Denver NUGGETS C-
2015-16 Record (as of Jan. 16)
W-L 15-25
PCT .375
DIV 4-7
CONF 11-20
HOME 7-12
ROAD 8-13
Frontcourt C+
The climb back to respectability was hard, but Danilo Gallinari is leading the Nuggets in scoring once again after his knee issues. Center Nikola Jurkic is developing. Kenneth Faried is now the club’s leader.
Backcourt C-
Emmanuel Mudiay’s rookie season was trimmed by 14 games with an ankle injury. When healthy, the results have been mixed. His shooting (31 percent) needs work. Gary Harris drops hints that he may have a future.
Defense D+
Denver lacks a true shot-blocker and a notable on-ball defender, but the Nuggets’ defense is acceptable most nights. Faried’s energy should be more infectious with his teammates.
Bench C
Will Barton has inserted himself among the better sixth men in the NBA, giving career highs all across the board. He’s more confident and willing to take big shots. Otherwise, the bench is rather light.
Coaching C+
Mike Malone was hired to oversee the reconstruction of a team that once went to the postseason 10 straight times. His main goal is to develop for the future, and so far, Barton represents Malone’s best work.
Summary
The Nuggets beat the Warriors! That has been the highlight of the season so far, and it’s possible the Nuggets won’t be able to top that in the second half. That’s because lots of holes remain for a team trying to develop.
By choosing not to trade Faried or Gallinari (so far), the Nuggets decided against going with a complete tear-down in favor of a more gradual restart. This can be tricky, and as we’ve seen, the Nuggets are in danger of falling into no-man’s land: Not good enough to make the playoffs, not wretched enough to land a high lottery pick and therefore a potential star.
There was much hope entering the season that Mudiay would make an immediate splash and be in the running for Rookie of the Year; neither has happened, though his growth could come later this season or next. At least the Nuggets are getting positive results from Barton and, to a smaller extend, Harris, who like Mudiay came with high expectations from the draft. We’ll see about Jusuf Nurkic, a second-team All-Rookie member last season who’s being brought along slowly after his knee injury. He will be the most intriguing player going forward.
Overall the Nuggets are quite bland and unspectacular; they’re not exactly the team you’ll be dying to see every night. At this stage of the process, they could be sellers at the trade deadline if the price is right and if a playoff spot is unrealistic.
— Shaun Powell
2015-16 Team Rating
Offense – 100.8 (24th Overall)
Defense – 105.5 (25th Overall)
Minnesota TIMBERWOLVES D+
2015-16 Record (as of Jan. 16)
W-L 12-29
PCT .293
DIV 2-7
CONF 6-16
HOME 5-17
ROAD 7-12
Frontcourt C+
First overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns is a front-runner for Rookie of the Year; his overall game is encouraging. The Wolves have a serious need at power forward; everyone is either old or limited.
BackcourtC+
The greatness projected for Andrew Wiggins could arrive someday, but the “jump” hasn’t happened in his sophomore season. Ricky Rubio is healthy and can find teammates; he just can’t shoot (34 percent).
Defense D
Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine bring quickness and instincts and Towns is already a dependable shot-blocker and figures to only get better. But this team’s youth has hurt defensively.
Bench C
LaVine is capable of the spectacular but he’s still searching for consistency. Same can be said for Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng, whose development has been sporadic.
Coaching C-
Sam Mitchell took over after the passing of Flip Saunders and is still struggling to instill his vision and plan, based on the results, which are somewhat disappointing. Is Mitchell in the plan for the Wolves long-term?
Summary
Rebuilding can be tricky. Just when it seems progress is being made, sometimes the timetable hits the brakes unexpectedly; just as the Milwaukee Bucks. The playoffs appear to be beyond reach of the Wolves, who are searching for an identity and some traction after a promising 2014-15 season. To a point, that’s understandable; most of the core players are barely into their 20s and dealing with the typical consistency issues that dog the young.
The Wolves aren’t a great rebounding team (fifth from the bottom) or three-point shooting team, can’t protect their home, often fail to finish properly and make mistakes at crucial moments. Still, the current state of the club is better, talent-wise, than it has been for several years, and certainly more promising than it ever was in the Kevin Love era.
The second half of the season, like the first, will be all about nudging along the development of youth while being patient. If LaVine, Towns and Wiggins finish strong, then the season will be a reasonable success regardless of the record. Don’t be surprised if Rubio is swapped at the deadline.
–Shaun Powell
2015-16 Team Rating
Offense – 100.3 (26th Overall)
Defense – 104.5 (25th Overall)
Portland TRAIL BLAZERS C-
2015-16 Record (as of Jan. 16)
W-L 18-24
PCT .429
DIV 7-2
CONF 15-15
HOME 10-9
ROAD 8-15
Frontcourt D+
Losing LaMarcus Aldridge and Nic Batum last summer has hurt as expected. Their replacements are mild; Al-Farouq Aminu is shooting 41 percent and Noah Vonleh is getting scant minutes, although Mason Plumlee has rebounded well.
Backcourt B+
Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are clearly the backbone of the team and one of the better scoring backcourts in the NBA, generating 46 points a night. They constantly have the green light to shoot.
Defense D+
This is the area of concern; the Blazers have athletic players but no certified stopper and therefore rank in the bottom five league-wide. The backcourt of Lillard and McCollum is vulnerable, mainly because of size.
Bench C+
Shooter Allen Crabbe is making the most of his increased role, and here in his third season, he’s experiencing a breakout, averaging 11 points. Meyers Leonard and Ed Davis add depth up front.
Coaching C+
Terry Stotts had to rip up the previous playbook once the mass exodus happened last summer. The new plan is favorable to the Blazers’ guards, who generate much of the offense.
Summary
The Blazers lost four starters from last season and none of the replacements arrived with solid credentials, but the projected collapse hasn’t really happened. Instead, the Blazers represent a surprise of sorts because they’re competitive most nights and own victories over the Thunder, Cavs, Pacers and Clippers. Therefore, the rebuilding is going about as well as expected, given the circumstances.
But it’s more than a simple examination of the bottom line. A young guard core is developing, giving hope for the future. McCollum is confirming what we saw last summer in the playoffs, that he would flourish with more minutes, and he has. Same for Crabbe, who’s fulfilling the sixth-man role and stretching his range. Lillard, McCollum and Crabbe are 25 and under and will allow the Blazers to concentrate their talent search on the front line.
And that’s where the issues lie for Portland. Davis, Vonleh and Aminu have just been average. Same goes for the big-man combo of Plumlee and Leonard. The Blazers will likely increase Vonleh’s minutes if only to see if and where he fits in the future. Portland could possibly swing a deal for help up front, or wait until the draft or free agency this summer.
— Shaun Powell
2015-16 Team Rating
Offense – 103.7 (7th Overall)
Defense – 106.4 (24th Overall)
Oklahoma City THUNDER B+
2015-16 Record (as of Jan. 16)
W-L 29-12
PCT .707
DIV 8-1
CONF 21-5
HOME 19-5
ROAD 10-7
Frontcourt A-
Kevin Durant has quickly re-established himself as one of the elite players with a solid return from injury. Serge Ibaka’s improved three-point shooting has slightly sapped his rebounding. That’s what Steven Adams is in the lineup.
Backcourt B+
Typical start for Russell Westbrook; he’s usually on the verge of triple doubles and always brings the heat. Defensive specialist Andre Roberson is trying to fill the Thabo Sefelosha role and often pulls it off.
Defense B
Oklahoma City is loaded with lively and active defenders (Enes Kanter exception) who rotate well and do their jobs acceptably, but the Thunder are near the bottom in forcing turnovers.
Bench C+
Kanter gets paid a ton to play 20 minutes and sit on the bench in fourth quarters, though he’s the team’s best offensive big man by far. Thunder still singing the blues at big guard; Dion Waiters shooting sub-40 percent.
Coaching B
Billy Donovan has received a very respectful greeting from the two players who matter most, and if Durant and Westbrook are buying what Donovan is selling, then the first-year coach is off to a solid start.
Summary
The Thunder opened the season by beating the Spurs but haven’t had a signature win since, unless you count beating the Clippers by a point. The schedule, for the most part, has been kind (no games with the Warriors until Feb. 6) and as a result, Oklahoma City is top-four in the West.
But are the Thunder prepared to destroy the perception that they don’t belong with the Spurs and Warriors? For an elite team, they’re fairly inconsistent, and it makes you wonder at times if there’s something missing here. Their two A-list stars are playing at their usual high level, but elsewhere, Oklahoma City is still looking for someone to count on every night, and the possible exception of Ibaka, that person hasn’t shown up yet. This was apparent when Durant sat with a sprained big toe and the Thunder lost at home to Sacramento. That doesn’t happen to great teams.
The success in the second half of the season and playoffs will come down to matchups, and we just don’t know how Oklahoma City matches up with the best in the West until the see the Warriors and Spurs and the hot Clippers a few more times. Even then, some of those teams might rest their regulars in preparation for the post-season.
It’s hard to imagine the Thunder hitting a speedbump, though. The power of Westbrook and Durant is too supreme for that to happen. As Durant will be happy to tell you, the Thunder is right where they want to be — in the mix.
–Shaun Powell
2015-16 Team Rating
Offense – 109.5 (2nd Overall)
Defense – 100.6 (11th Overall)
Utah JAZZ C+
2015-16 Record (as of Jan. 16)
W-L 17-22
PCT .436
DIV 3-6
CONF 9-17
HOME 11-9
ROAD 6-13
Frontcourt B
You could make a case that Utah’s developing frontcourt hasn’t taken the next step yet, but Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert are still one of the better young trios in basketball. Gobert missing 20 games with injury hasn’t helped.
Backcourt D+
This collection of young guards hasn’t yet produced a true standout. The Jazz are still on a point guard search; they’re last in assists and Trey Burke and Raul Neto struggle at times.
Defense B-
Utah went 7-11 after Gobert went down with his MCL sprain. But the troops still managed to tighten up defensively and are capable of holding teams under 100 points most nights.
Bench C
The fractured fibula suffered by Alec Burks was a setback to a team that hoped his injuries were well in the past. Trevor Booker brings rebounding and toughness off the bench.
Coaching B
Quin Snyder continues to show the right attitude for the job. He’s constantly teaching and being patience with a team that’s allowing a young core to grow and make mistakes. He just needs to develop a point guard.
Summary
Three years ago the Jazz put together a band of very young yet talented players with the hopes of watching them bond and grow together. And most were added through the draft. It was, and is, a sound philosophy if only because the Jazz are clearly improving.
But how much more patience is required? Through the first half of this season, Utah remained on the edge of the playoff eight, a place they’re very familiar with. To be fair, some of this had to do with nagging injuries to a handful of important players, most importantly Gobert; he’s healthy now and it’s safe to believe his return will shore up the defense and show up in the standings.
The bad news for Utah is the Jazz still lack a bonafide No. 1 option; Hayward has filled that role by default but isn’t an A-list player, at least not yet. And none of their young point guards has shown any indication they can confidently run a team, which is why the Jazz are a bottom-five offense.
The good news is they have assets, either to keep and develop, or to trade. There’s every reason to believe Utah will flourish in the second half of the season, especially with Gobert, and confirm that this gradual building process is making progress. The Jazz should, and most likely will, let this season play out before contemplating any major moves.
— Shaun Powell
2015-16 Team Rating
Offense – 101.7 (17th Overall)
Defense – 103.3 (17th Overall)
