We’ve had almost a month of the NBA regular season and it’s time we start discussing what’s been happening so far. The NBA has had a few big surprises with some teams being way more impressive than we thought and some players/teams being underwhelming…
Warriors Tied for Best Record at 7-1
The Warriors currently have the best defense in the NBA and also are tied for the best record in the league with the Utah Jazz. Jordan Poole has taken a big step and will be a great 3rd option for the Warriors when Klay comes back. Poole can score off the dribble and also off the ball. The Warriors are also getting great defensive minutes from Gary Payton II and he’s been a menace on the defensive end when he’s gotten a chance.
Do I think the Warriors can stay having the best record by the end of the season? Hmmm… Honestly, yes. They look like a complete team now with having another ball-handler that can score with Poole and playing great defense as a team. With Klay added to the team they’ll only get better, even with Klay missing that past few seasons.
Damian Lillard’s Struggles
Damian Lillard is having one of the weirdest slumps I’ve ever seen a player have that’s a superstar. Damian Lillard is currently averaging 17.8 PPG while shooting an ABYSMAL 33.7% from the FIELD. Yep, you read that right. He’s shooting 33.7% not from three, but from the field. Damian Lillard is also shooting 21.7% from three-point land. Although Lillard has struggled from the field, he’s been able to make plays for teammates averaging nearly 9 assists a game. I don’t think this will continue for the rest of the season for obvious reasons.
Lillard will bounce back sooner or later and will again dominate the league again, it’s just really odd to see right now. At first, some would think it’s maybe the new rules allowing defenders to play the three a little tougher, but that shouldn’t necessarily affect Lillard.
How Quickly the Bulls Have Put it Together
Don’t get me wrong, I thought the Bulls would be a good team this year for sure, but this fast? …. No. The Bulls put together a great team this offseason by acquiring Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, and Alex Caruso to run point off the bench. They are currently sitting at 3rd in the East and playing really well together already. I thought they’d start off the season kind of rough since it’s the first time they’re playing together, but they’ve started gelling extremely fast.
Although I think the injury to Patrick Williams will hurt them a little bit, I still expect them to have a great season and continue fighting to be a contending team in the Eastern conference.
