Many teams showing off spin moves
Grizzlies, Nets among those overcoming early struggles
The NBA playoffs are still a month away, and already the script has been flipped.
Top teams have been pedestrian of late and better-late-thannever threats have been gaining fast. So the postseason possibilities are suddenly far more compelling than they appeared before the New Year rolled around.
The Portland Trail Blazers, who had the NBA’s best record on New Year’s Eve (25-7), are 19-17 since. The Oklahoma City Thunder, who started with a 43-12 record, are 6-6 since point guard Russell Westbrook returned after two months from a knee injury.
The Miami Heat, who started the season 43-14, have lost six of their past nine games. The Pacers had the NBA’s best record Feb. 8 and have gone 11-7 since.
There are now six teams with winning records in the East after there were three on Jan. 1.
A look at some teams making a second-half surge:
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
The Grizzlies have the best record in the NBA since Jan. 10. They would be on pace for 61 wins had they been doing this all season.
They followed their first Western Conference finals appearance with a coaching change and a 1519 start this season. But the combination of Marc Gasol’s return Jan. 14 from a knee sprain that kept him out for seven weeks and the timely acquisition of players such as Courtney Lee and James Johnson has worked wonders.
Despite losing defensive specialist Tony Allen to a wrist injury for most of January and February, the Grizzlies defense is officially back.
Since Jan. 10, they have ranked third (98.7 points allowed per 100 possessions) and aren’t far behind the top-ranked Pacers (97.9). With Gasol, the reigning defensive player of the year out for most of that stretch before Jan. 10, Memphis’ defense ranked 24th.
“The chemistry is the best that I’ve ever seen it in all of my years here,” said coach Dave Joerger, who was hired as an assistant coach in 2007. “Guys really like each other. They like playing together. They like traveling together. They’re playing for each other, and I think that’s very positive.”
BROOKLYN NETS
So much for the Eastern Conference being a two-team race.
The Nets, who were on pace to become the priciest punch line in NBA history early on, have the fifth-best record since Jan. 1 and could still earn home-court advantage in the playoffs.
And first-year coach Jason Kidd, who was being roundly ridiculed not too long ago for the Nets’ struggles and his infamous spilled soda, deserves as much credit as anyone.
His decision to go to a small lineup (Deron Williams and Shaun Livingston in the backcourt, Joe Johnson at small forward, Paul Pierce to power forward, Kevin Garnett to center) paid dividends, and their winning ways have continued even through Garnett’s recent absence.
As with the Grizzlies, defense has played a major part in the Nets’ surge. They ranked 27th through December (106.7 points allowed per 100 possessions). Since Jan. 1 (101.3 points allowed per 100 possessions), they rank fifth. During that span, they have led the league in forced turnovers (17.8 a game) after ranking 24th in that category (14.2 a game) before the calendar turned to 2014.
CHICAGO BULLS
Tom Thibodeau is making a strong case for coach of the year. The Bulls have managed to improve despite losing point guard Derrick Rose to injury for the season and small forward Luol Deng to a trade in early January.
Since Jan. 1, Chicago has the seventh-best record in the NBA (25-12) and the third-most wins. Center Joakim Noah, meanwhile, has made a quiet case as an MVP dark horse while serving as the do-everything glue guy in their group.
TORONTO RAPTORS
Remember all the talk about the Raptors tanking? They’ve gone 31-17 since starting the season 612. With coach Dwane Casey leading the way and point guard Kyle Lowry and All-Star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan having career years, Toronto has shown it will at least be capable of putting up a fight come playoff time.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
The Wizards were already making progress, passing .500 for the first time in the John Wall era earlier this season. But after landing veteran point guard Andre Miller at the trade deadline and signing productive big man Drew Gooden recently, they’ve won 10 of their past 14 games and have the look of a capable team.