The most anticipated season in NBA history is two weeks old. Certain players and events stick out more than others, such as Boston's Rajon Rondo's fantasy value, Washington's John Wall's early emergence as a star, Oklahoma City's unfulfilled expectations, New Orleans' 6-0 start, and Los Angeles' Baron Davis' weight. Wait, that's not anything new, but it is if this is supposed to be the Clippers' year to shine with young sensation Blake Griffin in the lineup but can't seem to get it together because their point guard has a bigger doughnut addiction than Charles Barkley does. But passed all of that, I've noted three takeaways in this very early but still very exciting NBA season.
1). Eric Gordon is an emerging star. And his breakthrough performance was this past Saturday against the Utah Jazz. As point guard Baron Davis is out with a sore knee, the Clippers turned to their young guard for leadership in the waning moments of the game. And "EJ" learned a thing or two from his USA Basketball experience this past summer, as he was able to take the game into overtime with this ridiculous play.
In the following possession, he blocks All-Star Deron Williams' shot to counter any of Utah's hope of ending the game after regulation. During the two overtime periods, Gordon clearly had the upper hand against Williams, who is considered the best point guard today. The Clippers lost by one, but they found something special in Gordon.
2). The formula to beat the Heat is revealed. Who ever thought there would be a way to defeat Miami's star-studded roster that features Wade, James, and Bosh? Who ever thought the New Orleans Hornets would be the team to present the league with this gift? On Friday night, the game plan was simple and extremely effective: attack Chris Bosh. Bosh's union with his two other star companions in Wade and James is exposing more and more of his weaknesses to the public. If you bang down low with him, you will win, and New Orleans center Emeka Okafor and the other bigs took full advantage Friday night. And it's not like Okafor is that much of a "beast" down low. It's just that Bosh is light years away from what people thought he was down low in the paint. Now, imagine when Bosh has to deal with Orlando's Dwight Howard and Boston's Shaquille O'Neal.
3). The Los Angeles Lakers is the model team. If you've been following the NBA season at least up to this point, you'll agree that this is not a biased statement. The Lakers are 7-0, and everything from their core group to their bench to their coaching staff looks top notch. Pau Gasol's versatility is the talk of the town. Lamar Odom's rebounding and overall effort are definitely noticeable. Shannon Brown's improved shooting from this past summer is showing with flying colors. The feistiness and grit of their new additions, Steve Blake and Matt Barnes, give this Lakers team an added dimension that they did not have prior to this season. And all of this is keeping an injured and a bit-aged Kobe Bryant primed for another run at a title come June.
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