Following a handful of competitive preseason games this past Tuesday, the National Basketball Association held the first games of the regular season. This season has been highly anticipated due to the number of blockbuster trades that occurred during the offseason, the most notable moves being former Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks to join two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, 20 ppg (points per game) scorer Kristaps Porzingis being traded to the Boston Celtics, and Porzingis’s former Washington Wizards teammate Bradley Beal heading to the Phoenix Suns to play alongside future Hall-of-Famer Kevin Durant and all-star Devin Booker.
The rookies this season also show tremendous potential. The French basketball player and number one overall draft pick for the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama, has been labeled as the greatest prospect since Lebron James. Wembanyama stands at 7 ‘4 with a ridiculous 8-foot wingspan. Paired with his impressive stature is an elite scoring and blocking ability. Additionally, Scoot Henderson, who played for the NBA G-League Ignite team, is an undeniable threat. Following his year of high-level play on the Ignite, a developmental team for the top NBA prospects, Henderson went third overall to the Portland Trailblazers in this year’s draft. Standing at 6’2, Scoot has demonstrated incredible quickness and an ability to score at the next level. Finally, Chet Holmgren, who was drafted third overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder last year, but suffered a major injury prior to the 2022-23 season, is making his first NBA appearance this season. Holmgren is a 7-footer who shares Wembanyama’s scoring and defensive abilities, and is sure to make an impact for the Thunder.
The first two games of the season did not disappoint. The defending champion Denver Nuggets faced off against the Los Angeles Lakers, a rematch from last season’s Eastern Conference Finals in which Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets swept Lebron and the Lakers. The Nuggets came out with an early lead through the first two quarters, with Jokic, a two-time MVP and the 2023 NBA finals MVP, dominating the offense. Anthony Davis had a productive first half for the Lakers with 17 points. Moving into the second half, the Lakers staged a comeback, and brought the game to within 3 points. Lebron James, now in his 21st year, contributed on the offensive end, finishing with 21 points, along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Although the Lakers made a strong effort, Davis’s lack of second half production paired with Jokic’s 29 point triple double tipped the game in the Nuggets’ favor, and they took the win. Also playing on Tuesday were the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns. Both the Warriors and Suns are coming off second round exits from the 2023 playoffs. The teams were neck and neck in the first quarter with Booker heating up early for the Suns. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson struggled early on to make threes. The Suns took a considerable lead in the second quarter with Jusuf Nurkic and Josh Okogie putting up solid points. Kevin Durant struggled with his shot this game, shooting 7-22 from the field, but Devin Booker’s 32 point performance sealed the deal for the Suns, especially in the 4th quarter.
A number of games took place on Wednesday, including the first game of the Celtics’ season, a day long-awaited by Boston fans. The Celtics went up against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden, hoping to establish their dominance early on. They had no trouble doing just that in the first quarter, with Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis putting up early points. The game stayed close for the whole 48 minutes, keeping fans on the edge of their seats. A big disappointment for this game was Jaylen Brown, who recently signed the largest contract in NBA history. He shot 36% from the field and missed all 4 of his three point attempts while also lacking on the defensive end. Luckily, Porzingis’s 4 blocks and 30 points paired with Tatum’s 34 points and 11 boards helped bring the Celtics to a 4 point victory over the Knicks. Celtics fan and Hingham High school senior Jack Maurer commented on the game, saying “I was really impressed with how Porzingis played, it’s rare to see that good of a game from a player on a new team”. Sophomore JD Lucas also noted that “the flopping technicals called on Porzingis were crazy, but I’m glad we were able to beat a good team and start off strong”. The Celtics play again on Friday against the Miami Heat.
