Surprises From The First Half Of The Season
After unloading on some teams and players, I am in a better mood. So today I will be going over some some of the teams/players that have over succeeded this season. Some teams have added new players and they have meshed perfectly. Others just got better. Some players have looked good as new this season as they have defied what most thought they could be.
Teams
These teams came with expectations this year and they have succeeded them by a mile. Here are some of the teams that have surpassed expectations by a mile this season (so far, there’s always room for reality).
Utah Jazz
The Jazz were a good team but they have transformed into a great team. It’s not like they made a major move or anything like that. They re-signed Jordan Clarkson, gave Mitchell and Gobert large extensions, and got back Derrick Favors. Not usually the thing that gets you to be the best team in the league, but Utah has done that very successfully. Here are some of things that make them the best in the West.
Offense
Offensively the Jazz have just taken more 3’s. It’s really that simple. Here are their 3-PT stats from last year:
3-PT Attempts Per Game: 35.2 (10th)
3-PM Makes Per Game: 13.4 (7th)
3-PT%: 38% (1st)
Solid numbers all-around. Now lets look at what they have been doing this year:
3-PT Attempts Per Game: 42.8 (1st)
3-PT Makes Per Game: 17.1 (1st)
3-PT%: 39.8% (3rd)
So the Jazz are attempting more 3’s and making more. That’s how they have been winning. The Jazz have a very strong offensive unit. Donovan Mitchell is an All-Star scorer who is best at slashing and scoring. Mike Conley has turned himself into a prolific 3-PT shooter and he was a first time All-Star this year as well. Rudy Gobert is one of the best defenders in the league and he cleans up messes at the rim.
Jordan Clarkson is the likely 6th Man Of The Year as he is a flamethrower. Joe Ingles can shoot and play-make. Bojan Bogdanovic is streaky but a very good 3-PT shooter when he gets going.
This team is very deep and good offensively. They move the ball well and that helps them have the #4 offense in the league. They are very explosive on this end with their 3-PT shooting.
But the Jazz are not a one-dimensional team. They also play very good defense in addition to their offense.
Defense
Usually most teams aren’t this good on both ends but the Jazz accomplish that. The Jazz defense has been very good and it’s led by Rudy Gobert. Gobert got paid the big bucks mainly because of defense. Gobert is one of the best defenders in the league.
Gobert is blocking 2.7 shots per game. He has a defensive rating of 102. He is very good this season. Opponent have a FG% of 43.6% when guarded by Gobert. That’s insane how good he is defensively. He is the anchor for the 4th best defense in the league.
On the perimeter you have guys like Conley and Mitchell. Conley is nothing special on defense but he does average 1.4 steals per game. Mitchell is also nothing special but he’s solid. Royce O’Neale is their best wing defender as he protects them from guys like Kawhi and Lebron in the west. Derrick Favors is still good defensively at the age of 29. The Jazz are solid defensively.
I do have my worries about the Jazz. What happens when the 3’s aren’t falling? You don’t really have a superstar on the roster, and there is a difference between superstar and All-Star. The defense was awful to end the year and the Jazz have to fix some things. I’m not solid on the Jazz entirely, however they have greatly exceeded my expectations and that’s the whole point of this. So good job Utah
New York Knicks
The Knicks have been bad for a while. The laughing stocks of the league for ages. In 2019 they had visions of KD, Kyrie, and Zion. Just for KD and Kyrie to pick the team 20 minutes away. Pain. The Knicks were handing out money like candy and it was just a mess. However with a new strict coach in Tom Thibodeau and new management the Knicks have turned things around and have the chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 2013. How did they get here? Lets go over it.
Coaching/Management
A lot of a team’s success can depend on the upper parts of their franchise. The Knicks have made some poor decisions drafting wise. They have also made poor free agent signings. From taking Kevin Knox over guys like SGA and Mikal Bridges to giving 1,000,000 forwards a contract in 2019. It hasn’t been pretty but the Knicks have done some good things recently. Their 2020 draft was solid in getting a guy like Immanuel Quickley. Now Tyrese Haliburton should have been their pick at 8, but that is neither here to there.
They signed more guys to one year deals, more experimenting. They gave like Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks one-year deals. Both of those guys have been worth it. Tom Thibodeau has been the perfect coach. His defensive style and winning mindset has helped turn this team around. The Knicks are used to being the dregs of the league. But he’s turned that around an really made a difference.
It’s really these small changes that have helped the Knicks. A winning coach, somewhat better drafting, and smarter free agency decisions. The Knicks were plagued by poor decisions. Whenever they made a good one they didn’t know what to do. The Knicks have a future with guys like All-Star Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, and Immanuel Quickley. They finally have a competent management group and coach. Maybe they can make some noise in the East.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs have one of the deepest rosters in the league, but nobody seemed to realize that at the start of the year. Most, including me, didn’t think much of the Spurs heading into the season. However things have changed now that the action has started. The Spurs have a blend of veterans and youth and they have played really well this season. They are well coached and have a very bench. It’s a solid team but one that doesn’t jump out at you with star power. They are the the quietest good team in the league.
Depth
It really comes down to depth. They have so many guys. Let’s go down the list.
Demar DeRozan
DeRozan is a guy I thought was one-dimensional. If his mid-range jumper isn’t falling he doesn’t do much. But he’s changed that. In his first 675 career games with the Raptors, DeRozan averaged 3.1 assists per game. That wasn’t really a strength in his game. While his scoring has gone down in 3 seasons with the Spurs, he is averaging 6.1 assists thus far in his tenure with the Spurs. The improvement in his playmaking has been great and it makes him a much better player.
Dejounte Murray
Dejounte Murray is one of the best young two-way guards in the league. After a solid sophomore year Murray suffered a knee injury that forced him to miss all of the 2018-19 season. But he got right back on track with a career last year. Which he has since topped as he has been great this season.
Murray is averaging:
15.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.4 assists with 1.6 steals on 46% shooting.
If he gets a jumpshot that’s consistent, he’ll be very good. He’s only 24 and the Spurs have him locked up until 2024. He has real potential and could become one of the better guards in the league.
Keldon Johnson
Keldon Johnson didn’t play much last year until he got some run in the bubble where he had 3 20+ point games and looked good. Now with a starting role he is thriving. Johnson isn’t much of a shooter but a big slasher. At 6’5″, 220 pounds he is a big guy for a wing. He is averaging 14 points this season and about 70% of his shots come from the rim. Like Murray if he can get a consistent jumpshot even if it’s the mid-range becomes a lot better.
Jakob Poeltl
Jakob Poeltl is one of the most underrated players in the league. He is a great defender down low and he gets almost zero recognition. He averaged about 7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. But opponent shoot just 44.2% when guarded by him. He is a very solid defender and he’s very cheap only getting paid around $8 million per year. He’s one of the better defenders in the league, although the free throw shooting has to improve (32%).
There are other guys I didn’t mention. Patty Mills is averaging a career-high in points. Lonnie Walker is having an ok season, but it’s still his best to date. LaMarcus Aldridge and Rudy Gay are aging veterans but they still have their moments. This team is very deep and they have a lot of weapons. It’s tough to guard them because they have so many guys across their lineup. They are one of the better assembled teams in the league and it’ll be interesting to see how they pan out.
Players
Every year we all swear that this guy is going to break out. Every year there are always some names that we say are going to have a great year. Some do, most don’t. However, if you picked these players, good job.
Jerami Grant
Jerami Grant became the ideal wing defender for a lot of teams. Carving out roles with Denver and OKC, Grant was a really solid player. He was due a lot of money from somebody in the offseason but $20 million from Detroit? I said it was a good move at the time but there were reasons to believe it wasn’t going to work out. Thus far it’s worked out pretty fine.
Grant is having a career year across the board. He’s averaging:
23.4 points and 5.3 rebounds with 1.1 blocks on 43% shooting and 36% 3-PT.
Grant was a borderline All-Star this season. He’s had 7 games of 30+ points. Before this season he had none. He has turned himself into one of the better forwards in the league and I think that he will be the face of the Pistons for the next few years.
Julius Randle
Julius Randle was a player couldn’t get a whole lot better. He was mainly a scorer down low. He is big and strong and a solid player before this. Last year Knicks fans didn’t like Randle and his spin moves too much. He was a black hole on offense. But now he’s turned into an All-Star with his passing ability. He has become a better player, a player nobody thought that he could become.
Last year Randle was doing this with the Knicks:
19.5 points and 9.7 rebounds on 46% shooting and 28% from 3.
Randle wasn’t much of a passer (3.1 assists) or a shooter last season. But he’s drastically improved both of those things this season and he’s having his best defensive season since he was with the Lakers.
This season Randle was an All-Star by doing this:
23.2 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 5.5 assists on 48% shooting and 41% from 3.
Randle is taking more shots while also being efficient. He’s shooting more 3’s and he’s also very efficient. His passing has gone way up. His defense (rating of 108) is the best it’s been in a while. Randle had improved so much in his 7th season as he has looked brand new this season.
Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic was one of the best centers in the league last year. His passing is perhaps the greatest any big man has ever had. The ways he can find passing lanes with his height and basketball IQ is amazing. He’s very physical down low but he has very good touch. After a solid season last year he’s just become more assertive on offense as he has been turning in one of the greatest offensive seasons a center has ever had.
Last season Jokic was doing this:
19.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 7.0 assists on 53% shooting and 31% from 3.
Those are great numbers and it’s hard to top that. Jokic did just that and by a mile.
This season, this is what Jokic is doing:
27.1 points, 11 rebounds, and 8.6 assists with 1.6 steals on 57% shooting and 42% from 3.
He is shooting more while being much more efficient. He’s shooting some more 3’s and making them at a much higher rate. He’s getting to the line more. His rebounding is at an all-time high and so are the assists. Jokic is just so good. He is a good scorer but he doesn’t need to score to be valuable as he is much more impactful getting teammates involved. He is so dominant and people just overlook that.
Jokic is one of the greatest offensive centers in the league because he does so much and he’s so unique. The fact that most people overlook what he does is amazing, because what he is doing is… amazing.
Joel Embiid
It’s amazing that two of the best centers in the league are both on this list, but they are. Embiid has had a weird couple of years. Embiid averaged 28 points and 14 rebounds in the 2018-19 season and looked great. But then last year he was much worse. He was injury prone and at times looked out of it. But with an improved roster and winning coach, Embiid has flourished into an MVP candidate and it one of the most dominant forces in the league.
Last season Embiid was poor after that great 18-19 season:
23 points and 12 rebounds with 1.3 blocks on 48% shooting and 33% 3-PT.
But this season Embiid is getting the ball more than ever. Embiid leads the NBA in post-ups (13.6), he leads the league in points per post up (9.0). He is getting the ball 76 times per game which is crazy for a big guy who is post-oriented.
Embiid makes the 3rd most shots from 10-14 feet, with guys like KD and Kawhi ahead of him.
Embiid is a 280 pound center. Mid-range is automatic, with him shooting 46% from 10-16 feet away from the basket.
He is shooting nearly 60% from 16 feet to the 3-PT line.
It’s crazy that a center is doing this. He’s also shooting 42% from 3. What a world we live in.
This season Embiid is going god-mode:
30.2 points and 11.6 rebounds with 1.2 steals and 1.4 blocks on 52% shooting and 42% from 3.
Embiid is averaging 30+ points on 50%+ shooting and 40%+ from 3. The last guy to do that? 2016 Steph Curry. He was the first ever unanimous MVP. Unless something crazy happen Embiid is going to be the MVP. He is still a very good defender down low but his offense has been incredible. He’s had his best 3-PT shooting year and his mid-range is on a whole new level with is shooting. What he’s doing is incredible and it’s very fun to watch Embiid when he has things going.
Which Players/Teams Have Been The Most Surprising This Season? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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