With the onset of the All-Star break, it is now time to look at some of the hits and falls of the NBA season so far. It has been a longstanding custom at the NBA to reach conclusions early on. The MVP chatter starts in the very first week of the NBA season. Coaches are put on the hot seat by the time week two rolls by. Before the month has passed, the ‘burn in down’ roster discussions tend to emerge. So, keeping in touch with that theme, we are presenting some of the best NBA mid season superlatives. We will talk about premature evaluations to awards and conclusions. You will find everything right here.
Most Pleasant Surprise
Now, this is an award that undoubtedly goes to the Sacramento Kings. Although the Utah Jazz team deserve an honourable mention, it is the Kings that have managed to shock and amaze us with their play this season. It is ironic since the Sacramento Kings were one of the most maligned teams in the history of the NBA. There are some very mentionable changes in the gameplay of the team with the addition of the new head coach Mike Brown. A personnel swap of Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield for Domantas Sabonis took place with the Pacers during the offseason between the Kings and the Pacers. Sabonis seems to have unlocked a new potential for the team. So, there are high hopes for the Kings during the season.
Biggest Disappointment
This season has been nothing short of disastrous for the Minnesota Timberwolves. It went on to show that the Gobert Trade was one of the worst front-office moves that come to mind. The fit that took place amongst Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Anthony Edwards was completely questionable. But it was already agreed upon that the 3-time defensive player of the year would manage to get them a spot in the playoffs and maybe also provide them with some home-court advantage during the opening plays. Making that assumption was probably one of the least-profitable ideas for the team during the NBA mid-season tournament.
Biggest ‘What if?’
The award for the biggest ‘what if’ definitely goes to the Los Angeles Lakers. Everyone here knows that LeBron James is currently 38. If you have managed to watch at least 30 seconds of any Lakers game, we are pretty sure that you have heard this fact being mentioned. But this is the fact that makes this Lakers season entirely so frustrating for the fans. As for the Russel Westbrook experiment, it has been quite a ride for the team. However, the highs aren’t entirely enough to justify all the falls. After having a pretty shameful season last year, many expected that Westbrook would be moved this summer, but the professional has been retained for the 2022-2023 season.
Wrapping Up,
With a new year comes new opportunities for the NBA season as different teams compete against each other to reach the Hall of Fame of basketball. These NBA mid season superlatives will surely end up progressing the discussion related to NBA. Stay in touch with us for more updates about the last season and playoffs.
