Merry Christmas to all. It is a day for household, opening presents, comforting meals, and watching “Elf” on a loop.
It is also the unofficial begin of the NBA season for a lot of followers throughout the nation, and the league has lined up a slate of 5 star-studded, high-profile video games to get folks into the NBA spirit… besides, we’re greater than a 3rd of the best way into the NBA season already. Lots has occurred.
For these of you waking up Christmas morning and taking a severe have a look at the NBA for the primary time this season, let’s reply your questions and catch everybody up on what has occurred to this point.
Why is Draymond Inexperienced suspended once more? What’s going on with the Warriors?
This season has felt like the top of the Warriors championship period — they’re raging in opposition to the dying of that gentle, nevertheless it feels just like the solar is setting on this period. Draymond Inexperienced getting suspended is simply one other symptom.
Inexperienced has been suspended indefinitely for a blow to the face of Phoenix’s Jusuf Nurkic.
What led to the league coming down this tough was it was not Inexperienced’s first suspension this season — he missed 5 video games after placing Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert in a chokehold and dragging him down the court docket — and all season Inexperienced felt like he was on tilt. Enjoying with an edge made Inexperienced a champion and future Corridor of Famer, however this season he is felt extra gimmick than centered participant.
The Warriors are 15-14 on the season and sit because the No. 10 seed within the West — if the postseason began as we speak they might be on the highway for the play-in video games. Stephen Curry has been nothing in need of sensible — 28.3 factors per sport and capturing 42.1% from 3, trying like he may find yourself on the MVP poll at instances — however the supporting forged will not be dwelling as much as that commonplace. Inexperienced is suspended, Andrew Wiggins (the largest concern, for my cash) has performed so poorly that he was moved to the bench, and Klay Thompson will not be constantly the identical shot creator or defender he was previous to his accidents (torn ACL and Achilles). Steve Kerr has needed to lean into 21-year-old Jonathan Kuminga and rookie Brandin Podziemski. The result’s a Warriors workforce that may present flashes of brilliance — and will on Christmas Day in opposition to the defending champion Nuggets — however total, this workforce has a middle-of-the-pack offense and protection. The Warriors haven’t appeared like a playoff risk this season.
With Portland drafting Scoot Henderson and transferring towards a rebuild final June, franchise talisman Lillard — for my cash the best Path Blazer ever — requested for a commerce and the prospect to win on the finish of his profession. He finally was traded to Milwaukee and that transfer labored in addition to the Bucks may have hoped on two ranges. First, bringing in Lillard confirmed the franchise’s dedication to profitable, and with that Giannis Antetokounmpo signed a contract extension to stick with the workforce. Disaster averted.
Second, the Lillard and Antetokounmpo pairing took a bit of bit to seek out its footing however has turn out to be one of many league’s strongest duos, main the Bucks to seven straight wins and the No. 2 seed within the East. Milwaukee is doing it with much less Lillard/Antetokounmpo pick-and-roll than anticipated and with extra quick break factors, nevertheless it’s working — the Bucks have a +10 web ranking when these two are on the court docket. With Brook Lopez within the paint and Khris Middleton nonetheless within the combine, the Bucks are clear title contenders.
Nonetheless, one a part of this commerce may come again to chunk the Bucks within the playoffs. To get Lillard, Milwaukee needed to ship All-Star level guard and elite defender Jrue Vacation to the Path Blazers, who rapidly flipped Vacation to the Boston Celtics — the Bucks’ largest rivals within the East. If these groups meet within the playoffs, Vacation guarding Lillard may resolve the sequence.
James Harden is a Clipper? How’s that going?
Harden to the Clippers is working higher than many anticipated. Harden took a number of warmth for forcing his method off a 3rd workforce in 4 years, however the Clippers noticed a danger price taking — they weren’t going far with the core of Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook. There was a tough patch at first for Harden and the Clippers, however since Russell Westbrook agreed to maneuver to a sixth-man position, Harden and the Clippers have thrived. Los Angeles is 9-2 in its final 11 video games with the second-best offense within the NBA over that stretch (and people two losses have been their final two video games when Leonard was out with a hip damage, the one two video games he has missed all season). Harden’s passing and Leonard enjoying like his classic self has the Clippers trying like a workforce that would threaten Denver within the West (as a lot as anybody within the convention can).
Why is everybody marveling at LeBron James?
As a result of he’s enjoying higher than a participant days away from turning 39 has a proper to. Different NBA legends have performed to age 40 and a bit of previous, however even the good Kareem Abudul-Jabbar — who was a 17.5 point-a-game All-Star at age 39 — was not doing what LeBron has this season: 25.7 factors, 7.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists a sport, and that is the most effective pure capturing of LeBron’s profession. He’s the Lakers main shot creator — the workforce goes as he goes nightly — and LeBron has performed at a degree that would land him on MVP ballots. He has been a surprise to look at.
LeBron has stepped it up on the largest phases the previous couple of seasons — which is why the Lakers received the In-Season Event — and can probably have a giant day on Christmas in opposition to the Celtics. The query is whether or not he will get the assist he wants from Anthony Davis and others.
What’s going on with the defending champion Denver Nuggets?
They’re simply cruising alongside, profitable sufficient and ready for the video games to get severe. When centered they’re the most effective workforce within the West (even when they sit third within the convention standings behind the upstart Timberwolves and Thunder). Denver obtained off to a quick 9-2 begin then the mixture of accidents and tedium with the common season has seen the Nuggets go 11-8 since. This workforce nonetheless has Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, and when these two are on the court docket collectively the Nuggets have a +14.5 web ranking. Denver units the bar, any workforce with title goals of lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy must be higher than the Nuggets — and the Warriors might discover out simply how excessive the Nuggets set that bar on Christmas Day.
Who’re the most effective groups within the NBA?
For my cash there are 4 groups within the prime tier of title contenders: the Nuggets within the West, the Celtics, Bucks and 76ers within the East. If I have been a betting man I might put my cash on a Denver vs. Boston NBA Finals, however there’s a very long time between now and June, a number of issues can change.
Within the West, there are a variety of high quality groups — the Timberwolves with the most effective protection within the land, the star-studded Clippers, the up-and-coming Thunder, and perhaps the Lakers — who may problem Denver in a seven-game playoff sequence, however each considered one of them has severe inquiries to reply first. Denver is the recognized amount.
Who’s main the MVP race?
Joel Embiid is barely forward of Nikola Jokic to be MVP. That is each on my early scorecard and the outcomes of the primary ESPN straw ballot (which isn’t a precise match to the NBA’s voting pool however does a superb job of predicting the end result).
Embiid is having a greater season than he did a 12 months in the past when he received MVP: 35 factors, 11.7 rebounds and 6 assists a sport, doing extra playmaking from the elbow/free throw line space, and being a defensive power. Jokic is nearly averaging a triple-double on the season at 26.4 factors, 12.3 rebounds, and 9.2 assists per sport. Have a look at the superior stats and there’s practically lifeless warmth between these two.
On my poll, the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on that prime tier with Embiid and Jokic as SGA has lifted the Thunder to turn out to be one of many prime groups within the league whereas averaging 30.8 factors, 6.3 assists and 5.7 rebounds a sport. After that, the battle for the ultimate couple of spots on the five-man poll is crowded with Jayson Tatum, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Tyrese Haliburton and Anthony Edwards deserving of consideration.
Victor Wembanyama was an enormous identify out of the draft. How’s he doing?
Impressively properly, simply on a really dangerous workforce. The Spurs have performed Wembanyama in a number of completely different roles — posting up, getting him the ball within the excessive put up, having him convey the ball up, dealing with up on the wing — and he’s discovering his consolation zones within the league and the place he can get his factors. Within the final couple of weeks, Gregg Popovich took the coaching wheels off (Wembanyama is not enjoying subsequent to a “actual” middle in Zach Collins, and the purpose guard scenario has modified), and issues have appeared higher. For the season, Wembanyama is averaging 18.5 factors and 10.7 rebounds a sport, plus, extra importantly, three blocks an evening — he’s already a wonderful rim protector and defender. Wembanyama has been every part the Spurs may have hoped for as a rookie.
And he nonetheless would not win Rookie of the 12 months proper now, that may go to the Thunder’s Chet Holmgren. The No. 2 choose of 2022 sat out all of final season as a result of damage, then this season was requested to step into a selected position subsequent to Gilgeous-Alexander as a pick-setter who can come out for 3, roll to the rim and supply the rim safety this workforce wants. Holmgren has achieved that to the tune of 17.2 factors and eight rebounds a sport, and he’s impacting profitable.
What was this “In-Season Event” and the way did it go?
The NBA tried to juice what’s often a quiet time of the season by placing collectively a European-style soccer match in the course of the NBA season. The aim was to spice up the extent of play and fan curiosity, which appeared to work — the extent of play was greater in these video games and scores have been up. Gamers appreciated it and have been motivated (every participant on the profitable workforce getting $500,000 helped), the league’s hardcore followers cherished it, and soccer followers usually extra fearful about their fantasy lineups appeared up lengthy sufficient to ask “What’s with these courts?”
LeBron James and the Lakers received the inaugural In-Season Event — and raised a banner for it — and 12 months one must be thought-about a hit. The format may use tweaks, and the way many individuals are watching if LeBron and the Lakers should not within the Finals is up for debate, however this labored properly and we’ll see this match for a number of extra years at the least.
What’s occurring with Ja Morant?
He is again and reminding everybody why he’s probably the most dynamic participant within the league. Morant missed the primary 25 video games of the common season with a suspension for a second offense waiving a gun round on social media (a foul search for an image-counsious league). The Grizzlies have been misplaced with out Morant (and middle Steven Adams, who’s out for the season following surgical procedure) and began the season 6-19. Since Morant’s return they’ve received three straight and he hit the game-winner in opposition to the Pelicans. Instantly the Grizzlies climbing their method into the play-in and into the playoffs past that appears potential.
Who’s having a breakout season?
There have been a number of. On the prime of the record must be Tyrese Haliburton with the Pacers, who has been nearly as good and as essential an offensive participant to his workforce as now we have seen this season. The most effective passers within the sport (one thing he confirmed off final summer time on the World Cup), Haliburton is averaging 24.5 factors and 12.2 assists a sport — he’s not solely a lock All-Star however appears on his approach to an All-NBA nod.
Anthony Edwards in Minnesota has jumped as much as famous person standing and is main the stunning greatest workforce within the West to this point (22-6). Edwards is averaging 25.2 factors, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per sport for the Timberwolves. Then there’s Tyrese Maxey, who obtained thrust into an even bigger position as James Harden pressured his method out of Philadelphia and Maxey has responded averaging 26.4 factors and 6.8 assists per sport for the 76ers.
Different gamers price noting on this entrance are Mikal Bridges in Brooklyn (persevering with what he did after the commerce deadline final season), Franz Wagner in Orlando, and Alperen Şengün with the Rockets.
