Has the NBA bubble been a success or what? If you love basketball, the bubble has been heaven for fans. Nonstop action for 10 hours each day is music to my ears. It’s clear that the bubble is working.
Where do I even begin with storylines? The Lakers and Bucks are in cruise control, but they have glaring deficiencies. The Blazers could do damage if they make the playoffs. TJ Warren is now Michael Jordan? Here is a recap of Week 1.
Note: This blog was posted at 6:30 PM EDT on August 6.
Top Story: The Bubble Is Working
I was optimistic that the bubble would work. However, no one predicted that the bubble would be a resounding success. The television presentation has been seamless. No fans? No problem. I thought virtual fans would be corny. It surprisingly hasn’t been a distraction at all. Without the bad teams to beat up on (still love you, Knicks), 85% of the games are competitive. With games from 1 PM-1130 PM every day, the bubble is an NBA version of March Madness, Most importantly, COVID is under control. Things can change in the blink of an eye but for now, the bubble is working.
Top Basketball Story: The Lakers And Bucks Are Good, But Should They Be Worried?
Both the Lakers and Bucks will be the top seeds and should be the favorites to represent their respective conferences. However, both have major flaws. Right now, the Lakers are allergic to the offense. The offense hasn’t been bad; it’s been atrocious. After Wednesday night’s loss to the Thunder, the Lakers rank last in offensive rating at 96.6 points per 100 possesions. The Lakers won’t win any games if they shoot 5-for-37 from 3 as they did against the Thunder. LeBron and AD will be fine, but there are a lot of questions surrounding their supporting cast especially at the guard position.
As I write this blog, the Bucks are down 20 points to the Heat. This past Tuesday, the Bucks lost to the Nets as 19 point favorites, which is the biggest favorite to lose in an NBA regular-season game. Just like the Lakers, I also have questions about the Bucks’ secondary players around Giannis and Middleton.
Let’s not forget the Lakers and Bucks have the two best records in the NBA. They have the two best players in the game right now in LeBron and Giannis. I’m not writing them off whatsoever. However, I would be worried if their supporting casts are nonexistent in the playoffs.
Suprise Of The Bubble: Blazers
One could argue that the potential play-in game was put into place because of Zion. However, the team that’s benefitting the most from this new format is the Blazers. Despite making the Conference Finals a year ago, the Blazers are a better team now than they were a year ago. One word: health. The Blazers were decimated with injuries to two of their top big men, Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins, which explained their 28-37 record pre-bubble. With Nurkic and Collins, the Blazers are a different team. They can get production down low and guard bigger teams thanks to Nurkic, Collins, and Hasaan Whiteside. Plus, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are a top-5 duo in the NBA. If they secure the 8-seed, can the Blazers beat the Lakers in a 7-game series? Probably not. Can the Blazers give the Lakers trouble and push the series to six or seven games? Absolutely.
MVP So Far: TJ Warren
His name is now TJ “Michael Jordan” Warren. Who knew Warren could get buckets like MJ? More importantly, the Pacers are 3-0 and could be a tough out in the East.
LVP So Far: Pelicans
As previously mentioned, many including myself believe this play-in series was made for the Pelicans. However, after a 1-2 start, the Pelicans will need to step it up in order to get to the 9-seed. If the NBA wants Zion in the playoffs, New Orleans will need to let the big dog eat.
Storyline For Week 2: Effort
We’ve been blessed with competitive games for the first week. As more teams clinch playoff spots and the seeding falls into place, will teams continue to give max effort before the playoffs? Why play LeBron or Giannis if they’ve already clinched the 1-seed? I’m expecting a lot more lopsided scores in Week 2.
If you’re in the bubble, stay safe. Basketball in August has been a blessing. Let’s keep it that way.
What are your top storylines in the NBA bubble? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
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