A script-flipping NBA campaign reaches its mid-season break for the All-Star Game this weekend with the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks the surprising pacesetters among a host of upstarts.
While the Cleveland Cavaliers have started to flourish as returning superstar LeBron James has blended with his new teammates and Oklahoma City have bounced back from early season injuries to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, new teams have raised their game to seize command.
The Warriors, powered by All-Star guards Stephen Curry (23.6 points a game) and Klay Thompson (22.1), boast the NBA’s best record at 42-9, while the Hawks pace the Eastern Conference at 43-11 and have a record-tying four players on the East All-Star squad.
In a topsy-turvy season, the Warriors are threatening to win their first NBA crown since 1975, while the Hawks’ only NBA crown came in 1958, when they were based in St Louis.
The Toronto Raptors, who won their only playoff series in 2001 and who missed the playoffs in nine of the past 12 seasons, are 36-17 and lead the Atlantic division by 14-and-a-half games, ignited by backcourt standouts Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan.
Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player James, who sparked Miami to the NBA Finals the past four seasons and to titles in 2012 and 2013, moved back to the Cavaliers in July last year, and together with Kevin Love and Australian-born guard Kyrie Irving, was expected to contend for a crown.
A season-ending injury to Brazilian big man Anderson Varejao was a setback, but the acquisition of Russian center Timofey Mozgov, who played for Cavs coach Dave Blatt in the 2012 Olympics, has helped Cleveland find their form, a run of 14 wins in 15 games that had the Cavaliers among the top five in the Eastern Conference and blending into a solid team despite nagging injuries to all of the “Big Three” at some stage.
The Cavaliers are fighting for the Central division lead with Chicago, the Bulls boosted by a healthy Derrick Rose, solid play from Joakim Noah and Spanish big man Pau Gasol.
Injuries also proved a major early setback to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have revived with Durant and Russell Westbrook back in the game, and improved to 28-25 at the All-Star break, one win shy of Phoenix for the eighth and final West playoff spot.
In the Thunder’s absence and with the Los Angeles Lakers fading as injuries continue to nag star guard Kobe Bryant, a new set of West contenders has filled the void.
NBA scoring leader James Harden has an average 27.4 points a game for Houston, while LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard power Portland, both clubs at 36-17, and Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Zach Randolph have combined to put Memphis atop the Southwest division and in contention to reach the West final for the second time in three years.
Injuries have taken a toll on the 64th All-Star Game as well, even though plenty of spectacular talent will be on display in New York.
West All-Star starting forwards Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers and Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans are to miss the game after being voted in as starters by fans. So will Bryant, who had season-ending right shoulder surgery two weeks ago.
Miami guard Dwyane Wade will be sidelined for the East and New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony, nagged by a sore left knee for months, told ESPN on Thursday that he would probably end his season after appearing in the All-Star Game, not wanting to miss playing a home All-Star Game a second time after doing so earlier in his career at Denver.
“It’s very likely,” Anthony said of a mid-season shutdown. “Now I’ve got to start thinking about the future.”
Anthony averages 24.2 points a game for a Knicks club that is a league-worst 10-43, one team president Phil Jackson hopes to rebuild, but described by saying “my experiment has fallen flat on its face.”
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