Showtime & 60 Piece

Most teams have played between seven to ten games. It's fair to check in on the Association and assess some things I've noticed. Two teams I'm most fond of watching are going in opposite directions. My neighborhood Blazers can't buy a home win, even with a 60 piece from Lillard; while Davis and LeBron are showing out for showtime. 

Showtime

AD and LeBron. LeBron and AD. I'm going to go out on a limb and just say it; they're the best duo in basketball and they've yet to scratch the surface. Scary, I know. Either one of them can single-handedly take their team to victory. Together their ceiling seems to stretch into the stratosphere. Imagine when the rest of the Lakers start to make more shots. Danny Green's been great; if the others begin to hit open looks, look out. 

This team has exceeded early expectations defensively. The good habits they're setting now will extend to situations later in the season. Davis is a monster. LeBron's reinvigorated. The perimeter guys all hustle and seem to buy in on helping as the ball swings against their rotations. Often times their extra effort stymies the opposing set, or results in a challenged shot. They're playing hard and cohesive. Davis can cover up effort plays if penetration does occur. McGee, and especially Howard, have also done a hell of a job bothering shots and gobbling rebounds. LA is holding down the fort defensively. 

The Lakers lead the west and LeBron leads the NBA in assists — talk about a point guard. Even as James and Davis continue to polish their two-man game, the early assessment is nothing short of unstoppable. When these two phenomenons fully mesh their talents, the game will become even easier for them and their surrounding teammates. As more and more attention is paid to AD and LeBron, the chances for others to shine are increased. Coupling Bron's abilities and AD's gifts with a strong supporting cast spells trouble for the rest of the league.

I've typed before about the two types of superstars. There are those who make the game easier due to their dominance. Think Shaq and the need to double or triple-team him, or get dunked on. Then there are superstars like Magic or Bird who make others better. These types of superstars know how to Bobby Fisher the chess board while others play checkers; they're always two steps ahead forecasting plays and movement. Then there's LeBron James, the rarest of superstars who can do both. He makes the game easier, and makes others better. His power can be yielded at individual times or together in unison through his cerebral acuity. James with Davis creates infinite possibilities. Is anyone more talented than AD? Does anyone know the game better than LeBron? Showtime may be on the verge of showing out.

60 Piece

Spicy nuggets are back, someone should tell the rest of the Trailblazers not named Hood, Simons or Lillard. As I've stated before, I'm all in on Rip City, but initial takeaways don't look good. Obviously injuries have zapped the roster, I miss Collins, but Stotts hasn't figured out his in-game rotations very well either. Tolliver needs to stop getting so much run. Local media gushes over how well he does the little things while paying attention to scheme. Have you seen him move? He's too stiff and slow; he can't guard one on one. With the way the league is spreading the floor, his lack of burst and athleticism offsets his IQ. He's a liability on defense, and frankly, he isn't shooting well either.

Perhaps Hezonja or Little get more minutes. Mario plays hard and has some bounce on defense. Nasir Little had yet to log meaningful minutes prior to last night. In the loss to Brooklyn he showed why he was a top prospect in his class. I've written before about how he could take on a roll similar to the defensive wings Portland sent away. Little is too athletic not to be playing more, even before Labissiere rolled his ankle, which has me wondering why Stotts doesn't try to go small and young. As far as I'm concerned, Skal could have been starting already. Whiteside's stats feel hollow. Hassan almost never boxes out, instead relying on his given gifts instead of hard-nosed fundamentals. He continually hunts blocked shots instead of playing sound team defense. He falls victim to more pump fakes and up-and-under moves than anyone. 

If I had to truly distill the Blazers depth amidst the injury bug that has hit them so hard, it'd be this: Dame, CJ, Hood, Bazemore, Simons, Labissiere, Hezonja and Little. Tell those eight guys to play their asses off and work hard on defense while flying around with more speed and play making potential. If you need a big to bang, put in Whiteside. Besides, who really runs their offense through a traditional low post center in the west? (Jokić is a slow-footed play maker from the top or the elbows. Gobert only averages six shots and impacts the game with his defense. Towns is a seven foot Curry. Adams is not the focal point in OKC.) It's time for Stotts to dig a little deeper into his coaching bag to remedy these problems. Outside of a trade or acquisition, these flaws need some in-house, house keeping. There's something to be said about switching on defense too. The game has evolved, highlighting wings and ball handlers. Put guys on the floor who can dribble, pass, and shoot. 

Speaking of shooting, where has CJ's shot gone? He should ascend to his typical averages, but he's been bad. The lack of reliable shooting from their number two guy forces Dame to go ballistic. Hood has been the second most reliable scorer thus far. McCollum also looks listless when he doesn't have the ball. Too often he's standing instead of moving off-ball or cutting backside. This lack of offensive production may also be impacting his defense. He seems to continually trail his man off ball screens, basically unlocking opportunities for the opposition's offense. I know he can turn it around, but the truth is, he has to be better on both sides of the ball. 

Dame is the sun by which this team revolves. He's going straight dragon on opponents, scorching those who stand in his way. Even with Dame's flame-throwing the Blazers are 3-6. If it wasn't for Lillard's hyperbolic scoring binge, Portland would be even further down in the standings. He needs help. His numbers are certainly MVP worthy, but that's a tough case to make when your team is three games below .500. If you were to take him out of the equation, the season becomes bleak. He's the most valuable player to his team. Thank god for Dame.

Only in the NBA,

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NBA 2K19

Cool and clear fall days when the rain holds off are the type of autumn days I'm looking for. October brings lit hues to leaves, pumpkins to front porches, and hoops to the hardwood. Only the NBA can truly quench that basketball thirst. Each season brings new hope, new rosters (notably this year) and the opportunity to start anew. With so much change I thought it best to tip the season off with some ABC's...

A. All the Action is west -

There's so much talent out west it's bananas. As many as seven western teams have legit aspirations to make The Finals. Let alone the depth of teams that won't make the playoffs. There's going to be some extremely disappointed teams after the first round of the western playoffs. Hell, after the conference semi's too. Watch the western conference this year, the competition will be crazy. The west is best.

When will the NBA just take the 16 best teams for the playoffs? The east currently has an easier path through the regular season and way too many sub .500 clubs. Rewarding winning teams who respect the regular season and are more equipped for playoffs is in the best interest of the NBA. Ebbs and flows of conference inequality would be remedied forever by taking the 16 best. The NBA shouldn't want sub .500 in the playoffs, especially if other teams are above .500 in a far superior conference. Only in the NBA.

B. Before the Bucks Build statues -

Here's a hot take, the Bucks won't be as good this season when it's onion time. Losing Brogdon hurts. I trust no one on their team in a playoff series other than Giannis, including their head coach. Antetokounmpo is easily the player I'd currently build a team around if given the choice to pick one guy. His skills and personal traits could translate into a limitless ceiling of potential. He's the reigning MVP with room to improve.

Giannis needs to become a better more reliable shooter, as many have pointed out. A serviceable jumper would empower him take more of the open looks offered to him by sagging defenses. Drawing the on-ball defender slightly closer is nightmarish for opposition. A defense can only hope to slow his interior onslaught. His decision making and passing must take a leap as well. Defenses will continue to coagulate around him, while also clogging interior driving lanes, especially with Brogdon gone. My biggest question, who do they trust to hit a truly big shot? Giannis is a mutant-hybrid 1-3-4-Shaq on offense and defense, but he'll need help.

Which brings me to the Bucks roster, yikes. I'm not as sure about Middleton as I once was, he wouldn't sniff being an all-star out west. Also, did you see any of the FIBA games? Then there's Bledsoe, yikes, and George Hill as their primary point guards—yikes. Going all in on the Lopez twins might be fun, but it could be bad. Coach Bud has great regular seasons then fails to adjust enough in playoff situations. This will only intensify when coaching the reigning MVP. Maybe the Bucks make some moves. Or maybe they can just rely on the improvement of their freakish MVP. Or maybe this team resembles his FIBA national team when it's really do or die time. Yikes. I think I'd rather be Philly. 

Quick aside: Boston had four players on the team that finished seventh at FIBA, yikes. Brad Stevens will have them playing solid ball, but they're not representing the east.  

C. Continuity is lost Currency -

There is zero continuity for teams to start the regular season. Whether rebooted or retooled, they'll need time to gel. Some teams have new coaching staffs. Other franchises will be transitioning due to players coming back from injury. Many are facing a combination of these factors, a team like the Lakers faces all three. Anyone relying on rookies will need to allow time for their young stars to acclimate. Continuity can be built. Talent and fit can offset continuity, the combination of all three is basketball's most beautiful choreography.

A range of talent reshuffled over the summer beyond the seven all stars who switched jerseys. Duos are back. Trios and quartets may or may not still exist depending on how you view Utah, Philadelphia and Golden State. There's no clear cut favorite. I believe there are nine legitimate teams with a shot at the title, which makes for a more compelling regular season. The NBA could benefit from this after the run the Warriors are currently on and the streak LeBron had. In-season trades and buyouts are highly likely; next summer's free agent pool is not as deep. Names such as Beal, Love and Paul will continue to swirl in rumors. If the lack of continuity causes teams to struggle, GM's will hunt talent.

D. Dallas, Draymond, D'Antoni, Davis & Dame -

DAL -

Dallas has two unicorns who might wreck shop this year, deal me in. Last year Luka became one of two rookies ever to put up 21 points, 7 rebound and 6 assists. He did so at 19 against superior competition (Oscar did it in 1960-61). Porzingis looks like a 7'3" Ivan Drago and Lonestar looks svelte. Dallas was smart to bet on Kristaps knowing that Dončić is a budding superstar. Lonestar and The Zinger might just take Dallas to the playoffs. The complimentary pieces look nice and their coach is one of the best, but this comes down to the two unicorns. I for one think these two will come out with something to prove. The unicorns of Dallas have my attention, hopefully the grab yours.

GSW -

Dray and Steph... If you believe Steph is the best player on earth, his team has to be a contender. If you also believe Draymond to be a top 15 player, then his team has to be a lock for the playoffs. These two guys play on the same team, a team that's appeared in five straight Finals. No one should feel sorry for Golden State regardless of off-season moves, roster flaws, and injuries. They added a young all-star perimeter player in D-Lo and have coach Kerr's prowess to push the right buttons. The Warriors offense may shift a little toward pick and roll action when DeAngelo's running the offense. They also have a shiny new Death Star Center. Trust me, they're fine. No other team can lose an all-world guard (Klay), an all-timer (KD), and still begin the season with three all-stars. They'll be major players no matter what, champions don't die easily. I'm most interested in how opposing teams will guard Steph, and as a result, how well he does individually.

HOU -

Russell Westbrook and James Harden will make Houston way better. Unleashing Westbrook at times to rest Harden will help long term success. The two most ball dominate guys are complimented by a pretty damn good roster. When it matters most this team could be, as Russ said, "scary, and not for us." Their potential outcomes on offense and defense is infinite. Russ is a big variable, but he always plays extremely hard and a change of scenery might just unlock the next dynamic phase to his game. I'm excited to see the Rockets play when injected with some West-beast.

The rest of the Rockets knows how and what to do. If Russ blends in well, they're a threat for the one seed. I love Russ. I also really like PJ Tucker and Eric Gordon. Toss in Capela if they go big, or Rivers should they go small, and D'Antoni has some tough five man lineups. They also have the most prolific offensive force in the NBA. James Harden will continue to light the world ablaze. He hankers for the accolades only postseason success can bring, good. The Beard's hungry, he'll be looking to cook the competition come spring, and now he's got Russy.

LAL -

LeBron and AD are going to lay waste. Who starts? Who finishes? Which five man unit is best offensively? Defensively? Can it be one in the same? Who guards other elite point guards? Avery Bradley apparently. Who makes the final roster? Which player will they sign with their exception? Just how good can A.D and LeBron be together? The Lakers have questions. They also have the two best answers, AD and LeBron. 

POR -

The Trailblazers turn 50. Yesterday I was able to see the newest squad at Fan Fest. The intrasquad scrimmage was held on their new, commemorative floor inside Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Bazemore and Hood looked good, rookie Moses Brown played well too. I'm so hyped for Blazers basketball this year. There are some what-ifs heading into the season. The roster looks dramatically different from last year's team that went to the WCF. Team scoring probably won't be a problem, but what about the D? Youth and acquisitions may fill the void left by Portland losing their two primary wing defenders.

The culture that Dame and the Blazers have created will hopefully influence newcomers. Hassan  Whiteside's physical gifts are impressive, but he's also been seen as a stat chasing malcontent. Bazemore should inject the second unit with a bit more athletic play-making and defensive upside. Nasir Little could provide a spark with his size and athleticism if given a chance. He physically resembles a prototypical wing defender. Vets like Pau Gasol, Anthony Tolliver, or Mario Hezonja may surprise as well.

A handful of guys remain. Collins and Hood should see an increase in minutes and responsibility. Both Collins and Hood have tremendous upside, now they'll be asked to perform at a more consistent level on both sides of the ball. I'm exited to see Simons get more run perhaps too. He's young and athletic with a quick release shot. And when will Nurkić return and to what proficiency? Which leads to the two most important Blazers, Dame and CJ.

Not only is Dame one of the best leaders, he's one of four players to average 25 points and 5 assists over the past four seasons (LeBron, Harden and Curry are the others). CJ and Dame were the second highest scoring back-court in the NBA last season, averaging a combined 46.8 points per game. They're key to Portland's success as primary scoring options. Hopefully Dame and CJ can lead Portland back to the WCF. As the season warms up, Dame's already on fire.

E. Extra season -

Eastern Conference Playoff Teams:

BKN, BOS, MIL, PHI, TOR = (locks) \ DET, MIA, ORL

Western Conference Playoff Teams:

DEN, HOU, GSW, LAC, LAL, POR, UTA = (locks) \  SAS

F. Finals = LAL v. PHI

Go Rip City,

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