Never mind that the clocks we just turned back will have taken a sky-walking leap ahead again by the time we get to the end of the 82-game grind. It’s never too soon to jump to conclusions with snap judgments about what we know — or think we know — three weeks into the 2015-16 season:
Cleveland Cavaliers: With LeBron James there’s always some reason for added scrutiny and reason to worry, like as soon as they lose two games in a row. The Cavs seemed to regain that lost toughness in beating the Bucks on Thursday night. Kyrie Irving is still sidelined and might not be able to hit full stride to March or April. But Kevin Love is more comfortable this time around and it all comes down to weather James’ achy back can hold up again over the long season. It says here we’ll find out again in late June.
Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki is 37, Chandler Parsons is only playing part-time, Wesley Matthews and Deron Williams are both trying to make comebacks and DeAndre Jordan famously did the old switcheroo and ran back to L.A. But here is Dallas in the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference as coach Rick Carlisle goes 10 or 11 deep into his roster to find wins. That’s why the Mavs gave him a five-year contract extension and why the franchise that can’t ever seem to land the big free-agent fish in the summer stays annually in the playoff race. In a season when they were thought to be dropping off, the Mavs will get a crack at one of the elites in the first round next spring.
New York Knicks: Following the horror show of a 17-65 season, the Knicks are respectable, quite watchable and should stay in the mix of the East playoff race. Of course, we’re here to jump to conclusions, so let’s say right now that concerns about rookie Kristaps Porzingis not being able to stand up to the physicality of the NBA were unfounded and Carmelo Anthony has a legitimate playmate to run with.
San Antonio Spurs: So much for the adjustment period with LaMarcus Aldridge. Though coach Gregg Popovich couldn’t give a flying slam dunk about winning 65 or 70 games, his team has Kawhi Leonard growing more and more into a franchise player and first-time All-Star. When Aldridge finally does feel completely comfortable, the Spurs will be a buzzsaw and we’ll barely be able to contain ourselves waiting for a Western Conference finals showdown with Golden State.
Indiana Pacers: Maybe not a warmer story in the league than seeing Paul George make his comeback from that ugly broken leg in the summer of 2014 to resume his place as an elite performer. He could be satisfied just rounding back into his All-Star form, but George is determined not to let the Pacers just slip down in the standing. That’s what leaders do.
Houston Rockets: Speaking of leaders, the Rockets could use a couple. The five months left in the regular season are the time James Harden and Dwight Howard could show they’re more than half-interested in the job. The shameless letdown by Houston’s big two already cost Kevin McHale his job and now the clock is already ticking on last season’s Western Conference finalists to save what could potentially be a wasted season.
Memphis Grizzlies: The other upper echelon disappointment in the West is the team that re-signed Marc Gasol to a whopping free agent contract and was going to resume grit and grinding away against the prettier teams. But the Grizzlies underperforming offense (as usual) has only been outdone by their horrible defense (28th in Defensive Rating), leading us to believe already that the door has closed on this era for this team.
Los Angeles Lakers: What’s more painful: Watching Kobe Bryant trying to coax one more game out of his beaten-down, worn-out body or watching the young Lakers talents of Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle stuck in the rut of a team pretending that it’s playing for now? At 2-9, last season’s ugly 21-61 record is already starting to look out of reach.
New Orleans Pelicans: Are all these injuries some kind of karmic payback for the horrible trade that brought point guard Jrue Holiday to New Orleans in exchange for the rights to Nerlens Noel? Or is it for making the bad decision to match the Phoenix offer sheet to restricted free agent Eric Gordon? Coach Alvin Gentry had such grand and wide open plans for his Pelicans in his first year on the bench. But now linchpin Anthony Davis is back on the shelf himself and the season is over before it even started.
Detroit Pistons: The sizzling 5-1 start has faded, but not Andre Drummond. Just when everybody is saying the game is going completely small, the big man is busting out in the absence of Greg Monroe up front, giving coach Stan Van Gundy the foundational piece to build on and resurrect Dee-troit basketball.
Philadelphia 76ers: In Year Three of the Sam Hinkie Project, wins are scarcer than teeth in an old folks’ home. The Sixers came up one short a year ago of matching the all-time record (0-18) for losses at the start of the season. But despite the play from Nerlens Noel and rookie Jahlil Okafor, the Sixers are back and they’re worse and of course there’s still no guarantee they’ll get the No. 1 pick. But there is still long range hope over the horizon.
Brooklyn Nets: However, given the choice of being the woeful Sixers or this bunch, it’s pretty much a no-brainer in Philly’s favor. At least the Sixers will acquire more young talent. The Nets traded away their No. 1 picks in 2016 and 2018 and could end up having to swap with the Celtics in 2017. The citizens of the borough never forgave the baseball Dodgers for leaving. How much longer till they start wishing the Nets never even came to Brooklyn?
Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin keeps getting better, Chris Paul DeAndre Jordan is content again back in is role as third wheel and Chris Paul turns the crank on the machine when he can stay on the court healthy. But even with coach Doc Rivers boosting his bench with the additions of Paul Pierce, Josh Smith and Lance Stephenson, the Clippers still add up to something less than the sum of their parts.
Sacramento Kings: Who really thought the combination of DeMarcus Cousins and George Karl was going to work? Why not store the dynamite right next to the fireplace? The whole Kings’ organization is the epitome of disfunction and perhaps the only real surprise is that Kevin McHale beat out Karl as the first coach to get fired in the league this season. The clock is ticking.
Chicago Bulls: Orbital bone fracture or a sprained ankle? There always seems to be another injury just around the corner with Derrick Rose and despite the solid start under new coach Fred Holberg, can we really take them seriously as a contender with such a fragile tentpole in the middle of things?
Golden State Warriors: So many teams, so many problems. Then there are the Warriors who seem intent on proving that you can improve on perfection. The defending champs have come back with more confidence, more skills, more of an edge and even came back from 23 down to run their record to 13-0. Stephen Curry is taking the game to places that it’s never been before almost every time he comes down the court with the ball in his hands. The defending champs are always the team to beat, but maybe now more than ever.
Fran Blinebury has covered the NBA since 1977. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter.
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