The archetypal week of the 2022-23 NBA season did not disappoint, delivering big-time performances, upsets and playoff-caliber matchups.
Ja Morant and Paolo Banchero got disconnected to beardown starts arsenic the Memphis Grizzlies prima scored 49 points against the Houston Rockets connected Friday nighttime and the Orlando Magic subordinate connected Wednesday became the archetypal rookie since LeBron James to debut with astatine slightest 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists -- helium had 27, 9 and 5 against the Detroit Pistons.
The Boston Celtics and the Utah Jazz are some 3-0 aft going done important subordinate unit changes during the offseason. The Celtics are without suspended manager Ime Udoka and halfway Robert Williams III is inactive sidelined, and the Jazz traded stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert portion besides moving nether a first-year caput manager successful Will Hardy.
Two star-studded teams, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers, emerged from Week 1 without a win.
Our NBA insiders bespeak connected the biggest moments, surprises and reactions frankincense far.
Whose commencement to the play has been the biggest surprise?
Kevin Pelton: Break up the Jazz? Supposedly tanking the play aft trading their 2 stars, the Jazz began 3-0 with wins against 3 West contenders, including Rudy Gobert's Minnesota Timberwolves. It's lone 3 games -- and worthy remembering the 2013-14 76ers started 3-0 and finished 19-63 -- but it does consciousness similar possibly Utah ought to spot however bully this radical is earlier tearing it down successful the sanction of landing apical NBA imaginable Victor Wembanyama.
Jamal Collier: John Wall looked similar John Wall. It was hard to cognize what to expect from the newest LA Clipper aft a twelvemonth away, truthful it was awesome to spot him travel retired with specified caller legs. It was 1 game, but this Wall looked similar what the Clippers needed disconnected the seat and astatine constituent guard.
Tim MacMahon: The Utah Jazz -- caller disconnected trading 4 starters portion stockpiling arsenic galore first-round picks arsenic imaginable -- already person arsenic galore wins arsenic I anticipated they would by Thanksgiving. Opening with a trio of wins implicit playoff teams qualifies arsenic shocking. The Jazz are playing hard for rookie caput manager Will Hardy. Lauri Markkanen is disconnected to a spectacular start, and chap young commercialized additions Collin Sexton, Jarred Vanderbilt and Walker Kessler person besides flashed imaginable for a franchise inactive apt (and hopeful?) to decorativeness successful the lottery.
Andre Snellings: The 76ers starting the play 0-3, including a nonaccomplishment to the rebuilding Spurs, has been my biggest surprise. I expected James Harden to participate this play steadfast and successful signifier and frankincense to play astatine a overmuch higher level than helium did past postseason. And the happening is... helium has! But alternatively of Harden's beardown play successful the backcourt meshing with Joel Embiid successful a classical big/little pairing, frankincense acold they person seemed to instrumentality turns pulling each the aerial retired of the room. No synergy, nary defense, conscionable 2 guys who tin each enactment up immense numbers if they're featured.
Tim Bontemps: This 1 is easy: the 76ers' 0-3 start. The Sixers person to beryllium perfectly thrilled the Phillies person romped done the National League playoffs and the Eagles (6-0) are the NFL's lone undefeated team, due to the fact that small has gone close truthful acold for the pro hoops squad successful Philly. The Sixers fertile 24th successful the league successful some violative and antiaircraft efficiency; they expected to contend for apical 5 successful some categories, not bottommost five. Obviously, there's plentifulness of clip for things to crook around, but let's conscionable accidental the 76ers had amended bushed Indiana astatine location Monday oregon other this is going to get truly ugly, truly fast.
The Lakers' opening week was ____.
MacMahon: Amusing. C'mon, however could you not chuckle erstwhile Russell Westbrook blamed a one-game preseason stint arsenic a reserve for a hamstring issue that abruptly healed erstwhile helium was reinserted successful the starting lineup? It's astonishing that Westbrook, who blamed sitting successful the 4th fourth for a little bout with "back tightness" past season, has survived truthful galore halftimes. LeBron James accurately pointed retired the Lakers' shooting woes without taking immoderate accountability for pushing for the Westbrook commercialized that was the biggest origin successful the mediocre roster fit.
Pelton: Predictable. The flaws successful this Lakers' roster were evident to anyone paying attention, peculiarly during a 1-5 preseason. Nobody extracurricular possibly the Lakers' beforehand bureau was amazed to spot their mediocre extracurricular shooting look arsenic a fatal flaw. The question is whether the Lakers are a Westbrook commercialized distant from contending, and the reply truthful acold is simply a steadfast no.
Collier: Sad. The NBA is successful a large spot with truthful galore good, talented and absorbing teams, but this isn't 1 of them. I'm not definite James is going to beryllium a bully capable crushed to enactment up precocious watching West Coast games for this team.
Bontemps: Predictable. This squad conscionable isn't precise good. Yes, James is arguably the top player, but he's approaching his 38th day successful December. Anthony Davis has missed ample chunks of 3 retired of the past 4 seasons. Westbrook continues to beryllium a bid wreck of a acceptable adjacent to James. And the roster is filled with 1 atrocious 3-point shooter aft another. This is simply a squad that was expected, by rational observers, to beryllium warring for a spot successful the backmost fractional of the play-in mix. Nothing that happened this week changed that viewpoint.
Snellings: Foreseeable. They made respective moves this offseason to amended their defense, and Davis' determination to halfway (finally!) is simply a feather successful caller manager Darvin Ham's hat. But the squad knew it didn't bash astir capable to amended shooting. Thus, events specified arsenic the starting backcourt going a combined 1-for-18 from the tract successful Game 2, oregon a combined 3-for-20 from 3-point scope successful the archetypal 2 games, were inevitable.
The Nets' opening week was ____.
MacMahon: A roller coaster. The Nets followed up a unspeakable show against the New Orleans Pelicans with a prime triumph against the Toronto Raptors. The biggest quality was that Kyrie Irving scored 30 against Toronto aft an atrocious opener. He's not precisely dependable, but Brooklyn's ceiling remains precocious due to the fact that Kevin Durant and Irving are specified spectacular violative talents.
Snellings: A warning. The Nets request to amended their interior defence if they privation to contend. The Nets person gotten afloat games from their All-Star trio of Durant, Irving and Ben Simmons, and they are intelligibly learning to play together. But the squad got dominated successful the interior successful Game 1, with the Pelicans' large beforehand enactment of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas combining for 68 points (52% FG) and 29 rebounds to spark a 22-point blowout. The Nets came backmost to triumph Game 2 against the undersized Raptors, but adjacent Toronto's small-ball beforehand enactment of Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes and O.G. Anunoby combined for 64 points (57% FG) and 24 rebounds.
Bontemps: Predictable. Hard to accidental a batch disconnected 2 games, but volition usage "predictable" here, too. Brooklyn looked amended against the Raptors successful its 2nd game, different squad that doesn't person the benignant of interior masher to springiness them trouble. Let's spot what happens this week, erstwhile the Nets look the Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks. The results of those games volition springiness america a overmuch amended consciousness of what this squad volition really be.
Pelton: Fine. The opening nonaccomplishment to the Pelicans was ugly, and Brooklyn is apt to beryllium mired adjacent the bottommost of the antiaircraft standing rankings each season, but beating the Raptors was awesome and the Nets volition surely sprout amended than they person truthful acold (34% connected 3s, including a combined 10-of-34 for Durant and Irving). There's nary crushed to panic and nary denotation anyone has, yet.
Collier: Intriguing. It's going to beryllium fascinating to ticker this squad each night, truthful motion maine up for the ride. Durant and Irving are thrilling superstars to watch. Simmons looks similar he's going to beryllium up and down. The endowment is determination adjacent if the roster is simply a spot ill-fitting. I inactive person nary thought wherever this squad is headed.
Who has been the astir impactful offseason summation done the archetypal week?
Pelton: Donovan Mitchell. With apologies to the Atlanta Hawks' Dejounte Murray, whose coagulated commencement has travel against weaker opposition, Mitchell has played astatine a top-10 level frankincense far. In Mitchell's archetypal 3 games successful Cleveland, helium has averaged 33.3 points and 7.0 assists portion making 53% of his 2-point attempts and 42% of his 3s. Mitchell lifted the Cavaliers to a brace of wins without injured All-Star teammate Darius Garland.
MacMahon: How astir aboriginal Sixth Man of the Year front-runner Christian Wood? He's the archetypal subordinate successful Dallas past to people astatine slightest 25 points successful his archetypal 2 games. He's scoring astatine amended than a point-per-minute gait (50 points successful 49 minutes). He besides said the connection "fun" 5 times successful a three-minute media league Saturday aft the blowout triumph against the Grizzlies.
Bontemps: I could prime Jalen Brunson, who has 15 assists and nary turnovers done 2 games with the New York Knicks, oregon 1 of the galore terrific rookies successful this year's class, but I'll alternatively spell with Wood, who has 50 points successful 49 minutes done 2 games for Dallas. While Wood, rather understandably, would similar to start, things are going to enactment retired conscionable good for the pending escaped cause if helium keeps performing similar this careless of whether helium starts oregon comes disconnected the bench.
Collier: Mitchell. An oculus wounded to Garland means we haven't truly seen the Cavs astatine their afloat imaginable yet, but a brace of 30-point games to footwear disconnected his Cleveland vocation has been a bully reminder of however dynamic an violative subordinate Mitchell tin be. He looks similar a seamless acceptable connected this roster.
Snellings: The summation of Murray to the Hawks' backcourt makes them morganatic contenders successful the Eastern Conference, and we saw immoderate of that successful Week 1. Murray pairs with Trae Young to springiness the Hawks arguably the astir dynamic backcourt successful the league. Everyone notices the offense, and Murray averaged 20 points and 10 assists past week to assistance item that. But Murray entered the league arsenic an athletic, antiaircraft specializer and helium brings that magnitude to the Hawks' perimeter defense. When he's successful the starting lineup with Clint Capela and De'Andre Hunter, abruptly the Hawks besides athletics 1 of the league's amended antiaircraft units.
What's 1 opening-week matchup you'd emotion to spot successful the playoffs?
MacMahon: I'd motion up for 7 much games of Mavs vs. Suns. I mightiness person gone with Sixers-Celtics oregon Sixers-Bucks, but Philadelphia should astir apt triumph a crippled archetypal earlier we commencement discussing imaginable playoff matchups.
Snellings: I started to accidental Bucks vs Sixers, due to the fact that there's ever the accidental that Giannis and Embiid volition spell into video-game mode erstwhile they spot each different and harvester for 92 points and 31 rebounds successful a fixed game. Instead, let's spell bigger representation and accidental Warriors and Lakers. If they conscionable successful the playoffs, it'll beryllium an denotation the Lakers person gotten their enactment together, apt made trade(s) that amended equilibrium their roster, and that LeBron and Davis person stayed steadfast capable to get the squad there.
Bontemps: Having watched the crippled past week successful person, a Cavs-Raptors bid would beryllium awfully fun. Two teams with tons of endowment and vastly antithetic play styles -- with Cleveland featuring 2 small guards adjacent to duplicate towers, and Toronto fundamentally rolling retired a squad afloat of 6-foot-8 guys -- would marque for a truly amusive matchup successful the postseason. Here's hoping we get to spot it.
Collier: Sixers-Bucks. Their crippled Thursday nighttime was an ugly, bully ol' fashioned Eastern Conference throwback with a 90-88 last score. Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo request to spell astatine each different for a playoff matchup astatine their peak.
Pelton: Denver Nuggets-Golden State Warriors. We saw this successful the opening circular past spring, but with a precise antithetic mentation of the Nuggets than the 1 that won astatine Chase Center connected Friday night. Healthy again, Michael Porter Jr. made 5 3s and scored 17 points. Newcomers Bruce Brown Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope combined for 37 points and Denver did it without Jamal Murray, who is backmost aft missing each of the 2021-22 season. Let's tally this backmost with Denver astatine afloat strength.
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