NBA midseason grades: Pacific Division

Steph Curry remains a marvel. Small guards are supposed to be done by the time they hit their mid-30’s, yet the 37-year-old ace is still an offensive dynamo, his shooting and movement remaining an unsolvable puzzle.

Butler still has his moments but is himself 36 and has years on the tires. Horford finally looks his age, Brandin Podziemski remains bafflingly inconsistent, and Jonathan Kuminga finally looks like he’s on the way out. Will he bring back another aging vet, raging against the dying of the light?

Los Angeles Clippers (18-23): C-

A month into the season, the Clippers would have had this writer googling to see if there was an available mark lower than an F. But they’ve managed to somewhat redeem themselves of late. Since a loss to the Thunder saw them drop to 6-21, they’ve gone on a tear.

The key has been Kawhi Leonard playing to an MVP level and, well, playing. He’s supplying the Clippers with 28.2 points, 6.3 boards, 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals, whilst shooting 39.9% from three.

James Harden continues to defy the aging process. Brook Lopez and John Collins have found their feet with their new club. That has allowed them to progress towards a solid record despite a down year from Ivica Zubac.

Los Angeles Lakers (24-15): B-

There is a disconnect between the Lakers roster and what coach JJ Redick wants from said roster. The fact that the Lakers remain on the positive side of the ledger is down to their top-end talent — Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves — overwhelming the opposition in the clutch.

The issue, though, is getting into clutch situations. This roster is thin and ill-fitting around their best player, Doncic. They don’t play defense or shoot the ball with any level of consistency.

For the Lakers to be where they are is a testament to their tentpole stars. Staying where they are will rely on them, too.

Phoenix Suns (24-17): A+

Was it only last season that the Suns looked like the single worst situation in the entire league?

Removing a former All-Star in Bradley Beal and a future Hall of Famer in Kevin Durant wasn’t supposed to help matters. Yet, thanks to a resurgent Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks and the emergence of role players like Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, the Suns are both performing well and an awful lot of fun to watch.

Rookie coach Jordan Ott might win Coach of the Year for his effort in reorganizing this ragtag group, who would run through a series of brick walls for him.

Mat Ishbia might be onto something with this group.

Sacramento Kings (12-30): F

This side is truly hopeless.

This veteran-laden roster fails to either shoot the three ball or attack the hoop with any sort of success on offense. Defensively, they don’t protect the cup or create turnovers.

So, what do they do well? Sadness. The Kings have cornered the NBA market on sadness.