Okungcono noma okubi kakhulu, lona umbuzo obaluleke kakhulu wonke abaqeqeshi kanye nehhovisi eliphambili elizama ukuwuphendula kumdlalo wokuqala wesizini. Izinto ezingalindelekile zenzeka emasontweni amabili okuqala esizini, futhi ziningi kunangaphambili kulo nyaka.
Okokuqala, izilinganiso empeleni zibheke phansi. NgoMsombuluko, iThunder, Jazz, Spurs neTrail Blazers bezihamba phambili ngo-18–8; amathathu kulawo maqembu amane kudingeke ukuthi ahlulwe nguVictor Wimbama. IPacers ibambene ngo 3-4 kanti isendaweni yesikhombisa kwiligi ngokuhlukumeza. Khonamanjalo, izimbangi ezinhlanu abasolwa ngazo - iClippers, Warriors, 76ers, Heat kanye neNets - zikleliswe ku-11-22.
Geza ujule futhi okuxakayo kuzokhula kuphela. Amaqembu amabili aqine kakhulu okuzivikela esizini edlule, iBoston neGolden State, aqede endaweni yama-22 neka-23 ngokulandelana. IMemphis neMiami zikleliswe endaweni yesine neyesihlanu, ngokulandelana. Kule sizini bakwi-28 ne-20. Uxolo, kodwa uma ufuna ukubona ukuzivikela okungu-10 okuphezulu, udinga ukushayela i-Jazz noma i-Wizards.
Ngaphandle kwalokho, kusesekuseni. Sikhuluma ngesampula yemidlalo eyisithupha edlalwe iningi lala maqembu. Ezinye izimanga zingabangwa yinhlanhla nezinye izinhlobo zomehluko. Isibonelo, ama-Nets abe nesiqalo esibi se-1-5 futhi aqeda endaweni yokugcina ekuvikeleni, kodwa abaphikisi babo baphinde badubula amaphesenti angu-43.8 we-3, engenakulinganiswa; IBrooklyn isendaweni yesine ekuvikeleni ngamaphuzu ama-2. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ukumangala kukaCharlotte kuqala ngaphandle kwabadlali ababili ababalulekile be-backcourt kungenzeka ukuthi bathonywe ukuzivikela kwe-Jedi ye-3-point, okwakuyi-28.2% kuphela kusuka ebangeni le-3-point.
Lezi zinkinga zigqame kakhulu kwiCity of Angels, lapho iLakers neClippers baqale khona umdlalo ngamacala amabili amabi kakhulu eligi bahola ngo 2–8 bengadlali. Banonya kakhulu uma becasukile kangangokuthi bayimiyalo yobukhulu kubi kunoNo. 28 Orlando. Amaphuzu eThe Magic angu-107.9 ezintweni eziyi-100 asondelene nesilinganiso seligi kunamaphuzu angu-29 eClippers angu-102.2.
Imizabalazo yamaLakers yathola ukunakwa okukhulu ezweni kangangokuthi usizi lweClippers lwabafihla kakhulu ekunakeni kwesizwe. Bangashintsha isiqubulo sabo sithi “Thank God for the Lakers.” Kodwa-ke, ukuphinda kabili kwangeSonto enkundleni ebiyaziwa ngokuthi yiStaples Center kukhombise ukuthi izinkinga zakuqala zamaClippers zingabakhathaza njengabalingani babo bekilabhu, njengoba ukuhlulwa kwabo ngo-112-91 kubehlisele ku-2– four.
Kuwo womabili amaqembu, umzabalazo wabo usekelwe enkingeni enkulu yezibalo. Okungenani amaLakers ayazi: kufanele bathole kanjani amaphuzu uma kungekho muntu ongadubula ngokuqondile? I-Lakers idlale kanzima kakhulu (yesithathu ekuvikeleni!) futhi yaguqula abaningi abathathu abavulekile. Abakwazi ukwenza noma yini – ukudubula usuka ebangeni lamaphuzu amathathu kuwu-26.6% ohlekisayo kule sizini. Okungenani ngobusuku obubodwa, bathole amaphuzu ayi-123 ekunqobeni kwangeSonto behlula iDenver, kodwa kusasele eminye imibuzo ebucayi. Ngesikhathi leli qembu lidubula u-28.6% lisuka ku-arc ngaphambi kwesizini, kube nzima ukulikhipha njengokuhlukile.
Ushintsho olungcono kumaLakers? Kungani uRussell Westbrook no-Anthony Davis bevusa ithemba e-LA njengamanje
Khonamanjalo, inhliziyo yenkinga yamaClippers (njengoba uLowe Murray wethu abonisa ngokugculisayo) ukuthi uma ungadubuli, awukwazi ukushaya igoli, futhi amaClippers ahlulwa empini yokuhlungela ipali. Yize begcwele onogada, ukwehla kwabo ngo-16.1% kusendaweni yokugcina.
Iqembu labadubuli abagxumayo lingaphenduka kanjani kangaka? Into efana nale. Ama-Clippers amancane aphinde akleliswe endaweni yama-27 kumaphesenti ahlaselayo aphindaphindayo. Ngakho-ke, ezintweni eziyi-100, ama-Clippers aba okokugcina emizamweni yamagoli enkundla futhi okwesibili emizamweni yokugcina yokuphonswa kwamahhala; uma ungashayi njalo, akunandaba ukuthi ushaya ini.
Ngokusobala ama-Clippers angakhomba ekutholakaleni okulinganiselwe kukaKawhi Leonard, kodwa bebenale nkinga ngonyaka odlule futhi akukho ndawo eseduze nokubi.
Yonke ifilosofi yama-Clippers isuselwe eqinisweni lokuthi banamaphiko amabili e-All-Star abangancika kuwo kanye nenani lendima yezinketho zekhwalithi. Kuze kube manje ayikadlali. Khohlwa I-All-Stars: U-Paul George akakabi umdlali omaphakathi. U-Norman Powell noReggie Jackson bawela eduze kwakhe, nokulahlekelwa okuningi ekufuneni abagxumayo.
Futhi, uma noma yiliphi iqembu lidlala imidlalo eyi-10 eyejwayelekile, kungenzeka nje ukuthi ubishi lwesikhathi esifushane. Noma mhlawumbe bakule sizini. Asazi okwamanje.
Kungakho amaqembu amaningi ahlakaniphile amelana ngokuqinile nekhwelo elithi “oh nkosi yami, yenza okuthile!” yenza izinguquko ezinkulu zohlelo emasontweni amabili okuqala. Siyabona ukuthi uhlaka lwephethini seluqala ukwakheka, kodwa alukho ulwazi olwanele okwamanje.
Kulokhu, kukhona nokuntula isineke okungaba khona kuwo womabili amaqembu e-Los Angeles kuye ngokuthi amandla amakhulu omdlali wawo ophambili angase aphelelwe yisikhathi nini, kodwa imibuzo emibili idinga ukuphendulwa kuqala.
Umbuzo wokuqala osobala uthi: “Sidingani?” I-Lakers ingase iphendule ngokushaya okuthile, kuyilapho ama-Clippers angase afune usayizi omkhulu.
Kodwa ake sicabange ukuthi ubuthaka obuvezwe yila maqembu ekuqaleni kwesizini yizinkinga zangempela futhi ngeke ziphele. Kukhona omunye umbuzo obalulekile: ingabe kufanelekile ukusindisa leli qembu?
Ikakhulukazi kuLakers, yilokho okuzobe kumayelana nemidlalo elandelayo ye-15-20. Kuvame ukuba namahemuhemu okuthi ukuhwebelana ngamakhethi amabili azayo omzuliswano wokuqala kanye noRussell Westbrook aye e-Indiana ngo-Buddy Hild kanye no-Miles Turner kuyithuba elingaba khona lokwengeza amashothi amaningi, kodwa ingabe lokho kuwenza abe ngcono?
Akushiwo nokuthi uyawunyakazisa yini umcibisholo. Ukuthi nje umcibisholo uhanjiswe kude kakhulu kwesokunxele, futhi cishe akunandaba. Ingabe kufanelekile ukushisa okukhethiwe okubili okungase kube khona ukuze uqedele okwesishiyagalolunye esikhundleni seshumi nantathu? Ingabe i-Lakers ikulungele ukuthatha imithi yayo kule sizini, iqale ihlobo ngokukhetha okusalungiswa kanye nekhephu yeholo ehlanzekile, bese iqala kabusha ngo-LeBron James no-Anthony Davis? Okwamanje, impikiswano iwukuthi ukuqala kancane kwe-Lakers kwenza ukuhweba ngendlela yase-Indiana kube lula, kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi kunezinkinga ezanele ngokuqala kwabo ezinganciphisa amathuba okuba bajahe isizini ka-2022-23 ngokuzayo.
(Qaphela labo abanxuse la maqembu ukuthi afake amathangi: Kokubili i-Lakers kanye ne-Clippers kudingeka ukuthi bahwebe ngemibhalo ebhaliwe ngaphambilini. Lokhu akwenzekanga.)
Ngakho ake silinde sibone. Hhayi eLos Angeles kuphela, kodwa naseBrooklyn, eMiami, ePhiladelphia naseGolden State. Kwesinye isikhathi, lawa maqembu azoba nesampula eyanele yemidlalo ukusho ngokusobala ukuthi ubuthakathaka bawo bangaphambi kwesikhathi buyinkinga, futhi uma kunjalo, azonquma ukuthi aqinise yini uhla lwawo ngemakethe yohwebo.
Asinayo. Ngokungekho emthethweni, amahhovisi amaningi angaphambili asebenzisa uphawu lwemidlalo engama-20 njengesheke langempela lokuthi akuphi, njengoba sekusele cishe inyanga. Ikakhulukazi e-Los Angeles, kuzoba amasonto ambalwa okuqoqwa kolwazi.
Uma isizini isiqalile, iningi lenqubo yokuthatha izinqumo ehhovisi elingaphambili lenzeka isikhathi esithile, kodwa kunento eyodwa okumele yenziwe nge-Halloween.
Lolu usuku lokugcina amaqembu akwazi ukuthenga izinketho zonyaka wesithathu nowesine kuzinkontileka zomzuliswano wokuqala ezisayinwe ngo-2020 nango-2021. Kube yisinqumo esinonya (ngiyaxolisa) ukuthi iqembu kudingeke likhethe inketho yonyaka olandelayo kusasele unyaka, ngesinqumo esigcwele. isizini phakathi.
Amaqembu akhethe ukuphuma kule nketho akhawulela inani labadlali angabanikeza abenzeli bamahhala (inani lezinketho alikwazi ukudlula), ngakho-ke uma umdlali enesizini enhle, unguGonzo. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, isazoba sohlwini lwakho unyaka wonke, okungase kukuvimbele ukuthi uyeke le nketho.
UPhoenix, ngokwesibonelo, wenqaba ukukhethwa kwelotho yonyaka wesithathu ka-2020 uJalen Smith ngesizini edlule, wagcina emdayisele e-Indiana, lapho acishe wajika khona manjalo wasayina inkontileka entsha nePacers ngemuva kwesizini.
Ngenxa yalokhu kucatshangelwa kanye neqiniso lokuthi izinketho eziningi zenkontileka ye-rookie zishibhile, amaqembu avame ukulingeka kakhulu ukwengeza iminyaka yokukhetha. Ukuphela komdlali onqatshelwe unyaka wesithathu uLeandro Bolmaro wase-Utah, ofakwe ohlwini lwabangaphumelelanga ekuhwebeni kukaRudy Gobert futhi akekho ezinhlelweni zeJazz. (I-San Antonio iphinde yahoxisa u-rookie ka-2021 uJosh Primo ngempelasonto, kodwa wayeseyithengile inketho yakhe yonyaka wesithathu.)
Izinga lokwamukelwa kwenketho yonyaka wesine licishe liphezulu, kuhlanganisa nombhangqwana engiwuthandayo. U-Kira Lewis Jr. waseNew Orleans walimala futhi wakhanselwa amasizini amabili okuqala, futhi abakwaPelicans basenenketho yakhe engu-$5.7 million 2023-24 ngezinkinga zentela zokunethezeka ezingaba khona. UMalachi Flynn waseToronto naye udonsa kanzima ukuthola umfutho, kodwa unezigidi ezingama- $ 3.9 kuphela ngesizini ka-2023-24, amaRaptors acabanga ukuthi ngeke akulimaze. UDetroit uthole inketho eyizigidi ezingama- $ 7.4 kuKylian Hayes kodwa akavumanga ukusula ukukhetha kwesikhombisa kokusalungiswa kuka-2020.
Ekugcineni, okuwukuphela kwezinketho ezenqatshiwe kwaba u-Udoka Azubuike wase-Utah, owama-27 ngo-2020, owayengadlali, kanye no-RJ Hampton wase-Orlando.
I-Hampton iyamangalisa ngoba umlingo uyakha kabusha, u-Hampton uneminyaka engu-21 kuphela futhi inketho yakhe ye-$ 4.2 million ngonyaka ozayo ayinzima. Nokho, u-Hampton wazabalaza ngesizini yakhe yesibili ye-pro (8.5 PER, 48.1 iphesenti lokudubula), futhi okubaluleke nakakhulu, kungenzeka ukuthi uMlingo wawungenaso isikhala esanele kuye. I-Orlando isivele inabadlali abayi-12 abasayiniswe ngesizini ezayo futhi izoba nabadlali ababili abazokhethwa emzuliswaneni wokuqala kanye (mhlawumbe) nabasezingeni eliphezulu emzuliswaneni wesibili ngo-2023.
(Qaphela: lesi sigaba asichazi ngempela umbono weviki ongcono kakhulu. Lona nje ebengiwubhekile.)
Ngiye kwi-Overtime Elite Pro Day e-Atlanta ngoLwesibili, lapho sibone khona iningi labaneminyaka engu-17 nengu-18 liqeqesha abane nabane nabahlanu kwabahlanu phambi cishe kwazo zonke izinhloli. Amaqembu akuligi nabanye ogogo.
Yize iningi labadlali lingeke likwazi ukubhala ngonyaka owodwa noma emibili, igugu lomqhele lohlu lwe-OTE ngamawele angamawele u-Amen no-Ausar Thompson. Iningi labahloli libona u-Amen Thompson njengokukhethwa kwesithathu okungenzeka kube yilolu hlelo, kuyilapho i-Ausar ithathwa njengokukhetha ilotho ephakathi nendawo ukuya phezulu. Bobabili bangabasubathi abangu-6-foot-7 abakwazi ukuphatha ibhola futhi bavikele ezindaweni eziningi, okungenza ngayinye ibe iphiko elizungeze yonke indawo ama-GM angaphupha ngalo. (U-Sam Vesenye wethu ulindele ukuthi u-Amen abe ngunombolo 3 ohlwini lwakhe lwakamuva lokuzama futhi i-Ausar ibe nguNombolo 10.)
Ebabona ngamehlo, u-Amen uqinisekise konke okubhaliwe - mkhulu, ubhekana nebhola, ugxuma ngamandla esuka phansi. (U-Ossar usalulama ekulimaleni kweqakala kwakamuva okungazange kuphazamise ukudlala kwakhe noma ukudlula kwakhe, kodwa kuthinte ngokusobala ukudubula kwakhe ngoLwesibili.) Ukuqhuma kuka-Amen kunamandla ekuzivikeleni kuma-dunks.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, u-Amen, ikakhulukazi, unokudubula okunembile kakhulu. Kwakuvame ukuba obunye bobuthakathaka bakhe obukhulu, futhi akukhona ukuthi ngokushesha waba uStephen Curry. Kodwa i-spin yebhola ilungile, ukwakheka kuyaphindaphinda, futhi nokugeja kubukeka kuqinile. Ngibone abaningi abaneminyaka engu-19 ubudala bebukeka kabi kakhulu. Ukudubula kuka-Ausar kubukeka njengomsebenzi oqhubekayo, kodwa futhi kubonakala sengathi kuseshalofini elifanele uma kuqhathaniswa nendlela engikubone ngayo ngonyaka odlule.
Kukhona ezinye izinto ezimbalwa ongakhetha kuzo uma ufuna ngempela. Zombili zikala ubude nezingalo ezimfushane; omunye angase futhi aphikise ngokuthi bobabili bangakwesokudla kakhulu futhi bathembele kakhulu ekuqedeni ngezinyawo zabo emgwaqeni. Bazophinde babe neminyaka engama-20 nohhafu ngobusuku obusalungiswa, okuyindlela ende okufanele bayihambe unomphela. Isibonelo, badala ngonyaka kunama-rookies amabili aphezulu, uVictor Wimbanyama noScott Henderson.
Kodwa-ke, ngicabanga ukuthi umbono wami ngoThompson unethemba elikhulu kunokuvumelana. Impendulo ngomlingiswa wabo nesimo sengqondo yayiyinhle kakhulu, futhi kube nezinkinga ezimbalwa kakhulu ngokuqoshwa kwefilimu. Isibonelo, ngingaqhathanisa u-Ausar Thompson no-New Orleans rookie uDyson Daniels, iwinga elikhulu ngokulinganayo, elibamba ibhola elinekhono lokuzivikela, ingemuva eliqinile, kanye neshothi eshintshashintshayo; UDaniels ukhethe indawo yesi-8 kuhlaka lwango-2022.
U-Amen Thompson unophahla oluphakeme, ikakhulukazi lapho isibhamu sakhe silungisiwe. I-winger enkulu ekwazi ukuphatha ibhola futhi idlulise inombolo efiswa kakhulu kwiligi; ngisho nenguqulo "edumazayo" ye-Thompson ingaba umdlali obaluleke kakhulu.
Bhalisela i-Athletic ukuze ufunde kabanzi mayelana nabadlali bakho abayintandokazi, amaqembu, amaligi namakilabhu. Wazama ngathi isonto lonke.
Isipiliyoni sikaJohn Hollinger seminyaka engu-20 se-NBA sihlanganisa amasizini ayisikhombisa njengephini likamongameli we-basketball we-Memphis Grizzlies nomsebenzi wabezindaba ku-ESPN.com naku-SI.com. Iphayona ekuhlaziyeni i-basketball, wasungula amamethrikhi ambalwa aphambili, ikakhulukazi izinga le-PER. Uphinde abe ngumbhali wezindaba ezine zePro Basketball Predictions. Ngo-2018, uthole i-Lifetime Achievement Award engqungqutheleni ye-Sloan Motion Analysis. Landela u-John ku-Twitter @johnhollinger
Isikhathi sokuthumela: Nov-03-2022