Atlanta HAWKS B-
2015-16 Record (as of Jan. 16)
W-L 23-17
PCT .575
DIV 5-2
CONF 14-11
HOME 13-7
ROAD 10-10
Frontcourt B+
The Hawks’ reinvestment in Paul Millsap was their best move of the offseason as he’s a good bet to earn his third straight All-Star nod. Al Horford’s been great at times but struggled some with free agency looming this summer. Kent Bazemore has stepped his game up dramatically to help replace DeMarre Carroll.
Backcourt C+
Much like Horford, Jeff Teague has been spectacular at times but has also battled inconsistency and injuries. Kyle Korver’s seen a significant drop off in his production and has struggled physically coming back from offseason surgery.
Defense B
The Hawks have been solid but not nearly as potent as they were during their 60-win campaign last season. They still lack a rim protector capable of impacting games around the basket, but they have a fleet of quality perimeter defenders to help offset some of their deficiencies on that end of the floor.
Bench C
Dennis Schroder and Thabo Sefolosha have been stalwarts and Mike Scott and Mike Muscala have had their moments, when called upon. It’s the new faces that haven’t delivered. Tiago Splitter has been a huge disappointment, due in large part to injuries. And Tim Hardaway has spent more time in street clothes and the D-League than he has in a Hawks uniform. The locker room leadership Elton Brand provided was perhaps the most underrated aspect of this team’s performance last season and the Hawks miss having him around to keep things together.
Coaching B
Mike Budenholzer is the reigning Coach of the Year and hasn’t lost any of his edge after all of the success he’s had in such a short period of time. That said, he’s tackling a different role this season working as both coach and the Hawks’ head of basketball operations on a permanent basis. And he’s struggled to solve his team’s consistency issues through the first half of the season.
Summary
To a man, the Hawks insisted they would not let the success achieved during their record 60-win and Eastern Conference finals season of a year ago impact the way they operated this year. But that’s easier said than done. Expectations have a way of being blown out of control when you win the way the Hawks did last season. And the truth is they have struggled to find the flow that saw them win at an elite level last season. Budenholzer has tinkered with his lineups and rotations in an attempt to find a remedy and has yet to come up with a solution.
The trade deadline will present the Hawks with an opportunity to assess their situation and figure out if a move, or two, can help solve some of their issues. The Hawks are still checking all of the boxes statistically and analytically, but they don’t pass the eye test every night.
— Sekou Smith
2015-16 Team Rating
Offense – 103.5 (8th Overall)
Defense – 101.4 (12th Overall)
Charlotte HORNETS C-
2015-16 Record (as of Jan. 16)
W-L 18-21
PCT .462
DIV 3-5
CONF 11-11
HOME 14-7
ROAD 4-14
Frontcourt D
The Hornets have to readjust with Al Jefferson (suspension, injury) out of the lineup for all but two games since Thanksgiving. Marvin Williams has carved out a niche for himself, leading the team in rebounds and blocks while playing both forward spots. And both Cody Zeller and rookie Frank Kaminsky have responded well to the increased minutes.
Backcourt B
Kemba Walker continues to lead the way for this team, serving as the primary scorer and facilitator as well as the Hornets’ locker room leader. He finally has a solid partner to work with in Nic Batum, who is having a resurgent season after he struggled in his final campaign in Portland. P.J. Hairston hasn’t been a reliable threat from long distance or anywhere else.
Defense C
The Hornets have been stellar on defense under Steve Clifford, but they are a not an elite group this season. They don’t have a true lock-down defender on the roster and that’s been a huge issue down the stretch of games this season.
Bench C
Jeremy Lin has found a home with the Hornets, playing comfortably off the bench behind Walker and thriving when they are on the floor together. The confidence Clifford has shown in Jeremy Lamb has changed the trajectory of his career. He’s a different player than he was after his confidence was shattered in Oklahoma City. Zeller, Kaminsky and Spencer Hawes have provided quality frontcourt depth.
Coaching C+
Clifford has remained steadfast in belief that the Hornets have the pieces needed to get back to the playoff mix in the Eastern Conference and the front office rewarded him with a contract extension. But there have been some serious adjustments to life without Jefferson in the lineup. That said, Clifford’s approach has worked wonders for veterans like Batum and Williams, who are both playing as well as they have in years under his guidance.
Summary
The Hornets’ margin for error was razor thin this season with a healthy Jefferson in the lineup as the low-post centerpiece. With him out of the lineup for such a significant amount of time, we haven’t really had a chance to see this team at full strength. They’ve played well enough in stretches to look like a legitimate challenger for a playoff spot, with big wins over playoff types Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Toronto, Detroit, Miami and Memphis. But they’ve struggled mightily on the road and their lack of seasoning up front has cost them mightily.
Rich Cho has done a nice job with the reshuffling of the roster but there is still work to be done if the Hornets are going to take the next step in a much-improved Eastern Conference. They’ll get a boost if and when Jefferson returns to action and to form. But their playoff hopes will fade if they can’t find a way to be more competitive away from home.
— Sekou Smith
2015-16 Team Rating
Offense – 102.9 (11th Overall)
Defense – 101.6 (14th Overall)
Miami HEAT B
2015-16 Record (as of Jan. 16)
W-L 23-17
PCT .575
DIV 4-3
CONF 11-12
HOME 15-8
ROAD 8-9
Frontcourt B+
Chris Bosh has made a fantastic return from his health scare from last season and playing at an All-Star level. Hassan Whiteside is a defensive force and showing signs that he can be a tremendous two-way talent capable of providing a game change for a contender. Luol Deng has been slowed by injuries and could use a little more time to round into his usual shape.
Backcourt B
Those rumors of Dwyane Wade’s demise just a couple of years ago were ridiculously premature. He might not be the Wade of old, but he’s still one of the league’s best. Goran Dragic got off to a rocky start but cranked up his production through the holiday season, only to have a calf strain sideline him to start the New Year.
Defense A
With a rim protector like Whiteside and the constant focus on defending as a unit that Erik Spoelstra has always demanded, the Heat remain one of the league’s best defensive units. They’re as good on the perimeter as they are in the paint and have the personnel to execute against elite competition.
Bench C+
Gerald Green has been an ideal fit with this crew and Tyler Johnson showed enough promise that the Heat felt comfortable sending Mario Chalmers to Memphis. Rookie Justise Winslow is being brought along at a steady pace and Josh McRoberts and Beno Udrih have been solid.
Coaching B+
Any questions people had about Spoelstra’s ability to coax the most out of his team should have been answered long ago. He remains one of the league’s best, whether he’s working with his full complement of talent or an injury-ravaged bunch.
Summary
Suggestions that the Heat would vault to the top of the Eastern Conference standings with a healthy and refurbished roster this season were probably a bit presumptuous given the fact that so much of that hype assumed that both Dragic and Whiteside were ready to perform at All-Star levels. The fact is, the Heat still need Wade and Bosh to serve as the bell cows if they intend to challenge Cleveland, Toronto and Atlanta for the Eastern Conference crown. Pat Riley deserves credit for once again putting the pieces in place for the Heat to remain in the hunt.
Miami’s fortunes the rest of the way and in the postseason rest largely on their core group of Wade, Bosh, Dragic, Whiteside, Deng, Green and Winslow staying as healthy as possible. Keeping Wade, who is always battling a nagging injury or two, healthy and fresh for the postseason is a must. And if Dragic’s calf strain lingers into February and remains an issue throughout the rest of the season, that complicates matters for a team that isn’t as deep, top to bottom, as some of the other teams in the chase.
— Sekou Smith
2015-16 Team Rating
Offense – 102.5 (13th Overall)
Defense – 99.5 (6th Overall)
Orlando MAGIC C
2015-16 Record (as of Jan. 16)
W-L 20-19
PCT .513
DIV 1-6
CONF 10-14
HOME 12-9
ROAD 8-10
Frontcourt
B-
Nik Vucevic is a force on both ends of the floor and remains the Magic’s most consistent and reliable scoring option. Tobias Harris doesn’t make many headlines but he gets the job done as a scorer and rebounder. Channing Frye’s shooting percentage from distance has improved from a season ago but he’s still not producing at a high level.
Backcourt
C
Evan Fournier has proved to be more than capable of handling his role as one of the Magic’s primary offensive weapons. Victor Oladipo has shown improvement and has been solid in whatever role, starter or reserve, he’s been asked to play. Elfrid Payton’s game has not taken off the way some had hoped, but he’s been solid.
Defense
B-
Scott Skiles has a track record of improving the defensive performance of whatever team he takes over and the Magic have followed that trend. The Magic don’t have an elite shot blocker/rim protector to lean on and yet they still own a defensive rating that ranks in the top half of the league. That’s as much about Skiles as it is anything or anyone else.
Bench
D
There’s a reason Skiles decided to use Oladipo off the bench. Neither Aaron Gordon nor rookie Mario Hezonja has had the breakout (first half of the) season many predicted after watching them both shine in summer league action. Shabazz Napier hasn’t been able to move the needle much either. And bigs Andrew Nicholson, Jason Smith and Dewayne Dedmon have been solid but nothing more in whatever spot duty they have seen.
Coaching
B
When you hire a coach like Skiles, it comes some extremely specific stipulations. He’s going to do things his way and he won’t spare anyone’s feeling in the process. He’s lived up to his reputation, so far, making the tough rotation choices and doing whatever needs to be done to make sure his team plays up to his expectations defensively.
Summary
The Magic remain a work in progress halfway through the first year of the Skiles era, due in part to the inevitable growing pains that come with a new regime and also a much-improved Eastern Conference. Both Skiles and Magic GM Rob Hennigan talked about this bunch being a playoff contender this season, and they appear to be spot on with the Magic just outside the top-eight mix right now. They are a solid road team and have shown signs of improvement from month to month. The biggest challenge ahead for this crew is finding someone else on the roster to rise up and become that consistent third scoring option behind Vucevic and Fournier.
With Skiles shifting Payton to the bench and Oladipo to the starting unit at point guard alongside Fournier, it’s unclear what the future holds for the two young guards who were supposed to be the foundational building blocks of the franchise as a tandem. The one thing the Magic have going for them with Skiles is he’s not afraid to shake things up if needed, and that includes rethinking and changing course on his own decisions in an effort to get it right.
— Sekou Smith
2015-16 Team Rating
Offense – 101.3 (19th Overall)
Defense – 101.5 (3rd Overall)
Washington WIZARDS C+
2015-16 Record (as of Jan. 16)
W-L 19-19
PCT .500
DIV 6-3
CONF 14-11
HOME 9-11
ROAD 10-8
Frontcourt C+
Marcin Gortat is a force on both ends when healthy and locked in, despite not having any legitimate support at power forward to cover his back. Jared Dudley and Otto Porter have both struggled with consistency and the production from Kris Humprhies has been scant, at best, when he’s actually in uniform.
Backcourt A
Having a point guard as good as John Wall can make up for deficiencies everywhere else. Not all of them, but enough to keep your team competitive. Bradley Beal is dealing with yet another injury-plagued season that has mitigated his production and effectiveness.
Defense C-
The Wizards have gone backwards in this department. They were an elite defensive team even before they became a regular playoff team. But attrition on the roster and general slippage as they have tried to open up the offense has resulted in them falling back to the mediocre pack and near the bottom third of the league.
Bench C
Guards Ramon Sessions, Garrett Temple and Gary Neal have all proven themselves to be reliable and capable in a pinch. Rookie Kelly Oubre Jr. is still very much a work in progress, but he’s got a high ceiling and is more than willing to put in the work. Nene continues his disappearing act on the regular and the depth and firepower from the bench that was a vital component just two years ago for this team has all but vanished.
Coaching D
Randy Wittman was asked to adjust offensively to take advantage of the skills of Wall and Beal and did so, but at the expense of the defensive principles that led to his team’s rise in recent seasons. However, every time you count Wittman out, he seems to find a way to get his team back on track. With an ailing roster and an improved Eastern Conference to deal with this season, he might finally run out of answers and time.
Summary
The Wizards did the math and decided to bypass making any significant upgrades to the roster last summer in an effort to prepare a blockbuster free agent summer of 2016 that will include them courting DMV native Kevin Durant. The loss of Paul Pierce, and all that he brought on and off the court, was another blow that the Wizards thought they were prepared for and obviously were not. So a slight dip should have been expected this season. But no one imagined they’d fall as hard and fast as they have, or that the competitive balance in the Eastern Conference would be what it is through the first half of this season.
The Wizards have had their moments, including as thorough a beating of the Cavaliers (in Cleveland) as any team has enjoyed all season, and they are still in the hunt for one of those eight spots in the playoff mix. But their margin for error, given all of the injuries and distractions they’ve had to deal with, is razor thin. They have asked Wall to save them time and again the past few years and he’s responded each and every time. Time will tell if he has enough in him to do it again this time around. But he’ll need some help from Beal, Gortat and a few others.
— Sekou Smith
2015-16 Team Rating
Offense – 101.9 (15th Overall)
Defense – 103.6 (19th Overall)
