NBA

Ranking the NBA’s Southeast Teams

Continuing our series ranking the teams in each division, today we focus our attention on the Southeast.

Alan Draper profile picture
Sports Editor
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The Southeast Division was home to the runaway conference leaders, the Atlanta Hawks, last season, but it has been much more competitive to open the 2015-16 season. The division features a Charlotte Hornets team that is currently 13-8, and all but one team in the Southeast is over .500. This includes a solid 12-8 start for the Miami HEAT, a 14-9 start for Atlanta, and a 12-9 start for the young Orlando Magic. The Washington Wizards have been the early disappointment of not only the division but perhaps the whole league. After sweeping the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs last year and giving Atlanta a run for their money in the second round, the Wizards are 9-11 and 11th in the conference. The Southeast Division has been very competitive thus far.

Today, let’s rank the five teams in the Southeast Division (Hornets, Hawks, HEAT, Magic, Wizards) from worst to first since we are a quarter of the way into the season.

5. Washington Wizards

The Wizards are coming off an impressive playoff run last year, as they might have been a healthy John Wall away from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. However, their success last year has not carried over into the 2015-16 season. At one point, they dropped five of six games and the Wizards now sit at 9-11 to the surprise of many. The same pieces are there in Washington, including the dynamic scoring backcourt of Wall and Bradley Beal. The problems for the Wizards look like they go deeper than just the teams personnel, as effort wise it doesn’t look like Washington is showing up.

Scoring has not been the problem for the Wizards, as they average over 100 points per game – that is what a lethal backcourt will do for you. With that said, Washington does rank 25th in the league in opponents’ points per game, as they allow 105 points a night while allowing teams to shoot over 46 percent from the field. Defense has not been a strength for the Wizards; opposing teams are moving the ball with ease and in return are getting open looks across the floor. Rebounding has also been an issue, as Washington ranks in the bottom three teams in team rebounds per game (averaging just over 41). A team’s defense and rebounding usually excel when everyone puts in effort on both ends and that is what seems to be lacking right now for Washington. The talent is clearly there, but it hasn’t translated to wins thus far.

4. Orlando Magic

As one of the youngest teams in the league, many people did not have the Magic where they are now: being two games over .500 and fighting for a playoff spot. Orlando had a relatively quiet offseason, with their biggest change being the hire of new head coach Scott Skiles. Skiles has led this Magic team to a 12-10 start, and just about every game has been highly competitive for Orlando.

The Magic have been playing some very solid ball lately, which includes a stretch in which the team won six of seven games. Defense has been a big strength for the young core in Orlando, as they are holding teams to just 98.7 points per game. Last season, the Magic ranked 25th in defensive efficiency (allowing 105.2 points per 100 possessions). Now, they’re fifth in the NBA (allowing 98 points per 100 possessions). They are holding teams to just 42.2 percent shooting from the field and 32.5 percent from behind the arc. Rebounding has also been a big positive for Orlando, as they rank in the top five teams in the league for rebounds per game by averaging 46.2 a game. With Nikola Vucevic and Tobias Harris emerging into a respectable frontcourt, and Elfrid Payton and Victor Oladipo controlling the backcourt, the Magic have their eyes on the playoffs this year.

3. Miami HEAT

Miami looks like they have fully recovered from LeBron James’ departure two years ago. They have opened up the season 12-8 and are tied for fifth in the much improved Eastern Conference. Dwyane Wade looks fresh as he continues to put up numbers for Miami, Chris Bosh continues to be consistently productive (averaging 16.9 points and 8.5 rebounds) and the emergence of Hassan Whiteside makes this team very talented. Miami has all of the right pieces to contend in a very competitive Eastern Conference.

Scoring has been somewhat of an issue for the HEAT though, as they are just putting up 96 points per game. Defense has been the main reason Miami has been playing so well to start the season. They rank second in the league in opponents’ points per game and limiting teams to 41.6 percent shooting from the field. Whiteside has been a major contributor to the HEAT’s impressive defense this season, averaging 4.4 blocks per game and making Miami the league’s leader in blocks. If Wade and Bosh can get some help on the offensive end, they should find themselves near the top of the conference at the end of the season, barring injuries.

2. Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta is coming off a franchise-best season last year in which they tallied 60 wins, but they have struggled to keep up that same pace to start this season. After a disappointing series in the Eastern Conference Finals against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, things did not get any better for the Hawks as they lost out on DeMarre Carroll in free agency. Atlanta, however, was able to retain Paul Millsap and they added Tiago Splitter in a trade with the San Antonio Spurs. Despite the step back, Atlanta has still looked solid to start the season. Anyone who expected them to match last year’s production was perhaps unrealistic.

Ball movement continues to be a big part of Atlanta’s game, as they currently rank second in the league in assists per game as a team (25.3). The Hawks get great looks at the basket. Aside from the elite passing, Atlanta sits in the middle of the pack regarding points per game (14th) and opponents’ points per game (12th). Rebounding has been a bit of an issue for the Hawks as they rank 26th in team rebounding. This comes as a bit of a surprise considering they have a frontcourt that consists of Paul Millsap, Al Horford and Splitter. As long as Atlanta keeps the trio of Jeff Teague, Millsap and Horford together, the Hawks should continue to find themselves near the top of the conference.

1. Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets have been one of the NBA’s biggest surprises to start the season. They’re leading the Southeast and sit just a game behind Cleveland for the conference’s top spot. Having won eight of their last 10 games, the Hornets have had impressive wins over Miami and Chicago. After a relatively eventful offseason that included numerous trades and free agent signings, the team is clicking. The biggest move was the acquisition of Nicolas Batum. Batum, who was coming off career-lows last year in Portland, has turned it around this season and filling the stat sheet on a nightly basis.

The Hornets’ plan – building around Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson – looks to finally be paying off. Cody Zeller and Jeremy Lamb are playing well off the bench, and Marvin Williams has been playing some very solid ball lately for Charlotte. Defense has keyed the Hornets’ success, as they rank seventh in defensive efficiency. With that said, they have been very good on offense too. Last season, they ranked 28th in offensive efficiency, but this year they are ranked sixth. Charlotte has a lot of weapons, so look for the Hornets to continue their early success throughout the rest of the season if they can stay healthy.

Alan is an expert gambling writer who works as one of the chief editors for Basketball Insiders. He has been covering online gambling and sports betting for over 8 years, having written for the likes of Sportlens, Compare.bet, The Sports Daily, 90min, and TopRatedCasinos.co.uk. His particular specialisms include US online casinos and gambling regulations, and soccer and basketball betting. Based in London, Alan holds an MA in English Literature and is a passionate supporter of Chelsea FC.

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