Stinar For 3: Studs, Duds & Surprises in First Week of NBA Season
The NBA new NBA season is now a week old, and there are plenty of studs, duds, and surprises to start the year.
After missing the playoffs last season, the Chicago Bulls are 4-0 with their new look roster, and the Los Angeles Clippers (coming off of a Western Conference Finals run) are 1-2 and started the season 0-2.
Meanwhile, Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies has taken the next step as a potential superstar in this league.
Studs: Chicago Bulls
The Bulls went out at the trading deadline last season and got All-Star Nikola Vucevic from the Orlando Magic, and then this past off-season signed DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso.
They were 31-41 last season, and even missed the play-in game because they were the 11th seed.
This season, they've started out 4-0 for the first time since the 1996-97 season when they had Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
They've beaten the Detroit Pistons (twice), New Orleans Pelicans and Toronto Raptors.
Duds: Los Angeles Clippers:
Yes, they are missing a vey important player named Kawhi Leonard.
However, led by Paul George this team went to the Western Conference Finals last season took the Phoenix Suns to six games.
They started the new season 0-2, but did pick up their first win of the season on Monday night over the Portland Trail Blazers.
There is no telling when Leonard is coming back, so this team is going to have to figure out how to be a top-four seed without their best player.
Surprise: Ja Morant
Everyone knew Ja Morant was good.
The Memphis Grizzlies led by Morant made the NBA Playoffs last season and beat Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in the play-in game.
Morant being good is no surprise. However, he has already taken the leap to stardom.
Maybe even super-stardom.
That's a surprise at 22-years-old.
The 2019 second overall pick is averaging 35.0 points and 8.0 assists per game to start the new season and the Memphis Grizzlies are 2-1.
He's also shot above 50% from the field in all three games.
If this continues, and the Grizzlies have a good first half of the season Morant will likely make the All-Star game.
Watch the full Stinar for 3 episode here
Previous Stinar For 3 episodes:
WEEKEND WATCH EPISODE 8: Ben Stinar and Tom Brew preview the games over the weekend CLICK HERE.
GOOD, BAD AND SURPRISE EPISODE 7: Ben Stinar and Tom Brew take a look at the NBA landscape so far this season CLICK HERE.
