Super? Bad?

So every team has played a couple of games so far, and it’s time to put down some first thoughts on the new season. Some teams are playing above expectations, and other teams just downright suck. It happens every season that teams that are supposed to be contenders, start off 0-4 in the first week, but still manage to get 50 to 60 wins at the end of the season. So I’m not putting down any predictions here, but just boring the people with some random observations.

Super:

New Orleans Hornets: Chris Paul will be the League’s best point guard within the next few years. Setting a career-high in assists (21!) against the Lakers is quite a feature for that young man. In that same game, Peja Stojakovic was playing like it was 2004, while he was still jacking 3’s for the Kings and scoring 25 a game. Although he got 10 three-pointers against L.A., he’s still quite inconsistent. Understandable, because he’s missed a lot of time in the last couple of seasons, so let’s hope he stays healthy. With Tyson Chandler and Paul getting double-doubles every night, paired with promising forward and leading scorer David West, this good start is no coincidence. The Hornets are for real.

Boston Celtics: Wow. Obviously everybody thought they would be good. I’ve seen a couple of games now, and they are really, really good. No need to say more.

Indiana Pacers: They proved me wrong. At least so far. I didn’t expect them to start off 3-1. I didn’t expect Danny Granger to put up all-star numbers, and I really didn’t expect Mike Dunleavy to average 20 points, with almost 9 rebounds. Even Ike Diogu did well before he got injured. Other than that, the Pacers aren’t that bad after all, and who knows how good they can be when Jermaine O’Neal starts playing well.

Los Angeles Clippers: 4-0? Without Elton Brand? Sam Cassell scored 35 points the other night? Cuttino Mobley had 33 a day earlier? I’m impressed.

Kobe Bryant: For an unhappy guy he still puts up the numbers: 30,5 ppg (on 50% shooting), almost 8 rpg (career-high) and 4,5 apg. I an earlier blog I wrote that Chicago should “get Kobe”, but Kobe belongs on one team, and one team only, he’s a Laker. And he always should be a Laker.

Manu Ginobili: Manu? Yes Manu. He is doing it all. Sure, LeBron James might have better individual numbers, but shining on a championship team like the Spurs, where nobody is a “superstar” due to their winning formula by winning together in a total team effort, Ginobili really stands out. Give him the Sixth Man award already. Manu was playing like a superstar in the playoffs and Finals of 2005, and this year he shows he’s still there.

Bad:

Disappointing teams so far: Washington, Denver, Chicago, Miami and Cleveland. With the Heat and the Cavaliers, I can understand they have trouble winning their games. They simply don’t have the personnel that will help Shaq or LeBron to win more (if any, in Miami’s case) games. But the Wizards, Bulls and Nuggets all should be able to do more than their mediocre outings so far. Are the Bulls distracted because of all the trade rumors, or that Deng and Gordon didn’t get new contracts? Agent Zero’s knee is still a problem And: is Eddie Jordan a problem? And the Nuggets have everything to be top team in the League. It’s still early, so there’s a lot of room for improvement.

Vince Carter: Come on Vince. Come on! You know how to score, in every way possible, so do it, shoot it, hit it. Do whatever, but put up some points my man. A high percentage is preferable. Luckily you got teammates who are picking up the slack, but you’re too good to be playing like this.

Chris Bosh: Everybody hates Chris? Of course not. Everybody loves the guy, simply because of the fact that he’s one of the top big men in the Eastern Conference. But it’s not showing in the first couple of games. Like Carter, he’s got the team around him to pick up the slack, but Bosh isn’t himself at the moment. Are injuries still hampering him?

Pat Riley: Classy move of calling out Shaq. Yeah, that helped. If that’s his way of motivating a 16-year veteran, I’m not sure it’s the right way. Besides that: Pat Riley shouldn’t have signed that extension, there’s no way in hell that he will coach another three years. His team is a mess, with a superstar who yet has to play his first game of the season, an unhappy center, and a roster made up out of guys being at the end of their careers, or who are nice complimentary players who can’t pick up the slack when needed. Oh, and Tricky Ricky Buckets. Riley’s career was all “Magic” in the eighties, but now with 2008 in sight, the magic seems to be gone.