With the NBA season kicking off last Tuesday, featuring the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers, it’s time to talk about everything you need to know. I’ll be focusing on teams to beat and storylines to keep an eye on through the season.
The most heated storyline at the moment would have to be what is going to happen with Jimmy Butler and the Minnesota Timberwolves?
It hasn’t been long since four-time All-Star shooting guard Butler requested to be traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves. There has been a lot of controversy among Butler and his teammates, particularly small-forward Andrew Wiggins and center Karl-Anthony Towns. In his first practice back with the Timberwolves this preseason, Butler allegedly challenged his teammates, coaches and front office.
Even through all this mess, Butler played in the Timberwolves’ season opener against the Spurs, scoring 23 points. Teams are pursuing to trade for Butler, but for the moment, he is still in his contract with the Timberwolves until the end of the season.
The next top storyline would have to be will the LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers make the playoffs?
I believe the Lakers will surprise their doubters and make the playoffs; whether they will make the finals is a question for another day. The Lakers are composed of many stars and up-and-coming stars. It is a strange mix, to say the least, but I believe, with all their ball handlers, they’ll relieve LeBron from having to do absolutely everything. This will make James more efficient per touch and will result in a fully energized LeBron in their playoff run.
The last storyline I’ll discuss is one that’s been debated recently: Is the Celtics-Sixers rivalry back?
Everyone loves a good old-fashioned rivalry in the NBA. One that stands out right now would have to be the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder; you do not want to miss one of these games. There’s just something about these games that increases the intensity so much that arguments break out midgame, questionable fouls are made and fans love every second of it.
The Celtic-Sixers games always include some trash talk after remarkable plays are made on both ends of the court and it leads to players wanting to get back at them. This increases the intensity of the game immensely. But when asked if this was a rivalry, 76ers center Joel Embiid said, “This is not a rivalry. I don’t know our record against them, but it’s pretty bad. They always kick our ass.” So, is it a rivalry? No one’s too sure yet, but there are plenty of matchups between these two teams this season, we will just have to wait and see.
Aside from the storylines, you also have to know who the top two teams are to beat this season: the Warriors and Celtics.
The top team to beat, as of now, would have to be the Warriors. They are comprised of five All-Stars, each at their own position, which could make for a killer starting five. On top of that, they have good players coming off the bench, including Andre Iguodala, Shawn Livingston and Jordan Bell. The Warriors have won the last two NBA Championships and have not lost a significant player since. Their accomplishments speak for themselves.
However, if there’s any team that could take on the Warriors, it would have to be the Boston Celtics. There may be a little favoritism going on here because Kyrie Irving is my favorite player, but the facts still point to this conclusion. The Celtics are led by three All-Stars: Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Al Horford. In last year’s playoffs, where they made the Eastern Conference finals, both Irving and Hayward were out due to injuries. But, the other players stepped up and grew so much when they were put in the limelight.
Some of the players to note would be Jayson Tatum, Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart. Tatum has been compared to the great Kobe Bryant, as he is showing many similarities to his playing style, especially since he trained with him multiple times throughout the summer. Smart has always been known for his hustle and aggressive defense. Rozier is easily good enough to be a starting point guard for another team and Brown is just a great all-around player on both ends of the court.
Mark my words, the Boston Celtics will be the 2019 NBA Champions.
