Early NBA Thoughts…Sorry, New Jersey

on 11 19, 2009

The New Jersey Nets have started the NBA season at 0-11.  They’re the only winless team left in the league.  They recently missed out on their first win against Miami, featuring a starting lineup of Rafer Alston, Terrence Williams, Trenton Hassell, Josh Boone, and Brook Lopez.  Sheesh!  With Devin Harris, Yi Jianlian, and Courtney Lee out with injuries, this team looked like a D-League Champion.  I can’t say I’m surprised that the Nets stink.  Now I’m just basically rooting for them to be an all-time bad team.  Why?  I’m not sure, but I like to see epic levels of incompetence.  Nets fans can at least look forward to their Russian Billionaire owner moving the team, and the chance of landing John Wall.

The Atlanta Hawks are 9-2, currently sitting on top the Eastern Conference Standings.  Who’d a thunk it?  The Hawks have just creeped along, getting better and better ever since acquiring Mike Bibby a few years back.  Playing a power forward at center, Al Horford, is apparently working out well for them.  Jamal Crawford is doing fantastic as a 6th man, and it’ll be interesting to see if they can actually take a top 3 seed from either Cleveland, Boston, or Orlando come playoff time.  The Hawks are back!

The Phoenix Suns are also 10-2, and I’m shocked.  I thought this team was due for a mediocre year.  Apparently not.  Nash is like a maestro out there, running the show beautifully.  Channing Frye is even hitting three balls, and has finally found a place where he can play big minutes.  Do I think this team can win a title?  No chance in hell.  But they look poised to make a deep playoff run.

Brandon Jennings put up 55 points for the Bucks.  In one game.  No, I’m serious.  It looks like Jennings is a cross between Allen Iverson and Kevin Johnson.  With Blake Griffin’s knee fracture opening up the door for anyone to win the Rookie of the Year, it looks like Jennings has the inside track.

The Miami Heat have started 7-3, surprising a lot of folks.  Dwyane Wade absolutely carries his team.  He needs to score crazy amounts just for them to compete.  He’s been money in crunch time, and should have a solid shot at MVP.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are 6-5, and will make the playoffs, in my opinion.  I cannot emphasize this enough:  Kevin Durant is really really really good.  Durant is 6 foot 9 with a freakish wingspan, handles like a guard, can shoot from anywhere, posts up smaller guys, is great in transition, and can rebound very well.  What can’t this guy do?  He’s just scratching the surface of his potential.  He’ll be an MVP candidate.  Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, and James Harden are only going to get better as the season progresses, and I see the Thunder finishing at .500 or higher.

Jennings_cropped

The Houston Rockets have started out pretty well, recently beating the Lakers, and almost beating them a few weeks earlier in an overtime loss.  On paper, this team is terrible.  Why are they doing so well?  They’re scrappy as hell.

Stephen Jackson was traded to the Bobcats.  Ouch.  I guess he got what he wanted.  The Cavaliers seemed to miss a good opportunity to trade for a big shooting guard.  Allen Iverson was waived, and it looks like he’s waiting for his phone to ring.  I wouldn’t call him.

New Orleans stinks and Utah has been less than stellar.  That’s two spots possibly up for grabs in the west playoffs, and the Thunder will take one of them.  Count it.  Mark it down.  Pencil it in.  Do whatever you have to.  The Sonics, er, Thunder, are a damn exciting team.

Now, obviously there’s a long way to go in the season, but these are just some initial thoughts.  Things will change.  I have no doubt.  82 games is a lot of games.

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