Kyrie Irving’s trade demand to the Cavaliers front office was one of the biggest moments of this past NBA offseason — perhaps the most exciting in the history of the sport — and the drama that led up to his trade was nothing short of a daytime soap opera.
Many teams were rumored to be pursuing Irving after it was made known he wanted out of Cleveland, but the Celtics — armed with All-Star Isaiah Thomas and Brooklyn’s 2018 first rounder — swooped in to take Kyrie off of the Cavs’ hands.
However, recent reports are stating that Cleveland and San Antonio were extremely close to sealing a deal that would send Kyrie to the Spurs way before the Boston trade. The player that was rumored to be heading to Cleveland in exchange for Irving? None other than another former disgruntled star, LaMarcus Aldridge, who only recently signed an extension in the Alamo.
It makes a lot of sense that a trade between the two powerhouse clubs was discussed, as both Irving and Aldridge had become frustrated with their role on either team, so a straight swap between the two would’ve remedied both problems.
A duo of Kyrie Irving — under coach Pop’s tutelage — and Kawhi Leonard would’ve run rings around almost every other Western Conference team, and Aldridge joining the Cavs would have created a deadly pick-and-pop game between LeBron and LaMarcus. The issue of the starting power forward most likely would have arisen though between LMA and Kevin Love and may have resulted in a Love trade to acquire a starting caliber point guard to replace Irving.
Alas, Kyrie is now the number one option in Boston, and Aldridge is staying put in San Antonio for the foreseeable future, so this hypothetical will remain just that.
Expectations are a two-way street and sometimes people get extremely disappointed when they put a lot of hype and hopes in some youngsters that just aren’t as good are expected or take a while to blossom.
On the other hand, sometimes players that were considered average or busts shut their doubters up with outstanding play, outplaying their Draft position and even making some GM’s regret to have move them or passed on them.
This campaign has gotten off to a terrific start with a lot of surprises taking place on a nightly basis, including some guys’ performances throughout the first couple of weeks of the regular season.
That’s why today, we’re going to let you know about the top 10 guys that have definitely outplayed the expectations so far, hoping they can keep this kind of momentum going throughout 82 games.
10. Jakob Poeltl
Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images
Jakob Poeltl looked pretty much like a bust during his rookie season but has definitely taken a step forward this year as one of the few healthy guys in the Raptors’ frontcourt, backing up Serge Ibaka while Valanciunas is sidelined.
The sophomore big man has averaged over 20 minutes per game while scoring 8.5 points and grabbing 8 boards in over 60% from the floor and 62% from the line, something that would translate to 14.9 points and 14 rebounds per 36 minutes.
9. Patrick Beverley
Beverley has never been known for his offensive repertoire or contributions, but that’s mainly because he has played alongside James Harden for most of his career, and now that he’s a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, he’s been an unexpected contributor on the offensive end.
The fierce defender is averaging career highs in points and field goal percentage and has shown a lot of chemistry with his new teammates, holding onto the starting point guard gig with Milos Teodosic sidelined, averaging 2.6 steals per game so far.
8. Domantas Sabonis
The Oklahoma City Thunder gave up on Domantas Sabonis to land Paul George despite how well he had played during the first passages of the prior campaign, and he hasn’t hesitated to prove his worth on a Pacers squad needed of points down low with Myles Turner injured.
Domantas’ offensive arsenal is pretty complete and even though he’s not Porzingis (or even close to what his father was), he’s been extremely efficient from all over the floor this season, averaging 13 points and 10 boards to go along with 2.2 assists in over 67% shooting.
7. LaMarcus Aldridge
LaMarcus Aldridge has really stepped up in Kawhi Leonard’s absence, leading the San Antonio Spurs in scoring with his averages of 23.6 points (a career high) and almost 9 rebounds per contest throughout 7 games.
Of course, it’s not surprising that a veteran All-Star plays well, but considering all the noise surrounding him and his poor relationship with Popovich and desire to leave the team, this bounce-back season has come as a pleasant surprise.
6. Lauri Markkanen
Way before he made his professional debut, a lot of people was already saying that Lauri Markkanen was a major bust and that he’d be more of a Bargnani than a Porzingis. Gladly for Bulls fans, he proved them wrong during the last FIBA Eurobasket and hasn’t missed a beat since then.
Markkanen has gotten a lot of praise for his sweet shooting stroke, even by LeBron James himself, and he’s averaging 17.4 points and 10.7 rebounds on 43% from the floor and 41% from beyond the arc per 36 minutes, some pretty impressive numbers considering how poorly coached the team is and that he’s giving up shots to some teammates that aren’t even going to last in the league for long.
5. Donovan Mitchell
The Utah Jazz rookie was extremely impressive during the Summer League and the preseason, proving that he wasn’t afraid to step up with the Jazz in desperate need for some scoring, even proving to be a valuable asset on the defensive end as well.
Mitchell has had some really good outings when the Jazz has been shorthanded due to Hood’s injuries, and even though he’s struggled with consistency, his per 36 minutes averages are very sweet at 15.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.9 blocks per game at the shooting guard spot.
4. Tobias Harris
Credit: USA Today
Tobias Harris has long time been extremely underrated, as the forward has always been very productive all over the stat sheet but just doesn’t get the credit that’s due, mainly because the Detroit Pistons have sucked for the last 5 years or so.
Still, Harris is one of the main reasons why the team has gotten off to such a great start of this campaign, averaging 20.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 dimes in almost 50% from the floor and 46% from three-point territory.
3. Aaron Gordon
Most people were expecting a breakout year from Aaron Gordon and it seems they’re in for a treat, with the forward finally shifting back to his natural position and even having the green light to push up-tempo and run the Magic offense in open court when he feels like it.
Gordon put up a lot of work on his jumper and even attended sport psychology sessions and it seems like they definitely paid off, hitting from all over the floor with a lot of consistency and recording averages of 21 points, 9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals and a block per game in 54% from the floor and 59% from three-point land.
2. Otto Porter Jr
Otto Porter Jr has been one of the few players that have quietly improved on a yearly basis and it feels like he’s reaching his peak this season, picking a lot of the slack that John Wall has left in scoring so far and even showing a lot of defensive upsides as well.
Entering his 5th NBA season, the Georgetown product is currently averaging 18.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2.7 steals per game in 55% from the floor and 51% from three, all career highs and being a prime candidate for Most Improved Player of the Year.
And by far the most impressive player (considering expectations) so far this season has seen Victor Oladipo, and it feels like going back home to where he played his college career has really suited him well and that he’s keen to prove the Magic and Thunder wrong when they gave up on him.
As a matter of fact, Oladipo’s outplaying Paul George in pretty much every aspect of the game, averaging 25.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game on 50% from the floor, 46% from three and 88% from the line compared to George’s 19.5, 4.7, 2.5 and 2.7 on 42%, 38% and 93%.
The NBA regular season is just entering its third week, but we’ve still seen a lot of things that haven’t looked quite good so far, with surprising wins from teams that were supposed to be bad like the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons, while other so-called contenders have failed to live up to the expectations.
With just 9-10 games played so far, it’s still pretty early to make predictions and those teams that got off to a good start can still finish at the bottom of their conferences, while the ones that have been a disappointment can still turn their season around.
Of course, let’s also remember the fact that this preseason was a couple of weeks shorter than it usually is, so it’s quite normal to see good things still kind of rusty from the long inactivity period between campaigns.
If you’re a fan of the 5 NBA teams we’re going to name right now, you should be extremely disappointed. But hey, it’s still pretty early in the season, so get your head up and hope for the best in this upcoming months.
5. New Orleans Pelicans
Fadeaway World
The New Orleans Pelicans have one of the best frontcourts in the history of the game with their dynamic duo of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, but they can’t single-handedly lead a team with one of the worst supporting casts in the league right now to the postseason in the fierce Western Conference.
Rajon Rondo is yet to make his Pelicans debut, while Holiday isn’t looking nearly half as good as they expected him to be, and that 5-5 start of the season isn’t really encouraging for a team trying to keep Boogie Cousins past this season, with the big man likely to leave the team at the end of the season.
4. Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets were one of the most hyped teams entering this season after Paul Millsap’s arrival, as the veteran power forward was looked as the piece they just needed to go back to the playoffs with their young core featuring Gary Harris, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
Still, and despite Emmanuel Mudiay’s impressive play off the bench, the Nuggets have lost games they were supposed to win with great ease due to very slow starts, but it’s just a matter of time before they turn things around and improve that .500 record they’ve got so far.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder was supposed to completely crash all of their competition after Carmelo Anthony and Paul George decided to join forces with Russell Westbrook, but they’re still figuring out how to play way and win together, and that’s costed them a couple of matchups they could’ve and should’ve won.
Besides, the team is extremely short right now with much of the depth sent to the Knicks and the Pacers to land the couple of All-Stars. Still, they’ve looked pretty much unbeatable when they’ve clicked at the same time on the court, but they desperately need more help from the substitutes.
2. San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs got off to an impressive start of the season with LaMarcus Aldridge leading the way and Rudy Gay really providing a needed spark off the bench, but it was just a matter of time before things eventually fell down due to the absences of Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard.
San Antonio is in a major slump right now, but at least they’re bound to get their two stars back in the court pretty soon, so let’s hope they can stay healthy to take the team back to their usual dominant self.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been a complete disaster so far this season, barely losing to a Hayward-less Boston Celtics during their debut and currently they have only 4-5, with 4 of those losses being blowouts against noncontending teams from the weak Eastern Conference.
Reportedly, Tyronn Lue’s coaching job is in jeopardy after that dismal and disastrous showing from his pupils, and they better turn things around before Isaiah Thomas is ready to come back, as they don’t look anything like the team that has reached the last 3 NBA Finals in a row.
The San Antonio Spurs got off to a very good start of the season before sliding all the way back due to Tony Parker’s and Kawhi Leonard’s nagging injuries that have kept them on the shelf for a very long time, and things aren’t looking quite good for Popovich’s squad.
The Western Conference is pretty much a war right now and the Spurs can’t afford to fall back in the standings, even if we’re just talking about the first couple of weeks into this year’s NBA regular season.
Of course, if anybody can turn this team around and get them back to the top of the basketball world, that’s Gregg Popovich and his master basketball mind, but it seems like it’s going to take a while before that happens, even when Parker and Leonard go back to the hardwood.
So, that’s why today we’re going to let you know the 5 reasons why the San Antonio Spurs are going to disappoint us this year, but don’t worry, Spurs fans; Popovich will find the answer and they’ll come back stronger than ever.
5. Are The Spur Too Old?
The Spurs are the second oldest team in the Association (28.5 years), trailing just the slumping Cleveland Cavaliers (29.6 years) in that regard, and even though you definitely need the experience to thrive in this league, tired legs and injuries are going to take a major toll on this team’s chances in the NBA Playoffs even despite Pop’s great rotations.
San Antonio currently has a lot of important players over 30 years of age: Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Rudy Gay, LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol, pretty much their entire core besides Kawhi Leonard.
4. Poor Offense – 99 Problems
Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
San Antonio has always shown a great display on the offensive end, but considering how much their system change in favor of Kawhi Leonard the past couple of seasons, that’s nowhere near true when the Klaw’s not on the floor, being one of the main reasons why they’ve struggled so mightily so far.
See, with Leonard off the court, the Spurs currently have the 26th worst offensive efficiency on the floor with only 99.9 points per game, and they proved that during their latest mediocre blowout against the Golden State Warriors at home.
3. Is Kawhi Leonard Injury Prone Player?
Kawhi Leonard is pretty much the best two way player in the National Basketball Association, being a yearly frontrunner to take home both the Defensive Player of the Year and the Most Valuable Player award, but he’s never been able to play throughout the full 82 games of an NBA season.
Leonard’s been injury prone through his young and successful career and we don’t know how he’ll come back from this quad injury that’s keep him in the bleachers for a very long time now, nor if this will be the last injury he’ll suffer during this campaign.
2. LaMarcus Aldridge And Isolation Play
Popovich himself admitted that he made a mistake when he tried to make Aldridge a different player, as the former Blazer needs to have a lot of touches to get offensive flow and be a prolific scorer, something that’s not going to happen once Kawhi Leonard’s able to go back to action as the team’s go-to guy.
Now, this team runs a lot of isolation sets, both for Leonard and especially for Aldridge, stopping their signature offensive flow. Today, San Antonio ranks 18th in the league with just 21.7 assists per game, while they used to average over 24.5 dimes per contest during their last Championship run.
The Golden State Warriors are just unfair and mean, and the league should just give them the trophy already. As a matter of fact, they proved it during their last outing, when they were behind for most of the game and were trailing for as much as 19 points before opening a late 20 point lead, outscoring San Antonio with great ease by 39 points.
Of course, the Spurs (besides Memphis) are the only team that can arguably stop them and they were even beating them in the playoffs before Leonard fell down with an injury, but we just don’t seem anyone capable of defeating a team featuring the best 3 shooters in the league and a defensive standout like Draymond Green.
When it comes to the NBA draft, getting things right can be hard.
It’s no wonder that scouts are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to research potential prospects for the entire year, year in and year out, as one player is capable of changing the direction of a franchise for a very long time.
With that being said, scouts cannot predict the future, and just because players get drafted in the top three, doesn’t necessarily mean they are going to be the best three players from that draft class. In fact, I’d hazard to guess that more All-Star talent has come from the 4-9 draft pick range than the 1-3 picks.
Case in point: The last number two overall pick to make an All-Star team was Kevin Durant, who was drafted all the way back in 2007, over 10 years ago, courtesy of StephCurryIsMEXICAN on Reddit.
Let’s have a look at some of the players drafted number two overall since Durant’s arrival to the NBA.
Michael Beasley — Thought to be the second-best player in 2008 behind Derrick Rose, has bounced between the NBA and international leagues.
Hasheem Thabeet — One of the biggest draft busts ever considering the talent taken after him in the 2009 draft.
Evan Turner — Was mediocre for the 76ers and never lived up to his potential.
Derrick Williams — Bounced around the league, playing for five teams in total.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist — Still young enough to become a borderline All-Star, but his shooting needs a major overhaul.
Victor Oladipo — Has the potential to become an All-Star being the focal point in Indiana.
Jabari Parker — Could become a multiple All-Star down the road, but injuries are a big concern.
D’Angelo Russell — In the same boat as Oladipo, could become an All-Star given the opportunity in Brooklyn.
Brandon Ingram — Was touted as the next KD, but hasn’t exactly shown signs of the comparison just yet.
Lonzo Ball — Way too early to tell, but given his skillset, if he can get his shooting woes in order, should become a multiple All-Star given his brand and popularity in LA already.
Before Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge, who was drafted the year prior, was the latest All-Star drafted at number 2.
Given that the number 2 pick isn’t as much of a sure thing as many people percieve it to be, it’ll be extremely surprising if each of the past 5 #2 picks all become All-Stars in their careers, as all of them definitely have the potential to do so — the only reason being, history has not been kind to number 2 picks.
Fantasy Sports have been on the rise in recent years, and if you aren’t already a member of a league, what are you doing with your life? You can’t feed your inner manager if you haven’t played Fantasy Basketball at least once. Whether it is a 5-team league you created with your buddies or a deep league that you joined for fun, here is a list of players that you should definitely sell-high, before it’s too late :
5. Clint Capela
The Houston Rockets gave up a ton of assets in the off-season to lure the Clippers to give up Chris Paul. Bringing in a true PG has really sky-rocketed Clint Capela’s game, who really benefits from the presence of Chris Paul and James Harden. Almost all his points come from dunks, so having two elite passers throw lobs at him has had a massive impact on his numbers.
He now posts 13.2 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.7 bpg and 0.8 spg, all career-highs. Moreover, his FGs percentages are at 65.7%, and his FTs at a mere 62.3%, but these are also career-highs. However, Chris Paul has been injured for the first couple of weeks in the season, and the newly-traded PG will surely get some more touches. Clint Capela is currently posting top-35 value, and this is a great opportunity to sell-high.
4. Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis has been plagued by injuries in all six seasons of his career. He has yet to play the full 82 matches so far in a season, with the 75 he played last season setting a career-high. Seeing your top pick miss numerous matches over the course of the year can be really frustrating. And there’s always the risk that the Pelicans will shut him down towards the end of the season if they are not in the playoff chase.
This season he is posting 25.2 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.2 spg, and 1.7 bpg through 21 matches, as he seems to have found the perfect chemistry with Cousins, Rondo and Holiday. If you hate injuries as much as we do, you should really think about flipping him. You might get a different first pick in return, or you can maybe flip him for a 2nd and 3rd pick.
3. Joel Embiid
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Joel Embiid eventually made his NBA debut last season, Embiid showed some scary talent. His numbers were quite impressive (20.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 2.1 apg, 2.5 bpg, 0.9 spg). This season he has been posting averages of 23.5 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 3.2 apg and 2.0 bpg.
He had a massive performance against the Los Angeles Lakers on November 15th, with career-highs in points (46), assists (7) and blocks (7). His talent is irrefutable, but his injuries are a big concern to his season-long outlook. While we do trust the Process, we don’t trust his legs, so he is considered as a sell-high candidate in our books.
2. DeAndre Jordan
The Clippers have been destroyed by injuries to key players this season, as Blake Griffin is out for a couple of months, Gallinari has only played a few matches, Beverley is out for season, and Teodosic was injured in his second match.
As a result, the Clippers are sitting at the 11th spot of the Western Conference (W8 L15), and a re-build is more likely than ever. DeAndre Jordan is the most likely to be traded from the lot, and the Bucks have emerged as a possible landing spot. There should be plenty of interest from around the league, and holding on to him might be an option. However, you can also explore the possibility of selling him, before he lands in a crowded front-court that might kill whatever value he has.
LaMarcus Aldridge has been sensational so far in the season, posting averages of 22.6 ppg (his highest since joining the Spurs), to go along with 8.0 rpg, 2.2 apg and 1.2 bpg. However, Kawhi Leonard has yet to play this season due to an injury, so Aldridge had been very busy. Kawhi is almost fully healed by now, and he is nearing a return to action.
When that happens, Aldridge will not be able to keep up at this pace. Don’t forget that the Spurs also have Pau Gasol, who is also having a massive season at 39 years of age. His numbers will not go on like this, and he is also due for some maintenance days under Gregg Popovich.
When you think of dual-sport athletes, only a few sporting combinations come to mind. Football and baseball is usually the most popular one among college athletes, with names such as Bo Jackson springing to mind. But basketball and martial arts? It’d be pretty hard to find a pair of sports that are more different.
But San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard has proven that it can be done, as he has apparently been practicing karate while rehabbing from his quad injury.
Leonard was shown on Foot Locker’s snapchat account dressed in a black karategi, and actually managed to break three wooden planks in half… with his bare hands.
Very impressive, but it’s no wonder Kawhi is able to snap those planks in half when you consider the size of his ginormous hands.
Leonard has been sitting out the first 27 games of the season for the San Antonio Spurs with an apparent quad injury, which he suffered from while rehabbing from his ankle injury he suffered in the Western Conference Finals last season.
Without Kawhi, the Spurs have been their usual self, posting a 19-8 record, good enough for third in the West. The re-addition of Kawhi will do wonders for the Spurs, who currently sit only 2.5 games behind the Houston Rockets, who have the league’s best record.
In his absence, the likes of LaMarcus Aldridge (22.7 points per game) have carried the load for San Antonio, which only makes the Spurs even more dangerous once Kawhi — who has placed third in MVP voting for the past two years — returns, which is apparently going to be on Tuesday against the Dallas Mavericks if reports are to be believed.
Oh hey, maybe he could quit this basketball thing and pursue his true passion of karate.
Everyone been askin' "Where has Kawhi been this year?"
Answer: He doing fine, just needed a software update. Popovich programmed him to kill, download & install took a little longer than expected. pic.twitter.com/pJgtO0Pjim
When was the last time you saw Gregg Popovich admit he was wrong about something? Not recently, that’s for sure.
Popovich is one of the all-time greats when to comes to NBA coaches, and very rarely does he make mistakes with this craft, let alone admit to making one, but Gregg has done just that.
In an interview with NBA.com’s Shaun Powell, Popovich explains how he messed up badly after All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge signed with the Spurs in 2015.
“We broke bread a few times, talked about it, laughed about it, discussed what we thought needed to happen, and frankly 95 percent of it fell on me because I made an error in trying to change him too much.
“That might sound odd, but he’d been in the league nine years and there’s one way he plays on the offensive end and feels comfortable with.
“I tried to turn him into Jack Sikma, told him I was going to teach you how to play on the elbow, go on the wing, face up. It was confusing for him. It really didn’t fit his style of play. I was guilty of over coaching in a sense.”
As you can see, Pop feels a little guilty over how Aldridge’s production fell a little flat when he first arrived in San Antonio, as he tried to transform LMA’s game into something he wasn’t used to or comfortable with.
This revelation comes after Aldridge’s stellar start to this season, where he has seemingly returned to his Portland form while Kawhi Leonard has been out nursing various injuries. Aldridge is averaging close to 23 points a game this year, five more than he did last season, and lit up the stat sheet against the Grizzlies back in November, dropping 41 points on 71% shooting.
With Leonard returning to the Spurs’ lineup, it’ll be interesting to see if LaMarcus can keep up his strong play.
We are precisely around two months into the 2017-18 NBA season and this season has brought more surprises than a big jolly fat man could ever bring you. Whether it be a player having an unexpected comeback season to another player proving that they can be “the man” in a new city.
Many other awesome storylines are unraveling for fans to enjoy after what was arguably the greatest off-season in NBA history. In this article, we at Fadeaway are looking deeper at 5 NBA talents have beaten expectations and shut down critics. How do you shut up a hater? You hit the hardwood and ball up. Let your game fall where it may. These 5 players are have silenced their haters so far on this young NBA season.
5. Dwight Howard
The 32-year-old big man struggled last year with his hometown team, the Atlanta Hawks and had a very forgettable season. What was meant to be a happy trip home for Superman, turned into a mess real quickly? The way the Hawks were using Howard did not benefit him. A big man needs to get fed in the post. Howard averaged his fewest shot attempts during the 2016-17 season with Atlanta since his rookie season in Orlando. Howard only attempted 8.3 shots a game this past season.
Over the 2017 offseason, Howard was shipped to the Charlotte Hornets for Marco Belinelli, Miles Plumlee, and the 41st pick in the 2017 draft. Many people felt Dwight Howard was just trending water and that he would fade into obscurity. Well, it sucks to be wrong, and many of us owe D12 an apology. This happy go lucky big man has been reunited with Steven Clifford, who was an assistant coach for the Orlando Magic for 5 years of Howard’s tenure there (2007-12).
To make a long story shorter, Dwight Howard is averaging 16.4 ppg with the Hornets to go along 12.4 rpg on 55% shooting. Howard’s scoring average with the Hornets is his highest since the 2013-14 season when he was a member of the Houston Rockets. Howard’s rebounding average is good for 5th in the NBA. Howard is having a campaign of resurgence.
4. Kyrie Irving
The past offseason, in a blockbuster deal between the two top teams in the Eastern Conference, we saw Kyrie Irving be sent from Cleveland to Boston for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder and the 2018 Brooklyn Pick. Many people cited Boston as the ultimate losers of this exchange, not many believed in Irving’s ability to step out LeBron’s shadow and be “the man”. Kyrie Irving was a viewed as a one-dimensional isolation scorer with flashy handles. Some critics argued that he was nothing before LeBron arrived and will be nothing without LeBron.
Let’s fast forward to the 2017-18 season opener where the Celtics met the Cavaliers in which the Celtics were battle tested despite losing one of their projected top players in Gordon Hayward. The Celtics would have to change their whole season game plan in an instant. Kyrie Irving was going to be depended on even more, but what people forget is this was not just any team that Kyrie was a part of. This was the Boston Celtics, a well-oiled machine coached by one of the best in Brad Stevens. The Celtics would lose their first two of that season, then respond by winning 16 straight. In what was deemed as a historical sequence of events.
Led by the brilliance of Kyrie Irving who currently sitting in the top 5 in the MVP race. Irving has become a better two way player under Brad Stevens something that was not able to happen for him in Cleveland. He is 12th in defensive win shares and 7th in the league in offensive win shares. By those two metrics, he is developing into a true two way player for the best team in the east.
3. D’Angelo Russell
Magic came to LA, there was room for Lonzo Ball, but none for a former 2nd overall pick in the 2015 draft, D’Angelo Russell. Many believed the Nets gained a surefire bust in D’Angelo Russell, after a legend in Magic Johnson dismissed him to build around Lonzo Ball instead. D’Angelo Russell played just 12 games before going down to a knee injury.
It is not season ending, the team is bringing him along slowly.
However, in those 12 outings, Russell gave us NBA viewers goosebumps with his serious offensive skill making the Brooklyn Nets a competitive force in what has a been a tougher east than previously forecast this year. In 12 outings, Russell averaged 20.9 ppg, 5.7 apg and 4.7 apg on 46% shooting.
Brooklyn fans got a taste of what their so-called promising star can do. It has been a great experiment for a team that is still reeling from the infamous Nets-Celtics trade in the 2013 offseason. Jahlil Okafor, you want to silence the haters?
Joel Embiid is playing and the Sixers are winning. The former 3rd overall pick in 2014 is averaging over 30 mpg nightly. Joel Embiid is proving to be one of best all-around big men in the game today. The center with an infectious personality and tweet ability has been a consistently available presence on both ends of the court this year.
The Sixers have went from Trust the Process to See the Progress. Embiid is averaging MVP caliber numbers in his second season. Embiid is averaging 23.7 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 3.4 apg and 1.9 bpg on 49% shooting.
Embiid is proving to be the real deal in Philadelphia, he has this old-school vibe with his trash talking and the amount of fun he has on the court. Comparable to my excitement on Christmas morning. Embiid keeps it real and whether you love or hate him. You can’t deny that’s he’s extremely entertaining to watch. Not a debate to be won or had simply.
1. LaMarcus Aldridge
LaMarcus Aldridge had been through the rigors with his game having to be altered to fit coach Popovich’s system. In doing that, LA’s performance declined and his effort seemed halfhearted.
It really showed last postseason, when Aldridge averaged a pedestrian 16.5 ppg and 7.4 rpg on 45% shooting and a paltry 14% from 3. Popovich takes full blame of Aldridge’s struggles last season, citing it was the way he being used. Popovich opened up to the media before the Spurs season opener:
“I did talk with him several times over the summer. He just didn’t feel comfortable — and it was 98.75% on me. But I tried to change him. I thought back to when Timmy came and people asked me ‘What are you gonna do with Tim Duncan?’ I said nothing. I’m just gonna watch him for 6 months and see what he does. He’s a pretty good player. LaMarcus, he got here on day one. I said OK you’re gonna do this; you’re gonna do this pump fake — I tried to change him. I tried to make him a different player. I think that really affected his ability to feel comfortable and confident on the court. And we took care of that, basically by me, letting him know that were gonna do it differently and that it was on me, and not on him.”
That statement says it all. Even, great coaches mess up with great players. Something had to give.
That’s exactly what would happen. This season, LA kept the Spurs afloat in a tough Western Conference. LA has been playing his best basketball since his Portland days. Aldridge is averaging 22.7 ppg and 8.3 rpg. When an All-Star caliber big man gets his comfort level back, the NBA should be prepped for an attack.
There are many players that jump out of nowhere every season and shock a consensus. They put the haters to rest because preconceived notions about certain players hold no weight anymore. Dwight Howard is balling again, Kyrie is locking down guys, D’Angelo Russell is finding his niche in this game, Joel Embiid is staying healthy, and LA is a star again. Have a blessed day!
A top-tier, hall-of-fame coach who consistently steers those around him in the right direction, a class-filled executive team who almost always makes the right decisions, a roster riddled with unselfish players, and a culture rich in glory and consistency is usually the norm for the Spurs organization.
This season, unfortunately, may bring about the end of an era of greatness for this franchise.
The problems began to surface last summer when the Spurs faced off against the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. In the series, Kawhi Leonard suffered a calf injury that would end up basically sidelining him for 10 months. Without Kawhi for most of the season, it’s been hard for the team to maintain their usual level of supremacy.
To make matters even worse, the Spurs have also seen an unusual amount of off-court drama recently as well. Questions and doubts about Kawhi’s status coupled with reports of LaMarcus Aldridge’s reported unhappiness early in the season have all served as major distractions.
In short, this season has served up more than a few challenges for the usually surging San Antonio Spurs. Now, they sit at the seventh seed in the West after going 2-8 in their last ten games. Still, the challenges will only continue to mount from here… even despite reports of Kawhi’s possible return this Thursday night.
Being only one game back from the 10th seeded Nuggets, the Spurs don’t have much room for error at this point. And, taking a look at their schedule ahead, it will not be easy.
They only face 3 teams under .500 for the rest of the season, and 10 of their next 16 games will be against teams who currently pose a better record than them.
To be blunt, the odds are certainly not in their favor at this point. And while it is usually never wise to count out the Spurs, their current situation may prove too much for even them to overcome.
