One week, seven days, 168 hours, six sleeps… In short, turn it around as you see fit, the NBA is soon back. But in the meantime, it’s the pre-season that comes to occupy our nights. This evening again, several matches are on the bill with good and bad.
#The program of the day:
- 1h : Magic – Grizzlies
- 1h : Thunder – Pistons
- 2h : Bulls – Bucks
- 3 a.m.: Jazz-Spurs
- 4h : Warriors – Blazers
First game of the evening with a very unusual scene: bears in Florida. Inevitably, we imagine the carnage it could cause, then we gently remind ourselves that this is only a pre-season game. With a little luck, we could still have a very nice opposition. Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks… there could be beautiful people on the floor. And even if they won’t pull the rope, this match will be an opportunity to see Bol Bol play and that’s unmissable, isn’t it?
At a time when Bol Bol will do his thing against Memphis, a duel of former (and future?) dunces will begin in Oklahoma. The Thunder welcome the Pistons. The OKC youth have been pumped with confidence rolling over the Adelaide 36ers and Maccabi Ra’anana in the last two games. Is there a phrase that would symbolize pre-season more? On the other side, the Pistons are looking for a first victory. For lovers of the homeland, this match could also be an opportunity to see two Frenchies in action: Killian Hayes and Ousmane Dieng.
On paper, it’s the game of the night. The Bulls face the Bucks, a very good poster in the East between two teams who aspire to the heights of the conference. It remains to be seen who will take to the floor of the United Center. Khris Middleton and Lonzo Ball will not be in outfits. Goran Dragic and Joe Ingles could well make their debut under their new colors. As you will have understood, the battle will not rage, but Alex Caruso will be on the ground and that is reason enough to activate his alarm clock. Even if this match will be above all the occasion of a family dinner for the Antetokounmpo.
We switch to the west with a beautiful duel between Jazz and Spurs. Popovich brings his daycare on a school outing and since he has trouble recognizing the faces of his players, we hope he won’t forget anyone when he returns to San Antonio. On the side of Fort Alamo, we are already starting to refine the tank with a nice record (0 wins, 3 losses) since the start of the pre-season. To see if Keldon Johnson (shoulder) and Joshua Primo (knee) will be there. For the Jazz, this is an opportunity to refine its cogs and integrate its recruits. So see you at 3 a.m. to see THT send Kelly Olynyk into orbit.
Final meeting of the night, Warriors – Blazers. A Wild West classic that raises a lot of questions. In particular around the presence, at the Warriors, of Klay Thompson who has still not played and of course that of Draymond Green. Absent since the start of the pre-season with Portland, Gary Payton II could also miss his reunion with his former teammates. A match that will surely see Damian Lillard and Stephen Curry exchange some long distance bombs before going to rest.
New pre-season night, new night that brings us closer to the long-awaited start. Tonight, nothing fancy, but a few nice duels to take your troubles patiently.