Welcome to the weekly NBA stock report where we go around the league and examine whose stock is rising and whose is falling.
In this week’s edition, the Toronto Raptors have strengthened one of their biggest weaknesses, a young star is emerging before our eyes, and Andrea Bargnani looks for a job.
Stock Rising
Raptors’ power forwards: The four spot has been the biggest issue for the Raptors all season long, but the signing of Jason Thompson helped right the ship. Waived by the Golden State Warriors, Thompson gives Toronto a legitimate option at power forward aside from Luis Scola and Patrick Patterson. With all due respect to Anthony Bennett, he simply wasn’t good enough at this stage of his career to be able to log meaningful minutes for this team.
The results have done wonders for the Raptors. Thompson made his debut on Tuesday, which allowed Scola to rest his aging body. Scola then took advantage of the fresh legs and came out with a double-double performance on Thursday night. Patterson continues to provide excellent, versatile defence and space the floor offensively with his three-point shooting. DeMarre Carroll‘s return from injury will only help further solidify the position as he would give Dwane Casey the ability to go small if necessary.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: The ‘Greek Freak’ has always tantalized with his combination of athleticism and length and he’s really starting to live up to the hype. His body of work this season has been impressive, but since Jason Kidd gave him the reins to the Milwaukee Bucks‘ offence as a point forward, he’s taken the next step.
Over the past month or so, Antetokounmpo has been a triple-double threat every night due to his exceptional scoring and playmaking abilities that go along with his long frame. His three-point stroke remains suspect, but it seems like it’s only a matter of time before the Athens native plays in an all-star game.
Eastern Conference playoff races: The Eastern Conference surprised us early in the season with its depth of talent and now it is providing NBA fans with some heated playoff races down the stretch.
The Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers continue to duke it out for the top seed. Beyond them, the Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets are jostling for position in the middle of the pack while four teams are separated by just 3.5 games for the seventh and eighth seeds. One of those squads trying to hang on is the Chicago Bulls, who nobody wants to see in the first round. All this competition sure is a welcome change from the days of the ‘Leastern Conference.’
Stock Falling
Contenders’ defences: It’s not just the Raptors who are struggling with their defence of late. Out West, Golden State boasts the fifth best defence in the league, but has seen some slippage recently. Over their past eight games, the Warriors have surrendered more than 100 points seven times. They’ve faced some strong teams over that stretch, but have also played the Los Angeles Lakers (a shocking loss) and the Orlando Magic twice. It’s nothing to worry about for the time being, but it could be cause for concern for the reigning champs should the issues persist.
In the East, the Raptors have drawn the ire of their head coach this past week for their effort on the defensive end, but the Cavaliers have also shown some cracks. On Monday, Cleveland suffered an embarrassing home loss to a skeleton Memphis Grizzlies lineup that had no business even being in that contest. Speaking of which…
Memphis Grizzlies: One of the Western Conference’s juggernauts of the past few seasons is limping into the post-season…literally. Memphis is already without its best player for the remainder of the year in Marc Gasol, and the injuries continue to pile up. Zach Randolph, Mike Conley, and Chris Andersen are on the shelf as well, leaving the team completely decimated. After Mario Chalmers ruptured his Achilles, the Grizzlies were forced to waive him because they desperately need the roster spot for someone who can actually suit up.
They somehow managed to beat the Cavs earlier this week, but if they can’t get some of their key pieces back and healthy, it figures to be more of a whimper than a roar from the Grizzlies come April.
Andrea Bargnani: Il Mago never lived up to expectations after being drafted first overall by the Raptors in 2006 but he’s seemingly now hit rock bottom. Bargnani was waived by the lowly Brooklyn Nets and no other NBA team has made an offer to pick him up. Word is he has turned down opportunities to play in Europe and may have to wait until next year to catch on with an NBA franchise. Trading Bargnani to the New York Knicks looks better with each passing day for Toronto.
