Winter Wonderland: The Start of the 2020–2021 NBA Season
By: Caleb Smith
Tags: NBA

After an unprecedented finish to last season in the Bubble, the NBA is back. This season, there’s a new sense of energy from the return of stars like Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry. Not only that, but an exciting and active offseason has created more contenders in both the Eastern and Western Conferences. Within the first two full days of games, we already have some teams and players that are separating themselves and setting the tone for an exciting season.

Brooklyn Nets: The return of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving has the Nets rocking and rolling. In their two games against the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics, KD has averaged 25.5 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2.5 steals on 50% shooting from the field and 66% from three point land. Kyrie Irving has been even better, averaging 29.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists on 62% shooting from the field and 64% shooting from three. Caris Levert has continued his strong form in the bubble by coming off the bench and averaging 15 points, 5 rebounds , and 4 dimes. The secret to Brooklyn’s success has been their extremely fluid pick-and-roll play, as well as moving Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving off the ball and allowing PG Spencer Dinwiddie to spread the ball evenly across the floor. Brooklyn’s 123–95 Christmas domination over the Boston Celtics, which included a stellar 16 point third quarter from Durant, shows that the Nets are a true threat to take the Eastern Conference Crown.

Los Angeles Clippers: After fumbling a 3–1 lead against the Denver Nuggets in last year’s Western Conference, the Clippers led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are out for redemption. New head coach Tyronn Lue has transformed a team that looked strong but inconsistent into a focused and well rounded machine. Lue has installed some triangle offense sets and emphasized better ball and player movement to keep defenses off balance, and it has paid off so far. In the Clippers two resounding wins against the Lakers and Nuggets, Paul George has averaged 33 points and 6 rebounds shooting 72% from the floor and 62.5% from three. With Kawhi Leonard suffering a scary head injury during the Nuggets game, George will be expected to lead the Clippers and add to their two-game winning streak over the next few weeks.

Phoenix Suns: The new-look Phoenix Suns started their season off with a bang this season, defeating the Dallas Mavericks 106–102. Led by rising star Devin Booker and the newly acquired vet Chris Paul, the Suns closed out a tight game against the Mavericks with back to back clutch mid-range buckets from both halves from the duo. Booker scored an efficient 22, and was further helped by a 18 points and lockdown defense from Mikal Bridges, as well as an excellent 15 point showing from former lottery pick Cam Johnson off the bench. Phoenix is being coached by Monty Williams, an offensive mastermind that steered the Suns to an 8–0 record in the bubble, and this young team should be well in the playoff positions as the season progresses.

Los Angeles Lakers- Despite a disappointing loss to the Clippers on Ring Night, the Lakers are still the favorite for a reason. In their 138–115 Christmas Day blowout of the Mavericks, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Dennis Schroeder, and Montrezl Harrell combined for 90 points. Davis led the Lakers with 28 points and 8 rebounds, but the Lakers depth and constant offensive pressure simply overwhelmed the Mavericks. That depth is the calling card of the Lakers, and their new offseason acquisitions (Schroeder, Harrell, Marc Gasol, and Wesley Matthews) combined with the championship pedigree of LeBron James and Anthony Davis are what makes the Lakers so dangerous.

Ja Morant: The reigning Rookie of the Year started his season off a bang, scoring 44 points and dropping 9 assists on 18–27(66%) shooting in a Memphis Grizzlies loss to the San Antonio Spurs on opening night. Morant exhibited his amazing touch around the rim with an array of dunks, floaters, ambidextrous finishes, and capped off the game with a dazzling self-lob in transition followed by a thunderous dunk. He also navigated pick and rolls with ease, blowing by defenders and hitting open teammates with pinpoint passes. Morant has a heavy load to carry as he tries to guide the Grizzlies without his prime running mate Jaren Jackson (out with a knee injury) and keep the Grizzlies in the Western Conference playoff hunt.

Trae Young: The Atlanta Hawks point guard exploded on Opening Night with a staggering 37 points, including five three pointers. The Hawks dismantled the Chicago Bulls 124–104, and Young’s excellent shot making and ball handling was a big part of that. The Hawks had a lackluster season last year, which had the media has questioning if Young’s playstyle can lead to playoff success. Now, after the Hawks acquired multiple starting-caliber players like Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari, Rajon Rondo, and Kris Dunn there are sky high playoff aspirations on Atlanta this year, and Trae Young will be facing the pressure to lead the Hawks to their first playoff appearance since 2016-2017.

Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons: Embiid dominated the paint, scoring 29 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in the Sixers 113–107 victory over the Washington Wizards. Simmons also stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks. The Sixers are looking to bounce back after a first round sweep last year, and veteran head coach Doc Rivers is also looking for redemption from a bad postseason as well. Their acquisition of sharpshooters like Seth Curry and Danny Green, as well as the drafting of Tyrese Maxey have the Sixers poised for a deep playoff run if they can stay healthy. Expect an aggressive and focused Sixers team that will be trying to gain chemistry and confidence as the season goes on.