This season, the pace of the NBA regular season is tighter than ever, and the teams at the top of the Eastern and Western standings are very different from the teams at the bottom or even in the middle of the rankings. Especially in the East, the Celtics have not lost at home so far, and after an easy win over the Pacers, the Celtics are in first place in the league with 28 wins and 7 losses. As the season progresses, the top 5 spots in the East are also occupied by the Celtics, Bucks, 76ers and Heat, all of whom undoubtedly have stars in their prime. The West is relatively chaotic, with the Timberwolves and Thunder, the two biggest dark horse teams of the season, having been in the top three for more than a month.
The defending champions, the Nuggets, are not far behind, and they still have the absolute ability to contend for a championship this season. After a run-in period with Harden, the Clippers once went from the bottom of the West to the fourth place in the West. And unexpectedly, the teams led by the league's three old supergiants have all struggled this season without exception. Durant's Suns have not been able to keep their core roster intact due to Beal's injury. Now that Beal is back and Durant is out with an injury, the Suns have dropped from the top 6 in the West at the start of the season to the 8th in the West. But fortunately, there are no divisions within the Suns' roster, and the other two teams have had varying degrees of locker room conflicts in the successive losses.
The Lakers have a 17-19 winning record of less than 0.5 with James and Bush Brow missing only five games combined, and it was not long before rumors emerged that the Lakers were dissatisfied with head coach Ham in the locker room. The main reason for this is that Ham has been changing his starting lineup, even going straight to the front five lineup in the last few games, Reddish and Vanderbilt, and Prince partnering James and Bushy Eyebrows. Reddish shot less than 30 percent from three-point range, and Vanderbilt shot less than 8 percent. Although Ham followed up with Reeves to replace Vanderbilt, that didn't help. A striking resemblance to the Lakers is the Warriors. 2 wins and 4 losses, falling from the top three in the league! Say goodbye to the top salary, and choose Paul to doom the end!
The Warriors had to send Poole away in the offseason in an attempt to restore the atmosphere in the locker room, acquiring Paul and signing Green to a contract extension. However, entering the new season, Green's return from an ankle injury has once again given the Warriors a dark turn. A lot of Green's troubles have come from a sense of unpredictability, locking Gobert to returning from suspension, and fouling Nurkic for an indefinite suspension from the league. And the Warriors have to admit that in the 12 games that Green has been suspended in the past, the Warriors have not been able to replace Green's defense, organization and vitality on the court. After a hard-fought win over the Pistons, who are at the bottom of the league, the Warriors are 2-4 in their last six games and have an overall record of just 17-18, a win percentage of less than 0.5.
At the beginning of the season, the Warriors once finished in the top 3 in the West, and at that time, the outside world spoke highly of Paul's addition. However, in a short period of time, the Warriors sank rapidly, and this dynastic team seemed to have come to an end. In addition to Curry, Thompson, Wiggins and Looney are all in a sharp decline. The 38-year-old Paul Sr. has only played a small role, and he can no longer be the "savior" who will change the situation for the Warriors. Although Curry has been performing well for most of the season, it must be admitted that his ability on the offensive end is also declining. Of course, most of this is due to the fact that other teammates can't contain the defense for them.
Thompson is averaging only 16.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this season, and although his three-point shooting percentage has increased from less than 30% in the previous period to 38%, Thompson's production on the offensive end is still not enough to help Curry share the pressure. This season is also Thompson's contract year, and he will need a lot of shots to prove himself, but it will also take him to the other extreme. If the Warriors still can't play in the playoffs this season, it will be difficult for Thompson to get a contract with a maximum salary, and the Warriors are now the most in the league. Thompson is likely to sign a two-year contract with a salary cut like Russell of the Lakers.
Not only that, but the Warriors' Kuminga openly questioned Kerr, allowing the Warriors to peak their worst levels. Kuminga admits that he has adapted to being substituted at any moment and that he doesn't know what he's doing. Despite getting more playing time in the game against the Pistons after Kuminga's complaints, Paul suffered another hand fracture in that game and his return time is uncertain. The league has also decided to lift Green's suspension, but Green needs to find his form, and it will take at least a week or so to return. The Warriors faced this situation, and they were actually doomed from the moment they drafted Paul. The 38-year-old Paul is at odds with the Warriors' style of playing in past championship seasons and has suffered injuries every time he makes the playoffs.