Well that was quick.
The Lakers fired head coach Mike Brown on Friday, following the team’s disappointing 1-4 start.
While the Lakers’ front office did not want to wait for things to get any worse, especially with the high expectations for the team after an offseason in which it picked up Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, the firing may have come a little too quickly.
Similarly, we’re seeing overreactions to the Knicks’ 3-0 start and James Harden’s incredible first few games in Houston.
I believe the rapid reaction to the early storylines of the season is a bit of a holdover from last year’s hectic, cramped season that was shortened by the lockout and games were much more important and closer together. Quite frankly, I think with the extra day or two in between games, the media has more time to dissect and pick apart the minute aspects of each team and can put an added emphasis on a team’s struggles or triumphs.
To expand on just how early it is and how the picture has yet to become fully formed, there are a number of teams that are missing key components that will transform them when they return. Among those teams are Dallas (Dirk Nowitzki), Minnesota (Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio), Philadelphia (Andrew Bynum), Chicago (Derrick Rose), Indiana (Danny Granger), the Knicks (Amar’e Stoudemire) and to a lesser extent, the Lakers (Nash).
Nevertheless, the season is underway and we do need to rank the Association’s 30 teams.
Games through Nov. 8
1.Heat (4-1) – Still the top dogs despite being routed by the surprisingly unbeaten Knicks last Friday.
2.Knicks (3-0) – All of the Knicks wins have been impressive, but they won’t be playing a Bynum-less Sixers team for the next 79 games.
3.Spurs (4-1) – Despite their age and playing without Manu Ginobili, the Spurs have the best record in the Western Conference.
4.Mavericks (4-1) – If Dallas is this good without Nowitzki, imagine what will happen when it gets its best player back.
5.Thunder (2-2) – Still figuring out how to play in the post-Harden era, but should be fine.
6.Clippers (3-2) – Incredibly talented, incredibly deep. Clippers could take the next step to becoming a legitimate title contender this season.
7.Bulls (3-1) – Even without Derrick Rose, Chicago is fourth in the NBA averaging 25 assists per game.
8.Celtics (2-2) – I know it’s early, but when you beat the Wizards by just nine total points in two games, it’s never good.
9.Sixers (2-2) – The jury is still out on Philly. We won’t know what this team is capable of until Andrew Bynum gets back on the court.
10.Timberwolves (3-1) – He’s not yet scoring at his old clip, but Brandon Roy looks sharp passing the ball, averaging 5.5 assists in 26 minutes.
11.Trail Blazers (2-2) – Damian Lillard is the real deal.
12.Lakers (1-4) – The Kobe “Death Stare” was a sign of things to come for Brown.
13.Grizzlies (3-1) – Memphis lacks a household name, unless you count Rudy Gay, but it is one of the West’s most dangerous squads.
14.Rockets (2-2) – James Harden is showing off what he can do as the focal point of a team’s offense but if you expect him to keep up his torrid pace, you’re mistaken.
15.Bucks (2-1) – Best scoring backcourt in the NBA with Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis?
16.Nets (1-2) – Defense is hurting the Nets. Only three teams in the NBA are giving up more points than Brooklyn at this point.
17.Warriors (3-2) – The future of this franchise rests on Stephen Curry’s ankle.
18.Cavaliers (2-3) – Whether he’s Uncle Drew or just simply Kyrie Irving, Cleveland’s second-year guard dazzles.
19.Pacers (2-3) – Bad news this week out of Indiana. Danny Granger will miss three months, all but torpedoing the Pacers shot at a top four seed in the improved East.
20.Magic (2-2) – Dwightmare is over and Orlando has remained competitive thanks to Aaron Afflalo.
21.Hawks (2-1) – Still have a great frontcourt with Josh Smith and Al Horford.
22.Jazz (2-3) – Mo Williams has been impressive early for the Jazz
23.Nuggets (2-3) – Middle-of-the-pack Nuggets will struggle to be anything but mediocre this season.
24.Kings (2-3) – If DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans can mature, the Kings will be a solid team moving forward.
25.Hornets (2-2) – Everyone will be clamoring about Austin Rivers and Anthony Davis, but Greivis Vasquez is averaging nine assists per game.
26.Suns (2-3) – Could you name the Suns’ starting five? I didn’t think so.
27.Raptors (1-4) – Kyle Lowry could be the steal of the offseason.
28.Bobcats (1-2) – Only six more wins until they match last year’s total.
29.Wizards (0-3) – Will get a boost with the return of John Wall later this month.
30.Pistons (0-5) – Greg Monroe is the only reason to watch this team anymore.