The NBA Christmas Day Quintuplet Header provided star performances and fascinating outcomes, however the schedule continues with a full weekend.
Followers will probably be handled to a rematch of the Japanese Convention Finals on Friday, because the Indiana Pacerswinners of six of their final seven, go to the Boston Celticswho will attempt to get away of their first dropping streak of the season.
Additionally on Friday, there will probably be an fascinating East-West conflict because the Cleveland Cavaliers tackle the Denver Nuggets.
Within the meantime, issues is not going to be straightforward for Warriors of the Golden Statewho’ve misplaced 11 of their final 14 video games; they’ve video games Friday towards 17-13 ClippersSaturday towards 15-14 Suns and Monday towards the Cavaliers 26-4.
Listed here are some takeaways from Week 8 of the NBA common season.
The Horsemen have energy; here is how they’ll enhance additional
Cleveland (26-4) proved that was no fluke and that coach Kenny Atkinson’s plan to area the sector paid off because of an ultra-efficient offense. But pretty much as good because the Cavs are, posting the league’s greatest successful proportion (.867) by means of the primary two months of the season, there’s a weak spot that, if addressed, may make them even higher.
The Cavaliers have misplaced the rebounding battle in every of their 4 losses. Cleveland was outscored in these video games by a margin of eight rebounds per sport. In losses, Cleveland’s rebound proportion is 45.9%; of their victories, this measure is 4.2 proportion factors increased.
Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs nonetheless need assistance
The Spurs’ current streak suggests they’re much higher than earlier seasons, particularly as Victor Wembanyama continues to develop as an elite offensive weapon, however this streak additionally means that San Antonio (15-15 ) remains to be a chunk or two away.
Wembanyama was already a generational defender, together with his means to dam, modify and even forestall his opponents from contemplating sure photographs. However now he is flourishing as an inside-out scorer with vary, hanging means and a silky-smooth shot. Wembanyama is averaging 35 factors over his final 4 video games, together with 5.8 on 3-pointers throughout that span.
Now, some might protest the quantity at which he shoots 3s, however he is launched them at a fee of 44.2% over his final 4 video games.
The issue is San Antonio (15-15) has solely received two of these video games and Wembanyama is not getting a lot assist. The Spurs have had 4 completely different gamers end second on the crew in scoring in every of the final 4 video games; on the floor it suggests depth and might be constructive. Nonetheless, these gamers averaged simply 19.3 factors per sport throughout that span.
San Antonio has some good, younger gamers like rookie Stephon Fortress, Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan. This alone is not going to be sufficient to compete in a busy West.
The Celtics are on a two-game dropping streak. Are there any common considerations?
That is the primary time this season that Boston (22-8) has misplaced twice in a row, however it’s troublesome to have a pessimistic view of this sequence. In some ways, this appears like an analogous drawback to the Celtics final season — as a lot as anybody may say a dominant crew that cruised by means of the playoffs had an issue.
However Boston, at occasions, can play complacently, virtually as in the event that they’re bored with beating groups. Take Monday night time’s loss to the Magic. The Celtics held a 15-point lead towards an Orlando crew with out its two greatest gamers, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Boston, which regularly depends an excessive amount of on the 3-point shot, made simply 8 of 33 (24.2%) from past the arc and let its lead slip away within the third quarter.
Christmas Eve towards the 76ers was a special story. Philadelphia took a giant lead within the second quarter and the Celtics had been compelled to claw again the remainder of the best way. The defensive effort throughout an 18-2 Sixers run within the fourth quarter was less than Boston’s typical degree.
The NBA season is lengthy. Groups generally fall into ruts. Boston has proven that it’s greater than able to overcoming any mid-season droop.
The Pacers (lastly) discovered their rhythm and did it in a really attribute approach
The Pacers (15-15) have received 5 in a row and 6 of seven, they usually have reinvested in a philosophy from final 12 months that launched their deep postseason run. Indiana as soon as once more protects the ball and passes it with intent; Over the past 5 video games, the Pacers rank first within the NBA in help ratio (2.67), help ratio (22.5) and turnover proportion (12%).
Examine these numbers to Indiana’s season-long totals: 1.92 (eleventh), 19.8 (tied for seventh) and 14.3 p.c (thirteenth). All-Star level guard Tyrese Haliburton led that cost, though backup TJ McConnell performed a key function coming off the bench.
Indiana’s gamers additionally get to their spots extra effectively and transfer effectively with out the ball. Over the past 5 video games, the Pacers’ assists have averaged 10.2 extra factors per sport in comparison with their season complete.
What’s fascinating is that the Pacers additionally did one thing very uncommon: They slowed down.
Over the past 5 video games, they rank sixteenth in tempo (99.8), a season after rating second (102.16).
The Mid-West standoff is compelling and the margin for error is slim
On Christmas morning, the Lakers had been quantity 7, the Warriors quantity 8, the Spurs quantity 9, the Timberwolves 10 and the Suns 11. By the top of the night time, Los Angeles had crushed Golden State, Phoenix had crushed Denver – who remained the fifth seed – and San Antonio had misplaced to the Knicks.
On the finish of the night time, completely different groups had been seeded #6-11 from the night time earlier than. It is a microcosm of the parity within the Western Convention and the way little separation there’s between the middle-of-the-pack groups.
It additionally means that well being, consistency and continuity will probably be paramount for groups in and round this taking part in zone.
For groups just like the Suns, who’ve needed to take care of damage points of their Huge Three and like Devin Booker (groin) missed one other sport, and for groups with getting old stars just like the Lakers with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, this can be amplified.
The most important certainty right here is that because the season progresses and the seeding tightens, it ought to make for a compelling race to achieve that coveted six seed.
This text was initially revealed on USA TODAY: NBA Highlights: Cavaliers, Spurs and Celtics, the most effective tales of the week
