The new NBA season opens

We had seen the pre-season games of our favorite teams and more or less have an idea of what to expect from them.  The new season opens today and there are two games on tap – Philadelphia visits Boston and the Golden State Warriors hosts the OKC Thunder.

Philly and Boston are today’s Eastern Conference heavyweights and they’re having an early clash of titans.  The Sixers have two potential MVPs who both can score and defend - Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons plus the rest of the productive starting unit of JJ Redick, Dario Saric and Robert Covington.   Hopefully, Markelle Fultz will have his time to shine. 

Boston is definitely EC’s top dog and a strong five of Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford and Jaylen Brown will give even Steve Kerr major migraines.  The bench crew could well start on some lower tiered teams.  Consider Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris, Aaron Baynes and Semi Ojeleye.  As the season progresses, we could be seeing more of second year players Daniel Theis and Jabari Bird.  PHI - 0, BOS – 1.

Oklahoma opens their bid without their loudest thunder as Russell Westbrook continues to recover from a right knee surgery.  His condition is listed as day-to-day and if his knees do hold up until the end of the season, then OKC will go places.  Carmelo Anthony had departed and Jerami Grant, a better defender, takes his place.   The return of Andre Roberson from injury and likewise Patrick Beverly, if he gets ample playing time, also improved OKC’s defense.   In lieu of Westbrook, Paul George will have ample scoring support from Dennis Schroeder. 

There is just one thing to say about the Warriors – if DeMarcus Cousins regains just 70% of his former self, it would be ridiculous for someone to think of another team holding high the Larry O’Brien trophy.  A three-peat for Golden State is in the bag, barring season-ending injuries to two of their superstars.  OKC - 0, GSW - 1.

A loaded schedule will jolt our basketball senses tomorrow with 22 teams seeing action.  Check your local TV stations for listings and the generosity of your otherwise grumpy neighbor who will gladly share with you broadcasts on their huge flatscreens.  Just be sure to cheer for his team also for the possibility of a repeat viewing.

The LA Lakers last had a winning record during the 2012-2013 season and that was also the last time they made the playoffs.    Suddenly they had become a shoo-in and even had some fans predicting a trip to the western Conference Finals.  Yes, all because of a big name transferee.

Anyone who follows this column should have known by now that the men in yellow and purple are on my favored team.   Yes, they had become stronger because of assembling a cast of wily veterans and eager youngsters to surround someone possessing inexplicably unnatural talent mated to a body that would put to shame some pseudo iron pumpers.  I’m happy that finally the Lakers would be going somewhere but let’s make things clear, they won’t be dethroning the Warriors.  Not yet.  I’m in awe of what the best player of his generation does on the basketball court but I had never gone gaga on LeBron James.

On Friday, the Lakers will test the waters of the new season when they travel to Portland.   The Blazers have a lethal backcourt duo of Damian Lilard and CJ McCollum and that’s it.  Both are legit NBA stars but they lack support and this team, unless management somehow gets one or two 2-D players, could struggle all through the season.  The frontline of Mo Harkless, Al-Farouq Aminu and Jusuf Norkic will have a fighting chance against LA’s frontcourt of LBJ, Brandon Ingram and JaVale McGee but the Blazers will have to battle with a more superior bench mob.

The idea in LA now is to limit LBJ’s minutes and use him in clutch situations to close out games where he is at his best.  He’s now surrounded with scorers and a true point guard in Rajon Rondo who can teach Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso the finer points of the position.  This decreases LeBron’s workload and allows him to focus on the defensive end, create more spacing and let Rondo do the ball distribution.

Considering that LeBron is a 3-dimensional player, the notion that he makes players around him better does not hold true most of the time and it would be a waste seeing Ball, Ingram, Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma just standing and gawking at him dominating the ball.  Cases in point last year were Jae Crowder and Rodney Hood, both very good role players.   Their playing suffered with Tyronn Lue’s over dependence on LBJ.   Just look at how they’re doing now.

The young Laker core were all relaxed and at ease playing on their terms last season.  This time it is different with the best player of the game as their teammate and probably their biggest bully as far as work ethic and performance is concerned.  It will be a huge challenge for them.   LAL – 1, POR – 0.