5. New Orleans Pelicans
My hipster pick of the week: Jose Alvarado!
I bet you haven’t heard of this guy before his monstrous performance against the New York Knicks. I sure haven’t! But there he was, posting double-figure scoring for the first time in his career against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. His 13 points, four steals, and four assists were all part and parcel of Alvarado having the game of his life in front of friends and family at the Garden, helping the Pelicans stay in the hunt for the Play-In Tournament.
The Pels have been feisty all season long, despite not having Zion Williamson for the entire season. They’ve done it behind a much better Brandon Ingram, and some great contributions from Jonas Valanciunas and Herb Jones.
Jones, a second-round pick, has turned heads with his awesome shooting, as he’s on the precipice of being in the 50/40/90 club as a rookie. Fun stuff from a squad that didn’t have many expectations heading into the season.
4. Philadelphia 76ers
Despite all the controversies and rumors swirling around the Ben Simmons situation, the Philadelphia 76ers continue to flourish. Despite injuries to key players like Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers have remained firmly in the playoff mix. They remain out of the Play-In Tournament and are setting their sights on rising higher in the Eastern Conference.
All of that is because of the best big man in the Eastern Conference, Joel Embiid. The Process alone is worth the price of admission. He’s a signal tower on offense, directing his teammates and putting them in the right position to help him, or to allow him to dominate in the paint.
Prior to their match against the San Antonio Spurs, Embiid scored 90 points in two games, a testament to the groove he’s in. And while they need to fix their defense, which is usually a staple for the Sixers, Embiid remains a menace and a deterrent to anyone who dares to penetrate inside.
3. Charlotte Hornets
Don’t look now, but the Hornets are on the come up. Winners of their last three games before a stinker against the Atlanta Hawks, LaMelo Ball and company are starting to round into form after an inconsistent start to the season. Give credit to Ball, who averaged a near triple-double last week with 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per contest. Miles Bridges also broke out of his slump in a 113-10 win over the Indiana Pacers, tallying 23 points, six rebounds, four assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers.
Yes, the Hornets are more than Ball and Bridges. But when those two are flying around the court and throwing up Eastbay Funk lobs to windmill jams, is there a more fun show in the league? The NBA is more fun when the Hornets are good. Let’s hope they can keep this going.
2. Atlanta Hawks
Speaking of the Hawks…
We've seen this from Atlanta last season: they started out slow, there was a lot of finger-pointing, and players were upset at their roles.
But you know what cures all of that? Winning. And on this mini-streak the Hawks are on, all of the negativity has unsurprisingly stalled.
The Hawks are now winners of four straight games, and have officially begun their march up the Eastern Conference standings. The Hawks are like your classmate in high school who didn’t prepare for the final exam because he’s innately smart – he knows he has enough in the tank to still deliver in the clutch.
And for the Hawks, they have more than enough behind the individual brilliance of Trae Young. Remember, this team went to the Eastern Conference Finals last season! With the team starting to get healthy once again and Young in All-Star form, the Highlight Factory should start popping very soon.
1. Phoenix Suns
If you want a brilliant, disciplined, and methodical two-way basketball, look no further than the league-leading Phoenix Suns.
The Suns are 36-9, but when was the last time you saw them in the NBA Daily Top 10? They also don’t have a bunch of game-winners, because they’re steamrolling through opponents in this current six-game winning streak so badly, they haven’t needed to test their execution in the clutch.
The individual scoring brilliance of Devin Booker combined with the grumpy, cerebral play of Chris Paul – plus the ascendant Mikal Bridges and three good bigs in Deandre Ayton, Javale Mcgee, and Bismack Biyombo (21 points and 5 assists against the Pacers) – and that gives you the clear DNA of a tough team to beat out in the Playoffs. The Suns are 9-1 in their last 10 games. Can any team stop them this season?
