National/World Editor
On Oct. 19, the National Basketball Association (NBA) 2022-2023 season kicked off with the tip-off between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics. Here are some of the highlights from the first few weeks of the season.
As the season’s fifth week comes to an end, many teams have had some surprising starts, both good and bad. To begin, the Milwaukee Bucks performed incredibly in their first 12 games, only loading 2 games. Furthermore, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who disappointingly did not qualify for the playoffs last year, are the third-best team in the Eastern Conference, losing only four of their first 12 games. The Boston Celtics, who were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA finals, have started the season strong, only losing three of their first 11 games.
Second place in the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns, who faced a devastating second-round loss to the Dallas Mavericks last season in the seventh game of that series, have only lost four of their first 12 games. Additionally, the Utah Jazz, after trading away shooting guard Donovan Mitchell and center Rudy Gobert who were their only all-stars, started the season leading in the Western Conference, losing only four of their first 14 games. The Jazz’s early season performance came as a shock to many fans, who believed that they were unlikely to qualify for the playoffs.
As the season begins, fans have emerged with new predictions about who this year’s MVP will be through the NBA MVP Ladder. To begin week five, unsurprisingly, power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo reigns, with an impressive average of 31.8 points and 12.2 rebounds per game, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to their undefeated record. Additionally, at only 23 years of age, point guard Luka Doncic is averaging an astonishing 33.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game. Additionally, shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, after a massive trade from the Utah Jazz to the Cleveland Cavaliers, is averaging an impressive 31.9 points per game, leading the Cavaliers to be the third-best team in the Eastern Conference.
The season has also opened doors for many long-standing records to be broken. To start, point guard Luka Doncic is the first player since 1962 to start the first seven games of the season with 30-plus-point performances. Additionally, point guard Chris Paul is only 1,000 assists away from passing Jason Kidd and moving into second place for all-time assists. Furthermore, small forward LeBron James is on the brink of becoming the all-time leading scorer, with about 1,000 points separating him from center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to be the best scorer in NBA history.
(Sources: ESPN, NBA)
Categories: National Sports, Sports