Five stories to follow in a month in the NBA season

One month into the NBA 2020-21 season next Friday, the tournament begins to take stock. The favorite teams got into the rhythm and resumed the top positions in their respective conferences,

However, the big protagonist was the pandemic. In just over a week, COVID-19 caused the cancellation of 14 matches, affecting 19 of the 30 sets.

The worst hit is the Washington Wizards, who have not played for 11 days. Here is an overview of a few weeks in the enebe season.

Lakers dominate

The champions in action have retained all their new tracks and go with the best tournament record (11-4) without losing seven times on the road, which the franchise has not achieved since 1895. LeBron James, 36, leads the Lakers in points and assists with 23.7 and 7.5, respectively, in 32.2 minutes of action, the least time per game on the field in his 18-year career. Moreover, the Lakers are first in defensive efficiency and fifth in offensive.

Clippers is heading

After receiving a historic 124-73 fight against Dallas on September 27, the Clippers went straight and are just halfway behind the Western Lakers, winning four in a row. Striker Paul George makes it a priority to eliminate the thorn from his poor post-season performance. Accumulate an average of 24.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists. “I’m in revenge,” he told reporters recently. The star Kawhi Leonard is not far behind either (24.3 points, 5.9 assists. And 5.1 rebs.). The Los Angeles quintet stays in shape with its two stars. It remains to be seen whether the bank will help when miles count.

Durant and Harden are scared

James Harden has finished his bittersweet novel in Houston and looks rejuvenated with his new team. The Nets add two wins in a row after the arrival of the last MVP, recording a triple-double on the first night with the Brooklyn uniform. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant plays at a high level after Achilles tendon surgery and has scored 25 points or more in nine consecutive games, averaging 30.6 points, the second best in the league. The dynamic duo recalled the good times in OKC at the beginning of the last decade. It remains to be seen what role Kyrie Irving will play in this new “Big Three.” The guard is scheduled to return tonight after the absence of seven challenges for “personal matters”.

Don’t fall asleep with Golden State

Despite the absence of Klay Thompson for the rest of the season, plus the accumulation of injuries, the Warriors remained competitive (7-6) in the West. They even managed to defeat the Lakers leaders on Monday after falling by 14 points. Stephen Curry leads the young team (28.2 points and 6.2 assists). Newcomer James Wiseman has gradually adapted to his role in paint, while Andrew Wiggins is the team’s second offensive voice (17.4 points).

Skate Atlanta, Toronto and Miami

The Hawks, one of the most active teams in the offseason with the acquisition of several prominent figures, went down 5-7, losing six of the last seven after a 4-1 start. Star guard Trae Young has an average of less than 20 points (17.9). The 2019 Raptors champion improved somewhat with a series of victories in three games, but goes 5-8. The games of veterans Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka continue to lose strength. In Miami, NBA runner-up Heat was injured and COVID-19 (apart from Jimmy Butler and Avery Bradley) and plays for 5-7.