Post All-star break initial thoughts...

     Let me start by stating I have zero interest in anything that involves all-star weekend except perhaps there were a few badass dunks between Aaron Gordon and Zach Lavine.  Moving on...

     I watched Utah Vs. Washington the other night.  I was listening to the Washington announcers and it’s never a good sign when the local announcers sound like they constantly expect their team to make mistakes and collapse.  Washington has a good team in there somewhere.  I like their length with Otto Porter and Garrett Temple.  Both guys seem like they’ll be good players but it’s going to take a few years.  Neither one shoots particularly well but they’ve both got good form and I see their accuracy improving over time.  In a few years if Washington can stay the course there’s a dangerous team of Wall, Beal, Porter, Temple, and Morris.  I’m not a fan of Morris’ attitude but he’s a good, tough player and he really has a good chance to fit right in with Washington.  He’s got length and is strong and can shoot.  All five guys on Washington could be interchangeable with length on defense and all threats on offense.  I’m not sure if Washington is willing to wait it out but if they are this team could be good in a few years.  Utah is hard to figure out.  They’ve been playing very well before the break but did not look good on this night.  They struggle so hard to get shots on offense.  Hood and Hayward are their only consistent threats, but Favors and Gobert should be effective on offense.  Gobert rolls well and Favors has a surprisingly versatile in and out game.  They so clearly lack a viable NBA level point guard to help them get easier shots.  Someone that can run an offense and put pressure on the opposing team.  Trey Burke is clearly not that player and will never be more than a 20-minute a game back up.  Raul Neto is pretty much the equivalent talent of Burke but looks to pass more rather to shoot, which is probably the only reason he’s starting.  In today’s NBA that point guard combination is going to be a major problem and currently it’s keeping Utah from seeing what kind of team they really have.

Biggest/ Favorite surprises of the season so far:

     Blazers:  I can’t believe this team isn’t terrible.  Not only are they not as bad as I thought they’d be but they actually might make the playoffs.  Not only might they make the playoffs but they might be a higher seed then 8^th.  The biggest surprise on this surprising team is clearly C.J. McCollum.  He’s hands down the most improved player of the year.  Last year he averaged 6.8ppg and this year he/s at 21.1ppg.  Lillard is still flawed as a player and though he’s upped his ppg average from 21 to 25.1 that’s mostly due to an increase in attempts now that he’s the main focus of their offense.  His field goal percentages of 42.7% from the field and only 37.2% from 3 point range are not what they should be for someone considered to be a great shooter.  McCollum is at 44.9% and 40.8% respectively.  In addition to his low shooting percentages, Lillard’s defense is still not good.  But he seems to be a good leader who plays hard and gets his team to stay focused.  Intangible qualities that often go unnoticed in a league obsessed with the latest metrics.  Beyond the backcourt there just isn’t a whole lot going on for the Blazers and that’s why I’m so impressed that they are above .500. 

     Rookies: I can’t believe how good last year’s draft was when you get past the lottery.  Obviously Towns is awesome and Porzingis is a Unicorn.  Okafor can score and Russell is on the wrong team with the wrong coach.  But starting from the 10^th pick on is when this draft really separates itself.  Winslow is a good defensive player who could be a good basketball player if he ever learns to shoot.  His mechanics don’t look terrible.  I’m really impressed by Myles Turner.  If this guy had been drafted by the Knicks there would definitely be talk that he was the second coming of Jesus Christ.  Turner was held a bit back by injuries early on but now that he’s healthy he looks really good.  He can shoot and he’s tough inside and he’s big and quick and has a high motor.  Trey Lyles, Devin Booker, and Bobby Portis are all going to be excellent players as well.  Rarely do drafts have so many real potential rotation players beyond the 10^th pick that become apparent in their rookie years.  Usually the post lottery guys take a few years to become something.  There are also a number of other picks like Mudiay and Stanley Johnson and Kaminsky and Cameron Payne and Cauley-Stein that have potential to be legit NBA players.  What I’m trying to say is that it’s about as deep a draft as we’ve had in a while. 

Biggest disappointments right now:

          It was pointed out to me recently that Chicago is probably not a legitimate threat to Cleveland in the East and I would have to agree with that not only because everyone on their team is injured but because they seem a bit directionless.  You never know though. 

     Oklahoma City is just so hit and miss.  Durant and Westbrook are so good but the team around them makes no sense.  Ibaka is nice but after that it’s clear Presti has done a terrible job choosing the supporting cast.  They signed Kantor to way too big a contract.  He’s effective on offense at times but he’s practically unplayable for major minutes due to his atrocious defense.  Watching him lope back on defense is one of my least favorite sights.  It’s not that he’s not trying but that his strides are so awkward and slow.  Waiters likewise is practically unplayable for major minutes and yet he gets them.  Adams is fine but he’s only capable of so much.  Beyond Durant and Westbrook and Ibaka it’s impossible to come up with an ideal five players you’d like on the court at crunch time.  Who do you pick from their lineup as the other two.  There are no good choices.  That doesn’t bode well for them.  On any given night the talent of Durant and Westbrook can overwhelm an opponent but in a seven game series against Golden State or San Antonio I just don’t see it. 

     Minnesota: There’s just too much talent on this team to be as bad as they are.  Please get a real coach…

     Houston: This team is a mess

     San Antonio is a great team but I just don't see anyone beating Golden State at this point.  They're in a class all their own and Curry does things to opposing defenses that no other player can...