One of the hot debates in NBA circles right now is whether or not James Harden will be viable as a franchise player. While many (including myself) are skeptical, there’s one man who certainly seems confident in his ability to deliver: James Harden.
As he became the first player in NBA history to debut with 30+ points and 12+ assists, Harden Euro-stepped over, through, and around any Piston who stood in his way… and, considering that he was probably still learning his teammates’ names, he looked remarkably comfortable as he did it. Harden was hot right out of the gate… he scored a quick 19 points in the first half, and later showed his versatility as he transitioned into the role of facilitator when Carlos Delfino began to drill three after three down the stretch. He effortlessly toasted the likes of Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey, who seemed befuddled by all of the abrupt changes in direction.
Needless to say, one big game against a questionable defense doesn’t establish Harden as an All-NBA player, nor does an opening night victory guarantee prolonged success for the Rockets. It’s an awfully encouraging start, though. An exciting one, too. It might be a minute before you see another individual performance as dominant as this one.
I’m a little worried about Eddy Curry, you guys. He got benched in favor of rookie Bernard James after a poor first-quarter showing against Utah’s Enes Kanter and wasn’t deployed again until garbage time. In his eight-minute stint, Curry racked up 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, and a pair of bricked free throws. He allowed Kanter deep post position and just generally looked kind of bad. The Mavs lost by 19.
Does NBA.com still do “steal of the night?” If so, Rodrigue Beaubois ought to have it on lockdown. Yesterday, Beaubois not only pressured Jamaal Tinsley (a regular at Rucker Park, nicknamed “The Abuser”) in the backcourt, but actually took the ball. He did the same thing to Steve Nash (Steve f@cking Nash) in Tuesday evening’s victory over the Lakers. If Beaubois can do this sort of thing against two of the league’s finest ball handlers, what kind of torment is he going to inflict on Ramon Sessions and Kemba Walker come Saturday?
Did anyone else hear the chants of “MVP” when Spencer Hawes stepped to the stripe with about four minutes to play in Philly’s triumph over the Nuggets? I haven’t confirmed the chants in the broadband archive, but I’m pretty confident that my ears haven’t betrayed me. Plus, Spencer Hawes kind of played like an MVP. A DPOY for sure.
In a game that will be remembered by those who finished it as one of the ugliest of this season, the Sixers defeated Andre Iguodala’s Nuggets despite shooting just 35% from the floor. The aforementioned Hawes was a force at both ends as he scored 16 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and swatted five shots. Hawes anchored a stingy defensive effort that held the potent Nuggets to just 75 points, and his 16 led all Sixers. Impressively, he did all this work off the bench. Watch your back, Lavoy Allen.
My main man Andre Miller fizzled in the second half, but damn, he gave Evan Turner fits in the first quarter. Dre utilized his strength as he scored 6 points in approximately one minute, and when Turner attempted to answer, Miller took the ball. Turner finished with 5 points and 3 turnovers.
Before I move on from Philly/Denver, allow me to describe Andre Iguodala’s first four minutes as a Nugget. From the play-by-play…
Iguodala Step Back Jump shot: Made (2 PTS) 11:45
Iguodala 3pt Shot: Missed Bricked 11:13
Iguodala Rebound (Off:1 Def:0) 09:23
Iguodala Jump Shot: Missed Bricked 09:17
Iguodala Turnover : Lost Ball (1 TO) 08:45
Iguodala Turnover : Traveling (2 TO) 08:04
Iguodala Driving Slam Dunk Shot: Made Crushed (4 PTS) 07:50
If ever a four-minute stint has painted a truer picture of a man’s game, I haven’t seen it. The only thing missing was the patented air ball. I totally feel you on the boos, Philly.
In a promising development, DeAndre Jordan’s right-handed hook shot from the preseason has transitioned into the regular season. And he still dunks pretty good too.
As the Clippers edged the Grizzlies by nine, an energetic Malone Jordan made his presence felt on a variety of levels. On one hand, he scored 12 points… 6 of which came in quick, explosive fashion in the game’s early stages. On the other hand, he went on to commit 9 turnovers. Indeed, DeAndre needed to slow his role… but I’ll take an over-involved DJ over that aimless non-factor of a player he became down the stretch last season.
Chris Paul and Jamal Crawford had Grizzly ankles quivering in their stockings as they sliced and diced through the Memphis defense throughout the fourth quarter of what became the season’s first heated battle. As Z-Bo and Blake mixed it up in the paint (by the league’s usual standards regarding shenanigans, Randolph probably should’ve been tossed with a pair of technicals), Paul and Crawford either scored or assisted (or collaborated to do both) on each of the game’s final four field goals, as well as LA’s last 14 points. On one critical play, Crawford literally left Rudy Gay sprawled out on the floor with a subtle hesitation move. Having done his best to stick to Crawford despite a series of dizzying moves, Gay’s legs simply appeared to give out on him. Jamal led all scorers with 29 off the bench, maintaining the momentum he built in the preseason.
That big, bearded creature you saw in Phoenix last night? Yeah, that was an Andrew Bogut! One of the league’s most seldom seen specimens was able to be spotted for 18 minutes last night as he helped the Warriors defeat the Suns 87-85. Bogut finished with 8 points and 6 boards, and has apparently been working on his handles.
How ugly is that f@cking basketball court? It’s as if they took OSU’s floor and said, “we’d like our own hideous version of this, please.” Unfortunately, the floor is merely something to add to a long list of reasons why the Suns are now less watchable. Other reasons include the loss of Steve Nash and the absence of their old play-by-play guy, who was one of the best in the league.
Speaking of Steve Nash, it’s only a contusion. Is there a happier word than “contusion” in the world of injury reporting? I think not.
I didn’t catch much of Anthony Davis’s debut, nor did I see Damian Lillard’s inaugural performance. Sorry, folks, but I watched the Lakers on Tuesday… and you couldn’t pay me to watch the Gordon-less Hornets when I have other choices. See the Box Score Observations for their numbers, which were good.
George Hill to the rescue!
Hill was just 2-9 prior to hitting that shot, but leave it to a former Spur to display such remarkable poise. According to my Twitter feed, David West was a beast down the stretch. He had 25 points on 10-19, so it makes sense. Paul George had a weird line: 14 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists. Kyle Lowry was a fantasy monster: 21/7/8 + 5 steals and 2 threes.
Box Score Observations: Anthony Davis blocked only one shot as the Hornets fell to the Spurs, but he kept his team in the game by scoring 21 on 6-12. Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Kawhi Leonard combined to score 66 of San Antonio’s 99. Tyreke Evans started next to Isaiah Thomas and led the Sacramento Kings with 21 points. However, DeMarcus Cousins struggled (7 turnovers, 4 fouls) against Joakim Noah (23 and 10) and the Kings fell to the Bulls. Dwight Howard had a monster game in Portland — 33 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 15-19 from the line — but the Lakers were still beaten handily by the Blazers. Damian Lillard impressed with 23 points and 11 assists while Nicolas Batum led the Blazers in the scoring column with 26. Mo and Marvin Williams had strong debuts in Utah, scoring 21 a piece. As I mentioned before, the Mavs got creamed, but Darren Collison had another good game (17 and 7). Andre Drummond’s regular-season debut was a quiet one… he attempted just one shot in 12 minutes. Jonas Valanciunas was a little noisier as he posted a double-double (12/10) against the Pacers.
Highlight Recap: DeAndre Jordan puts the kids to bed. Blake Griffin definitely travels, but who cares? Al-Farouq Aminu used to play for the Clippers, so he can dunk too. Exhibit B. There are probably other highlights, but I doubt that they’re as god as these, so… I’m going to call it good.
