NBA First Quarter Report: Stars, Studs and Duds of The Association

Lots of "Star" contenders, but the Phoenix Suns have really shined after a lackluster start. Their play has proven that last season's improbable run toward the NBA Finals, was no fluke.

We are near the quarter-way point of the season, a time when the reality check of those teams that shocked the hell out of us with fast starts, suddenly come crashing back to earth.

Remember when the Cleveland Cavaliers were occupying rarified air as a top-tier team record-wise in the East? The last couple of weeks have been a reminder that they aren’t quite there yet, evident by five straight defeats.

And the Atlanta Hawks who came within a win of getting to the NBA Finals last season, have shook off a slow start with wins in each of their last five games and are looking very much like the title contender so many thought they would be this season.

Then you have the NBA’s “middle class” of teams like the Boston Celtics who are equally capable of upward mobility record-wise, to playing poorly.

So with about one-fourth of the season in the books, we take a look at the Eastern Conference’s stars, studs and duds.

STARS

PHOENIX (15-3): After working on a story for Bleacher Report about the Suns, I came away feeling this team was much better than they were giving props for being. And to see how they stepped up in the playoffs, getting all the way to the NBA Finals, I anticipated they would be among the better teams this season. But after dropping three of their first four games, they have literally become unbeatable with wins in each of their next 14 games. From the outset, I felt this was more than just the Chris Paul-Devin Booker show. Mikal Bridges has become an elite, two-way player. Jae Crowder has been Mr. Midas because every team he goes to lately, has a shot at winning it all. Deandre Ayton didn’t get the money bag this summer, but he’s playing well enough to where someone, if it's not Phoenix, will be backing up the Brinks truck for his services this summer. And the leadership of Monty Williams as head coach and James Jones in the front office, has Phoenix once again be strong title contenders.

GOLDEN STATE (16-2): You knew Steph Curry and the Warriors would be better once their core guys got a little healthier, and their young ‘uns got a little seasoning. But for them to be the best team in the West? And what makes their success all the more improbable has been it has come in the absence of Klay Thompson, one of the best game-changers at both ends of the floor. Curry is a two-time league MVP already, but what he has done this season may be his best work in the league which is why he has to be the front-runner for now to win the league’s top individual award.

Miami Heat (12-7): While Brooklyn has been the team to beat in the East from the outset, the Miami Heat have once again reminded us as to why they are consistently among the better teams in the East in large part because their consistently tough-minded culture that starts with Pat Riley and filters down to head coach Erik Spoelstra. Throw in talented, tough-minded ballers like Jimmy Butler and the old-new guy, Kyle Lowry, this team will have a say when all is said and done in determining who comes out of the East this season.

STUDS

Brooklyn Nets (14-5): Kyrie Irving’s refusal to get vaccinated and the attention/fall-out from that could have easily derailed the Nets. But we have to remember. Every day this team plays, they go to war with Kevin Durant and James Harden. And no matter what league, no matter what team, having two of the NBA’s top-5 players on one roster will win you a lot more games than not. The one concern I have with the Nets, is how will they be - and by ‘they’ I mean Durant and Harden - late in the season and in the playoffs after having likely logged a ton of minutes without having a clear and undeniable third guy consistently fill the void that exists with Irving’s absence.

WASHINGTON (11-7): I have been reluctant to get on the Wizards bandwagon, but the more I watch them play the more I feel this team is a legit playoff squad that has every reason to think they can snatch up home court advantage at least through the first round. Bradley Beal continues to be one of the best pure scorers in the game, who is now doing the same but doing so in a winning situation. It’s not even close when it comes to who won the trade between the Wizards and the Lakers which sent Russell Westbrook and a second-round fodder out to Los Angeles and brought to Washington Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Washington President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Tommy Sheppard recently got an extension/promotion from the Wizards. If they remain a top-four team in the East which is very possible, look for him to be one of the favorites for the league’s Executive of the Year award.

UTAH (12-6): It seems no matter what else is happening in the NBA, the Utah Jazz are always somewhere lurking around near the top of the West. Rudy Gobert continues to be a dominant force defensively, but his offensive game appears to have picked up, too. Donovan Mitchell is a multiple All-Star, but he doesn’t get nearly as much shine nationally as some of his youthful contemporaries like Jayson Tatum in Boston or Devin Booker in Phoenix. Their overall record is solid, but what’s most telling about this team and their chances of continuing to be among the top teams in the West, is the fact that they are handling their business in a big way when it comes to facing teams in their Conference. The Jazz have a 7-1 record against teams in the West this season. The only team in the NBA with a better record against conference opponents, is Golden State (8-1 versus the West).

Honorable mention studs: Chicago; Charlotte and Dallas.

DUDS

DENVER (9-9): The Nuggets have hit a snag of late, with losses in each of their last five games. Now the opponents have been pretty good when you consider Chicago, Philly and Phoenix were among the mix as well as Dallas. But here’s the thing. The Bulls loss was at home; the Sixers loss was at home, with Philly minus Joel Embiid; Dallas and Phoenix are not surprising defeats, but the Nuggets play has been a bit unexpected. We all anticipated they would have some ups and downs with Jamal Murray still out. But league MVP Nikola Jokic is doing pretty much what he did last season, but he’s shooting the ball better and passing less. So much of his success is predicated on those around him doing their job, and that’s just not happening with the kind of consistency you expect from a team that should be in the conversation for a deep playoff run. Of course there’s still plenty of time. But time won’t matter if those around Jokic don’t step up their play. Otherwise, they will remain one of the big disappointments this season.

SAN ANTONIO (4-13): The Spurs are simply not getting it done, evident by them being ranked 20th or worst in both offensive and defensive rating. Good teams have some combination of superstar talent and glue-guys. The Spurs lack both, although I am still a big fan of Dejounte Murray who averages a near triple-double with 18.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 8,2 assists per game not to mention he’s one of the best on-the-ball perimeter defenders in the league. But they are a bad rebounding team and get pummeled in the paint. They give up 48.2 points in the paint this season, with only two teams (Sacramento and the Los Angeles Lakers) giving up more than that

NEW ORLEANS (4-16): I know, I know. Zion Williamson has been injured and that has had a lot to do with the Pelican’s struggles this season. I got three words for you. Not buying it. Yes, his absence hurts of course. But this team has an all-star caliber scorer in Brandon Ingram; an interior force in Jonas Valanciunas who is averaging a double-double of 19.2 points and 12.5 rebounds; a proven scorer in this league in Devonte' Graham and a host of solid role players. And yet they are still bad at both ends of the floor, being outscored by 7.4 points per game which is the fourth-worst scoring margin in the NBA. It’s not just the losses, but the fact that they have been consistently by wide margins, that’s disturbing about this team’s lack of success.

Dishonorable mention duds: Indiana; Detroit; Los Angeles Lakers