NBA. Blazers, Celtics, Doncic, Lakers, French… NBA barometer after a month of competition

Fresh wind in the west

Portland leads (10-5) and the return of Damian Lillard, who was sidelined for a long time with an abdominal tear, explains a lot. But the rejuvenated workforce around Dame Time is bubbling with envy, with talented full-back Anfernie Simons and winger Jerami Grant good choices in the transfer window.

These Blazers are driven by a ferocious will to defend, a virtue that has long been lacking at Oregon. “In the past, we expected someone to have a warm hand,” Lillard agreed. But with the energy that is ours, we first think about stopping the enemy. That’s all the difference.”

If Phoenix (No. 2) and Denver (No. 3) are logical ambushes, the Jazz’s No. 4 finish is surprising, with the team in a rebuilding phase after the departures of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. Except that newcomers like stunning Finn Lauri Markkanen and Colin Sexton show remarkable cohesion.

Green sun in the east

As if nothing happened, after an offseason that bordered on embarrassment with the season-long suspension of Ime Udoka for an “inappropriately intimate relationship” with a team employee, the Celtics are quietly assuming their finalist status (best record in the league). 12-3).

Former assistant Joe Mazzula provides an interim and continuity to the excellent work from last year. The game is in place, the workforce is more complete than ever with the recruitment of quarterback Malcolm Brogdon around the core duo of Jayson Tatum / Jaylen Brown.

Behind, surprisingly, are the 2021 champion Bucks, despite the absence of Khris Middleton, who has a sprained wrist, but with Giannis Antetokounmpo in MVP mode, as he was in 2019 and 2020.

Doncic is already “magical”.

Luka “Magic” Doncic made a great start in the race for the player of the season award. A leading scorer averaging 34.4 points (8.8 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 2.1 steals), the 23-year-old Slovenian prodigy has already had three 40-point games and eight 30-point games (13 total). ).

Warriors, great collapse

What is happening with Golden State? If Stephen Curry is as dazzling as ever, the rest of the team is transparent. The numbers prove this. eight defeats in as many trips, unheard of for a defending champion; giving up an average of 124.3 points, making it the league’s worst outside defense.

Not coach Steve Carey’s taste. “We lack collective desire. We play like the Drew League. (summer league mixes professionals and amateurs). We feel sorry for ourselves, but no one will feel sorry for us. Everyone is dying to kick our ass. Sports reward you when you really get involved. If you really fight together, the shots are coming, the whistles are going your way… There’s none of that.”

Lakers and Nets, hello sadness

To say the start of the season has been delicate and arduous for both franchises is an understatement.

In Los Angeles, even with LeBron James putting in a steady effort, Anthony Davis finally coming into his own, and Russell Westbrook super-motivated to silence critics off the bench, the sauce still hasn’t caught on. Also severely lacking in shooters, the 2020 champion is 14th in the West.

In Brooklyn, coach Steve Nash paid the price for the lack of results (11th in the East). His title is held only by Kevin Durant, who demanded his departure this summer. Unlike Kyrie Irving, who was still making people talk about him outside the courts by promoting an anti-Semitic movie. Suspended eight games by the Nets, the All-Star point guard is expected to recover on Sunday to face Memphis.

Pale blues

If Rudy Gobert is in the process of getting used to in Minnesota (14.2 points, the league’s best rebounder with 12.5 catches), and Nicolas Batum remains a shadow worker in the Clippers, Evan Fournier is in big trouble in the Knicks, where coach Tom Thibodeau has not had. t used him for two games after keeping him in the starting lineup early in the season.

Killian Hayes is fighting and making progress with the Pistons, as Theo Maledon is with the Thunder.