Ball Up Top, NBA Stars in New Jerseys
By David Charlebois
Staff Writer
The NBA offseason saw its fair share of movement around the league, with many star players finding themselves in new jerseys. A couple weeks into the season, let’s look around to see how the newly formed squads are doing.
The New York Knicks were one of the teams with a few noteworthy moves, including the blockbuster trade which sent Julius Randle to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns. So far, Randle has looked solid for the Timberwolves and impressed many in a 30-point outing against Sacramento. Shooting at over 50% from the field and 44% from three-point, if Randle can keep his shooting splits up, he could just maybe sway this trade in the Timberwolves’ favour. On the other side of the trade, the Bodega KAT had an up-and-down start to the season but seems to be back to his regular form, averaging 23 points at over 50% shooting from both the field and three point. Both men look to impress this season in a trade that could still go either way. Mikal Bridges was another addition brought along to the Knicks and who has so far not disappointed. At 18 points per game, he’s slightly under his mark from last season but has been slightly more efficient.
The Dallas Mavericks were also buyers during the offseason with their acquisition of Klay Thompson. The former Splash Brother has been as advertised so far, shooting 39% from three and ranking as the third-leading scorer for the team. A former champion with experience being the second or third option may be just what the Mavericks need to push them in the playoffs. Many other teams added veterans to their roster, such as Demar DeRozan, who joined Sacramento as both a bonafide scoring threat and a locker-room veteran. Chris Paul will most definitely be taking on the role of a model for younger players as the 20-year veteran joins Victor Wembenyama and the San Antonio Spurs. Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook hopes this year will be the one he finally gets his ring as he joins the Denver Nuggets and reigning MVP Nikola Jokić, where he so far looks like a solid addition. Paul George was one of the bigger pickups of the offseason, joining up with Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. And after missing the season opener due to injury, it seems time may be catching up to PG13, as he’s put up 15 and 18 points in his first two matches. Although the efficiency has been decent at 48% shooting, Philly fans will surely hope for more from their superstar pickup.
