NBA: I am the card dealer

Fifth place, Boston Celtics, record 51 wins and 31 losses.

In the last two games, the Celtics were defeated by the Pacers and lost their home-court advantage. This result was really unexpected.

You have to know that for half of the season, the Celtics were at the top of the Eastern Conference, and for the other half they were ranked second in the Eastern Conference. But at the end, they actually dropped to fifth place, which is really regrettable.

The main reason is still that problem. After losing Thomas, their offense had various problems and they lost more than a dozen games in the second half. If it weren't for the strong foundation they had accumulated in the first half, based on their performance in the second half, they would have been kicked out of the playoffs.

This shows how bad their second half was.

Hayward ultimately failed to carry the team. This season, he averaged 18.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, with an overall shooting percentage of 44.6% and a three-point shooting percentage of 34.7%. His performance was mediocre, not very good, but not very bad either.

Jaylen Brown averaged 14.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of 46.7% and a three-point shooting percentage of 39.5%. He averaged 1.7 three-pointers per game. His overall performance was very good, and he is finally slowly realizing his talent.

Last year's third pick Tatum also performed well, averaging 14 points, 5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. His statistics are almost the same as Jaylen Brown's, and his efficiency is also comparable. His overall shooting percentage is 47.5%, and his three-point shooting percentage is as high as 43.4%. It's just that his hits are a little less, averaging only 1.3 per game.

Marcus Morris averaged 13.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, with a shooting percentage of 43%. His efficiency is a bit low, but he can shoot three-pointers with his body type, which is still very good. His three-point shooting percentage is as high as 36.8%, and he can make 1.6 three-pointers per game. He is an important addition to the Celtics.

Horford averaged 12.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game this season, with an overall shooting percentage of 48.9%. His three-point shooting percentage was as high as 42.9%, but he only averaged 1.3 per game. He played an important role for the Celtics, assisting in the high post, playing one-on-one in the low post, running pick-and-rolls, and defending the rim. In short, he did everything, and did it well.

Rozier can contribute 11.3 points per game, but his efficiency is low, with a hit rate of less than 40%, which is hard to describe. However, he is very accurate in three-point shooting, with a 38.3% three-point shooting rate, and can make 1.9 three-pointers, which is very accurate.

Smart averaged 10.3 points, 4.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game, and his performance was equally comprehensive, but his shooting was very ugly, even garbage level. His overall shooting percentage was only 36.7%, and his three-point shooting percentage was only 30%. Such offensive ability is obviously not up to standard.

But the Celtics didn't need his offense, either before or after Thomas' injury.

What they need is Smart's defense and organizational skills. In an ordinary team, Smart would barely be qualified in these two aspects.

But as a playoff-level team, or even a top team in the Eastern Conference, relying on Smart to organize the game doesn't seem to be enough.

The reason why the Celtics suffered a series of defeats in the second half had a lot to do with their inability to organize an effective offense.

You have to know that the Celtics have too many offensive points. It was okay when Thomas was there, because it was usually Thomas who pushed forward and distributed the ball.

But when Isaiah Thomas was not there, the team immediately became chaotic. Everyone wanted to attack with the ball. Hayward, Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Morris, they all thought they could put the ball into the basket, causing chaos in their overall offensive organization.

So in the second half, their offense became a mess and could not be sorted out at all, leading to their continuous and intermittent losses.

And eventually they were overtaken by the Pacers and lost their home-court advantage.

Fourth place, Indiana Pacers, record 52 wins and 30 losses.

Oladipo finally proved himself and played at his peak level this season, averaging 27.2 points, 6.5 assists and 5 rebounds per game, and ultimately led the team to great results, ranking fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Moreover, his efficiency has not been lowered. His overall shooting percentage is 48.6%, and his three-point shooting percentage is 38.3%. He can make 2.8 three-pointers per game, and his offensive power is very fierce.

If 20+ is an All-Star certification, then 27+ is definitely one of the top scorers in the league. This season, Oladipo not only proved his ability to lead a team, but also further improved his status and became a true top guard. The sixth place in the scoring list is the biggest proof of this.

of course.

He still has some gaps to reach the top level as a superstar. When he averages 30+ points per game and leads the team to a breakthrough, that is the certification of a superstar.

However, considering that he has already won a championship ring as the second-in-command, this is a huge bonus and the halo is very bright, which makes him receive even more attention and praise.

Apart from Oladipo, the Pacers' overall lineup is not bad.

Russell, Bojan Bogdanovic, Turner, Thaddeus Young, and Ingram all scored in double digits. The inside and outside forwards are all competitive. Moreover, most of them are young people. They are full of energy on the court and have a fast offensive rhythm. They are one of the most powerful offensive teams in the league.

It is still surprising that they can reach the fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

Third place, New York Knicks, with a record of 53 wins and 29 losses.

They just barely beat the Pacers and Celtics. The record was not particularly outstanding, but it was not bad either. It was just within the public's expectations. After all, their lineup was still good, and they had James to lead the team. In the first half, they had All-Star Lopez, and in the second half, they had Randle, a potential new star, to assist them. The role players were also very capable.

of course.

The main reason is that James' various high-level statistics have skyrocketed this season, and he seems to be returning to his peak.

In terms of basic statistics, James is also very good. This season, he can contribute 28.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. His overall shooting percentage is as high as 50.9%, and his three-point shooting percentage is 35.5%. His performance in all aspects is excellent.

It was thanks to his outstanding performance that the Knicks were able to remain competitive throughout the season and ultimately secure the third place in the Eastern Conference.

of course.

Randall also made a significant contribution in the second half.

When he was traded to New York from the Lakers, Randle averaged only 15.8 points, 8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. After the season ended, Randle's stats became 16.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists, which was a clear overall improvement.

In the Knicks, he has a higher tactical position and matches better with James, especially the pick-and-roll, which has become the Knicks' new killer feature.

This is something that Lopez, who is much slower and does not have outstanding explosive power, cannot do.

In addition, the Knicks also have many high-quality role players.

Tyler Johnson, Darren Collison, Hardaway Jr., Crowder, Korver, Rooney, Jeff Green, Ilyavaso, Nance Jr., Caruso and others can all provide great help to the team.

This result is more in line with public expectations.

Second place, Toronto Raptors, with a record of 56 wins and 26 losses.

The Raptors were disappointing in the first half, but they continued to work hard in the second half and finally put in a satisfactory performance.

The performance of the two backcourt guns is still their foundation.

First of all, DeRozan averaged 23 points, 5.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game this season. His overall shooting percentage was 45.6%, and his three-point shooting percentage was a bit bad, only 31%, and he could only make one three-pointer per game.

As the absolute core of the team, such shooting ability is obviously not up to standard, but this is DeRozan's playing style, and it is not so easy to change.

Lowry's scoring has dropped a bit this season, averaging only 16.2 points per game, but he has 7 assists and 5.6 rebounds. His overall performance is still very comprehensive, but his shooting efficiency is low, with only 42.7% shooting percentage, which is a bit embarrassing.

However, his shooting level is very high, with a three-point shooting percentage of up to 40%. He can make 3.1 three-pointers per game, making him the Raptors' main three-point point, and his importance is self-evident.

DeRozan can always shoot steadily from mid-range thanks to Lowry's three-point deterrence.

In addition to the two guns, their main players also performed well.

As a super sixth man, Jeremy Lin can score 15.1 points per game and is an important source of firepower on the bench. His arrival has made the Raptors' bench strength soar and liberated DeRozan and Lowry, but he is a bit fragile and has rested for a lot of time this season.

Valanciunas also performed well, averaging 12.7 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, which is an absolutely qualified blue-collar data. When facing teams that are not strong enough in the interior, he can occasionally have a burst of outbursts.

Ibaka remains competitive this season, averaging 12.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, with an overall shooting percentage of 48.3% and a three-point shooting percentage of 36%. He can make 1.4 three-pointers per game. He is also a very cost-effective power forward in the league who can not only open up space, but also provide assist and backup defense.

There are also a number of strong players such as CJ Miles, VanVleet, Wright, Siakam, Poeltl, etc. Their overall strength is definitely outstanding in the Eastern Conference. There are also many people who can play. The depth of the lineup is not weaker than the Knicks, Nets, and Celtics. This is also an important reason why they can rank second in the Eastern Conference.

The first place is undoubtedly the Brooklyn Nets, who dominate the league with 48 wins and 14 losses.

Before the start of the season, ESPN predicted that the Nets would rank tenth in the Eastern Conference, and other media outlets were similarly predictive. The media that had a little confidence in Xue Liancheng only ranked the Nets seventh or eighth.

From this we can see that the public generally did not have a good impression of the Nets at the time, and this is an established fact.

After the season ended, Xue Liancheng and all the Nets members gave everyone a loud slap in the face. They were not only first in the Eastern Conference, but also first in the entire league.

This is the best self-affirmation Xue Liancheng has made since entering the alliance.

Because the Lakers won the championship last season, some people were not convinced and insisted that Xue Liancheng's single-handed leadership of the team to create a great feat was a result of luck and that it had no sustainability at all.

result.

After coming to the Nets, Xue Liancheng continued his dominance.

In the regular season, the Nets ranked first in the league, and their 68 wins created the best record in team history.

In terms of personal data, he averaged 35.2 points, 15 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 2 steals per game this season. His overall shooting percentage is as high as 53.7%, and his three-point shooting percentage is as high as 50.4%. He can make 5.3 three-pointers per game. Both basic data and efficiency are dominating the entire league.

At the same time, both his scoring and assists created new career highs. His average of 5.3 three-pointers per game also broke the NBA's historical season three-pointer record. He was named the scoring champion, assist champion, and even the three-point champion, truly entering his peak state.

His advanced statistics are equally outrageous, including game scores, win-loss values, victory shares, efficiency values, plus-minus values, true shooting percentage, effective shooting percentage, ball possession rate, assist ratio, etc. He is far ahead and no one can match him.

There is no doubt that he is the most dominant player this season.

I would like to add one more sentence here: there is no other.

He led the Nets, which were at the bottom of the league, to the top of the league, and his personal statistics were unique. Even if the triple-double king Westbrook came, he would have to stay away.

35+15+6!

This means that most of the points scored on the field are related to you, either indirectly or directly.

From this we can see how important his position in the team is and how great his contribution to victory is.

of course!

In addition to him, the Nets still have many players who can play.

First of all, there is the second scoring point Anunoby. As a rookie, he was reused in his first season with the Nets. He was promoted to the starting position early and was predicted by Barkley: he is a future All-Star player.

Anunoby did not disappoint, averaging 17.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game this season, with a shooting percentage of 52.7% and a three-point shooting percentage of 38.2%. He averaged 1.7 three-pointers per game, making him a very important shooting point for the team.

He is also the team's unique finishing point. He performed well in fast breaks and sudden cuts and completed his tasks well.

Especially in the absence of Vonleh, Vonleh, as the team's only finisher, really feels like he's taking off.

The second is Sabonis Jr. His performance in the first half was not good at all, but in the second half, after he gradually adapted to the confrontation, he played at the level of a top inside player.

But even if we take this into consideration, he still averaged 13.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of 50.5%. He is now an indispensable member of the team. His high-post support, his low-post singles, his mid-range shooting, and his positioning and rebounding can all provide huge help to the team.

Driven by the three core players, the Nets have unleashed amazing offensive firepower.

of course.

The Nets' players are also very powerful.

Although Vonleh was affected by injuries, he still averaged 11.2 points per game.

Covington averaged 12.4 points per game and made 37.4% of his three-pointers, and was also an important shooting point for the team.

With the assistance of James Johnson, Joe Harris, Crabbe, Lopez Jr., Hart, David West, Powell and other strong players, their overall lineup depth is definitely second to none in the league.

but.

This conclusion was drawn after looking back at the end of the season. Before the season started, many media believed that this was a group of waste materials, including Anunoby and Sabonis Jr.

And once they started typing, those discordant voices emerged.

For example, with Anunoby and Sabonis Jr., we can still achieve good results by replacing a star.

With so many high-quality role players, isn't it normal for the Nets to achieve such results?

……

Anyway, that's all.

It's absolutely shameless.