After one week of games, we are now able to break down every single team and make judgments about each player and team, right? Ok, maybe not.  But let’s do it anyway.

One week in, there’s three undefeated teams left;  surprising. The three teams left? Boston at 5-0, Denver at 4-0 and Phoenix at 4-0. Boston, I think we expected. Denver, if you think they should be worse, go get yourself checked. Phoenix…hmm, they are a different breed, right now. Everyone thought Steve Nash would be old and slow… guy is on another level with that speed.

Judging teams and players is something we just do. It’s embedded in our systems. Opening night, a friend texted me asking if I was ready? He was a Boston fan….Cleveland went up on Boston 10 quick points, and I immediately replied, “I am…but clearly your team is not.” He quickly shot back, “So you are already judging, nice.” A minute later,  this happened:

So clearly I was on to something, but still. Judging is bad for your health, whether its them Boston Celtics, the fact that the Lakers are playing the Clippers on Ring Night (poor guys), or the fact that your friend started talking to that girl in the club. Don’t judge; it won’t get you anywhere, and will definitely end up finding a way to back fire on you most of the time anyways.

With that said, let’s judge some NBA teams after the first week anyway.

Boston Celtics
Good lord. Can an NBA basketball team look scarier than this team? There are people that said coming in the Lakers are favorites because they have the title…but even as a Laker fan…the Celtics are the team to beat right now.

They are just ridiculous. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are apparently in the best shape of their lives, and Rondo came into the season with something to prove. And after the New Orleans game, I don’t think Rondo believes any other point guard is better than him, and he won’t stop until we say it.
(Note: I am not saying it yet)

The Sheed project is working thus far. But curious minds, you put the two league leaders in technical fouls on one team…only means this team might break the record for most technicals in a season, right?  They have 6 through 5 games (Perkins: 2, Wallace: 1). But when you are beating teams by 21.6 points on average a night, I would hope there is not much to complain about. Four players averaging double digit points only suits Rondo’s 10.4 assists a game.

Needless to say, this team through 5 games is looking pretty flawless.

Carmelo Anthony
Apologies to the rest of the Denver Nuggets squad, but we are only going to talk about Melo right now, because he is the sole reason the Nuggets are 4-0. Yes, Billups is having a good year, yes Nene and K-Mart look healthy and in good form, and yes, Ty Lawson looks like an underdog rookie of the year with the way he is playing. But 34.8 points a game on 21.5 shots a game and a 50% shooting percentage?

Prior to this season, I think Melo owned the title of fastest release of a shot with a defender in his grill. There were people in the L that were close, but this year, he is hands down unstoppable. His stepback is pretty and impossible to defend. And he is just looking to Milsap somebody every night now. (Yes, Milsap is now a verb.) I also have to point out that he has had 2 40-point games so far this season.

All this talk about Lebron and Kobe fighting out for the MVP again this year…Anthony is taking the MVP discussions by storm just 4 games in.

Yes, it’s early, but this is what judging is all about, right?

Lebron + Shaq = Title
That’s what all of Cleveland said, right? It’s what management thought when they got Shaq for ultimately, nothing. And critics will quickly call out Mike Brown’s coaching…or lack of it.

In the playoffs last year, we saw that there was no real offense, and it was just give LBJ the rock, either set him a pick or move out of the way and be ready to shoot. It’s more of the same this year, and it hasn’t really transgressed into anything. So it won’t, and they will be terrible all year long. Shaq and Mike Brown will get into a fight in the media, and we won’t hear about it, because when the Cavs are on a 5 game losing streak, all we will hear about is where Lebron will sign in the summer.

They started 0-2 and the judgment is out. The Cavs will struggle all season long.  If only it were that easy. That won’t be the case, and the Cavs will still be at the top of the Eastern Conference because Lebron is Lebron. Whether Mike Brown will still be there, or Shaq’s agent will be talking to Orlando and Los Angeles for his retirement season in June…still remains to be seen.

But let’s already start the chatter and reference Sam Smith, Bulls.com writer who has public stated that Lebron’s biggest chance to earn his worldwide legacy he so desperately wants will only come in Los Angeles with the Lakers. Sure the Knicks, Nets and wherever D-Wade will go will be enticing, but ultimately, his best bet is in LA with Kobe.

(Haters, I’m not saying this. Sam Smith is. Look him up.)

Los Angeles Clowns, err…Lakers
First the Lakers get these ridiculous rings. Then they get embarrassed the second game of the season AT home.  Then they play one quarter against Atlanta, enough to win, followed by their first road game in Oklahoma which was harder to win than an NBA Finals game.

Insert Phil Jackson cutting off his finger and unable to find it somewhere in between there. Oh, and Lamar’s new addiction (via Ron Artest) is oranges.

Pau Gasol is supposed to be out up to 6 weeks and the Lakers bench is absolutely terrible…time to judge. The Lakers are weak and borderline terrible. They have no focus, and there is no way they will even be in the top 3 of the West (San Antonio, Denver and Dallas). Right?

Artest is just starting to get rolling. Bynum is aggressive and Kobe hasn’t pointed at anybody yet. Still much to be seen in LA.

For all these teams, one week of hoops means absolutely nothing. Of course, that won’t stop people (and me) from fully making irrational conclusions about certain teams, players and the state of the league. But it still means nothing. 82 games means it is a long season, and a beasty Boston squad might get tired and break down (6 thirty year olds and an average age of 29 may not favor them too greatly). Maybe the Lakers will realize what the word “focus” is and will put together a win streak more than 6-7 games, something we haven’t seen in years. And perhaps Melo and the Nuggets will turn into what George Karl’s teams always end up turning into…irrelevant.

That’s just the initial part of judging the whole scope of the season after one week. We haven’t even begun to judge the likes of Allen Iverson, Chris Paul, Delonte West, Brandon Jennings, Blake Griffin and the rest of the L.

But my friends, we will. We definitely will. Because, if we didn’t judge and expect triple doubles from every player every night, what fun would this league be? The answer is a lot, but still.

Stay tuned…