Shortly after the official Media day this week, the NBA has kicked off with two preseason games showcasing two of the best (young) teams the league has to offer, the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers (and yes, yes, the Charlotte Hornets). I’ve never thought that I could be that happy to see a bunch of guys playing ball for fun without having anything at stake, but it was awesome. So, let’s see what we’ve learned after watching the first 96 minutes of the 2018/2019 season!
1.) My boy, Simmons is dropping dimes, like they’re hot!
Ben Simmons, the second-year (third-year?) point forward of the 76ers has just decided to staff the stat sheet and dominate the game from the tip-off last night. Seriously, he looked like a dad playing against kids from the local streetball park on a Sunday afternoon. Apparently, being 6’10, having a mind of a basketball genius, and working out with LeBron as your mentor is a good combination.
Anyway, is this legal?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZOsbjtxiX0
Jesus, in the mid ‘50s this move would have been probably banned from the television screen alongside Elvis Presley’s “overly sexual” swiveling hips and body!
2.) Last year’s No.1 pick, Fultz is back to play basketball games!
There have been some news coming out from the otherwise closed Philly camp regarding Markelle’s progress and developed jumpshot in the past few weeks, but for me what was really reassuring is his interview with Isaiah Thomas a couple of weeks ago. He had no far-fetched plans (such as winning MVP in the first year), only down-to-earth mentality for the next season which seems like something that he managed to channel to his game against the Australian team.
He was attacking the rim, giving great passes, catching assists from Simmons, and doing his athletic spin moves on the court that made him the consensual first pick at college last year.
Jumpshots are still missing, but he can build on this encouraging and energetic performance. Good luck!
3.) Gordon Hayward is back on the court. Thanks God.
When you miss more than 10 months due to a horrible injury, it’s not easy to get in rhythm, especially if you happen to play in the fastest basketball league against the best athletes in the world. Hayward looked far from his pre-injury, prime form and didn’t get too many touches in his first “semi-official” game, but I couldn’t care less. He seems to be healthy and we’re lucky to have him back.
https://twitter.com/gordonhayward/status/915040667042242560
4.) Uncle Drew was rocking with the afro and the headband while sinking shots from deep.
First, Kyrie shut down the rumors about him leaving the team at the end of this season, then showcased some of his tricks. Poetry in motion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn2Ghk1JDfs
5.) Jayson Tatum collecting moves for his arsenal
Hey, similarly to Hayward, Tatum didn’t play well last night (3-11 FG, 0-3 3PT), but he just went full Dirk-mode and pulled off a one-legged fadeaway in the first quarter just to set the tone for the rest of the game.
Okay, we see you, Jayson, we see you… What’s coming next? Dream-shake?
6.) Batum can do it all; he would just need a “go-to-guy”
I’m a simple man. If I see a player who can pass, get rebounds, score the ball, and play super intelligent, I hit the like button. We know that Batum is able to do it all (however, he was much better before he got paid), but this game was an instant reminder that he desperately needs a main guy on his team who could take over games in crunch time and allow him to be the perfect wingman.
It’s also exciting to imagine him playing in a perfect system, like the Celtics, and the more we think about it, the more painful it's to realize that he’s basically wasted his prime years for the most stagnant and hopeless average team of the league.
