- The Atlanta Hawks are in an interesting situation. Last week Nate McMillan, the Hawks coach, was rumored to be thinking of resigning. Reportedly he has had problems with Trae Young. This is the second coach Young appears to be having a problem with. Young is not having a good year and consequently the Hawks are struggling. The question I ask, in modern basketball how do teams do in terms of winning titles with ball dominant point guards. Think Russell Westbrook and Luka Doncic. It is hard to fit another star around a ball dominant player. In the modern NBA two stars win with good supporting role players. Last week the Hawks lost by a point to the Nets without Young. At what point do the Hawks think about dealing him?
- Tyrese Haliburton is the best kept secret in the NBA. Check out his numbers and then look at how the Pacers are over achieving as a team from what was expected of them coming into the season. Haliburton is a major reason they have over achieved.
- Everyone believes the Celtics are the favorites to win it all. Their hot shooting start seems to have them forgetting about playing defense. If their defensive intensity, ability to put pressure on the ball and take away the dribble drive doesn’t improve they won’t get out of the east in the playoffs.
- If Kawhi Leonard and Paul George can stay healthy the Clippers have a good chance to get to the Finals. Their overall depth around their two stars is impressive.
- It’s hard to speculate about the off season now but what happens if Philadelphia is a first round playoff loser. Harden may go to Houston and if he does will Joel Embiid ask to be traded.
- Khris Middleton sure picked a bad year to be in the last year of his contract. Thus far this year he has played in seven games out of the Bucks first thirty-eight games. It’s tough for the Bucks to get any consistency and tougher for Middleton in terms of his next contract.
- The Washington Wizards have some big decisions to make. Presently they are a play-in team and seem stuck in the dreaded middle of the league. Are they happy being stuck here? Kyle Kuzma will be a free agent. Do they deal him now to get something for him or wait until the end of the season? They also have to think about whether or not to deal Bradley Beal. He has a huge contract and has missed seventeen games already this season. As time goes on his contract will no longer be an asset.
