Basketball, Nba at the start: between scandals and controversies, Boston is attacking the Golden State in the name of Russell

NEW YORK – Tonight the great NBA circus starts with the Boston-Philadelphia and Golden State-Lakers matches, and the news is that in the last twenty-four hours there have been no scandals or fights. The two games that will open the season are the best that the enlightened minds of the NBA could imagine, because they are the synthesis of these months full of everything, a symbol of a summer tormented by scandals, ambitions, market rumors, injuries and grief. Meanwhile, it will be the first time that the world will not have Bill Russell, the giant of the Boston Celtics who died in the summer at 88. The NBA have decided to retire Russell’s number 6 jersey for good, and which LeBron James will continue to wear until he stops playing. But Boston, in addition to being one of the favorites for the Conference final in the east, is also one of those franchises that animated the pre-season first with the transfer case of Marcus Smart, the idol of the fans, put up for sale but then remained , then with the injury to the new graft, Danilo Gallinari, who had been dreaming of Boston for a lifetime.

And then the protagonists of one of the morbid scandals of the summer, with the revelation coach Ime Udoka suspended for the whole season due to a relationship, perhaps consensual, perhaps not too consensual, with a woman of his staff. In place of Udoka, who had brought Boston to the Finals last year, an Italian-American of Sicilian descent was called, Joe Mazzulla, 34, a former player of the lower categories, who in three years went from college Division II coach to head interim coach of one of the noblest teams in the NBA. He is the youngest coach to take over a group that the year before had reached the final, and the youngest to lead Boston after a gentleman who in the 1966-67 season, at 32, had become the player-coach of the team: ah, yeah, him, Russell. In front of him, Mazzulla will find an old bone like Doc Rivers, who will be responsible for finally bringing Philadelphia to the title, forty years after the last time.

Banchero in Orlando, Fontecchio with the Utah Jazz: “We will prove to be NBA”

September 27, 2022

John Hollinger says it, not us. Hollinger, the totem of predictions, the man who spends months analyzing roster and then making predictions, has decreed that the champions, in 2023, will be the 76ers. Others still see the Golden State Warriors, who will open the season in the west against the Los Angeles Lakers. Here, too, a symbolic challenge. The reigning champions arrive at their debut after the case of the punch trimmed by Draymond Green to Jordan Poole, while the Lakers will present themselves with Russell Westbrook perhaps ill-tolerated by one part of the team, and destined to change franchise every day. Speaking of market ulcers, this was also the summer in which Kevin Durant had made it clear that he wanted to leave the Brooklyn Nets, in open break with the coach, Steve Nash. In the end he stayed, but who knows.

The real top transfers in the end were Rudy Gobert to Minnesota, Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland, Dejounte Murray to Atlanta and John Wall to the Los Angeles Clippers. The real shock injury is the one that deprived the Oklahoma Thunders of Chet Holgren, second choice in the draft after Paolo Banchero, one of the most anticipated rookies, already out for the whole season with an ankle injury. And so? So nothing. But this is the day when unanswered questions will make sense. Those to the East: Can Philadelphia finally aspire to the title? Will the Celtics return to the final? Will the New York Knicks stop being the eternal disappointment? How far will the Chicago Bulls go without Lonzo Ball, who is also injured? Will Banchero become the rookie of the year? And the questions to the west: Will Kawhi Leonard’s return with the Los Angeles Clippers change the fate of the Conference? Will LeBron bring the Lakers back to the top? Will the Golden States confirm to the world that recess is really over? What will be the impact of Simone Fontecchio with the Utah Jazz? Among so many questions, for American analysts there is at least one certainty: Giannis Antetokounmpo. He will be a great protagonist again this year. Over the past four seasons he has averaged 27 points, 11 rebounds and five assists per game, and in the summer he has been slacking off with great severity. He will be joined by Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum and the new Zion Williamson, who has promised to keep away from fries and carbonated green drinks. There will be great balance in the west and east, and widespread talent. From tonight we play, we will not say it is serious because the regular season should never be taken seriously until the playoffs, but it will be an intense race up to the All Star scheduled from 17 to 19 February in Salt Lake City, Utah, and then close the regular season on April 9th. Six days later, on April 15th, the playoffs will begin, on June 1st game 1 of the Finals. If the injuries don’t mark the season, like last year, it will be fun.