NBA End Of Year Team Report Cards For 2018

With the 2018 calendar coming to a close, the NBA is, give or take, 35 games completed. That's enough time to give grades to certain teams.

Taking most of the school grades — A+, A, B, C, D and F — and assigning teams to them, we can see where some NBA franchises are succeeding and others are miserably failing. Where do clubs like the Toronto Raptors, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and other clubs fit into that picture?

Here is an end of the year report card for 2018 in the NBA.

A+: Toronto Raptors

The Raptors took a gamble when they traded their star player in DeMar DeRozan. It wasn't so much that the player they were getting back wasn't better (Kawhi Leonard is a better player) but the team put tons of pressure on themselves to win immediately or there was really no chance Leonard would stay with the club past this season. This 2018-19 campaign is a must-win.

So far, things are looking up. The Raptors lead the NBA with a record of 25-10 and are favorites coming out of the Eastern Conference to make it to the NBA Finals. With each passing game, speculation is that Leonard might consider staying. Meanwhile, the Spurs are struggling with an 18-16 record.

A: Denver Nuggets

Tops in the Western Conference with a 21-10 record, the Nuggets are ahead of teams like the Golden State Warriors and OKC Thunder. They've been missing keys pieces out of the lineup at times and don't seem to care as they're playing like a team that makes zero excuses. It's quite impressive and they are making some noise in terms of becoming a team you have to respect.

If things keep going well, with the offense this team can put together, they may actually win the Western Conference when all is said and done.

B: Golden State Warriors

This should be a season where the Warriors are looking at an A or A+ rating but they've stumbled in many ways in 2018, including in-team bickering, a poorer win/loss record than they might like and speculation that Kevin Durant will be leaving town at the first sign of light when the season is over.

The Warriors have been in the news for a lot of the wrong reasons so far this season but they're still a really strong team and could start to play like the Warriors everyone knows. Don't forget, Demarcus Cousins still needs to make his official debut.

C: Los Angeles Lakers

There were some who expected a lot out of the Lakers and others who didn't expect much. The argument was that any team who had LeBron James should be a contender. The counter-argument was that the Lakers did little to surround him with pieces that could win this season.

But, the Lakers are right in the middle of the pack, but keep improving. They sit fourth in the Western Conference at 19-14, and there is some chemistry starting to build. Imagine what this team will be like when they land another star to play with LeBron!

D: Boston Celtics

Something is happening in Boston and it's not good. While the team is above .500 and they can still be a top team in the Eastern Conference, there is a belief the team has lost some of its mojo. They are now 19-13 after being considered one of the teams to come out of the East and give Toronto a run for their money.

F: Cleveland Cavaliers

There are a few teams that could have given the Cavs a run as the worst team on our list. That included the Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, and Atlanta Hawks. The reason the Cavs get the prize is because they're tied for the league's worst record and everyone expected that would be the case. Cleveland is living up to negative expectations.

Not only are they bad this year but they're proving they were a team that only consisted of LeBron James and nothing else.

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