5 Takeaways after an electrifying opening night

Only three games were played, but that did not stop the NBA from delivering on an explosive opening night filled with a bit of everything: jokes, blowouts, exciting play and tight games. Buckle your seatbelt, this one was a Grand Theft Auto experience.

1. Lebron James will never age.
Entering his age 32 season after a magnificent, yet tank-draining Finals experience, there was a bit of a drop-off expected in LeBron's play this season. After all, his mid-thirties are a only few years away, the usual twilight of NBA careers. Well, LeBron basically shoved out all the "aging" talk in the same way he shoved the Warriors' faces down a toilet last finals. In just 32 minutes of action, he notched a triple double, scoring 19 points on an uber efficient 9-14 shooting, dishing 14 assists and 11 rebounds. The last time a player scored a triple double on opening night was Jason Kidd way back when the first iPhone came out, in 2006. Not only do his numbers speak for themselves, but LeBron was still his usual godly force, uncorking some monster jams throughout the game. He is not going anywhere for a very long time, and that is sobering news for all those poor Eastern Conference souls that just want a chance to get to the finals.

2. The Knicks, after much heated-speculation, are not a Super team.
I love when NBA players say controversial stuff. It breathes life into a world filled with cliches such as "taking what the defense gives me", "just trying to get better" and, my personal favorite, "Player X primed for breakout season." So when Derrick Rose proclaimed to a media scrum last week that he believed his Knicks were a "super team", I did not mind it so much. Of course, that statement is ridiculous, but why unnecessarily dampen a player's bright, clouded expectations? Well, the Knicks' play, which reminded me of Winnie the Pooh unsuccessfully looking for his honey, just could not juice up the passing game. Rose, albeit some vintage, bee-line drives to the bucket, had 1 assist to 4 turnovers. That's just unacceptable for an NBA point guard. Also, two starters, Courtney Lee and Joakim Noah, put up as many points as I did that game.

3. Damian Lillard's album is just as spectacular as his first game was
"Growth Spurt" and "Bill Walton", in my opinion, two of the best songs on Lillard's new album, The Letter O are two unique, mellifluous songs that are so refreshing in an age where most rap songs sound the same. Dame's rap game is phenomenal, and so was his 2016-2017 debut. He put up a whopping 39 points on 65% shooting, 6 assists and 9 rebounds in a fantastic opening win against the Utah Jazz, a stingy defensive team in their own right. He sunk some clutch threes, was the ultimate team leader and undisputed best player on the court. He is for real, and should definitely be a part of the MVP conversation.

4. The Warriors got blown out by the Spurs
BREAKING: After losing his first game as a Warrior, Kevin Durant has now requested to be traded to the Spurs. In all seriousness, KD messed around and still scored 27 points, snatched 10 boards, dished 4 dimes and recorded 2 steals and 2 blocks. He stuffed the stat sheet just like a turkey during Thanksgiving (I will see myself out after that terrible pun). *Walks to door, softly closes, then comes back to finish writing column*. So yeah, it was pretty odd to see a team that is -150 odds to win the championship come out and get blanked by a Spurs team that had just lost Timothy Duncan, only the team's foundational star the past 15 years, this past offseason. Part of the reason the Spurs won was because of Kawhi Leonard. He was a monster, using his octopus like tentacles to snatch 5 steals as well as record a career high 35 points. He was phenomenal, end of story.

5. Jonathan Simmons has arrived.
A little-known bench player last year, Simmons burst out of the gate like a fireball on opening night, scoring a career high of his own, 20 points. Simmons was not necessarily smooth. He plays with a hitch in his game that is mesmerizing to watch. He is twitchy, not fluid, but that did not stop him from blowing the Spurs' lead open in the first half. He had two jaw-dropping plays. One was a monster block of Steph Curry and the other one was NSFW and rated R, a complete baptism of Javale McGee.

Parting Shots:
  • Super fun opening night, really encouraged on spending tons of time watching basketball instead of doing other, less important stuff such as homework. I kid, I kid.
  • Love everyone wearing colorful ties and shoes to support Craig Sager. Respect





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