Midseason Grades For All 30 NBA Teams
For the most part teams are almost at their midway point, so I figured now was a perfect time to sit down and grade everyone on their performance. It’s been a pretty interesting first half of the 2018-19 NBA season with things not exactly how we all predicted back in October. There are pleasant surprises, some frustrating underachievement, teams playing above their heads, and some that have been dominant without any publicity so you’d have no idea unless you were a fan of that franchise. Now when I went through this and determined each of these grades, just like on a test I wanted to be able to show my work and explain why I ended up where I did. Chances are you won’t agree with everything, but hopefully you’re able to see where I was coming from. Of course things are fluid and these grades can always change, but as of now here is how I would grade all 30 teams
Atlanta Hawks (12-27): B-
That grade may shock you, but you have to remember whats the goal was for this Atlanta Hawks team. They aren’t supposed to be winning, they are in the process of their rebuild and currently sit with the 5th best Lottery odds. That’s a positive. I’m also grading them this way because of how good their young players are starting to look. John Collins is a legit stud young big man and Trae Young has shown flashes. His defense is terrible and his shot hasn’t come around yet, but if we’re thinking in terms of what their goals were this season, I would say the Hawks have followed that plan pretty well.
Did you know the Hawks have the 4th best AST% in the NBA? They live in the PHI/DEN/GS/BOS group, and those teams are pretty good.
Boston Celtics (24-15): C+
Look, I’m hard on them because I care. Maybe this is a little too low because they do have wins over MIL/TOR/OKC/PHI etc, have the 10th best offense and 3rd best defense while also owning the 2nd best net rating in the entire league. Those numbers are awesome, but the reality is they are probably one of the biggest underachievers of the first half. As we sit here on January 8th, this team is the 5 seed and that’s simply unacceptable. You look closer and they are 5-7 vs teams over .500 and have 8 losses against teams under .500 which is the most of the MIL/TOR/PHI/IND group. They are that kid in your class that didn’t study and thought he could just walk into the exam and get an A, then next thing you know he’s on academic probation and has no idea why.
Brooklyn Nets (20-22): B+
It’s taken a long time to recover from the Big 3 trade, but the Nets are finally starting to climb out of it. For them to be in the 8th spot currently and have this many wins despite losing their best player in Caris LeVert early in the season, it’s hard to not me impressed with what BKN has done in the first half. Did you know they have the most wins (7) in games decided by 3 points or less? That’s because guys like Spencer Dinwiddie are fucking nails in the clutch.
They currently sit with an above average offense (13th) and have wins over DEN/TOR/PHI so far this season. They are one of the pleasant surprises of the first half, and there’s a real shot this team could make the playoffs.
Charlotte Hornets (19-20): C
Meh. That’s how I would describe the Hornets. Kemba is amazing, he’s been perhaps the best story of the first half, but the rest of the team is pretty average. They still stink in close games (3-8) decided by 3 points or less, they can’t win on the road (5-12), and they certainly don’t play defense, giving up 111 points a night.
They would have been worse had they not been a decent team at home with some quality wins like BOS/IND, but this team is not ready to compete among the best in the conference, they’re trying to shop Batum/Frank The Tank, and overall I think it’s OK to say they have been a bit of a disappointment.
Chicago Bulls (10-30): B+
Same idea as the Hawks, only the Bulls are way better at it. Not only are they better at tanking, but they’re young talent has been awesome so far. Zach LaVine is turning in a fringe All Star type offensive season, Baby Dirk came back from his injury and is showing great progress in Year 2, they fired their coach that had no idea what he was doing, and basically they are doing everything a tanking team is supposed to do.
If they were trying to win, they would have gotten an F. Their offense is the worst in the league and their defense isn’t much better, but they aren’t and plus Chicago fans could deserve something nice right now so there ya go.
Cleveland Cavaliers (8-32): B+
See above.
Also, it looks like they may be onto something with Collin Sexton. He’s 4th among rookies in scoring at 14.7 points has much better shooting splits than someone like Trae Young, and in a disastrous season he has been a ray of hope. Plus we know the league is going to rig the Lottery for them AGAIN, so at least they are holding up their end of the bargain.
Dallas Mavericks (18-22): C
It’s hard for me to gauge the Mavs because they are one of these weird teams that is really good at home and a joke on the road. They get some bonus points for being right about Luka, and the fact that he has become must watch TV no matter who he is playing matters. They are average on both ends of the floor with the 18th ranked offense and 12th ranked defense so this grade feels right. They do have some good wins so far like OKC (twice)/BOS/HOU/POR/GS which is why if I was a Mavs fan I would be a little frustrated.
Personally, I can’t get over their 3-18 road record. This is a team filled with veterans, you can’t be this bad on the road. Period.
Denver Nuggets (26-12): A+
Impossible to give them any other grade. This is a team that lost like 60% of their starting five for long stretches, have the best record in a ridiculous conference, have a 16-3 home record and the second best point differential in the West. They are bringing it on both ends with the 7th best offense and 9th best defense while also owning the 2nd best AST% in basketball.
Wins over GS/BOS/OKC/POR/TOR/SA they proved their hot start was no joke and have clearly been the best team in the West up until this point. Now that they are getting healthy, I expect them to continue this in the second half.
Detroit Pistons (17-21): C-
I’m sorry, but the Pistons have no excuses as to why they are this bad. Currently outside of the playoff race, 4 games under .500 and barely over .500 at home. They have two dominant big men in Blake and Drummond, yet things have not been clicking. A 23rd ranked offense and 13th ranked defense, this was supposed to be the year the Pistons made the playoffs. They did that thing again where they got off to a decent start and then started sliding, and there is too much talent on this roster for them to be this bad. Are they an East contender? No, but they shouldn’t be this bad.
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Golden State Warriors (26-14): B+
The Warriors are those kids who don’t really try until the Final, ace it, and end up with a great grade on the year. It’s hard to care too much about their struggles because we know they aren’t trying. At the same time Steph Curry has been ridiculous, they haven’t even added Boogie yet and have the best offense in basketball. Their defense is slipping for sure, which is why I knocked them down a little based on our expectations, and the Draymond regression is real.
At the same time they are just 1.0 games back of DEN and everyone knows they’ll be there at the end.
Houston Rockets (23-16): B
Luckily for them, the Rockets have gone on a nice little run here as of late. They got off to a terrible start, are dealing with injuries and all that shit, and yet still they find themselves right there in the thick of things out West. Their offense is back to cruising, coming in at 3rd so far this season, but the one thing holding them back from a higher grade is how poor they are defensively. This was one of the best defensive teams all year, brought everyone back, and yet they now sit with a 111 Drtg which is 26th in the league.
Wins over GS (twice)/OKC/SA/BOS/DEN/IND shows they can beat the elites, and that’s why I feel like this is a good but not great grade. To me that’s how I would sum up the Rockets first half. Good, but not great.
Indiana Pacers (26-13): A-
You aren’t watching them, you aren’t reading about them, but just know the Indiana Pacers are for real. They not only have the 2nd most road wins in the East, but they also make sure to clean up against shitty teams with a 19-3 record against teams under .500. Despite their average at best offense, this defense is no joke coming in at 2nd in the league, and Oladipo is backing up his breakout year last season as a true #1 option. The Pacers have the 3rd best net rating in basketball with wins over SA/BOS/MIL/PHI they are showing that despite nobody paying attention to them they can absolutely hang with some of the best teams in the league.
You throw in the breakout year from Sabonis and the progress from Myles Turner, and for me the Pacers have been one of the better stories in the East through the first half.
LA Clippers (23-16): B+
I’m not sure what we expected from a team that didn’t make the playoffs, but I don’t think it was for them to be a top 4 seed halfway through the season. This team has owned their division where they are 7-1, and that’s one that contains GS/LAL/SAC all of which who have been pretty good this year. They have the 8th best offense in the NBA which matches where they were last year, and they’ve had great seasons from Gallo, Harrell, Lou Williams etc.
This team has wins over HOU (twice)/POR/SA/GS/MIL/DEN and many consider Doc Rivers an early candidate for Coach Of The Year. They’d be higher if their defense wasn’t dogshit, but nobody’s perfect.
LA Lakers (22-19) B
See, I can be unbiased. I am even ignoring this current bad stretch without LeBron because what we saw from this team when they had LeBron was much better than we all expected. Remember, outside of deranged Lakers fans we all thought this team would be like a 5/6 seed. Well LeBron showed us he’s as good as ever and had them pretty much at the 4 spot, and while their offense is pretty dogshit (20th), the pleasant surprise has been their work on the defensive end where they have the 8th best defense in basketball.
With wins over DEN/POR/IND/SA/GS they showed they can run with some of the best as long as they have LeBron in the lineup. I wanted to have them lower because their young guys haven’t exactly lived up to the hype outside of Kyle Kuzma, but I can respect what they were able to do with James healthy so this is where I net out.
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Memphis Grizzlies (18-22): C-
Finally healthy, I think we all expected this team to get back to the playoffs. As it stands now, they have the 3rd worst record in the West, the 26th best offense, and really they only got this high of a grade because their defense is legit and Jaren Jackson Jr looks like a fucking stud.
Aside from that, there isn’t much to be happy about as a Grizzlies fan. They had that trade fiasco, Chandler Parsons is on his way out, Gasol is crashing down to earth and may be washed and they might not even have their own pick this summer. Usually a defensive team like this can play .500 basketball, but that is not the case here.
Miami Heat (19-19): C
Miami is another one of those “meh” teams. Average on both ends, they have a +0.7 point differential and are under .500 at home, yet they currently sit in the 6 spot. Consider this grading on a curve.
They have wins over POR/HOU/MIL/SA and a top 6 defense so to me they are your classic C’s get degrees type team. You won’t be bragging about them when you apply for jobs, but they get you that all important piece of paper upon graduation.
Milwaukee Bucks (28-11): A+
I think we all expected the Bucks to be good this season, but I dunno if we saw them being this good. One of the only teams with a top 5 offense (2nd) and top 5 defense (4th), the Bucks are a legit wagon. Their new system fits them perfectly, Giannis is an MVP candidate and Brook Lopez has been incredible for them. You get down by 10 and it’s a wrap for you, as they are 20-3 in 10 point games, they have the second most wins against teams over .500 with 11, are an East leading 19-4 at home and have the best point differential in the NBA by a MILE at +9.6
They’ve been the best team of the first half in my opinion.
Minnesota Timberwolves (19-21): D+
To put it simply, things have not been great in MIN. You had the whole Jimmy Butler situation, and then even once he left things didn’t get all that much better. Another one of those teams that’s terrible on the road to the tune of a 5-15 record, they are average on both ends of the floor. Coming off their playoff season last year I think they certainly had higher expectations than being under .500, and the lack of improvement of Wiggins is a bit of an issue.
Now that they fired their coach who knows maybe this gets better, but it has not been a great first half.
New Orleans Pelicans (19-22): D+
I could give them an F if I felt mean because they are fucking shit up when it comes to Anthony Davis. They had a great year last season, didn’t really lose anyone outside of Rondo and yet things are as bad as ever. A terrible 5-16 road record and the 25th ranked defense, this team is doing the exact opposite of what they needed to do to convince AD to stay in NO. Offensively, they are great a top 4 offense, which in my mind makes their current situation even more inexcusable. They are giving up 114 points a night, haven’t done a good enough job in terms of building their bench depth, and they are 7-15 against teams that are above .500.
New York Knicks (10-30): B
They started the year winning too many games. Since then they’ve corrected the ship by losing all the time which is the goal here. The goal is Zion, and doing anything that could put that in jeopardy is just stupid. I know it feels backwards because their record stinks, but they do a great job of playing teams tough and then ultimately losing. Currently with the 3rd best Lottery odds, this season has been great for Knicks fans.
Oklahoma City Thunder (25-14): A-
What slow start? The Thunder have been a force this year, owners of the league’s best defense while figuring out their 19th ranked offense. They sit 3rd in the West with wins over HOU/POR/GS. The biggest thing here is Russell Westbrook’s commitment to letting PG13 be the go to guy at times, and they are the 2nd best rebounding team in basketball. Their net rating is 4th, and I would imagine once Westbrook figures out his terrible shooting, they will be even tougher.
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I’m mainly giving them credit for not letting their slow start ruin their season, and turned themselves into a top 3 team in a brutal conference.
Orlando Magic (17-23): C-
Everything about the Magic stink. They have a logjam of bigs, they are awful on both ends with the 28th ranked offense and have a -4.1 net rating. Their guard depth is awful, and I now expectations weren’t that high heading into the year, but once again they let a good start slip into a brutal season. They’re about to trade their best player too so that doesn’t help things, and maybe I’m being hard because they are so boring to watch.
Love their young talent in Isaac/Gordon/Bamba, but this has been a terrible first half.
Philadelphia Sixers (26-14): B
They would be higher if it weren’t for the fact that they are awful against the other elite teams in their conference. It’s tricky because this team is different with Butler, but that still hasn’t changed. They are 5-8 against teams over .500, and are 2-7 against BOS/IND/MIL/TOR. Since Butler joined this team, they are 1-3 against those teams.
The one area they have gotten much better in is clutch situations. This was their achilles heel last season and currently they are an East leading 6-2 in games decided by 3 points or less. Embiid is having an MVP type season, they are currently 4th in the East so they’ve certainly lived up to their expectations outside of actually beating the teams around them in the East. Defensively they still have issues giving up 112 points a night which is why they they have the lowest point differential of the top 5 seeds in the East, so you add that all up and I feel like this is a fair grade.
Phoenix Suns (9-32) B-
I’m harsher on the Suns in terms of tanking teams because I think they were heading into the year actually trying to win. Devin Booker talked about making the playoffs for crying out loud. They most definitely will not do that, and I don’t need to give you their rankings because they are as bad as you think. I gave them this grade because despite not striving for it, they are right there for the race to Zion.
Plus Ayton is having a great rookie year and Booker is legit, but things certainly aren’t great.
Portland Trail Blazers (24-17): B
Is it fair to say the Blazers have underachieved a little so far this season? Defensively they have taken a step back giving up 110 a night and they seem to have a problem figuring out how to win on the road. The good news is they are legit against .500 or better teams with 13 wins, and have currently beat IND/HOU/LAC/BOS/MIL/GS/PHI. Maybe that grade is a little low considering that, but due to tie breakers and whatnot this team currently finds itself in the 7 spot. That can change in a day given how close things are out West, but I think we were all expecting them to be a little better.
Sacramento Kings (20-20): A-
Nobody say these Baby Kings coming. In conversation for a playoff spot, a .500 record at this point and an average offense coming in at 14th in the league. They are having great years from Fox/Hield. have wins over OKC (twice)/IND/LAL and frankly they are just fun to watch. Awful for Celtics fans who own their pick, but great for everyone else that enjoys watching fast paced young talent
San Antonio Spurs (24-17): B+
Another one of these teams that had a slow start, the Spurs have righted the ship and are back to being lethal basketball robots. DeRozan is fitting in nicely, this team has a top 5 offense and the 8th best net rating in the league. SA is a ridiculous 17-5 at home and have started to figure out how to win on the road which was always their achilles heel. Basically they went from a team I think everyone out West wanted to play to now a team in the conversation for homecourt in the playoffs. They have all this success despite never shooting threes which is impressive, and just like OKC I’m giving them credit for not letting a slow start ruin their season.
Toronto Raptors (30-12): A
They gambled on Kawhi and it’s paying off. Even with the injuries this team is a goddamn wagon. Doesn’t matter who sits out, this team just keeps on winning. They have the 6th best offense paired with the 10th best defense, are virtually unbeatable at home and have the most wins in the league. The bench continues to thrive for them and for the first time in a while things do seem different in TOR. Both them and MIL have been awesome in the first half, but as we know it all comes down to the playoffs.
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I didn’t give them an A+ because their defense has sort of regressed and they trail MIL 2-1 head to head so I had to have them a little lower.
Utah Jazz (20-21): C-
I can’t figure the Jazz out. Up and down like you read about. Average at home, below average on the road with a 21st ranked offense and a top 5 defense. Given their success last season for them to be under .500 and out of the playoffs right now is a big step backwards, and frankly their inconsistency bothers me.
Washington Wizards (16-24): D
This was a team that was trying to win, and it’s been a complete disaster of a first half. Their record stinks, they are 5-17 on the road, John Wall is out for the year, nobody wants their bad contracts, and they have a -3.8 point differential. They can’t even beat up on the weaker East going 9-15 within their own conference, and frankly there’s just nothing to really like about the Wizards season so far.
So there you have it. How much do you disagree with me? Let’s talk about it.