One Month In: Thoughts on the Early NBA Season

It's hard to know exactly what to make of this 2015-16 NBA season thus far.

A few things are clear:

The Lakers are a total Autobahn crash. Towns, Okafor and Porzingod are for real. Paul George may have missed an entire season, but hasn't missed a beat. Trying to box out Andre Drummond is a futile effort. Trying to figure out the Sacramento Kings is too. A defensive-minded coach was a good fit for Orlando. Lance Stephenson wasn't a good fit for the Clippers. You should never count out Dirk Nowitzki and Rick Carlisle. And most notably, it is a very, extremely, unfathomably stupid idea to piss off Chef Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

But lurking beyond is a murky quagmire of uncertainty that's yet to settle from the season's initial impact:

The Bucks seemed destined for a mini-leap and are now in mini-panic mode. The Rockets seemed destined to contend and are well into complete panic mode. The Clippers are baring a troubling resemblance to their Staples Center roommates. The Pacers are 3rd in the East. The Wizards are last in their division. The East is experiencing a dynamic power struggle for the right to lose to Cleveland in the Conference Finals, and what was once thought to be a clear West playoff picture now looks about as well-defined as Oliver Miller's arm fat.

Sifting through the madness, here are a few random takes from the season thus far:

STATE OF WAR:
Getting the obvious out of the way; Golden State is completely crushing the NBA right now; off to by far the hottest start in league history, and seriously threatening to notch hi-scores for both longest win streak and best record ever.

That they're doing this is remarkable, but perhaps not entirely surprising. The Warriors were historically great last year, got to benefit from an unaltered roster, several guys who hadn't hit their ceilings yet, and listened to far too many morons crow about how they "got lucky" in the playoffs. For perhaps the first time ever, the champs came back with something to prove, and have served up a cold reminder of how golden silence can be.

- On a related note, the fact that Luke Walton can win Coach of the Month, but isn't getting credit for his victories on the Dubs' bench is one of the most ass-backward things I've seen in ages.

- How happy are the 5-15 Pelicans that they don't have to worry about Anthony Davis bolting for at least another five years?

LEAST NO MORE?
- Since Michael Jordan's 2nd Retirement (that just feels like a proper noun), the West has more or less dominated the NBA's balance of power. Sure, the Heat, Pistons and Celtics snuck in for a few titles, but the East has unquestionably been the weaker of the two conferences, accounting for both overall depth, and the several seasons where the title was effectively decided in the West Finals.

This season is so far suggesting an unlikely shift in that balance (the West was supposed to be better than ever this year), with the East's top 10 teams all above .500 for the first time in an eternity, and the 8-10 Wolves holding down the 8-seed out West. And this isn't just a result of the West roughing each other up. As I write this, 11 of the East's 15 teams have winning records cross-conference, including (gasp!) The Knicks.

There are many factors working against the West in this instant: The Warriors are beating the shit out of everybody. Several elite talents (Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, DeMarcus Cousins) have missed time early. The Rockets and Pelicans have gotten off to complete nightmare starts. The Grizzlies' first two weeks were nothing to write home about either. And the Blazers diiiid just lose five of their six best players.

Some of these things are bound to shift back to the Left Coast, but don't discount the possibility that - with so much money available to every NBA team next summer - this might be signaling a trend towards greater league parity.

- Watching Luis Scola in 60-70% of on-court situations is like seeing that guy at a bar who's like 20-30 years too old to be at said bar.

- Conversely, for all the talk of Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan's agelessness, Pau Gasol, at 35 - especially given all the international mileage he's clocked - is still such a beast.

- "They got Lawson for nothing" they said. "What's the worst that could happen??" they said...

HORNETS ABUZZ
One of the season's biggest early surprises has been Charlotte's wholly unlikely ascension to Legit Offense status, riding a balanced attack (six players averaging double-figures) to a robust 102 ppg - good for sixth in the league.

One obvious attribution is swapping in Nic Batum for Michael Kidd Gilchrist, who despite his defensive brilliance was limited on the other end, especially far from the hoop. Defenders were often able to sag off MKG, into the paint against Al Jefferson post-ups and Kemba Walker slashes. Not only does Batum's range prevent that, he's bluntly a far more-rounded offensive player. The Hornets also benefit from the addition of The Jeremys - Lin and Lamb - giving a pulse to a bench that sorely lacked a consistent scorer (unless you're counting the 13 games Mo Williams came off it).

This is all happening with Al Jefferson scoring fewer points than he has in almost a decade, which is a nice insurance policy for the Hornets in case of an injury/mismatch.

- To the suckers like me who took Nerlens Noel with your 2nd-round fantasy pick this year, my condolences.

- If Steph Curry ever allows the MVP Race to become a thing, Kawhi Leonard's looking like a very viable contender.

NEW EDITION
This year's rookie crop has produced encouraging early results, with the positive bolstered by the Towns/Okafor/Porzingis trio that are going to make Rookie of the Year a very fun race.


Okafor's endured some early-season um, turmoil, but looks every bit as good as advertised, with much more of an NBA body than he rocked last year (sidebar, to the guy(s) he banged out in Boston: you got what you had coming). Towns (who still likely has the highest ceiling of the three) might already be the best player in the Draft, and Porzingis (who figured to be a long-term prospect) is already an athletic multi-skilled asset with an impressive highlight resume (sorry LaMarcus).

Towns was my preseason pick, and despite the close margins (and his recent minutes cut), I still feel like he's the safest pick. He plays a sustainable, consistent game and is probably the least likely of these guys to hit the dreaded "Rookie Wall". But credit Porzingis; he's won over everyone from me to La La Anthony, and brought a badly-needed boost of optimism and excitement to the Knicks.

- The hypothetical 'Comeback Player of the Year' award would be an interesting sweat this year.

- And finally, one player who isn't coming back:

Kobe Bryant played his final game in his hometown this week, having recently announced his retirement after what will be two full decades in the NBA. It was a sobering reminder of the mileage and injuries he's endured over those years; watching him try and channel the player he used to be. He shot 7-26, meekly launching jumpers as the Lakers became the first team this season to suck more than the Sixers for 48 minutes.

As legendary a player as he was (we're talking - bar none - one of the ten best basketball players ever to walk the Earth), he couldn't dominate forever. The decision to hang it up must've been the hardest moment of Kobe's life (and yes, I'm counting this); not only a sociopathic competitor, but someone whose passion for the game was truly unparalleled - to the point of it alienating many who played with him.

Basketball has been Kobe Bryant's life. He walked, talked, ate, slept, showered, and breathed it. Through all the comparisons between Kobe and Jordan, the biggest difference between the two might've been that Kobe never, ever, in a million years would have quit to play another sport at the peak of his powers. He loved the game way too much.

For one of the most legendarily narcissistic egos in sports history to finally break down and admit he's no longer got it - consummating a divorce more painful for him than Colorado could've caused - is significant. An NBA without Kobe will take some getting used to; he was not only the closest thing to Jordan we might ever see, but a polarizing and fascinating persona. Instead of dwell on his somewhat lackluster exit from the league, let's remember the good times:      

PED Watch: The Early Most Improved Candidates

With every new NBA season comes a set of varying expectations for each player; abstract portraits painted by age, skill, health, playing time and plenty other intangibles.

In some cases, expectations exist merely as frames to be shattered by defiant vandals. There's never a shortage of breakouts to transcend our preconceived notions, and '15-'16 has so far put forth a number of dudes who, well, look like they might be on some other s**t,

Whether they've spent the summer in the gym, taken up yoga, or are pumping that Lance Armstrong, here are the players who've opened eyes with their starts to this season - (in no particular order) the early MIP candidates:

Kent Bazemore 
DeMarre Carroll's offseason departure was a bit of a blow to the Hawks, but Bazemore's surprise emergence has made a sufferable loss even more minute. Bazemore's brought an immediate defensive enthusiasm to his new starter's role; replacing Carroll's lockdown cog in Atlanta's phalanx.

Better yet, he's provided a scoring punch (12 ppg on .491 and .439 from deep), looking like a legitimate two-way sparkplug. Whether he's a long-term answer remains to be seen, but Bazemore in the hands of Mike Budenholzer should be a productive development. He's been better than anyone could've expected so far, and may not have reached his ceiling yet.

Otto Porter

Slightly akin to Bazemore in ATL, Porter's path to starter was cleared by an offseason departure; that of one Paul Pierce. The Wiz were banking on his growth upon last season's strong finish, which so far looks like a winner. Porter's a wiry menace who can disrupt perimeter attacks at several positions. Long enough to contest stretch fours, while still being able to check most guards, he's a valued breed of trendy defensive versatility.

His offensive numbers have seen a boost from Bradley Beal's early absence, but Porter's proven a capable scorer both slashing and even off the dribble. His 14 ppg come on .515 from the field, despite shooting a rancid .286 on 3.5 treys/game (see shot form above). He may just live up to 3rd-overall status yet.

(of course, as I'm writing the above paragraph, Paul George does this to him)

Evan Fournier
A somewhat unlikely candidate to rise to the top of Orlando's amorphous talent heap, Fournier's been on an early tear, dropping 19/game on blistering clips, while enjoying the overall stat bumps that come with demanding an increased role. He's gunning confidently and flashing a skill set that I admittedly never gave him credit for.

While his opening month was among the most impressive surprises, its results are also among the most volatile. Not only is Scott Skiles about to shake up the rotation due to shaky defense (as he's been known to do), but the Magic have plenty of versatile scorers (chiefly Nikola Vucevic, Tobias Harris and Vic Oladipo) all of whose output has suffered from Evan Almighty's early ascent. It's unclear how safe his go-to role is, but it even existing is something to remark.

Hassan Whiteside
The big questions with Whiteside this season were mostly of the skeptical nature: "can he sustain last season's play?", "will he be an attitude liability?", "will Kelly Olynyk need a restraining order?". Nobody was really asking themselves if Whiteside had yet another rung to climb, figuring his Lin-esque breakout season season to be a best-case scenario.

Well, don't look now, but Whiteside has upped his scoring and rebounding, and is blocking more shots than anyone has in 30 years. He's among the early favorites not only for MIP, but DPOY, and if he manages to keep his head on straight should be among the biggest rags-to-riches stories the NBA's seen.

CJ McCollum
So this hasn't exactly been a surprise. I had McCollum pegged as my preseason MIP, and he widely figured to be in line for a breakout year. The early returns though have exceeded expectations, with CJ not only confidently dictating offensive tempo, but putting up a (relatively) mammoth 20 ppg on a tidy 45/38/88 shooting spread.

More yet, he hasn't been soaking up meaningless buckets; the Blazers have competed with much better teams, and at 6-9 haven't been nearly as horrific as their preseason prognosis. McCollum's been a driving force behind their early season, um, "surge", and while he may not reek of upside like others on this list, he'll only get more comfortable in time (he's yet to start in 20 NBA games).

Stephen Curry
At first glance, it seems pretty strange to have the reigning MVP lumped in with a bunch of Most Improved candidates. But it would be far more ridiculous to write a list called 'PED Watch' without touching on what Curry's been doing to the NBA so far.

Chef's done what few thought possible and attained yet another level in the offensive stratosphere. Granted he's averaging fewer assists, largely because he's scoring nine more points every night, shooting a ridiculous 51% from the field while bombing eleven three pointers per game. Both his swag and his production are off the charts.

Just how badly Curry is crushing right now is perhaps best illustrated by his PER. The convoluted stat (which basically encapsulates statistical output and overall efficiency) doesn't lend itself well to point guards, who traditionally turn the ball over the most and shoot the worst among standard positions. Of the Top 50 all-time single season PERs, only three appearances are made by two point guards (Chris Paul & Russell Westbrook), with zero in the Top 15. Steph's current pace of 33.59 PER would be, by a very comfortable margin, the best - of any player - in NBA history.  

Andre Drummond
And last but certainly not least is this fleet-footed manchild, who paradoxically rocks braces while

putting on history's most convincing Moses impersonation (Malone, not Ten Commandments).

Drummond currently sits a shade below 18 rebounds per game; a threshold only Dennis Rodman has crossed since the ABA merger - which is basically to say no human has done it. He's particularly devastating on the offensive glass, where he's a basically a guaranteed 2nd-chance bucket.

His dominant rebounding creates a viable facet to an otherwise-limited offensive game, adding another weapon to his dish-finishing and pick-n-roll crashing. And while he waxes the boards historically, he's far from a one-trick pony defensively. Drummond's a threat to disrupt anything near the rim; both shots and passing lanes, particularly the trendy back-door lob.

He's already one of the NBA's most terrifying matchups, and the worst is likely yet to come - he's still just 22. 

Banter's 2015-16 NBA Preview: Part III - The Hardware

Now that you've endured me blabbering on about every team's season prognosis for several thousand words, we get to the fun part: the awards; the hardware; the glory.

What follows are Banter's predictions for the NBA's All-Stars, awards, and playoff results. These picks are more or less who I believe will be selected, more so than who should be. It's tough to completely compartmentalize that bias when making these predictions, but I'll try.

Before we get to that madness, a brief pause to acknowledge the passing of T-Wolves' Coach/GM Flip Saunders; a longtime and widely-beloved NBA fixture who tragically lost a battle with cancer at age 60. Thoughts are definitely with the Wolves and Saunders family during this tough time; Flip will be missed.

And so, without further ado...

EAST ALL-STARS:

STARTERS: G- John Wall, G- Kyrie Irving, F- LeBron James, F- Carmelo Anthony, F- Pau Gasol

BENCH: G- Jeff Teague, G- Jimmy Butler, F- Chris Bosh, F- Paul Millsap, F- Kevin Love, WC- Kyle Lowry, WC- Paul George

WEST ALL-STARS:STARTERS: G- Steph Curry, G- Chris Paul, F- Kevin Durant, F- Anthony Davis, F- Marc Gasol

BENCH: G- James Harden, G- Russell Westbrook, F- Blake Griffin, F- Kawhi Leonard, F- DeMarcus Cousins, WC- LaMarcus Aldridge, WC- Klay Thompson

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
This is going to be a pretty interesting race this year. Myles Turner could blow up. D'Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay will both be thrust into the spotlight as contribution-heavy starters. Jahlil Okafor has an NBA-ready game, vying for the one award where team success has (or should have) no bearing at all.

That said, Towns is a total bully on the block who might have most NBA-suited body we've seen on a rookie in years. He'll be stuffed into a low-expectation, high-upside unit where he'll be able to contribute from Day 1 without any fear of a short leash. His energy and physicality suggest he's a very unlikely candidate to hit the 'rookie wall', and every scout who's seen him play at length is very high on him. Time to make Flip proud.
Contenders: Jahlil Okafor, D'Angelo Russell, Emmanuel Mudiay, Myles Turner

All-Rookie Teams: First- G- D'Angelo Russell, G- Emmanuel Mudiay, F- Stanley Johnson, F- Karl-Anthony Towns, C- Jahlil Okafor

Second- G- Jerian Grant, G- Justise Winslow, F- Trey Lyles, F- Mario Hezonja, C- Myles Turner

COACH OF THE YEAR: Who Knows
Trying to predict this award is a painfully futile process. The winner usually winds up coaching a team that defied or exceeded expectations (and therefore wasn't a logical prediction pick). If the team was supposed to be good, that usually somehow counts as a strike against Coach X (which is totally counterintuitive but I digress..). Place your bets and hope for the best.
Contenders: Gregg Popovich, Brad Stevens, Jason Kidd, Fred Hoiberg

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
Early indications out of Chicago are that Fred Hoiberg favors a Gasol-Mirotic frontline that spaces the floor in the trendy NBA offensive setup. If this holds true, Noah would have to be the favorite for Sixth Man, as a high-energy menace off the bench who could see minutes at both 4 and 5.

I'm predicting Noah will bounce back after an off year in which he seemed visibly burnt out by the Tom Thibodeau Grind. With Thibs out the door, Noah - who doesn't know how to take a possession off - will get to pick his spots a little better and play with max energy and primacy more consistently.

If he remains a reserve this award might be a wrap, but a reclamation of his starting spot could open the door up for...
Contenders: Isaiah Thomas, Ryan Anderson, Dennis Schroder, Nikola Mirotic


MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: CJ McCollum, Portland Trailblazers
The reality of this award is that its definition warps from season-to-season on a strangely arbitrary basis. Its nature also defies predictions to a large extent because it appeals to the unexpected. So I'm fully expecting my prediction here to backfire, but McCollum - who was red-hot during the post and pre-season - will have ample opportunity to make his mark.

He should be starting by December, and will be able to take advantage of a decimated Blazers roster that's short on any kind of consistent offensive backup for Damian Lillard. McCollum was always touted as an NBA-ready draft prospect, but had his first two seasons derailed by injuries and heavy competition for minutes. Both those factors - along with expectations for Portland - are gone, leaving all the pieces in place for a serious MIP push.
Contenders: Bradley Beal, Meyers Leonard, Nicolas Batum, Elfrid Payton

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
This just feels like a slow train coming, albeit not that slowly. Davis is an otherworldly defensive freak in the pivot, the likes of which the NBA hasn't seen since Hakeem Olajuwon (all apologies to Ben Wallace). He put up eye-popping numbers last year, most of which he played as a 21 year-old.

Now give him another year of growth (both physicality and ability terms), and shift him from a team that played at a glacial pace to one that's going to run more than Forrest Gump. Simply put, Davis' raw statistics are going to be unfathomable this year; it's hard to place a ceiling on what he might do. Beyond that, his versatility as a big man is unparalleled; he's mobile enough to chase larger wings and stretch bigs, while closing out on jump shooters and pick & rolls better than pretty much anyone.

With all the trendy focus on defensive metrics, there's sure to be plenty of convoluted arguments for a variety of players, but I'm thinking Davis at fully-spread wings will be too much to ignore.
Contenders: Kawhi Leonard, Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, Serge Ibaka

All-Defensive Teams: First- G- Chris Paul, G- Tony Allen, F- Kawhi Leonard, F- Anthony Davis, C- Rudy Gobert

Second- G- Mike Conley, G- Jimmy Butler, F- Draymond Green, F- Serge Ibaka, C- Andrew Bogut


MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
Ya, I've got Davis doing the double-dip this year. Instead of go on about why he should win MVP this year, instead let's talk about why all the other contenders probably won't:

Steph Curry: Won an insanely-competitive MVP race last year in surprisingly-decisive fashion (#GroupThink). This was mostly due to the Warriors' dominance of a conference that's highly-unlikely to yield another 67-win team (since the rest of its Top 5 all improved noticeably in the offseason).

James Harden: Last year's runner-up as an all-around stat monster. He'll still be a killer this year, but will be slightly less of an omnipresent force for Houston with Ty Lawson alongside him and a healthier frontcourt. His numbers should dip accordingly, bringing his MVP case with them.

LeBron James: Unless Cleveland absolutely pummels the East this year (and teams "playing for June" like the Cavs seldom do), it's going to be tough to give LeBron a nod. He knows he's the best player alive and is likely spending most of the regular season on relative cruise control as he inches further into his 30's.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook: Are likely to cancel each other out this year. There's a reason why Shaq & Kobe only have one MVP each.

Of course some other unknown contender might throw his hat into the ring, but at this point it would be foolish to bet against Davis on a healthier team, with a better coach, and the "His Time is Now" narrative likely to fuel lots of subconscious motivation in the minds of voters. The Pelicans will need a rival injury to crack the West's top-6, but Davis is going to be good enough to seriously challenge the notion that the MVP has to come from a contender.

All-NBA Teams: First- G- Stephen Curry, G- James Harden, F- LeBron James, F- Anthony Davis, C- Marc Gasol

Second- G- Russell Westbrook, G- Chris Paul, F- Kawhi Leonard, F- Kevin Durant, C- DeMarcus Cousins


Third- G- John Wall, G- Jimmy Butler, F- Paul George, F- Blake Griffin, C- Al Horford

PLAYOFFS:
East Finals: Cavs over Bulls
West Finals: Spurs over Warriors

NBA CHAMPION: Cleveland Cavaliers
Ya. There it is. I'm going against the grain of the West's clear superiority, if for no other reason than it's going to be toughest conference ever to escape intact in the playoffs. These teams are going to beat the living shit out of each other over a plethora of seven-game series, while the Cavs could walk rested and untested to a Finals where they'll (odds are heavy) be healthier than last year when LeBron came within two games of winning a title with Tristan Thompson as his 2nd-best player. They'll have continuity and more experience on their side as well (remember last year was both Love and Irving's first trip to the postseason), not having to work a new roster together on the fly throughout the season. LeBron's lost his last two trips to the Finals, and much like the last time, I don't see him standing for a third.

That's it for the Preview kids, it's time for the 2015-16 NBA season to unfold...

Banter's 2015-16 NBA Preview: Part II - The West

We got the (L)East out of the way, now time to move on to the Bestern Conference:

15- Portland Trailblazers
There's bad offseasons, and then there's what happened to the Blazers this summer, which ranks somewhere between the Ashley Madison hack and Fantastic 4 among 2015's biggest mishaps. Losing five of your six best players in two weeks is something an NBA team rarely has to cope with, but the Blazers got dealt a "Rebuild" card about as swiftly as can be done.

Damian Lillard will be on the warpath, and that itself might be enough to win Portland a few games. They have the faint potential to form a passable nucleus of the young talent they've scrapped together, but guys like CJ McCollum and (especially) Noah Vonleh are unproven and won't keep Portland from freefalling this year.

14- Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are just a complete nightmare right now. Having Lou Williams, Nick Young and Kobe on the same roster is like playing Hungry Hungry Hippos with one ball. Their opening night starting frontcourt are two of the most washed "name" players in the NBA. Ron Artest is on their team again.

I guess it's the Lakers, so the season prognosis could easily include a Brandon Bass/Nicki Minaj TMZ sex scandal, Jordan Clarkson assault arrest, or rehab for Ryan Kelly. At least all indications are that D'Angelo Russell is the truth, and Julius Randle will (let's hope) play more this year, which saves the Lakers from being totally forsaken.

13- Minnesota Timberwolves

There's plenty to be excited about for Minnesota fans - the most since Kevin Garnett first burst onto the scene. They've got an enviable troupe of young upstarts, led by back-to-back #1 picks, at least one of whom appears to be a home run in the making. But there will definitely be growing pains, almost inevitably a Ricky Rubio injury to weather, and Flip Saunders' difficult cancer battle looming over the season.

Nik Pekovic and Kevin Martin linger as lame-duck cap-cloggers (though Martin's current deal is an absolute steal for Minny), while the Wolves develop some kind of an identity from their youth movement. They could be a couple spots better if Wiggins leaps and Karl Towns justifies the hype, but they're a few years short of becoming a force in a conference this deep.

12- Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets have been the NBA's official Team Purgatory for years now. Stuck somewhere in that awkward phase between contending and rebuilding, they seem stubbornly bent on pushing against the major championship-or-bust trend sweeping the league.

This year should be no exception; don't count on Denver to challenge for either the playoffs or best lottery odds, as they race to the lower-tier of mediocrity. Losing their best player certainly won't help, as Ty Lawson's alcohol antics drove him in a swerving Benz out of town. As such, the Nuggets will be leaning heavily on highly-touted rookie Emmanel Mudiay to get touches for their shooters (Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler) and create for their offensively-limited bigs (JJ Hickson, Kenneth Faried). Mudiay has the makings of a strong pro, but no doubt will be a downgrade at first from Lawson's lethal slash-and-kick filleting. The Nuggets should get a strong season from Gallo, after he went ape-shit down the stretch last year and appears to be every bit healthy.

The presence of Mike Malone will definitely benefit this squad though; a great coach (anyone who breaks through with DeMarcus Cousins deserves a 30 for 30) who got waxed in brutally comical fashion in Sacramento. Good to see him back on the sidelines, but this team needs far more than just a strong coach in their long-term plot.


11- Sacramento Kings
This season's Sacramento Kings have the potential to be one the most fascinating teams in NBA
history.

They are Russian Roulette in the form of a professional sports franchise; so many possible outcomes - not many of them good. We could start with George Karl and the aforementioned DeMarcus Cousins; a union of old-school coach and volatile superstar that (to the surprise of absolutely nobody) is already being massaged in the media. Then add in Rajon Rondo, the petulant would-be star who wore out his welcome with two teams in the past 9 months and is playing very much for himself this season.

Those two variables alone are enough to cause intrigue, but then consider that Vivek Ranadive -probably the most unpredictable owner in the NBA - is calling the shots, Getcha popcorn.

10- Dallas Mavericks
So this wasn't exactly a good offseason for Mark Cuban and the Mavs.

Tyson Chandler is gone. So is Monta Ellis. As too is DeAndre Jordan (too soon?), and even an en-vogue asset like Al-Farouq Aminu. The players Dallas is counting on to fill the void are a rag-tag bunch of has-beens (Sam Dalembert, Deron Williams, Raymond Felton, etc), a solid 3rd big (Zaza Pachulia) and the immortal JaVale McGee. Their best acquisition - and most costly gamble - just came off achilles surgery. Their lone star (it is Texas) is 37 years old. These are facts.

Dallas rode Nowitzki to a truly outstanding run over the past 15 years, but this might be the end of the line for a team that's missed the playoffs just once since 2000.

9- Phoenix Suns
It was a (politely put) interesting summer in Phoenix; one marked by a series of Markieff Morris hissy-fits and the quizzical decision to ink Tyson Chandler. Chandler's an elite defender and efficient scorer - definitely a guy you want on your team - but his arrival stymies the burgeoning Alex Len, and reeks of a "contend now" mentality; something the Suns are nowhere near.

Though Morris is putting up the "All is Good" front with the media, Ryan McDonough might be strongarmed into trading him sub-value as he was with Goran Dragic last February. Phoenix's backcourt is dangerous (especially against unathletic guards), but they have a lot of question marks on the wing and at the four (which is basically a wing position now anyway). If Mirza Teletovic fits well and Morris avoids doing Morris things, Phoenix could challenge for the playoffs, but count on this one turning out like their last two efforts.

8- Utah Jazz
If there's a walking argument for the value of a good rim protector, it's Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz. Last season, the Jazz were a lottery-bound defensive flounder with Enes Kanter - a porous defender - playing most of their center minutes.

With Gobert's ability demanding a starting spot, and the unhappy Kanter demanding a trade, Utah's play was obvious. They went 19-10 post-trade with the Rude Boi starting, and became one of the NBA's best defensive teams overnight. The Dante Exum injury is an unfortunate wrench in their plans (Trey Burke's not exactly an ideal starting PG), but everything else about this team - from Alec Burks' return, to continued growth from pretty much their whole young lineup (especially the recently-23 Gobert) is trending up.

Dallas and Portland's summers of despair left voids in the exclusive West Playoff Club. With OKC certainly taking one, the Jazz look like a safe bet to nab the last spot.

7- New Orleans Pelicans

Team Brow is on the come-up, but unfortunately for them, the West is more stacked with legit
contenders right now than any conference ever.

This is basically an identical roster to the one the Pelicans closed shop with in early May, but a few things have shifted: 1) they'll (very likely) be healthier than last year, 2) they'll be coached by someone who actually knows what's happening on offense, and most importantly 3) they'll get another year of frightening development from Anthony Davis.

Once unleashed in Alvin Gentry's full-throttle system, Davis is likely to cause the type of devastation normally reserved by violent typhoons for small Pacific islands. Davis - the NBA's PER leader - was just 26th in usage rate last year (behind the likes of Marreese Speights and Ish Smith). You can bet that number will go up significantly, but don't count on the Pelicans to crash the West's VIP party just yet.

6- Memphis Grizzlies
It sucks for me to have to demote my favorite team after they got better this summer (convincing Brandan Wright to sign for as little as he did was a shameless pillage), but such is life in the West these days.

You know what you're getting with Memphis: a gruesomely slow, rugged game; physical harassment from Tony Allen, physical abuse from Zach Randolph, methodically efficient two-way surgery from Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, and fewer team defense leaks than you'll find in pretty much any lineup. Memphis will make you struggle to score, but the question remains if they won't give themselves the same trouble.

Jeff Green failed to put them over the hump offensively last season, and while the bench got grittier this summer (Wright and the always-bout-it Matt Barnes) the Grizzle need shooters, and guys who can contrast the #GNG mentality offensively, in order to get to the next level.

5- Houston Rockets
The Rockets have drawn an unusual amount of on-the-low hate from both pundits and fans who
shame their plain-oatmeal offense, James Harden's alleged flopping, and just about everything Dwight Howard does.

Entangled partly in that sentiment has been Houston's exclusion among the trendy "contenders" heading into '15-'16, even after this team snatched the 2-seed as a walking ICU, then made the West Finals. Adding Ty Lawson was huge (especially given his crisis-sale price tag), giving them another uptempo playmaker who's highly adept at getting into the paint the creating open looks - the maxim Houston's offense thrives upon.

Losing Josh Smith is negligible with Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas both returning healthy; the Rockets can surely count on better continuity this season with fewer bodies in and out of service. It's hard to keep them out of the top four; I feel like I might be selling Clutch City short. But then there's...

4- OKC Thunder

I could probably just write the words "Kevin Durant" here and be done with it, but we'll take a closer look: OKC has a sneakily-deep rotation, offset only slightly by the presence of defensive duds (Enes Kanter) and delusional pseudo-stars (Dion Waiters).

While Kanter is an obvious liability on D, he also shares the paint with arguably the NBA's most feared help defender (Serge Ibaka); a slight deterrent against picking on him too much. DJ Augustin has proven himself a high-energy pocket rocket of a backup PG; one who won't give 2nd units much of a breather when Durant or Russ Westbrook briefly hits the bench. Nick Collison is a crafty vet on a great contract, Steven Adams is a resolute backup big, and Anthony Morrow is about as dangerous a spacing threat as someone not named "Kyle Korver" can be.

Which is to say this team is more than just Durant and Westbrook, though those two on their own could probably carry the squad. Westy's Man on Fire  act will be much tougher to contain with a former MVP sharing the defense's attention, and a coach who can actually draw up plays on the Thunder bench. This could very well be their last shot at a title run with Durant - at the very least they could use a clean bill of health for once.

3- L.A. Clippers
The Clippers' offseason could be described in many ways, but "entertaining" is probably the most accurate way to sum it up. Not only did we get witness the Passion of the DeAndre unfold in real time, but saw the Clippers upgrade their pathetically shallow roster in the most hilarious ways possible.

First is the Paul Pierce/Doc Rivers dynamic, reuniting two infamous Ubuntu veterans who just happen to have two of the highest villain profiles in the NBA right now; they'll feed off each other like vinegar and baking soda. Then there's the Josh Smith signing, tossing a possibly-reformed knucklehead into a delicate chemistry mix (Chris Paul's temper is shorter than Earl Boykins, and this franchise is absolutely feeling the "Win Now" burn). As if Smith weren't enough, they nabbed a never-reformed knucklehead in Lance Stephenson, setting up two certainties: 1) Rivers will fully earn the coaching portion of his salary this year, and 2) Lance/CP3 will be Banter's official Buddy Comedy for the upcoming season.

But see the thing is, unless Stephenson completely implodes (he won't have nearly as much room to wreak havoc as he did in Charlotte), these moves make the Clippers a much more rounded, frightening team. They might finally have the depth around their stars to crack the West, but there are a couple minor issues in their way:

2- San Antonio Spurs
So the Spurs have LaMarcus Aldridge now. That's a thing that happened. Essentially giving up Tiago Splitter (a fine asset, but not a fringe-MVP), RC Buford and Gregg Popvich pulled a coup that forces the whole NBA to take notice that they weren't finished. But these are the Spurs, of course they aren't.

As Aldridge assumes the go-to offensive duty, he'll have reigning DPOY Kawhi Leonard flanking him with omnipresent brilliance and the still-Big 3 of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili settling in as the sickest role-player corps in modern NBA history. The Alamo has just a stupid amount of depth up front, with Boris Diaw, David West, and Matt Bonner also seeing minutes. This is contrasted by the backcourt losses of Cory Joseph and Marco Belinelli, whom the Spurs will amply replace because, well, they're the Spurs.

Leonard and Danny Green are locked up long-term on very thrifty deals, putting San Antonio in great position once their leadership fully recycles and Duncan & Co. retire. But forget the future, this team is going to be a dynamite-spiked wrecking ball this year. Just keep clear of the devastation.

1- Golden State Warriors

Even in what could prove to be the most top-heavy conference in NBA history, you still have to give Golden State the benefit of any doubt. They blitzed the league at a historic level for 82 games, then marched authoritatively to a title. They made no major moves because they didn't have to (essentially turning the book-bloating David Lee into bargain-basement Jason Thompson), and even with the Spurs' jackpot summer, figure to be the better regular season team.

While San Antonio adjusts to their new centrifugal figure and rests their aging stars, the Warriors will benefit from the continuity (<--NBA buzzword alert) and swagger of being an unaltered squad, not to mention the champs. They're deep, and can cause matchup nightmares for just about any type of lineup, making them perfectly suited for the 82-game long haul.

A summer of hearing how the Spurs are now the favorites, and the Dubs somehow "got lucky" (c. Doc Rivers) last spring, has provided a little extra motivation to the title defense. These guys are pissed. And they're more than capable of taking out some frustration.

I'll be wrapping things up with Part III (The Hardware) next Monday, get involved.

Banter's 2015-16 NBA Preview: Part I - The East

It's that time again.

After months of baseball, tennis and televised darts, the NBA is returning in a blaze of glory. This season has the potential to be especially epic, and though I'm a die-hard fan who gets excited about anything basketball-related, we're truly blessed to be witnessing the NBA's current evolutionary epoch.

Not only is the talent in professional basketball absurdly stacked right now - a testament to the sport's exponential growth in popularity - but more refined training and conditioning have taken athleticism to new speeds and heights.

The game itself is growing rapidly as well; the advent of analytic stats, and revolutionary technology like SportVu have allowed us to understand basketball in ways never possible before, and for the game's best tacticians to use that knowledge to their advantage.

And all that talent is being put to use; front offices have undergone a rapid upgrade in overall intelligence in this era of the "NBA as a Business", and far fewer teams are lighting money on fire without coherent strategies. The result has been more fast-paced, polished, calculated, competitive team basketball. Unless you live in Philly, there's never been more to be excited about.

So with the preseason underway and Opening Night mere weeks beyond us, let's break down who's going to be doing what in the NBA this year, beginning with the East.

EAST STANDINGS: 

15- Philadelphia 76ers 
It must be awesome having Brett Brown's job. Can you plausibly imagine any scenario other than the current Sixers front office, in which the company mandate is to be shamelessly awful and you're paid millions of dollars to coach without any pressure to perform (other than, you know, not winning too many games) or job security issues? This is going on year three now guys. Your fans deserve better, and the rest of us are just getting bored.

14- Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn limped into last year's playoffs almost by default, after the rest of the contenders for the East's final spot self-destructed for various reasons down the stretch. With several of those teams making noticeable offseason upgrades, the Nets lost four rotation players and pulled in... Andrea Bargnani? While Jarrett Jack may end up being an upgrade over the flaky Deron Williams, his move to a starting role stretched the Nets' bench thin. Shane Larkin will likely see most of the backup PG minutes, and though he showed flashes last season, he's no Jack. Brook Lopez is always a few steps away from a leg injury, and Joe Johnson's legitimately graying now. It's unclear how Brooklyn will embrace their imminent rebuild with no cap space or draft picks, but no matter your squad it's gonna be a long season in Gotham (to be continued shortly).


13- Orlando Magic
How this team managed to theoretically "win" the Dwight Howard trade and still hasn't cracked the playoffs in the East is completely beyond me. They've stockpiled a nice young core of talent, but still aren't winning, mostly because they can't defend anybody. Lineups with as many defensive leaks as Orlando (especially close to the hoop) need to be historically great offensively to succeed, and the Magic, well... aren't. Team Disneyland is loaded with upside and could make a playoff push but would likely need some help from a rival injury and a big leap from one of its young guards (after Vic Oladipo's growth curve more or less flat-lined last year). Scott Skiles is a large upgrade running the show, but they've been "a couple years away" for a couple years now, and it looks very likely like a couple more.

12- Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are a weirdly interesting bunch heading into this season. They're deeper than last year, and have a reasonable ceiling, but there's quite a few yellow flags around this team - two big ones in particular. The first is obviously that they lost their best player in the offseason. Greg Monroe leaves a large scoring void, and his absence will make it easier for defenses to key on Andre Drummond. The other is the perplexing thought of Reggie Jackson and Brandon Jennings co-existing in a backcourt on any level. Stranger things have happened, but if Stan Van pulls that off without any brawls or social media feuds it'll be impressive. There's potential for things to go either way here, but I feel like south (as in vacation in April) is where Detroit's headed.

11- New York Knicks
The Knicks will be a better team this year. They upgraded several positions in the offseason, and have a healthy Carmelo Anthony (in body, though perhaps not in mind). But when you were as putrid as the Knicks were last year, only dramatic turnarounds will equate to success, and they don't appear to be there yet. New York's fans shouldn't have expected a free agency jackpot; Robin Lopez and Arron Afflalo are nice lures for a franchise in the Knicks' state. Lopez instantly gives the Knicks a nice defensive presence inside after they foolishly dealt Tyson Chandler, and Afflalo can be a second or third-option type that New York's struggled to put around Melo since Amar'e Stoudemire's knees went all Ewing. And if this Porzingis kid gives them anything in year one, it's just icing on the cake.

10- Charlotte Hornets

The big brass coming out of Charlotte this summer was the pilfering of Nic Batum from the Blazers, and his apparent "bigger role" in the Hornets' offense. Coach Steve Clifford has suggested Batum as the "1st or 2nd" option on a team that already has Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker. The gamble is obviously in whether Batum's ready to take on such a role; a proposition I'm fairly confident will be a losing one. Batum's an overly-passive player whose biggest faults are his lack of primacy and inability to make defenders pay for mistakes. It surely won't be as disastrous as their last swingman acquisition; at-worst he's a uniquely versatile role-player (and a huge safety net with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist done for the year). But getting your hopes up about Batum being the answer might not be a healthy idea. I'd rather put stock in better post-Lance Stephenson cohesion and a more consistent Jefferson keeping the Hornets anywhere near the playoffs.

9- Boston Celtics
The Celtics were a walking anachronism last year; a team that by all logic should've tried to make the lottery, but was too well-coached to suck as much as the rest of the East. Then they made a trade for a guy who would become their best player down the stretch, and fumbled towards a tragic game of Red Rover with Kevin Love. The David Lee trade was a nice move, but not really enough to keep up with an Eastern Conference whose playoff picture suddenly isn't so pathetic anymore. Adding Amir Johnson on a short-term deal (and a relative bargain considering what Tristan Thompson has the Cavs up against) might prove redundant. Boston is now armed with a glut of depth at the 4/5 spots, and no clear starters, though lineup creativity has never been an issue for Brad Stevens. The Celtics seem to be stockpiling assets rather than building a team; there's a good chance that Danny Ainge blows some (or all) of this up while hoarding draft picks, so the Celtics might be (wisely) headed to the lotto this year.

8- Indiana Pacers
So they lost Roy Hibbert. Whatever. He was quickly becoming a proverbial "box of chocolates" (word to Sally Field) in which two-thirds of said chocolates were the crappy jam-filled ones. David West's departure is a blow to this team's toughness, leaving a void at power forward that hopefully someone other than the returning Paul George can fill. But getting George back - and Monta Ellis to boot - is a much-needed adrenaline shot to an offense that went full Bernie Lomax for much of last season. This prediction obviously hinges on George being in good health, but all signs point to that being the case. If he's anywhere close to his old self, PG and Ellis will aptly lead what last year was an often rudderless quest to put the ball in the hoop. The question is whether the Pacers can sustain their defensive identity without Hibbert, to which the answer should be yes.

7- Toronto Raptors

I like what the Raptors did this offseason. They were a woeful defensive unit last year and took steps to shore up their D without shaking the team's core. Corey Joseph and Bismack Biyombo will be large pluses for the second unit's resistance, and DeMarre Carroll upgrades their large wing defender (Terrence Ross) from an inconsistency to a strong point that can even match with the every-trendy 'stretch four'. Carroll's issue will be his ability to integrate into an offense that last season was the polar opposite of the Hawks's swing-heavy team harmony. Kyle Lowry and Demat DeRozan are ball-dominant stars; either they or Carroll will have to adjust for him be as effective as he was in ATL. This team is still relatively young, and has upside to spare if the pieces come together. Hopefully they - and coach Dwayne Casey - learned a thing or two about focus and toughness after the pistol-whipping Washington laid on them last spring. Speaking of the Wizard Party...

6- Washington Wizards
The Wizards basically stood pat this offseason, losing Paul Pierce to the Clippers and seemingly betting that Otto Porter is ready for a starter's role. Bradley Beal will happily accept the increased looks he's sure to get as a result. While John Wall continues to propel this team, it will be a leap from Beal - one that was curiously absent in his career arc last season - to take this team a notch higher. I'm willing to treat their post-All-Star meltdown as part growing pain, part anomaly; the Wizards should be more consistent this year. That said, the middle of the East playoff bracket is noticeably better this year, and "more consistent" isn't going to lift you with the tide.

5- Milwaukee Bucks
Welcome to team "What If" of the 2015-16 Eastern Conference. They're young and somewhat tough to gauge but the pieces are all here for a potential 'team leap'. First off they addressed their pitiful scoring by injecting Greg Monroe into the pivot, who immediately becomes their go-to guy. They'll also get Jabari Parker back, who should be (at worst) a good second-unit option once he's operational. Then figure in an increased role for John Henson; perhaps the NBA's most criminally under-utilized player last season, who the Bucks recently sunk $44 million into - presumably not to ride the pine. And then there's that Antetokounmpo kid, who could very easily take another large stride this season (pun completely intended), at which point the All-Star game would be in his sights. Basically, a lot of things would have to go wrong for the Bucks to not be a significantly better team this year; place bets accordingly.

4- Atlanta Hawks
There's no question that losing DeMarre Carroll hurts the Hawks. He was about as close to a perfect role player for Atlanta's system as you could ask for. This is a strong unit though, and they shouldn't be crippled by his departure. Millsap and Horford still form one of the NBA's best frontcourts. Jeff Teague is still a borderline-elite PG. They're still a lethal team from long-range (#Korver). Dennis Schroder is ready to make a larger impact, and upgrading from Pero Antic to Tiago Splitter is massive for their bench. They'll stumble, but not far.

3- Miami Heat

As if there was any doubt that a Pat Riley team would be on the mat for too long, the Heat have bounced back with a loaded lineup that will break the East's upper tier if healthy. Miami will pair Goran Dragic and Chris Bosh for the first time, allowing Dwyane Wade to play at a far more sustainable pace. Hassan Whiteside is a defensive monster providing elite, athletic rim protection even amid the more-than-occasional headache. Luol Deng is still a two-way horse and a guy any team would love to have as a fourth option. And that's just the starting lineup. They thieved Gerald Green and Amar'e Stoudemire with veteran's minimum deals, giving their bench instant scoring and a dose of whatever Amar'e has left. They also managed to parlay their near-playoff miss into Justise Winslow, who many pundits feel will go down as the steal of the 2015 Lottery. Add a dash of Josh McRoberts back to the lineup, and this is suddenly a pretty scary rotation if Whiteside doesn't cause an extinction-level event.

2- Chicago Bulls
In the wake of Tom Thibodeau's unceremonious departure from the Windy City, plenty has been made of the physical demands on his players, and the toll it took on their health records - particularly that of one Derrick Rose. With Thibs out the door, the Bulls should be more rested if nothing else this year, which may (probably) translate to being healthier. See, the Bulls weren't really at full strength at any point last year (or any long stretch of Thibs' tenure for that matter). And at full strength this a really fucking good basketball team. Give them the continuity factor (roster is virtually unchanged) and the freedom from Thibs' iron-fisted rule, and they're likely the best of the East's bridesmaids.

1- Cleveland Cavaliers

It happened in Miami the last time around; it's surprising that it was such a big deal when it happened in Cleveland. There was an awkward feeling-out period for three go-to superstars sharing the court; these things take time. But then it clicked, and the Cavs started crushing the East, something not even Kevin Love's injury could offset. Although the back-alley standoff with Tristan Thompson is still awkwardly marring their season preparations, it's highly likely Thompson will cave and negotiate after letting the mid-level exception expire, burning his "I can bolt next summer" leverage. But even without Thompson this is the East's best team - they lost two All-Stars and almost won the title for fuck's sake, And though several rivals should be stronger, it's doubtful they'll have enough to topple the Cavs.

That's it for Part I, stay tuned for Part II (The West) and Part III (The Hardware), dropping soon...

Free Agency Power Rankings

So a couple weeks ago, all hell broke loose in the NBA, as the annual bonanza known as Free Agency kicked off and stuffed a massive amount of landscape-shifting into a several-day window.

In a dizzying flurry of player movement and dollar signs, franchises hit homes runs, stayed the course, confounded us, and whiffed miserably. With salaries bloating under the impeding TV cash influx, money was being spewed away like never before, but with unprecedented cap room and a very "Contend or Bust" mentality about NBA front offices, there would be plenty of risk-taking by someone either way.

What matters is how calculated those risks are, and how likely they are to improve a team. Some front offices are taking active steps, while others seem to just be spending money for the fuck of it.

The implications of the past few wekks are heavy for both franchises and players, and are scattered everywhere from dreams-come-true, to waking nightmares. Though the full stories won't play out for some time, here's a look at who's winning right now; the Free Agency Power Rankings:

Wherever Last Is. Portland Trailblazers/Damian Lillard
Shit just got real in RIP City. Six months ago, this team had an outside chance at the NBA title. Then in a single week, they lost three starters, including their best player, for nothing. Trading Nic Batum for Gerald Henderson and Noah Vonleh was a wise preemptive move that freed up money and gave them a potential prospect, but Vonleh's a long way off, and didn't show much as a rookie.

The bottom line's a devastating blow to the Blazers, to Portland, and to Lillard, who must be feeling like a bit of a sucka right now, entering his prime while locked into a difficult rebuilding project. For any star, let alone one as competitive as Dame Dash, being completely deserted like this is a rare and deflating predicament in the NBA.

340. Sacramento Kings
There's a scene in The Dark Knight where Alfred tries to allegorically decipher the Joker's addiction to senseless chaos. He surmises that some evil has no desire for personal gain; it's twisted enough to "watch the World burn" and be content.

Of course, this is in reference to a deranged comic book villain who commits random acts of mass terror, but Alfred could just as easily be talking about Vivek Ranadive, which is all you really need to know about the Kings' predicament.

267. Carmelo Anthony

Oops. That Big Apple money starting to not sit too well.

Now that the Knicks are over a year into the Phil Experience and still pitiful, the grass is starting to look far greener in other pastures. Chicago in particular would've been an awesome fit, or really anywhere that wasn't mired in a high-profile, long-term rebuilding project.

Melo now has two options: stay the course and waste what's left of your prime in the Lottery, or play the difficult, self-defacing Trade Demand Card. Neither is a great option, and Anthony can only blame himself. Unfortunately, all the millions in the World can't buy him the one ring he still hasn't come close to.

204. Dallas Mavericks
There's plenty of takes one can have on the delirious 24 hour love triangle that DeAndre Jordan just locked the Mavs and Clippers into, but when all was settled, there was one undeniable reality: Jordan won't be in Dallas next year.

You can say whatever you want about Jordan's integrity, the Clippers' tactics, Blake Griffin's mediation skills, Chandler Parsons' Twitter game, Chris Broussard's 'sources', Wesley Matthew's ankle, or the nuclear bomb Mark Cuban is about to detonate. The Mavs had Jordan - one of the NBA's best centers regardless of free-throw woes - and now they don't. And that really sucks for them.

151. Los Angeles Lakers
This franchise is just completely soulless right now.

As if they somehow felt short on manic volume-chuckers, they went out and added Lou Williams to the Kobe/Swaggy P brigade, a pure cap-space bonfire if ever there was one.

They traded for Roy Hibbert, and while a second-round pick wasn't a huge price, they're now forking over $15 mil to a guy who's an absolute lummox on offense, and might not be the best fit defensively in LA. Hibbert's an elite rim-protector, but he's also not very quick; he'll struggle to beat attackers (and there will be plenty of them with so much rancid D on the Lakers' perimeter) to spots and use his "Verticality" to his advantage.

They may not be paying Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer a combined $30mil+ anymore this year, but they're paying Kobe almost that much as he continues to lurk over the franchise like a creepy ex driving by slowly at 12:57 am.

The Lakers lack both talent and cohesion, and have begun the post-Jerry era in stunning irrelevancy. They fanned on free agency, and still have a coach who thinks shooting 3's is a bad idea. At least they can chase the Top-3 Lottery status that will save them from shipping a pick to Philly, and hope to pair D'Angelo Russell with another building block,

119. Rajon Rondo
He's essentially looking to bank his future on this one season, not wanting to sign long-term when his value's at an all-time low. Problem for Rondo is that he disgraced himself so badly in Dallas that nobody wanted him, so he was left to sign with quite possibly the most dysfunctional team in the NBA, where he'll be dealing with an off-kilter owner, a conflict-oriented coach, and perhaps the single most volatile star in the NBA. Sounds like exactly the right place for a fresh start.

98. Atlanta Hawks
Between losing DeMarre Carroll and dealing with the reality that their acceptance of Tiago Splitter's salary allowed the Spurs to lay an absolute gamebreaker on the rest of the NBA, the summer's gotten off to an even rockier star than last regular season.

74. Arron Afflalo
Afflalo has two reasons to be unhappy right now: 1. Even with this salary cap boom, he barely got any kind of pay spike, and 2. He now plays for the Knicks. Enjoy being an on-the-low media target and having Carmelo look you off all year.



59. Phoenix Suns
Not really sure what they're doing here, but there's no question that they're still semi-reeling from
losing Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas for a gumball machine and a pair of Pumas back in February. Now, they've sunk long-term bucks into an aging center to stifle the growth of Alex Len, who once seemed like The Future. After what this team did the last time they had preseason doubters, it's hard to write them off, but their gameplan seems to be going in different directions at once.

46. Brandan Wright
A textbook win/lose. Sure, he's now got a secure role on a fringe contender after being passed around the NBA like frathouse bong last season. But, dude... fire your agent. 3 years/$18 mil??
Aron Baynes got more skrill than you.

34. Indiana Pacers
Losing Hibbert is a wash for Indiana, as his plodding, inconsistent play was becoming less and less a part of what helped them win. Essentially trading centers with L.A, the Pacers then signed Jordan Hill, giving them center of similar effectiveness at a third of the cost. Adding Monta Ellis however is a huge upgrade over Rodney Stuckey; one that should offset any offensive punch lost with David West's departure.

25. Cleveland Cavaliers
Even with Tristan Thompson's increasingly-awkward lingering no-deal, this has been a win so far for Cleveland. Even though he's wildly underutilized on the Cavs, locking up Kevin Love has to feel nice after a season of widespread tension between their de facto GM and the Dude They Just Traded Andrew Wiggins For.

18. Memphis Grizzlies
Brandan Wright is a large addition for them at a great value. Locking up Marc Gasol is also massive, though there was a roughly .00015% chance he was ever leaving anyway.

12. Dwyane Wade
See, I get that Wade's an icon in Miami, and the cap increase, yadda yadda. But last year the guy missed a quarter of the season - one in which he was already slightly overpaid at $15mil - as his body continued to go the way of an NFL running back. He had one of his worst-shooting campaigns ever, and turned the ball over more, in fewer minutes, than he has this decade. Dude opted out and got a 33% raise to stay well-rested this year with the deepest team he's ever played on. And is still married to Gabrielle Union. Life's nice in South Beach.

10. Reggie Jackson
He's got his money and alpha-status in Detroit's backcourt on what might just be a Playoff team this year. Hope he's happy now.

9. Toronto Raptors

First off, Landry Fields came off the books. Immediate win.

The Raptors nailed the first signing of the Free Agency period, snaring DeMarre Carroll from the Hawks after a season in which he was subtly one of the NBA's most effective players. His ability to produce on a team whose ball movement is nowhere close to as good as Atlanta's will dictate whether his contract's a bargain or a burden, but it can't possibly go worse than some of Toronto's previous cap space blunders. He's a large upgrade over Terrence Ross' inconsistency on both sides of the ball.

Picking up Bismack Biyombo was a nice move at a good price; while he's abhorrent offensively, he's among the NBA's better paint defenders and will give the Raptors a much-needed deterrent against attackers. Cory Joseph is also a great defender (and underrated offensive player) who will help bolster this team's identity on D, after too many soft spots exposed them last season.

There's no question the Raps will miss Amir Johnson's length and hustle, but Patrick Patterson just might be ready for an increased role, and at the very least is a high-IQ guy who bangs the glass and space the floor very well. But while losing the reigning Sixth Man of the Year might seem like a deep cut, Lou Williams was an overrated chucked who ruined any semblance of team offense, complemented by defense ranging from "casual" to "absent".

The Raptors may not have taken a full step forward yet, but after a year in which their offensive punch was repeatedly betrayed by their defensive incompetence, they're at least stepping in the right direction.

8. Houston Rockets
They kept Corey Brewer at a reasonable price, signed Patrick Beverley to one of the best deals in the NBA, and won't be hit that badly by the Josh Smith departure with Motiejunas returning. Stealing the embattled Ty Lawson from the Nuggets was yet another savvy asset pillage that gives the Rockets one of the NBA's most dangerous backcourts. Morey wins again; maybe his team might someday.

7. Milwaukee Bucks

Step one was locking up Khris Middleton, one of the most subtly sought-after players on the market.
He was a vital part of what the Bucks did last year, and will provide plenty of incentive for defenses not to double down on...

Greg Monroe Baby! What a home-run signing for a team without a go-to scorer or any semblance of inside offensive presence. Moose will likely flourish in a system with more spacing than he ever had in Detroit (Michael Carter-Williams notwithstanding), no longer forced to share touches with Josh Smith and Andre Drummond.

Add him to a unit that's welcoming back Jabari Parker and will get to reach deeper into Giannis Antetokounmpo's complex toolbox, and you probably have a dark horse East contender if all breaks right.

6. "3 & D" Guys
They're the trendiest commodity in the NBA at the perfect time: gritty defenders who can cover a variety of matchups, also provide that most coveted of offensive assets: spacing. Two-way play has never been more easily quantified (and thus extrapolated to the realms of contract negotiations), so guys like the aforementioned DeMarre Carroll and Khris Middleton are getting PAID.

5. Jimmy Butler
Very seldom does turning down big guaranteed money work out for players as well as it did for Butler, who told the Bulls' cheapskate ownership to fuck off at 4 yrs/$44mil last October, then proceeded to win the NBA's Most Improved Player award. Because Jimmy Butler's either both smart or very well-represented, and also extremely good at basketball, he's also now $50 million richer than he would've been behind Door A.

4. Draymond Green
Now both has a championship, and makes over ten times as much money as he did last season. Talk about a Contract Year.


3. New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans may have just inked the largest contract in NBA history, but if there was a single player
in the league right now who you'd wanted secured long-term, they now have him.

Anthony Davis is going to be a destructive force of incomprehensible magnitude for the next decade. He's now given the Pelicans five of the best years of his career to build a winner around him, after a spirited run to the 8-seed. They've started by hiring a real coach (sorry Monty), and while Eric Gordon understandably exercised his gaudy $15-milly player option, they have room to grow with very little money tied up long-term and the salary cap exploding imminently.

But let's not overthink anything, this is really simple: The Brow is yours for at least the next five years. Twenty-nine teams are envious.

2. Los Angeles Clippers

The DeAndre Jordan heist was perhaps the greatest free agency coup in recent memory; cornering the
quasi-star center in his house and literally locking the team's braintrust in a room with him until he re-signed. You can crow all you want about the so-called 'ethics' of the whole thing but there's no arguing its result is absolutely massive for the Clippers.

That alone is worth a high spot on this summer's rankings, but L.A. also shored up their painfully shallow roster with the additions of Paul Pierce, Lance Stephenson, and most recently Josh Smith. Pierce will bring poise, swag, and infinitely better spacing than Matt Barnes; even in his career's twilight, he's still got it. While Stephenson and (to a lesser extent) Smith can be wild cards, both will be massive upgrades over anything the Clippers had coming off the bench last year, even if there are occasional headaches.

The Clippers beat the Spurs in an epic first-round battle with Austin Rivers as a 6th Man, which is basically to say they did it with no bench whatsoever. If Smith and Stephenson don't carelessly implode in their new roles (and they're less likely to do it under a no-bullshit coach like Doc Rivers), this roster will be a nightmare for opponents and definite contender.


1. The Dark Side of the Alamo
The Spurs always win. It's just what they do. Even when they lost in the playoffs this year, they went down in one of the greatest displays of defeat ever.

So they feel they need to level up - how do they respond? Oh you know, just by scooping the best fucking player available; a fringe MVP-type who will allow Tim Duncan to pick his spots on offense and Kawhi Leonard to blossom in the Pippen role he's best suited for (LaMarcus Aldridge, not Jimmer Fredette).

Speaking of Kawhi, they inked him and Danny Green to bargain-basement deals, while convincing David West to sign with them for the veteran's minimum; bolstering what was already one of the NBA's deepest rosters (and making Ray Allen eat his words).

They should be favored to notch another title next year, though given that the Spurs always win, that shouldn't really surprise anyone.

Golden State Indeed

...And just like that, another NBA season's over.

The conclusion was fitting, if not seemingly inevitable. The critically-wounded Cavaliers put up more of a fight than anyone thought was left in them, but the Golden State Warriors punctuated their season-long dominance with a Larry O.

It was the essence of a team effort; while it wasn't pretty at times (Cleveland forced them into some decidedly un-Warriors rhythm for large chunks of this series) the Dubs got contributions from all the right places, and proved once again the power of numbers.

These Finals were the ultimate testament to Golden State's versatility, something I've lauded all season long. They were like a poisonous chameleon, able to take on many deadly forms seamlessly. Give much credit to Steve Kerr for making all the right adjustments - knowing when to suffocate LeBron, going so small as to force the Cavs' destructive front line out of the lineup, clogging the paint on D and letting JR Smith and Matthew Dellevadova shoot the Cavs out of games, the David Lee Experience, the list goes on - he coached LeBron James David Blatt into the corner.

But while the Warriors ride off into the Moet-soaked sunset, the Cavs, and LeBron James (as he usually is) remain under the microscope. What happened in this series was very simple: the better team won, but the losing team came in (literally) without an arm and a leg. After LeBron's cinematic return to Cleveland, there was bound to be much said about their season either way, and now it's ended in the most bitter way imaginable. There's no telling how exactly a healthy Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving would've impacted this series (especially with Cleveland's defense being their sudden calling card), but for most of the Finals, four of the five best players on the court were Warriors.

The LeBron haters are coming out in droves to give him the Cersei treatment, like he just did something other than average 36/13/9 in the fucking NBA Finals. Give him, and me a break. Sure, his legacy in a vacuum is beginning to look like a cross between Jordan and Karl Malone, but nobody has ever won a title with as little talent as LBJ had around him the past couple weeks. Blaming him for losing in these Finals (even  if he was kind of a jackass about it) is completely ridiculous and unfair.


Another thing that seems pretty ridiculous is this whole notion of knocking LeBron (or any superstar for that matter) for 'losing' in the Finals. Even without a title, it's not like the season was a massive disappointment, or that he didn't totally put the team on his back. I get that it's in the East and all, but five straight trips to the Finals is something I think should be celebrated rather than "shame"d.

But enough about LeBron. Much as it was last year, this shouldn't be about him, but about the awesome team that just beat him. There's so much to be happy for with the Warriors:

Steph Curry is not only the MVP, but the NBA's burgeoning media darling and arguably most exciting player, and now a champion. This is the perfect moment for him. (a Finals MVP would've been a nice touch, but an unnecessary one. That said, it's shocking that he didn't even get a single vote).

Andre Iguodala humbly took a bench role for the first time in his career, and now he's a Finals MVP (!!!).

Steve Kerr proved how great of a hire he was, got rewarded for wisely choosing the Warriors over the Knicks last summer, and won as graciously as possible.

While Draymond Green isn't the most gracious player at times, he's certainly among the most hard-working, hilarious, and likable. And now he's got a ring to back up the talk; #swagonfleek.

Shaun Livingston battled back from one of the most injury-ravaged careers in NBA history to be a vital bench contributor for this team. After the Dubs' backup PG spot was a major issue last season, Livingston was a steady veteran presence, and one of the most deserving champions imaginable. (side note: while the Warriors were best team in the NBA this year, they were also unequivocally the healthiest)

And if you aren't happy for Festus 'The Court Fester' Ezeli, then screw you. Straight up.

The 2014-15 Warriors were a landmark NBA team; one that thrived on both sides of the ball, could play big or small, and gave teams problems in every permutation. They spent the entire season running roughshod through the league, blowing out opponents with stunning basketball and demoralizing flair. We wondered all year if anyone could stop them; apparently not even the "best player in the World" was enough.

More Than A Game

Game 7 between the Spurs and the Clippers last night was so many things:

It was an injustice. I joked about it on Facebook but an event of this magnitude - a Game 7 between arguably 2 of the NBA's 3 best teams - deserved it own spotlight. The fact that it took place merely as an opening act to the most anticipated boxing match ever downplayed its significance.

(it was also just generally unfair that these two teams had to face each other in the first round but I digress)

It was brutally competitive. A back-and-forth exchange of haymakers between two giants who refused to go down. To hell with Mayweather/Pacquiao, this was a fight.

It was an arrival. This might have been the biggest win in Clippers' franchise history, which isn't saying much seeing as it's the first round and all. There's an ongoing narrative about how Chris Paul's never been to the Conference Finals, but little to no discussion of how the Clippers franchise hasn't either. Not in their days in L.A., San Diego, or as the Buffalo Braves. Not once. Bagging the defending champs was a breakthrough for this team.

It was whatever the exact opposite of an anticlimax is. Last year's first round was an incredible onslaught of awesome, filled with overtimes, Game 7s, and stuff like this.This year's was a bland abyss of short series and blowouts, ironically punctuated by an unforgettable battle.


It was a fitting conclusion to this series. These teams traded leads and advantages like they were
Pokemon Cards, going back and forth with pendulum-like consistency. Game 7 epitomized that.

It was a shock. The Spurs looked so fucking good after the All-Star break. As they do every year, they timed their peak perfectly and forced everyone to remember "OK, this is the Spurs, of course they're still for real". And just like that, they're gone.

It was an absolutely heroic display by Chris Paul. Playing through obvious pain for most of the game, he dominated on one leg and turned in a signature career performance, along with an iconic game-winner.

It was a valiant effort in defeat by Tim Duncan. Playing on one leg for the entire series, Duncan was surgical down the stretch of Game 7, partying like it was 1999. At 39 years old, he's barely lost a step. It may well have been his last NBA game, but let's all hope not.

It was a confounding display from Kawhi Leonard, who went 5-13 on the heels of 3-15 from the floor in Game 6. With Tony Parker not himself, it was that much more crucial for Kawhi to be a force offensively, and after starting the series on fire, he burned out down the stretch.

It was an emotional paint-shaker for any fan of these teams or the game of basketball. There were plenty of these moments:

But even more of these:

And for once Steve Ballmer wasn't alone in his excitement hyperbole. Because Clippers-Spurs Game 7 was one of the best basketball games ever played.

Banter's 2015 NBA Awards

Coming to you on tape delay from a kush-shrouded computer desk in Halifax, Nova Scotia; it's the official unveiling of Basketball Banter's 2015 NBA Awards!!!

This season was admittedly a little bit of an adjustment for me and my NBA addiction; I watched noticeably less basketball this year, the least I have since getting League Pass six years ago.

I spent most of the '13-'14 season on Torn Achilles Island, so LP was my best friend. The previous three seasons, I was unemployed and playing online poker for most of my income; my nightly routine was a bunch of tournament tables on one screen, and the evening's premiere matchup on the other.

Opening and managing a restaurant proved to be slightly more constricting; I was working more than ever this season, having to cover an array of hours and get business done on-demand. Obviously this left me with a little less time to channel-surf NBA games and mindlessly rant about my observations on here. But it also taught me plenty about time management; I came on strong after the All-Star break, sorta like the Spurs only less awesome. I took in more games - whether live or replayed - getting back into a familiar zone after missing too much 'Amazing' this NBA season.

This year's playoffs are going to be something special, but before we get to those, it's time to look back on the past six months and hand out some hardware to those that showed out this season. So without further ado...

All-Rookie Teams
First: G-Elfrid Payton,G-Jordan Clarkson,F-Andrew Wiggins,F-Nikola Mirotic,C-Nerlens Noel Second: G-Zach LaVine, G-Rodney Hood, F-KJ McDaniels, F-Tarik Black, C-Jusuf Nurkic

Rookie of the Year: Andrew Wiggins

After Jabari Parker went down with an ACL tear a month into the season (sigh), Wiggins started absolutely crushing this award, looking like a unanimous choice. Since then, the gap has narrowed considerably with Mirotic, Noel and Payton all having stellar second halves. Narrowed, but not closed.

Wiggins was dominant for a first-year player. He led rookies in scoring by a mile (17ppg; the next-closest was 12), while being a very good defender, with a more well-rounded skill set than anyone gave him credit for coming out of Kansas. Unlike the other contenders here, he excelled all season long, and even though the Wolves were a disaster this season, Wiggins was often a lone bright spot. He's reason in-and-of himself for them to be optimistic about the future (and ecstatic about the Kevin Love trade).
Regards to: Nikola Mirotic, Nerlens Noel, Elfrid Payton

Coach of the Year: Mike Budenholzer

I was sincerely torn here. As recently as yesterday I was ready to give this award to Brad Stevens (who got Boston to the playoffs - albeit in the East - despite one of the NBA's least-talented rosters, a slew of injuries and his own front office's intentions to tank), but felt maybe I was just being a biiiit too much of a contrarian.

To deny Bud would be to ignore the impeccable job he's done in getting the Hawks to smash expectations on both sides of the ball with the most seamless, selfless play we've seen outside of San Antonio. The Hawks were shockingly dominant this season, playing above the sum of their parts and making believers out of every possible critic. Bud got everyone to buy into the team-first concept, milked the most out of his whole roster, and sustained excellence through the entire season.
Regards to: Brad Stevens, Steve Kerr, Jason Kidd

Sixth Man of the Year: Isaiah Thomas

Of course the one thing the Celtics' front office did to actually help this year's product was to swipe Thomas from Phoenix's backcourt meltdown at a very fair price.

In a season where nobody really stepped up to claim this award, Thomas wins sorta by default, as the 6th Man with the smallest hole(s) in his case. Jamal Crawford was predictably shitty on defense and shot under 40% from the floor. Ryan Anderson was almost as terrible on D and missed a quarter of the season. Lou Williams was grossly one-dimensional and put up his best performances in the absence of starters (both Demar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry).

Thomas meanwhile led all full-time bench players in both scoring and assists, averaging 19/5 for the Celtics to help push them towards the playoffs. He's likely never going to be a starter for a winning team, but Thomas may have found his niche already as a pocket-rocket who can carry a second unit's scoring.
Regards to: Lou Williams, Ryan Anderson, Jamal Crawford

Most Improved Player: Draymond Green

Let's be honest here: nobody saw this coming. Even though Green was a tough, dynamic bench player last year, "Draymond Green will become a borderline All-Star and one of the NBA's most versatile players this year" would've made you sound like a bonafide base-head last October.

Obviously it didn't hurt that David Lee went down to star the year, but Green came out on fire and made Lee's bench demotion a total must within two weeks. He didn't really cool off after; he was one of the NBA's better-passing forwards, he expanded his offensive game, and he was just a total menace on defense, whether chasing a stretch big on the perimeter or bodying someone in the low post. For perspective; he was paid $915,243 this year, and very well might ink a max deal this summer.

Props have to go to Jimmy Butler, who also made an eye-popping offensive improvement this year, and lost very narrowly. In the end, it was Green's leaps on both sides of the ball that sealed this in my books.
Regards to: Jimmy Butler, Rudy Gobert, Donatas Motiejunas

All-Defense Teams
First: G-Chris Paul, G-Tony Allen, F-Kawhi Leonard, F-Draymond Green, C-Rudy Gobert
Second: G-Klay Thompson, G-Jimmy Butler, F-Anthony Davis, F-Serge Ibaka, C-DeAndre Jordan
Defensive Player of the Year: Kawhi Leonard

DPOY is usually a 'big man's award', and while that isn't likely to change much with the advent of defensive metrics and every NBA pundit getting a boner for 'rim protection', this season needs to be an exception because Kawhi Leonard is just that good.

He might be a cyborg that RC Buford and Gregg Popovich secretly-developed to stop LeBron James and Kevin Durant; he's got not only the size and length but all the tools of an apex perimeter defender: long arms and freakishly huge hands, potent lateral quickness, great instincts, precise timing, and the perfect mix of zen-like calm and 'just fucking try and get by me' shoulder-chippage.

He makes what he does look effortless in same vein as a Steph Curry three or a LeBron fast break; it just seems unfair. As would giving this award to anyone else.
Regards to: Draymond Green, Anthony Davis, Rudy Gobert

All-NBA Teams
First: G-Steph Curry, G-James Harden, F-LeBron James, F-Anthony Davis, C-Boogie Cousins
Second: G-Russell Westbrook, G-Chris Paul, F-Pau Gasol, F-LaMarcus Aldridge, C-Marc Gasol
Third: G-Klay Thompson, G-Jimmy Butler, F-Paul Millsap, F-Kawhi Leonard, C-DeAndre Jordan

Most Valuable Player: James Harden

So here we are, at the NBA's most touted individual honor, which this year was a particularly painful mind-fuck of cluttered candidacy. The decision between Harden and Curry was a brutal one that could've gone either way, with three more players (Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, Anthony Davis) also putting up very MVP-worthy seasons.

For me it comes down to a question of what "value" truly means, and by most definitions, Harden was that dude this year. He aced all the major MVP tests, while lifting a team that was hit by both offseason losses and injuries to the West's 2nd seed (and yes, I'm obviously aware that the 2nd-6th seeds were basically the same thing this year). The Warriors were an absolutely dominant team, but I'm sticking with my opinion that we need to stress the "team" part; that Curry's brilliance was lubricated by those around him.

I've had this debate with tons of hoops heads whose opinions I respect over the past weeks and months, and I continue hearing the same retort: that I can't "hold Curry's teammates against him". I'm sorry guys, but especially in a race this close, I feel like a) I absolutely can, and b) that it's not so much an assessment of Curry's teammates as it is Harden's. Between a summer exodus and injuries, Houston lost 70% of its rotation this year, and still managed to be one of the best teams in what could be the toughest conference ever. And Harden basically did everything for them, including a much-improved effort on D. I don't know what more you could ask of the guy, so I won't.
Regards to: Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, Anthony Davis

Now bring on the postseason.