My favorite time of the year has finally arrived and I'm not talking about Halloween. NBA hoops is back. All 30 NBA squads have played at least one game. But sometimes you can pick up great trends or bad trends after one game out of 82 game grind. Here are 10 things I have already learned about this upcoming NBA season.
1. Russell Westbrook is a one man show.
The Oklahoma City Thunder started their season off with what should've been an easy win against the Philadelphia 76ers. But, shockingly, the Thunder seemed to struggle. Well, they struggled, except in the caseof Russell Westbrook. He easily led the Thunder in points, rebounds, assists and shots attempted as they barely beat the Sixers with a 103-97 win. Expect to hear that all season. Westbrook is great enough to have an MVP caliber year but will his team follow in his footsteps? Victor Oladipo, Steven Adams and Enes Kanter please don't leave Westbrook high and dry this season.
2. Anthony Davis is a great player on a bad team.
New Orleans Pelicans superstar power forward Anthony Davis did something that only Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor have done. Drop 50 points in a season opener. Davis is already putting up godly numbers to start out the season but sadly he has little to no help. With Jrue Holiday out for personal reasons and injuries to Tyreke Evans and Quincey Pondexter, the Pelicans might struggle. Hopefully their first round pick Buddy Hield can develop into a respectable shooting guard to help Davis with the scoring load. Despite a potential struggle for the Pelicans this year look for Anthony Davis to put his team on his back.
3. The Miami Heat don't look that bad.
No team had a bigger fall from glory than the Miami Heat. After losing Dwayne Wade to free agency and Chris Bosh to health issues it looked like the Heat were going to be NBA bottom feeders. But Goran Dragic, Justice Winslow and Hassan Whiteside had different plans and won a tricky road game against the Orlando Magic. Don't expect a championship in South Beach anytime soon, however, don't expect Miami Heat to be as bad as we initially thought.
4. The young Lakers have potential.
The Lakers have a lot of promise. Their 120-114 win against James Harden and the Houston Rockets was very impressive. D'Angelo Russell scored 20, Julius Randle put in 18 points and Jordan Clarkson dropped 25 off the bench. Brandon Ingram, the Lakers number two overall draft pick had a solid debut. The post-Kobe era seems to be going in the right direction. The Lakers are going to worth watching now and in the future.
5. The Warriors need some time to gain chemistry.
Warrior fans don't panic but your team needs some time to develop some chemistry. This team on paper can be one of the greatest teams talent-wise the NBA has ever seen. But patience is a virtue. After losing their home opener to the same old amazing San Antonio Spurs by a whopping 29 points Kevin Durant said it best, "It was a slap in the face". The Warriors have to know that every single team in the NBA are going to give them their best shot. With Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green they should be just fine. I'm willing to bet they will be in the NBA Finals for the third straight year.
6. The Indiana Pacers are really good.
The Indiana Pacers seem to be the only real threat to the Cavaliers dominance in the Eastern Conference. With Paul George officially back to superstar status and the signing of solid point guard in Jeff Teague. Look for the Pacers to be a top three seed.
7. Damian Lillard is an MVP candidate.
Damian Lillard has been underrated since he entered the league. There are so many elite point guards that Lillard seemed to regularly go unnoticed but not anymore. In Lillard's first game he dropped an effortless 39 points with a clutch three with less than a minute left to put the Portland Trailblazers over the top. The Trailblazers might not be title contenders but Lillard's play could take them places.
8. LeBron James is playing with no pressure.
What else can you say or criticize about LeBron James at this point of his career. Absolutely nothing. For the first time in his career he is playing with no pressure. He has fulfilled his promise to his hometown and brought a championship to the city of Cleveland for the first time in five decades. Look for LeBron and the Cavaliers to have another tremendous season. Oh yeah and in his first game James casually got a triple double while beating the Knicks by 29. No pressure right?
9. Let's not jump on the Timberwolves bandwagon just yet.
For the first time in a long time, the Minnesota Timberwolves came into the season with positive expectations. With a great coach in Tom Thibodeau at the helm and the young and talented core of Karl Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach Lavine many expect them to make the playoffs. Although they lost their first game to the Grizzlies and looked like the same old Timberwolves it's still very early. Hopefully in time these young Timberwolves can exceed expectations.
10. No Duncan, No Problem.
The San Antonio Spurs remind me of a well oiled car that will never break down. Every season it seems like the Spurs will 50 games or more and compete for championship. This year will be no different but it will be without the greatest power forward ever, Tim Duncan, who has been the heart and soul of the Spurs for nearly two decades. However, Kawhi Leonard is the new face of the Spurs. After scoring a career high 35 against the Warriors and dropping 30 points against the Kings, it's no doubt this is Leonard's team.
