UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS:

WEEKEND WINNERS AND LOSERS:

It's still really early and a lot of these takes are probably overreactions. That being said, we look at this in a vacuum and try to predict the long-term repercussions of the events during this time period. There will likely be a 2-4 week grace period before you really start panicking or getting excited. In the meantime, enjoy the article.

WINNERS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE BOTTOM FEEDERS: It appears that the Cavs and Hawks might not be bottom feeders anymore. Don't worry, Detroit and Bulls still are, but the Cavs and Hawks actually look really good. The Cavs have an aggressive backcourt duo in Garland and Sexton, Drummond is in a contract year, and Okoro looks to be a solid rookie. The Cavs are doing all of this with a broken down Kevin Love and Kevin Porter yet to debut. The Hawks have really shown how important a veteran presence can be on a young team. They have yet to introduce their rookie Okongwu, Danilo is already hurt, and they probably have too many wings - and yet they're still winning. It's easy to overreact on a team that started off hot, especially when a lot of these bubble teams are still tired from playing literally two months ago.

MARKELLE FULTZ: After his recent signing, he's helped lead the Magic to a 3-0. Many has speculation that he was going to be soon replaced by Cole Anthony, yet that might not be case. Fultz is averaging over 20 points per game, has a steal in all three games thus far, and has produced some nice counting stats. If he can get his 3-point shot to at least 33-35%, he could flirt with a 25-5-5 season. With Isaac out for the season, he'll be tasked with a larger role. Fultz and Vucevic seem to have good chemistry and it'll be interesting to see if they can keep this up.

DALLAS MAVERICKS: It was starting to look really ugly for the Mavs early on. They dropped two games, one of which they should've won, they don't have KP, nobody on the team was hitting shots, it was sort of like watching Golden State to start the season. Then, they exploded! They took advantage of a Kawhi-less Clippers and had one of the most dominant games of Luka's career. Mavs fans got teased a bit as the game was so lopsided that rookies Terry and Green got a few minutes, yet failed to produce much. Carlisle will continue to tweak the rotation - going with the hot hand in guard minutes, tinker with large and small line-ups, and make changes once it's time to re-insert Kristaps to the line-up.

LOSERS:

WASHINGTON WIZARDS: I was somewhat bullish on this team, but it hasn't gone well thus far. Rui has been hurt, Bertans is on a minutes restriction, Westbrook isn't playing in back-to-backs, and they've lost to Cleveland two games in a row. They are currently winless, and while their team is interesting to watch for all the young talent and the athletic backcourt dunks, they need to figure things out. Adding a major start player will have a learning curve as these players develop chemistry, but even I am somewhat surprised at how bad they've been early on. I still see them as a 7/8-seed looking forward, but they'll need to make some adjustments, and do it quick.

BROOKLYN NETS: Losing Spencer Dinwiddie is a huge deal. This team needs their bench as both Durant and Irving will have plenty of games like last night where load management will be required. What is likely to happen going forward is that their days off will be staggered, but even with the loss of Dindwiddie, they've had solid rotation players like Shamet, Luwawe, and LeVert that will need to pick up the slack. This team is still likely to be a top 3 team in the East when all is said and done, but this is a major blow. It's possible this officially takes the Nets out of the James Harden race.

EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF TEAMS: Much in the same way the bottom feeder teams are going off, it appears that the actual contenders are struggling early on. Philly, Toronto, and Milwaukee all had a lot of turnover, and Miami appears off after playing into the Finals. Boston has the big uphill battle of staying afloat until Kemba returns and Milwaukee appears to be experiencing a learning curve with their new point guard. Philly is actually finding the most success, but their wins against the winless Wizards and the Knicks sort of get forgotten when you lose to Cleveland. Toronto just looks lost and we may be witnessing a rebuild year as they might try to trade Lowry at some point to develop Malachi Flynn and give their young players some running room. Toronto could be a solid team to try to sign Drummond long-term, as you could make a case that a build around VanVleet and Siakam would interest him more than the young Cleveland backcourt.

- Adam Safianow - NBA Analyst [Copyright 2020]

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DALLAS SUMMER LEAGUE

UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS: DALLAS SUMMER LEAGUE PROSPECTS: Derrick Alston Jr - SF/PF - A solid G-League prospect that averaged close to 20 PPG and some potential as a stretch shooter from the 4-spot. He is an above average passer and a good free throw shooter. From the eye test he does not appear to be an explosive athlete but he's a hard finisher and is often relied on to defend multiple positions. He could be useful down the line, but I don't see him being able to get minutes on a competing team. Grade: C- Marcus Bingham Jr - C/PF - Outside of Hardy, he might be the crowned jewel of this group. He's a true 7-footer, came from a solid college program, and showed improvement every year at Michigan State. His defense is much further along than his offense, but his efficiency has improved over time and he's added a 3-ball to his game. Foul trouble will be a major concern, but I think he could be a bench big within a year or two. His block rate is outstanding and I think if h...
Read more
UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS: CAN THE PELICANS MAKE THE PLAYOFFS? This article comes in the midst of the Pelicans being on a 4-game win streak. The Kings which got hot, finally ended their streak. Nuggets, Grizzlies, and Rockets seems to be in a slump. I wouldn't say the door is open for them, but there's at least a window. What has propelled this team? A lot. Let's start with the obvious. Zion and Ingram have played very well. During the win streak, Zion has scored 23.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 5.8 APG, and 1.3 BPG. Ingram has averaged 25.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 4.8 APG, and 1.8 BPG. While these numbers don't jump off the page, what's interesting from both players is the increased amount of passing. Everyone on these team seems to be getting involved in the offense, nobody on this team is selfish, and it's just a group effort in every facet of the game. The next player that has done phenomenal has been Lonzo Ball. He's almost the forgotten Ball brother since his younger brother, La...
Read more
UPYSDE SPORTS PRESENTS: Addressing the Viability of a Kristaps Trade: I myself, have been very critical of Kristaps. Ranging from his health, finding him overrated as a shooter, not assertive enough on offense, and feeling that his defensive stats are empty. Obviously, I can see his upside, it's the name of my blog, but I feel like he plays out of position, is too thin, and his biggest strength (his size), is also likely going to be what limits his potential. Now, I gave him time. When the trade happened originally, I was pretty excited. He was coming off an injury, but had a really nice All-Star season in New York. Most Mavs fans, myself included, had somewhat soured on Dennis Smith Jr, and we saw what Luka is - a superstar. Wanting to get some wins in his rookie contract, I was receptive of the trade. Tank for the rest of the season and then the following year we get the two Euro sensations. Didn't quite work out that way. He did play very well in the bubble - helping us get ...
Read more