Post by carlos on Dec 19, 2023 3:26:49 GMT
Early Season Storylines: Eastern Conference
With one month in the books, it’s a good time to look at some of the early storylines around the league. We’ll start with the Eastern Conference where super teams have reigned mediocre and new superstars have begun to emerge.
Rise of the Super Teams
The biggest storyline to start the year was the movement of some of the biggest names in the game, with two teams in particular emptying the cupboards for a chance at the league’s first title. The Miami Heat kicked off the arms race by trading promising rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr and 2 picks to the Lakers for Anthony Davis before trading another pair of picks to the Clippers for James Harden. Not to be outdone by their Atlantic Division rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers went out and traded for their own pair of LA superstars in Lebron James and Paul George. Both teams have gotten off to a slow start but look to be turning it around as the Heat have won 5 in a row and the 76ers are coming off a 3-1 sim and are finally getting healthy.
While Anthony Davis, Lebron James, Paul George, and James Harden are some of the top stars in the league, they’re not the only ones who found themselves moving East this year. The conference-leading Pacers also went shopping in LA, picking up Kawhi Leonard while the Raptors spent big on Bradley Beal. The Pacers are seeing huge early returns as they lead the East but the Raptors are hoping things turn around as they’re closer to competing for the top pick than the top seed to start the year.
Rough Starts for Big Names
With so many big names making their mark to start the year, there’s bound to be some disappointment to go around. Unfortunately for their GMs, some of the biggest disappointments to start also carry the biggest contracts. The biggest disappointments to start the year have to be Jaylen Brown of the Nets and Bradley Beal of the Raptors, both of which are averaging well below their projected averages and doing so inefficiently.
Beal came to Toronto this offseason with the expectation that he’d be the top scorer on a team competing for the playoffs but he’s struggled to score, hold onto the ball, or even consistently stay on the court. While some patience is required when making team-altering moves, the Raptors front office has to be sweating as Beal is currently only providing 11 PPG while earning nearly $47 million. The hope is that the injuries are causing the struggles and all will be resolved with time, but Beal’s combination of contract and production has the potential to kill teams before they can get started.
Jaylen Brown hasn’t been nearly as bad but hasn’t exactly earned himself too many new fans in Brooklyn. The fit was always questionable with Mikal Bridges and Cam Thomas already on the roster, but the vision of Brown providing an elite scorer off the bench has yet to materialize. He’s only getting 24 minutes but isn’t making the most of them as he’s scoring in single digits and shooting 31% from 3 despite great scoring ratings. To top it off, he’s getting outplayed by Malik Beasley who makes nearly $30 million less. Brown’s contract balloons to nearly $50 million next year with no guarantee of increased playing time.
New Generation of Star PGs
One of the biggest stories in the East this year is the rise of so many talented young PGs, each with their own unique skillsets that set them apart. Starting with an early MVP candidate, Tyrese Haliburton has cemented himself as one of the best players in the league as he’s leading the Pacers to the best record in the East with extremely efficient scoring and proving himself among the best playmakers in the league. Further down the standings, the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers have been among the most disappointing teams to start but have a lot to be excited about with their floor generals. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Magic is a do-it-all stud who plays the strongest defense of the bunch, averaging nearly 2 SPG. The only fault one can point to is his turnovers, which are a manageable but not great 3.1 per game. Tyrese Maxey of the 76ers has seen his role change throughout the season as the team struggled with injuries and made a lot of moves, but he’s been a consistent contributor in all facets of the game, racking up 2 triple doubles in the young season and boasting an incredible 7.1 assist to turnover ratio.
The rebuilding teams also show tons of promise at the PG position, especially the Hornets and Pistons with Lonzo Ball and Cade Cunningham respectively. Ball is another do-it-all superstar who scores at an impressive and efficient clip, averaging over 25 PPG and nearly 50% shooting from 3. He’s also a plus rebounder and one of the best passers in the league. He’s not a strong on-ball defender but makes up for it by leading the league in steals. Similarly, Cade Cunningham has proven himself as a scorer, averaging 26 PPG on good shooting to start the year and is right behind Ball on the steals leaderboard. He’s not quite the playmaker or rebounder Ball is, but he has an extra year of camping available to him. The big area of concern for both is, ironically, holding onto the ball as Lonzo and Cade lead the league in turnovers.
Tomorrow, we’ll take a look at the storylines that have dominated the Western Conference throughout the first month of the season.
With one month in the books, it’s a good time to look at some of the early storylines around the league. We’ll start with the Eastern Conference where super teams have reigned mediocre and new superstars have begun to emerge.
Rise of the Super Teams
The biggest storyline to start the year was the movement of some of the biggest names in the game, with two teams in particular emptying the cupboards for a chance at the league’s first title. The Miami Heat kicked off the arms race by trading promising rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr and 2 picks to the Lakers for Anthony Davis before trading another pair of picks to the Clippers for James Harden. Not to be outdone by their Atlantic Division rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers went out and traded for their own pair of LA superstars in Lebron James and Paul George. Both teams have gotten off to a slow start but look to be turning it around as the Heat have won 5 in a row and the 76ers are coming off a 3-1 sim and are finally getting healthy.
While Anthony Davis, Lebron James, Paul George, and James Harden are some of the top stars in the league, they’re not the only ones who found themselves moving East this year. The conference-leading Pacers also went shopping in LA, picking up Kawhi Leonard while the Raptors spent big on Bradley Beal. The Pacers are seeing huge early returns as they lead the East but the Raptors are hoping things turn around as they’re closer to competing for the top pick than the top seed to start the year.
Rough Starts for Big Names
With so many big names making their mark to start the year, there’s bound to be some disappointment to go around. Unfortunately for their GMs, some of the biggest disappointments to start also carry the biggest contracts. The biggest disappointments to start the year have to be Jaylen Brown of the Nets and Bradley Beal of the Raptors, both of which are averaging well below their projected averages and doing so inefficiently.
Beal came to Toronto this offseason with the expectation that he’d be the top scorer on a team competing for the playoffs but he’s struggled to score, hold onto the ball, or even consistently stay on the court. While some patience is required when making team-altering moves, the Raptors front office has to be sweating as Beal is currently only providing 11 PPG while earning nearly $47 million. The hope is that the injuries are causing the struggles and all will be resolved with time, but Beal’s combination of contract and production has the potential to kill teams before they can get started.
Jaylen Brown hasn’t been nearly as bad but hasn’t exactly earned himself too many new fans in Brooklyn. The fit was always questionable with Mikal Bridges and Cam Thomas already on the roster, but the vision of Brown providing an elite scorer off the bench has yet to materialize. He’s only getting 24 minutes but isn’t making the most of them as he’s scoring in single digits and shooting 31% from 3 despite great scoring ratings. To top it off, he’s getting outplayed by Malik Beasley who makes nearly $30 million less. Brown’s contract balloons to nearly $50 million next year with no guarantee of increased playing time.
New Generation of Star PGs
One of the biggest stories in the East this year is the rise of so many talented young PGs, each with their own unique skillsets that set them apart. Starting with an early MVP candidate, Tyrese Haliburton has cemented himself as one of the best players in the league as he’s leading the Pacers to the best record in the East with extremely efficient scoring and proving himself among the best playmakers in the league. Further down the standings, the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers have been among the most disappointing teams to start but have a lot to be excited about with their floor generals. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Magic is a do-it-all stud who plays the strongest defense of the bunch, averaging nearly 2 SPG. The only fault one can point to is his turnovers, which are a manageable but not great 3.1 per game. Tyrese Maxey of the 76ers has seen his role change throughout the season as the team struggled with injuries and made a lot of moves, but he’s been a consistent contributor in all facets of the game, racking up 2 triple doubles in the young season and boasting an incredible 7.1 assist to turnover ratio.
The rebuilding teams also show tons of promise at the PG position, especially the Hornets and Pistons with Lonzo Ball and Cade Cunningham respectively. Ball is another do-it-all superstar who scores at an impressive and efficient clip, averaging over 25 PPG and nearly 50% shooting from 3. He’s also a plus rebounder and one of the best passers in the league. He’s not a strong on-ball defender but makes up for it by leading the league in steals. Similarly, Cade Cunningham has proven himself as a scorer, averaging 26 PPG on good shooting to start the year and is right behind Ball on the steals leaderboard. He’s not quite the playmaker or rebounder Ball is, but he has an extra year of camping available to him. The big area of concern for both is, ironically, holding onto the ball as Lonzo and Cade lead the league in turnovers.
Tomorrow, we’ll take a look at the storylines that have dominated the Western Conference throughout the first month of the season.
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