Well, it’s happened. The NBA’s early season darling teams have fallen back to earth.
The Phoenix Suns, who started 5-2, are now 5-6 and look poised for the early lottery once again.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division could be historically bad. The Philadelphia 76ers, who have won only twice in their last 10 games, trail the Toronto Raptors by only a half game for first place.
And the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets are fighting for Gotham’s infamy as they both stand at 3-8.
On a brighter note, the West looks revitalized again. Sacramento owns the second-worst record in the conference, yet would be tied for eighth in the East if the playoffs started today. Perhaps it’s no wonder that this week’s top five candidates for Sixth Man of the Year play for Western Conference teams.
The Spurs keep on spurring, the Mavericks look revitalized and the Thunder, Clippers, and Warriors all look capable and talented enough to reach the NBA Finals. And did I mention Portland has won eight straight games?
One thing worth keeping an eye on is the arrival of the facilitator as sixth man. No longer are teams exclusively slotting scorers as their top bench player. The Blazers, Thunder and Bobcats all have found success with a facilitator leading their respective bench mobs.
Now, on to the rankings.
