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Andre SnellingsESPN
The NBA season is taking shape, with some teams getting off to a hot start and others dealing with injury issues.
Here are five things to focus on this weekend.
Will Yannis and Luca come for the crown?
the last two seasons, Nikola Jokic The undisputed NBA regular season champion. He has won his last two NBA MVPs each and has led the fantasy world of hoops in both league and category his league in points. Last season, he averaged his 61.4 fantasy points (FP/G) per game, ahead of second place by his 5 FP/G. Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But there seem to be two big challenges for the throne throughout the first week of this season. Giannis led his NBA with 67.0 FP/G as he tallied 43 points, 14 rebounds and five assists Wednesday against the Nets. Luka Doncic Second second on Thursday at 64.7 FP/G. But Luca earned his spot on the pole Thursday night when he completed a triple-double of 41 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds. Giannis and Luka are currently 10 FP/G better than Jokic.
Giannis led the undefeated Bucks to a Friday-Saturday back-to-back this weekend, with the Knicks and Hawks going 6-2 combined, giving their opponents 113.5 and 111.0 PPG… Giannis in an attacking match A combo suggesting that there should be a chance to put some points on the board up.
Will the day come when the top of this rookie class will be in the single digits?
Speaking of Banchero, the #1 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, has anyone noticed this class of rookies coming to the Wrecking Shop? Starting his career with 20 or more points in five consecutive games to evoke the name of every elite rookie in NBA history.I just retweeted Banchero’s note today is the first player Has 120+ points, 35+ rebounds and 15+ assists in his first five games since Dominic Wilkins 1982-83. Oh, and in the last Magic game I saw, Banchero played full points his guard for quite some time, nurtured it, and set up the offense with units that didn’t include other non-swingman guards. did. So there it is.
But this isn’t just Banchero’s show. third pick Jabari Smith Jr.So far I’ve averaged 14.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.6 3PG and 1.4 BPG.number 4 pick Keegan Murray He started his NBA career averaging 17.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 3.3 3PG in three games, scoring 20 or more points in every game he played in the Las Vegas Summer League.number five pick Jaden Ivy 16.0 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.5 RPG, 1.5 SPG, and 1.5 3PG from 4 to 4, 6th pick Benedict Maturin 20.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.4 APG, 2.4 3PG to 5.
No top-six pick in the Rookie class has scored in single digits in any of their previous games. Will they continue to wield mass flamethrowers this weekend? The Banchero Magic will face the Hornets on Friday and are in Dallas on Sunday. Smith’s Rockets go to Portland on Friday and Phoenix on Sunday. Murray’s Kings had a tough game against the Grizzlies on Thursday, and he only has one game of the weekend against the Heat on Saturday. Ivey will face two elites in his backcourt this weekend. Trae Young, Dejounte Murray Hawks on Friday, then opposition Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson And the Warriors on Sunday. Maturin’s Pacers will face the Wizards in the capital on Friday and the Nets in Brooklyn on Saturday. Grab some popcorn and watch every game you can. This rookie class is fun!
And the next newcomer might be Shadon Sharp. The 7th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Sharp was considered to be the most talented player in his class. However, he was able to reclassify his graduation class to qualify for the 2022 draft without having to play a year in college or a non-NBA pro, and had the least experience. This regular season began almost entirely raw, as he was injured just minutes into the first game of the NBA. He scored his 12 points in his 16 minutes in the first game, but went scoreless in the second. But from there, in his 12 minutes he went from 0, in 16 minutes he scored 4, in 16 minutes he recovered in 11 minutes and finally in 21 minutes he scored 15 and he Recorded 8 rebounds. On that outing, Trail Blazers superstar Damain Lillard strained a calf and is expected to miss two weeks next week.
The Trail Blazers, shockingly, are currently leading the Western Conference with a 4-1 record. In Lillard’s absence, Anphanie Simmons Go to the lead guard and primary slots Lillard normally occupies. But who will replace Simmons in the off-guard slot? Some believe it might be Sharp. Whether he starts or not, it looks like he’s going to need extra time on this next stretch. What will he do with that minutes on this occasion? You start to see that when you play at home against another very young team, the Houston Rockets.
Will either Los Angeles team win again, Part 1?
The Lakers and Clippers include six former All-NBA players. And they’ve lost seven straight in that time. The Lakers are yet to win a single game, and the public outcry over their situation can be heard from the sea to the shining sea. What are the chances of either LA team being on the winning line this weekend?
Coming into the season, we all knew the Lakers didn’t have enough long range shots. It’s reached historic and epic proportions. And it’s not suddenly better Russell Westbrook (Hamstrings) I went to the game. The Lakers shot 8-for-30 (26.7%) from downtown Wednesday against the Nuggets, even without the man in the lineup who has become a symbol of their predicament.
This weekend, the Lakers play in Minnesota on Friday and have a rematch with the Nuggets on Sunday. Will Westbrook play? If so, can he improve his career-low averages of 10.3 PPG and 4.3 APG, and more importantly, to the fate of the Lakers (and Fantasy his basketball manager)? Anthony Davis (return) Can we play? If so, can he play like himself? Davis was in the midst of a great start to the season before his dramatic back-injury fall against the Clippers, and it’s hard to watch him try to play half-speed with injuries.
Will either Los Angeles team win again, Part 2?
The Clippers’ three-game losing streak may be loosely tied to the health of the team. Paul George miss one of the games, Kawai Leonard Missed two…and still has a time limit on one game he’s played. Leonard’s condition is of greatest concern. He returned last season from a torn ACL. He has appeared in only two of his five games in his first, with only 21 minutes in each game. He has missed his final two games after starting to feel stiffness in his surgically repaired knee after those two games and is up in the air on whether he will be able to return on Sunday.
George missed Tuesday’s game due to illness and despite playing Thursday, he managed only 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field, not himself, in an 8-point loss to the Thunder. He’s expected to look like the PG13 we’ve come to know and love on Sunday against the Pelicans.
Bonus: Zion Watch in the Big Easy
The Pelicans were absent Zion Williamson (hip), Brandon Ingram (concussion) and herbert jones (Knee) Wednesday night. Ingram is expected to miss the weekend’s game, but both Zion and Jones are listed as suspects on Friday night, with the Pelicans playing his 2nd match this weekend in Phoenix on Friday and with the Clippers on Sunday. Play one big match. All eyes will be on Zion in particular to see if he can come back and possibly put up a higher than normal number with Ingram absent.
