Mid-Season Look: Silverhawks

We took a look at Transformers (and Voltron) earlier, so let’s stay with the Chamberlain Conference and take a gander at Silverhawks! [2016 Previews: Playoff Teams | Non-Playoff Teams]

Sour Snails (11-0)
Seriously, how could this team get any better? We know the top six by now: Curry, Westbrook, Klay, Jimmy Butler, Boogie, Rudy Gay. Snails is ranked first in PTS, 3PT, STL, second in AST and REB, third in FG%, and about middle of the pack in FT% and BLK. Sure, they’re last in TOs but that’s not exactly going to get anyone a win against them.

It’s a little strange that Snails is slightly lower in FT% than usual but we’re attributing that to DeMarcus Cousins’ 74.5 FG% on 9.7 attempts a game, offsetting Russell Westbrook, Jimmy Butler, and Stephen Curry’s dead-eye from the free throw line. Trieu is still tinkering with the back end of his lineup, as he searches for a big man to pair with Cousins. Joakim Noah hasn’t been the answer so there was a trade for Gorgui Dieng that has so far been a wash. But GM Trieu is still unearthing gems, as Jordan Clarkson has found a nice role off the bench, averaging 15.1 PTS, 4.4 REB, 3.0 AST, 1.6 STL over his last month of games.

Can anybody win against this squad? Perhaps an all-bigs team? Snails won’t see Funk Coalition this season and already toppled Soup Dumplings in WK5. Maybe during this week’s matchup, a Finals rematch actually, against High Riser could yield a loss. Otherwise it’s cruise control for Snails as they try to keep everyone healthy for another deep playoff run.

Fat Jubas (7-3-1)
If Snails is undefeated heading into the last week of the regular season, it’ll be up to Fat Jubas to dethrone them. They almost did it in WK8, but fell one category short. The Jubas are a team rejuvenated. Well, technically they were pretty darn good last year, finishing with a 11-6-2 record, but this year's team has won five of its last six and just looks better overall. The additions of 2016 first round pick CJ McCollum and pre-draft trade acquisition Chris Bosh have helped transform this team. McCollum is averaging 20.9 PTS, 4.4 AST, 1.2 STL, and 2.5 3PT during his breakout year while Bosh has been quietly dropped in 19.1 PTS, 8.0 REB, 1.7 3PT per game after coming back from chest surgery.

Oh yeah, and to lock up GM of the Year for Eric, free agent Will Barton has emerged as the Nuggets’ best player and is averaging 18.1 PTS, 3.3 AST, 2.1 3PT for the past month. Mix in the return of Nicolas Batum and his astonishing 6.6 AST and suddenly Chris Paul and Gordon Hayward have a nice toy box full of pieces to contend with. Overall, Jubas are second in FT%, third in 3PT, fifth in PTS and AST -- lacking only a rim protector -- and are otherwise looking toward a smooth regular season and a sweet cruise into the playoffs.

Fob Stars (6-4-1)
It’s starting to look like there could be three Silverhawks teams headed to the post-season. Fob Stars picked up only four wins all of last year but are now nipping at Fat Jubas’ heels for second place in the division. After starting off 1-4, the Fobs had a five game winning streak going before a close loss versus High Riser last week. Sure, their schedule has been pretty soft, with only two opponents over 0.500, but wins are wins!

This team features almost no strengths but also not many weaknesses either, aside from ranking second-to-last in AST. Young guys Trey Burke and Nerlens Noel have had trouble getting on Coach Jimmy’s good side as they have been seeing less time than Trevor Ariza, Ryan Anderson, and Mason Plumlee. It looks like Fob Stars is spreading the floor more this year, and while we’d still have rather kept Khris Middleton over Ryan Anderson, the white man's stretch four is back with 16.7 PTS, 6.3 REB, and 1.9 3PT this season.

Also, Kent Bazemore has been incredible this year — after we mocked him in the pre-draft review — with 14.5 PTS, 5.2 REB, 2.1 3PT, 1.3 STL on 46.4 FG% over the past month. With 2016 #2 overall pick D’Angelo Russell finally flashing some signs, it looks like GM Jimmy has plenty of pieces to shuffle around, or to possibly trade. Zach Randolph anyone?

Jedi Knights (1-10)
After two seasons of back-to-back five win seasons and a flurry of trades, Jedi Knights seem to be back where they started: at the bottom. Currently on a seven game losing skid, the end isn’t in sight for Jedi either. Can Rey and Finn save this team? Not when they couldn’t even save Force Awakens! AmIright?!

The problems for Jedi begin in the backcourt, where Deron Williams and Bradley Beal have been in and out of the lineup. Beal is just returning to action and old man Williams sits a lot for Dallas, and Coach Lum hasn’t been able to reliably put him into the lineup. 2016 #3 overall pick Emmanuel Mudiay has been injured too, and generally not as good as advertised. That has left Monta Ellis as the only source of consistency among the guards, and even he is down to 13.3 PTS in Indianapolis, although he’s finally hitting almost one 3PT per game.

The “strength” of the team right now is with the four athletic forwards: Thaddeus Young (9.2 REB, 1.5 STL, 51.5 FG%), Otto Porter Jr. (1.6 STL), Al-Farouq Aminu (6.7 REB, 1.6 3PT), and Jeff Green. Each of them are better served as secondary pieces and none of them score much, contributing to Jedi’s last place ranking in PTS — they’re also last in REB. As for the frontline, Roy Hibbert is borderline droppable, serving as a BLK specialist only, and Al Jefferson has been on both suspension and injury leave. Basically time’s for wheel’em and deal’em Lum to get into action again, or maybe he'll just wait out the injuries and see what he can salvage as Jedi prepares for yet another Toilet Bowl.