You do not need to bounce to conclusions after the first week of the NBA season, however it is for sure lengthy sufficient to make some observations and shape some evaluations about what is going on within the league. The first six days of the 2023-24 season have been no exception, offering the kind of thrills, spills and chills we now have come to be expecting from NBA motion.
With such a lot occurring, we made up our minds to take a second to kind out the entire happenings that came about over the first few days. From Luka Doncic to James Harden to Victor Wembanyama, listed below are some winners and losers from the first week of the NBA season.
Winner: Luka Magic
We did not have to attend lengthy for this season’s signature Luka Dončić second, an absolute barrage of 3-pointers overdue within the fourth quarter to overcome the Nets, 125-120 on Friday. The ultimate of the 3s was once a one-handed toss with the shot clock expiring. Just ridiculous.
Dončić, who completed with 49 issues within the win, is a perennial MVP candidate at this level in his profession. Sequences like this are precisely the explanation why.
Loser: James Harden
Well, it is by no means a excellent factor whilst you display up on the airport for a group flight and you get advised, respectfully, to get again within the automotive and cross domestic. By all accounts, Harden is being a excellent solider and putting in place the paintings vital to get again at the flooring with the 76ers. He was once even at the sideline for his or her domestic opener towards the Trail Blazers on Sunday.
That being mentioned, issues have not performed out smartly with the business call for Harden issued 4 months in the past. The Clippers are reportedly not negotiating, and there does not appear to be another events, so he’s going to haven’t any selection however to play for Philly except he desires to get fined. On best of that, the group has long past 2-1 with out him and Tyrese Maxey has regarded superior. Overall, a nasty begin to the season for Harden. Speaking of Maxey, regardless that …
Winner: Tyrese Maxey
The query is not whether or not Maxey can fill in for James Harden. It’s whether or not the 76ers are higher with Maxey as an alternative of Harden. My colleague Brad Botkin turns out to assume so, and he is not at all the one one. The 6-foot-2 blur of a guard has been superb to start out his fourth NBA season, leaving 76ers enthusiasts with “James who?” on the best in their minds. It shall be attention-grabbing to peer how the dynamic works as soon as Harden returns, however Maxey has confirmed that the Sixers can also be greater than aggressive with him on the helm.
A players-only assembly after the first recreation of the season! That needs to be some form of document. The Bulls have been drubbed at domestic through the Thunder on opening evening, 124-104, leaving Chicago ahead DeMar DeRozan to promise, “We won’t let that happen again.”
Probably a excellent factor that he saved it imprecise, since the Bulls have been crushed through the Detroit Pistons, 118-102, simply 3 nights later. Chicago’s solely win up to now got here on a wild and wacky end that left our Sam Quinn scratching his head. Seems like one thing wishes to switch with the Bulls, and extra conferences is also of their long term.
Winner: Victor Wembanyama
It’s arduous to have as a lot hype as Wembanyama did getting into his NBA profession, play one week, and have folks asking “did we hype this guy up enough?”
The 7-foot-4 Frenchman has proven each unmarried ability that makes him the most productive basketball prospect since LeBron James — blockading pictures, flattening 3s, catching lobs and striking on dribbling exhibitions. The rookie has even already proven a knack for grab, fourth-quarter scoring.
There’s truly not anything he can not do on a court docket, and he is solely scratching the outside of his astronomical ceiling.
Yes, they do not have Ja Morant and Steven Adams, however whilst you fall at the back of through 25 towards the Washington Wizards, you realize there are some reliable issues. Memphis is off to an 0-3 get started, and it is now not going to get any more uncomplicated with a difficult time table forward. The largest drawback is on offense, the place they have got generated a meager 102 issues in line with 100 possessions so far. It’s nonetheless early, in fact, however the Grizz had a coarse opening week.
One solution to endear your self to a brand new fanbase is to head ABSOLUTELY FREAKING NUTS within the grab to steer your group to victory on opening evening. Lillard scored 14 of his 39 issues within the fourth quarter, together with this trademark step-back dagger to seal the 118-117 win.
It was once probably the most issues any Milwaukee Buck has ever scored in his debut for the group. Our Jack Maloney surveyed a few of Lillard’s new teammates for his or her standpoint at the super feat.
Loser: Player participation coverage
Prior to the season, the NBA licensed some laws focused on “load management” — aka resting gamers when there is no explicit harm or sickness. The thought was once to stay famous person gamers at the court docket, which clearly creates a greater product for each the in-arena and home-viewing audiences. Well, it isn’t off to a super get started.
Jimmy Butler overlooked out on every other go back travel to Minnesota, one among his former groups, sitting out the second one recreation of a back-to-back. At least Miami did not even attempt to fudge it, checklist the official reason on the injury report as “rest.” The Heat went directly to lose, 106-90, regardless that Butler did have his second of hostile interplay with the Target Center crowd.
The Heat have shyed away from a high-quality since the recreation wasn’t nationally televised or a part of the In-Season Tournament, and the group did not relaxation a couple of gamers deemed to be stars through the league’s standards. But nonetheless, sitting a celeb participant within the 3rd recreation of the season turns out a little bit egregious.
The very subsequent evening, Joel Embiid was once indexed as questionable up till mins sooner than the hole tip on the 76ers domestic opener. He sooner or later performed, however it is transparent that resting famous person gamers is not a method that is going to be absolutely extinguished because of the brand new laws.
The Nuggets necessarily simply saved the championship parade going into the first 3 video games of the season, having a look totally dominant with a plus-17.8 web score and a really perfect document. Nikola Jokic seems to be toying with defenses so far, doing completely ridiculous such things as this inbounds lob move that seemed like he was once a shortstop turning a double play.
The Nuggets glance simply as dominant and centered as they did to near out the postseason, and seem to have the entirety it takes to copy.