Hot and Slow Starts

The NBA season is off to a great start with a number of great starts from teams and players as well as a few disappointing starts to the season.

Hot Starts

Lakers-   The Lakers are looking like the 2-time defending champs and look to be even better than last year.  They are incredibly deep and will only get deeper once Bynum returns and Odom returns to the bench.  Blake and Barnes off the bench have done a great job and Shannon Brown has improved his game as well.  The Lakers are off to a 7-0 start on the year.

Hornets- the Hornets have been one of the surprising teams this year as they are also 7-0.  Chis Paul is off to a great start and the thing that has contributed to their hot start is their commitment to defense.  They are currently third in the league in points allowed.  Paul is averaging a double-double and David West is averaging 18 points a game.

Monta Ellis- With the Warriors being 5-2 much can be accredited to that record because of Ellis.  Averaging nearly 28 a game, Ellis is looking to win the scoring title at this rate.  He is also averaging nearly 3 steals and 4 assists a game.  Maybe he and Steph Curry will work out after all.

Slow Starts

Chris Bosh- Bosh can’t seem to get much going as of yet only average 14 points and 5 rebounds a game.  The Heat are playing a high tempo style and Bosh isn’t getting the looks like he used to in Toronto.  LeBron and Wade and crew need to find a way to get the big man more involved.

Rockets- I thought the Rockets would be much better than what their record currently indicates at 1-5.  They can’t seem to figure out how to use Yao Ming yet and their defense is horrendous as they are 29^th in points allowed.  They are a jump shooting team with Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin and need to figure out how to better use Yao in the future.

Brooke Lopez- Lopez is averaging nearly 19 points a game and 5 rebounds which are decent stats for him.  However, his shooting percentage is barely 40% which should be a lot higher for a post player.  He hasn’t been the defensive presence that coach Avery Johnson wants and is taking more shots this year than last year.