The SCARY TRUTHS The 2023 NBA Season Has Shown Us So Far

John Morant dropped 49 points against the Rockets, only to lose by 41 in the very next game to Luka. A fully loaded Nets team with Kyrie and Durant was dominated by Zion Williamson and the Pelicans. LeBron blocked Paul George to remind him who's the best player in LA. The 2023 NBA season has just begun, but man, has it been crazy or what? Here are some scary truths that we've learned so far. The Boston Celtics seem like they're on a mission to avenge themselves from losing the 2022 Finals. They're focused, they're sharp, and both their leaders look ready. I mean, the duo of Tatum and Brown started the season off dropping 35 points each, and it doesn't look like they're slowing down one bit. Surprisingly, the Ime Udoka scandal does not look like it's even appearing to phase them. And uh, they're giving me flashbacks of the 2014 Spurs. After losing to the Heat in the 2013 Finals, San Antonio had the look of unfinished business in their eyes, and so far, the Celtics look like they're carrying that same spirit. Their defense as a team was on point, their transition game was deadly, and they honestly believe they're the best team in the league. Here's one play that really caught my attention. Jason Tatum has the ball in transition. It's essentially a 1-on-2 fast break here with Harris and Maxey defending, but Tatum does a Eurostep, and with a grown man move, he finishes through the contact with a sweet below the rim play that reminds me of what Uncle Drew does on a nightly basis. Last season, Tatum told reporters that he never said he was a superstar, but something tells me that if a reporter asked him that same question now, his answer would be a bit different. Anyways, next up we have James Harden. Just like I anticipated, the beard is officially back. After two seasons where he suffered from hamstring problems, he finally had a summer where he could train properly, and from the looks of it, he's not only playing at an All-NBA level, but he's playing at an MVP level. I mean, although the 76ers lost their first three games of the season, it was no way Harden's fault, and if anything, he was the one who kept the games close and competitive. Against two Eastern powerhouses, the Celtics and the Bucs, the former most valuable player averaged 33 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists on shooting splits of 58, 38, and 100. Here's a play that had me saying to myself, he's back. In the top corner is Harden with the ball. The one defending him is an elite defender who's made four All-NBA defensive teams, Drew Holliday. Look at this, James Harden puts on a few dribble moves, then reaches into his bag for a spin and a step back mid-range fadeaway. Sheesh guys, if Harden is going to do that on a regular basis, the 76ers are not only going to be good, they're going to be great. Anyways, if you guys thought that was epic, wait until you hear this. In NBA history since the ABA merger back in 1976, there have only been 5 players who made a debut with a stat line of 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Ron Harper, Willie Anderson, Grant Hill, LeBron James, and now in 2022, Paulo Banqueiro. Man, while everyone is talking about Victor Wambayama, who is arguably the best draft prospect since LeBron James, people are missing out on the fact that Banqueiro is arguably the closest rookie to LeBron that we've ever seen. I mean, forget about the All-NBA stat line he just put up, I want you to look at these two plays. Here's Banqueiro, his defender sees him but probably didn't think he was capable of this. Sheesh guys, doesn't that remind you of a younger LeBron James who used to do those epic chase down blocks? Here's Banqueiro again, he sees an open lane, with just one defender, and uh, just watch. Man guys, we should start calling this dude LePaulo, but uh, if we do that, Skip Bayless is going to hate on him like how he's been hating on LeBron for the past 20 years. But on a serious note, this kid looks like he's going to be really, really good. And speaking of really good, have y'all seen how really good Zion Williamson has been so far? The dude is once again making grown men look like elementary school kids. I hate to make Ben Simmons the end of a joke again, but uh, I couldn't believe my eyes when Zion made him look like barbeque chicken. Just see for yourself what I'm talking about. Here's Zion on the perimeter, Simmons is giving him all the room in the world to shoot a three, but the 2019 number one pick didn't bite on it. This was nothing fancy, it was just a reverse layup. But what's so impressive is how easy he made it look, and who he did it against. Let me elaborate on this a bit further. Ben Simmons is arguably one of the best one-on-one defenders in the league. He's 6 foot 10, has great length, is strong, fast, and is touted as one of the few players who could guard Giannis. But yet, there is literally nothing he could do to stop Zion, who definitely deserves a sheesh. Anyways, time to move from one 6 foot 6 player to another. Last season, although Klay Thompson averaged 20 points and made some big shots in the playoffs, he didn't quite look like the Splash Brothers who made all NBA teams, and who was an all-world defender. This year, however, instead of going through a summer of rehab, he had time to train, and it looks like it's paying off. I mean, his jumpers look pure, his defense looks tight, and his instincts look sharp. Earlier I said that the Celtics look like they're on a mission to avenge themselves, but honestly, from watching Klay and the Warriors, if these two teams met in the finals again, I don't think the results are going to be any different because the scary truth is, it's not just Klay. Steph is still Steph, Jordan Poole has gotten better, Wiggins has gotten more confident, Wiseman is back, Kuminga is in his second year, and the list can go on and on and on. So instead of rambling for another 10 minutes here, I think I'll make an entirely separate video for this topic. Anyway, next off, I want to talk about the San Antonio Raptors. I say this in jest, but honestly, this Toronto team reminds me so much of the Spurs organization in the 2000s and early 2010s that played unselfish basketball, and this box score here from the season opener says it all. Nobody put up superstar numbers, but every starter scored at least 15 points, then coming off the bench, you also had a player who was in double figures. Everyone plays hard, everyone plays together, and you never know who's going to score next. There's a phrase that was first coined by the philosopher Aristotle that goes like, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and that couldn't be any more true than when it comes to the Toronto Raptors. And speaking of box scores, the Atlanta Hawks put up an interesting one. In their season opener, both Trey Young and DeJounte Murray scored at least 20 points and dished out 10 assists. Then as a team, they had four players who scored 20 points. That trend also appears to be continuing. Last season, the Hawks were second in the league when it came to offensive ratings, and from what I see from them so far this season, they're going to be right back at the top in terms of firepower. They were lacking in defense in 2022, which is why they made the trade for the San Antonio All-Star, and uh, here's one play that shows how interesting the new combo of Trey and Murray can be. Murray intercepts and steals the pass, then passes it to Trey at the half-court line, who takes one dribble and pulls up from the State Farm Arena logo. Anyways, next up I want to talk about the Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron and Anthony Davis have been beasts like usual, but just like their last few seasons, depth has been their problem. I mean, the sample size is really limited, but look at this. Other than AD and LeBron, no other player in their top 8 is scoring over 40% from the field. That's a recipe for disaster, but hey, it might pay off if they get Wumbayama. Anyway, jokes aside, if you thought that was bad, check this out next. So, from three-point range, both AD and Bron are sub-30%, which is pretty bad, but uh, wait until you see the rest of them. Lonnie Walker is shooting at 17%, Westbrook is at 11%, Nunn is at 30%, Beverly is at 18%, and JTA is at 14%. The Lakers have started off this season in a mess, but honestly, what would you expect when they went up against arguably the best teams in the Western Conference? Anyways, there's still hope for the purple and gold, and actually, despite the shooting woes of Westbrook, here's what impressed me. Two back-to-back steals in crunch time in a close game. Then, a great defensive one-on-one play against Kawhi. Westbrook is playing defense, and from the eye test, he played pretty darn well. After witnessing that, I'm pretty sure the next clip echoed what Lakers Nation was feeling. Wait, wait, wait, actually, the Lakers again just crumbled against the Portland Trailblazers at home, up five with two minutes left, and uh, I'm pretty sure Lakers fans around the world feel like this now.