By: Joe Cardoso
Welcome back NBA fans to the weekly NBA series Court-Side Chronicles. Last week and already this week the NBA is out of the gates fast and it is hard to keep up, yet another reason to love the association. The In-Season tournament is rolling along and so are all the comments and hot takes coming from all sides. But, enough of the small talk let’s get into it hoop heads.
Injuries, Already?
Knowing it is a part of the game doesn’t make it any better, here we are dealing with some major pieces and big names missing games and affecting teams. After showing signs of a strong comeback Ben Simmons is back on IR after an MRI showed nerve damage in his back which has been an issue in the past. Add that to the hip which caused him to miss 3 games and it is not what Nets fans want to hear. Prayers continue for Sixers Kelly Oubre Jr. who was hit by a car! He is already back with the team and now we wait to see how long a broken rib keeps him off a very talented Sixers team, which is rolling. The Golden State Warriors hope the knee soreness hurting Stephen Curry is just a bump on the road and nothing that gives him trouble moving forward. With the team going through it his 30 points per game could help a lot. Not starting off the season as they wanted the Milwaukee Bucks will be without Jae Crowder for at least 8 weeks with his injury. The defending champs will be without guard Jamal Murray who has a hamstring injury. Each of these guys is either a key bench or star player for the teams they play on and this is a list I don’t want to see grow as the year goes on.
Hello, My Name Is:
The new season means an opportunity to get to see new players make a splash in the NBA. To the casual fan, you may have no idea who he is but you should get to know Pacers start Tyrese Haliburton who is ON FIRE! He is filling the stat sheet night in and night out as well as has Indiana sitting at 7-4. His versatility makes him a matchup nightmare plus he sets up his teammates so well. Double-digit assists in four straight games. The Pacers could be a pain in the side of these Eastern Conference teams all season long.
A lot of people haven’t paid real attention to the Minnesota Timberwolves since Jimmy Butler led the 2nd unit to a win at practice, or saw Pat Beverly jumping on the scorers’ table after winning a PLAY-IN game. Well, you need to get with the new wave and that wave’s name is Anthony Edwards. This kid is LEGIT and is only 22 years old learning the game and all that he can do. As I talked about on last week’s The Hoop Heads Podcast he is an early MVP contender. What I like best about him is that he WANTS all eyes on him in the biggest moments and shows up for them. Taking the big shot, going toe to toe with some of the best trash talkers in the league, and shutting them up. With a solid start by his team one which has some basketball fans calling them the best team in the west, and one Western Conference Player of the Week award in hand. Maintaining this is key and also being the guy who sets the tone for the league’s best team on the defensive end.
I will never miss a chance to big up a local from the DMV area so allow me to introduce you to former UConn Husky Jordan Hawkins. The New Orleans Pelicans rookie guard has been a great pickup and stretches the floor for the lane to be Zion-ready. He is knocking down triples at a record pace and is a key piece off the bench. As the season continues it will be something to see if the hot shooting continues for the kid from Gaithersburg, Maryland. Hawkings already has the most three-pointers by any player in NBA history through the first 11 games of their career.
Little Brother, Are You OK?
The Los Angeles Clippers made the impact trade of the season so far snagging James Harden from the Sixers. Here we are 5 games into it and the results have been bad, very bad. Harden has come out and made excuses about not being in shape, having no training camp, etc all of which means nothing. With the huge cloud of the new arena looming coach Ty Lue and company need to figure it out ASAP. The duo of Kawhi and PG is a 30 for 30 waiting to happen the product on the floor is not working from the spacing to the running of the plays they’re being asked to run. I know it’s only been 5 games so we need to see more, but my comeback would be what progress have you seen in the 5 games? With a real shot to at least make people bring them up in the LA sports conversations, this chance is fading fast. Without a doubt, this is the lead story in the NBA drama.
What are you talking about and watching so far this season? Hit me up on socials @JoeCardoso301 and catch Melo, Kevin, and myself on The Hoop Heads Podcast.