As the weather gets colder and the holidays closer, here’s a look at a few teams for whom Christmas has come rather early.
Atlanta Hawks: In the first quarter of the season, the Hawks have finally established themselves as an elite team in the Eastern conference. Their bench has played exceptionally well of late and Josh Smith and Al Horford continue to rank among the most improved in the NBA on both sides of the ball.
Houston Rockets: Who would have thought the Rockets would be in position to make the playoffs at this juncture in the season? Well, surprise, surprise.
Without their superstar tandem of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, Houston has still been one of the NBA’s toughest team so far. The reason and the Rockets’ early holiday gift? The maturation of third year point Aaron Brooks and former Laker swingman Trevor Ariza. With their stellar play and their ability to take over late in games, both players have put themselves in early contention for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.
Los Angeles Lakers: Bynum and Gasol are both healthy, and Gasol has recently had back-to-back 20 rebound performances. Wow. But that isn’t all.
Kobe Bryant turned 31 before the season began, but has showed exactly zero signs of slowing down. Actually, he has taken his game to new heights, adding dangerous post-up moves, getting his Lakers out to an 18-4 start, and making himself the early favorite for the league’s MVP.
Milwaukee Bucks: Two words: Brandon Jennings. A team that this summer let Charlie Villanueva and Ramon Sessions walk out the door without so much as a ‘goodbye’, the Bucks have, against all odds, put themselves in position to compete for a playoff spot. And that is without Michael Redd.
Jennings has been more than worth his rookie contract, averaging 21 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds per game and leading the Bucks to a respectable 11-11. With his incredible quickness with the basketball and his ability to drain the long-range shot, BJ is making many teams regret allowing him to slip to 10th in the 2009 draft.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Last year Kevin Durant statistically hurt his team when he was on the floor, having an exceptionally poor PER. This year he has made one of the biggest turn-arounds the NBA has ever seen and, in doing so, has put his team in great position to make the playoffs. Happy Holidays, OKC.
Phoenix Suns: The Suns’ early stocking stuffer? Channing Frye. Signed in the summer to fill the void left by the traded Big Cactus, Frye has helped ignite the run-and-gun Suns to an impressive start.
The 6’11” forward-center is averaging 12 points and 6 rebounds a contest, while knocking down 2.5 triples a game. He currently has 59 on the season, shooting 44% from long-range.
Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies: Incredibly these teams are not yet in the cellar in their respective conferences. The Kings have managed to win gains despite an injured superstar in Kevin Martin, and the Grizzlies have kept the ship afloat despite a terrible season’s start.
Don’t expect this trend to continue, but for now the holidays aren’t looking so bleak in Memphis and Sac.
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