overzealous and pass out some hardware!
Biggest surprise: The Atlanta Hawks (4-0)
I've got to be completely honest. I completely expected this team to take a step back this year. Josh Childress leaving--and Mike Woodson not-- was enough to convince they were worse than the 37-win team they were a year ago. How they've managed to beat Orlando, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Toronto (all four should be playoff teams) I don't understand. Especially since Marvin Williams has only played in one game and Al Horford doesn't seem to have gotten that much better. The difference might be that Joe Johnson has become a true franchise player. Biggest disappointment: The San Antonio Spurs (1-4)
I thought they might struggle, but not like this. Without Manu Ginobili the Spurs rely almost
completely on Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, with the occasional big game from Roger Mason.
Nobody else can really score. If Parker's ankle injury forces him to miss too much time, this
team could be in trouble. For their lone win they had to get 55 points and 10 assists from
Parker in double overtime against the Minnesota Timberwolves... doesn't look good.
Best Rookie: Derrick Rose; PG, Bulls
I was one of the people who assumed Derrick Rose would struggle initially. I thought his lack of
a consistent jump shot would really hinder what he could do. But there were a couple things I
didn't count on. First, I didn't think his jumper would improve so dramatically during the
off-season. Second, no one can stay in front of him. He can get to the rim anytime he wants.
Sure, he gets a little erratic at times, but that's to be expected from a rookie point guard.
Bottom line... he leads all rookies in scoring (17.8 ppg) and is second in assists (4.2 apg).
MVP: Joe Johnson
Of all the undefeated teams, they Hawks have easily played the toughest schedule. Joe
Johnson has averaged 28 ppg, 5.7 rpg, and 3.7 apg. Johnson will most likely not win
MVP award at the end of the season... so let's give him his 15 minutes of fame.
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