What used to be the power division of the Western Conference has arguably fallen behind the Northwest Division and the teams in the state of Texas. While the Golden State Warriors look vintage – metaphorically and literally – both the teams from L.A. seem to have lost their glitz and luster, as each searches for a new identity or tries to keep pace with the other(s) instead of being the leaders they once were.
Golden State Warriors (4-1)
Were it not for the improving defensive reputation of the Portland Trailblazers, the oldest wisest team in the NBA might be unbeaten. Instead the Warriors are 4-1, but look just as good as the undefeated Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, and Chicago Bulls.
The seemingly immortal Stephen Curry already has 22 three pointers made through five games, tops in the NBA, and is leading his team with 27 points per game, five assists, 1.8 steals, 0.8 blocks, and hasn’t missed a free throw yet. Lest we forget already, it was Curry who shut down Aaron Gordon’s 50 point night by countering with 42 of his own and the game-tying three that sent the affair into overtime and the eventual Golden State win.
Jimmy Butler seems to have finally found a place where he belongs, dropping 21.4 points a night, 4.8 assists, 54.4 percent from the field, and he – not Curry – leads the team in three-point accuracy at 57.1 percent. But even more valuable is his leadership, insight, and impact for the future of the Warriors, the younger players on the team.
Los Angeles Lakers (3-2)
On a team with names like Luka Doncic and LeBron James, it’s an undrafted original two way contract player from the University of Oklahoma who has been the steadying force to carry the Lakers to a 3-2 record five games in, scoring 25 or more in all five games, including 28 points and 16 assists last night in edging the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Austin Reaves also dropped a 51 piece on the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night, the highest scoring game of his young career. His opening week performances have netted him a 34.2 point per game average, which is only behind Doncic, who has a 46 point average over three fewer outings (two games played).
On the other side of the equation, you have to wonder if Rob Pelinka has regretted settling for Deandre Ayton over pursuing Utah’s Walker Kessler. Ayton has been an inconsistent, utter disappointment, at 16 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. And, yes, I know those are very close to his career numbers, but I regress to my original statement in the previous sentence.
Of course, Monty Williams could have told any of us this …
Los Angeles Clippers (2-2)
Four games in and this .500 club’s biggest star has actually played … four games. Don’t worry, the season is young.
And when he does that, Kawhi Leonard can be the team’s leader in points per game at 21.3 a night. Okay, he can be tied with one-time MVP James Harden for that nightly average. But Leonard also has 6.3 rebounds and three assists a night. Meanwhile, Harden has a team high eight dimes a night and 1.3 steals.
The team added Brook Lopez, whose game stats have fallen to about half his career averages, and Bradley Beal was inked after the loss of Norman Powell in free agency, but Beal continues to have the same physical issues and same impact in L.A. that he had in Phoenix. Just proves you can move into your own arena, not share locker rooms or fan bases, and still play so mediocre that you may as well be out planting trees.
And speaking of Phoenix …
Phoenix Suns (1-4)
The Suns’ lone win of the season came on opening night, at home against the visiting Kings. While they beat Sacramento by four, the fun ended there, as the next four games were all losses. Three on the road – to the Clippers in L.A. by 27 points, by 22 to the Denver Nuggets the next night, and to the Utah Jazz by four on Monday – and then they came back to Phoenix to submit to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Obviously, Devin Booker is doing Devin Booker things without the burden of carrying Beal or Kevin Durant or the symmetry of a forced and unsuccessful Big Three. Book is averaging 29.2 points per game, five more than his career average. He’s also dishing six assists a night, trying to get others involved.
That includes newcomer Dillon Brooks, who I’ve often shied away from talking about because of his poor attitude and not always having the talent to back it up. Brooks is off to a good start to making me eat crow, and I actually like what I’ve seen of him in purple and orange. His numbers are up over his career line as well, at 19.3 points a night compared to 14.2 over 490+ games. Brooks has scored 22, 21, and 15 points in the team’s first three games; he has sat the last two with right groin soreness (aka LeBron-itis). He’s also bringing his defensive intensity at 2.7 steals a night.
As is the redundant motto in Phoenix, it’s a process … again.
Sacramento Kings (1-4)
Another team featuring another former MVP is the Kings, who signed Russell Westbrook to a non-guaranteed contract after a summer of tepid toe-dipping. The Brodie started the last two games for Sacramento and brought his usual energy, scoring 16 and 12 points, respectively; this was after he scored 18 off the bench in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Sacramento’s lone win was a one-point affair versus the visiting Jazz in the season’s second game.
Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan may have joined forces again in Sacramento, but it seems the dumpster fire stigma has followed them from their Chicago days. LaVine is scoring 29.2 points a night, and DeRozan is averaging 19, but the team just can’t score enough to win close games.
The first four games were separated by four points, one point (the lone win), seven points, and six points before being blown out by 13 by the aforementioned duo’s Chicago Bulls – who are still undefeated as a result.
The all-star coaching staff – Doug Christie, Mike Woodson, Bobby Jackson, Mike Miller, Leandro Barbosa – have their collective work cut out for them.
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Tracy ‘T-Money’ Graven is the Senior NBA Analyst for BackSportsPage.com owner of TMoneyMedia.com and also has his posts on SubStack at allballs.substack.com
He has written the NBA, appeared as a guest on NBA Radio, and the last 25+ years for HoopsWorld, Swish Magazine, HoopsHype, the Coach Scott Fields Show, NBARadioShow.com, and also tackles the NFL and NCAA. He’s spent 25+ years in locker rooms in Orlando, Boise (CBA, G League), San Antonio, Phoenix, Denver, Oklahoma City, and Atlanta.
He has raised five kids, and now currently resides in the heart of SEC Country near Knoxville, Tennessee – home of the 2024 Men’s Baseball World Series Champion Tennessee Volunteers.
Reach him on Twitter at @RealTMoneyMedia
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