We’re midway through the 2018-19 NBA regular season and tensions are rising as each team makes an effort to move up in the standings before the 2019 All-Star Weekend break, beginning Feb. 15.
To begin our journey together, I will give my own midseason report on how I believe each NBA team has performed, so far, this season. I will be honest; so if your team hasn’t been performing, there will be no empathy.
This blog is not for the fainthearted.
It would be a lot to go over in one post, so I’ll grade the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference this time around.
Eastern Conference
Philadelphia 76ers: B-
The 76ers have the roster to be a great team. They have their big three consisting of Jimmy Butler, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. These are each great players in their respective positions, but the Achilles’ heel comes with Ben Simmons. Simmons cannot make a mid-range jump shot to save his life and it affects his teammates’ performances. Defenses will leave him wide open on the perimeter, daring him to shoot while they double Embiid in the paint or overplay Butler to keep the ball out of his hands.
The one thing the 76ers had going for them earlier in the season was their catch-and-shoot players. These players would help spread the floor and allow Simmons to drive to the hole or give Embiid one-on-one matchups down low. But, in efforts to acquire Butler, they traded these players away.
Milwaukee Bucks: A
The Bucks are a nightmare for every team this season. They have proved that they are a team not to be reckoned with.
It starts with the potential MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the team and dunking on anyone that gets in his path.
We all know the Greek Freak is literally a monster running down the court and leaping over players with ease, but someone fans tend to forget is the Bucks’ 7-foot center, Brook Lopez, who can shoot from anywhere on the court.
To be able to shoot the ball like he does, at that size, is what makes this team unstoppable. He spreads the floor for Giannis and keeps the opposing team from putting a traditional center in because the center can’t extend to the perimeter to guard Lopez. They also have Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe and Malcolm Brogdon, who are all notable players at their positions.
Boston Celtics: B
The Celtics are a team full of stars at every position with, maybe, the best bench in the NBA. The problem comes with their chemistry, as they have been struggling and don’t show an immediate fix coming soon. It hurts to say this because Kyrie Irving is hands down my favorite player, but in a team with this many stars, it’s tough to give everyone the number of looks they deserve.
The good news is that there is a lot of time before the playoffs begin and with the leadership of veterans Irving, Al Horford, Gordon Hayward and Head Coach Brad Stevens, the chemistry will be at its greatest and will lead to a legitimate run at reaching the NBA Finals.
Miami Heat: B
The Heat has found a groove and will do whatever it can to keep it going as the team heads into a somewhat easy schedule through the end of this month; most of its opponents are under .500. Fans are dying to see Dwyane Wade in the playoffs one last time before his retirement at the end of this season and I believe they’ll reach it if the Heat continues to play as it is.
Charlotte Hornets: C
Ranking No. 8 in the Eastern Conference with a record of 23-24, the Hornets have not shown themselves to be a threatening team in the playoffs, if they make it to the postseason. This team has nothing going for it besides veteran point guard, Kemba Walker.
Walker has had an explosive season with four 40-plus games, including a career-high 60-point performance that ended in an OT loss to the 76ers. This game is the definition of the Hornets, a star with no help whatsoever.
Brooklyn Nets: B
The Nets haven’t made the playoffs since 2015, which resulted in a first-round elimination by the Atlanta Hawks. To put this in perspective, they lost to the Hawks way back when Kyle Korver, Al Horford, Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder all played there. The fact that they are in the playoff picture right now reflects the grade they’ve gotten.
This team may not have a superstar, or even an all-star, but Head Coach Kenny Atkinson is finding a way to make it work. If the Nets could reduce the heavy number of turnovers they’ve been making, they’d be a legit playoff contender.
Indiana Pacers: A
The Indiana Pacers are a team that lacks huge all-stars, but makes up for it with its killer bench. The Pacers have won 19 of their last 24 games and will face a tough schedule soon. They just took a huge blow as they’ve just lost their leading scorer, Victor Oladipo. How they come out of the rough schedule without Oladipo will define them.
Toronto Raptors: A
The Raptors have been killing it since the beginning of the season and continue to show their dominance on the court. Kawhi Leonard is leading this team, averaging 27.6 points and putting together an MVP-like season. They have won eight of their last 10 games. Go ahead and read that again, eight of their last 10! That is amazing and is the reason why they’re No. 1 in the East and will continue to be through the rest of the regular season.
So, there you have it, my midseason report on the top eight teams in the East. Now, you can see how I view these teams leading into the future of this blog.
