Every night the NBA can be a cold hard reality — there are winners, there are losers. It’s the nature of the game. We know you are busy and can’t keep up with every game, so we’re here to bring you the best and worst of the NBA each week night. Here’s what you missed while watching college basketball.
Any star big man who didn’t start the Pelicans-Kings game
How is the NBA going to keep up with Anthony Davis (28 points, nine rebounds, three blocks, two steals) and DeMarcus Cousins (24 points, 17 rebounds, three assists, two blocks) in coming years? These two are just so talented and so young. Cousins is just 24, and Davis is 21.
They’re setting the bar extremely high for everyone else, even the league’s best big men. Anyone who watched New Orleans beat Sacramento tonight and isn’t excited for the future of Davis and Cousins must have to play against them.
Kobe assists
The Lakers finally found a winning play.
Four of the Lakers final five baskets in their victory over Atlanta came on second-chance opportunities, the Lakers scoring against defenses that had been tilted to cover the shooter. That’s principle Kirk Goldsberry of Grantland described, crediting the shooter who missed with a “Kobe assist.”
The play is named after Kobe Bryant for a reason, as tonight showed. Finally, the Lakers are taking advantage of all those Kobe misses.
Nick Young
In the most literal sense, Young is a winner, undefeated playing for the NBA’s worst team West of Philadelphia. Young scored 17 points on 10 shots in his season debut.
The Lakers are 1-0 with him and 1-9 without him. Coincidence? You tell me.
Serge Ibaka
Ibaka shot 2-for-13 in the Thunder’s 17-point loss to the Jazz, and he’s feeling the burden of Kevin Durant’s and Russell Westbrook’s absences.
In his last three games, Ibaka has shot 15-for-46, and he’s gone four games without getting to the free-throw line. The jumpers Ibaka drained last season are more closely guarded, and he’s not getting the easy looks to get into rhythm.
Alec Burks
Scoring 20 points on eight shots would have been impressive enough for Burks. But he also tracked down 14 rebounds,the most by a guard since Evan Turner in March 2012.
Oklahoma City helped by missing plenty of shots, but still, that’s impressive hustle from Burks.
Jason Kidd
The Milwaukee coach is leading a balanced attack – seven Bucks scored in double figures in their victory over the Knicks – and winning with his young team. While most thought the Bucks would need time to grow, Kidd has them competing right now.
They even have a winning record, a rarity for them the last couple years.