In a season where the final results seemed so obvious, the NBA has flipped the script. Some of the league’s best teams have started slowly, while a few unexpected franchises have soared to the top of the standings.
The first couple of weeks also featured some breakout players, problematic units, struggling teams and way too many injuries. Although the small sample is a reminder to carefully parse what has occurred, several developments are worth exploring right away.
Winner: Giannis Antentokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee needed a couple of players to increase their production while waiting on Jabari Parker to return. Giannis Antetokounmpo is basically taking care of that void himself. The 22-year-old star is averaging a ridiculous 33.7 points on 63.2 percent shooting, 10.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. Unsurprisingly, Basketball-Reference confirms those are unparalleled stats. Only Russell Westbrook’s 2016-17 campaign and DeMarcus Cousins’ current stats are comparable when loosening the standards. This probably isn’t sustainable, but Antetokounmpo has clearly joined the MVP race.
Loser: Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs opened the season with a tight victory over the Boston Celtics and cruised past Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee. Since then, it’s been a struggle. Orlando crushed LeBron James and Co. in Cleveland, and the Cavs followed a victory over the hapless Chicago Bulls with losses to the Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Pelicans and New York Knicks while allowing at least 112 points in all five of those matchups. According to NBA.com, Cleveland opponents boast a league-best 63.5 effective field-goal percentage on spot-up jumpers. Lazy defense is currently to blame.
Winner: Memphis Grizzlies
The combination of a slow pace and terrific defense has worked perfectly for a reshaped Memphis roster. The team has steadily earned a 5-2 mark, toppling the Golden State Warriors once and Houston Rockets twice. The Grizzlies accomplished each of those impressive wins without JaMychal Green, who is recovering from a left ankle injury. Other than Chandler Parsons getting boo’ed by the home crowd, it’s been a wonderful two weeks for Memphis. We’re still uncertain the Grizz can sustain a winning record, but they deserve our attention until then.
Loser: Markelle Fultz, Philadelphia 76ers
We openly wondered about whether Markelle Fultz should’ve started the year on the court. It turns out the answer is a resounding no, since the Sixers have ruled the rookie out indefinitely and said he will be reevaluated in three weeks. Look, we’re not medical professionals. Just because the NBA community pegged this one instance doesn’t mean we should start throwing out health opinions. This case was an exception because Fultz so clearly wasn’t himself. He has a bright future in Philadelphia, so letting his shoulder heal is the right choice for Fultz and the team. It simply should’ve happened sooner.
Winner: Detroit Pistons
As everyone expected, the Pistons are near the top of the Eastern Conference after two weeks. Tobias Harris has keyed the early surge, averaging 20.5 points while shooting 43.8 percent from long distance and 48.5 overall. Andre Drummond remains a rebounding machine, and Avery Bradley has been an ideal addition for the perimeter. Reggie Jackson’s long-term health is a concern, but he’s played well to begin the campaign. Most impressively, Detroit notched wins in a back-to-back the Clippers and Warriors. It’s a long season, but the Pistons look like they should be taken seriously.
Loser: Phoenix Suns defense
We knew it would be bad. This is painfully bad. Phoenix surrendered at least 124 points in each of its first three games, including a 48-point loss to the Trail Blazers. That led to the franchise firing head coach Earl Watson. Yes, the Suns have managed a few wins in the following contests and held the Utah Jazz to 88 points, but they ceded no fewer than 112 points during the other matchups. Phoenix is found near the bottom of several categories, and the most glaring ranking is 29th in three-point defense. Perhaps the team is trending slightly up, but there isn’t much room to go down, either.
Winner: DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans Pelicans
Heading into the season, there was no consensus opinion on New Orleans’ future. Would its lack of backcourt depth be a problem, or would the All-Star talent in the frontcourt atone for that shortcoming? Through two weeks, talent has shined brighter — and DeMarcus Cousins has played like an All-Star. He’s racked up 29.4 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.6 steals per game. Cousins will be an obvious trade choice if the Pelicans start to struggle, but for now, there’s no reason to break up the Cousins-Anthony Davis pairing.
Loser: Anyone who hates injuries
The season ended for both Gordon Hayward and Jeremy Lin in their first game of 2017-18. Chris Paul, Myles Turner, Hassan Whiteside and JaMychal Green have been situated on the shelf for a while. Kawhi Leonard and Nicolas Batum haven’t played yet. The Sixers messed up how they handled Fultz. Bobby Portis punched Nikola Mirotic. Add those to a list of players like Tony Parker, Jabari Parker and Brandon Knight who we knew would be sidelined initially, and the injury bug has become a monster so far this season. Hopefully, this isn’t a sign of things to come, but we’re not counting on that.
Winner: Washington’s revamped bench
Could the reserves provide a league-average unit in 2017-18? That was the biggest question for Washington heading into the campaign, and early returns are promising. Jodie Meeks has averaged double figures, Mike Scott is providing eight points and 3.7 rebounds and Tim Frazier has dished 4.8 assists. Without a doubt, their combined efficiency must improve since the bench is currently 26th in the NBA, per hoopsstats.com. However, this is more likely a situation where the reserves regress toward the mean as chemistry is built, and that will provide the Wizards with the league-average bench they so desperately needed.
Loser: Dallas wanting to play fast
During the preseason, the Mavericks discussed pushing the pace this year. It would be a dramatic change from 2016-17, when Dallas had the NBA’s second-lowest number of possessions per 48 minutes at 92.2, according to Basketball-Reference. Well, it’s not much different so far. The Mavs are playing a bit faster at 95.4, yet they’re still 27th out of 30 teams. Plus, Dallas has the fewest transition opportunities, per NBA.com. The absence of Seth Curry hasn’t helped, but the Mavericks may be trapped in a half-court-heavy attack when he returns.
Winner: Eric Bledsoe, Phoenix Suns
The Suns organization hasn’t exactly treated Eric Bledsoe like a star. Last season, Phoenix shut him down in March for what Watson called a “management decision.” In reality, it was a not-so-veiled way to tank the final month. While that’s an excellent choice for the team, he was not thrilled. And this season, the Suns placed him on the injury report due to a right ankle sprain. Bledsoe electronically laughed at that. The result is Phoenix being committed to moving on from the All-Star guard, who should find a better chance to win at his next destination.
Loser: Eric Bledsoe, Phoenix Suns
What effect will Bledsoe’s public unhappiness have on his potential suitors? Loyalty is overrated in professional sports, but franchises don’t want star players to cause avoidable distractions outside of the locker room. That, even if it’s not entirely fair, is understandable. Bledsoe’s talent should — and will — outweigh any concerns about his mindset, but teams may be hesitant to acquire someone with a history of voicing his displeasure. Is that a real problem or an indictment on Bledsoe? No. Given the context of the NBA, however, it can have an impact in trade discussions.
Winner: Orlando Magic
It wouldn’t be a surprise to hear the Warriors are one of two teams boasting a trio of players scoring 20 points per game. Orlando being the second squad, however, is a pleasant surprise. Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic have propelled the fast-paced Magic to a 5-2 start, which includes victories over the Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs. They won those showdowns by a combined (and absurd) 48 points. Although it’s probably too early to anoint Orlando the breakout team of 2017-18, Frank Vogel’s crew is off to a stellar start.
Loser: New York Knicks
Yes, knocking off Cleveland was an encouraging result. One victory can’t permanently overshadow a trend, however. Kristaps Porzingis has contributed like a superstar should, but he’s the only consistent bright spot. Marquee offseason addition Tim Hardaway Jr. is attempting the second-most shots despite a 29.7 percent mark from distance and 35.3 overall. Willy Hernangomez, a first-team All-Rookie honoree last year, has totaled a mere 31 minutes this season. Frank Ntilikina is being eased into the NBA. Courtney Lee thinks the whole team doesn’t know the plays. There’s a lot more bad than good happening in New York.
Winner: Pat Connaughton, Portland Trail Blazers
One of Portland’s main reserves could be a Major League pitcher. Pat Connaughton — who the Baltimore Orioles still want to play baseball, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun — has stood out as a reliable talent off the bench during his first year with a nightly role. He’s provided 9.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per appearance, shooting well both inside and outside the arc. Connaughton isn’t especially great at anything, but he’s decent in many areas. If the Notre Dame product keeps up this performance, baseball will remain a mere fallback option.
Loser: Miami Heat defense
One season after showcasing the league’s No. 5 defense, the Heat have stumbled early on this year. Miami’s 107.6 defensive rating ranks 23rd, according to NBA.com. Whiteside’s absence is a major negative factor, yes, yet the Heat are also allowing a 40.8 percent clip from three-point range. No team has surrendered a higher rate. Although the team’s defense should improve when an elite rim protector in Whiteside returns, perimeter defense must get better in the meantime. Otherwise, Miami will have a glaring and unexpected weakness.
Winner: Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers
Small sample sizes are so much fun. How long will Victor Oladipo keep this up? The explosive guard has poured in 23.9 points per game, which ranks ninth in the league. He’s shooting 49.1 percent overall while knocking down 45.7 percent beyond the arc. Oladipo has steadily averaged mid-double digits in his career, but he’s never been more efficient. And he’s never had the ball more often. That’s a wonderful combination for the Pacers, who need all the offense they can get. Sure, he doesn’t make Indiana a major threat in the East, but Oladipo looks destined for his first-ever All-Star nod.
Loser: Golden State Warriors
The path to 70 wins is narrowing by the day. That’s the moral of the story, since nobody sensible is truly freaking out over Golden State. The wins are coming, and they’re coming soon. Nevertheless, the Warriors have dropped a couple of games in head-turning fashion — recently committing 25 turnovers in a loss to the Pistons. Golden State can afford some careless possession because of its pure talent, but the entertaining style needs to include more value on keeping the ball. Eventually (and soon), the Warriors will show off their deadly efficiency consistently. While the slow start will be overcome, it’s a footnote to the year.
Winner: Los Angeles Clippers
The beginning of the post-CP3 era has been kind to the Clippers. Los Angeles is 4-2, and Blake Griffin has showed he’s capable of propelling the team. He’s accumulated 23.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per appearance and is shooting — and making — threes at the highest rate of his career. DeAndre Jordan has snatched 16.3 rebounds per game, and four others are contributing 10-plus points each night. The 28-point loss to Golden State offered a reminder that the Clips aren’t a real championship contender, but they’ll be competitive with a strong majority of the deep Western Conference.
Loser: Gorgui Dieng, Minnesota Timberwolves
Tom Thibodeau trusts his guys to a fault. The problem is Gorgui Dieng doesn’t fall into that category like Taj Gibson. Dieng, who signed a $64 million contract extension last year, has mustered just 13.5 minutes per night while watching Gibson average 28.3. One player wouldn’t make an overwhelming difference, yet it’s not a coincidence Minnesota has the worst defensive rating in the league, per NBA.com. Missing a versatile piece like Dieng affects the entire team. For the Wolves, though, this problem is self-inflicted and can be remedied easily.