NBA Recap 10/28/2016
Cleveland Cavaliers 94 vs Toronto Raptors 91 - Kyrie Irving led the way for the
Cavaliers with 26 points 6 assist and 6 rebounds. Kevin Love records is 2nd double-double in as many game with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Kyrie as earned more offensive responsibility after his performance in the 2016 NBA Finals. Irving is an elite scorer so LeBron doesn't have to work as hard on offense as he has had to in previous seasons. Cleveland had great floor spacing which created a lot of open shot opportunities and easy dunks. The Cavs bench only scored 10 points and looks to be the only weakness this team possesses. If Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love can be this efficient consistently, LeBron will be well rested come playoff time.
The Raptors didn't play a bad game despite their largest lead of the game being 1 point. DeMar DeRozan is a scoring machine. 32 points on the Cavs in no small task but I want DeRozan to RT his teammates involved more. Toronto is the 2nd best team in the east. Rookie Jakob Poeltl gave a spark off the bench by scoring 7 points in 7 minutes. Two Raptors I am disappointed with are Kyle Lowry and Terrence Ross. Lowry continues to be a hindrance on the offensive side of the ball. 17 points on 5-16 shooting is not all-star level basketball and will get the Raptors sent home early in the playoffs. Ross has scored 4 points in 2 games. Totally unacceptable numbers from a 5th year pro whose team is trying to win the eastern conference.
Indiana Pacers 94 vs Brooklyn Nets 103 - The Nets win their home opener verses an above average eastern conference foe. Brook Lopez led all scorers with 25 and Jeremy Lin helped with 21 points 9 rebounds and 9 assist.
The Nets are projected to compete for the number 1 pick in the NBA Draft, but this group outplayed the Pacers tonight. There was a lot of energy in Barclay and the Nets played great team basketball. Sean Kilpatrick was aggressive off the bench scoring 18 points on 7-11 shooting (4-4 from 3-point range). Brooklyn won't win a lot of games this season but seeing them play with this much aggression is fun to watch.
The Pacers inconsistency is the reason why they not one of the elite teams in the east. Paul George has a quite 22 points against Brooklyn. Superstars supposed to will their teams to victory and I didn't see that from George tonight. Miles Turner continues to impress me. 13 points 11 rebounds and 3 blocks may not seem much but his presence was felt; changing shots and running the floor, creating easy scoring chances. Jeff Teague was a no-show tonight. Not only did Teague go 2-13 but allowed Jeremy Lin to come a rebound and assist short of a triple-double. The road doesn't get easier when it come to the point guards Teague must defend so hopefully this is not a habit.
Orlando Magic 82 vs Detroit Pistons 108 - The Pistons dominated the Magic. Former Magic forward Tobias Harris led the Pistons in scoring with 18 points. Andre Drummond grabbed 20 rebounds and scores 12 points.
The Pistons have a playoff caliber roster and when things are clicking for them at the rim, they can be a tough out. Andre Drummond in a rebounding machine. Leading the league last year with just under 15 a game, Drummond picked up where he left off last season. Ish Smith is a solid stand in point guard until Reggie Jackson come back. Detroit did exactly what they are supposed to do against lesser competition.
All the post players the Magic acquired in the off season and they still can't protect the rim? A bigger problem might be the fact that no Magic guard could stop a Piston from getting to the rim. It was all bad from tip defensive for Orlando tonight but Frank Vogel will teach this young team defensive fundamentals. One bright spot is the play of Aaron Gordon. 17 points and 7 rebounds are solid number and an improvement from last season.
Phoenix Suns 100 vs Oklahoma City Thunder 113 - Russell Westbrook goes crazy in the overtime win with 51 points 13 rebounds and 10 assist. The Thunder was down by as much as 17 in the game. Victor Oladipo scores 21 points. His highest total of the early season.
Russell Westbrook took 44 shot attempts and I love it. Might as well get use to him shooting the ball at will because this OKC team is not that talented. Reminds me of the 2001 76ers with Allen Iverson. Westbrook will do whatever it takes to get the win. All his teammates should do is play their roles. Steven Adams is a factor in the paint and will be relied on heavily to defend and offensive rebound. Westbrook is the most exciting player to watch this season and I'm ready to see how far he can take the Thunder.
Great game by the young Phoenix Suns team. T.J. Warren had a career high 30 points and pulled down 9 rebounds. Young teams struggle with holding leads and the Suns were no exception. Devin Booker is a future superstar and will soon figure out how to close games out.
Charlotte Hornets 97 vs Miami Heat 92 - Six Hornets finished in double digits as Charlotte grabs their second road win of the season in a Miami after being down 19. Kemba Walker lead the way with 24 points.
The way Charlotte fought back into this game was impressive. Starting the season off with two straight road games in no easy take but Coach Steve Clifford had them well prepared. The bench played outstanding. I'm a tough critic when it comes to Jeremy Lamb but his 16 and 8 tonight was the X-Factor in the comeback victory.
Depth is a concern for the Heat. Once the starters take a seat, the team goes downhill in every aspect. Hassan Whiteside had 20 and 15 and five Heat players scored in double-digits but they still don't have that go-to scorer that can get them a bucket in the clutch. Tough home loss but nothing Miami can't bounce back from.
Houston Rockets 106 vs Dallas Mavericks 98 - James Harden had 26 points 7 rebounds and 8 assist as the Rockets improve to 1-1 against the Dirk-less Mavericks. Trevor Ariza scores 27 points going 8-12 from the field.
James Harden continues to prove to me that he is a Top 3 point guard in the game. His ability to balance his scoring and passing is outstanding. Harden is reading and reacting to anything opposing teams throw at him. Eric Gordon is playing consistent basketball. His 18 points tonight were quiet but efficient. Defensive the Rockets improved from a game ago going a good job on ball rotation and boxing out for defensive rebounds.
Harrison Barnes had me nervous throughout the press on and even after game one but after a career high 31 points I feel like he is beginning to settle in. Dallas is 0-2 but was in both games until late in the 4th quarter. The Westley Matthews disappointment continues as he struggles for the second night in a row going 4-14 from the field. Players can find their offense but when he doesn't make up for it on the other side of the floor it hinders the team greatly. Due to lack of depth at the guard position, Matthews must play a larger role.
Los Angeles Lakers 89 vs Utah Jazz 96 - George Hill leads the Jazz with 23 points for their first win of the season. Rudy Gobert begins his defensive player of the year campaign with 4 blocks.
Utah played like a veteran team tonight. Good ball movement, finding players cutting to the goal. Finishing in the paint and playing good defense. George Hill is an upgrade from the point guards Utah had in the previous 2 season. Hill is a veteran with playoff experience that can control the tempo of the game but still allow these young players to get up and down the floor. The Jazz interior defense is its strength and teams will find it difficult to get point down low and second chance points.
The Lakers lose their first game of the season and their number two pick Brandon Ingram leave the game early with an injury but no need to worry. Ingrams knee injury is not serious and simply sat out the rest of the game for precautionary reasons. Lou Williams had 17 points off the bench. Williams and Clarkson off the bench is a good move. Provides a lot of backcourt scoring in the second unit. This team is young and Luke Walton is a great coach so the defense will get better as the season goes along.
Golden State Warriors 122 vs New Orleans Pelicans 114 - The Warriors big 3 combine for 81 points for the Warriors first win of the season. Kevin Durant had 30 of those points with 17 rebounds.
The Warriors still trying to find their grove with all the new pieces in place but pulls out a tough road victory. With the small ball lineup, Durant is put in position to grab a lot of rebounds by using his length. The bench is shaky at best for the Warriors but there was enough star power to get them the W tonight.
Anthony Davis is the best player in the NBA. 45 points and 17 rebounds while being double teamed all night is amazing. No real scoring threats on the Pelicans besides Davis but he still finds a way to score without great floor spacing. Former D-League MVP Tim Frazier was also impressive finishing with 21 points 10 assist and 6 rebounds. Frazier was very aggressive offensive and found open shooters all night. Once the Pelicans get to full strength they will be a scary team to play.
Cavaliers with 26 points 6 assist and 6 rebounds. Kevin Love records is 2nd double-double in as many game with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Kyrie as earned more offensive responsibility after his performance in the 2016 NBA Finals. Irving is an elite scorer so LeBron doesn't have to work as hard on offense as he has had to in previous seasons. Cleveland had great floor spacing which created a lot of open shot opportunities and easy dunks. The Cavs bench only scored 10 points and looks to be the only weakness this team possesses. If Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love can be this efficient consistently, LeBron will be well rested come playoff time.
The Raptors didn't play a bad game despite their largest lead of the game being 1 point. DeMar DeRozan is a scoring machine. 32 points on the Cavs in no small task but I want DeRozan to RT his teammates involved more. Toronto is the 2nd best team in the east. Rookie Jakob Poeltl gave a spark off the bench by scoring 7 points in 7 minutes. Two Raptors I am disappointed with are Kyle Lowry and Terrence Ross. Lowry continues to be a hindrance on the offensive side of the ball. 17 points on 5-16 shooting is not all-star level basketball and will get the Raptors sent home early in the playoffs. Ross has scored 4 points in 2 games. Totally unacceptable numbers from a 5th year pro whose team is trying to win the eastern conference.
Indiana Pacers 94 vs Brooklyn Nets 103 - The Nets win their home opener verses an above average eastern conference foe. Brook Lopez led all scorers with 25 and Jeremy Lin helped with 21 points 9 rebounds and 9 assist.
The Nets are projected to compete for the number 1 pick in the NBA Draft, but this group outplayed the Pacers tonight. There was a lot of energy in Barclay and the Nets played great team basketball. Sean Kilpatrick was aggressive off the bench scoring 18 points on 7-11 shooting (4-4 from 3-point range). Brooklyn won't win a lot of games this season but seeing them play with this much aggression is fun to watch.
The Pacers inconsistency is the reason why they not one of the elite teams in the east. Paul George has a quite 22 points against Brooklyn. Superstars supposed to will their teams to victory and I didn't see that from George tonight. Miles Turner continues to impress me. 13 points 11 rebounds and 3 blocks may not seem much but his presence was felt; changing shots and running the floor, creating easy scoring chances. Jeff Teague was a no-show tonight. Not only did Teague go 2-13 but allowed Jeremy Lin to come a rebound and assist short of a triple-double. The road doesn't get easier when it come to the point guards Teague must defend so hopefully this is not a habit.
Orlando Magic 82 vs Detroit Pistons 108 - The Pistons dominated the Magic. Former Magic forward Tobias Harris led the Pistons in scoring with 18 points. Andre Drummond grabbed 20 rebounds and scores 12 points.
The Pistons have a playoff caliber roster and when things are clicking for them at the rim, they can be a tough out. Andre Drummond in a rebounding machine. Leading the league last year with just under 15 a game, Drummond picked up where he left off last season. Ish Smith is a solid stand in point guard until Reggie Jackson come back. Detroit did exactly what they are supposed to do against lesser competition.
All the post players the Magic acquired in the off season and they still can't protect the rim? A bigger problem might be the fact that no Magic guard could stop a Piston from getting to the rim. It was all bad from tip defensive for Orlando tonight but Frank Vogel will teach this young team defensive fundamentals. One bright spot is the play of Aaron Gordon. 17 points and 7 rebounds are solid number and an improvement from last season.
Phoenix Suns 100 vs Oklahoma City Thunder 113 - Russell Westbrook goes crazy in the overtime win with 51 points 13 rebounds and 10 assist. The Thunder was down by as much as 17 in the game. Victor Oladipo scores 21 points. His highest total of the early season.
Russell Westbrook took 44 shot attempts and I love it. Might as well get use to him shooting the ball at will because this OKC team is not that talented. Reminds me of the 2001 76ers with Allen Iverson. Westbrook will do whatever it takes to get the win. All his teammates should do is play their roles. Steven Adams is a factor in the paint and will be relied on heavily to defend and offensive rebound. Westbrook is the most exciting player to watch this season and I'm ready to see how far he can take the Thunder.
Great game by the young Phoenix Suns team. T.J. Warren had a career high 30 points and pulled down 9 rebounds. Young teams struggle with holding leads and the Suns were no exception. Devin Booker is a future superstar and will soon figure out how to close games out.
Charlotte Hornets 97 vs Miami Heat 92 - Six Hornets finished in double digits as Charlotte grabs their second road win of the season in a Miami after being down 19. Kemba Walker lead the way with 24 points.
The way Charlotte fought back into this game was impressive. Starting the season off with two straight road games in no easy take but Coach Steve Clifford had them well prepared. The bench played outstanding. I'm a tough critic when it comes to Jeremy Lamb but his 16 and 8 tonight was the X-Factor in the comeback victory.
Depth is a concern for the Heat. Once the starters take a seat, the team goes downhill in every aspect. Hassan Whiteside had 20 and 15 and five Heat players scored in double-digits but they still don't have that go-to scorer that can get them a bucket in the clutch. Tough home loss but nothing Miami can't bounce back from.
Houston Rockets 106 vs Dallas Mavericks 98 - James Harden had 26 points 7 rebounds and 8 assist as the Rockets improve to 1-1 against the Dirk-less Mavericks. Trevor Ariza scores 27 points going 8-12 from the field.
James Harden continues to prove to me that he is a Top 3 point guard in the game. His ability to balance his scoring and passing is outstanding. Harden is reading and reacting to anything opposing teams throw at him. Eric Gordon is playing consistent basketball. His 18 points tonight were quiet but efficient. Defensive the Rockets improved from a game ago going a good job on ball rotation and boxing out for defensive rebounds.
Harrison Barnes had me nervous throughout the press on and even after game one but after a career high 31 points I feel like he is beginning to settle in. Dallas is 0-2 but was in both games until late in the 4th quarter. The Westley Matthews disappointment continues as he struggles for the second night in a row going 4-14 from the field. Players can find their offense but when he doesn't make up for it on the other side of the floor it hinders the team greatly. Due to lack of depth at the guard position, Matthews must play a larger role.
Los Angeles Lakers 89 vs Utah Jazz 96 - George Hill leads the Jazz with 23 points for their first win of the season. Rudy Gobert begins his defensive player of the year campaign with 4 blocks.
Utah played like a veteran team tonight. Good ball movement, finding players cutting to the goal. Finishing in the paint and playing good defense. George Hill is an upgrade from the point guards Utah had in the previous 2 season. Hill is a veteran with playoff experience that can control the tempo of the game but still allow these young players to get up and down the floor. The Jazz interior defense is its strength and teams will find it difficult to get point down low and second chance points.
The Lakers lose their first game of the season and their number two pick Brandon Ingram leave the game early with an injury but no need to worry. Ingrams knee injury is not serious and simply sat out the rest of the game for precautionary reasons. Lou Williams had 17 points off the bench. Williams and Clarkson off the bench is a good move. Provides a lot of backcourt scoring in the second unit. This team is young and Luke Walton is a great coach so the defense will get better as the season goes along.
Golden State Warriors 122 vs New Orleans Pelicans 114 - The Warriors big 3 combine for 81 points for the Warriors first win of the season. Kevin Durant had 30 of those points with 17 rebounds.
The Warriors still trying to find their grove with all the new pieces in place but pulls out a tough road victory. With the small ball lineup, Durant is put in position to grab a lot of rebounds by using his length. The bench is shaky at best for the Warriors but there was enough star power to get them the W tonight.
Anthony Davis is the best player in the NBA. 45 points and 17 rebounds while being double teamed all night is amazing. No real scoring threats on the Pelicans besides Davis but he still finds a way to score without great floor spacing. Former D-League MVP Tim Frazier was also impressive finishing with 21 points 10 assist and 6 rebounds. Frazier was very aggressive offensive and found open shooters all night. Once the Pelicans get to full strength they will be a scary team to play.
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