Boston CELTICS B
2015-16 Record (as of Jan. 16)
W-L 21-19
PCT .525
DIV 5-4
CONF 15-13
HOME 11-10
ROAD 10-9
Frontcourt B
Jae Crowder and Amir Johnson have been a solid forward combination, especially defensively. Jared Sullinger is the team’s best rebounder, but still inconsistent and inefficient.
Backcourt B
The Celtics’ offense depends almost entirely on Isaiah Thomas’ ability to make plays for himself and his teammates. After a strong shooting start, Avery Bradley has cooled off considerably.
Defense A
With three tenacious on-ball defenders on the perimeter and an upgrade up front with the addition of Johnson, the Celtics have played the best defense in the Eastern Conference.
Bench C
Brad Stevens almost always keeps at least two starters on the floor. Reserves have been generally solid defensively, but the offense falls off a cliff when Thomas goes to the bench.
CoachingB
Stevens has done about as well as expected with a roster that has only one player (who’s 5-foot-9) that can give defenses real problems. But inconsistency has been an issue.
Summary
We’re still waiting for Celtics president Danny Ainge to make his big move. He’s done a fantastic job of collecting assets in the post-Big-Three era. But he’s yet to cash them in to add a player who can make a serious impact on a roster that’s universally solid and unspectacular.
Ainge’s patience could pay off this summer, however. With two or three elite talents expected to declare for the 2016 Draft, the Celtics hold the (unprotected) first round pick of the Brooklyn Nets, who have the league’s third worst record. And more building blocks could come in 2017 (when the Celtics could swap picks with Brooklyn) and 2018 (when they again have the Nets’ unprotected pick).
So, the Celtics are in great shape in regard to a 3-5 year plan. In the meantime, they’re treading water as a good team that struggles on one end of the floor. They’ve had some impressive wins, but also some inexplicable losses, and could finish anywhere from second to 12th in the Eastern Conference.
— John Schuhmann
2015-16 Team Rating
Offense – 101.2 (21st Overall)
Defense – 98.2 (2nd Overall)
Brooklyn NETS F
2015-16 Record (as of Jan. 16)
W-L 11-29
PCT .275
DIV 4-4
CONF 8-17
HOME 7-15
ROAD 4-14
Frontcourt C
Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young have been as good as possible offensively without a real point guard to work with. But defense is a problem and Joe Johnson has regressed considerably.
Backcourt F
When Jarrett Jack tore his ACL on Jan. 2, the league’s worst point guard rotation got worse. Neither Bojan Bogdanovic nor Wayne Ellington has shot well enough to keep the offense afloat.
Defense D
Even when you don’t have a lot of talent, you can stay competitive with above-average defense. The Nets haven’t done that, suffering from a lack of quickness and cohesion.
Bench F
To stay under the luxury tax line, the Nets filled out their bench from the bargain bin. You get what you pay for. They’ve been outscored by 12.4 points per 48 minutes with Lopez off the court.
Coaching F
Lionel Hollins was not given much to work with (especially in the backcourt), but didn’t add much to the equation either season he was in Brooklyn and was fired on Jan. 10.
Summary
There is no bright side to having the league’s third worst record, because the Nets’ first round pick belongs to the Boston Celtics (for, likely, each of the next three years). With a miserable present and bleak future, Brooklyn is in the worst situation in the league. And for that, both Hollins and general manager Billy King paid the price in early January.
Whoever takes over for King won’t have much to work with, and Mikhail Prokhorov hasn’t exactly said the right things in regard to being patient and willing to rebuild organically. But the general manager position will be the much important hire the Nets make in the next few months, and the new guy will have to decide whether it’s more prudent to build around Lopez and Young, or use them to acquire assets for a more long-term outlook.
The cupboard isn’t completely bare in that regard. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, the No. 23 pick in last year’s Draft, showed a lot of promise early as a defender, rebounder and offensive spark, but suffered a fractured ankle in early December and probably won’t be back until after the All-Star break. Another first-round pick, Chris McCullough, could make his NBA debut sooner than that.
— John Schuhmann
2015-16 Team Rating
Offense – 98.0 (28th Overall)
Defense – 105.1 (22nd Overall)
New York KNICKS C
2015-16 Record (as of Jan. 16)
W-L 20-21
PCT .488
DIV 5-2
CONF 14-15
HOME 11-8
ROAD 9-13Kristaps Porzingis
Frontcourt B
Carmelo Anthony is learning to make his teammates better, Kristaps Porzingis is the real deal and already contributing on both ends, and Robin Lopez has given the Knicks stability.
Backcourt C
Jose Calderon has been the team’s best shooter, but the Knicks need more quickness and better defense at point guard. Arron Afflalo has had some big games after missing the first eight.
Defense C
The Knicks rank in the top 10 in defending shots in the restricted area and from 3-point range. But they don’t force turnovers, keep their opponents off the line, or rebound very well.
Bench D
Each of the Knicks’ regular reserves has given the team a lift at times, but not consistently. New York has been outscored by 5.9 points per 100 possessions with less than three starters on the floor.
Coaching B
In his second season, Derek Fisher has more real NBA players to work with and the triangle offense has also run a lot more smoothly. But his options off the bench are still limited and the defense could be better.
Summary
The Knicks are the most improved team in the league, 8.7 points per 100 possessions better than they were last season. But improvement is as much about where you’ve been as it is about where you’re at. The Knicks were the only team to rank in the bottom three in both offensive and defensive efficiency last season, so they basically had nowhere to go but up on both ends of the floor.
Still, it hasn’t been often when we’ve been able to say that the Knicks are going in the right direction. They used their first top-five pick in 19 years to select a teenager (now 20) that should be a franchise cornerstone for the next 10-15 years.
Anthony hasn’t shot great upon returning from knee surgery, but he’s been more of a willing passer and has embraced his role in the development of Porzingis. Afflalo and Lopez, meanwhile, have helped the Knicks return to relevance.
They’re still a couple of pieces away from making real noise in the Eastern Conference, though. It’s nice to go from dreadful to mediocre, but going from mediocre to good could be a tougher step to take.
— John Schuhmann
2015-16 Team Rating
Offense – 102.2 (14th Overall)
Defense – 103.6 (18th Overall)
Philadelphia SIXERS F
2015-16 Record (as of Jan. 16)
W-L 4-37
PCT .098
DIV 0-8
CONF 0-24
HOME 2-16
ROAD 2-21
Frontcourt D
Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor each have promising tools, but it’s not clear they can play together. The Sixers have been outscored by 22 points per 100 possessions with both on the floor.
Backcourt F
Ish Smith has given the Sixers’ offense a small lift since arriving at Christmas. But as the Sixers have drafted four potential frontline stars, both backcourt positions have gone neglected.
Defense D
As bad as last season’s Sixers were, they had a top-10 defense through March. This team hasn’t been able to replicate that success, with transition defense being a (fixable) problem.
Bench F
The Sixers’ bench not only lacks talent (their shooters haven’t shot particularly well), but also veteran leadership (until Elton Brand was signed in January) to guide their future stars.
Coaching C
For the third straight season, Brett Brown has been asked to build a house with a rusty saw, a handle-less hammer and a few bent nails. And his defense has taken a step backward.
Summary
Year 3 of the Sam Hinkie era in Philadelphia has been, in some ways, worse than Years 1 and 2. There’s an additional building block (Okafor) in uniform, but the offense is only slightly less brutal than it was last season, the defense has regressed, and the Sixers won only one of their first 31 games.
Jerry Colangelo and Mike D’Antoni were hired in December to help the transition from being a collection of assets to looking like a real basketball team. But they still appear to be a few pieces away from moving just one spot up in the Eastern Conference standings.
And there are questions with the three top-six selections they’ve made in the Draft over the last three years. Joel Embiid has yet to play a game, recovering from a second surgery on his right foot. Noel and Okafor, meanwhile, have been incompatible through their first 500 minutes together.
The Sixers have time to let them work things out. But after two-plus years of the league’s worst basketball, it’s past time for them to take a step forward. And the hiring of Colangelo is a clear sign that a new phase in the process has begun.
— John Schuhmann
2015-16 Team Rating
Offense – 93.4 (30th Overall)
Defense – 105.4 (23rd Overall)
Toronto RAPTORS B
2015-16 Record (as of Jan. 16)
W-L 25-15
PCT .625
DIV 5-1
CONF 17-8
HOME 11-6
ROAD 14-9
Frontcourt C
DeMarre Carroll and Jonas Valanciunas have each missed 17 of the Raptors’ first 40 games, but the team has made do, defending the paint and rebounding at top-10 levels.
Backcourt A
Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan have been the best backcourt in the Eastern Conference, carrying the scoring load once again and doing it more efficiently than they did last season.
Defense B
After regressing on defense last season, the Raptors changed up their scheme and are back in the top 10, despite the extended absence of the guy — Carroll — they signed to be their stopper.
Bench A
The three starting lineups the Raptors have used most often have been outscored by 36 points this season. They’ve been at their best, particularly on defense, with reserves on the floor.
Coaching B
For the second time in three seasons, Dwane Casey has his team playing at a top-10 level on both ends of the floor. He’ll be judged on how they perform in the postseason, however.
Summary
A more appropriate grade would be “incomplete.” The Raptors are good, the second best team in the Eastern Conference and a top-10 on both ends of the floor. They’re still a young team and still improving.
But they were good each of the last two years … in the regular season. And both times, they lost home-court advantage in Game 1 of the first round and eventually lost to a lower seed. Toronto has never won a best-of-seven playoff series.
Casey believes that changes made on offense (more ball movement) and defense (keeping the ball away from the middle of the floor) will not only keep the Raptors near the top of the Eastern Conference, but also make them a better playoff team. Time will tell.
— John Schuhmann
2015-16 Team Rating
Offense – 104.2 (6th Overall)
Defense – 100.6 (10th Overall)
