Early Season Remarks:
With the Warriors’ victory over the Clippers, Golden State seems elite. There are only a few other teams in the league right now that have a perfect record, and though it’s way too early in the season to determine anything, it can be a marker for the season down the line.
All three teams without a loss are in the Western Conference (no surprise there), so let’s start with the West.
Golden State is off to a great start with new coach Steve Kerr, and it seems like the Warriors’ preseason play has translated nicely into consistent regular season form. Besides a close win over their opener against Portland, Steph Curry has led the Dubs to blowouts in the last three games by a margin of around 20 points against the Lakers, Kings, and Clippers. Klay Thompson looks like he’s worth the max extension the franchise has given him, and everyone, including David Lee, finally appears healthy again. This is definitely the strongest the team has been, especially with a deep rotation and overall roster that is hungry for more in the playoffs.
Houston’s perfect run hasn’t been too much of a surprise, despite the departure of Chandler Parsons. Replacement Trevor Ariza has fit in really nicely for the Rockets, having made all of his points so far on 3-pointers and layups/dunks. Harden hasn’t even shot efficiently, so expect his best to come sooner than later. And Dwight Howard has been Dwight Howard, getting his way in the post. The only thing one would point out is the relatively easy schedule the Rockets have had, with their victories over the Lakers, Jazz, Celtics, and Sixers, all non-playoff teams last season.
Perhaps, one of the surprises of the NBA season thus far has been the great play of the Memphis Grizzlies. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph look like they’re in midseason form, and the great complementary plays of Mike Conley and Tony Allen have shown the cohesiveness of the Grizzlies. Like the Rockets, they mostly have victories over non-playoff teams, but it doesn’t count for nothing, as many counted out the Grizzlies for this year. Marc Gasol has come to be one of the best passing big men in the game today.
Apart from these three organizations, a couple other teams have caught the eyes of fans and analysts alike. In the West, Sacramento and Dallas appear to be more serious. DeMarcus Cousins’ maturity has shown in his play and his relationship with his teammates, leading to a strong 3-1 start. Rudy Gay seems to be shooting really efficiently (maybe it was his poor vision before), and Darren Collison is fitting right in. The Mavericks, have won three straight after losing their opener against the Spurs. Parsons is fitting in more and more each day, and Monta Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki appear to be fighting father time well.
In the East, the Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, and Washington Wizards all have 4-1 records. Demar DeRozan, Pau Gasol, and John Wall, respectively, have been pacing their teams to strong starts and will probably lead their teams to the playoffs this season, with the Cleveland Cavaliers still looking for their second win of the season, after a stunning buzzer-beating loss to the Utah Jazz.
If anything, the NBA season has met the expectations of the most passionate and die-hard fans of basketball thus far. From the early surprises of the season like the Grizzlies and the Kings to the dominance of the Warriors and the Rockets, you can expect much, much more in the games to come. So tune in to your team’s games because the season has only begun!
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