NBA Falls and Soars

It has been a quarter of the NBA Season and many surprises around the league, as teams like the Rockets and Celtics have been struggling, especially the Rockets, having a below .500 record after being projected to once again advance into the Western Conference Finals. However, teams like the Clippers and Grizzlies are at the top of the Western Conference. Here are the "Soars" and "Falls" of the 2018-2019 NBA Season so far:

Soaring: Clippers

Record: 15-6 OffRtg: 4 , DefRtg: 16

The Clippers have made a statement this season so far, on a four game winning streak so far. With a team that was projected to underperform due to the lack of star talent present on the team, the Clippers are on a four game winning streak and will look to make it 5 against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.

Falling: Portland Trail Blazers

Record: 13-8 OffRtg: 6, DefRtg: 8

After starting off the season in a blazing (no pun intended) fashion, the Blazers have cooled off. Lillard and McCollum have been usually the ones doing most of the work, and are once again doing the same exact thing. Someone on the team needs to step it up and help ease the pressure off McCollum and Lillard shoulders to advance to the playoffs. They will take on the Nuggets today.

Falling: Celtics

Record: 11-10 OffRtg: 27, DefRtg: 1

The Boston Celtics may have won last night but they still have some problems regarding their offense. They are in the bottom 5 in Offensive Efficiency, and need to have an explosive offense to keep up against top tier teams like the Raptors and Warriors. Kyrie Irving has been the leader of this team and needs to hope that someone else can help carry the scoring load, as Hayward is still on his minutes restriction. They will take on the Cavs today.

Falling: Rockets

Record: 9-11 OffRtg: 9, DefRtg: 28

Wow. What a surprising season for the Houston Rockets. Projected to be in the top 3 rankings this year, they are now in the bottom 2, just below the Suns. They miss Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute, key role players that factored into the 1st seed for the Rockets last season. Chris Paul has been underperforming heavily and needs to get it together to stay in the playoff race. Even though it's been only a quarter o-f the way, the Western Conference is too tough to fall behind and expect to be back in it right away. They will look to rebound against the Spurs today.

Soaring: Lakers

Record: 12-9 OffRtg: 9, DefRtg: 20

LeBron James has been performing...like LeBron as usual, as he is leading the Lakers in points, rebounds, and assists, and many other major statistics. The Lakers are his team now and for his team to have a chance against teams like the Thunder and Warriors, he will have to play at a high level once again. They will take on the Mavericks today.

Soaring: Pelicans

Record: 10-11 OffRtg: 5, DefRtg: 23

Despite what the record says, Anthony Davis and the Pelicans squad has been performing well. Led by the trio in AD, Jrue Holiday, and Nikola Mirotic, the Pelicans can make noise in the Western Conference. Holiday is most notable for his defense, but his offense has been pretty underrated lately. Mirotic's deadly range makes him unguardable at some stretches in the game. After their loss to the Celtics, the Pelicans will look to get it together today against the Heat.

Soaring: Hornets

Record: 9-8 OffRtg: 7, DefRtg: 12

Kemba Walker has been on fire these past few games, averaging 27 points and 6 assists, on 46% FG, inserting himself in the top PGs in the Eastern Conference. James Borrego has done a tremendous job turning this team around, with the development of his young players and placing veterans to make key plays during late stretches of the game. They will face the Jazz today, in hopes of a 3 game winning streak.

Falling: Wizards

Record: 8-13 OffRtg: 21, DefRtg: 29

The Wizards were projected to be a team that was to soar deep into the playoffs. Instead they have a losing record so far with many of their players performing below average. And to top it off, Dwight Howard is out for the majority of the season with a tailbone injury, and many are confused on how it happened. They will look to get it together against the Sixers today.