Led by a frustrated Harden, the Rockets have fallen on some hard times this season
Meanwhile out East, the 4x reigning Eastern Conference champion (and reigning CSL champion) Detroit Pistons were forced to do a semi-rebuild in the offseason, and a similar sluggish start ensued. After having worked so hard to reach the top and not yet ready to relinquish contender status, the Pistons have traded for LeBron James and may have righted the ship just in time, as they’ve won 4 in a row with the King in tow. Still, they sit at 18-14 and have a long way to go to find themselves back in the finals for a 5th straight time.
After dominating the league for the last 4 years, are the Pistons finally on the decline?
As the reigning top dogs struggle to regain their status, there is a clear void at the top in which several teams are fighting like crazy to fill. The East is WIDE open, as the Bulls have happily jumped to the head of the class after playing second fiddle to the Pistons for so long. The Cavs started slow at 2-7, only to get red hot and win 20 of their last 24 (including 9 straight) to propel themselves into unexpected contender status (GM of the year anyone?). The Raptors and Celtics have gone back and forth in the Atlantic, and each will surely be a force come playoff time (health permitting). And the Magic are always a threat with Megastars PG and Cousins on the roster. They’re probably only a piece or two away themselves.Out West, the Pelicans traded some young studs to acquire superstar Stephen Curry and currently hold a comfortable 6.5 game lead in the Southwest. The Blazers have continued to put pieces around KD in the form of Jordan Clarkson, DeMarre Carroll and Carmelo Anthony, which has resulted in a comfortable 7 game lead in the Northwest. The Kings have decided to stop worrying about playing time for young players and started focusing on winning instead, which has led them to a 27-9 record despite playing a league high 23 games on the road (to just 13 at home).
And then there are the Suns, sitting quietly at 28-4. They made a couple moves in the offseason (like acquiring MKG in a trade with the Nuggets), but mostly they just added depth through the draft and free agency. Many GMs consider the Pelicans the front-runner in the West now that the Rockets have fallen, and rightly so. Who could blame anyone from thinking a team led by Curry and AD (whom is arguably the best player in the CSL, and unarguably the best big man in the CSL). The Kings, Blazers and even the Mavs (after some mid-season trades) all lay claim to contender status in the vastly superior Western Conference. But they all sit behind the Suns. The Suns have flown somewhat under the radar in part due to not partaking in any midseason trades (to this point) and minimal media coverage, but also due to lacking a perceived “superstar”, which is seen by many as a requisite for winning a title (although the Suns’ GM is not among them). As one GM put it:
“I like the Suns, but I’d like them more if they would acquire a superstar like a Blake or a WB. I’m not sure if they can win the title as currently constructed. I think superstars receive a boost in the playoffs, and can carry their team to a title.”
-Anonymous East GM
The much improved Suns owe a lot of their success to Austin taking the next step forward into stardom
Fair points made, but it’s tough to justify making a big trade and risk upsetting the core of a team that’s sitting at 28-4, including a current 16 game win streak. Clearly what the Suns are doing is working. The Suns’ front office is not opposed to making trades, but only if it’s the right fit, and for the right price. Is a trade on the horizon? Only time will tell. But in the meantime, the Suns continue systematically ringing up opponents and sitting them down, one at a time.
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