With the NBA’s 202-21 season opening a few days away, it’s easy to dismiss the prognosis in anticipation of the real thing. But, the franchise is very fond of reminding us, so you can’t skip the step. The rest of the preseason games are essential for young players (especially without the Summer League) to gain experience and build chemistry with new teammates.
We saw a bit of both on Thursday, with the No. 3 overall pick Lamelo Beasley continuing to impress with his flash and swagger on the court. According to the chemistry, the Rockets were seen signing their new free-agent, Christian Wood, in court with their failed superstar, James Harden. Perhaps surprisingly, things went pretty well.
Here’s a look at Thursday’s scores with some ideas of night action.
NBA Preseason Scores for Thursday, December 17th
- Charlotte Hornets 123, land Relando Magic 115
- Detroit Pistons 97, Washington Washington Wizards 86
- Houston Rockets 128, San Antonio Spurs 106
- Memphis Grizzlies 128, Atlanta Hawks 106
- Minnesota Timberwolves 129, Dallas Mavericks 127 (OT)
- Golden State Warriors 113, Sacramento Kings 109
- Utah Jazz 125, Los Angeles Clippers 105
Makes lame rain
In his first two Prison games, we’ll get a good look at Lamelo’s impressive passing ability and entertaining style of play, but there’s one thing he didn’t really do – make shots. The ball shot a 3-for-15 shot from the field in its first two NBA appearances, including a 2-for-9 from a 3-point range, but that changed Thursday night against Magic. The shooting felt more comfortable in the shootout, making it 4-of-93-pointers to 18 points – a combined six more in his first two prison games.
The ball’s effort was enough to draw former Miami hit superstar and femur Dwayne’s attention to Wade’s future. Not bad for your third favorite game.
It doesn’t have the most traditional shooting mechanics so it’s bound to be a bit of a rope, but making 3s can significantly increase the ball’s ceiling given its playmaking ability. It was also a good sign for Hornets fans that the ball ends around the rim a few times on Thursday, as they used skill and English to find the bank angle in crowded places. It’s a long way from the finished product, but what Charlotte sees from the ball is this favorite.
Hard to heat up, and so do trade rumors
After James Harden showed up late at the Rockets camp on Tuesday and his first Prison action sensibly corroded Probably not in the best shape of his life. It’s not yet the offensive machine we’ve grown accustomed to in many previous overs, but Harden looked better in Thursday’s win over the Spurs. He put up 20 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in 27 minutes, which would go from field to 3 — 6 in the 8-for-14 and 3-point ranges. He paired himself with his new partner Christian Wood and went through the middle leg pocket of his patent.
It will be very awkward if Superman starts a regular season with the Rockets, considering he has already made it known that he wants out of Houston and the team has reported More options on the table After recent discussions. We’ve seen players like Anthony Davis try to play through the demands of a stable trade and he quickly becomes ugly, but Harden denies being the best player in the game if he is on the court.
Get curry cooking
His wife Ayesha may be the cook in the family, but Steve Curry heated things up in a hurry on Thursday night. After a 2-for-11 start from the 3-point range, Curry was suddenly 6-for-13 in the blink of an eye, as he moved up to 29th in the second straight game and scored 16 points in the third quarter.
The offensive load with Clay Thompson will keep the season going for the most part, and it will be interesting to see how hot it can be any night. Warriors announcer Bob Fitzgerald predicted that Curry would set a single-game NBA record for both 3-pointers and 3-pointers this season, and you can see why. Depending on how free he is in Steve Carey’s offense, Curry could win his second scoring title.
Meet Houston, Christian
Since he hid in the Detroit Pistons team last season, fans of the two casual quail rockets couldn’t understand why Christian Wood gave him a 4 41 million contract this season. Wood’s tantalizing side on Thursday and his unique skill set were on full display in his Prison Opener, as he put up 27 points, 10 rebounds, a block and a steal in less than 24 minutes.
Wood also hit two-pointers, demonstrating a feudal stroke that allowed him to shoot from deep deep last season. The Rockets abandoned the center position completely towards the end of last season, but Wood could be the perfect compromise. It has size and length to protect the edges, but it also has guard skills and can aggressively space the floor. It would be fun to see him work with Harden, although it lasts longer.
Ja vs Tray is a pleasure
It was just a preference game, but the league’s two best young point guards – Trey Young and Ja Morant – went head to head, as it was impossible to see the Hawks-Grizzlies matchup without a smile on your face on Thursday. Young finished with 15 points and six assists in 26 minutes, but struggled in the shooting from deep Nada (2-for-8). Morant did his best this night, putting in 18 minutes and 13 minutes of assistance in 27 minutes.
With Morant just 21 years old and 22 young, the league will be in great hands for an incomprehensible future. We’ve seen dynamic young guards before, but they must be seen programming in terms of both in order to move forward with their scoring ability.
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