WOW! What a start to the new NBA season. I’m here to give the insight and discuss my thoughts on this season that has been filled with big storylines, major surprises and disappointments, and more..

So I’m gonna start with the biggest story heading into the year: The Los Angeles Lakers. 

The more popular of the two L.A. teams, who have two top-five players on the roster in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, has been everything as advertised. The best duo in the league has shown their talents, with LBJ leading the league in assists and Davis having a 40-20 game in 31 minutes. The supporting cast is a part of what makes this team a title contender, including Danny Green, Dwight Howard, Kyle Kuzma, Javale McGee, and others. The defense has been the biggest shock of this team, as the Lakers are currently the highest-rated defense in the league. With what I believe the best team in the NBA, LeBron as a good chance at getting title number 4.

The second biggest story heading into the new year was the other L.A. team, The Los Angeles Clippers.

 Having obtained Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the offseason, expectations for this team was a trip to The Finals. George has not made an appearance yet dealing with shoulder injuries, but the team hasn’t missed a beat. Speaking of not making appearances, Kawhi has already begun his load management. The Clippers have lost every game without him, but there doesn’t seem to be a stop to it. Kawhi began this habit last year, missing 22 games of the year due to rest. It is unfortunate for fans because he missed a national TV game against another young star, Giannis. This matchup happens twice a year, and we missed a chance to see it.

One huge surprise this year has been the Phoenix Suns.

 The Suns are normally the butt of NBA jokes, but this year has been different. Having very impressive wins vs some of the best teams in the league, such as the Clippers and 76ers, the Suns are looking to change the narrative. Team star Devin Booker is off to the best start of his career and is looking to get to his first all-star game. Last year’s number 1 overall pick, Deandre Ayton, is not even part of the team’s success so far. Ayton was suspended 25 for games before the season for violating the league’s drug policy but is expected to start upon his return. I view this as a wake-up call for Ayton, as his team is doing well without him, and he is a young star trying to prove his worth as a star player. 

Another surprise this year has been the exceptional play of the Miami Heat rookies. 

First-round pick Tyler Herro and undrafted Kendrick Nunn have been a key factor in the Miami Heat’s league-leading record up to this point. Herro was the prized possession coming out of Kentucky and he has lived up to the hype. The ultra-competitive Herro with a deadly three-point shot and the solid all-around game has made Herro a potential ROTY candidate. Now onto Nunn, who has been completely unexpected. Nunn was let go by the Warriors before the season, and now he is staring for the Heat. Nunn had the most points for an undrafted player through the first five games in NBA history, and this kind of hard work and dedication to his craft has got to impress Jimmy Butler, who is one of the hardest working men on the planet.

My first disappointment this year is the Portland Trail Blazers. 

The Blazers had legitimate title aspirations heading into the new year, with the league having the most opportunity for teams in quite some time. The Blazers have started out slow, after recently losing to the Golden State Warriors, who have been one of the worst teams this year due to Steph Curry being injured. Damian Lillard, the team star, has been solid as usual, but the supporting cast has not. Zach Collins, a young player who may be out for the season, is a big part of the team’s frontcourt. Lillard’s running mate, CJ McCollum, has not been his usual self, and that is contributing to the team’s rocky start. The Blazers will have to pick it up if they want to get back into the top of the Western Conference.

So we are about a tenth of the way into the season, so it’s obviously not too early to make predictions, right? Of course, it’s too early, but I’m going to anyway.

My preseason prediction for MVP was Joel Embiid, but Embiid was involved in a fight and was suspended, so I don’t think he will win MVP due to that. So I’m changing my prediction to LeBron James. Yep, I think a player in year 17 will win MVP, and his play this year has backed that statement up, as he is leading the league in assists, and triple-doubles.

I believe the team LeBron is on will also win the Finals, which is, of course, the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have so much talent on the roster, and it seems to be working together. LeBron, Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, and Danny Green have all been revelations this year. Kyle Kuzma is a star but is just recently coming back from an injury he sustained on Team U.S.A. Once the offense picks up on this team the way the defense has been playing all year, I don’t think they can be stopped.

Here’s a list of other predictions I have

ROTY: Ja Morant

DPOY: Anthony Davis

COACH: Erik Spoelstra

6TH MAN: Lou Williams

That’s all for today if you have any questions or topics you’d like to discuss, comment below. I’ll be in touch.