Post by ballislife on Jul 30, 2014 1:42:50 GMT
2016 ASW Eastern Conference Report
Alas, ASW has arrived and to no surprise, the race in the East is as close as ever. I will break down team performances to the best of my knowledge. I only did a report for teams in the hunt so far. I’ll do a full article come playoff time about seasonal team performances. Thank you for reading. Enjoy.
1/ Charlotte Hornets (28-15)
Who isn’t surprised that Itnas and the Hornets are on top of the division? While there’s no doubt that this team is good, at a glance, its hard to figure out why. We have 3 players, Macvan, Lamb and Thomas who are scoring above 17ppg on favorable contracts. They have a nice mix of defense too which could be why there winning so far. With a +4 differential in scoring offense to scoring defense, the Hornets wipe opponents out of the water when they can. My question is, can the young trio stay consistent and lead them to the promise land? Who knows.
2/ Miami Heat (26-15)
Your Miami Heat, is playing rather well after tons of mediocre seasons. It seems that the GM has finally found a groove and has compiled a feared roster for the future as well as the present. With AD having a breakout year, Eddy Curry having an amazing year at his age and acquiring Lance Stephenson, this team can strike fear into anybody. Will they stay this hot, however? With little depth at the wings, and Deron underperforming in a heavily inside offense, we could see a late season collapse. Stay tuned, because this team has the potential to go all the way, or crumple in a snap of a finger.
3/ Indiana Pacers (30-18)
This team is scary. Paul George, Harrison Barnes and MCW seem to rack terror on every team they face. The Pacers may be one of the better defensive squads in the East, but have seemed to struggle on the offensive side of the ball as well. Like the Hornets, they have a +4 differential in scoring offense to scoring defense. My only concern is will there lackluster frontcourt be able to hold up against inside focused teams? Can George and company be consistent enough to make up for that weakness? If so, this team can go really far come playoff time.
4/ Philadelphia 76ers (23-14)
Your defending champions are in the playoff hunt and ready to cause havoc, still. We already know Curry and Brook Lopez are one of the most underrated duos in the league with both putting up 20+ppg. This team also performs pretty well defensively, which makes them one of the more complete teams in the league. So yes, I think they can keep up a pretty consistent level of play and sneak there way into the playoffs.
5/ Brooklyn Nets (24-18)
BROOKLYN STAND UP. The Nets are poised to make some noise going forward, and amassed a pretty decent record in the process. DeRozan and Aminu are both scoring 19ppg respectively, which makes their perimeter game quite exciting, since there both SF’s. However, there lack of depth is concerning. Will they be able to compete with the stronger teams in the East? Like my preseason ranking, I see the Nets as more of a middle of the road team. If they can acquire some more pieces to solidify their depth, they can be a feared team for years to come.
6/ Orlando Magic (20-16)
Strangely, I thought the Magic would have been a lot better. There ppg differential is +6 which is better than any team that has a better record than them. D-Wade hasn’t fell off yet and Parker/Lawson helps solidify their backcourt as one of the more feared. Will this team be able to pull it together and get out of mediocrity, or will they fall off and have to race for the final spots? Expect Shorty to make the necessary changes to make sure that doesn’t happen, or at least attempt.
7/ Cleveland Cavaliers (21-19)
Cleveland is the Kyrie show, period. Of course, there is the surprising help from the white wonder bread, Klay Thompson, but other than that, there is not enough depth to help them compete with the better teams of the East. I do think, however, there a decent enough of a defensive team to compete for the ass crack of the race to make the playoffs. Let the Kyrie show commence, FBB.
8/ Toronto Raptors (20-18)
Wrapping it up, the rather disappointing Raptors are trying to claw there way to the playoffs, and that’s exactly what they’ve done. Brandon Roy is doing everything he can to carry this team, but basketball is a team sport. Oden is posting solid numbers, but nobody else is really contributing enough to make the Raptors relevant enough to make a break for the top. If tyfreak can make some “win now” moves, we can expect the Raptors to be rejuvenated enough to at least make some kind of a run to the middle of the race.
The Losers so far:
Bucks, Knicks, Bulls, Wizards, Pistons, Celtics and Hawks all have one thing in common, a lack of depth. If these teams want to make a run, they need to make moves now. In my opinion, I think the Bucks and Wizards have the best shot to make a run for the 8th seed. The Knicks do as well, but LBJ cannot do it on his own. Bulls, Celtics, Hawks, better luck next year.
Alas, ASW has arrived and to no surprise, the race in the East is as close as ever. I will break down team performances to the best of my knowledge. I only did a report for teams in the hunt so far. I’ll do a full article come playoff time about seasonal team performances. Thank you for reading. Enjoy.
1/ Charlotte Hornets (28-15)
Who isn’t surprised that Itnas and the Hornets are on top of the division? While there’s no doubt that this team is good, at a glance, its hard to figure out why. We have 3 players, Macvan, Lamb and Thomas who are scoring above 17ppg on favorable contracts. They have a nice mix of defense too which could be why there winning so far. With a +4 differential in scoring offense to scoring defense, the Hornets wipe opponents out of the water when they can. My question is, can the young trio stay consistent and lead them to the promise land? Who knows.
2/ Miami Heat (26-15)
Your Miami Heat, is playing rather well after tons of mediocre seasons. It seems that the GM has finally found a groove and has compiled a feared roster for the future as well as the present. With AD having a breakout year, Eddy Curry having an amazing year at his age and acquiring Lance Stephenson, this team can strike fear into anybody. Will they stay this hot, however? With little depth at the wings, and Deron underperforming in a heavily inside offense, we could see a late season collapse. Stay tuned, because this team has the potential to go all the way, or crumple in a snap of a finger.
3/ Indiana Pacers (30-18)
This team is scary. Paul George, Harrison Barnes and MCW seem to rack terror on every team they face. The Pacers may be one of the better defensive squads in the East, but have seemed to struggle on the offensive side of the ball as well. Like the Hornets, they have a +4 differential in scoring offense to scoring defense. My only concern is will there lackluster frontcourt be able to hold up against inside focused teams? Can George and company be consistent enough to make up for that weakness? If so, this team can go really far come playoff time.
4/ Philadelphia 76ers (23-14)
Your defending champions are in the playoff hunt and ready to cause havoc, still. We already know Curry and Brook Lopez are one of the most underrated duos in the league with both putting up 20+ppg. This team also performs pretty well defensively, which makes them one of the more complete teams in the league. So yes, I think they can keep up a pretty consistent level of play and sneak there way into the playoffs.
5/ Brooklyn Nets (24-18)
BROOKLYN STAND UP. The Nets are poised to make some noise going forward, and amassed a pretty decent record in the process. DeRozan and Aminu are both scoring 19ppg respectively, which makes their perimeter game quite exciting, since there both SF’s. However, there lack of depth is concerning. Will they be able to compete with the stronger teams in the East? Like my preseason ranking, I see the Nets as more of a middle of the road team. If they can acquire some more pieces to solidify their depth, they can be a feared team for years to come.
6/ Orlando Magic (20-16)
Strangely, I thought the Magic would have been a lot better. There ppg differential is +6 which is better than any team that has a better record than them. D-Wade hasn’t fell off yet and Parker/Lawson helps solidify their backcourt as one of the more feared. Will this team be able to pull it together and get out of mediocrity, or will they fall off and have to race for the final spots? Expect Shorty to make the necessary changes to make sure that doesn’t happen, or at least attempt.
7/ Cleveland Cavaliers (21-19)
Cleveland is the Kyrie show, period. Of course, there is the surprising help from the white wonder bread, Klay Thompson, but other than that, there is not enough depth to help them compete with the better teams of the East. I do think, however, there a decent enough of a defensive team to compete for the ass crack of the race to make the playoffs. Let the Kyrie show commence, FBB.
8/ Toronto Raptors (20-18)
Wrapping it up, the rather disappointing Raptors are trying to claw there way to the playoffs, and that’s exactly what they’ve done. Brandon Roy is doing everything he can to carry this team, but basketball is a team sport. Oden is posting solid numbers, but nobody else is really contributing enough to make the Raptors relevant enough to make a break for the top. If tyfreak can make some “win now” moves, we can expect the Raptors to be rejuvenated enough to at least make some kind of a run to the middle of the race.
The Losers so far:
Bucks, Knicks, Bulls, Wizards, Pistons, Celtics and Hawks all have one thing in common, a lack of depth. If these teams want to make a run, they need to make moves now. In my opinion, I think the Bucks and Wizards have the best shot to make a run for the 8th seed. The Knicks do as well, but LBJ cannot do it on his own. Bulls, Celtics, Hawks, better luck next year.
