Thoughts From Opening Night In The NBA! 12.22.20
After a very short and weird offseason, the 2020-21 season is officially beginning as we have 2 excellent matchups on the schedule tonight. This season is going to be very interesting, and very good. So lets get started with the 2020-21 season!
Golden State Warriors vs Brooklyn Nets
Pre-Game Thoughts: The Nets are going to be very good with their duo of KD and Kyrie along with excellent support pieces like Allen, Shamet, Levert, and Dinwiddie. I really like the Nets and see them as title contenders. Also, we’ll see Steve Nash’s offense for the first time. The Warriors aren’t contenders, and I don’t predict them to be a playoff team because of their limited depth. No Draymond Green for Golden State tonight, leaving Curry with Kelly Oubre, James Wiseman, and some mediocre players around him. I expect this game to go to Brooklyn, but this will be closer than usual because it’s the first game of the season.
Thoughts On The Brooklyn Nets
Any doubts of how good the Nets can be have been put to rest after this game. The Nets absolutely destroyed the Warriors with their offense, an offense which might be the most lethal and explosive in the league. Steve Nash has made this offseason very hard to guard, incorporating a lot of player movement and passing. The Nets defense was also solid throughout, and they just completely dominated Golden State throughout this game.
Kyrie Irving led the way with 26 points on 10/16 shooting.
KD had 22 points and 5 rebounds on 7/16 shooting.
Caris Levert had 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists off the bench on 6/17 shooting.
The Nets looked very impressive in their first game. KD and Kyrie had 27 points in the first quarter alone, as they were great in their first game together. The Nets offense was humming all night long as they shot 46% from the field and 43% from 3. This Nets team is deep, and they have a lot of talent on this roster. Their defense took me by surprise, at how good it was. They forced 18 turnovers, and they never let Golden State get going. I really like what Steve Nash is doing with this team on both ends, and this looks like the Nets are going to be contending for a title this season.
Thoughts On The Golden State Warriors
The Warriors were a team that I didn’t think would make the playoffs, and this game kind if embodied that. The Warriors offense was abysmal, especially without Steph Curry on the floor. The Warriors have no depth, and they showed that they’re not a great team. Golden State couldn’t guard a statue on defense, as the Nets got whatever they wanted whenever they wanted on offense. Not a great way to start the season if you’re Golden State.
Stephen Curry had 20 points and 10 assists on 7/21 shooting.
Rookie James Wiseman had 19 points and 6 rebounds on 7/13 shooting.
Andrew Wiggins had 13 points on 4/16 shooting from the field.
There wasn’t much that the Warriors did well tonight. There offense wasn’t great, as nobody could really get anything going. Their defense couldn’t stop anything, and this team doesn’t look like they will be a playoff team. James Wiseman played well, and I liked what he did tonight, but that’s where the positives end for Golden State.
LA Lakers vs LA Clippers
Pre-Game Thoughts: Both of these teams changed a lot over the offseason, and it’ll be interesting to see how this game turns out. Lebron and the Lakers have the more talented team top to bottom, but I don’t know if they’ll mesh perfectly from day one. The Clippers have to show everybody that they have a real offensive system and that they can play as a team. I think that the Clippers will win tonight, but this game is a toss-up.
Thoughts On The LA Lakers
The Lakers sure looked sluggish after receiving those championship rings. They had 6 turnovers in the first quarter and allowed the Clippers to shoot 70% from the field in the first quarter, trailing 39-19 after the first quarter. In the 2nd quarter their defense improved, and they got back in the game. But in the 2nd half Paul George dominated, and the Lakers struggled to stop LA. Anthony Davis struggled, as did Lebron James. Marc Gasol didn’t do anything, as Schroder and Harrell played well in their debuts. Kyle Kuzma was also solid off the bench. Not a good start for LA, as they just didn’t look right. They couldn’t stop the Clippers, and their offense stalled at times. I expect a lot better from this Lakers team going forward.
Lebron James had 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 7/17 shooting.
Anthony Davis had 18 points and 7 rebounds on 8/15 shooting.
Montrezl Harrell had 17 points and 10 rebounds off the bench on 6/7 shooting.
The Lakers are in a similar spot to last season, and I don’t have a doubt that they will figure things out. But the thing that worries me is the energy, which they had none of. Anthony Davis only took 15 shots, and was quiet for most of the night. Schroder, Harrell, Kuzma, and James played well but the Lakers couldn’t stop the Clippers. They shot 47% from the field and 35% from 3. I need to see that same defensive intensity that I saw in the bubble from the Lakers. But I still think that the Lakers will be the #1 seed in the West, I just have to see them mesh better going forward.
Thoughts On The LA Clippers
The Clippers sent a message in this game. They started out the game hot on both ends. They dominated the first quarter as they shot 70% from the field and 50% from 3 en route to a 39-19 lead after the first quarter. That lead evaporated in the 2nd quarter, and the game got tight in the 3rd. But then Paul George stepped up in a big way. George ended the 3rd quarter with 10 straight points, and fueled the Clippers to the win. Nicolas Batum, Serge Ibaka, and Luke Kennard were all solid. Really liked the Clippers offense, as it had lots more passing and movement. They ran it through PG and Kawhi when they needed to. Serge Ibaka and Zubac defended AD masterfully for most of the night, and they looked a lot better than last season on defense. Promising start for the Clippers.
Paul George had 33 points and 6 rebounds while shooting 13/18 from the field.
Kawhi Leonard had 26 points on 10/26 shooting.
Serge Ibaka had 15 points and 6 rebounds on 5/7 shooting.
The Clippers looked a lot better tonight. Paul George was amazing, as he took over the 2nd half of this game, and really fueled this victory for the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard had his moments, just wish for some better shot selections. Serge Ibaka was great on both ends, as he and Zubac shut down AD. Nicolas Batum took some of the ball handling duties away from Kawhi and PG, and ran the transition well. Lou Williams was solid with 11 off the bench. The Clippers had a lot of energy tonight, and their defense was great as they held the Lakers to 47% shooting from the field and 31% from 3. An all-around great performance from the Clippers, all without Marcus Morris.
What Are Your Guy’s Thoughts From Opening Night? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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