NBA Watchability Tracker - Week 5

What is this?

In this weekly tracker, I keep track of which NBA teams are must watch. This isn’t about just the best teams. It’s about heart in the mouth, can’t look away, or downright enjoyable basketball. Honourable mentions are not just numbers 6 and so on, they are there for a reason.

I cannot stand lists like this that just have the best teams at the top. Just because a team is good, does not mean they are watchable!

Last week

Nuggets, Bulls, Spurs, Trail Blazers, 76ers.

Honourable mentions: Jazz, Hornets, Celtics.

Number 1: Denver Nuggets

I’m not sure if I even need to say anything?!

Just enjoy Jokić while we still have him. He has to be approaching the pantheon of the best players to ever play this game.

This team is still so fun even without him on the Court though. In the last few years, it has been a nightmare whenever he goes to the bench, but this season, it’s now how much can the lead be extended with Jokić on the bench?

Number 2: Miami Heat

This team has shot up the rankings. Their playstyle has really taken shape, and my god what a playstyle it is. They are a run and gun team. They pass early, advance the ball quickly and shoot the ball early.

They are easily first in pace at 106.34. The second team is at 103.90, then there are 23 other teams between that number and 100. So they are easily number 1. They currently shoot 47% of their shots with at least 15 seconds left on the shot clock.

It’s kind of crazy to watch. But, even more crazy is that they don’t set screens. According to NBA’s advance stats, they run a pick and roll on 5% of their plays, with only 71 being set for the whole season!

Not only do they score a lot of points (2nd in league per game) and get a lot of assists (1st in league per game), the other team also does (26th in opponent points per game).

You just have to watch it to see.

Number 3: San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs remain at number three this week. It feels like every game Wemby does something that I’ve never seen before and for that reason alone this team is watchable.

As I mentioned last week, teams have done their homework and have started to gameplan against Wemby on the defensive end. The smaller guy strategy I mentioned last week was not really tested this week against Golden State as I don’t think Draymond really falls into that category (although he is about the height of players that were being used). So we are yet to really see if Wemby has figured that out.

But, a further wrinkle was exploited by Golden State on their offensive end. They almost tried to use Wemby’s desire to remain in the paint against him. Now, obviously this isn’t that effective when it’s Draymond or Payton wide open at the three point line, but when Draymond uses that space to set a screen for a wide open three, that is effective. Just keeping an eye on this strategy.

Last bit I’ll add is that even today against the Kings, without Wemby, this team was still a lot of fun. Their young guys are great and Fox seems likes he’s having a good time playing for this time. Vibes are pretty high right now with this team.

Wemby’s calf tightness (or whatever the Spurs want to call it) is a concern and we keep an eye on that.

Number 4: Utah Jazz

I had this team on my Honourable Mentions last week due to Walker Kessler being ruled out for the season. But you know what? They have been a blast to watch this week!

They have gone 2-2 this week with an average score of 134.3. I recognise the game against the Bulls was a double OT game (which was a great game btw and pushed them into the top 4), the point still remains. After Kessler was out for the season, Will Hardy and that coaching staff have clearly increased their pace and how much they share the ball. They have been 3rd in pace and assist percentage over the last 4 games and their offensive rating is up to 5th in the league over the last 4 games.

Defensive rating? Don’t worry about that, they will just score more than the other team!

But on a more serious note, this is a group of young guys (with the exception of a few) who seem like they really fit in the league. I can see something here in this team in the future and it’s great to watch their growth and development. The following guys are below the age of 22 and have got serious minutes minutes this week: Keyonte George, Cody Williams, Isiah Collier, Ace Bailey, Kyle Filipowski, Brice Sensabaugh, and Walter Clayton Jr.

Nurkić is gonna have a triple double soon, and Markkanen … wow!

Number 5: OKC Thunder

This team sees their first week on this list. They have beaten out Phoenix and Detroit for this final spot.

They are on here for one reason only, their defence. Next time you watch them, just watch their guys on defence instead of the offensive players. See how many times the offensive team puts a foot in the paint, you’d be surprised about how little it happens.

Their defence is truly something to behold. For their last 5 games, their defensive rating has been 97.4! To put that into perspective, that would put them in the top 25 all time if they continued it for the season. It’s nearing 10 points better than the next team.

On offence, they are not that watchable. It’s a lot of Shai, it looks a lot like last season. So they are on this list for their defence alone, which is what makes them watchable.

Honourable Mention: Philadelphia 76ers

They have dropped out of the list, but remain on here for the future trainwreck that seems like is fast approaching, and Maxey. Edgecombe has cooled after his hot start.

Honourable Mention: Sacramento Kings/LA Clippers

Do you want to watch a team that is on the brink of collapse, with no hope, or is miserable? Well here you go! This makes these teams kind of watchable for maybe … one quarter? It’s a watchability unrelated to basketball, more like the ups and downs of sport in general. Just watch them against an actual watchable team, not against each other.