Tuesday 22nd December 2020
Eye catcher of the new NBA season
The fight for fame, revenge and domination
Needed by David
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72 games, few to no fans, a very uncertain corona situation: The NBA starts tonight in the most special season of all time. A year full of basketball highlights and exciting stories awaits. You need to watch out for these players and teams.
Luka Doncic, the MVP candidate?
Step-back threesomes, refined passes, inimitable moves to the basket: that’s Luka Doncic. “He’s going to be the next LeBron James,” says ex-NBA pro Jay Williams. For today’s ESPN expert, the star of the Dallas Mavericks this season is the MVP, the league’s most valuable player. Williams is by no means the only one with this opinion, the 21-year-old Slovenian is also ahead of betting providers thanks to his terrific past season. “Doncic is must-watch TV,” Williams adds, a must for any NBA fan on TV or in front of the laptop. “He makes everything easier for his teammates and sees things on the floor before they happen.”
Doncic is trusted to lead Dallas back into the playoffs with German international Maxi Kleber. The MVP title for “Luka Magic” seems possible mainly because LeBron James will get a break here and there with the LA Lakers and shares the court with another superstar, namely Anthony Davis. And Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has secured the trophy for the past two years, must finally prove that he can lead his team successfully through the playoffs. In addition: Kristaps Porzingis, Doncic’s superstar partner, is injured again in the season. Overall, the 2.21 meter tall Latvian has already missed 160 of 403 games in his NBA career to date. In about a month he should be able to support the Mavs again. “If Porzingis is healthy, the Dallas Mavericks are a title contender,” ESPN expert Max Kellerman even believes.
Can the Lakers repeat the title?
In the fight for the title, the reigning champions from Los Angeles are of course very popular again. The Lakers convinced in the past playoffs with the dominant duo James-Davis – and will be able to do so over the next few years: “King” James extended his contract by two years, Davis by five. Dennis Schröder is now joining the elite troop in Hollywood. The point guard of the German national team is supposed to relieve James and should get many minutes of play.
Another top commitment: The very physical Montrezl Harrell comes from the city competitor, of all places. While many experts saw the LA Clippers before the Lakers last year, the tide has now turned. It will be very difficult to beat LeBron James’ team, which is strong in its depth and breadth, in a seven-game series. Although the start of the season could be rather moderate due to the short break, in the playoffs the now 36-year-old “King” will turn up dominantly again as usual.
How do KD and Kyrie get together?
A strong competitor from the east could possibly become the final opponent for the Lakers at the end of the season: In the playoffs a year and a half ago, Kevin Durant, at that time still with the Golden State Warriors, tore his Achilles tendon. At the time, he was considered to be perhaps the best player on the planet. Now “KD” wants to prove to everyone on his comeback with the Brooklyn Nets that this is still the case. The question is whether the serious injury had any sequelae. But since Durant’s game is more about throws than explosive moves to the basket, the superstar should quickly be considered one of the best again.
Another question mark is the interaction with Kyrie Irving. The point guard was also out for much of the past season and wants to finally cause a sensation with the Nets around a year and a half after the blockbuster move to New York. Before the season, however, Irving caused quite a stir by muzzling himself and not speaking to the press. And that in one of the world’s largest media metropolises in the world. But if the two superstars find their old form, they can easily mutate into the best tandem in the NBA and a title contender.
In the east, the Milwaukee Bucks want to prevent the rise of the Nets and of course finally move into the NBA final themselves. A Nets Bucks showdown in the East Finals would also be a superstar duel. Because Giannis Antetokounmpo won his second MVP trophy in a row in Durant’s absence. And the title of the best defender in the league – that was only possible before the legends Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon. After the elimination in the second round of the playoffs against the eventual finalists Miami Heat, many experts believed in Antetokounmpos saying goodbye to Milwaukee. But the “Greek Freak” extended, signed a mega contract and finally wants to confirm the consistently strong performance in the regular season in the playoffs with the new addition Jrue Holiday.
What does Steph Curry actually do?
In the west at the Golden State Warriors, the former super team, everything was looking forward to the new season and the reunification of their superstar duo after a year of reorganization. But then the shock: Klay Thompson, who had just recovered from a broken cruciate ligament, tore his Achilles tendon in preparation. And so the pressure is now almost exclusively on Stephen Curry, probably the best three shooter of all time. Curry, who was also plagued by injuries last season, was ready to play and accurate.
Curry is getting help this year from former superstar talent Andrew Wiggins, who never really reached his potential in Minnesota. The Canadian now wants to deny his doubters. Hopes for the Warriors also rest on the highly talented James Wiseman. The 19-year-old center was drawn second in the draft and is set to become a starter soon. More than one playoff participation (and possibly the MVP title) will not be possible for Curry and Co. this year.
Where is James Harden playing?
James Harden is the best attacking player in the league. Even one of the best ever. But it wasn’t enough for him to win a title with the Houston Rockets last year either. Therefore, the megastar wants to change and skipped training at the start of preparation. Problem number one: Harden still has a contract with the Rockets until at least 2022 and the club only wants a swap in which he gets back players with a similar value. It’s complicated.
Problem number two: Harden needs the ball in his hands. All the time. The Rockets have designed their system completely for the super scorer, but many other teams don’t feel like it – especially if the yield doesn’t necessarily mean a championship. It could be different with the Nets, because Harden recognizes Durant as an equal or even better player and a trade with Brooklyn is the most likely switch option. But how Durant, Irving and Harden should share possession, even the best experts cannot yet imagine. It is quite possible that the Rockets will keep Harden (at least the first parts) for this season.
Who will be the surprise of the season?
Brooklyn Nets vs. Golden State Warriors, December 23, 1 a.m. (All times CEST). First game by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and then against Stephen Curry. No more needs to be written.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers, December 23, 4 a.m. Battle of LA. The duel was supposed to take place last season in the Western Conference finals, instead the Lakers defeated the Nuggets there. The Clippers around Kawhi Leonard have a lot to make up for.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Golden State Warriors, December 25, 8:30 p.m. The meeting of the MVP candidates Antetokounmpo and Curry.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks, December 26, 2 a.m. LeBron James versus Luka Doncic are reasons enough to tune in.
Golden State Warriors vs. Brooklyn Nets, February 14, 2.30 a.m. Durant measures himself against his old team for the first time since his injury.
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The Portland Trail Blazers. In the 2019/20 season, the Miami Heat surprised by making it into the finals. The Blazers could provide the exclamation marks this time and are traded as an insider tip on the title. Damian Lillard is one of the league’s absolute superstars and is getting better every year. “Dame Time”, for his comebacks in the fourth quarter and profitable throws with the final siren, he is called – and “Logo Lillard” for his absurdly long throws near the center of the field, on which the logo of the respective home team is emblazoned. And so the point guard announced before this season that it wanted to pull the trigger here and there directly from half-court distance.
Carmelo Anthony’s contract has been extended and slam dunk champion Derrick Jones Jr, the strong defender Robert Covington and the Turkish center Enes Kanter (already in the Western Conference Finals with Portland in 2019) join the team. It will be particularly hot on December 31st at 4:30 a.m. when the Blazers meet the LA Clippers. The Clippers’ Paul George, Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams poked fun at Damian Lillard and the Blazers when they lost their first playoff round to the Lakers last season. Following this, Portland’s players celebrated when the Clippers failed a round later on the Denver Nuggets.
So Lillard still has something to make up for and nobody wants to meet the greedy Blazers once they get into the playoffs. Especially not the Clippers, because there is another story: In 2019 Lillard George (at that time still near Oklahoma City) shot out of the playoffs with the final throw – and waved goodbye to him on the floor immediately afterwards.
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