The NBA Regular Season began just before Christmas. Many storylines and top performances are the talk of the league.
Fultz & Vucevic leading Magic to 2-0 start: Markelle Fultz & Nikola Vucevic are playing great early on. Fultz is averaging 18 PPG/5.5 APG/4.5 RPG to go along with some tough finishes around the rim, as Vucevic is putting up 18 PPG/14 RPG/3 APG and still one of the NBA’s most polished bigs on offense.
76ers taking a liking to Doc’s pass first playing style: Philadelphia’s roster seems comfortable early on with Doc Rivers, most notably their guards. Ben Simmons & Shake Milton are playing well and said they’re confident in their new coach.
Cavs backcourt playing electric in undefeated start: Collin Sexton is averaging 29.5 PPG on 61.5% shooting & Darius Garland is putting up 21.5 PPG on 59.3%. The two guards look ready to make a big jump this season.
Sabonis records triple double, Pacers missed him deeply in bubble: Domantas Sabonis had a triple double vs the Bulls on Saturday. Missing him in the bubble during the playoffs clearly showed.
KD & Kyrie look unstoppable, Nets have deep bench: The Nets seem to have everything running smoothly. New coach Steve Nash is setting the tone, Durant & Irving are All-NBA performers, and their bench looks to be one of the deepest in the NBA.
Trae Young is off to a hot start, Hawks look improved: Trae Young is averaging an impressive 36.5 PPG & 8 APG. Youngsters like DeAndre Hunter, Cam Reddish, John Collins, & Kevin Huerter all have built on their skillsets.
Celtics starting two bigs & Marcus Smart at point guard: Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown are playing polished with Kemba Walker out, as they try a new lineup. Boston’s starting Tristan Thompson & Daniel Theis together and Marcus Smart at point guard.
Tyler Herro starting at point guard for Heat, Dragic still great off the bench: Expect Tyler Herro to take on some different challenges this season as he begins the year starting at point guard. Meanwhile, Goran Dragic is still playing like he did in the Heat’s 2020 playoff run.
Holiday super consistent, Bucks add bench players with playoff experience who need to step up: Jrue Holiday is scoring the ball at a very efficient clip for Milwaukee through two games (FG percentage: 66.7%). New bench players like Bobby Portis, DJ Augustin, and Bryn Forbes need to play well for the Bucks second unit.
Raptors 0-2 start, Nurse may need to adjust lineups: Norman Powell has yet to find his rhythm, Terence Davis has only played 3 minutes, & Chris Boucher’s playing time has been up & down. Experience off the bench seems to be a problem that these guys can fix if given the right minutes.
Long seasons ahead for winless East teams if defense isn’t cleaned up: Charlotte, Detroit, Washington, New York & Chicago are all 0-2 to start the 2020-2021 season. Defense has been a big problem for these clubs early on.
Clippers need to figure out who they can turn to besides Kawhi & PG: With Marcus Morris currently out and Montrezl Harell gone, offense is very limited for LA overall. These are the same issues they had last year when Lou Williams couldn’t get going.
Kings & Timberwolves impressive early: For two teams that were not projected to be any good, Sacramento & Minnesota are 2-0. Marvin Bagley and Malik Beasley will need to be x-factors to continue winning.
Spurs young players playing excellent: San Antonio’s young guys now have the experience to play alongside DeRozan & Aldridge. Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker, and Keldon Johnson look very improved.
Utah Jazz roster looks much of the same: Besides bringing back Derrick Favors from New Orleans, the Jazz have a very similar roster with solid chemistry. Bojan Bogdanovic is back after missing the bubble, but he’s off to a slow start.
Zion & Ingram ready to grow in New Orleans: Williamson and Ingram learned quite a bit in the bubble about what it takes to win. Zion will be even more efficient with consistent minutes and Brandon looks to be a better playmaker, averaging 7 APG in two games.
LA’s Dennis Schroder almost averaging triple double through 2 games: Schroder gives the Lakers a point guard who can help take on ball handling duties when someone else needs to make a play besides LeBron. He’s averaging 16 PPG/7 RPG/7 APG for Los Angeles.
Phoenix’s young players Bridges & Johnson will be depended on: Mikal Bridges & Cameron Johnson progressed in the right direction during the bubble. Roles have increased this season and will need to produce.
Trail Blazers defense a problem yet again: We all know Portland has many players that can score on offense, but defense is still a major problem. Should be an up and down year.
Harden amazing with Wall & Cousins out, Christian Wood solid for Rockets: James Harden recorded 44 points & 17 assists after missing time. Christian Wood had 31 points & 13 rebounds in the loss.
Thunder’s Gilgeous-Alexander & Bazley making strides: The young OKC duo had nice games in their win vs Charlotte. SGA had 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists. Bazley put up 15 points & 10 rebounds.
Inconsistency in Golden State, Marquese Chriss out for season: Andrew Wiggins & Kelly Oubre are both shooting under 30% to start the season. Lost an energy big off the bench today, Marquese Chriss broke his leg.
Nuggets adjusting to new roles after 0-2 start: Michael Porter Jr is now a first time starter & Will Barton is back after missing the bubble. Both will need to step up for the Nuggets in 2021.
Dallas & Memphis injuries: Kristaps Porzingis remains out for the Mavericks & Jaren Jackson is missing time in Memphis. Two big men that mean a whole lot to their clubs.
