The 2016-17 NBA season has been top-heavy. Elite teams have created large disparities between themselves and their mediocre conference counterparts.
And just as ups and downs fill the headlines for multiple teams, former Gators have had their own successes and struggles.
The real Beal
The Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal is enjoying the most successful campaign of his five-year career, averaging 21.6 points per game on nearly 45-percent shooting. After signing the former third-overall pick to a luxurious five-year, $128 million extension in the offseason, Washington looked for Beal to progress offensively as a leader and go-to scorer.
But worries regarding his ability to stay healthy kept doubters doubting the logic behind the deal.
However, with 44 games already completed, Beal has managed to improve his durability, suiting up for 40 of those contests and achieving career-high numbers in both scoring and assists.
Big men ballin’ and fallin'
Two former Gators received lucrative deals to leave teams they spent their entire careers on, and the outcomes couldn’t be more different.
Al Horford, who signed with the Boston Celtics after nine years with the Atlanta Hawks, is maintaining top-tier center play on an Eastern Conference contender. The 30-year-old is averaging 15.1 points per game while notching 6.9 rebounds and a career-best 1.7 blocks per game.
After missing much of the season with nagging injuries, the Dominican big man has provided size in the paint that Boston has lacked the last few seasons.
His defensive capabilities have made the Celtics a scary team to take the ball inside on, as seen by his three multi-block games in their last eight contests.
Opposite of Horford is former teammate Joakim Noah, who left the Chicago Bulls to join to New York Knicks. The center summed up his current tenure with the Knicks with a free throw on Monday against the Indiana Pacers that went viral. The shot missed the rim — along with the net, backboard and everything else involving the game.
Just....wow. ? pic.twitter.com/BdGNKN0kNF
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 24, 2017
Noah has averaged a measly 5.4 points per game while shooting a career-worst 41.7 percent from the charity stripe.
The Knicks currently sit at 20-26, good enough for a comfy seat at home to watch this year’s playoffs, and Noah has been a non-factor in pushing them toward a top-eight seed.
Back to the bench
As the Dallas Mavericks recovered from an early season decimation in the form of injuries, rookie forward Dorian Finney-Smith took advantage of the situation with solid rotational play.
Now, with many of the Mavericks' starters returning, including future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki, Finney-Smith expectedly moved back to the bench.
But the 23-year-old hasn’t fallen out of the rotation entirely. In fact, Sunday saw Finney-Smith total 34 minutes off the bench. While his numbers don’t stick out, Dallas coach Rick Carlisle has found a nice role for the former two-time All-SEC Second Team player as a big body who plays defense and can stretch the floor.
Contact Skyler Lebron at slebron@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @SkylerLebron.
Atlanta Hawks' Paul Millsap, right, tries to get a shot past New York Knicks' Joakim Noah during the first half of the NBA basketball game, Monday, Jan. 16, 2017 in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
