The NBA is rushing. An up-and-comer is bruising. And an All-Star believes he can raise his teammates — each actually and figuratively.
For the primary time this season, let’s open up the pocket book to run by way of three traits which have caught my eye throughout week one:
Bennedict Mathurin’s bodily drives
Someplace, as you learn this text, regardless of whenever you do it, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is zigzagging into somebody’s protection.
The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder are enjoying a basketball sport proper now, at this hour, mired in endless matches which can be their obvious punishment for a championship season. Every of their first two contests has fallen into double-overtime, an NBA first. And particularly throughout Thursday’s victory over the Indiana Pacers, the reigning MVP couldn’t avoid the ring.
Gilgeous-Alexander went for a career-best 55 factors in a rematch so aggressive, it appeared just like the 2025 finals hadn’t truly ended but — and he did it by slicing to the ring in his uniquely misleading trend. He drove to the rim 35 occasions in the course of the sport, probably the most in a single efficiency for any NBA participant in two seasons, in response to Second Spectrum.
And but, he wasn’t the man whose onslaught of the paint stood out probably the most.
Even on a night when the 2024-25 scoring champion scored greater than ever, Gilgeous-Alexander, as at all times, regarded like an easy-going cat, not some possessed model of himself.
The identical can’t be mentioned for a gentleman on the opposite aspect, Bennedict Mathurin, who completed the night time with 36 factors, solely a pair wanting his profession excessive.
The outburst was particular, not simply because it got here from a younger participant thrust into an elevated function, but additionally due to the way it occurred. Like Gilgeous-Alexander, Mathurin lived within the paint. However not like the celebrity who weaves round defenders like a determine skater, the Pacers’ wing selected a extra violent choice — particularly within the second half.
Mathurin by no means lacks confidence, however now and again, the aim of his drives will slip away as he will get nearer to the ring. He picked up his dribble earlier than arriving within the paint all through the primary half. However come the third quarter, the Pacers started to get Mathurin the ball as they streaked upcourt. As an alternative of initiating in opposition to a set protection, he may act as if he had been in transition, when he’s at his finest.
That’s when Mathurin turned downright vicious.
It began with an and-1, when he flew by Oklahoma Metropolis rookie Brooks Barnhizer for a righty end. It didn’t cease there. On six consecutive drives to the ring, Mathurin drew fouls. And these weren’t low cost.
Have a look at him ratchet up the verve to blow by Gilgeous-Alexander, a robust defender, on this fourth-quarter play. Then watch as he steps previous Lu Dort, an all-defensive first teamer, and barrels into the 7-footer, Isaiah Hartenstein, a top-notch rim protector:
Now, take a look at the subsequent possession. Few scorers are bodily (or mentally) able to matching Dort’s physicality.
On this play, Mathurin does.
The step-through requires a mixture of ability and energy. Few guys can look suave whereas absorbing a foul from Dort.
Mathurin began to fiddle with tempo on his drives close to the tip of the sport. His remaining basket of the night swished by way of the online after he went 60 to zero throughout a split-second soar cease, then floated up an eight-footer for a few factors.
There’s a purpose Mathurin’s teammate, Andrew Nembhard, who harm his shoulder on opening night time, entered the season as a Most Improved Participant contender. The Pacers present ample alternative. Tyrese Haliburton is finished for the season. T.J. McConnell is injured, too.
Indiana requires offense from sources apart from its regular, All-NBA ahead, Pascal Siakam.
However Mathurin can take over this example, too.
His preseason, when he scored 66 factors in 71 minutes, dropped a couple of jaws (amongst these whose jaws are able to loosening over video games the place the outcomes don’t depend). However the exhibitions weren’t fairly like opening night time. He drove to the ring 15 occasions in the course of the preseason, per Second Spectrum. He did it 16 occasions simply in opposition to the Thunder, when he shot a career-best 17 free throws.
Regardless of the context, somebody at all times appears to step up on the Pacers. Perhaps this season will probably be Mathurin’s flip.
Ja and Jock
This was not simply Ja Morant believing in Jock Landale. It was Morant believing in a literal larger being.
Through the third quarter of the Memphis Grizzlies’ victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, Morant tossed a no-look lob to his burly new heart. The 2 hadn’t performed in any respect collectively. Morant missed the preseason with an ankle damage. However he is aware of the veteran massive man from his half-decade within the NBA. And there’s a purpose his surname begins with “land” and never “leap.”
The alley-oop try was formidable, removed from the ring and to a 7-footer recognized extra for brute screens and craftiness than springy knees. And but, the play resulted in magnificence. Landale gathered himself, pivoted and pushed in a floater for 2 factors.
Few level guards raise their teammates like Morant, a pick-and-roll maestro who’s again in enterprise. Performs like this, when he acts as if any of his teammates are bodily able to his personal superhuman feats, are sometimes a sign he’s in his consolation zone.
The Grizzlies famously bought away from Morant’s bread and butter final season, veering from pick-and-rolls and into different kinds of offense — a call that finally led to a last-moment teaching change and stylistic adjustment that was too late to assist. Now, head coach Tuomas Iisalo is putting in extra ball screens.
Morant shot out of a rocket on opening night time, when he went for 35 factors. And infrequently, he rushed previous Landale, a flexible pick-and-roll associate.
Landale can set all kinds of screens — and he understands the best way to reap the benefits of a defender’s footwork.
For instance, take the aforementioned Landale bucket. The lob doesn’t open up due to the pace of Morant, who’s extra pragmatic right here. It’s due to a intelligent choose from Landale, who notices the defender on Morant, all-world stopper Herb Jones, backpedaling and out of a defensive stance just for a second, then treks close to halfcourt to set an unsuspecting again display screen on him.
Jones detaches from Morant; Pelicans heart Yves Missi has to assist on the drive; Landale frees himself; and Morant finds him in his periphery for the basket.
Morant ran 34 pick-and-rolls in opposition to New Orleans, in response to Second Spectrum. Not as soon as did he prime that quantity final season. Memphis is working stuff it didn’t depend on for many of 2024-25. Landale would display screen for a teammate, who would dash to the highest of the important thing and lay a choose on Morant’s man. Memphis ran a number of double-drag screens, when two teammates line as much as set consecutive picks for Morant.
It labored swimmingly. The Grizzlies annihilated the Pels within the paint en path to 128 factors.
As is the unlucky case in Memphis too usually, the Grizzlies are starting the season with too many essential items harm. Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke could be impression screeners for Morant however are each out. But, Morant and Landale look clean to begin.
Rev it up
Each season, coaches and gamers begin coaching camp with the identical goal: They need to play quicker. Some accomplish the feat. However most lavatory down as soon as winter arrives.
It’s at all times troublesome to inform this early within the season if the league has picked up in tempo. Every autumn produces the identical pattern. Offenses pace from one finish to the opposite in October. Come November, video games get a bit of slower, although they’re nonetheless extra frantic than in different months. In December, the road continues downward. Identical in January. And so forth.
However possibly, simply possibly, this season gained’t curb as a lot.
The X’s and O’s dialog of the summer time was about how the Pacers modified the NBA, how their high-paced, exhausting type helped them to the finals a season in the past. The phrase “It’s a copycat league” is used too usually, however solely as a result of each league is a copycat league (why would anybody not replicate a components that works?) — not as a result of it’s unfaithful.
Nobody can mimic the Pacers. You want Haliburton to do this. However coaches can rip a few of their ideas.
Leaguewide tempo wasn’t a lot totally different throughout this preseason than it’s been throughout different preseasons. Nevertheless, the chance groups preserve their pace into December and past is price monitoring.
The Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks performed a blazing, 113-possession sport to start the season. Fourteen groups averaged underneath 4 seconds to cross halfcourt in the course of the preseason, in response to Second Spectrum. In 2024, solely eight groups moved so rapidly in the course of the preseason. The yr earlier than, solely 5 did.
We reside a copycat life.
It’s attainable a couple of extra groups than standard maintain what’s usually simply an early-season tempo.
