Stock Watch: What's trending in the NBA 📈
Welcome to the latest installment of Stock Watch, a look at what's been trending up and down in the NBA.
⬆️ Celtics' resurgence
At the time of our last Stock Watch posting on Jan. 12, the Boston Celtics and first-year head coach Ime Udoka were falling short of expectations, battling for a play-in spot with a 20-21 record. Tension and chemistry issues between teammates were apparent, while Udoka openly questioned his players by calling out the team's lack of "mental toughness" after it collapsed in a loss to the New York Knicks.
Ten weeks later, the red-hot Celtics look like an entirely different team. Boston is 9-1 in its last 10 games and an NBA-best 22-4 over the past two months. Much of the Celtics' turnaround can be traced back to improved offensive production, especially considering their defense has been elite all season long. After posting the 22nd-ranked offensive rating (108.9) through Jan. 23, Boston owns the league's third-best offense since then (118.7).
The Celtics aren't just squeaking past teams either; they're blowing them out of the water. Boston's impressive 15.8 net rating over the same two-month stretch is tops in the NBA.
⬇️ Warriors out of sync
They've only suffered three consecutive losses, but it feels like the Golden State Warriors are in a tailspin since Stephen Curry sprained his foot against the Celtics on March 16. Those March woes aren't entirely due to Curry's absence - the team dropped five straight earlier in the month, with Curry playing in four of those defeats - but Golden State has been an entirely different squad without its two-time MVP on the floor.
Before Curry's injury, the Warriors were a top-three team by net rating and ranked in the top half in offense alone. But in its three most recent losses - to the Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, and Orlando Magic - Golden State's 101.1 offensive rating is the worst in the league, and its minus-9.5 net rating ranks in the bottom five. Three games is a small sample size, but it's also what separates the Warriors from the fifth-place Dallas Mavericks - and home-court advantage in the first round.
Curry isn't expected back for at least another week, and the Warriors have upcoming games against the Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, and Utah Jazz. They might want to quickly heed Draymond Green's harsh but fair wake-up call after their loss to the Magic.
⬆️ LeBron's offensive output
If the Los Angeles Lakers' season is supposed to be a wash, nobody has dared to tell LeBron James. Despite a costly roster that hasn't meshed as the front office hoped, financial inflexibility that left the team handcuffed at the trade deadline, and another long-term injury to Anthony Davis, James is endeavoring to get his squad to the postseason by any means necessary.
The 37-year-old has put up 35.7 points, nine rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.6 blocks over his last nine games, frequently as the Lakers' de facto starting center. He's now averaging 30 points per game this season; if the campaign ended today, that would earn him the second scoring title of his career and first since his fifth year in the league.
Yet despite James' heroics, the Lakers are just 4-6 dating back to his 56-point spectacle against the Warriors and only marginally holding a play-in spot. They should still get there if James can maintain this pace, but if that's the case, how much will he have left come playoff time?
⬇️ Are Bulls legit contenders?
Through Feb. 25, the Chicago Bulls sat atop the Eastern Conference with a 39-21 record. The offseason additions of DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball to complement an existing core of Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic appeared to have paid off, especially with DeRozan playing at an MVP level throughout February.
Apparently, the good vibes were only meant to be short-lived. Since last leading the Eastern Conference, Chicago has gone 3-9 and seen four teams leapfrog it in the standings. It now sits fifth in the conference with 10 games remaining. Even more troubling for the Bulls' long-term outlook is their disappointing record against contenders. Chicago has gone an NBA-worst 0-16 against top-three seeds in either conference this season, according to StatMuse.
The franchise's fortunes might not be improving any time soon, either. LaVine is set to play out the rest of the season on an ailing knee. Ball remains sidelined while rehabbing from a torn meniscus. And DeRozan's play has dropped back down to Earth after an uncharacteristically dominant run.
⬆️ KAT on a roll
The Minnesota Timberwolves are putting it all together down the stretch, going 10-2 in their last 12 games. The franchise has already secured its second winning season since 2005 and is now hoping one final push helps it avoid the play-in tournament.
Karl-Anthony Towns has been the T-Wolves' most dominant player during their 12-game run, posting averages of 27.1 points on a 57/42/85 shooting line, 10.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, and one steal. The Kentucky product recently earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors, as well, thanks in large part to his 60-point, 17-rebound explosion in a win over the Spurs.
If the Timberwolves maintain or improve their seeding before the postseason gets underway, Towns should have a legitimate shot at being named to his second career All-NBA team. The big man is optimistic about Minnesota's chances and last week stated he and his teammates "feel we can beat anybody."
⬇️ Pressure mounting on Thibodeau
Has Tom Thibodeau already worn out his welcome at Madison Square Garden? The Knicks haven't been mathematically eliminated from the postseason yet, but it seems like a matter of time with a losing record already secured. It's a far cry from last season when Julius Randle's Most Improved Player campaign and Thibodeau's award-winning coaching combined to send the Knicks to the playoffs for the first time in eight years.
Thibodeau is highly unlikely to receive plaudits this time around. While the team's struggles aren't entirely on him, he isn't inculpable. Knicks executive vice president William Wesley reportedly voiced that sentiment in February, telling team owner James Dolan that Thibodeau was at least partly to blame for a miserable season. Since that rumor surfaced over the All-Star break, the Knicks have gone 5-8 and fallen well out of the play-in picture.
Thibodeau can point to multiple injuries unsettling New York, and that's fair. But how much patience will Dolan and team president Leon Rose ultimately exercise with the 64-year-old after several other teams successfully managed their own significant absences? Assigning him to the hot seat might be a stretch, but Thibodeau's chair must feel uncomfortably warm.