Aldridge, is off to a slow start. Knee injuries were a problem in the preseason and Aldridge has not looked like his old self yet. But he did get his first double-double of the season last night.
Washington Wizards
- Up: Bradley Beal is doing all he can. It’s not his fault that this team has not put the right talent around him yet. Beal is averaging 34. 9 ppg, way ahead of the next player, CJ McCollum at 28.1.
- Down: Russell Westbrook is out with a quad injury and apparently that issue has bothered him all season. The Wizards do not have many avenues to improve this season so getting their triple-double threat back on the court and back to his aggressive self will be key to salvaging what they can this year.
Toronto Raptors
- Up: Fred VanVleet got a nice contract in the off season and he’s lived up to it thus far. With his playing time the same as last season, VanVleet is averaging 4.5 more ppg and he’s taking just over three more shots per game than he did last season. VanVleet is shooting more from downtown, taking 9.2 threes per game.
- Down: A horrible start means someone has to get the blame. Let’s give it to Aaron Baynes, the former starting center. Chris Boucher, the backup, is outplaying Baynes. Alex Len joined the starting lineup and Boucher’s outplaying him too. Right now, Toronto’s defense has been pretty bad and part of the blame for that falls on the loss of mainstays Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka.
Utah Jazz
- Up: Donovan Mitchell was awesome in the bubble and had not been so good out of the bubble this season. Lately, Mitchell has been back to the bubble guy, scoring over 25 points in three of his last four games.
- Down: Bojan Bogdanovic may have had wrist issues so his slow start is understandable. It appears Bogdanovic may be feeling better and the Jazz need Bojan to be the 45.8% shooter he has been throughout his career rather than the under 38% guy he is now.
