The wait is finally over. The NBA is back, and Monday night’s opening matchups didn’t disappoint: from the tunnel to head-to-head matchups in Boston and Ring Night in the Gulf. Still, there is still much left to do in the season, and questions remain as to whether the Warriors will repeat as champions if the Celtics can continue their momentum from last season’s midseason. Will LeBron James pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time scoring list, and can James Harden bounce back and Anthony Davis stay healthy?
We’ll have to wait and see what happens, but for now here are seven takeaways from last night’s action.
Revenge SZN: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are getting better.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been nightmares for teams on both sides of the ball over the past few years. They have three ECF trips under their belt and a recent appearance in the NBA Finals – and they’re still unlikely to get any better. Brown and Tatum combined for 70 points (35 points apiece) and solidified the streak against Philly after opening the night rockin’ in a pretty eye-catching match.
Both were attacking from all over the floor. Having two dynamic players like Brown and Tatum gives the Celtics a good chance to get back to the Finals and maybe even win this time.
Ring Night: The Warriors may be ready to make another championship run.
On ring night, the fighters look good. Damn good. Stephen Curry is still as good as ever, and the Warriors’ weapons keep them all afloat and out of reach. The Dubs had their trademark explosive third quarter, and signature contributions on offense from Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, Curry and Andrew Wiggins led them to victory. Draymond Green and Kevin Looney put in strong defensive performances. Their young core (Moses Moody, James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga) came off the bench and provided valuable minutes. Sheesh, the Warriors are deep.
The beard will drop 30 pieces on opening night
James Harden has been the picture of perfect health for most of his NBA career, but during his time with the Nets and his time with the Sixers, Harden was dealing with a serious hamstring injury that took away much of his explosiveness. And his ability to change pace was difficult to catch during his days in Houston. Houston Harden appeared in Boston for Philadelphia last night.
He finished the game with 35 points, eight rebounds and seven rebounds on 64.2 percent shooting from the field and 12/12 from the line. Some might say vintage Harden; We say it’s back.
LeBron James on Lakers shooting woes:
The Los Angeles Lakers Big 3 finished with 77 points out of 109, while the rest of the team struggled to score all game with their limited space. Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis shot a combined 4-16 from three as the Lakers shot 10-40 overall. After the game, King was quick to recognize a flaw in the Lakers’ offense, citing a lack of “laser.”
Moving forward, the Lakers will need a better shooting display if they don’t want to repeat their fate from last season.
Tribute #7: Jaylen Brown speaks on Bill Russell’s legacy
Legendary Bill Russell and 11-time NBA champion (and two-time head coach of the Celtics) passed away last summer. The Boston Celtics’ legendary number 6 has been retired around the league and every team wears a “6” patch on their jerseys to honor him. The Celtics took every step, however, with the intention of honoring their greatest player. Jaylen Brown took a moment to remember Bill Russell as a player, father, leader and person.
Mazula and Cam’s first coaching games:
Darwin Hamm and Joe Mazzula made their coaching debuts on opening night. Mazula won the first game while Cam lost. Mazula is currently the interim head coach of the Boston Celtics following the season suspension of Ime Udoka.
At the end of their game against the Celtics, Stan Van Gundy joked that Mazula now had the best winning percentage in NBA history. This is true and it looks like it will continue to be true, at least in the next game. Hamm, on the other hand, has the tall task of returning a veteran Lakers team back to its former glory. There are some positives to take from the team’s performance, but look for adjustments in the next few games as they look to find their footing.
Free BG
Oct. 18 marked the start of the NBA season, but it was also Brittany Griner’s 32nd birthday. Stephen Curry took some time to make sense of her wrongful imprisonment in Russia during a live address to fans in attendance and those watching on television at home. As the season begins, Griner’s fight for freedom continues to be a major focus.
