Reacting to BR’s “One Question For Every Team Down The Stretch”
Today, I will be reacting to Bleacher Report’s latest article, “One Question For Every Team Down The Stretch.” Here goes nothing.
I haven’t reacted to a Bleacher Report article in some time, so here goes nothing. With the NBA season winding down, we know just about everything we need to know about the 2022 season. In terms of a book, the 2022 regular season is ending. That’s why reacting to this BR article will be fun.
For the most part, these questions will be open and shut. I will try and cover the questions that have multiple answers. Without further ado, here’s my reaction to this article.
Boston Celtics: Is Their Recent Turnaround Sustainable?
For those wondering what the Boston Celtics have been up to since January 1st, here’s a look;
| Boston Celtics Since January 1st | Rank |
| 102.3 Defensive Rating | 1st |
| 11.6 Net Rating | 1st |
| 11.0 Plus/Minus | 1st |
| 36.9 Opp Field Goal Makes | 1st |
| 41.7 Opp Field Goal % | 1st |
| 40.6 Opp Points in the Paint | 1st |
| 20-8 | 2nd |
To say Boston has been on a roll would be an understatement. Their defense has been 1985-Bears like for the past two months. A frontcourt of Timelord and Al Horford has anchored them on that end. Their offense is prone to stagger at times, but it hasn’t mattered with their stout defense.
But is all this sustainable? A frequent thing I’ve seen over the past couple of months has been Boston’s opponents. Some speculate that Boston’s success is based solely on their easy schedule. Is that true?
Boston’s Opponents During Last 28 Games
- 14 teams outside of the playoffs
- 9 teams in the play-in
- 5 teams in the playoffs
So, yes, the Celtics have had a not-so-hard schedule in the new year. But, they have the 4th toughest schedule from now until the end of the regular season. This last stretch of games will be a litmus test.
They have their brand of basketball laid out. A tough, defensive team that won’t allow you to score in the paint. Adding Derrick White at the deadline prevents their offense from stagnating as much. If Jaylen Brown’s ankle injury isn’t too bad, look out for the C’s.
We’ll find out the answer to that question soon.
Brooklyn Nets: What Impact Will Ben Simmons Have?
We all know how the other side of this trade has panned out thus far. But, and this may shock you, there was another star involved in the James Harden trade. The Brooklyn Nets have been injured to oblivion as of late, sliding to the 8th seed in the East.
Ben Simmons has yet to make his debut. The Nets haven’t set an official deadline for his return, although I hope it’s in the next seven days. Because, you know;
When we see the 3x All-Star make his long-awaited return to the court, what will he bring? Immediately, three things come to mind.
- Defense
- Playmaking
- Gadget Scorer
The first bullet should come as no surprise. Simmons is a 2x All-NBA defender and nearly won DPOY in 2021. For a Nets team in need of elite one-on-one defenders, Simmons will be their best one. That alone makes Simmons valuable.
On top of that, he’s another ball-handler. While he can’t shoot, you don’t average 7.7 assists for your career by accident. Irving’s infrequent play means Simmons is valuable in this sense, too.
Simmons’ potential as a gadget scorer is on the coaching staff, not him. The Nets have to be creative in how they use the former number one overall pick. The 76ers weren’t, and we all know how that situation unfolded. Whether that be by using him in the post or as a screener, Simmons has to be used more diversely.
There haven’t been many NBA players ever with the skills he has. His capabilities on the floor allow for endless offensive opportunities for the Nets.
Golden State Warriors: How Concerning Is Draymond’s Injury?
The short answer to this question is VERY.
The heartbeat of their three previous titles hasn’t played since mid-January. The results speak for themselves. When Green is playing, the Warriors are 28-6. When he doesn’t, they’re 15-13. A usually lethal offense filled with movement becomes stagnant at times. Without his playmaking and IQ, Golden State isn’t the same team.
Draymond himself said that he still has a bit to go before returning to the court. Back injuries can sometimes be tricky, so the Warriors don’t want to rush back their leader.
With Green, I think the Warriors can win the West. We have to wait and see how healthy one of the most valuable players in the league is when he returns.
Indiana Pacers: Can Their New Backcourt Continue To Build Chemistry?
The Pacers acquiring second-year star Tyrese Haliburton still doesn’t seem real. Haliburton continues to be great, putting up some of the best numbers of his career in Indiana. His pairing with fellow all-around guard Malcolm Brogdon has gone well.
On paper, before this duo even played together, I liked the possible dynamic. Brogdon was involuntarily the lead playmaker for the Pacers. He’s a scorer at heart. With Tyrese, Brogdon’s allowed to play to his strengths more often. Unlike in Sacramento, where Haliburton having the ball compromised his backcourt mate, here, it should work wonders.
This backcourt is the potential backbone for future Pacers team. Haliburton is their magnum opus, but a duo of him and Brogdon is exciting. I will be keen to see this duo not only for the final few months of 2022, but to 2023 and beyond.
Los Angeles Lakers: Is Anything About This Season Salvageable?
The Los Angeles Lakers trainwreck has been one of the best things about this regular season. A team assembled in a day with Hall of Famers, and no logic has crashed and burned. Instead of landing softly in the Hudson river like Sully, the Lakers are Black Hawk Down.
The problems with this team are numerous. Russell Westbrook fails to adapt. Anthony Davis is paper-like. Lebron James is beyond done with this season. The only reason for false hope is the play-in tournament. If not for the NBA’s never-ending quest for money, the Lakers would be on the couch by the time the playoffs started.
The positives are few and far between. While Malik Monk was one of the steals of free agency, he’s set for a big payday this offseason. Austin Reaves fits well with Lebron, but he’s a bench piece at best. Stanley Johnson is under team control for 2023, but similar to Reaves, does he move the needle that much?
(No)
The Lakers are eight games under 0.500. Their hallway rivals, the Clippers, beat the crap out of them last night. It was another night of awkward interviews and careful dodging of questions. Everybody has come to terms with reality. The reality that this season can’t have gone any worse, but the Lakers still find new lows every night.
So, no, there is nothing salvageable about this season.
OKC Thunder: How Do SGA & Josh Giddey Fit Together?
The OKC Thunder have the identity of their team for the next few seasons. Lose, lose some more, and oh yeah, we’re going to lose even more. Sam Presti’s million picks aren’t concerned with results just yet. They want exciting players for the future. SGA and Josh Giddey are prime examples of such.
SGA is the leader of the Thunder and one of the best young guards in the NBA. There’s a reason OKC gave him $172 million last offseason. Josh Giddey is an enigma but one of the most exciting playmakers in the NBA.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault wants to use SGA off-ball more. SGA may not prefer that option, but it’s the right idea for their respective play styles.
Giddey isn’t someone who can do much damage scoring the ball. Making him the leader of the offense is the right idea. SGA is a combo guard who can do both, so playing him off-ball won’t affect his natural scoring/playmaking abilities.
OKC’s two brightest stars are set to lead them into the future. I think their partnership will only get better as time goes on. Sam Presti has his building blocks. Now it’s time to construct a team.
Phoenix Suns: How Will They Get Through CP-3’s Injury?
Just a few weeks ago, the Phoenix Suns were on the high of highs. Higher than Jesse Pinkman in season 2 or Josh Gordon…anytime. At 48-10, they were running away with the West. That Finals run from the year prior wasn’t a fluke, they shouted. On both ends of the floor, the Suns were a cut above everybody else.
With only that information, this question wouldn’t make sense. But, this isn’t a fairy tale ending. Over the All-Star break, Chris Paul injured his hand, sidelining him for the rest of the regular season, perhaps even the start of the playoffs.
The best and most valuable player on the Suns was gone, and it was clear they weren’t the same. Instead of having the best floor general of the last ten years running the offense, it was Booker. Now, the Suns don’t even have Booker, who entered health and safety protocols.
Losing the #1 seed is almost impossible. The Suns have a 7.5 game lead and the third lightest schedule the rest of the way. While they won’t lose homecourt advantage, they will lose momentum.
The Suns will no longer be chugging along at a nearly 70 win pace. The next few weeks will be the toughest of their season. They’ll have to navigate more losing than ever before, something that isn’t easy as they try and ramp up for the postseason.
If there were a team to overcome these hardships, it would be the Suns. However, that’s not to say that this isn’t going to be painless for them.
Portland Trail Blazers: Where Will Their Lottery Picks End Up?
My Blazers did what I didn’t think they had the guts to do. Blow things up. GM Joe Cronin swiftly washed away the prior decade of Neil Olshey. Powell, Covington, and McCollum were all traded in a series of moves. Portland gained cap space, new faces, and new false hope.
The one caveat to those moves is that for the rest of the season, without Dame, these Blazers are BAD. I’ve watched them live and can attest to their atrocity. With that comes the potential luck for lottery picks, something Portland hasn’t had since 2013.
Portland traded their 2022 first-round pick to the Bulls. But, if they’re in the lottery, they get to keep that pick. On top of that, if New Orleans fails to make the playoffs, the Blazers will get their lottery pick.
After years of never having the opportunity to draft youngsters, Portland might get two good chances to bolster their core. These picks could also be used to trade for a high-level player. John Collins, maybe?
If Portland gets two lottery picks, trying to swing big in free agency doesn’t have to happen. For once, as a Blazers fan, there’s reason to care about the draft process.
Toronto Raptors: Can They Find Their Consistency by the Playoffs?
A roller coaster would be the best way to describe the Toronto Raptors. Five straight wins in late October were washed away with mediocre play for weeks. They’ve also had winning streaks of six and eight games.
And still, they are just six games over 0.500 for the season. Despite all their versatility, the Raptors can’t find consistency. OG Anunoby getting injured couldn’t have come at a worse time for a team trying to hold onto the 7th seed in the East.
Need more proof that this team is inconsistent? Toronto has the 13th best offense and the 14th best defense. They’re well-rounded to a fault. To achieve postseason success for the first time without Lowry, they’ll need to find consistency. And a center.
Utah Jazz: Will Their Defense Catch Up To Them?
For the second straight season, the Jazz offense is humming. They score 116.2 points per 100 possessions, leading the league by 2.1 points in that category. Donovan Mitchell pilots an offense filled with screening and shooting.
The problem for the Jazz, also for the second straight season, is defense. Outside of 3x DPOY Rudy Gobert, Utah’s defense is putrid. They lack individual perimeter/wing defenders. So even with an offense hot enough to make George Gervin sweat, defense holds them back.
It’s easy to get swept away with how explosive Utah’s offense is. But, what’s stopping a collapse from last year carrying over to this year? The West is somewhat open with injuries to Phoenix and Golden State. To me, things are shaping up to be the same as last year.
Unless the Jazz make 20 threes a night in the playoffs, their defense will be exposed. Teams know how to beat them. It’s a matter of when they’ll lose, not if, with this Jazz team.
Washington Wizards: What Exactly Are They Building?
I complained that the Wizards weren’t rebuilding to start the year. Now that it’s the start of March, I’m still complaining. After a 10-3 start, Washington fell off precipitously. Bradley Beal is not only out for the year, but he wants a supermax extension that he’s not worth.
They threw money down the drain on Dinwiddie and Bertans. Adding an injury-prone Kristaps Porzingis makes their future even murkier. But wait, there’s more.
Wes Unseld Jr. is refusing to play Daniel Gafford. Thomas Bryant looks like a shell of his former self. Deni Avdija continues to be underutilized. This team doesn’t know what they’re doing. It’s clear they should trade Beal and rebuild.
Instead, they’re continuing to helplessly be mediocre and refuse to tank. The logic here is immeasurable.
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