Tomahawk Tuesday: How concerned should the Los Angeles Lakers be right now?

 

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently 5th in the Western Conference standings, 8 games back of the top seeded Utah Jazz, 7 games back of the Phoenix Suns, 6 games back of their inner city rivals Los Angeles Clippers, and 4 games back of the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers have slipped back in the standings due to LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (calf) missing extended periods of time. James has played in 41 games this season while Davis has played in 26. Fortunately for the Lakers, Davis is now back, having played three games since his return. But James' return date is still up in the air. 

To the question at hand, the Lakers should be moderately concerned right now, but there's no reason to panic. They're the defending champs and at full strength, they should be favored to come out of the Western Conference. All four of the teams ahead of them are teams that have never won an NBA championship, which means all four of those teams still have a lot to prove. 

On top of that, some of those teams ahead of them are dealing with injury issues of their own. The Jazz have had to play without Donovan Mitchell for the past 10+ days or so due to his ankle injury and the Nuggets have lost Jamal Murray for the season due to a torn ACL. The Suns' Chris Paul has had injury issues in the past and the Clippers' Paul George likewise has found ways to get hurt in the playoffs. So, everyone is dealing with injuries right now or at least has the threat of injuries hurting their seasons. 

That all said, the Lakers still find themselves in a tricky spot. If they stay at the 5 spot, they'll likely have to win the championship without home court advantage in every series they play in. Home court advantage is crucial in the NBA and to not have it puts your team at a real disadvantage. Plus, they have no shot at winning the title without James and Davis healthy. If those guys go down again come playoff time, it's game over. 

I'm confident that James will be fine in the playoffs. He's rarely shut down like this and I suspect part of this is just being overly cautious for the playoffs. But Davis has had real injury issues for his entire career, which is why I was skeptical of their title chances a year ago. So, he's definitely one to watch throughout the duration of the season. 

The bottom line is the Lakers still are the slight favorites to come out of the Western Conference in my book, but they have their work cut out for them and none of the teams ahead of them are going to back down without putting up a real fight. The Jazz, Suns, and Clippers in particular see an opening here and have to be motivated to see a wounded Lakers team currently chasing them. It'll be interesting to see how they finish the season and whether or not the Lakers will be able to gain some ground before the playoffs start. 

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Saturday Slam: Stephen Curry has solidified himself as the greatest Warrior

 

                                             (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports) 

Not that there was much doubt about who the greatest player in Golden State Warriors history was before this week, Stephen Curry passed Wilt Chamberlain on Monday night to become the all-time leading scorer in franchise history with 53 points in a 116-107 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Becoming the all-time leading scorer in franchise history is fitting for Curry as he has led the organization to three NBA championships and been the backbone of the organization for over a decade. The only thing that stood in his way in terms of solidifying himself as the greatest Warrior of all-time was the scoring record and now he has it. 

What makes Curry so amazing is his consistency and his ability to bring it night in, night out. He's not only the greatest player in Warriors history, he's arguably the greatest shooter in NBA history period. The only other players in NBA history who I think give him any sort of run are Reggie Miller and Ray Allen and I'd still pick Curry over both of those guys for best shooter ever. 

The reason why is Curry is such a lethal shooter off the dribble. Both Miller and Allen were at their best in catch and shoot scenarios, whereas Curry is lethal both in catch and shoot and off the dribble situations. If anything, he's even more dangerous off the dribble, which just makes his shooting all the more impressive. 

As one who likes to see basketball played at its highest level, it's truly a gift to have Stephen Curry still out there doing his thing, torching opponents from deep. He literally is the human flame thrower. Some of those shots he throws up are from another planet it seems. Hopefully he'll continue to dazzle us for a very long time. 

Touching quickly on where things sit for the Warriors, they are 28-28 at the moment and rookie big man James Wiseman is done for the year due to surgery on his knee. They are 9th in the Western Conference standings which means they are right in that sweep spot to make the play in tournament for the playoffs (top six teams in each conference make the playoffs, seeds 7-10 go to a play in tournament). So, they still have a shot to make the playoffs, but the odds of them doing any damage are low. Especially with Wiseman now out as well as Klay Thompson still sidelined. 

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Saturday Slam: Where things sit at the 2021 NBA All-Star Break

 

2021 NBA All-Star Weekend is here, which means we are at the unofficial halfway mark of the 2020-21 NBA season. I have never done this particular blog post before, but here's to new beginnings! In case you have been out of the loop up until this point, below is a quick breakdown of where things sit in the NBA at the All-Star break. 

Out East, the Philadelphia 76ers are the top ranked team with an impressive 24-12 record. Joel Embiid is getting MVP consideration for the way he's guiding the Sixers and deservedly so. The Brooklyn Nets led by Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving are in the #2 spot at 24-13, just a half game back. The #3 Milwaukee Bucks led by Giannis Antetokounmpo are at 22-14, just 1.5 games back of the Nets and 2.0 games back of the Sixers. Those three teams are leading the charge out East and honestly, it is anyone's guess of as to which of those three teams will get the top seed in the conference. 

Seeds #4-10 are really close: Boston Celtics (19-17), New York Knicks (19-18), Miami Heat (18-18), Charlotte Hornets (17-18), Toronto Raptors (17-19), Chicago Bulls (16-18), and Indiana Pacers (16-19). This grouping is key because the top six seeds overall in each conference will clinch an automatic berth to the playoffs while seeds 7-10 will play in a wildcard tournament of sorts to determine the final two seeds. 

The rest of the East #11-15 goes as follows: Atlanta Hawks (16-20), Washington Wizards (14-20), Cleveland Cavaliers (14-22), Orlando Magic (13-23), and Detroit Pistons (10-26). Honestly, all of those teams still have a pulse to perhaps get the #10 spot. So, it's going to be interesting to see who out East gets that #10 spot and gives themselves a shot at making the playoffs. 

Out West, it's also looking pretty interesting. The Utah Jazz occupy the top seed and best record in the NBA at 27-9. Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and Mike Conley are the three All-Stars from that team. Conley being an injury replacement for Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker. There was a bit of a controversy this week with Mitchell and Gobert being the last two picks of the All-Star draft despite being on the best team in the league. Personally, I think this will just give those guys more of a reason to be motivated in the second half of the season. 

The #2 seed belongs to the Phoenix Suns at 24-11. I wrote about the Suns earlier this year on here and felt they could be serious contenders, so I'm not at all surprised about them being this high. In addition to Devin Booker, Chris Paul has been a major part of their success. 

The #3 team is the Los Angeles Lakers at 24-13. Many have them as the favorites to come out of the West because of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. If those two guys stay healthy, it's tough to pick against them. 

Seeds #4-6 aren't far behind: Los Angeles Clippers (24-14), Portland Trail Blazers (21-14), and Denver Nuggets (21-15). Honestly, I feel a little bad putting them in a different group. They're right there and certainly could come out of the West. Once again, as a I said above, seeds 7-10 are battling for those two wild card spots if you will. So being #6 is key as it guarantees a playoff spot. 

Seeds #7-10 seem to be in a pretty comfortable spot in terms of at least securing a spot in that wild card tournament: San Antonio Spurs (18-14), Dallas Mavericks (18-16), Golden State Warriors (19-18), and Memphis Grizzlies (16-16). It's even possible one of them or two of them jumps up to the #5/6 spot and avoids the play-in tournament. 

Seeds #11-15 are a bit removed from the rest: New Orleans Pelicans (15-21), Oklahoma City Thunder (15-21), Sacramento Kings (14-22), Houston Rockets (11-23), and Minnesota Timberwolves (7-29). 

In terms of what to watch for and how to make sense of all of this, I think with the East, it's going to be really interesting to see who gets that top seed in the conference. The 76ers, Nets, and Bucks could all get it and whichever team secures that spot will have the inside track to reaching the NBA Finals. 

Many people are picking the Nets to go the distance, but I have some reservations based on the fact that it's tough to elevate yourself into contender status in one season. Let alone win the whole thing. A team that has been gelling more over the last couple of seasons like the Bucks or 76ers is probably a more safe bet at this point, but hey, maybe the Nets will surprise me and get it done. 

Out West, it's all about the Jazz right now and whether or not they can hang onto that top seed and go the distance. A lot of people see them as a great regular season team but are skeptical of their chances to win it all. For the Jazz, it's paramount that they finish with the best record in the league if they want to win the championship. Just because of how tough of a place Salt Lake City is to play in. 

If the Jazz can lock up that home court advantage, they're going to be a really tough out. On top of that, they wouldn't have to see the Lakers until the conference finals in all likelihood. So that's another benefit. Perhaps the Suns knock out the Lakers and they don't see them at all? A lot of what happens out West hinges on whether or not the Jazz can hang onto that top spot. If they do, look out. If not, they're still dangerous, but I wouldn't call them the favorites. 

The wildcard in all this is the Clippers. We know the Lakers are going to be right there and I think the Suns are showing what they can do and are playing up to their max potential. But the Clippers are kinda flying under the radar and not playing as well as they could. If they get their act together, maybe they're a team that can go the distance. 

One other thing to keep an eye on is where Blake Griffin ends up now that the Pistons have released him and bought out his contract. If he indeed ends up with the Nets, that could shake things up even further. You know I'll do a blog post about that if that indeed comes to fruition. 

On that note, enjoy NBA All-Star Weekend and enjoy the second half of the season. It's shaping up to be a wild ride! Lots to look for and get excited about! 

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Wednesday Windmill: Did the Atlanta Hawks pull the trigger too quickly on Lloyd Pierce?

                                     

                                         (Credit: Sarah Stier/NBAE/Getty Images) 

Earlier this week, the Atlanta Hawks made the decision to fire head coach Lloyd Pierce after a 14-20 start to the season. Nate McMillan, who has been a head coach with Seattle, Portland, and Indiana will be taking over the reins. He did so having gotten full support from Pierce, whom he is close with. Pierce was in the middle of his third season with the Hawks after having gone 29-53 in his first year and 20-47 in his second year. To not even last three seasons is rough and it has to raise questions about whether or not the Hawks pulled the trigger a little quick. 

One obvious factor is the fact that there are reports that the players wanted Pierce out. If that's true, that's certainly something that could come into play. If a coach has lost the support of his players, it's hard to justify keeping that coach around. 

Of course, when you look at the Hawks' roster, outside of Trae Young (26.2 points & 9.5 assists), the Hawks don't have a ton of pieces to really work with. John Collins (18.1 points & 7.6 rebounds) is the number two option and while he's solid, I don't think you can expect a team with Collins as the number two piece to make the playoffs. On top of that, the Hawks aren't even at full strength as their number three scorer De'Andre Hunter (17.2 points) is out for an extended period of time due to a right knee injury. Clint Capela is giving them something with his 14.7 points, 14.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game, but even with him added to the mix, this is still a very young team that is figuring out its identity. 

If the Hawks are making the change because they sense that Pierce and this current group of guys isn't meshing well and that they really could benefit from a leadership change, then this move makes sense. It's not like Pierce was lighting the world on fire as a head coach. They weren't that good and he should bear some responsibility for that. 

But, if this is about them feeling like they have to do something to give the appearance of trying to make this change, then I disagree with this move. Ultimately, it's the job of general manager Travis Schlenk to put together a competitive product on the floor and regardless of who the head coach is, it's clear that this team needs an infusion of talent to put around Young. Him pinning all the blame on Pierce, when he's the one who put the roster together just isn't fair. 

Lastly, there should be a lot of pressure on Schlenk to find the right coach to lead this Hawks franchise going forward. McMillan wouldn't be a bad candidate, but obviously, Schlenk should conduct a thorough search in the off-season to find the right guy. If he doesn't, his days in Atlanta will be numbered. 

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Mock Draft Monday: How good is USC's Evan Mobley?

                                 

                                     (Credit: John McGillen/USC Athletics) 

One of the top prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft is USC freshman forward Evan Mobley, who is averaging 16.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game. Listed at 7'0", 210 pounds, Mobley has tremendous physical tools and has been a dominating force in the paint this year in the Pac-12. In the game against Cal that I covered, he ate the Golden Bears for lunch with 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks. He was the single dominating force that won the game for the Trojans. The Bears simply did not have an answer for him inside. 

While dominating Cal and dominating NBA players are very different, Mobley has shown all season long that he is a legitimate NBA talent and deserves to be in consideration for the top pick in the 2021 draft. Guys with his size, quickness, length, and skill don't grow on trees. They're very hard to find and whatever NBA team gets him will have a really exciting player to work with. 

In addition to being a great individual talent, Mobley has shown he can have a winning impact on his team. The #19 ranked Trojans are 19-6 overall and 13-5 in the Pac-12. When Mobley succeeds, his team does in the process. He's not one of those players that puts up big stats a on a bad team. He's putting up big time stats on a team that has the potential to reach the Sweet Sixteen and possibly deeper. 

As far as who he reminds me of in the NBA, he kinda reminds me of a more athletic version of Tim Duncan, which is really high praise. Like Mobley, Duncan could score around the basket with ease, get rebounds, and block shots. On top of that, Duncan was a great team player and made everyone around him better. Duncan knew how to win and be a part of a winning formula. 

With the NCAA tournament coming up, one player to keep a close eye on is USC's Evan Mobley. He has tremendous physical gifts and has a chance to perhaps vault himself into the #1 draft spot with a good showing in March. It's going to be fun to see how things go for Mobley in next week's Pac-12 tournament and how the rest of his collegiate career goes before he presumably leaves for the NBA. 

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Tomahawk Tuesday: Are the Utah Jazz really for real this year?

                                             (Credit: Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) 

The Utah Jazz are currently 15-5, just half a game back of the 16-5 Los Angeles Clippers for best record in the NBA. They are also tied with the 16-6 Los Angeles Lakers, currently ahead of them in the standings via winning percentage. Before Sunday's 117-128 loss at Denver, the Jazz had won 11 straight games and were absolutely on fire. This isn't the first time this current Jazz squad has put together a hot run and it won't be the last. However, come playoff time, they historically have been unable to put it together. The question that I am going to address is whether or not we can realistically expect this year to be any different than what we've seen in the past. 

On the positive side, everyone on this Jazz team seems to be getting better. Donovan Mitchell (22.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists) is getting more comfortable in his role as the alpha dog on this Jazz team and the pieces around him likewise have improved. Jordan Clarkson (17.7 points) has become the #2 scoring option on this team, Mike Conley (16.6 points and 6.2 assists) is averaging more points and assists per game than he did last season with the Jazz, Bojan Bogdanovic (14.7 points) is healthy, and while his scoring is a little bit down from years past, Rudy Gobert (13.5 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks) is averaging career highs in both rebounds and blocks per game. So long as they continue to get better, it stands to reason that they in turn should do better in the playoffs. 

To be skeptical, it's still really early in the season. The Western Conference is stacked and while everyone on this Jazz team is getting better, it's hard to pick the Jazz to do better than the Lakers, Clippers, and even Nuggets, who are all further down the road in their development while also possessing more talent at the top. Odds say that when we look at the final standings, the Jazz will probably be a top four team, but unlikely to be the top team in the Western Conference. And even if they do finish at the top of the standings, if push comes to shove, I'd still likely pick the Lakers to beat them in a seven game series. 

That all said, if the Jazz can secure home court advantage through the Western Conference Finals or better yet, NBA Finals, the only team out West who I think would be slightly favored over them is the Lakers. I do think that the Jazz would be favored to beat the Clippers and Nuggets should they finish with a better record. The Nuggets are in a similar boat as the Jazz, eager to take that next step, but yet to do so. The Clippers, for all their talent are still the Clippers and unproven as a squad in terms of their championship resolve. The Lakers on the other hand are the defending champions and LeBron James has shown he knows what it takes to win a championship. 

Ultimately, are the Jazz really for real this year? I think it's still too early to say. There's obviously a lot of reasons for optimism, but given where we are at in the season, there's still a lot of basketball to be played and we are far from seeing how the final standings will shake out. 

Note: This blog post also appears on my Utah Jazz blog. Click here to check it out. 

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Saturday Slam: Will James Harden push the Brooklyn Nets over the top?

                                              (Credit: Nick Friar-USA TODAY Sports) 

The big news from this week is the trade that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets (click here for the details of the trade). As a result, the Nets now have a "Big Three" consisting of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in addition to Harden. Before they got Harden, the Nets were already considered by many to be contenders, but now that they have Harden, it's fair to wonder whether or not they're the favorites to come out of the East. 

In my opinion, the real key to the Nets having success will be how well the egos of Durant, Harden, and Irving are managed. If they can put their egos aside, play unselfish basketball, and put the team first, they'll be dangerous. If not, there could be trouble in paradise.

 All three of them are among the most gifted offensive players in the game. Irving has fantastic ball handling that can create space as well as anyone in the league. He knows how to get to the rim, shoot it from deep, and also create plays for others. Durant, he's a 7'0" freak with shoes that can make it rain from deep, attack the rim, and just get buckets. That's what he does. Harden, he's one of the craftiest scorers the NBA has ever seen. He's got an array of moves, can shoot it from deep, and also get to the rim while creating contact. The bottom line is it's going to be tough for teams to figure out how to defend all three of them when they're together. 

This isn't to say that from a pure basketball standpoint, they're a lock to win the East. The biggest issue that these three guys have is they're not great defenders. Especially Irving and Harden. For as great as they are on offense, their defense is just so-so. One could of course argue that with those three guys, who needs defense, but in truth, you can't win by just playing really good offense. You need to play defense as well. Just ask Don Nelson. If the Nets are going to accomplish their championship goals, they're going to have to figure out how to improve on defense. Having DeAndre Jordan in the middle certainly helps as he knows how to block shots and get rebounds. But I'm not sure he's enough. 

Ultimately, I like this Nets team a lot. There's talk about the three of them not getting along and things blowing up, but Durant and Harden know each other from their days in OKC and as for Irving, he's a smart enough guy to get in line as well. When looking ahead to the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Nets should absolutely be a factor now that they have Harden aboard. 

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