NBA Week 14 Winners and Losers : Suns Making Progress, but Depth Issues Linger
The situation is a little clearer in the Eastern Conference with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks firmly at the top.
Kevin Durant and Devin Booker had it going, totaling 61 points between them on 63.2% shooting. Bradley Beal chipped in with 17 points off the bench in 25 minutes. The rest of the second unit of Royce O’Neale, Nick Richards, and Tyus Jones found their shots to only go 7-of-22 (31.8%). Even when Butler will become a member, Phoenix’s depth and bench contribution are huge issues.
With Jimmy Butler serving his third suspension this month, the Heat have turned to rookie center Kel’el Ware, and the results have been promising. Since moving into the starting lineup, the 7-footer has made a strong impact on both ends of the court.
The 15th overall pick has strengthened Miami’s interior defense, allowing Bam Adebayo to shift to power forward and play a more versatile defensive role. Ware has also brought some offense to the table as a reliable lob target and floor-spacer. In his last six games, he’s averaged 16.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. But Miami is only 3-3 in that stretch, losing to the Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers, and Cavaliers. Ware was overmatched by Cleveland’s size in Wednesday’s loss, but the long-term potential is there.
The fourth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Amen Thompson, has always been known for his defensive intensity. His aggression was on full display when he threw Tyler Herro to the court on Dec. 29, leading to a two-game suspension.
Since his return, Thompson has been an efficient offensive force, shooting 56.7% from the field while averaging 18.5 points per game. More importantly for Houston, the Rockets have gone 9-2 in the 11 games since his suspension, making a strong push in the standings.
The Hawks have been inconsistent all season, but this latest slump may be the thing that derails their playoff hopes. Atlanta lost six in a row, with back-to-back defeats against the Toronto Raptors. Their offense was among the worst in the league during this stretch, averaging only 98.4 points per 100 possessions—second-worst in the NBA, ahead of only the Washington Wizards (95.6).
To make matters worse, rising star Jalen Johnson tore his left labrum when his shoulder was dislocated on Jan. 23. Johnson was in the middle of a breakout season with career highs in points (18.9), rebounds (10), assists (5), steals (1.6), and blocks (1). His absence for the remainder of the season is a devastating blow to the Hawks.
The defending champion Denver Nuggets have struggled on their current road trip, losing three straight games to the Timberwolves, Chicago Bulls, and Knicks. Their biggest issue has been defense, allowing opponents to score 133, 129, and 122 points, respectively.
Each time Denver has lost, its opponents have shot over 50% from the field. The biggest issue has been perimeter defense: the Knicks and Timberwolves each made 14 three-pointers, while the Bulls shot 24 beyond the arc on their way to shooting over 41% from deep. Denver has also not taken care of the ball well, averaging 16.3 turnovers per game in this streak.
The Wizards stand poised to set a franchise record for futility. Last year, Washington tied a dubious team record with a 16-game losing streak. This year, they repeated the feat, becoming the sixth team in NBA history to suffer two 16-game losing streaks in a season.
Now, they’re on the brink of another unwanted milestone. Having been thrashed by the Raptors on Wednesday, the Wizards have now lost 15 in a row. If they fail to overcome the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, they would need to get the Timberwolves on Saturday just to avoid matching the worst franchise losing streak at 17.
