1. Golden State Warriors
Courtesy gq.com
Last season's champs are back at it again this year. After a rocky 1-2 start in October, the Warriors have moved forward to win six in a row in the month of November. Durant is still a nightmare to anyone guarding him and Curry has put up numbers that are better than any other point guard in the league, at this moment in time, with 25.2 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game and 6.7 assists per game. Klay Thompson continues to be the elusive side-kick for Steph Curry, while Draymond Green is the glue behind this historic NBA team. Their deep bench has a lot to do with just how complete this team is, with players like Andre Igoudala, Shaun Livingston and recently added hot-hand, Nick Young. On top of it all, the Warriors have the superb coaching staff with head coach Steve Kerr and assistant Mike Brown (whom last season did an excellent job taking over the team due to Kerr's back problems). Setting the pace of almost every game, the Golden State Warriors will really be considered one of the greatest teams of all time (if not the greatest) if they continue the outstanding play each and every game.
2. Boston Celtics
Courtesy celtics.com
The Boston Celtics did take a loss game one of the NBA season when their newly added star forward Gordon Hayward suffered an ankle injury. This team most certainly has not suffered because of it, though, being the top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference. The addition of Kyrie Irving was for sure a good move by Boston, Irving being a major factor for the outstanding play by NBA rookie Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Tatum leads all rookies in clutch scoring and effective field goal percentage at 56.5%. Celtics will continue to be the top team in the East for their outstanding defense and effective offense lead by Irving. Check out these full-game highlights from their game against the Golden State Warriors, in which they won 92-88.
Courtesy NBA Channel on Youtube
3. Houston Rockets
Courtesy rockets.com
Losing Chris Paul to injury for every game after their first season game until just last night proved no problem for the Houston Rockets. The Rockets' starters have outscored their opponents by close to 26 points per 100 possessions, the best out of any other team in the NBA. MVP candidate James Harden continues to be to thrust the Houston Rockets putting up the crazy numbers of: 30.7 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game and 10.3 assists per game. Last season's sixth man of the year, Eric Gordon, continues to be the spark off the bench that adds another offensive element to this high-scoring team. Check out just how the Rockets managed to score 142 points last night verse the Phoenix Suns in Chris Paul's return.
Courtesy NBA Channel on Youtube
4. Detroit Pistons
Courtesy pistonpowered.com
Yes you read that right, the Detroit Pistons, with the second-best record in the East, are one of the top five teams this NBA season. The addition of Boston Celtics' Avery Bradley couldn't have been a better move by the Pistons with 17.8 points per game with 3.1 rebounds. Tobias Harris has greatly increased his talents this year and Andre Drummond has improved on his free throws! Winning on the road against teams like the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors, the Detroit Pistons have moved up to be one of the NBA's elite teams so far. Hopefully my hometown team can keep up the excellent play, and become one of the higher ranked teams when entering the playoffs, and my hopes are high for a playoff series win this year! Check out this interesting take on how Andre Drummond has improved this year.
Courtesy AFunkyDiabetic's Youtube Channel
5. San Antonio Spurs
Courtesy spurs.com
The team that won't seem to go away, the San Antonio Spurs, are having a decent season so far (and I say "decent" due to this teams elite reputation for the past twenty years and this season pales somewhat in comparison). It is easy to tell that Kawhi Leonard is sorely missed by this squad, and I'm sure they'd probably be ranked at number two if he was out of the injured list. The Spurs' passing and assist numbers have recently gone up, which is somewhat of a throwback to the Spurs' old "teamwork makes the dream work" type of play. Their 3-point percentage also has gone up to 44% which is second best in the league. LaMarcus Aldridge has stepped up to fill the spot of Kawhi, averaging 22.0 points per game with 8.3 rebounds. I'm sure once Leonard returns, this Spurs team will shoot up the rankings. Take a look at this breakdown of the Spurs' offensive tactics.
Courtesy By Any Means Basketball Youtube Channel
This 2017-18 NBA season holds many surprises down the road, and I'm excited to see how this season's playoffs pan out!
Intereseting!
ReplyDeleteyou picked them well! the Warriors are definitely my favorite team.
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ReplyDeleteI would have to disagree with leaving Cleveland off the top 5 because we know down the stretch LeBron has proved time and time again that he can elevate his team when he needs to and get it done. I think the Pistons are the leagues biggest surprise so far besides maybe the 76ers but I don't know how long they will be able to ride this wave I think they will end up a 6th or 7th seed. If your basing your top 5 on current statistics and record then I would would agree with your top 5, I just think that Cleveland will have more success.
ReplyDeleteIt is very cool to see the Pistons doing this well! It has been years since we have been able to watch a good Pistons team. It is kind of shocking to me that they are doing so well as they weren't supposed to be all that good at according to a lot of people at the beginning of the season. I hope they continue to stay on top of the East. I would love to see them get far in the playoffs!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, it is remarkable how well the Celtics have played so far this seasons despite the devastating injury of Hayward. I've been pretty impressed.
ReplyDeleteGolden State has finally started playing like we expect them to, and the last week or so Cleveland has finally come alive. Seems we are headed for another Warriors vs. Cavs finals, but time will tell.