Early Surprises and Disappointments

After the first couple weeks, I have chosen 5 teams I consider surprise success stories and 5 I consider disappointments and discussed 3 notes on each that stand out.  All stats come from Basketball-Reference and all stats and records are accurate prior to the games on November 3^rd.

 

Chicago Bulls, 6-1

I had the Bulls finishing 7^th, though I thought they would have their difficulties early.  They have been playing better on both ends than I expected so far.

1. Everybody knows their roles already.

Their top 2 options are DeMar DeRozan and Zach Lavine (averaging 19.1 and 18.0 FGA respectively), and then Nikola Vucevic (15.1) and Lonzo Ball (10.7).  Each of those 4 are averaging at least 4 assists per game as they have rotated who took control of the ball.  The remaining players are all operating off the ball and have taken smart shots (all with eFG% of at least 50%) and have operated to their strengths on both ends.  The most important thing in that regard is Vucevic buying into the third option; he only has 15.1 PPG, but has done well off the ball, rebounding, and playmaking when needed.  The big question going forward is how they will replace Patrick Williams, who is now out for the season; they used Javonte Green for a couple games, but I don’t see this as the best option long-term.

2. They have been strong at both ends so far.

Their offense was expected to be great, and it has lived up to the billing, with a 110.6 ORtg (7^th in the league) and 53.0 eFG% (10^th), as well as a low 12.0 TOV% (8^th), which is shocking for a team that has been totally retooled; they also have been efficient while catering a slower pace to players like DeRozan and Vucevic, as they have averaged 99.2 possessions per 48 minutes (20^th).  The surprise has come on the defensive end so far, as they have a 101.8 DRtg (5^th), allowed a 49.2 eFG% (5^th), and a 15.1 TOV% (7^th).  They also seem to be smart with the shots they’ve allowed; in particular, in their win against the Celtics, they allowed them several shots that were deeper since the Celtics were missing them due to exhaustion and forced their stars into tough shots.

3. They have had an easy schedule through 7 games.

Their victories came against a brutal Pistons (without top pick Cade Cunningham), a struggling Pelicans team (without Zion Williamson), the Pistons (again without Cunningham), the Raptors (who have been good), the Jazz (who have been fantastic), and the Celtics (who have struggled early) and their loss came against a thriving Knicks team.  Some might see this as being dismissive, but there is something to be said about them consistently beating the teams they should beat, especially since several were blowouts. 

 

 

Golden State Warriors, 5-1

I had the Warriors finishing 7^th but had no idea how they would play without Klay Thompson.  So far, they have seemed to regain a spark from some of their previous title runs.

1. Their entire team is playing well in their role.

In order for this team succeed without Klay Thompson, they needed to have several players seamlessly fill their required roles, which is just what they have done so far.  Stephen Curry has been their star, averaging 28.7 PPG and 6.5 APG while shooting 38.8% from 3 (a couple bad shooting nights early brought this percentage down).  Draymond Green has been the ultimate defensive stopper (3.2 DBPM) while also being the lead playmaker (7.0 APG) and rebounder (8.7 RPG).  Andrew Wiggins (16.2 PPG), Damion Lee (14.2), and Jordan Poole (14.0) have all been complimentary scorers who could thrive while needed and the first two could also shoot (40.0% and 46.2% from 3 respectively), though I hope Wiggins is able to be more aggressive soon.  Andre Iguodala has been a rock steady defender (1.2 DBPM), playmaker (2.4 APG), and veteran presence off the bench, Otto Porter has been a solid 3-and-D player (43.8% from deep) in short stints, Kevon Looney has been a solid big, Nemanja Bjelica has been a decent player in multiple roles, and Juan Toscano-Anderson continues to play with the frenetic defensive energy needed for it to work.  I think they have meshed so well.

 

2. Warriors basketball is back (on both ends).

On offense, they have taken and made a lot of 3’s, attempting 40.2 (9^th) and making 37.8% of them (5^th) while moving the ball effectively through multiple people and averaging 28.7 APG (2^nd).  They have played at an incredibly high pace, with 101.8 possessions per 48 minutes (5^th).  I’ve been more intrigued by their defense, as they have a DRtg of 99.4 (3^rd).  In particular, they have forced opponents to take a lot of 3’s (41.5, 27^th) and then miss them (30.5%, 4^th).  How do they do it?  I think part of it is Draymond Green’s presence, but another part is truly Juan Toscano-Anderson, who is driving players insane wherever.

 

3. They have played teams at the right time.

Their victories have come against Los Angeles on opening night (which showed the team had yet to figure out how to play together), the Clippers (who struggled early without Kawhi Leonard), the Kings (who the Warriors should be better than even without Thompson), and the Thunder twice (who are the Thunder).  While there shouldn’t be doubt that the Warriors have played well, it should be noted that the games they won were all games that I expected them to win anyways.

 

 

Washington Wizards, 5-2

I had the Wizards finishing 10^th prior to the season, but had no idea what would happen without an obvious second-best player.  They played well early despite some tougher opponents.

1. Their depth has shown.

Bradley Beal has been inconsistent this year (38.7% from the field, 24.5% from 3), but fortunately, their depth has backed him up.  Beal (24.4 PPG), Montrezl Harrell (18.0), Spencer Dinwiddie (17.9), and Kyle Kuzma (14.1) have all topped 10 PPG, and Beal (36.9 MPG), Kuzma (34.5), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (31.6), Harrell (31.3), Dinwiddie (30.7), Raul Neto (21.7), and Deni Avdija (20.5) have all topped 20 MPG.  Overall, they have 10 players who have played more than 15 MPG, which has helped them look fresh, work hard, and not be too reliant on a few players.  While I questioned what a team with Spencer Dinwiddie as potentially their second-best player could do, so far it’s do enough to win each game, especially since they have so many players who have been reliable.  This depth will be crucial as the season goes on.

 

2. Their defense has improved…or has their luck?

The team went from being a horrible defensively 2 seasons ago (115.5 DRtg, 30^th) to being league average this season (107.4, 16^th).  So, their defense has definitely improved, right?  The truth is that two games play a major impact on this number:  when they beat Toronto on opening night 98-83 and when they beat Boston in double overtime 115-112.  They had a DRtg of 80.0 in the first since Toronto shot 30.9% from the field and 20.6% from 3, and one of 95.1 against Boston since Boston shot just 2-26 (7.7%) from 3.  That said, they didn’t play good defense at all, as both teams had several open looks in those games, especially in the Boston game (though they worked a little harder in the paint that night); neither team could hit the side of the barn throughout the entire night against Washington, so Washington lucked into 2 deceiving defensive performances.  Their other games are closer to the DRtg from 2 years ago, so I think that the value will increase as more games are played and these two games don’t skew the values, but for now it worked for them.

 

3. They have been smart with their shot selection.

Their 2P% has been more effective than their 3P% (51.9% vs. 31.9%, ranking 15^th and 25^th respectively), so they have taken a lot more 2’s (56.4 vs. 33.8, ranking 10^th and 22^nd respectively).  I think part of that is due to players like Bradley Beal, Montrezl Harrel, and Spencer Dinwiddie tend to take a lot more 2’s than 3’s anyways, but it has helped their offense.  That said, one thing to watch out for is that they shoot more from the 3-10 feet range than the 0-3 (26.9% of field goals vs. 20.2 respectively), despite being much more efficient from the shorter range (41.8% vs. 72.6% respectively).

 

 

New York Knicks, 5-2

I had the Knicks finishing 8^th due to not being sure what their ceiling was, but I thought they could crack the top 6, even going as high as 3^rd.  While their defense hasn’t been good, their offense has shone.

1. Their offensive depth has been strong.

A major focus this offseason was to acquire some stronger offensive weapons, and it has worked.  So far, Julius Randle (20.6 PPG), RJ Barrett (19.1), and Evan Fournier (16.4) have all topped 16 PPG, while Kemba Walker (13.6) and Derrick Rose (11.4) have also topped 10.  In total, they have 8 players who are averaging at least 7 PPG, and all have been fairly reliable and consistent in the process.  While the Knicks were looking for options to help finish games, they have done so without giving up offensive depth.  The team has a 45.8 FG% (10^th), 112.7 ORtg (3^rd), and 54.4 eFG% (4^th).

 

2. Their shooting has been great.

Last season, the Knicks shot for a high 3P% (39.2%, 3^rd) while not attempting many 3’s (30.0, 27^th).  This season, the Knicks are shooting a high 3P% (39.3%, 2^nd) while shooting a lot more 3’s (38.5, 11^th).  The two most obvious factors in that are Kemba Walker (51.0% on 6.1 attempts) and Evan Fournier (41.3% on 7.9 attempts).  Some other players who have shot well in smaller doses include Derrick Rose (48.1%) and Alec Burks (41.9%).  One player that I think most will ignore but is essential in this regard is RJ Barrett, who is getting more confident with his shot and is averaging a career high 6.0 per game while shooting 41.7% from deep.

 

 

3. Their defense has looked good at the rim.

While their defensive rating has been abysmal (110.0, 25^th), they have done well at challenging 2’s, as opponents are shooting 50.0% from 2 (8^th) and they have blocked 6.0 shots per game (6^th).  With Nerlens Noel injured, the obvious answer would be that Mitchell Robinson has been a shot blocking extraordinaire; the catch is that he hasn’t been at all, averaging a career low 1.4 BPG.  The blocks have been more of a team effort, as the others in the top-4 for the team are Julius Randle (1.0), Taj Gibson (1.0), and Obi Toppin (0.9), who total 4.3 (though Gibson hasn’t played in 2 games).  I think that Robinson has improved at resisting the urge to block shots and has instead focused more on changing the shot or getting in good position to rebound if he isn’t necessarily able to block the shot.

 

Toronto Raptors, 5-3

I had the Raptors finishing 12^th, but I thought they would struggle without Pascal Siakam.  Despite a clunky offense so far, they have played well overall.

1. Scottie Barnes has been a better offensive player than I expected.

While many people (including myself), were shocked that the Raptors took Barnes over Jalen Suggs (most, including myself, believed Suggs had a higher ceiling), I still thought this would be a good fit because he is a big playmaker who could defend and rebound.  What I didn’t expect was that he would be so willing to be aggressive on offense; he is averaging 18.1 PPG (only trailing OG Anunoby on the team) and has thrived inside the arc, shooting 58.4% from 2 (the entire team is only shooting 48.5%, which ranks 28^th).  He has also been an excellent rebounder (8.9 RPG) and has turned over the ball less than I expected considering how much he has the ball in his hand (2.4 TOV, 13.5 TOV%, 21.5 USG%).  He still hasn’t been a great playmaker (2.0 APG vs. 2.4 TOV), though the team’s assists have been low, with just 20.7 per 100 possessions (27^th).  He should be able to improve as he gets more experience.

 

2. They have made a niche defensively by forcing turnovers.

While opponents have a 52.1 eFG% (17^th), they are still a good defensive team, with a 102.7 DRtg (8^th).  How have they pulled that off?  I think there is three things here (two minor and one major).  The first minor thing is that they have benefited slightly from the lenient foul calls.  The second minor thing (though a little bigger) is that they are playing at a slow pace of 97.6 possessions per 48 minutes (29^th), which I think has thrown off teams a bit.  The biggest reason (which I think also is slightly impacted by the second) is that they have forced a lot of turnovers; they have forced 18.7 turnovers per game (3^rd) and a 16.8 TOV% (1^st).  While Gary Trent Jr. is leading the way with 2.8 SPG (4^th), there are 4 other players with at least 1 steal per game:  Fred VanVleet (1.6 SPG), OG Anunoby (1.6), Khem Birch (1.0) and Svi Mykhailiuk (1.0).

 

3. They have won some games they are expected to win.

Their wins so far have come against Boston (2 days after they played a 2OT game), Indiana twice (who has struggled this year), Orlando (who is abysmal), and New York (who has been really good).  Out of those 5 games, I would expect that they would win 4 of them.  This is an important trait to see in good teams as the season goes along, so it is important that they have already started off in this mindset.

 

 

Brooklyn Nets, 4-3

I had the Nets finishing 2^nd, although I thought it was possible that they finished a bit lower and didn’t take the regular season as seriously.  Their two biggest issues are fairly obvious, but I think there’s one fewer seem to be talking about.

1. Their offense didn’t have a backup plan for Kyrie Irving’s absence.

I’m not sure how you plan for losing the 26.9 PPG and 6.0 APG Irving averaged last year on a 50.6%/40.2%/92.2% slash, but clearly the Nets decided that the best way was by hoping something clicked.  The starters they tried with Irving out have included Bruce Brown, Nic Claxton, and even Jevon Carter…spoiler alert, none have been particularly effective on offense.  A bigger issue to that regard was something I was afraid of:  Joe Harris has been worse with the defender who would guard Irving guarding him instead, shooting 36.0% from 3 and 36.5% from the field (for reference, he shot 47.5% from 3 and 50.5% from the field last year).  The good news for Irving is that NYC mayor elect Eric Adams has said he is considering revisiting the vaccine mandate, meaning that there is a chance he could potentially be eligible to play again.

 

2. James Harden has looked like a shell of himself.

A quick glimpse at Harden’s numbers suggest that something might be wrong.  He is averaging 18.6 PPG (his lowest since 2011-12) while shooting just 39.8% from the field and 41.3% from 2 (both the lowest of his career).  One issue is the one that everyone seems to be pointing to:  the change in the foul rules are really messing with him, as he is averaging just 5.3 attempts per game (his lowest since 2010-11) and often seems to try reverting back to his old methods of creating fouls.  Another issue that seems to have arisen is that he doesn’t have the same explosiveness, raising some concerns about how he healed from his recent injury.  That said, there are reasons for hope:  he is shooting 38.5% from 3 (which would be the second highest of his career behind 2011-12), averaging 8.6 APG and 7.6 APG, and appears to be making an effort on defense at times.

 

3. These role players might not be what we thought they were.

One of the biggest stories of the Nets reserves is likely Patty Mills averaging 10.6 PPG on 51.4% shooting from 3, although LaMarcus Aldridge his shooting 12.7 PPG on 68.0% from the field, Bruce Brown is back to playing hard on defense while slashing, and Nic Claxton has provided some nice intensity inside the paint when healthy (though he is still a bit raw).  The problem is that several of their other role players have looked abysmal so far.  Blake Griffin has looked like he aged 20 years in one offseason and cannot hit shots, shooting 28.6% from the field and 11.8% from 3.  Jevon Carter has played great defense, but has been a mess offensively, shooting 20.0% from the field and 22.2% from 3.  Paul Millsap has been solid defensively, but is shooting 27.3% from 3 and is shooting more 3’s than 2’s, despite shooting 62.5% from 2.  James Johnson has been shooting 25.0% from the field and is so bad on both ends (missing everything offensively and falling behind defenders defensively) that I question why he still gets minutes.  When it’s to the point that I trust DeAndre’ Bembry’s 4.3 PPG in 11.2 MPG more than any of these other players (he has been good on defense as well though), that shows that maybe they’re allocating minutes to the wrong players.

 

 

Milwaukee Bucks, 4-4

I had the Bucks finishing 1^st, and thought they would get off to a hot start instantly.  Given some circumstances, I’m not too surprised to see them struggle.

1. Several key players have dealt with injuries.

This team has been decimated by injuries.  So far, the potential role players who have not played in all 8 games are Khris Middleton (6 games), Jrue Holiday (2), Brook Lopez (1), Bobby Portis (3), Rodney Hood (5), and Semi Ojeleye (3).  The best way I can put it with this team is that if Thanasis Antetokounmpo is playing 19.1 MPG for the reigning champions, they’re probably struggling with injuries (that’s no slight on him, just that he isn’t that type of player).

 

2. The 3’s aren’t falling.

Last year, the Bucks shot 38.9% from 3 and were 5^th in the league.  This year, they are shooting just 33.5% and are 18^th.  While you can point to players like Giannis Antetokounmpo (31.6% on 4.8 per game) and Jordan Nwora (31.6% on 4.8 per game; no, I didn’t accidentally copy and paste there, like I thought I might have), the biggest issue is Khris Middleton’s slow start, shooting just 25.7% on 5.8 attempts a game (for reference, in his last two seasons, he shot 41.4% and 41.5 %).  I think this number is a fluke and will resolve itself, especially once more players return from injury.

 

3. Their assists have been down.

Despite playing at a comparable pace, their assists dropped from 25.5 APG (14^th) to 21.9 APG (23^rd).  While they weren’t a team that necessarily relied on passing to begin with, I think Jrue Holiday’s absence plays a major role.  Without Holiday, they have relied on George Hill in the starting lineup, who can create some assists (3.1 this season) but is better off the ball.  Their leading playmakers are Giannis Antetokounmpo with 6.4 APG (who also leads the team in AST% with 38.7% and USG% with 34.2%, both of which are expected) and Khris Middleton with 4.5 (who typically is more effective as an isolation scorer than a playmaker).  Ultimately, I think this will balance itself out once players return from injury, which I think is the biggest issue for this team.

 

 

Boston Celtics, 2-5

I had the Celtics finishing 3^rd prior to the season.  While many point to selfish play by a couple of stars, I think there is one massive issue nobody is discussing.

1. Their starters are playing a lot of minutes and are fading at the end of games.

One element I praised about this team was their depth, as I thought 14 players could consistently average 10 MPG (and I thought the 15^th, Bruno Fernando, could reach that level).  The issue is that new coach Ime Udoka has ridden a select few players a lot of minutes.  Admittedly, they have already played 5 periods of overtime in 7 games, with 2 games going to 2OT.  That said, he has used the same lineups from about 5 minutes remaining in the game until the end of this overtime, resulting in 4 players playing at least 40 minutes opening night (Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, and Jayson Tatum all topped 44), 5 players topping 35 in their 4^th game (with Tatum topping 40), and 4 players topping 40 minutes in their 6^th game (with Brown and Tatum topping 45).  They are already dealing with some exhaustion issues, as Tatum is averaging 38.7 MPG, Brown averaging 38.5, and Smart averaging 36.3.  This is obvious at the end of their overtime games, where they are missing easy shots, as well as the games following the overtime nights, where they are 0-3.  This was most telling in their game against the Bulls, where they blew a massive lead at the end of the game because they were committing stupid fouls, making silly turnovers, and front-rimming any shot they took (a clear sign their legs were tired).  For some reason Udoka doesn’t seem to fully trust Romeo Langford, Payton Pritchard, Aaron Nesmith, or Jabari Parker, who could all be useful in these situations.  I think their 3P% (33.7%, 16^th), eFG% (50.1%, 22^nd), DRtg (111.6, 27^th), and fouls (22.3, 30^th) could all be resolved by addressing this issue.

 

2. Several players have been inconsistent offensively.

I think part of this issue is the result of exhaustion, but their offense has been crumby, as several role players have been inconsistent when they receive playing time, including Marcus Smart (29.3 FG%, 28.2 3P%), Dennis Schroder (36.3 FG%), Al Horford (28.6 3P%, though he is shooting 56.4% from 2), and Payton Pritchard (28.6 FG%, 31.3 3P%).  The biggest issue is that Jayson Tatum has averaged 25.7 PPG but has been putrid, shooting just 39.5% from the field and 27.1% from 3.  The bigger issue with that is that he seems to be trying to shoot his way out of a slump, by attempting 24.6 shots a game.  While he had one game where he shot 50% from the field and scored 41 points, that was the fluke this year.

 

3. Either Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown needs to improve as a playmaker (Tatum does).

There are 3 players who play consistently and control the ball a lot on this team:  Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Dennis Schroder.  There is one major difference:  while all 3 have a USG% above 20% (32.6%, 28.4%, and 21.2% respectively), Schroder is the only one with an AST% above 20 (17.3%, 11.9%, and 30.0% respectively).  What this means (which is also obvious when watching them play) is that Schroder is able to make a decent number of plays for others while the others really don’t.  Everybody who watches Celtics basketball seems to recognize this is an issue (especially Marcus Smart, who called them out for it), and me having them rank 3^rd prior to the season was dependent on one of them improving as a playmaker; the issue is that they have been the second coming of Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker so far, as two forwards who care more about their own numbers than winning.  While many are saying both need to improve as playmakers, I think Tatum is better at it at this time than Brown, so I think Tatum needs to be the one to do this, especially since his shooting has so been horrible.

 

 

Indiana Pacers, 2-6

I had the Pacers finishing 10^th, but I thought they would at least compete.  There are a few things that have gone totally wrong for them, the biggest being a recurring theme.

1. They have had injury issues.

While most teams with injury issues have dealt with a star player or several players in different roles (starting and bench typically) miss games, the Pacers are dealing with something a bit different:  they have 3 starters injured.  Malcolm Brogdon has played 5 of their 8 games, Caris LeVert in 2, and T.J. Warren has yet to even be given a timetable to return from a foot injury.  While several players have stepped up in starting (Chris Duarte, Justin Holiday, and T.J. McConnell), missing 3 out of the 5 starters makes it difficult to compete.

 

2. They have had a tough schedule so far.

Their losses have come against Charlotte, Washington, Milwaukee, Brooklyn, and Toronto (twice), all teams who have either played well or are competitive teams.  Their two wins came against a hot Miami and a cold San Antonio.  In other words, I would consider their one easier game to have been against San Antonio, which they did win.  You can expect this won’t be among the worst teams in the league as they get to play some crumbier teams, though they could face an uphill battle to be a playoff team.

 

3. Their defense has been rough.

On this team, I Myles Turner is an elite defender, T.J. McConnell is a good defender, and Domantas Sabonis has moments where he looks like he is good (overall I’d say he’s probably solid).  As for the rest of the team, yikes, there’s a lot of underwhelming defensive players.  I do think that a healthy T.J. Warren and Caris LeVert would allow some players who aren’t as strong defensively to guard bench players instead (I think this would help rookie Chris Duarte’s development defensively), but ultimately their team is made up of several players who are not known for defense, which could bite them a bit.  If new coach Rick Carlisle can muster together even a league average defense, then they could possibly end up being a playoff team.

 

 

New Orleans Pelicans, 1-7

I had the Pelicans finishing 10^th, but immediately regretted it once I heard Zion Williamson would be out and regretted it more once I saw the Mountain Dew commercial he co-starred in.  Even without him, I didn’t think they would be this rough early.

1. They miss Zion Williamson.

This seems like an obvious statement on first glance, considering that everybody would figure that missing the force inside the paint who averaged 27.0 PPG on 62.2% from 2 and 70.1% from within 3 feet would result in a worse showing.  What I mean by this is that from October 27^th-30^th, the Pelicans went 0-3 by a combined 13 points.  Having Williamson would not only presumably add some points throughout the game, but also would give them a reliable scorer at the end of a close game, something that they could absolutely use.  Having him for those 3 games alone could potentially change their season early on, even if they go 2-1 and bring their record to 3-5.

 

2. They are relying on several inconsistent offensive players.

Without Zion Williamson available, the Pelicans are testing their depth a bit, and the results are…let’s just say mixed.  Brandon Ingram has had a great start to the season by averaging 25.0 PPG and shooting an efficient 45.5% from 3.  Jonas Valanciunas has been good as well, with 19.9 PPG, 50.4% from the field, and 89.7% from the line.  The bigger issue is the third and fourth options.  Devonte’ Graham is averaging 17.1 PPG, but is shooting just 36.9% from the field and 34.2% from 3 (the biggest issue is that he’s shooting just 40.8% from 2).  The biggest problem is that Nickeil Alexander-Walker is as trigger happy as ever, averaging 15.3 FGA, but is averaging 13.6 PPG while shooting 34.4% from the field and 27.0% from 2 while averaging just 2.5 APG.  There are some other bright spots on offense, like Josh Hart shooting 63.0% from the field in the 4 games he’s played and Trey Murphy shooting 39.4% from 3, but this team is struggling in large part because 2 players who should not be in the top-3 in FGA are with Graham and Alexander-Walker trying to run the show more than they should.

 

3. Their defense is still terrible.

After another season of a horrific offense, the Pelicans apparently decided to keep the trend going.  They have a DRtg of 111.6 (26^th), allowed opponents to have an eFG% of 53.7% (23^rd), and are allowing opponents to shoot 38.5% from 3 (26^th).  How on earth do they keep managing to do that?  Well, the obvious reason to me is that I consider their best defender to be Herb Jones, who has been a great defender but is a rookie drafted with the 35^th pick who I thought could fall into the 50’s.  Since rookies typically struggle defensively, this is a massive red flag and is a sign that their defense is not in good shape.  Their other two players I currently trust defensively are Naji Marshall, who is averaging 13.6 MPG, and Garrett Temple, who is averaging 14.7.  As for the remainder of the team, Brandon Ingram doesn’t try on defense, Jonas Valanciunas isn’t the best defender, Devonte’ Graham seems to try more for steals than stops but isn’t as good as prime Rajon Rondo at getting the steals, Nickeil Alexander-Walker seems to care less about defense than Ingram, Josh Hart still has his limitations defensively, Trey Murphy is a rookie and is still getting used to the NBA, Kira Lewis is still only 20 and developing, and Jaxson Hayes has been about as maddingly inconsistent on that end as Mo Bamba has been in Orlando.  I look at the roster and all I can think is that it’s obvious this team is atrocious defensively.

 

 

Who have you been surprised or disappointed by?  Any teams you think will change?  Let me know in the comments!