Bill IngramBill Ingram Email Print 0

The NBA season is just two days old, and yet some interesting storylines have already begun to surface. Here’s a look at some of the treats (and possible tricks) the NBA served up on Halloween night:

1) The Los Angeles Lakers – Despite a starting lineup made of primarily of NBA All-Stars, the Los Angeles Lakers are 0-2. The media swarming around Los Angeles is in full-on panic mode, just sure that the Lakers, who went winless in preseason as well, are embarking on an 0-82 season. This one’s a treat for those across the NBA who want to see the Lakers fail, but it could also be a trick, as well. It’s never a good idea to put too much weight on a couple of early losses, especially for a team that is implementing a new offense with a lot of  new players, like the Lakers. It took the Miami HEAT the better part of a month to get their act together in their first season with LeBron James and Chris Bosh playing alongside Dwyane Wade. The Lakers do have some issues, with their lack of depth being a big one, but given time they’ll be just fine.

2) Fear The Beard – James Harden made his Houston Rockets debut last night after signing a five-year, $80 million contract extension. He put his game where his money is, scoring 37 points, dishing 12 assists and even coming up with four steals. The Detroit Pistons aren’t exactly a defensive juggernaut, and their backcourt is very small, but Harden delivered in a big way to make sure his team got their opening night win.

3) Tim Duncan – San Antonio Spurs fans were treated to an outstanding performance from Duncan last night. One of the league’s elder statesmen showed he can still do it at an elite level, recording 24 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in a 99-95 win over a very spirited New Orleans Hornets team. Both teams were missing key players, as Manu Ginobili was out for the Spurs and Eric Gordon was out for the Hornets. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich doesn’t want Duncan to shoulder that much of the load night in and night out, but Duncan served notice that he is ready to step in and do it when called upon.

4) Paul George – Danny Granger injured his left knee in last season’s playoff run and he aggravated that injury during the preseason. That’s why Paul George started in his place last night, and George’s performance was a treat, indeed. He scored 14 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and dished five assists for the Indiana Pacers, who held off an energetic and determined Toronto Raptors squad. George’s play will no doubt fuel the ongoing speculation that Granger is expendable and could be traded, but Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard recently told HOOPSWORLD in no uncertain terms that Granger is still Indiana’s franchise cornerstone.

5) The Toronto Raptors – The Raptors fell just shy of upsetting the Pacers in their season-opener last night, but there were some very encouraging signs for the Toronto faithful. First of all, Kyle Lowry looked like an All-Star point guard, recording 21 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and five steals going against a solid defender in George Hill. The team also got a double-double from rookie Jonas Valanciunas, whose arrival has been highly anticipated. Landry Fields was 0-for-6 and failed to score, but his defense was a factor, as his team was

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