Tidbits To Start The Season

Good Surprises:

1. New Orleans Hornets (4-1) - They have a good record and are looking great with a healthy Peja (17 pts). Chris Paul (18 pts, 5 reb, 12 ast) is playing fantastic as his game is reminiscent of Steve Nash. On top of all that Tyson Chandler is contributing 12 points and 12 boards per contest.

2. Houston Rockets (4-1) - They are in the same division as the Hornets and are probably better than the team from NO but they are lower on this list because unlike the Hornets they were predicted to make the playoffs. But, c'mon, who would have guessed T-Mac would be averaging 29 points (high of 47 on opening night), 5 rebounds, and 6 assists? Yao is doing his part as well while adding 21 points and 11 rebounds.

3. Indiana Pacers (3-1) - This was a tough call. It was between the Pacers and the Clippers (4-0). But...the Pacers? Danny Granger (21 pts, 8 reb), Mike Dunleavy (21 pts, 9 reb), Jermaine O'Neal (12 pts, 6 reb), and Jamaal Tinsley (11 pts, 7 ast) have all been key players in their fast start.


Bad Surprises:

1. Miami Heat (0-4) - Their leading scorer is Ricky Davis with only 16 points a game. Shaq is getting 13 points and only 7 rebounds which isn't even the best on the team (Udonis Haslem, 10). The Heat's offense is horrid averaging 83 points a game and giving up near 90. I think everyone in the city is praying for Dwyane Wade's recovery. Oh, and did I mention their current 17-game losing streak?

2. Chicago Bulls (0-4) - Luol Deng? Yeah, he's averaging 16 points (2nd on team) and 7 rebounds which aren't terrible numbers but I think everyone expected a little more. Big Ben Wallace is only pulling down FOUR rebounds a game and Kirk Hinrich is only dishing out FOUR assists each game. I think the entire team needs to pick it up. They're being outscored 96-88 so far this season.

3. Washington Wizards (0-3) - Coincidentally, all three disappointing teams have been from the East. Gilbert GUARANTEED a win and then lost all while averaging 22 points which is pretty low for him. Their offense isn't that bad (92 points a game, 20 from Butler and 19 from Jamison) but their defense is giving up 105 points each game! That can't happen if they expect to win games.


MVPs...four games into the season? Yes.

1. Kevin Garnett - 23 points. 16 rebounds. 6 assists. I swear that wasn't one game's stats. Those are his averages! He's been a complete beast and is making me look like a fool for having him fifth in the Big Man Preview I did a week ago.

2. Tracy McGrady - Put up 47 on opening night better Kobe's 45 put up on his opening night. He's averaging 29 points a game while dishing out 6 assists and grabbing 5 boards. He's doing everything out there and it's no accident that his Rockets are number one in the toughest division in basketball.

3. Kobe Bryant - What did you expect? Kobe's a scoring machine. He doesn't talk as much as Gil Zero but is definitely scoring more right now. But that's not all. To go with his 31 points a game, he's averaging 8 rebounds and 5 assists. However, the trade talks have still not subsided, especially the ones involving Chicago.

4. Carlos Boozer - This guy is helping the Jazz any way he can. He's showing that size doesn't matter (he's "only" 6'9"). He's got them to a respectable 3-2 record with their only losses coming to the Rockets and Lakers. He's averaging 24 points--including two where he put up at least 30--and 13 rebounds.

5. Chris Paul - His team is 4-1. He's averaging 19 points, 12 assists, and 5 rebounds. This is only his third year in the league. He's proving to the world that he's the best young point guard in the league right now (not much is being heard of Deron Williams as I type) and even had a game with 21 assists while scoring 19 points.


I was going to do a bit on Rookie of the Year but is it even close? Kevin Durant is the clear-cut favorite right now. 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. End of story. His competition? Jianlian Yi, Al Horford, and Daequan Cook. But it really isn't even close...for now. By the way, my preseason pick was Jeff Green and he isn't doing that bad averaging 7 points and 4 rebounds while playing with KD.


The STRONGER Rankings (Note: This are the equivalent of anyone else's power rankings.)

1. Houston Rockets (4-1) - This was a tough call putting them number one but they have a good record while playing in the toughest division in all of basketball. They have wins over the Lakers, Jazz, and Spurs--all teams that made last year's playoffs--and their only loss coming to Dallas. They are scoring 95 a game and are allowing 92.

2. Boston Celtics (3-0) - This may be a bit premature putting them all the way at number two but they have looked very impressive so far. Besides KG's contributions, Ray Allen is scoring 24 points a game and Paul Pierce is averaging 22 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds. Their role players, surprisingly, have stepped up. Rajon Rondo is giving 10 points and 3 assists each night while Kendrick Perkins is scoring 6 points and grabbing 5 boards.

3. New Orleans Hornets (4-1) - They are the second team from the Southwest division so far. Everyone has come together very nicely as I mentioned earlier in this post. They have impressive wins over Denver and Los Angeles. Their only defeat came at the hands of the Portland Trailblazers of all teams!

4. San Antonio Spurs (4-1) - The Spurs are the THIRD team from the Southwest division so far. That's how strong the division is but someone's going to win and another's going to lose when they all play each other, right? Their only loss was against the number one, Houston. Tim Duncan is playing well as usual while averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds to date. Ginobili is giving 21 points (best on team) and 6 assists.

5. Orlando Magic (4-1) - The reason I chose them over the Clippers is simple: strength of schedule. The Magic have played Milwaukee (a team some believe will make the playoffs this year), Detroit (their only loss), Washington, and Toronto to name a few. The Clippers (4-0) have played Golden State, Seattle, Chicago, and Indiana. All of those teams are either mediocre or worse right now with the exception of the Pacers. Dwight Howard is averaging 19 points and 13 rebounds and Rashard Lewis is filling up the stat sheet with 23 points a night.


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