As we leave
the first month of the new season, let’s look at which teams and players
performed well enough to merit top honors. This is the first in a series of
“Best of the Month” citations that will be based on the Efficiency Recap
ratings on HoopStats.com. Team citations will be based on Efficiency Recap
Difference (Team Efficiency – Opponents’ Efficiency), while Player citations
will be based on Player Efficiency and his team’s Efficiency ranking. You can
check out the Stats Glossary here.
Team Citations:
Best Backcourt: Los Angeles Clippers –
50.1ppg, 14.7apg, 9.6rpg, 5.5 spg, +15.4 DEFF
Chris Paul
leads an awesome LA Clipper backcourt that also boasts of Jamal Crawford and
Eric Bledsoe. And this is with Chauncey Billups playing just 1 game so far,
too.
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| Chris Paul's brilliant play has helped the Clippers' backcourt become the best in the NBA. (image by Kathy Kmonicek/AP) |
Best Frontcourt: Oklahoma City Thunder –
59.2ppg, 31.9rpg, 9.1apg, 7.2bpg, 3.9spg, +14.5 DEFF
With both
Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka flirting with double-doubles on a nightly basis,
it’s no wonder Scott Brooks has the best frontline in the NBA. They manage to
edge out the big three of Memphis (Gasol, Randolph, and Gay) by just a bit.
Best Bench: Milwaukee Bucks – 42.1ppg,
23.1rpg, 8.6apg, 4.9bpg, 3.6spg, +24.4 DEFF
Spurred by
their big comeback over Chicago, the Bucks’ bench rose up to be the best in the
league. Coach Scott Skiles’s bench mob is led by Mike Dunleavy, Jr., Larry
Sanders, and Beno Udrih. This just goes to show that a team doesn’t need big
names to have a big bench.
Best Starters: Oklahoma City Thunder –
74.1ppg, 30.8rpg, 16.9apg, 6.5bpg, 5.2spg, +24.4 DEFF
Despite not
having Kevin Martin as a starter, the Thunder still have the best first five in
the league. Durant, Ibaka, and Russell Westbrook have all been awesome, while
Kendrick Perkins and Thabo Sefolosha have been solid role players.
Best East Team: Miami Heat – 104.8ppg,
39.4rpg, 23.4apg, 7.5spg, 4.9bpg, +13.5 DEFF
There is no
questioning how Brooklyn and New York have risen to become powers in the East,
but there’s also no questioning how Miami is still the best squad in the
conference. Damn you, Ray Allen. Damn you.
Best West Team: Oklahoma City Thunder –
105.4ppg, 42.8rpg, 22.8apg, 7.8bpg, 7.6spg, +24.4 DEFF
The Thunder
are tied for second in the West with San Antonio (both behind Memphis), but, at
least in terms of Team Efficiency, which is what I consider when I try to see
which team actually “played better,” Oklahoma is slightly better.
Player
Citations:
Best Point Guard: Russell Westbrook (OKC) –
20.8ppg, 8.6apg, 5.1rpg, 2.0spg, 33.3 3pt%, 21.5 EFF
Westbrook is
actually the PG with the third-best EFF, but he edges out both CP3 and Rajon
Rondo because OKC has done better than both LAC and BOS. Team results factor
in, remember?
Best Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant (LAL) –
26.9ppg, 5.1rpg, 5.1apg, 1.6spg, 49.3 FG%, 40.5 3pt%, 24.4 EFF
After all
the Lakers’ struggles, Kobe still, by far, comes out as the best SG out there.
James Harden, Dwyane Wade, OJ Mayo and Tyreke Evans all close behind Kobe, but
all their respective teams, even Wade’s, aren’t doing particularly well enough
to put them past the Mamba.
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| Kobe Bryant, despite all the turmoil the Lakers have gone through, is still the best SG in the NBA. (image by Jae C. Hong/AP) |
Best Small Forward: Kevin Durant (OKC) –
26.5ppg, 8.8rpg, 4.4apg, 1.6spg, 1.6bpg, 51.0 FG%, 43.3 3pt%, 30.2 EFF
KD beats out
LBJ ever so slightly (James’s EFF is 29.2) because of his scoring, blocks, and
FT% (89.3 – LBJ’s shoots just 65.9% from the line). Also, OKC is doing better
in terms of DEFF – Miami has the fifth-best DEFF in the whole league behind MEM,
LAC, and SAS.
Best Power Forward: Tim Duncan (SAS) –
18.4ppg, 9.8rpg, 2.4bpg, 52.9 FG%, 25.0 EFF
Wow. Oldie
but goodie TD is still taking names. His Spurs are also doing well. They have
the fourth best DEFF out West, but that’s still better than the DEFF of best in
the East (Miami).
Best Center: Marc Gasol (MEM) – 15.6ppg,
7.1rpg, 4.5apg, 1.4bpg, 49.0 FG%, 89.7FT%, 21.7 EFF
Anderson Varejao’s
EFF is extremely high, but team is DEAD LAST in DEFF, and that coupled with
Memphis edging out Miami in the DEFF rankings means Marc Gasol gets the nod as
the best center of the season’s first month. Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, and
Joakim Noah all have better stats, but, again, the Grizz have reaped the
benefits of having a great center the most.
Best East Rookie: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
(CHA) – 10.9ppg, 6.5rpg, 1.3bpg, 1.2spg, 14.3 EFF
MKG is way
down in terms of individual EFF (he’s #80 overall), but he still has the
highest EFF among all East freshmen. He’s also a big reason why Charlotte is currently
ahead of Orlando and Washington in the Southeast.
Best West Rookie: Anthony Davis (NOH) –
16.0ppg, 8.3rpg, 2.2bpg, 49.3 FG%, 20.0 EFF
The top
overall pick still has the best EFF despite his injury woes and Portland PG Damian
Lillard’s boom-bust cycle. Also, the Hornets are actually playing better than
the Blazers (in terms of DEFF). Just don’t look at the W-L slates.
Best East Player: LeBron James (MIA) –
25.0ppg, 8.9rpg, 6.5apg, 1.1spg, 53.3 FG%, 43.5 3pt%, 29.2 EFF
The King
(bleh) has been his all-around beastly self, and there are no signs of slowing
down. The only other East guys on the Top 10 EFF list are his own teammate,
Chris Bosh, and Boston’s Rajon Rondo.
Best West Player: Kevin Durant (OKC) –
26.5ppg, 8.8rpg, 4.4apg, 1.6spg, 1.6bpg, 51.0 FG%, 43.3 3pt%, 30.2 EFF
KD is my
pick for the Best in the West. He’s the ONLY guy right now who has a 30+ EFF
rating. Looks like he’s gunning for James’s MVP title. If he keeps this up, and
the Thunder keep on winning, then an MVP trophy and another Finals berth
might not be far off.
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| Kevin Durant slams one home and puts himself above the rest of the field as the Best Player of the NBA's first month. (image by Layne Murdoch/Getty Images) |
Game
Recaps (courtesy of the Sports Network):
Philadelphia 104, Charlotte
98
Jason
Richardson kept rising and firing from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter.
Rarely did he misfire. Richardson nailed four of his six three-point attempts
and netted 14 of his 22 points in the final frame as the Philadelphia 76ers
tallied a 104-98 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats. Jrue Holiday recorded 13
points and a career-high 15 assists, while Evan Turner registered 25 points and
10 rebounds for Philadelphia, which has won three in a row and six of its last
eight games. Ben Gordon had 19 points off the bench for the Bobcats, who have
dropped their last three contests.
Brooklyn 98, Orlando 86
Joe Johnson
swished home a game-high 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting as the Brooklyn Nets
knocked off the Orlando Magic, 98-86, on Friday at Amway Center. Gerald Wallace
buried five 3-pointers en route to 20 points and Andray Blatche added 14 points
and nine rebounds for the streaking Nets, who have won five straight. Deron
Williams gave 11 points and seven assists, while Kris Humphries donated 11
points and seven boards to the victory. Glen Davis scored a team-high 16 points
and E'Tuwan Moore added 13 points on 6-of-10 from the floor for the Magic, who
have lost three in a row on the heels of a two-game winning streak. Andrew
Nicholson and Nikola Vucevic donated 12 points in the setback.
Toronto 101, Phoenix 97
DeMar DeRozan
poured in a game-high 23 points and pulled down eight rebounds as the Toronto
Raptors held on to beat the Phoenix Suns, 101-97, on Friday. Toronto led,
95-89, after Mickael Pietrus' 3- pointer at the 5:49 mark, but a Sebastian
Telfair layup and a Jermaine O'Neal dunk pulled the Suns within 95-93. After
Amir Johnson split a pair of free throws, Shannon Brown's layup pulled the Suns
within 96-95 with 2 1/2 minutes to go. Kyle Lowry's pass sailed out of bounds
and the Suns took over with 51.4 ticks left. Luis Scola missed a spinning hook
shot and Marcin Gortat's tip-in rolled off the rim, but Phoenix was able to
secure the rebound and quickly called a timeout with 33 seconds to play. Scola
took the ball on the left wing and posted up Andrea Bargnani. Scola faked a
spin to his left, took a dribble to his right and put up a leaning jumper that
rimmed out. Scola appeared to be fouled on the play, but the whistles remained
silent. Lowry was then fouled, but the Villanova product went just 1-for-2 from
the line to give the Suns another chance. Brown took the ball at the top of the
key, took a dribble to his left, then attacked the basket, but couldn't get the
layup to go. A pair of Bargnani free throws sealed it for the Raptors.
Cleveland 113, Atlanta 111
Alonzo Gee
scored on a putback of Dion Waiters' missed 3-pointer with three-tenths of a
second remaining to give the Cleveland Cavaliers a 113-111 victory over the
Atlanta Hawks. The rookie Waiters misfired from the top of the key, but Gee got
position underneath the basket and muscled in a layup to snap the Cavaliers'
road losing streak at eight games. They also posted their first win over the
Hawks since April 2, 2010, ending a seven-game skid. Jeremy Pargo was one of three
Cleveland starters to score 20-plus points, finishing with 22 on 9-of-13
shooting. Waiters registered 14 of his 21 points in the second quarter, while
Anderson Varejao posted a double-double of 20 points and 18 rebounds. Josh
Smith led six Atlanta players in double figures with a game-high 25 points.
Reserve Lou Williams supplied 18, including a critical 3-pointer off an
inbounds pass that tied the game at 111-111 with 13.6 seconds left. Al Horford
had 15 points, 11 boards and five assists for the Hawks, who had won six
straight.
Boston 96, Portland 78
The Boston
Celtics did just fine in their first game without Rajon Rondo, with Jeff Green
scoring a season-best 19 points off the bench to lead the way in a 96-78 rout
of the cold-shooting Portland Trail Blazers at TD Garden. Jason Terry added 17
points as Boston easily overcame the absence of its All-Star point guard, who
was serving the first of a two- game suspension for fighting with Brooklyn's
Kris Humphries in Wednesday's 95-83 home loss to the Nets. Paul Pierce amassed
12 points and eight rebounds to help the Celtics to their third victory in four
games and sixth consecutive triumph over Portland. LaMarcus Aldridge was the
lone bright spot in an otherwise brutal offensive display for the Trail
Blazers. Portland shot just 34.8 percent overall and went 3-of-15 from 3-point
range, while committing 23 turnovers as well to fall to 0-4 on its current
7-game road trip. Aldridge paced all players with 23 points and pulled down
eight rebounds.
New York 108, Washington 87
Carmelo
Anthony and J.R. Smith paced the Knicks with 20 points apiece, as New York
easily defeated the Washington Wizards, 108-87, to stay undefeated at home. In
the Knicks capturing their sixth victory in as many tries at Madison Square
Garden, Tyson Chandler posted a double-double, finishing with 12 points and 10
rebounds. Ronnie Brewer also contributed 12 points while Raymond Felton poured
in 11 in the victory. After claiming their first win of the season just two
days prior, the Wizards looked completely overmatched on Friday and were unable
to keep up with the Knicks' scoring pace. Jordan Crawford led the Wizards with
17 points off the bench. Bradley Beal followed with 14 and Kevin Seraphin
posted 13 points and 10 rebounds in the setback.
Memphis 90, Detroit 78
Mike Conley
filled the stat sheet with 17 points, five assists, four rebounds and six
steals in the Memphis Grizzlies' 90-78 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Rudy
Gay tallied a game-high 18 points and Marc Gasol added 17 points and 11 boards
for Memphis, which has won four in a row. The Grizzlies forced 22 turnovers,
which led to 31 points. Greg Monroe had 17 points and nine rebounds for the
Pistons, who had won four of their last six contests coming in.
Minnesota 95, Milwaukee 85
Alexey Shved
had 16 points and five assists and Kevin Love posted a double-double with 15
points and 14 rebounds to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Milwaukee
Bucks, 95-85, on Friday. Luke Ridnour netted 16 points and Nikola Pekovic had
14 points and 16 rebounds for the Timberwolves, winners in two of their last
three. J.J. Barea added 15 points and five assists in the win. Larry Sanders
posted his first career triple-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds and 10
blocked shots for the Bucks, losers in five of their last six. Monta Ellis and
Brandon Jennings each scored 18 in the setback.
Oklahoma City 106, Utah 94
Russell
Westbrook stuffed the stat sheet on Friday, netting 23 points to go with 13
rebounds, eight assists and seven steals as the Oklahoma City Thunder dropped
the Utah Jazz, 106-94, at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Kevin Durant scored a
game-high 25 points on 8-of-13 from the floor and Kevin Martin contributed 19
points for the Thunder, who polished off a 3-0 homestand and have won four
straight and seven of eight overall. Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins donated
12 points apiece in the victory. Enes Kanter scored a team-high 18 points and
pulled down seven boards, while Al Jefferson added 16 points and 11 boards for
the Jazz, who had a two-game winning streak snapped. Paul Millsap, Mo Williams
and Gordon Hayward all netted 13 points apiece in a losing effort.
Indiana 97, Sacramento 92
David West
scored a season-best 31 points on 13-of-20 shooting to help lead the Indiana
Pacers past the Sacramento Kings, 97-92, on Friday. West hauled in 11 rebounds
and was nearly unstoppable in posting his second consecutive double-double.
After hitting the game-winner on Tuesday against the Lakers, George Hill
tallied 25 points, eight assists and six rebounds in the victory for Indiana.
Sam Young added 12 points off the bench for the Pacers. Coming off a loss to
Minnesota, DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings with 19 points and 16 rebounds.
Sacramento was without second-leading scorer Tyreke Evans, who sat due to a
bruised knee. Marcus Thornton started in his place and finished with 15 points
on 5-of-11 shooting. Jimmer Fredette and Francisco Garcia contributed 12 points
apiece in defeat.
LA Lakers 122, Denver 103
Dwight
Howard poured in 28 points and ripped down 20 rebounds, as the Los Angeles
Lakers pounded the Denver Nuggets, 122-103, on Friday at Staples Center. Antawn
Jamison netted a game-high 33 points on 13-of-19 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds,
while Jodie Meeks hit 7- of-8 from beyond the arc en route to 21 points for the
Lakers, who bounced back from a loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday. Kobe
Bryant finished with 14 points and eight assists and Metta World Peace added 10
points as the Lakers hit 17-of-33 from three-point range on the night. Danilo
Gallinari scored a team-high 19 points, and Andre Iguodala added 14 points for
the Nuggets, who have lost three straight on the heels of a four-game winning
streak. Jordan Hamilton contributed 13 points in the loss.
Top 10 Plays of the
Night:
Game Highlights:
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