Tone-Setting Performances to Kick-off the 2021-22 NBA Season
The NBA is officially back! This means it’s the return of the Hoopers of the Week series.
For those who are not familiar with the series, the rules are simple. Each week, I select one player from each conference who balled out and put their team on their back. Some weeks they could be All-Stars and MVPs. Other weeks it could be role players and rookies on the rise. Every week is another chance for players across the NBA to put the rest of the league on notice. But enough with the introductions, let’s get into these standout players from Week 1 of the 2021-22 of the 75th Anniversary NBA season.
My first picks of the season for Hoopers of the Week are Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry. Let’s recap the clinic these two guys have put on so far!
Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls
Coming off of what some would consider a breakout season as a first-time All-Star along with winning a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics, it seems like the rise of Zach LaVine is on the horizon.
As the cornerstone piece for this new era of Chicago Bulls basketball, Vice President of Basketball Operations, Arturas Karnisovas, made it his life’s mission this offseason to put high-level talent around LaVine. It started with the trade for former Orlando Magic All-Star center Nikola Vucevic prior to the trade deadline. Since then, Karnisovas has picked up point guard Lonzo Ball, multi-time All-Star shooting guard Demar DeRozan, NBA fan favorite point guard Alex Caruso along with a few small pickups to flesh out the rotation. With the combination of a newly discovered taste of winning over in Tokyo along with a hefty max contract extension waiting for him in the offseason, LaVine now looks to prove that he can be a winner on the NBA level.
So far the Chicago Bulls are one of only seven teams that remain undefeated through two games with victories over the Detroit Pistons and the New Orleans Pelicans. Starting with the Pistons, this was actually a hard-fought, defensive battle as neither team reached 100 points and the game came down to the final minutes. LaVine would lead the charge for the Bulls in this one with 34 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the floor and went 11-of-11 from the free-throw line. He thoroughly filled up the box score by adding seven rebounds, four assists, a block, and a steal in 35 minutes on the floor. LaVine finished the game scoring the team’s last eight points en route to closing out the 94-88 victory.
Then there was last night’s game in Chicago’s home opener against the New Orleans Pelicans. LaVine did not come out of the gate hot as he did not have a single point in the first quarter. But things really heated up in the second as he dropped 20 points in the quarter along with four threes to get him going. In 31 minutes on the floor, LaVine finished the game with 32 points, six rebounds, and five assists on 11-of-19 shooting from the floor. The Bulls dominated the matchup, giving Lonzo Ball the revenge victory he wanted over his former teams as Chicago blew the Pelicans out 128-112.
Next up, the Bulls get an early-season rubber match with the Detroit Pistons who are trying to get their first win of the season.
LaVine truly looks like a man on a mission as he remains out of the conversation amongst guys like Donovan Mitchell and Devin Booker by most in the national media. At his current pace, he has the chance to get Chicago to the playoffs for the first time in five years. Accomplishing this feat will give him the grand stage he needs in order to prove that he is the superstar guard that many doubt he is.
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Just when you thought that a two-time league MVP and multi-time NBA champion could not possibly get better with age, Stephen Curry continues to shatter the mold.
Last season the man ended the year leading the league in scoring with 32 points per game and finished as a close second in the MVP race behind eventual winner Nikola Jokic. Now he enters the 2021-22 season with a better supporting cast, the anticipation of a Klay Thompson return, and a chip on his shoulder after missing the playoffs for the second straight year last season. Sounds like the kind of formula that should strike fear in the heart of the NBA.
Through two games, Curry is picking up where he left off as he has already lost his mind en route to victories over two of Golden State’s fellow California teams. Starting with Opening Night against the Lakers, this was a rematch of last season’s opening round of the Play-In tournament. But this time, it was Curry and the Warriors who would come out on top. One could argue that Curry did not play his best in terms of shooting as he finished 5-of-21 from the floor and a measly 2-of-8 from beyond the arc. But in terms of his all-around game, he played like an early-season MVP candidate. Curry recorded his 10th career triple-double with 21 points, ten assists, and ten rebounds along with three steals. Now he did get a lot of help to outweigh his shooting shortcomings, especially from newcomer, power forward Nemanja Bjelica, who finished the game with 15 points with seven of them coming in the fourth quarter. Nevertheless, the Warriors got their early season vengeance as they finished off the new-look Lakers, 121-114.
Then in their second LA matchup of the season, Curry bounced back by putting on a clinic against Paul George and the LA Clippers. It all started from tip-off as Curry came out like a flamethrower in the first quarter as he scored 25 points on 9-of-9 shooting and 5-of-5 from three in 12 minutes. This early-game explosion was only the beginning as he would end the game with 45 points and ten rebounds. Not only was he having a hot shooting night, but he showed up when the Warriors needed him most. Curry finished the game scoring Golden State’s last ten points including two threes and the game-sealing free throws.
If the Warriors look to return to their dynastic ways, Curry is going to have to remain in MVP form. Thus far, that does not look like that is going to be a problem for him. Now pair that with the emergence of third-year guard Jordan Poole, the defensive prowess for Draymond Green, and bench depth with guys like Bjelica, Otto Porter, and Andre Iguodala, the formula is there for the Warriors to remind the league why they were once considered the high standard of the NBA’s new era.
