WE have officially reached the midway point of the 2016-17 season. Some teams are living up to the hype and exceeding expectations, others not so much as they plummet towards the bottom of the lottery. Teams will be reviewed at the quarter, halfway and three-quarter mark of the year. Let’s quickly wrap the second portion of the season so far for the teams from the Southeast division.
Atlanta Hawks (23-17)
Thumbs Up
WINNERS of nine of their last ten, the Hawks seem to be clicking right now. A lot of that can be attested to their young guys playing well, who now have the minutes necessary to impact the game after Atlanta traded away 36 year old wing Kyle Korver.
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THEY rank in the bottom five for turnovers each game and don’t have a ton of ‘playmaking’ players. The Hawks are still a serviceable offense, but they need to take care of the ball and potentially acquire a piece or two that can create their own offense.
Look Out For….
THERE is no bigger story in the NBA right now than Paul Millsap’s trade availability. With Millsap rumoured to be on the block, then not, then the front office again listening to offers again, it’s a carousel of uncertainty. If Atlanta keeps winning they may find it difficult to justify trading Millsap away, but personally I think they should make the move and focus on getting a good draft pick in the upcoming loaded class of college kids.
Washington Wizards (20-19)
Thumbs Up
WASHINGTON has also found some winning form in the past 5-6 weeks, and much of that is because of their play at home. Their 17 wins at home are second only to Cleveland and Golden State.
Thumbs Down
THEIR bench is still an issue (2nd last in bench scoring), but the bigger problem at hand is rebounding the ball. They rank 27th in the league at rebounds per game with only three guys grabbing more than five a night.
Look Out For….
With Wall, Beal and the rest of the starters doing most of the heavy lifting, when will the bench pick up their game? If I’m the Wizards GM I’m bringing some depth to the squad so we can make some noise in the playoffs, rather than hover around mediocrity thanks to the likes of Jason Smith and Trey Burke.
Image from nbatitlechase.com
Charlotte Hornets (20-20)
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KEMBA Walker continues to lead this squad who ranks among the league best at taking care of the ball. Their 11.6 turnovers a game is the 4th lowest tally and they rank inside the top 10 in defensive shooting percentages allowed to opposition.
Thumbs Down
Now sitting at the .500 mark the Hornets 8-3 start seems like a distant memory, with a four game losing streak currently in affect. The Hornets need to recapture their mojo (with a healthy Nic Batum) if they are going to experience any form of success in 2017.
Look Out For….
CHARLOTTE struggles to pull out close wins, with their record 0-5 in games decided by less than three points. That combined with an 0-3 overtime record doesn’t say alot about the mental resilience when the going gets tough for this group, which probably spells doom come playoff time. They need to fix that area ASAP.
Orlando Magic (17-25)
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AARON Gordon continues to give fans a reason to be excited, showing flashes of his potential every 3rd/4th night. While his dunking dominance is well documented, seeing him score with regularity and display his wide skill set on offense is a bonus.
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ORLANDO struggle to score the ball putting up the 5th fewest points a game. While their team has some talented players on it there aren’t a ton of playmakers and this hampers their ceiling on offense.
Look Out For….
ONE of the more promising signs in the past two weeks has been the play of Elfrid Payton. Since being put back in the starting line up he has put up close to 15/5/5 in his six starts and is capable of much more. Don’t be surprised by his rise in scoring and assisting by the time the 3rd quarterly review is due.
Image from orlandopinstrippedpost.com
Miami Heat (11-30)
Thumbs Up
IT’S tough to say something good about a team who has dropped off considerably in the past 5-6 weeks, but they are a definitely a balanced team. They have eight guys scoring in double figures, which is a league high and they are poised well with good veterans and role players should they find a franchise player in the upcoming draft.
Thumbs Down
THE Heat have free fallen down the standings to hold the 2nd worst record in the league at midseason. Miami’s inability to win on their home court can’t be inspiring for fans either, with their five wins the lowest home win total in the league. Even the 76ers have a better record than them. Ouch
Look Out For….
MIAMI would be silly to trade Goran Dragic away from their team now, considering they are plummeting towards a high draft pick even with him on the team. He is a serviceable player and can contribute when they rise back up the ranks alongside a potential top five recruit in the upcoming draft. Will they listen to me though, or is Dragic on his way out?
Banner from lockerroom.moneyball.com.au
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