The results at the quarter of the season: the strongholds of the League

The symbolic bar of twenty games exceeded for all NBA teams, it is time to learn the lessons of the first quarter of the season. BasketUSA offers you to do it in four parts: strongholds, good surprises, disappointments and dunces.

We start with the top of the basket, the strongholds of the NBA card, the possible contenders for the title. At least after this start to the season.

Boston Celtics (17-4)

Unhappy finalists against the Warriors, the C’s started the season all the more hungover as their coach, Ime Udoka, was caught up in an internal scandal, which quite simply earned him his place. Despite all this turmoil, not to mention the absence of players like Robert Williams and Danilo Gallinari, Boston is still standing… and at the top of the NBA rankings!

On a series of four straight victories, and nine successes in their last ten games, the Celtics are indeed the best NBA team at the start of the season, almost intractable at home (10 wins for 1 loss). The proof ? Boston simply has the best offensive rating since the merger with the ABA, that is to say in 1976! Not enough for you? The C’s therefore have the best attack in the League, with a greater margin (+5) with their seconds (the Suns) than the gap between the second and the twelfth in the standings!

With a Jayson Tatum running at full speed with 31 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists (with a good header from a potential MVP), plus Jaylen Brown (26 points, 6 rebounds) and Marcus Smart (12 points, 7 assists) always faithful in positions as good lieutenants, the C’s can see it coming. Especially since their bench is ultra strong with eight players at eight points or more, including Malcolm Brogdon (14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists) who enjoys the atmosphere that reigns in the Celtic locker room, but also Payton Pritchard (underused) and Blake Griffin (regaining pep) patiently awaiting their turn.

With the expected return of Robert Williams, the defense should also approach last year’s standards, and given the level of the attack, there is something to scare opponents…

Milwaukee Bucks (14-5)

While their second-best player, Khris Middleton, is gently getting the icing on the G-League after his long absence due to wrist injury (and surgery), the Bucks are already at the top of the Eastern Conference. This is largely due to a Giannis Antetokounmpo who plays at an MVP level, with 31 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists on average and the best defense in the country (106.5 in the “Defensive Rating”).

Because with the 18th best attack in the League (reported on 100 possessions) only, and a balance sheet barely balanced (3-3) on their away games, the Bucks still have a good margin for improvement. But with their team of veterans, who have already reached the top of the mountain, including Jrue Holiday (17 points), Brook Lopez (16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks) or Pat Connaughton and Serge Ibaka, Milwaukee can advance serenely in its season.

The Bucks know they will strengthen with the return of Australian sniper Joe Ingles next spring and their summer burst of contract extensions has confirmed the hierarchy in place with Jevon Carter (9 points, 3 assists) who takes his ease in second leader, Grayson Allen (11 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists) who takes advantage of the spaces to send 3-pointers or even the rookie MarJon Beauchamp (22 years old) who shows great promise.

Phoenix Suns (14-6)

Much like Boston, Phoenix has not had a smooth comeback, marked by the chaos of an owner-turned-outcast who realized he had better leave, an incumbent (Jae Crowder) who was laid off. gap while waiting for his transfer, and the coach and his titular pivot who had obviously not taken the time to discuss during the summer break. But all those behind-the-scenes stories now seem a long way off…

GM of the team since 2019, James Jones recently became the president of the Phoenix franchise, a promotion which rewards the very good start to the season for the Suns, who point to 14 wins in 20 games. Mention well for Phoenix therefore, which relies more than ever on its local “Big Three” of players drafted and trained at the club: Devin Booker (28 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds), Deandre Ayton (16 points, 9 rebounds) and Mikal Bridges (16 points, 5 rebounds).

Like Cameron Payne (13 points, 5 assists) who is having his best campaign in eight seasons, perfectly acting in the absence of Chris Paul (heel injury), the Suns have resources. The injury of Cameron Johnson, very fit at the start of the season, did not create any panic internally: the Suns indeed played the card of continuity by giving more responsibility to their second knives, including Damion Lee and Torrey Craig. And it continues to win (five wins in a row and seven in the last ten games)!