by John Galinsky, FOXSports.com NBA editor
5. The West is still best
So much for the expected Eastern Conference upgrades in Washington, Chicago,
Toronto and Detroit, which have ranged from moderate to nonexistent. The
league’s most improved teams (the Kings, Grizzlies, Thunder and Clippers) all
reside in the West, meaning the gap between the conferences has only grown.
Ten of the top 14 teams in our latest NBA Power Rankings hail from the West,
including the No. 3 Nuggets (pictured), while six of the bottom eight are in
the East. Even at the top, the Celtics and Magic don’t look nearly as strong
as a year ago. And don’t get us started on the Nets, who are making even the
West’s worst team (the Timberwolves) look like world-beaters by comparison.
4. The biggest additions aren’t the biggest names
Most of the splashy offseason acquisitions have barely caused a ripple. Shaq,
Ron Artest, Rasheed Wallace and Richard Jefferson haven’t made their new
teams much better, if at all. Vince Carter’s been a chemistry killer in
Orlando. The two players who have made the most positive impacts carried
negative reps to their new addresses. Jamal Crawford (pictured) has gone from
shot-happy loser to clutch-shooting sixth man in Atlanta, while Zach Randolph
has slimmed down his body and beefed up Memphis’ interior attack. Even
Stephen Jackson has reformed his image and turned around Charlotte’s
fortunes after an early-season steal of a deal with the Warriors.
3. It’s not a one-man rookie class
In fact, the one man who was supposed to walk away with the rookie of the
year award — the Clippers’ Blake Griffin — won’t step onto the court for
a single minute this season because of an injured kneecap. But with the No. 1
pick out of action and the No. 5 guy (Ricky Rubio) playing in Spain, five
point guards (Tyreke Evans, Kings, fourth pick; Jonny Flynn, Timberwolves,
sixth; Stephen Curry, Warriors, seventh; Brandon Jennings, Bucks, 10th; and
Ty Lawson, Nuggets, 18th) have made a smooth transition to the NBA. Many
other rookies, most notably Omri Casspi (Kings, 23rd) and DeJuan Blair
(Spurs, 37th), have shown that this class has more talent and depth than
expected. Now it’s Evans, not Griffin, who looks like the surefire star of
the bunch.
2. The Lakers aren’t the greatest team of all time
Seventy wins? 72? More? You could find plenty of people predicting that kind
of season for the Lakers, fresh off a 65-win championship campaign, the
re-signing of Lamar Odom and the addition of Ron Artest. But now? Even though
they own the best record in the league at 33-10, there are many reasons to
think L.A. will struggle to win 60. Pau Gasol’s been injury-prone. Odom,
Artest and Andrew Bynum have been inconsistent. Derek Fisher’s become a
liability. The bench is weak. Kobe Bryant has a broken finger and a bad back.
And the Lakers will spend most of the second half on the road. Sure, they
might coast through the regular season and crank it up for another title run,
but the Lakers have strayed far off the path to greatness.
1. The Cavs are the team to beat
Cleveland isn’t great, either, and may well struggle in the near future
without injured guards Mo Williams and Delonte West. But LeBron James is well
on the way to his second of many MVP awards, while Shaq has fit in nicely as
part of a four-big rotation with Anderson Varejao, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and
J.J. Hickson. The Cavs have the size to match up with their nemeses from last
year, the Lakers and Magic, as they’ve shown in going 3-0 against those
teams. Moreover, they seem hungrier than anyone else right now. A lot can
change in the next five months, and surely a lot will, but we’ve learned
that it’s the Cavs, not the Lakers, who are looking the most