The NBA preseason has begun and basketball is back. This is an exciting time for players and fans alike, because we get to see the most talented players in the world put on a show playing the game that they love. In the few preseason games team has played, there are still a lot of things that happened. Below I will be discussing some of the biggest on-court events from the preseason so far. Going to avoid the Daryl Morey and China situation because there’s a lot to that story, and basketball’s here again, let’s enjoy the on-court greatness and table the political drama. You can only make a first impression once, and certain players and teams have started to stand out for better or for worse in the first couple weeks leading up to the season.
Holy Zion. In his first two games, number 1 draft pick Zion Williamson has combined for a total of 55 points shooting 21-25 from the field. That efficiency is absolutely ridiculous, and Zion seems like he will do just fine in the NBA. Of course athleticism isn’t an issue with Williamson being very strong and also able to jump out of the gym. Zion can be very dangerous right off the jump if he can play good defense, and make high percentage shots at an efficient rate. Now I’m not saying he’ll keep the shooting numbers the same as his first preseason games, but like we all expect, we could see Zion flourish in to a star as early as this season.
Ben Simmons made a three pointer. Okay, I know you think I’m exaggerating the importance of this but it might mean more than what it seems like on the surface. He made a deep shot, he’s an NBA player that’s not super surprising. He also did it against a chinese team, still professionals but not world class talent. The deeper insight to this is what it could mean for the Sixers. If Simmons can expand his range and hit threes defenses will need to guard him on the perimeter. This would open up the floor much more for the rest of the team to create and get shots. The 76ers are dangerous, and one of the best teams in the east, but if Ben Simmons is taking threes, it brings their threat on offense to a whole next level.
James Harden and Stephen Curry both went off, scoring 37 and 40 points respectively. It’s not like they had to prove they can score or anything, and I’m sure their teams would have loved if they save the 35+ games for the regular season. Harden and Curry have been two of the most fun players to watch do their thing. If these two games are a look into what they can do this year, we could see the same Harden that had that unreal run last year, and we could see glimpses of MVP Steph now that he is no longer playing with a player like Kevin Durant. They probably shouldn’t have even been playing enough to score that much, but a performance like that always appeals to the fans even if it is preseason.
Everyone is in the mood for the NBA again, and the basketball world is buzzing for what should be another great, competitive year. Along with all of you I’m sure, I can’t wait for this season to start, and witness the greatness the NBA continues to bring.
-Kevin Barnett
Instagram @nolimit_kb