We’re halfway through the NBA season and I’ve seen many of the same points on midseason reports lists. The Sixers being this bad, the Pistons being this good, Russell Westbrook finding such a great fit alongside Nikola Jokic and with the Nuggets — at some point, if we all have the same observations, then we’re not really paying attention.
Not to lean too hard on my own horn, but I thought all these things were going to happen before the season got underway (granted, it does feel excellent that being a perennial Westbrook supporter is paying off). Let’s look instead at some surprises past the surface level of competition this season, into developments and/or plot twists that look like they’ll have a ripple effect beyond the conclusion of this NBA calendar year. We’ll start with two today and get into some others tomorrow.
Leveraging the future for an immediate star
The Suns and Sixers are the obvious examples, but the Warriors, Lakers, Mavericks and Wolves have done this via inaction and slow erosion.
For the Mavs, this season feels like an existential hiccup. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving settling, seemingly well, into a working routine last season and Dallas was a contender in the West. Where the Mavs have slipped to — injuries aside — does seem to be, in part, in working Klay Thompson into the fold. Thompson has struggled at times to find his shot and his place on the floor, he plays at a pace a lot different than either Doncic or Irving do — his previous, forever point guard in Steph Curry was never as frenetic.
The Lakers are locked into LeBron James and Anthony Davis as their centrepieces, and the revolving door of supporting players has a one season expiry date. The team’s righted themselves, but effort is streaky. After their win against the Clippers on Sunday, James said the team has to play “near perfect” to win, that the way the team is constructed creates thin margins. Not ideal, when effort and personnel are the recurring issues.
Where the Wolves factor in is unique, because the front office let the good thing it took a big swing to make fall apart out of frugality. Simply put: Minnesota turned cheap. Certainly, teams are crunched with the new CBA, but instead of trusting the chemistry and ahead of schedule group that tore up the West last postseason, the Wolves front office tried to recreate it at a lower price tag. A great example that people, not contracts, play basketball.
What this all means is the big sweepstakes to land stars may be a thing of the past. Just look at how difficult it’s proving for Jimmy Butler to leave Miami. Beyond the math, convincing a superstar to play for you, to play the way your team is already built to, to keep them happy — it’s a tall order. Plus, the teams excelling this season have all benefitted from slow builds, through drafting, development and unhurried trades. Patience has been key, and you don’t get that with stars.
A new class of competitors
Less than the resounding surprise that the Cavs are still sitting uncontested at the top should be the understanding that what we’re seeing, cross-conference, is the new crop of leaders for seasons to come. Parity paved the way for Cleveland, OKC, Houston, Memphis to get here, but it’s their skill that’s going to keep them there. None of these teams winning as they have been (or in the unique ways they’ve won) is by fluke.
Sure, there’s the refrain that none are all that playoff tested, but neither were the franchises we now consider to be competitive behemoths their first time around. Winning takes time, and with the average age of players on all of these teams being so young, they’ve got plenty it. This is the shape of the league for seasons to come.
