Heat 111 | 98 Pelicans
I’m worried for the Pelicans. Can you get one star-level point guard by adding Lonzo and Bledsoe together? At this point, Ingram has definitely graduated beyond “Great Value Jayson Tatum”, but what if he has to be the primary ball handler on a consistent basis? The Heat, as always, came out with a steady, professional effort, and they were in full control even after Butler left the game. Goran Dragic continues to be an absolutely vital player, and I’ll admit to being surprised to see him get back to this level after the injury trouble in 2018/19.
Bucks 138 | 99 Warriors
Draymond Green is due back within the next two games, and he is needed- badly. They need his decision-making on offense, and they need him shouting directions on defense. Kelly Oubre is capable on many nights of providing a reasonable impersonation of Klay Thompson, but not consistently enough. If he puts up 3 points in a game, they’re going to lose. The good news for the Warriors, despite this bleak start, is that Wiseman is looking like the real deal. His 3-ball stroke is smooth and he’s moving with aggression on rolls to the rim. He’s putting up 18 points and 7 rebounds across the first two games- if he can keep that up when Green is back on the floor, they have a chance to end the horror show that has continued from last year. The Bucks played the game they needed to, especially with Middleton’s strong night. Like Paul George, though, I need to see it for him in big playoff games rather than an at-this-point-can’t-beat-anyone gimpy Warriors squad. A great number in the Bucks corner is getting eleven three’s on the night.
Nets 123 | 95 Celtics
If Kyrie can keep it together mentally, this team is going to be a large problem for the rest of the East. On the Celtics side, it’s hard to grade them out with their All-Star point guard sitting on the bench for the time being. One thing I’m still wondering: Does Tatum top out as a ‘very good player’, or is he going to be able to push a bit further into the superstar classification where a 20-2-3 night is unacceptable unless it’s a blowout win and you sit down for the fourth?
Lakers 138 | 115 Mavs
The Mavs’ ‘improved’ defense gave up 48% from deep and over 56% from the field. On offense, they played decently enough, but without Porziņģis, I think they’re going to lack the organizational pillars needed to survive on offense (Hardaway Jr. is probably their second best offensive piece) if Luca doesn’t play 48 minutes a game. This team is mostly going to have to out-score their opponents most nights, and that gets a bit more iffy without Seth Curry playing in Philly. For the Lakers, it was as we should expect: The Big Two put up All-NBA numbers, the key role players posted solid contributions, and they always have someone to step up to be the third guy. Their biggest challenge for them going forward will be getting everyone enough minutes to maintain a rhythm.
Clippers 121 | 108 Nuggets
PG and Kawhi both played well, which gets you 80% of a win right off the bat. Serge Ibaka continues to look great- his jumper looks smooth, and he’s moving much better than I expected. The surprise of the year for the Clippers though, through two games, is the impact of Nicolas Batum, who dropped a 13-4-10 line tonight. If he continues to contribute at this level on a league-minimum contract, he could be the steal of the offseason. The Nuggets are still trying to plug holes after losing Jerami Grant. This is going to sound weird, but if the Nuggets don’t run more of their offense through Michael Porter Jr (17-2-4 in 26 minutes this year), his higher-ceiling offensive chops might not make up for his defensive liabilities, and he’s much harder to hide on the bench this year. The Nuggets are going to struggle to beat good teams on nights where Jamal Murray doesn’t have an All-Star half unless Porter is able to consistently be a 22+ PPG guy, and he has to be able to get more than 4 rebounds a night at 6’10”.