Analyzing the five biggest surprises from the first half of the 2016-17 NBA season
In short, the first half of the 2016-17 NBA regular season can be described best as “Dramatic”.
From the anticipation of seeing a third meeting between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals to DeMarcus Cousins and his public displeasure with the media and referees to the insane numbers of Russell Westbrook and James Harden, it’s been a fascinating first few months.
With the first half of the NBA season officially in the books, it’s time to look back at revisit some of the things that we’ve learned thus far.
We look at the five biggest surprises from the 2016-17 campaign.
The Houston Rockets Are Really Good
After falling short of expectations last season, which included firing Kevin McHale early in the year, I don’t think anyone predicted the Houston Rockets to be a top 3 seed in the Western Conference in the month of January.
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Mike D’Antoni, who right now might be the favorite for the NBA’s Coach of the Year award, deserves a lot of that credit. During the month of December, the Rockets went 15-2, beating every team on their schedule except the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs.
The Rockets rank third in the NBA in offensive rating, only behind the Warriors and Raptors. Houston is also sixth in the league in three-point shooting, hitting the long ball at a 37 percent clip. They’re also attempted a league-high 40 three’s per game.
Perhaps the biggest factor in the Rockets’ turnaround, though, is the decision to make James Harden the team’s “full-time” point guard. It was a brilliant decision by D’Antoni, even though many laughed him off during training camp.
Harden is averaging a career-high in points, rebounds and assists – 28 points, eight rebounds and 12 assists per contest. Harden leads the NBA in assists and is posting a 27.99 Player Efficiency Rating this season, the highest its ever been for his career.
Houston just isn’t about Harden, though. Patrick Beverley’s defense can’t be overlooked. Neither can the rebirth of Eric Gordon, who is averaging nearly 18 points per game on 40 percent shooting from distance.
The Rockets have been scary good.
The Rise of Giannis Antetokounmpo
In case you haven’t noticed, or have been living under a rock, Giannis Antetokounmpo has arrived.
Giannis has taken the league, and its fans, by storm. Don’t believe me, check out the NBA All-Star voting. He ranks second in the Eastern Conference in votes behind just LeBron James.
If that doesn’t add up, just go watch some of his highlights and you’ll immediately understand why he’s so popular. This season, Giannis is averaging a career-high 23 points, six assets and nearly nine rebounds. He’s also shooting the rock at a 54 percent clip from the field. His two blocks and steals per game aren’t too shabby either, which are both good enough for individual career-highs.
Perhaps the scariest part of Giannis is the fact that he’s a 6-foot-11 point guard. Yes, that’s right, Jason Kidd has made him a “point guard” and he’s starting to dominate the NBA.
He’s the only player in the NBA averaging at least 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. Additionally, on November 30, Giannis became the only player in the east 30 seasons under the age of 22 to record 30 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals in a game. No other player has done that since a guy named LeBron James.
Giannis’ PER ranks third in the NBA (28.34), only behind Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. Good company. Despite the loss of Khris Middleton, the Milwaukee Bucks haven’t missed much of a beat. And a big part of that is because of the emergence of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Portland Trail Blazers Regressed
After losing LaMarcus Aldridge in free agency two seasons ago, many expected the Portland Trail Blazers to enter “rebuild mode” around Damian Lillard but ended up shocking the world by finishing 5th in the Western Conference and making the playoffs.
With the rise of C.J. McCollum last season, in addition to the signings of Allen Crabbe, Evan Turner, Myers Leonard and Festus Ezeli, the Portland Trail Blazers were expected to take the next step as a team this season.
However, right now, Portland is on the outside looking in of the West’s playoff race. In fact, the Blazers are only a half game ahead of the Sacramento Kings. Not great.
The biggest problem for the Blazers this season has been their horrific defense. Portland ranks 27th in the NBA in Defensive Rating, allowing 109.4 points per 100 possessions. Even though the Blazers might have one of the best offensive backcourts in the NBA, they’re also one of the worst on the defensive side of the ball – even though much of their defensive shortcomings fall on the lack of a rim protector.
If something doesn’t’ change quickly, and they continue to struggle on the defensive end, the Blazers might actually miss the playoffs this season.
The Dominance Of Isaiah Thomas
Isaiah Thomas bursted onto the NBA scene as a household name last season averaging 22 points and six assists, good enough to make his first NBA All-Star appearance. However, this season, he’s been even better.
Thomas has taken his game to another level, averaging 28 points and shooting a career-best 36 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range. Keep in mind, this is a guy that was picked LAST during the 2011 NBA Draft. Now, just six years later, Thomas is arguably the best point guard in the Eastern Conference.
Last month, Thomas scored 50 points in a game. He became the fifth Celtic to do that in history, along with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Sam Jones and Paul Pierce.
Led by Thomas, the Celtics are 26-16 and third in the Eastern Conference, behind Toronto and Cleveland. Sure, Boston had a lot of solid pieces in the fold – Al Horford, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder and Marcus Smart, including one of the best X’s and O’s coaches in the NBA in Brad Stevens – but Thomas is a different monster.
DeMar DeRozan’s Offense
We know DeMar DeRozan is one of the better players in the NBA for sure, but his scoring explosion to start the season was incredible to watch.
DeRozan opened the season scoring 300 points in the first nine games of the season, something only Michael Jordan, Rick Barry, Kareem Abdul Jabbar have done. DeRozan also became the first player to score 30-plus points in eight of those nine games, something no player had done since Michael Jordan 30 years ago.
DeMar DeRozan is averaging a career-best 28.1 points per game on 47.4 percent shooting, doing so without a three-point shot. Without one of the biggest weapons in today’s game (the 3-pointer), DeRozan has still managed to be as deadly as the next guy on the offensive end.
The Toronto Raptors are still likely one piece away from challenging the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs, but DeRozan has definitely stepped up his game to another level this season.
Russell Westbrook’s Insane Numbers
Come on now, you know Russell Westbrook had to make this list eventually. We all know NBA fans expected Westbrook to have a spectacular season individually after Kevin Durant departed for Golden State last summer. Yet, nobody expected Westbrook to average 30.9 points, 10.5 assists, and 10.7 rebounds through Oklahoma City’s first 42 games.
If Westbrook’s record-breaking 20 triple-doubles isn’t enough, he’s on track to become only the second person in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season (the first since Oscar Robertson).
According to ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, if Westbrook played in Robertson’s era, one in which they played many more minutes and at a faster pace than today’s players play, he could’ve averaged 50 points, 17 rebounds and 17 assists.
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In fairness, none of that matters. What does is what he’s doing this season. And so far, he’s been pretty darn impressive.