One thought on the Eastern Conference's top four teams
Where some of the Eastern Conference's best teams stand as the season reaches the halfway mark.
This NBA season is notable for the sharp demarcation between good and competitive teams with high aspirations and the absolute dregs of the league. The Pistons, Wizards, Spurs, and Hornets are bad.
There are only a handful of mediocre outfits who have had their aspirations to be competitive squashed. Not coincidentally, those are also the center of trade rumors: the Raptors, Nets, Hawks, and Bulls.
Today, let’s focus on the teams that have their eyes on making a playoff run. We’ll focus on the top half of the Eastern Conference, where a surprising team has stuck around:
Boston Celtics: The constant battle for shots at the rim
The Celtics offense, per usual, has impeccable spacing and launches threes all game. Their excessively modern shot profile works; they’re third in offensive rating. But when things go haywire, it’s because the shots aren’t falling and they lack the foolproof baseline of layups and free throws — which are less susceptible to variance.
To wit: they rank 25th in shots at the rim, and 29th in shots in floater range (in the paint, but outside the restricted area).
One interesting way to adjust this balance ever so slightly: Use Kristaps Porzingis as a perimeter hub more often:
Porzingis is a good passer and smart dribble hand-off partner. Putting the ball in his hands, with the Celtics’ array of ball-handlers buzzing around him, could create downhill runways. It also pulls the opposing teams rim protector away from the rim — you can’t sag off of Porzingis at the top of the key.
Injecting a bit of unpredictability and structured improv to this offense is healthy. If it’s in the service of shots at the rim, all the better.
Philadelphia 76ers: What happens when Maxey sits?
The Sixers’ starting lineup — Tyrese Maxey, De’Anthony Melton, Tobias Harris, Nicolas Batum, Joel Embiid — has been outstanding. Batum has quietly, and impressively, been taking the defensive assignment on small, quick guards (Jalen Brunson, Trae Young).
That five-man group has a net rating of plus-35 in over 200 minutes.
But their backup point guard is currently Patrick Beverley. They have no reserve guard who plays consistently and can run a functional pick and roll. I don’t think they need a massive move for a new starter, but a backup guard who can prop up bench units would help. (Malcolm Brogdon is the ideal candidate.)
Milwaukee Bucks: Malik Beasley and the offense vs. defense balance
The Bucks just pulled off a marquee win at home over the Celtics, dismantling them in the first half. (Never mind that the Celtics were on the second half of a back-to-back, went to OT the previous night, and rested Al Horford.)
The win softened some of the recent negativity around Milwaukee, who had lost four of five before that. You already know the major concern with them: perimeter defense.
But the flipside to that issue is the offensive production of Damian Lillard and his backcourt mate Malik Beasley. Beasley is shooting 48 percent from three on six attempts per game! That is elite shooting, perfect for a star-laden team that generates constant catch-and-shoot looks. Maybe it’s unsustainable, but Beasley is cashing in on quality looks thanks to Dame and Giannis.
Beasley, of course, is not the greatest defender, despite his daily task of guarding a star player. But he is adding so much shooting gravity that coach Adrian Griffin hasn’t pulled him. The starting group with Beasley scores a ridiculous 125 points per 100 possessions.
Reaching a higher defensive level will be key in the playoffs. Beasley’s role in that, considering his invaluable shooting, will be important to monitor.
Indiana Pacers: The TJ McConnell experience
McConnell, once considered a prime trade candidate, has become a crucial part of the Pacers’ whirlwind of offensive activity. Some of his underlying numbers are beyond belief.
He’s a chaos agent, hunting backcourt steals and dribbling around in the half-court until something pops open.
When he runs a pick and roll, the Pacers score 1.186 points per possession. That’s second in the league among 164 players. Tyrese Haliburton is the only player above him. The Pacers are something else.
As Haliburton misses a couple of weeks after picking up a hamstring injury, McConnell is even more necessary.