The NBA season is fully underway, and while most teams have only played two or three games, one thing is abundantly clear: the NBA has never been in a better place talent-wise.
The opening slate of NBA action this past week showed off all aspects of the league’s wide range of talent. With every team having started their season, every player — both veterans and rookies — has had an opportunity to show their skill set. To me, the prime examples of this were the Lakers vs Suns matchup on Thursday and the Mavericks vs Spurs game on Wednesday.
The Mavericks-Spurs matchup in San Antonio was booked for ESPN’s primetime slot. This was the case because the game was the debut of number-one pick Victor Wembanyama. On the other side of the court was the Mavericks backcourt tandem of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Doncic is one of today’s best players at the young age of 24. Irving is a seasoned veteran at this point in his career and still one of the league's most skilled offensive players.
Adam Silver and the league’s schedule makers got everything they could have wanted in this game. Wembanyama was effective and showed why he was worthy of the number one pick, despite getting in foul trouble. Doncic and Irving combined for 55 total points and Doncic finished with a triple-double. The game was competitive for all 60 minutes, coming down to a couple of key plays made by Doncic. The Mavericks ended up with the win, but the game showed much more than that. Both teams didn’t even make the play-in tournament last season, and yet they both have lots of talent — both young and old — that in years past would not have been conceivable for teams that missed out on the playoffs.
Thursday’s game was another primetime matchup and it’s clear to see why. LeBron James and Kevin Durant are arguably the two best players of their generation, and the two hadn’t gone head-to-head against each other in a game in five years due to injuries and unfortunate scheduling. The game was a display of two of the all-time greats, now heading towards the end of their primes and careers. It was still a heavyweight bout between James and Durant, with Durant putting up 39 points and showing all of the scoring ability he has built his career on. James couldn’t keep up with Durant’s scoring, but still notched 22 points, nine rebounds and nine assists and came away with the win.
These two games come nowhere near displaying the wide variety of talent that the NBA currently has, and I believe the league has never been in a better place as far as the skill of its players. This past week’s matchups of the Suns vs Lakers and Mavericks vs Spurs showed the range of talent from different ages. The league's aging stalwarts in Durant and James, and the future of the league promises continued fan enthusiasm with Wembanyama and Doncic at its helm.
Charlie Fadel is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to share your thoughts? Let Charlie know by tweeting or emailing him at @CharlieFadel or cf111322@ohio.edu.
