NBA Notes: Clippers, Hornets buzzin' early
The Clippers (7-1) and Hornets (6-1) are off to their best starts in franchise history. LA leads the NBA in point differential (+16.9) and Charlotte ranks third (+8.4). Both teams are 3-0 on the road. Here is a closer look at why both teams are thriving:
Clippers: LA is complementing its powerful offense with outstanding defense, holding opponents to league lows of 88.3 points and 39.6 percent shooting. The Clippers also lead the NBA in defensive efficiency by a wide margin, according to NBA.com/Stats.
The team’s starters have the highest net rating among the NBA’s most commonly used five-man lineups, and its reserves are making valuable contributions too. Newcomer Marreese Speights has had an instant impact off the bench, averaging 10.5 points in only 15.8 minutes.
The Clippers look to improve to 8-1 when they visit the Thunder on Friday (8 p.m. ET, NBA TV).
Hornets: Their recipe for success continues to center on taking care of the ball. Charlotte is committing the fewest turnovers in the NBA (11.3), a category it led in each of the previous three seasons under coach Steve Clifford. Charlotte is also defending at a high level, ranking second behind the Clippers in defensive efficiency.
Kemba Walker is off to a strong start with 23.9 points on 46.6 percent shooting – both above his career highs. A healthy Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has made a big difference, especially on the glass (8.0 rpg) and the defensive end (1.6 spg and 1.3 bpg). And big men Cody Zeller (11.4 ppg, 60.9 percent shooting), Frank Kaminsky (11.4 ppg) and Spencer Hawes (9.3 ppg) are producing in their roles.
The Hornets seek their fifth straight victory when they host the 5-2 Raptors on Friday (7 p.m. ET, NBA LEAGUE PASS).
Trending
TNT doubleheader: TNT’s doubleheader tonight opens with Dwyane Wade’s return to Miami as the Bulls visit the Heat at 8 p.m. ET. In the second game, the Kings go for their third straight win as they host the Lakers at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Julius Randle: The 21-year-old Lakers forward (14.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg) ranks seventh in the NBA in field goal percentage (58.8). He shot 42.9 percent last season, his first full year of NBA play.
Andrew Wiggins: The 21-year-old Timberwolves swingman leads the NBA in three-point field goal percentage at 63.6 (14-of-22). He has scored a combined 65 points in his last two games.
Otto Porter Jr.: The fourth-year forward scored a career-high 34 points (on 14-of-19 shooting), matched his career highs in rebounds (14) and blocked shots (three) and added four assists and three steals to lead the Wizards past the Celtics on Wednesday. For the season, he ranks fourth in the NBA in field goal percentage (61.0).
Dennis Schröder: In his first season as a full-time starter, the German point guard is averaging 16.4 points and 6.0 assists during the Hawks’ 6-2 start.
Draymond Green: The Warriors’ do-it-all forward leads Golden State in total rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. The last player to lead his team in all four categories for an entire season was LeBron James with the Cavaliers in 2008-09.
D-League Dish
Sweet Sixteen: The NBA Development League tips off its 16th season on Friday with an all-time-high 22 teams, all owned or operated by an NBA parent club. This season features three expansion teams -- the Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte Hornets), Long Island Nets (Brooklyn Nets) and Windy City Bulls (Chicago Bulls) -- and two relocated teams: the Northern Arizona Suns (Phoenix Suns, formerly Bakersfield Jam) and Salt Lake City Stars (Utah Jazz, formerly Idaho Stampede).
NBA Presence: A record 135 players on NBA start-of-season rosters – 30 percent of the league – had NBA D-League experience. Each NBA team began the season with at least one NBA D-League alum.
Coaching Carousel: Thirteen NBA D-League teams have a new head coach this season, including Raptors 905, which hired 18-year NBA veteran Jerry Stackhouse. The two-time NBA All-Star served as an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors last season. The Los Angeles D-Fenders (Los Angeles Lakers) also have a new coach in former NBA player Coby Karl, the son of longtime NBA coach George Karl.
They Said It
Jody Genessy, Deseret News: “When media were allowed in the visitors locker room at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, an interesting situation unfolded. Within that small chamber, multiple people [on the Jazz] were speaking in the native language and accents of the French, Portuguese and Aussies, even Indianans. The room sounded like it could’ve been located at the United Nations headquarters. While New York has long been hailed for being an international melting pot, it’s Utah that has that distinction more than anywhere else around the NBA.”
Dan Devine, Yahoo! Sports: “Yes, James Harden is on an obscene run to start the season, and Russell Westbrook keeps compiling roughly all of the stats. If you’re looking for the NBA’s leading scorer, though, you’ll have to look north of the border, because DeMar DeRozan is cooking.”
Gregg Popovich, Spurs coach: “There is a big world out there and a whole lot of stuff going on. The more aware people are, the better off. For our team, since we have so many people from so many different areas, it helps us come together when they realize how big the world is.”
-- FROM NBA NEWS
