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Thanksgiving is this Thursday, and we of course are often asked “What are you thankful for?” during the holiday, so with the NBA season underway here are a couple of things that I am thankful for and well not thankful for so far this season.
Things I am not thankful for
Detroit Pistons: The first thing that I am sadly not thankful for is the Detroit Pistons and this disappointing start and situation. Detroit was one of my choices for must see NBA league pass teams with promising potential but does not look it currently. Hopefully things will turn around especially Cade Cunningham returning and rookie Ausur Thompson’s amazing play is something to build off of, but coach Monty Williams may not know what to do or who to play on this young team with depth may finally lead to some roster changes to make this team truly promising.
Klay Thompson and Draymond Green’s Antics: We know when their time is done in the NBA that the chase center in San Francisco will have a statue of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green together, but it is time to say and admit that Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are now liabilities who cause more headaches than victories recently.
Thompson is an absolute shell of himself after two very serious leg injuries but continuously tries to “Big Dog” opponents with his past accomplishments but in reality can not defend the perimeter players he is assigned to and slowly becoming unreliable on offense. Add that this is a contract year where he expects to get a one bigger deal which he is not going to get at this point in his career adds potential drama and tension to Warriors who are in a strong “win now” situation with this team could lead to the impossible idea of Thompson being on the move.
Now to good ole Draymond Green who always does or says something to spark conflict. In the game against the Timberwolves Green put center Rudy Gobert in chokehold that wasn’t necessarily leading to a five-game suspension which coincidentally was a game where Stephen Curry did not play. With 18 career ejections 7 of his last 11 ejections happen when Curry did not play, making Gobert’s statement pretty accurate and raising the question if Green does that intentionally.
Even a year removed from the punch heard in the bay where Green punched former Warrior Jordan Poole in the face during practice has made the Green and his emotions extremely vital to their success which is highly unpredictable. Yes, that element was beneficial during the Warriors run in the mid-2010s but with that core older and honestly not that intimidating to the new wave of stars and talent makes the stuff Green does less impactful. But giving Green his extension, this summer means this era of the team will go down will Green and Thompson’s antics as they age, and skills diminished.
The Old Guard doing too much, too early.
My thing that I am not thankful for is the wildly insane burden that older superstars LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant are doing for their teams this early in the season. Obviously all three are sure fire hall of famers who have done this for years but when it comes to their team’s championship aspirations it is a bad sign. Curry is the entire offense for the Warriors so far which is showing big flaws on that team from Andrew Wiggins to their complete lack of size up front puts a hard ceiling on the team and more importantly could be wasting these prime years Curry has left.
LeBron James may be our ageless wonder but year 21 in the NBA only means the clock is ticking on how many more seasons he can continue to be this incredible. Of course, the expectations of Anthony Davis taking the lead is showing to be not possible because he is not that player along with the slow start from Austin Reaves and the new pieces has made the minutes restriction plan for James throughout the season not possible. If the Lakers want to have another deep playoff run, then someone not named James must step up during the regular season in order for James to be in top shape once the playoffs come otherwise it will be another lost opportunity for the purple and gold.
Kevin Durant’s game seems to be aging incredibly well as he continues to carry the offensive burden anywhere, he goes, but Durant is doing it not only on offense but so far is the defensive anchor for this rather delicately crafted Suns team that is on borrowed time. Despite Devin Booker missing time already and Bradley Beal not on the floor yet has added a degree of difficulty to Phoenix’s title hopes. As great as Durant has been to start, we have to prepare for him to breakdown with Durant’s injury history having him play the big minutes he has so far this season does not bode well for Phoenix if they want to be true contenders.
With the negative out of the way here are the things I am so thankful for to start the season, and we shockingly begin in Houston.
Things I am Thankful for
The Houston Rockets: I have to admit that I am incredibly surprised and thankful for the Houston Rockets. Houston made some much-needed mature additions to this promising core with free agent Fred VanVleet and coach Ime Udoka that have brought professionalism that some of the Rockets young core needed. But the presence and play of agitator Dillion Brooks has proven to be a smart move for Houston that currently are 7-6 and seem to be in the playoff mix sooner than expected. Young stars Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun are flourishing under this much needed culture change that could lead to possible all-star considerations for them, but Houston under Udoka may be ahead of schedule along with being a fun team to watch.
The Indiana Pacers: I have been waiting and wanting this team to get back into the conversation and the Pacers are certainly making noise to start the season. Led by all-star guard Tyrese Haliburton the Pacers are the most exciting offense to watch in the NBA, leading the league in scoring at 128 points per game. The Pacers are possibly the fastest team in transition but are equally exciting in the half court. Yes the defense has been bad but despite that the Pacers are one of the more dangerous teams to go up against and are a dark horse to win the new in-season tournament if they are not taken seriously.
Chet Holmgren: Yes, the buzz of this rookie class is Victor Wembanyama but that may need to change as OKC’s Chet Holmgren is making a strong case to be rookie of the year over that French phenom. Missing all last season due to injury makes this season Holmgren’s rookie year and his impact is evident on the young and promising Thunder, where his rim protection, spacing, and competitiveness has been a difference maker for the team.
Averaging 17 points, 8 boards, and 2 ½ blocks per game has made Holmgren a legitimate difference maker night to night while giving the already promising Thunder more firepower to be a big surprise in the western conference where they could be a top 4-5 team at season’s end.