By NBA Insiders | ESPN, 2024-10-28 20:00:00
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
2024-25 NBA 赛季正如火如荼地进行中。
常规赛才刚开始不到一周，我们就见证了卫冕冠军波士顿凯尔特人队的统治级表现，以及勒布朗·詹姆斯在其职业生涯第 22 个赛季的出色发挥。
伤病困扰 已经 困扰了几支球队——其中最引人注目的是洛杉矶快船队，科怀·伦纳德无限期缺阵，以及费城 76 人队，新收购的超级巨星保罗·乔治缺席赛季初的比赛。
一些球队延续了上赛季的统治地位，而另一些球队则表现出令人担忧的迹象，开局不利。
哪位超级巨星有望争夺 MVP？哪些赛季初的趋势将持续全年？我们的 NBA 内部人士将为您分析常规赛开赛几天的最佳和最差时刻。
最大的惊喜是什么？
迈克尔·莱特(Michael Wright): 洛杉矶湖人队的快速开局。作为进攻核心，安东尼·戴维斯(Anthony Davis)在赛季前两场比赛中每场都砍下 35 分以上，而且湖人队在 2024-25 赛季初并没有遇到弱队。洛杉矶队在主场取得了对阵明尼苏达森林狼队、菲尼克斯太阳队和萨克拉门托国王队的首胜。戴维斯表现出色，领衔球队的得分、篮板、抢断和盖帽，而勒布朗则保持着勒布朗一贯的风采，在周六对阵国王队的比赛中砍下 32 分，并收获了本赛季的第一个三双。八村塁和奥斯汀·里夫斯都令人惊喜，后者似乎有所进步。现在还为时尚早，但这对湖人队来说是一个良好的开端。
本赛季勒布朗·詹姆斯场均得分已达 23 分，并在周六对阵国王队的比赛中砍下全场最高的 32 分。 Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images 蒂姆·麦克马洪(Tim MacMahon): 金州勇士队主教练史蒂夫·科尔(Steve Kerr) 誓言要坚持 12 人轮换阵容。拥有如此深度的阵容是一个幸福的烦恼，但如果轮换阵容继续如此之深，很难想象能保持十几名球员的快乐和状态。在勇士队的前两场比赛中，这当然效果很好，他们以总共 77 分的优势赢得了比赛，但考虑到他们的对手是两支重建中的球队——波特兰开拓者队和犹他爵士队。但现在，随着斯蒂芬·库里(Stephen Curry) 左脚踝扭伤，科尔将不得不重新评估他的阵容。
戴夫·麦克梅纳明(Dave McMenamin): 湖人队 3 胜 0 负的开局令人难以置信。在过去几个赛季开局战绩不佳之后，在预测他们的赛季时，人们心中已经埋下了怀疑的种子：JJ·雷迪克(JJ Redick) 的影响力能立即显现吗？他们准备好迎接像明尼苏达、菲尼克斯和萨克拉门托这样的强劲对手了吗？他们的健康状况如何？到目前为止，他们取得了联盟第五的进攻效率（每百回合得分 120.1 分），安东尼·戴维斯看起来和他效力于新奥尔良鹈鹕队时一样具有统治力。
克里斯·赫林(Chris Herring): 维克多·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama) 是本赛季最被寄予厚望的球员。但上赛季最佳新秀评选中排名第二的切特·霍姆格伦(Chet Holmgren) 目前看起来很可怕。他场均得到近 24 分、13 个篮板、4 次盖帽和 3 次助攻，他在身体对抗方面更具优势，并且在运球突破到特定位置方面也更加坚决。虽然他在周日投进了三个三分球，但本赛季至今只有 15 投 3 中，他的三分球还没有真正发挥出来。考虑到以赛亚·哈尔滕施泰因(Isaiah Hartenstein) 因伤缺阵，雷霆队能得到这样的表现已经很满意了。
贾马尔·科利尔(Jamal Collier): 印第安纳步行者队和泰瑞斯·哈利伯顿(Tyrese Haliburton) 的开局都很艰难。上赛季他们看起来像是一台运转良好的机器，但本赛季开局却表现不佳。现在就担心他们还为时过早，也不必太在意哈利伯顿最终在一场比赛中的糟糕表现——在对阵纽约尼克斯队的比赛中 8 投 0 中之后，他在对阵 76 人队的比赛中得到 22 分，但只有 4 次助攻——但这对一支希望在上赛季取得惊人成功后继续前进的年轻球队来说，这样的开局并不令人鼓舞。
在赛季开始的几天后，你想知道什么问题的答案？
麦克马洪: 乔尔·恩比德(Joel Embiid) 和乔治在本赛季能一起打多少场比赛？76 人队已经明确表示，他们打算对这两位球星都采取极其谨慎的态度，甚至在乔治左膝骨挫伤之前就已经这样做了。首要任务是让恩比德和乔治在季后赛保持健康，但代价是什么呢？76 人队会牺牲主场优势吗，甚至可能是在第一轮？恩比德和乔治需要在一起打多长时间才能培养出进行深度季后赛所需的默契？
莱特: 科怀·伦纳德什么时候复出？伦纳德缺席了快船队的整个季前赛，至今还没有参加过比赛或训练。球队在 10 月中旬宣布，伦纳德将无限期缺阵，因为他将继续接受右膝炎症的康复治疗。然后，我们看到了关于快船队前体能教练提起诉讼的报道，他声称自己因为对伦纳德伤病的管理提出质疑而被解雇。围绕伦纳德的情况与他在圣安东尼奥马刺队的最后一个赛季发生的事情惊人地相似，当时我们都了解了“肌腱病”这个词。
麦克梅纳明: 76 人队这一切要怎么运作？82 场比赛的赛季允许出现早期的失误，只要你在下半赛季奋起直追，尤其是在有附加赛的情况下。但是，在恩比德和乔治缺席的情况下，以 0 胜 2 负的战绩开始赛季可不是什么好兆头。费城还需要一些时间才能完全理清头绪。
赫林: 新奥尔良鹈鹕队将如何应对德章泰·穆雷(Dejounte Murray) 的缺阵，他在赛季揭幕战中左手骨折？在锡安·威廉姆森(Zion Williamson) 和布兰登·英格拉姆(Brandon Ingram) 之间，鹈鹕队已经习惯了伤病，但考虑到球队——赛季初特雷·墨菲三世(Trey Murphy III) 也因腿筋受伤缺阵——还没有机会看到这支球队的融合，这次伤病尤其令人头疼。这种情况似乎总是会发生，但至少 CJ·麦科勒姆(CJ McCollum) 拥有丰富的领导这支球队的经验。考虑到穆雷的加入是为了让麦科勒姆回到他熟悉的得分后卫位置，这实在令人不甚理想。
科利尔: 没有看到 76 人队的完整阵容一起上场可能是揭幕周最令人失望的事情。但我心中最大的疑问是伦纳德的健康状况和未来。他已经 33 岁了，即将迎来他的第 13 个 NBA 赛季，但他却无限期缺阵——这对球队和希望看到这位同时代最优秀的攻防兼备球员之一的球迷来说都不是什么好兆头。随着新主场 Intuit Dome 的启用，以及保罗·乔治的离开，快船队正进入一个新时代。但伦纳德最近的伤病让人们开始怀疑，他到底会在快船队的新球场上待多久。
哪位竞争者/超级巨星最引人注目？
科利尔: 俄克拉荷马城雷霆队在本赛季开始前就已经是西部冠军的有力争夺者之一，到目前为止，他们看起来也确实如此，他们在揭幕战中以 102-87 击败丹佛掘金队的表现就说明了这一点。雷霆队延续了上赛季的势头，谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大(Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) 看起来更加不可阻挡，切特·霍姆格伦(Chet Holmgren) 已经准备好作为二号选择更进一步，亚历克斯·卡鲁索(Alex Caruso) 作为完美的补充加入轮换阵容，让雷霆队有机会争夺联盟第一防守的宝座。
莱特: 杰森·塔图姆(Jayson Tatum) 在夏天赢得了一个 NBA 总冠军和一枚奥运会金牌，但考虑到所有关于他在法国比赛时断断续续表现的议论，这一切似乎都无关紧要。塔图姆提到，凯尔特人队主教练乔·马祖拉(Joe Mazzulla) 可能是“世界上最快乐的人”，因为他没有赢得总决赛 MVP，并且在奥运会上休息了两场比赛。无论如何，塔图姆在凯尔特人队训练营开始前调整了他的投篮机制，并在赛季初表现出色，在前两场比赛中，他的投篮命中率达到了 60%，三分球命中率达到了 50%。
杰森·塔图姆在本赛季凯尔特人队的前三场比赛中两次砍下 37 分。 (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) 麦克梅纳明: 克利夫兰骑士队在前三场比赛中以总共 61 分的优势获胜。诚然，多伦多猛龙队、底特律活塞队和华盛顿奇才队似乎都不是季后赛的竞争者，但骑士队 54.5% 的投篮命中率表明，球队已经掌握了新教练肯尼·阿特金森(Kenny Atkinson) 的进攻体系。
赫林: 两届 NBA 总冠军丹佛掘金队到目前为止的表现令人失望。克里斯蒂安·布劳恩(Christian Braun) 在顶替肯塔维厄斯·考德威尔-波普(Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) 成为首发球员后表现出色，在周六的比赛中多次成功限制了詹姆斯·哈登(James Harden)，并在前两场比赛中保持着场均 13.5 分的高效表现。但球队整体上的远投表现不佳，三分球命中率仅为 28.8%，在 NBA 中排名倒数第六。除了球星尼古拉·约基奇(Nikola Jokic) 和贾马尔·穆雷(Jamal Murray) 之外，目前还没有人在真正的比赛强度下投出过高效的三分球。球队休赛期最重要的引援拉塞尔·威斯布鲁克(Russell Westbrook) 18 投仅 2 中，掘金队在他替补上场的 40 分钟里净负对手 37 分。
麦克马洪: 俄克拉荷马城雷霆队被广泛认为是本赛季西部冠军的有力争夺者，他们在前两场比赛中分别以两位数的优势战胜掘金队和芝加哥公牛队，看起来确实如此。雷霆队还需要一个月左右的时间才能让自由球员市场上的新援以赛亚·哈尔滕施泰因融入球队，届时，我们将很有兴趣地看到，上赛季的最佳教练马克·戴格诺特(Mark Daigneault) 会让这位前尼克斯队中锋与另一位身高 7 英尺的球员霍姆格伦一起上场多少次。雷霆队引进哈尔滕施泰因的部分原因是为了解决他们的篮板球问题，但霍姆格伦似乎准备好在这一方面取得巨大进步。在雷霆队的前两场比赛中，他场均抢下 15 个篮板，而他的对手分别是约基奇和尼古拉·武切维奇(Nikola Vucevic)。
经过一周的比赛，我的大胆预测是___?
莱特: 掘金队本赛季将表现不佳。穆雷显然还没有完全康复，我们即将看到考德威尔-波普的缺阵对丹佛攻防两端的影响有多大。约基奇和他的队友们在赛季开始时就遭遇了雷霆队的强势挑战，但主教练迈克尔·马龙(Michael Malone) 的说法是正确的，他提到“克里斯蒂安·布劳恩将无法取代 KCP”成为穆雷在后场的首发搭档。也许马龙说“我认为没有必要恐慌”也是正确的。我们只能拭目以待。
麦克梅纳明: 尽管伤病缠身，但快船队仍将保持竞争力。我并不是说他们一定会进入季后赛，甚至连附加赛都不一定，但他们不会一败涂地。他们在 Intuit 球馆进行的揭幕战中与太阳队鏖战至加时赛，然后在客场凭借诺曼·鲍威尔(Norman Powell) 的 37 分表现击败了掘金队。主教练泰伦·卢(Ty Lue) 早已赢得了球队的信任，他们的防守效率目前在 NBA 中排名第四，每百回合只让对手得到 104.8 分。
科利尔: 将有两支球队的胜场数超过 60 场。波士顿凯尔特人队和俄克拉荷马城雷霆队在本赛季开始前都是各自赛区的夺冠热门，他们在赛季初的比赛中也很快证明了这一点。他们看起来都像是不可阻挡的强大力量，随时准备着取得连胜，而在当今这个竞争激烈的时代，联盟已经很久没有出现过在每个赛区都占据统治地位的超级强队了。
麦克马洪: 最佳新秀将不会是乐透秀。两位早期的候选人是：新奥尔良鹈鹕队的戴森·丹尼尔斯(Dyson Daniels) 和菲尼克斯太阳队的莱恩·邓恩(Ryan Dunn)。21 号秀丹尼尔斯在得分 (场均 10.0 分)、篮板 (6.5 个) 和盖帽 (2.5 次) 方面领先所有新秀，考虑到鹈鹕队阵容中缺少中锋，他应该能获得稳定的出场时间。28 号秀邓恩被认为是一位防守潜力巨大的球员，他在季前赛的三分球命中率 (30 投 13 中) 比他在弗吉尼亚大学的两个赛季 (51 投 12 中) 还要高，这让很多人大跌眼镜。这种状态延续到了常规赛，邓恩的三分球命中率高达 46.2% (13 投 6 中)。在周六战胜卢卡·东契奇(Luka Doncic) 领衔的达拉斯独行侠队的比赛中，他作为首发球员的沉着冷静和顽强作风给太阳队的教练和队友留下了深刻印象。
赫林: 奥兰多魔术队上赛季的三分球出手次数在联盟中排名垫底，但他们最终将成为联盟中三分球最准的球队之一。魔术队的开局非常出色，他们在三场比赛中投进了 50 个三分球，三分球命中率接近 40%，在这两项数据上都排进了 NBA 的前五名。考虑到他们休赛期最重要的引援考德威尔-波普目前表现不佳，他们的表现就更加令人印象深刻了。保罗·班凯罗(Paolo Banchero) 从第一年到第二年进步神速，到目前为止他的投篮表现也很出色。
最有可能/最不可能持续的趋势是 ___?
莱特: 国际球员将继续在 MVP 的争夺中占据主导地位。像东契奇、亚历山大和约基奇这样的球员在本赛季的排名应该都会在前五名之列。但我们不能忘记扬尼斯·阿德托昆博(Giannis Antetokounmpo)、恩比德，甚至多曼塔斯·萨博尼斯(Domantas Sabonis)，他上赛季场均接近三双。自 2018 年詹姆斯·哈登获奖以来，我们还没有看到过美国本土球员获得 MVP 奖杯，而哈登获奖标志着美国本土球员连续 11 年获得这一梦寐以求的奖项。
谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大上赛季在 MVP 评选中排名第二，本赛季他很有可能再次成为该奖项的有力争夺者。 (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire) 赫林: 波士顿的三分球狂潮。如果你在赛季揭幕战中还没有被说服——当时波士顿在对阵纽约尼克斯队的比赛中投进了平 NBA 纪录的 29 个三分球——那么我可以告诉你，凯尔特人队每场比赛都会投进很多三分球。他们在季前赛中场均出手 52.6 次三分球，目前每场比赛的出手次数都超过了 50 次，所有这些都是我们可以有把握地认为这种势头将在整个赛季持续下去的理由。
麦克马洪: 卫冕冠军将继续高歌猛进。凯尔特人队正处于一个独特而令人羡慕的境地。他们拥有一对正值当打之年的年轻超级巨星杰伦·布朗(Jaylen Brown) 和塔图姆，而且尽管他们刚刚赢得自己的第一个总冠军，并在过去两个夏天签下了 NBA 历史上最丰厚的合同，但由于美国男篮的阵容和轮换决定，他们在本赛季伊始就充满斗志。波士顿不会出现总冠军后遗症。
麦克梅纳明: 巴迪·希尔德(Buddy Hield)/克莱·汤普森(Klay Thompson) 的比较将继续像抛硬币一样难以预测。不可否认的是，勇士队在汤普森离开后经历了巨大的困难。他是穿上勇士队球衣的最重要球员之一。但希尔德在两年 2100 万美元的合同中的表现将继续与汤普森在达拉斯三年 5000 万美元的合同中的表现不相上下。在前两场比赛中，希尔德以场均 6.0 个三分球领跑全联盟，汤普森 (5.5 个) 紧随其后。
科利尔: 骑士队来真的了。在过去两个赛季都打进东部前四之后，克利夫兰骑士队以不败的战绩开始了新赛季。他们在休赛期更换了教练，这让他们打出了一种不同风格的进攻，埃文·莫布里(Evan Mobley) 承担了更多的责任。对于克利夫兰的长期潜力来说，激活莫布里将至关重要。考虑到预计排在波士顿之后的其他球队开局缓慢或受到伤病困扰 (密尔沃基雄鹿队、费城 76 人队和纽约尼克斯队)，骑士队可能会在本赛季剩余的时间乃至更长的时间里占据有利位置。
点击查看原文：Best and worst of the first week of the 2024-25 NBA season
Best and worst of the first week of the 2024-25 NBA season
The 2024-25 NBA season is in full swing.
We’re less than a week into the regular season and we’ve seen some dominant performances from the reigning champion Boston Celtics, as well as from LeBron James in his 22nd season in the league.
The injury bug has already plagued a few teams – most notably the LA Clippers, with Kawhi Leonard out indefinitely and the Philadelphia 76ers, with newly acquired superstar Paul George missing the start of the season.
A few teams have carried over their dominance from the previous season while others are showing signs of concern, already stumbling out of the gates.
Which superstar looks poised for an MVP campaign? Which early-season trend will continue to carry throughout the year? Our NBA Insiders break down the best and worst moments from the opening days of the regular season.
What has been the biggest surprise?
Michael Wright: The fast start by the Los Angeles Lakers. As the hub of the offense, Anthony Davis busted out of the gate to drop 35-plus points in each of his first two outings, and it’s not like the Lakers beat up on bad teams to start their 2024-25 campaign. Los Angeles captured three home victories against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings to start the season. Davis has been phenomenal, leading the team in points, rebounds, steals and blocks, while LeBron has been typical LeBron, dropping 32 points against the Kings on Saturday and logging his first triple-double of the season. Rui Hachimura has been a pleasant surprise along with Austin Reaves, who appears to have improved. It’s still early, but a nice start for the Lakers.
LeBron James is already averaging 23 points per game this season and scored a game-high 32 points against the Kings on Saturday. Jonathan Hui-Imagn ImagesTim MacMahon: Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr is vowing to stick with a 12-man rotation. A roster with that kind of depth is a good problem to have, but it’s hard to imagine keeping a dozen players happy and in rhythm if the rotation continues to go that deep. It certainly worked well in the Warriors’ first two games, which they won by a combined margin of 77 points, but consider they were against two rebuilding teams – the Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz. But now, with Stephen Curry dealing with a left ankle sprain, Kerr will have to reevaluate his lineups.
Dave McMenamin: It’s hard to believe the Lakers’ 3-0 start. After posting losing records to start the past few seasons, there was a layer of baked-in skepticism when projecting their season: could JJ Redick’s influence take hold immediately? Would they be ready for stiff competition like Minnesota, Phoenix and Sacramento? How healthy would they be? So far, they’ve posted the fifth-best offensive rating in the league (120.1 points per 100 possessions), and Anthony Davis looks as dominant as he was in his New Orleans Pelicans days.
Chris Herring: Victor Wembanyama is the player most expected to make the biggest jump this season. But Chet Holmgren, who finished second in Rookie of the Year voting last season, looks terrifying so far. With almost 24 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks and three assists per night, he has been more physically imposing and determined about getting to certain spots off the dribble. And while he drained three triples Sunday, at just 3-for-15 for the season, he hasn’t even gotten rolling from deep yet. It’s everything the Thunder could ask for as they await Isaiah Hartenstein’s return from injury.
Jamal Collier: It has been a rough start for the Indiana Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton. They both looked like a well-oiled machine last season but have started this season looking out of sorts. It’s too early to worry about them or put too much stock into what ultimately was one bad game for Haliburton – he did follow up his 0-for-8 performance against the New York Knicks with 22 points but only four assists against the 76ers – but this start is not encouraging for a young team looking to build off some surprising success last season.
What’s one question you want answered after the season’s first few days?
MacMahon: How many games will Joel Embiid and George play together through the course of the season? The Sixers have been upfront about their intention to use extreme caution with both stars, even before George suffered a bone bruise in his left knee. The priority is for Embiid and George to be healthy for the playoffs, but at what cost? Will the Sixers sacrifice home-court advantage, potentially in the first round? And how much time do Embiid and George need on the floor together to develop the chemistry necessary for a deep playoff run?
Wright: When does Kawhi Leonard return to action? Leonard sat out the entire Clippers preseason and has yet to play or practice. The team announced in mid-October that Leonard will be sidelined indefinitely as he continues the rehabilitation process for inflammation in his right knee. Then, we saw the report about a former Clippers strength and conditioning coach filing a lawsuit, alleging he was fired for raising concerns about the management of Leonard’s injuries. The situation around Leonard feels eerily similar to what transpired during his final season with the San Antonio Spurs, when we all learned the term “tendinopathy.”
McMenamin: How’s this all going to work for the 76ers? An 82-game season allows for early mistakes so long as you make a second-half surge, especially with the play-in avenue. But missing Embiid and George while dropping to 0-2 to start the season is not a good sign. Philly needs a bit more time before they are fully figured out.
Herring: How does New Orleans handle the loss of Dejounte Murray, who fractured his left hand in the season opener? Between Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans are used to injuries, but this one is particularly tough given that the team – which is also without Trey Murphy III (hamstring) to start the season – hasn’t gotten a chance to see how this group meshes. This always seems to be the case, but at least CJ McCollum has plenty of experience leading this group. It’s just less than ideal given that the addition of Murray was meant to push McCollum back to his natural shooting guard role.
Collier: Not seeing the Sixers’ fully realized team take the floor together was, perhaps, the most disappointing part of opening week. But my biggest lingering question is around the health and future of Leonard. He’s 33 years old and entering his 13th NBA season with an indefinite absence – not an encouraging sign for the team and for fans hoping to see one of the best two-way players of his generation. The Clippers are entering a new era with the opening of their new home, the Intuit Dome, and after moving on from Paul George. But the latest injury for Leonard opens up the question of how much time he’ll actually spend on the Clippers’ newest court.
Which contender/superstar has stood out the most?
Collier: The Oklahoma City Thunder were already one of the favorites in the West entering the season and have looked every bit the part so far, starting with how they dismantled the Denver Nuggets 102-87 on opening night. The Thunder have picked up where they left off last season with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looking even more un-guardable, Chet Holmgren ready to take a step forward as the No. 2 option and Alex Caruso sliding in as a perfect addition to the rotation, giving the Thunder a shot at finishing with the No. 1 defense in the league.
Wright: Jayson Tatum won an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal over the summer, but given all the chatter about his sporadic play in France, it didn’t seem like any of that mattered. Tatum mentioned that Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was probably the “happiest person in the world” that he didn’t win Finals MVP and sat out two games in the Olympics. Regardless, Tatum tweaked his shot mechanics before Celtics training camp and started the season hot, connecting on 60% from the floor over his first two games and 50% from deep.
Jayson Tatum has scored 37 points in two of the Celtics first three games this season. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)McMenamin: The Cleveland Cavaliers won their first three games by a combined 61 points. Yes, the Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards don’t figure to be postseason contenders, but Cleveland’s offense, which is shooting 54.5%, suggest that the team has already grasped new coach Kenny Atkinson’s offense.
Herring: The Nuggets, NBA champions just two seasons ago, have so far stood out in a bad way. Christian Braun has been solid in replacing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as a starter, repeatedly bottling up James Harden on Saturday while logging an efficient 13.5 points per game through his first two contests. But the team overall has struggled from distance, hitting just 28.8% of its 3s for the NBA’s sixth-worst mark so far. No one, apart from stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, has shot well from there on true volume at this point. Russell Westbrook, the team’s biggest offseason addition, has shot just 2-for-18, and the Nuggets have been outscored by 37 points in his 40 minutes off the bench.
MacMahon: Oklahoma City was widely considered the West’s favorite entering the season and looked the part in their two opening games with double-digit wins over the Nuggets and Chicago Bulls. It will be a month or so before the Thunder can work free agent addition Isaiah Hartenstein into the mix, and it will be interesting to see how often reigning Coach of the Year Mark Daigneault plays the former Knicks center alongside fellow 7-footer Holmgren. The Thunder targeted Hartenstein in part to address their rebounding problems, but Holmgren appears primed to make drastic improvement in that category. He averaged 15 rebounds in OKC’s first two games while matching up against Jokic and Nikola Vucevic.
My bold prediction after one week is___?
Wright: The Nuggets will underachieve this season. Murray clearly isn’t 100% healthy, and we’re about to see just how big of an impact Caldwell-Pope’s absence will have on both ends of the floor for Denver. Jokic & Co. faced a buzzsaw to start the season against the Thunder, but coach Michael Malone was correct in mentioning that “Christian Braun is not going to be KCB” as the starter opposite Murray in the backcourt. Maybe Malone was also correct when saying, “I don’t think there’s any need for panic.” We’ll just have to wait and see.
McMenamin: The Clippers will stay relevant despite their injuries. Not saying they will certainly make the playoffs, or even the play-in, but this group won’t bottom out. They played the Suns into overtime on opening night at Intuit and then beat the Nuggets on the road with a 37-point performance from Norman Powell. Coach Ty Lue has early buy-in from the group, which currently has the fourth-best defensive rating in the NBA, allowing only 104.8 points per 100 possessions.
Collier: Two teams will win more than 60 games. Both Boston and Oklahoma City were favorites entering the season in their respective conferences, and they’ve validated that notion fairly quickly to start the season. They both look like juggernauts in their own way ready to stack winning streaks, and in the age of parity, it has been a while since the league has had a dominant powerhouse atop each conference.
MacMahon: The Rookie of the Year won’t be a lottery pick. Two early candidates: New Orleans’ Yves Missi and Phoenix’s Ryan Dunn. Missi, the No. 21 pick, led all rookies in scoring (10.0 points per game), rebounding (6.5) and blocks (2.5) entering Sunday and should get consistent minutes, considering the lack of centers on the Pelicans’ roster. Dunn, the No. 28 pick, profiles as a potentially elite defensive player who raised a lot of eyebrows by making more 3s in the preseason (13-of-30) than he did in his two seasons at Virginia (12-of-51). That has carried over into the regular season, as Dunn is shooting 46.2% (6-of-13) from long range. He impressed Suns coaches and teammates with his poise and toughness as a starter in Saturday’s win against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.
Herring: The Orlando Magic, who made the fewest 3s in the league last season, will end up being one of the most proficient teams from distance. The Magic are off to a fantastic start, having knocked home 50 triples through three games, with a conversion rate bordering on 40%, leaving them right around the NBA’s top five in both categories to this point. And considering that Caldwell-Pope – their top offseason pickup – is struggling makes it even more impressive. Paolo Banchero showed a vast improvement from Year 1 to Year 2 and has been shooting well so far.
Trend most/least likely to continue is ___?
Wright: International players will continue to dominate the MVP conversation. Players such as Doncic, SGA and Jokic figure to battle among the top five all season long. But we can’t forget Giannis Antetokounmpo, Embiid and even Domantas Sabonis, who averaged nearly a triple-double last season. We haven’t seen an American-born player take home the MVP trophy since James Harden in 2018, which marked an 11-year run of American-born players winning the coveted award.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished second in MVP voting last season and could be a front runner once against this season for the award. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire)Herring: Boston’s 3-point frenzy. Just in case you weren’t convinced during the season opener – when Boston drilled an NBA-record-tying 29 3s against the New York Knicks – the Celtics are going to take, and make, a boatload of triples every night. They averaged 52.6 3-point attempts during the preseason and are currently launching more than 50 per night, all reasons it’s safe to assume that pace will continue throughout the season.
MacMahon: The defending champions will keep their foot on the gas. The Celtics are in a unique, enviable situation. They have a pair of young superstars in Jaylen Brown and Tatum who are early in their prime and come into the season with a bunch of fresh motivational fodder – thanks to Team USA roster and rotation decisions – despite the fact that they are fresh off winning their first title and have signed the richest contracts in NBA history over the past two summers. There will be no championship hangover in Boston.
McMenamin: The Buddy Hield/Klay Thompson comparison will remain a coin flip. There is no understating the tremendous strife the Warriors went through when Thompson left. He is one of the most important people ever to don a Warriors uniform. But Hield’s production at two years, $21 million will continue to mirror Thompson’s for Dallas on his three-year, $50 million deal. Through two games, Hield leads the league with 6.0 3-pointers per game, with Thompson close behind (5.5)
Collier: The Cavs are for real. Cleveland has started the season unbeaten after finishing in the top four in the East the past two seasons. They made a coaching change in the offseason that has them playing a different style of offense with Evan Mobley taking on more responsibilities. Unlocking Mobley will be critical for Cleveland’s long-term potential. And with the other teams projected behind Boston off to slow starts or struggling with injuries (Milwaukee, Philly and New York), the Cavs could put themselves in an ideal position for the rest of the season and beyond.
By NBA Insiders | ESPN, via ESPN