Warriors’ duo still NBA’s best
Rating the NBA backcourts, still led by a local treasure, though the gap is closing:
1. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson: With two very smart moves — unloading Monta Ellis and declining to trade Thompson for Kevin Love — the Warriors laid the foundation for a dynasty. Until they are clearly knocked off the throne, there’s no substitute for these two historic shooters and their exquisite sense of team basketball.
2. James Harden and Chris Paul: In the face of considerable skepticism, this pairing has worked exactly to Houston’s expectations. Note of caution: Harden had a recent hamstring injury, and Paul has been slowed by a sore right groin. “We’re trying to get the band together,” said coach Mike D’Antoni. With ace backup Eric Gordon experiencing back problems (along with Trevor Ariza, also dealing with a hamstring), health is the Rockets’ main concern before the playoffs begin.
3. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry: As much as people recognize DeRozan’s greatness (he’s an All-Star starter), he’s one of the most underrated greats of the game. Nobody’s deadlier from mid-range, and he’s shooting three-pointers more often — with a buttery stroke — than ever before. Lowry doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves, either; put Toronto in the Eastern Conference finals and both men will have their chance to move up in the hierarchy.
4. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum: Rated this low only because Portland seems stuck on a treadmill, unable to make serious noise in the West. But the talent is magnificent, most recently displayed when McCollum poured in 50 points in just three quarters against Chicago. It would be a shame to see this combination broken up by trade, but the Blazers are starting to consider it.
5. John Wall and Bradley Beal: The magic has worn off of late, largely due to Wall’s strange season. He went public with his disgust over a Washington team meeting, implying distrust in his teammates in saying, “Front office got to figure it out.” He called the Mavericks’ J.J. Barea “a little midget” after a loss in Dallas, to which Barea responded, “Now I have somebody in the NBA that I don’t like. I don’t think his teammates like him, either, so it’s nothing new for him.” Then Wall was lost to knee surgery (for six to eight weeks) and the team reeled off three straight wins. The Wizards’ half-court offense looks a lot sharper, but it’s wise to remember that Wall hadn’t been fully healthy for weeks. If they’re better off without him, it’s a temporary condition.
Names to watch :If Lou Williams, Kemba Walker or Tyreke Evans is traded to a contender — say, the Boston Celtics — there could be a solid new backcourt entry.
What might have been: Detroit landed a couple of solid players in Stanley Johnson and Luke Kennard in recent drafts, but in doing so the Pistons bypassed Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell. Imagine those two in the same backcourt, about as dangerous as it gets.
Around the NBA
Now that everyone has properly shut down the LeBron James-Warriors connection, it’s time to rule out the Clippers, as well. He fancies playing in Los Angeles someday, but the Lakers will always be his choice. The Clippers came out well in the Blake Griffin trade, acquiring Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris and a No. 1 pick, but their method of doing business leaves a bit to be desired.
After signing Griffin to a five-year deal just seven months ago, the Clippers hired a gospel choir to perform at Staples Center and raised his No. 32 in a mock retirement ceremony. They produced a T-shirt, designed to be worn in private settings, depicting Griffin alongside Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, Muhammad Ali, Albert Einstein and Martin Luther King, among other historic figures. Seriously, they actually did that. Then, well — timeout. He’s off to Detroit. And Griffin learned of the deal “the same way everybody else did,” he said, with no word from the front office. “Tough way to find out after being with a franchise for so long.”
In discussing the Clippers’ abrupt change of heart on NBA TV, it reached a point where Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Webber, Isiah Thomas and Baron Davis were all convulsing with laughter. Because it was just so
What a regrettable season for Seth Curry, who was looking forward to teaming up with rookie Dennis Smith in the Mavericks’ backcourt. Curry was sidelined in early October with a stress reaction in his left tibia and hasn’t played since. He hopes to return at some point this season, but he hasn’t ruled out surgery and starting over in the fall — possibly with a new team, given his freeagent status. “The worst thing I could do is try to play (injured) and then go into the summer trying to get it healthy again and worry about next year,” Curry told reporters.
Greg Monroe could be a nice pickup for the Celtics, who plan to use his post-up scoring, passing and rebounding on the second unit. New Orleans was angling for Monroe after trading for Nikola Mirotic, and promised Monroe a starting job alongside Anthony Davis, but Monroe wisely chose the most solid team in the East.
No general manager has done a better job than Boston’s Danny Ainge. Amazingly, the Celtics are a better team this season despite returning only four players: Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier. They don’t miss Isaiah Thomas in the slightest. Bradley and Jae Crowder haven’t looked terribly impressive in other uniforms. And the draft selection of Jayson Tatum has proved to be brilliant.
The 76ers drafting Markelle Fultz hasn’t worked out yet. The real shooting issue among NBA rookies doesn’t involve Lonzo Ball or Ben Simmons, but Fultz, who injured his shoulder over the summer, changed his shot, and can’t seem to rediscover the original as he continues to sit out. His new shot is a shove-it-up-there disaster, and although the 76ers are being careful with their public comments, they’re seriously wondering whether Fultz has developed a mental block.