With the first week of the NBA season in the books, HOOPSWORLD grades all 15 Western Conference teams. It's important to note that each team was graded based on a variety of factors including: strength of schedule, RPI, overall record, performance in each game played, and expectations heading into the campaign.
As students who sit in the lecture hall when your friendly neighborhood professor... err columnist... is teaching will tell you, grades must be earned through performance. As the syllabus notes: "a grade of 'C' is given to work that is typical of the average or norm. 'A' and 'B' grades are reserved for students who show initiative, insight, and perform above and beyond what would be expected of the average student."
With that said, let's proceed to the early season report card for the Western Conference.
Denver Nuggets
Record: 5-0
Grade: A
The Nuggets started off the season by disposing of their two Northwest Division rivals in the Utah Jazz and the Portland Trail Blazers on back-to-back nights. The Nuggets then slept walk through the Memphis Grizzlies at home and thrashed both the Indiana Pacers and the New Jersey Nets on the road without expending much energy. Carmelo Anthony looks like an MVP candidate and Denver is rolling.
Phoenix Suns
Record: 4-1
Grade: A
The Suns raced out to a 4-0 start to the season. Sure, the first three games of the season weren't exactly against the league's best, but by beating the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors the boys from Phoenix sent a nice early message to a couple of foes who also have their sights set on one of the final playoff spots out West. The Suns' fourth win came against the HEAT in Miami and was a quality victory to be sure. The only loss -- albeit a fairly convincing one -- came in Orlando against the Magic. All things considered, the Suns are off to a very nice start this season.
Los Angeles Lakers
Record: 4-1
Grade: A
Sometimes people forget just how important Pau Gasol is to the Lakers' success. The fact the team has lost only one game without him is impressive. Yes, the Lakers did drop a disappointing game to an improved Dallas Mavericks team at home and had to fight hard to win in both Oklahoma City and Houston, but how many other teams would be 4-1 with their second best player out for the first five games of the season? And that's without even mentioning the fact Los Angeles is still trying to integrate Ron Artest into the team's offensive system.
San Antonio Spurs
Record: 2-2
Grade: C
Perhaps the best way to describe the Spurs' start to the season is very pedestrian. For a team that many had tabbed as a threat to the Lakers heading into the season losing to both the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz in games they really didn't have a chance to win down the stretch was a definite letdown. Given the Spurs' history of starting slow and turning it on as the season progresses it's way too early to count this team out. However, after getting beat down by a struggling Jazz team on Thursday in Salt Lake City it's clear the Spurs have lots of growing to do. One player in particular who has to get it going is Richard Jefferson. He has yet to look truly comfortable with his new teammates save one game against the dreadful Sacramento Kings.
Dallas Mavericks
Record: 3-2
Grade: B
As exciting as Dallas' two game Los Angeles sweep over the Clippers and Lakers was followed up by Dirk Nowitzki's epic 29-point fourth quarter performance that helped the Mavs beat the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, their opening night loss to the Washington Wizards at home and dropping a game to the struggling New Orleans Hornets on the road on Wednesday were equally as disappointing. There are plenty of reasons to be excited in Dallas early this season, but consistency already appears to be a question for this team.
Houston Rockets
Record: 3-2
Grade: A
Let's be honest: most people -- even many fans in Houston -- weren't expecting a lot from this team early this season without both Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. The fact the team has won two games on the road, one against a team that is traditionally very hard to beat at home in the Utah Jazz, is very impressive. The Rockets also pushed the Lakers to the brink on Wednesday. It's a cliché that is overused in sports today, but this Houston bunch truly is gritty. They are a club that opposing teams are going to have to beat this season as they don't look intent on beating themselves as so many undermanned teams often do.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Record: 2-2
Grade: B
Oklahoma City is showing that they are no longer a group that opposing teams can pencil in a win against before the game is even played as opponents have routinely done the last couple of seasons. The Thunder started off getting a win against the Sacramento Kings and followed that up by going to Detroit and getting a solid road win. Losing back-to-back games at home against Portland and the Lakers certainly stings, but the fact the Thunder played the Lakers so tough down the stretch has to leave fans in Oklahoma City feeling optimistic about what lies ahead.
New Orleans Hornets
Record: 2-3
Grade: C
Losing to San Antonio and Boston certainly doesn't mean the Hornets are floundering as both are good teams. That said, the way the Spurs dismantled the Hornets is an early cause for concern and raises question with regard to whether or not the Hornets really have a chance to be a top-tier team in the Western Conference this season. Losing to the lowly New York Knicks on Monday only poured salt in the wound. Fortunately for fans in New Orleans, the team was able to bounce back on Monday and get a nice win at home against the Mavs allowing them to salvage an average mark on this report card.
Portland Trail Blazers
Record: 2-3
Grade: D+
Last season the Blazers dominated at home. As such, a 1-2 home record to start the season is disappointing to say the least. The fact one of the home losses came to the division rival Nuggets is even more cause for concern in the Rose City. Right now it looks like the team is having a hard time achieving chemistry, especially with new-comer Andre Miller. Steve Blake has been awful so far this season and the fact Miller isn't in the starting lineup is something that is raising eyebrows around the league. Given the very high expectations for the Blazers heading into the season, this team is definitely under-achieving early.
Golden State Warriors
Record: 1-2
Grade: D
Having played only three games, the fewest in the Western Conference, an exceedingly small sample size for evaluation exists. That said, losing at home to a team like Houston without the team's two best players is unacceptable for a team like the Warriors that fancies itself as a fringe playoff contender. The Warriors followed that loss up by getting pounded in Phoenix. Getting a win Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies helped the Warriors avoid a failing grade for week one.
Utah Jazz
Record: 2-3
Grade: C-
Utah was facing a mini-crisis heading into Thursday's game at home against the San Antonio Spurs. The fans were turning quickly on Carlos Boozer & Co. A nice win has given the Jazz a chance to exhale. Utah's schedule hasn't been a cakewalk with losses coming to Denver, Houston, and Dallas. All things considered, though, a 2-3 start for a team that as constructed will leave behind a hefty luxury tax tab in one of the NBA's smallest markets is woefully insufficient.
Los Angeles Clippers
Record: 1-4
Grade: D-
Yes, Blake Griffin is out and that hurts the Clippers. However, the constant excuses in Clipper-land are getting ridiculous. The schedule hasn't been easy, but the Clippers fold late in games when the going gets tough. Fact is, the Clippers have far too much talent to have just one win, especially when you consider they have played three of their first five at home. And let us not forget that lone win was against the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves in a game that went down to the wire. Perhaps the only thing more ridiculous than the Clippers' play so far this season was the fact that fans at STAPLES Center were chanting M-V-P when Chris Kaman was at the free throw line on Monday. Not that Kaman hasn't been good so far this season because he most definitely has been, but... really?
Sacramento Kings
Record: 1-4
Grade: C
The Kings have had trouble winning games so far this season. Expect that to continue now that Kevin Martin may miss time after it was discovered that he has a hairline fracture in his left wrist. Fact is, most around the NBA tabbed as one of the league's worst. As such, a 1-4 record is an average performance for this team.
Memphis Grizzlies
Record: 1-4
Grade: D
Preseason rhetoric out of Memphis was that this group could compete for a playoff spot. The first five games of the season have this team looking more like fools' gold than playoff-caliber. Despite a plethora of offensive talent, Lionel Hollins' bunch has shown an aversion to playing anything that even remotely resembles defense. On top of that, Allen Iverson was already whining about his role just one game after returning from injury. This has train wreck written all over it.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Record: 1-4
Grade: C
Much like the Kings, not many around the Association were expecting much from the Timberwolves heading into the season. In that sense, I guess one could say Minnesota has delivered. Keeping things close with old friend Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics on Wednesday was enough for this team to earn an average mark.
Most sage basketball people will tell you it's not smart to make any sweeping generalizations until at least 20 games have been played. In other words, a great score on the first quiz doesn't guarantee a solid final grade any more than a poor grade on the first quiz predicts an awful final grade. Consider these marks as very, very early returns in an election with most of the votes still left to be counted.
