NBA report card: Grading the recent performances of five standout teams
Monday 18 November 2019 15:54, UK
Every Monday we look back over the previous week of NBA action and put five teams under the microscope as we grade their recent performances.
We are now about a month into the NBA season and every team - with the sole exception of the Washington Wizards - has played at least a dozen games.
Here are five teams who have either seriously impressed or have let themselves down badly this week.
San Antonio Spurs (5-8, Week 4 record 0-4) Grade - F
The San Antonio Spurs equalled a league record last year when they made it 22 consecutive appearances in the playoffs. The remarkable job Gregg Popovich has done in keeping the franchise competitive so consistently for over two decades coupled with the boom-and-bust way modern NBA franchises operate means it is a feat unlikely to be repeated.
The five-game losing streak they are currently on is already the second worst in that entire span of time. Since 1997, the team has lost six on the trot just once, it's the only worse run that the one the team is on currently.
Last weekend's 20-point reversal at home to the Boston Celtics has been followed up with another four defeats on the spin this week, at home to the struggling Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers and on the road to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic.
It's on the defensive end where the Spurs are really struggling. A defensive rating of 111.5 is seventh worst in the league so far this season and they conceded 111 points or more in all four matches this week, including 129 in the defeat in Minneapolis.
If the Spurs wish to stand outright on their own with the record for most consecutive postseason appearances then there is going to need to be a massive turnaround in form, but if anyone can find a way to navigate a path the playoffs from this situation, then it's Popovich.
Los Angeles Lakers (11-2, Week 4 record 4-0) Grade - A
The sight of LeBron throwing it down over the top of the league's big men will strike fear into some of the other potential title contenders, but just as important as his contributions is the balanced scoring the Lakers have found from across the spread of their roster.
Kyle Kuzma has also performed impressively this week, scoring well and multiple players have scored in double-figures in games. Anthony Davis' selfless approach will also no doubt chime well with his team-mates and the Lakers fans after he said he's happy not to be scoring as much if it means the team is winning..
The alley-oop throwdown from LeBron following a Javale McGee block and a lovely floated assist from Danny Green against the Hawks on Sunday night sums up just how well this Lakers offense is clicking.
Couple that with the fact the team possesses the best defensive rating in the NBA and you can see exactly why many, including our NBA analyst Ovie Soko, are tipping the Lakers to go all the way.
Another good week in the books for the franchise with wins over Phoenix, Golden State, Sacramento and Atlanta - and they now have the league's best record after the Celtics lost to the Kings on Sunday.
Orlando Magic (6-7, Week 4 record 3-0) Grade - A+
The Orlando Magic started the season as the worst shooting team in the league but now that their offense has picked up, they are beginning to win more games.
Despite it being so early in the season, coming into the homestand they have just finished sitting 2-6 after a not-too-difficult opening eight games, it felt like the Magic would need to take advantage of some winnable games at the Amway Center.
The first two games of that home stand at the end of last week saw them beat the Grizzlies and lose to the Pacers. Game 11 then saw them take on Eastern Conference heavyweights in the 76ers and the Magic produced their best fourth-quarter performance of the season to beat Philly, coming back from a couple of points down entering the final frame to seal a confidence-boosting 112-97 victory.
Although Joel Embiid was out, holding a talent-rich Philadelphia roster to under 100 points showcased the Magic's defensive strength, which is their calling card, and the team also had seven scorers in double-figures including Nikola Vucevic with 25 and Aaron Gordon with 18.
Just as it looked like the Magic's luck was turning the team was struck with a blow when Jonathan Isaac, playing like an All-NBA defender to start the season, rolled his right ankle on Thursday during the unveiling of the team's City-Edition uniforms at Disney World.
But even without their young defensive lynchpin, Orlando reeled off wins against the San Antonio Spurs and Washington Wizards to finish the week 3-0 and the homestand 4-1.
Markelle Fultz's vital contribution late in the fourth against the Wizards on Sunday was timely - especially given that Michael Carter-Williams was forced to leave the game after straining his left hip. The former No 1 draft pick nabbed a steal before throwing down a one-handed dunk in transition, as well as converting from the foul line for a three-point play.
That play and the week as a whole feels like a potential watermark moment for this young squad and they will be hoping to carry on that momentum during this coming week when they face difficult trips to Toronto and Indiana.
Charlotte Hornets (6-7, Week 4 record 2-1) Grade - B+
It's been an entertaining week of basketball to watch if you're a Hornets fan! Every game has gone down to the wire.
First up was a home battle against the Grizzlies and it was Memphis who prevailed at Spectrum Center, with a game-winning shot from Ja Morant with 0.7 seconds remaining on the clock proving conclusive.
More late-game heroics were seen on Friday night and it felt like the moment the league has been waiting for from Malik Monk. The shooting guard is a talented scorer and showed it in the clutch on this occasion as the Hornets beat the Pistons on his game-winning buzzer-beater.
It was an absolute beauty of a shot and fit to win any game. It lifted the Hornets to 5-7 rather than them potentially falling to 4-8 in overtime, an important difference even at this fairly early stage of the season.
Then, on Sunday night, it was Devonte' Graham's turn to step up to the plate. The Hornets were trailing by two points when he stepped up and drained a three to put the Hornets ahead with 2.1 seconds to go at Madison Square Garden, capping a 103-102 victory.
Winning games late on is great for morale and, although they lost one late too towards the start of the week, it must be considered a very good seven days overall for James Borrego's team.
Detroit Pistons (4-9, Week 4 record 0-3) Grade - D-
The Detroit Pistons are mired towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and, after Dwayne Casey's team nabbed the eighth seed last season before being swept by the Bucks, they must be disappointed with their record so far this time around.
This week had some winnable games and going 2-1 over the three matches would probably have been a reasonable expectation but after falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Little Caesars Arena, they also suffered losses on the road to the Miami Heat and then the Charlotte Hornets (as detailed earlier).
The Hornets have the fourth-worst defense and the second-worst turnover rate in the league and that coupling is certainly not a recipe for success. Minnesota took 120 points off them, then the Heat managed 117 before the late loss against Charlotte.
Right now, the Pistons look bound for the Lottery and there's a fairly persuasive argument gathering pace that they should look to break things up in Detroit and begin a full-scale rebuild. Clear improvement will be needed if they are to harbour any hopes of returning to the postseason.
