By Joel Perez 
Both Denver And Milwaukee in Trouble?
Two of the league’s biggest contenders for the championship this year seem to face similar
issues that could jeopardize their chances of reaching the mountaintop unless they can find a
solution from within—or make an immediate change. The Bucks’ glaring issue is depth, and it
doesn’t help that a crucial piece of the team, Khris Middleton, is heading into the season still
recovering from two ankle surgeries he underwent this past summer. He has yet to play in the
first couple of games of the new season. They made some solid pickups over the summer,
including Gary Trent Jr., who steps in to fill Malik Beasley’s role from last year, and additions like
Taurean Prince and Delon Wright, who are expected to bolster a defense that was ranked 19th
last season. So far, this group has shown little positivity, starting 1-3 and facing an uphill battle
with a challenging next seven games. They’re set to face Memphis tonight, followed by
back-to-back games against Cleveland, which is off to an impressive start. A potential win in
Utah might give them a breather, but after that, they face the Knicks and then the Celtics. By
that point, it’s very possible Milwaukee could find themselves near the bottom of the standings
unless they figure things out quickly, as the upcoming schedule is anything but easy.
Moving on to Denver, they also have the same problem of depth or a lack of solid role players
who contribute on a night-to-night basis. The Nuggets have the best player in the world in Nikola
Jokic, and that may be enough to get them into the playoff picture, but he’s going to need some
help if they want any hope of winning a second championship. Jamal Murray’s decline has been
a major topic among NBA talking heads, but I definitely see where they’re coming from. Jamal’s
play, when he’s on, is extraordinary, yet up to this point, he hasn’t played up to his standard, and
everyone in the Denver organization is hopeful for a turnaround. There doesn’t seem to be
much flexibility with this team since they’re capped out with huge contracts, and they can’t even
afford to bring back players like KCP, who filled a clear role they desperately needed before
going off to Orlando for a big payday. MPJ and Aaron Gordon are both on long-term deals but
haven’t shown the ability to create opportunities for themselves. The Nuggets went out and
grabbed Russell Westbrook in the summer with hopes of him playing a major role on this team,
and there’s still hope for that to come true. However, as of right now, his performance has been
lackluster. It’s still too early to tell, but so far, these two teams may be in deep trouble, and they
both might need to make moves quickly before it’s too late for either of them to dig themselves
out of the hole they’ve constructed.
Paolo Banchero And The Magic Are Cooking
Ladies and gentlemen, Paolo Banchero has made another leap toward becoming a surefire
superstar in this league, being the first player this season to score 50 points—and it was against
an Eastern Conference rival, the Indiana Pacers. Paolo’s first two games featured solid
performances for an NBA starter, but in his third game, he made a name for himself with an
impressive 50 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists, nearing a triple-double and igniting his team
to victory.
It’s only week one, but this Orlando team has the makeup of a group that should easily make a
case for a top-six seed in the conference, barring injury. It’s not only about Banchero, even
though he’s probably the number one factor in this team’s future success. The Magic have
bought into this group, both figuratively and literally, since they went ahead and paid every
single one of their players, including a free agent pickup expected to play a clear role. This
addition should immensely help their offense by spreading the floor with a 40% three-point
shooter and a strong defender in KCP, who can guard opposing backcourts and wings
depending on matchups, of course.
Giving Franz Wagner a max deal, along with Jalen Suggs receiving the max rookie extension,
shows that this front office is going all in on the group they’ve groomed since these players were
drafted by the franchise. They also extended Wendell Carter and Jonathan Isaac, demonstrating
their belief in the core group they have assembled over the last couple of years.
Orlando has built a solid foundation with this roster while also accumulating assets through the
draft and trades. They’ve played their cards right regarding when to use cap space, considering
the looming massive paydays for all these players moving forward. What they’ve accomplished
is impressive and reminds me of the way Sam Presti built OKC, which speaks volumes about
the potential of this Orlando group in the future.
Knicks/Wolves Update
The New York Knicks might have gotten embarrassed on opening night against the Boston
Celtics, but there’s still hope for this group going forward after seeing this unit on the floor for the
first time in a real NBA game. It was only their first game, and they should shape up to be one of
the top teams by the end of the year with the impressive roster they’ve assembled.
Miles McBride has proven to be competent and will serve as the sixth man while also starting at
times throughout the year, alongside a five-man unit of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG
Anunoby, Josh Hart, and “Bodega KAT” to round out the starting five. This starting lineup has to
be among the best in the league and will soon prove that with time because, on paper, this
group should be ELITE.
As the season progresses, the coaching staff will figure out ways to use these players in lineups
where they can be most effective. One takeaway from the first game is that Jalen did not utilize
KAT in any pick-and-roll situations. The moment Jericho Sims came into the game, Jalen
automatically went for a pick-and-roll with the backup big and scored. Look for them to use KAT
more in pick-and-roll scenarios rather than just having him in the dunker spot or spacing the
floor for others to make plays for themselves or spot up for three.
Think of it as replacing Isaiah Hartenstein from last year, who was absolutely phenomenal in his
role in both last year’s postseason and regular season, with a three-dimensional player who
happens to be an All-Star and one of the most effective bigs in the game today.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, on the other hand, may prove to be stagnant by year’s end
compared to last season’s growth, which saw them reach the Western Conference Finals. This
year’s group can definitely surpass last year’s performance, barring injury. If Julius Randle can
replace KAT’s effectiveness on the offensive end and hold his own against opposing bigs, it’s in
his best interest to figure it out with this team moving forward, especially since it’s a contract
year for him. Luckily, as he stated on NBA Today with Malika Andrews on the opening day of the
new season, he feels fortunate to be traded to a contender rather than a rebuilding team where
he’d have to start over. He was sent to a team that made the conference finals, along with
teammate Donte DiVincenzo, who seems to be on a revenge tour—and I’m all for it! These two
guys have something to prove, and with Anthony Edwards leading them, this squad has the
potential to go very far and hopes to be championship contenders both now and in the future.
Are JJ Redick And The Lakers Legit?
JJ Redick and this Lakers unit have started off hot and made impressive strides in the first
couple of games of the year. Yes, it’s only the beginning of the season, but this Los Angeles
roster looks completely different from last year’s, despite not making any major personnel
moves over the summer other than changing coaching staffs. The focus of this year’s team has
been on the constant movement of the basketball and making Anthony Davis the centerpiece of
the offense. AD started the first three games of the year by averaging over 30 points per game
and serving as the sole leader on the defensive end, with discussions around the league
positioning him as a prohibitive favorite for this year’s MVP award—if this Lakers squad can
maintain this impressive start.
There has been a constant emphasis on ball movement, making role players like Austin Reaves
and Rui Hachimura even more effective on and off the ball. Off-ball screens have played a
major role in creating open looks for shooters and cutters while guiding players to make the right
pass at the right time for screeners and the big man in the dunker spot. Rookie Dalton Knecht
has already found his way into the Lakers’ rotation and has shown he can be effective on the
court, whether playmaking for himself or off other players who find openings in the surefire
offense that JJ Redick has implemented with his coaching staff to get LeBron, AD, and company
better looks for a more efficient offense.
This group has made significant strides from last year with little to no personnel changes other
than draft picks, and the credit has to go to JJ and his staff. But will they be able to sustain this
level of play through an 82-game season? We’ll have to see, but for now, this group looks rejuvenated and seems competent enough to make their way into the Western Conference
playoff picture, which appears to be tough from top to bottom.
Joel Perez 
Angel Rivera