NBA Recap 10/27/2016

Washington Wizards 99 vs Atlanta Hawks 114 - The new look Hawks win their opening night match up against the Wizards in dominating fashion. Dwight Howard finished with 19 rebounds
while All-Star Paul Millsap leads the way with 28 points 7 rebounds and 6 assist.

Dwight Howard and Paul Millsap 
combined for 39 points and 26 rebounds
(ajc.com)

Great win for the Hawks. People questioned rather Dwight Howard would fit into the "lunch pale" mentality Atlanta play with but with 15 1st half rebounds he will work out fine. Moving Dennis Schroder to the starting point guard spot was another concern for Hawks fans. Jeff Teague is a scorer but what you lose of the offensive end you gain back with tough on ball defense with Schroder. Tim Hardaway Jr. was impressive tonight finishing with 23 points on 8-13 shooting. It's been a rocky start to Hardaway Jr career but he look comfortable coming off the bench for the Hawks. The Hawks will be a playoff team but no higher than a 6 seed. 

The Wizards backcourt struggled in their first game of the season. John Wall went 3-15 with 12 points with 10 assist and 5 turnovers. New Head Coach Scott Brooks will have his hands full this season, trying to bring consistent scoring to a group that's not consistent. After drafting Otto Porter and Kelly Oubre Jr. the Wizards still can not get any production at the small forward position. If Washington wants to get back in the playoffs, their post defense and perimeter scoring must improve. I was impressed  with Markieff Morris. He was aggressive offensively scoring 22 points and was the only bright spot this game for the Wizards. 

Boston Celtics 99 vs Chicago Bulls 105 - In what looks to be a heated rivalry this season, Dwayne Wade drops 22 points in his Bulls debut, including a late 3-pointer to sea the game. Jimmy Butler led Chicago with 24 points 7 rebounds. 

Chicago look like a team on a mission from tip off. During the off season, a huge question mark was perimeter shooting but both Wade and Butler went 4-6 from the 3-point line respectively. Jimmy Blutler is the leader of this team and Wade is the perfect co-pilot. Trading for Michael Carter-Williams made the Bulls a legit 8-deep team. If Wade can stay relatively healthy, the Bulls will go deep in the playoffs. 

Playing back to back games is always difficult but the Celtics were competitive all the way til the end. Isaiah Thomas had a game high 25 points on 10-15 shooting. The starters for the Celtics kept the game in reach but the bench couldn't defend well enough to complete the comebacK. Terry Rozier and rookie Jaylen Brown are both liabilities on defense. Any bench with a decent scorer could have a big night against these two. Marcus Smart will be back in a couple week due to an ankle injury. Having Smart back will bring toughness back to the perimeter defense off the bench. 

San Antonio Spurs 102 vs Sacramento Kings 94 - Back to back 30 points games for Kawhi Leonard leads the Spurs to their 2nd straight victory to start the season. San Antonio bench outscored the Kings 43-18. 

The Spurs didn't get much production from their starts outside of Kawhi tonight but the bench played A+ basketball. David Lee scored 12 points in 16 minutes and Dewayne Dedmon added 12 points and 7 rebounds. The Spurs bench has always been a strong suit and that continues this season. In order to compete for a title Pau Gasol has to become a bigger part of the offense. Gasol is on a new team and will need time to adjust to the Spurs style of play so him getting into a rhythm will come in due time. 

The Kings played competitive basketball. Big night from DeMarcus Cousins with 37 points and 16 rebounds. The downside to Cousins night is that he was 10-22 from the floor. Being a center that's too inefficient. Like what I saw from Ben McLemore tonight. The former lottery picks has been inconsistent in the league thus far but scored 10 points in 10 minutes tonight. McLemore shot selection is getting better and he look more confident dribbling the ball. The Kings have a ways to go to compete for a playoff spot but they are playing hard and that's a start. 

Los Angeles Clippers 114 vs Portland Trail Blazers 106 - The Clippers win their season opener against the team that eliminated them from the playoffs a season ago. Chris Paul was in elite form with a 27 point 5 assist 5 rebound performance. Blake Griffin also had 27 points to go along with 13 rebounds. 

Blake Griffin had 16 poits and 
6 rebounds in the 1st half (clipperholics.com)

The Clippers look like a Doc Rivers coached team. Strong permeated defense and great point guard play. Blake Griffin is back healthy and the Blazers don't have a player that can match his size and strength. 3-time 6th man of the year Jamal Crawford hasn't lost a step scoring 15 points off the bench. With an aging lineup, this is the season where the Clippers make a serious push at a western conference finals. 

Tough shooting night for the Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard continues to be a superstar with 29 points and 10 rebounds but didn't get much help from anyone else. Mo Harkless had a big night with 23 points and 8 rebounds. If Harkless can play remotely close to this, it will make the Evan Turner signing pointless. Turner struggled for the 2nd game in a row shooting 2-8 in 23 minutes. Losing home games in the west is thought but it's early so the Blazers have time to shape up.