NBA fans got a massive treat — and a potential NBA Finals preview — Wednesday night with the Cavaliers-Thunder showdown that Cleveland won in thrilling fashion.
But there’s another Oklahoma City matchup this weekend that is elite, with the Thunder heading to Madison Square Garden Friday night to face the Knicks.
And New York will have to turn around quickly to face a Milwaukee Bucks team Sunday that has gone 17-8 over the last two months. And Sunday also offers another intriguing Eastern Conference showdown, with the Indiana Pacers looking to upset the red-hot Cavs in Cleveland.
Here are some takeaways from the 10th week of the NBA regular season.
Is it time to blow up the Suns?
The answer should be yes, but Phoenix (16-19) may be wholly stuck. The Suns battled early injuries, but even though Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal are each healthy, the team’s play has nonetheless cratered.
The overwhelming issue is an oppressive salary cap situation and poor fit, particularly with Beal, who has a team-low net rating of -8.9 this season. When Beal is on the court, Durant, the team’s most effective scoring threat, has to work harder to get chances to score. The same goes for Booker in what may be a case of too many mouths to feed.
The Suns appeared to turn the tide by moving Beal — and center Jusuf Nurkić — to the bench for Monday’s win against the 76ers. Beal scored 25 in an efficient 10-of-15 performance and helped close out Philadelphia.
The following night, however, with Beal once again coming off the bench, Phoenix lost to a Hornets team that entered the night with seven wins.
The ideal scenario would be to package Beal in a trade. Practically speaking, that may be a pipe dream. His contract is onerous, he has a no-trade clause, and his production simply makes him an undesirable asset. If Phoenix wants some salary cap relief, it may need to make a far more difficult decision about potentially shipping Durant or Booker.
The Suns have lost 17 of the last 24 games and are currently the No. 12 seed in the West. They sacrificed depth for a Big Three that carries the fourth-, fifth- and sixth-highest cap hits in the NBA. It looks to have been a massive failure.
The Kings are 5-1 under Doug Christie. Was Mike Brown the problem?
The answer, frankly, is nuanced and complicated. And though Sacramento (18-19) is on a five-game winning streak, Mike Brown remains a very good coach, one with a track record of success.
Yet, the Kings have taken down solid opponents during their winning streak: the Heat, Warriors, Grizzlies, 76ers and Mavericks. And the difference during this span has been defensive effort, intensity, and an intention to force turnovers; over the last five games, the Kings rank fifth in defensive rating (106.1), compared to their 16th-place ranking (112.5) for the rest of the season. Sacramento is also generating 2.2 more deflections per game in January, compared to its season average.
Uber-athletic guard Keon Ellis, who emerged late last season, has blossomed in a bigger role. Ellis has started the last four games and has totaled 12 steals in that span, while averaging 12.5 points per game in this stretch.
The sample size is far too small. But, over the past week, Sacramento’s investment in defense suggests that the Kings could become more competitive, at least in the short term.
Thunder, Cavs can win it all
Just because the Cavaliers defeated the Thunder in a thrilling showdown Wednesday night doesn’t mean we should dismiss Oklahoma City as an inferior competitor.
Both these squads have an inside-out offense, which is noteworthy particularly because Chet Holmgren has been absent since mid-November. Both teams spread the ball in around, thanks mostly to their stellar point guard play. And both are efficient and the ball, with Oklahoma City leading the NBA in turnover percentage (11.9%) and Cleveland ranking third (12.9%).
The most compelling case for both teams is that they converge to play complete, team basketball, communicating on defense and playing together on offense.
A lot can change from now until the NBA playoffs. But, as long as both teams stay healthy, it’s a safe bet to expect at least either squad to make a deep run.
NBA fans also won’t have to wait long for another glimpse; the next matchup is next week, scheduled for January 16.
The Pistons are over .500 in January
Detroit (19-18) has won eight of its last nine games and you would never think that its second-leading scorer went down with a potential season-ending injury just a week ago.
This team, no longer defined by its inexperience, is responding to adversity and finding different ways to win. Wednesday against the Nets, Detroit had more players on the injury report (10) than on the bench (eight) but still took Brooklyn down by 15 points.
The culture new coach J.B. Bickerstaff has installed is already providing tangible returns. That Detroit is doing this just one season after its worst campaign in franchise history demonstrates just how stark the turnaround has been.
The Pistons are tied for fourth in the NBA in rebound percentage, pulling them down at a 51.6% clip. Center Jalen Duren, who is 21 but already in his third season in the NBA, sets the tone on the glass and defensively in the paint.
Cade Cunningham is a burgeoning star, averaging nearly 25 points per game. And role players like Malik Beasley and Tobias Harris have contributed in spurts.
Currently the No. 8 seed in the East, Detroit is squarely in play-in position and could make its first trip to the playoffs since the 2018-19.