The NBA season is over a week in and we already have plenty of storylines for fans to follow. We've had enough time to see superstars in new digs, we've seen the 2017 draft class show a lot of substance to the hype. Rookies such as Sac Town's De'Aaron fox, Boston's Jayson Tatum, Dallas' Dennis Smith Jr. and the Lakers' Lonzo Ball have all had impressive showings in the first week of the young season. The All-Stars who changed teams in the offseason seem to be adjusting to their new homes, though not all early returns are positive. The 2016 #1 pick Ben Simmons made his debut and has been dominating for the Sixers along with Joel Embiid, and they have the Sixers thinking playoffs.
The Greek Freak is already generating MVP talk with his historic start to the season. Blake Griffin has led the Clippers to a 4-0 start including this game-winner against the Blazers. The Suns are tanking to new levels. LeBron is dropping near triple-doubles, in his 15th year, and says he's not in shape. The Warriors have struggled but, they're the Warriors.
Dwyane Wade has struggled so far in Cleveland, recently accepting a demotion to the bench in an effort to improve his play. Kyrie Irving and the Celtics are looking better by the game with their ball movement and defense despite the injury to Gordon Hayward. Carmelo and Paul George have fit in almost seamlessly with Russ in OKC, though they're still trying to find the right balance, or show consistency when it comes to closing games. Jimmy Butler is playing well for Minnesota despite missing time with an illness. His presence, though we've only played a handful of games, hasn't had the effect on the Timberwolves defense as of yet. Kristaps Porzingis is showing lead-man potential in NYK despite their JV version of an NBA franchise.
Perhaps the biggest storyline of this season has to be that damn "injury bug". Players all across the league have been hurt, and some are already out for the season. Gordon Hayward (Celtics) broke his tibia 6 minutes into his Celtics debut against the Cavs. Derrick Rose, (Cavs) I know I know, Derrick Rose, suffered an ankle injury against the Bucks and missed a couple games. Jeremy Lin tore his patella tendon and is out for the season. Isaiah Thomas (hip) isn't expected back until January.
Chris Paul (Rockets) injured his knee in the season opener against the Warriors and is out for at least 2-4 weeks. Milos Teodosic (Clippers) CP3's successor in LA, has also been diagnosed with a foot injury. Kawhi Leonard (Spurs) is still recovering from a quad injury, and there is no timetable for his return. Anthony Davis missed 2 games with a knee injury. Overall #1 pick, Markelle Fultz has been shut down with a shoulder injury badly affecting his jump shot.
With so many stars in the league, it's easy to overlook matters when a couple people are hurt. The league however in this first week has been hit hard and its already having an effect on the playoff picture. In a season where we are almost certain to see the Cavs and Warriors, the other teams in the league give us hope for a competitive season and playoffs. But, injuries have decimated championship hopefuls and rebuilding teams alike, leaving the cream of the crop, (Golden State, Cleveland) at the top with little hope in sight.