And we are off and rimming! So what exactly is happening in the world of basketball? A lot. Craziness is afoot in the professional world and the collegiate level so let’s break this down. Starting off locally, both Iowa teams are undefeated. The clones have played lackluster competition but their squad looks sound and the transfers from St. Bonaventure looks promising. They are slated to play 25th ranked Iowa on the 8th of December which will be their first true test of how good this team is.
Speaking of Iowa, they are set to play 8th ranked Duke on December 6th. Duke may be without their legendary former coach, but that doesn’t mean that the blood running through their veins aren't just as blue as before. Looking at the AP Top 25, UNC is leading the pack at number one, with Houston, Kansas, and Texas following closely behind. College basketball runs through the Big 12 and nobody can tell me otherwise.
As for the NBA… everything and anything is going completely opposite of what people expected. Pre-season powerhouses like the Nets, Warriors, Heat, and Timberwolves are bottom feeders of their respective conferences. They are replaced with the likes of the Pacers, Wizards, Kings, and Jazz. Nothing about the NBA feels right, and the power structure of superteams are crumbling right before our eyes.
Shining stars like LeBron, KD, Westbrook, and Jimmy Butler are fading out like a dying sun. Gone are the ways of super teams and heliocentric basketball with a superstar at the center of a roster. It is now replaced with team basketball and “who has the better bench.” No team represents this concept better than the Utah Jazz, who is led primarily by Lauri Markenen, yet accentuated by his stellar team mates. No one saw this coming, and the biggest story line going forward will be, has the narrative changed in the NBA?
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