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Oklahoma City Thunder – Kevin Durant & Russell Westbrook Get Help
The real help for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook will be when Scott Brooks and his coaching staff starts drawing up plays that don’t involve isolation and simple screens that are easy for a defense to attack, but actually make the Oklahoma City Thunder look like a thinking team, instead of one that relies only on pure individual talent.
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Chicago Bulls – The Luol Deng They Need This Season
If there’s a season in which Luol Deng needs to play like an All-Star and produce the numbers you expect from one, it’s this one. Without Derrick Rose, the Chicago Bulls need more than just effort, hustle and defense to win and compete for the East. They need their talent players to be at their best, and Deng is the first name on that list.
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Miami Heat – LeBron James Taking it Easy Early On
Four games, three wins, the Miami Heat Should be pleased with some of what they’re seeing. Two new major players on the bench and the rest is pretty much the same, except for the defense which has been giving up 109 points per game. LeBron James, a bit wiser about what it takes to win an NBA title, isn’t working up much of a sweat.
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New York Knicks – Right now do not Have a Weakness
A small sampling pool of only three games doesn’t mean much, but the New York Knicks are impressive. They’ve scored at least 100 points in all three wins. They’ve won by at least 16 points three times, and they haven’t let anyone score more than 88 points on them. Not just Carmelo Anthony deserves praises. Everyone deserves it.
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Los Angeles Lakers – Kobe Bryant Not Close to Retirement
Remember this? The talk of Kobe Bryant waiting till his contract runs out in 2014 and then paving the way for LeBron James to sing for the Los Angeles Lakers? Maybe he just likes messing with everyone, but the Black Mamba is now saying that his plan is to go on till the age of 40.
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Russell Westbrook Needs Someone To Take the Ball Away From Him
One loss, two losses, home loss, it doesn’t matter. So early in the season, things are rarely what they turn out to be six months from now, in May. But Russell Westbrook is struggling once again, and maybe it has to do with the fact that the Oklahoma City Thunder don’t have James Harden anymore, or anyone who can be the main ball handler besides him.
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Los Angeles Lakers – Easy Win Doesn’t Mean Much
When it’s too easy, you can’t take too much out of it. The Los Angeles Lakers won their first game of the season, taking off tons of pressure from everyone’s shoulders; from Mike Brown to Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard. The weak, surprisingly soft Detroit Pistons were exactly what the doctor ordered.
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Atlanta Hawks – Al Horford Too Much for Thunder
Even without Josh Smith, fourth quarter comebacks for a looked down upon version of the Atlanta Hawks are possible against one of the best teams in the NBA. Al Horford was the rock to rely on, Louis Williams was the surprising guy that got hot at exactly the right moment.
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San Antonio Spurs – Tony Parker & Tim Duncan Off to a Special Start
Is anyone surprised that Tony Parker is doing this good (20.3 points, 9 assists) early in the season? Probably not. He’s been the best player for the San Antonio Spurs for a few years now. But Tim Duncan? At 36, you’d expect the greatest power forward of all time to take it easier in the regular season, but he’s off to a great start as well, averaging 21 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks per game.
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Miami Heat – Chris Bosh Can Carry the Load Sometimes
Never forget the guy who got you there. Ray Allen hit his first game winner for the Miami Heat with a corner three and six seconds left on the clock, but it was Chris Bosh scoring 40 points on one of the biggest nights of his career that took care of business in the 119-116 win over the Denver Nuggets.