Hoop Talk - The NBA Roundup for January 2017

​Written by Zeke Perez Jr. 

(Getty Images)

New year, new trends! Plus some of the same exciting storylines too. The Association’s big titans are still duking it out atop the standings. Some new teams are crawling into playoff positions. Other teams are already making plans for draft night. A battle rages on between MVP-caliber players. The NBA train is picking up steam. Here’s what to watch for as the calendar turns to 2017.
 
Battle for the Basement
And with the number one pick in the 2017 draft… Three teams are putting up a pretty strong fight to be the worst in the entire league. The Miami Heat (11-26), the Philadelphia 76ers (9-24), and the Brooklyn Nets (8-25) currently boast the NBA’s worst records. There’s no real way to sugarcoat their performance. The Sixers and Nets have been particularly awful, ranking 29th and 30th in point differential (i.e. points scored vs. points allowed per game). The Nets are surrendering a league-high 114 points per game, putting them in prime position to finish the year with the league’s worst record and thereby securing the best odds at getting the number one pick in the draft lottery. Can they dethrone last year’s number one pickers, the 76ers? Or will Philly be more terrible down the stretch to repeat? Either way, the 2017 draft class is stacked with talented players, so regardless of where they finish, these teams should have a shot at finding a key player to, hopefully, turn their fortunes around.
 
Team Rocket Blasting Off Again
The Houston Rockets have liftoff and are blasting towards the top of the Western Conference standings. The Rockets are on a five game winning streak and have won eight of their last ten games. They are firmly in third place in the West and only trail San Antonio by one and a half games for second place. Houston is playing solid basketball, with numerous players scattered amongst the league leaders. James Harden is having a tremendous year, sitting fourth in the league in points scored with 28.4 per game and first in assists at 11.9 per game. Trevor Ariza is third in steals, averaging 2.17 per game. It’s not only the starters who are contributing; Houston has decent depth to help win games, too. Patrick Beverly, Corey Brewer, Nene, and Sam Dekker are very good role players who are contributing off of the bench. Historically, the Rockets have had trouble getting over the hump in the playoffs. This year’s team may not have what it takes to beat the seemingly unstoppable Warriors and Spurs, but they definitely could make some noise in the playoffs.
 
An MVP in OKC
Russell Westbrook is looking to bring the Maurice Podoloff Trophy back to Oklahoma City for the first time since Kevin Durant was named Most Valuable Player in 2014. Westbrook is playing like a created character out of NBA 2K, putting up video game numbers and staying on pace to average a triple-double. You read that right: he is averaging a triple-double. Here’s a list of all the players in the NBA’s seventy year history to average a triple-double: Oscar Robertson. Yep. Russell Westbrook is leading the league in scoring and is currently putting up 30.9 points, 10.5 assists, and 10.5 rebounds per game. Despite all that, Westbrook is trailing former-teammate James Harden in the MVP race in the eyes of many experts. This is because Harden is putting up big numbers too, but doing so more efficiently on fewer possessions. It’ll be a test of longevity as the two superstars fight for the award during the remaining forty-plus games.
 
Rebounds: A Look Back
Updates on the storylines from December’s Hoop Talk

• Things are still trending toward a Golden State v. Cleveland NBA Finals. The Warriors are now 31-5. The Cavaliers are 26-8. The two teams faced off in an epic Finals rematch on Christmas Day, which saw the Cavs stage a fourteen point comeback in the fourth quarter to steal a win. When these teams come together, they provide some of the best basketball games of this decade.
• Coach Malone has found a more consistent lineup for the Nuggets. Jokic is now starting, while Nurkic rides the bench. Gary Harris is back in the lineup from injury, and the starting five is more settled. The Nuggets have also been better about closing out games. Despite the fact that they have begun to find an identity, locker room and leadership issues remain. The Nuggets may be on the brink of a couple big trades.
• The LA Clippers looked like the real deal in December, sitting third in the West at 16-6. Since then, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul have missed some time due to injuries and the Clippers have gone an even 8-8. They’re now 24-14 on the year, slipping down to fourth in the West.
• Last Hoop Talk, things were looking up for the Lakers; at least relative to their seventeen win campaign last season. Since then, they have only won three games, putting them at 13-25 so far this season. Executive VP of Basketball Operations Jim Buss said he would resign if the Lakers weren’t competitive by the end of this season. If he keeps his promise, it looks like he’ll be out the door come June. 

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