It’s early, it’s still so early.
It is ever wise to make the mistake of judging an entire NBA season off of just the first few weeks of the season. We’ve seen before how that can backfire.
On the flip side, we’ve also seen instances where a team or player gets off to a surprising start only to maintain it (for the most part) throughout the season, proving everyone wrong.
It can get pretty wild, to be honest.
This season, interestingly enough, seems to be starting off a little extra weird than usual, with a number of strange things happening throughout the first couple of games. In this list, we count the five most surprising early season stats (that are super unlikely to hold) of the 2018/19 campaign. And WARNING, these may shock you… or not. Just don’t say we didn’t try.
DeAndre Jordan is Shooting 90% From the Free Throw Line
First, it was hack-a-Shaq, then it was hack-a-Howard and most recently, it’s been hack-a-Jordan.
DeAndre Jordan has been so bad from the line, that teams would literally use it against him as a strategy to win. Though last season (at 58%) he saw his best shooting marks, he had seasons in 2009 and 2014 when failed to make even half.
Over his career, he’s an abysmal 44% from the line. So, it’s fair to say that free-throws are not this guys strength.
Nonetheless, it seems DeAndre has either gotten really hot from the line or has fixed his shooting routine, because he has made 9 out of 10 free throws thus far this year (a very solid 90%).
Is he likely to maintain it? Heck no. But when you look back from the end of the season, when he’s probably back down to 40%, just remember there was a time when he was amongst the top of the NBA in FT percentage.
Lonzo Ball is Averaging 11.7 PPG on 46/42/75
(with a 59% TS)
For all the hype surrounding Lonzo Ball last season, he’s got a long way to go before he shows he can live up to it.
In UCLA, he was hailed as a playmaking/scoring multi-dimensional point guard. So when the Lakers picked him #2 overall, the expectations were flying high.
Rather than becoming famous for his play, however, he made headlines for his unorthodox shooting form and the crazy antics of his attention-craving family. To be blunt, he wasn’t giving folks a lot of reason to throw positive attention his way.
To start this season off, Lonzo is sniffing 50/40/90 territory if he improves on his free-throw shooting, and is at a remarkable 59% true shooting percentage. With his confidence soaring, and Rondo out the next couple of games, Lonzo has the chance to really put the league on notice… so long as these numbers stick and become more than just a hot-hand.
The Mavericks Are Above .500 for the First Time Since April 2016
It’s no secret that Dallas hasn’t been the best team these past few years. But to not have more wins than losses at any point throughout the past two seasons is something truly unfortunate.
Usually, at some point during the season (especially in the first few weeks), a team can usually cross the .500 mark at least once (1-0, 2-1, etc). The Orlando Magic was a perfect example of this phenomenon, when they started their campaign last year at 6-2, only to finish 25-57.
With the acquisition of Luka and DeAndre Jordan, the Mavs are expected to be better now than they have been in recent years. Still, it’s pretty surprising that the team hasn’t pulled a winning record at any point over a two-year span.
And for them to break that streak now, with just those two them, says a lot about who they are.
Zach LaVine is Averaging 32.3 PPG
The Bulls are in for a rough season. They’re off to an unfortunate 0-3 start.
All the while, Zach LaVine is torching the league. Through three games, he’s averaging 32.3 points per game on a ridiculous 61% shooting percentage. For a guy LaVine is coming off an ACL injury, that should be impossible. It should be taking time for him to hit his stride. Also, his points aren’t all coming from drives and dunks.
He’s shooting the three and creating his own opportunities, something we weren’t expecting to see this early from a guy with that type of injury. Obviously, a 61% shooting percentage will be pretty hard for him to maintain, but with him being on a bad team and getting the touches he needs, it is not unlikely that he continues his high scoring pace for the rest of the season.
Let’s just hope he stays healthy enough to enjoy it.
This Season is LeBron’s First Time Being 0-3 Since 2005
2005 seems like eons ago. In basketball terms, it basically is.
Well, that’s the last time LeBron James started a season 0-3. And, considering some of the lackluster talents he’s had around him since then, that is an impressive feat.
With the Lakers, you’ll be hard pressed to find a person who thought the Lakers would storm their way out of the gates. New teams always require time to adjust.
To not get a single game, though? That hurts, especially after all the noise that was made following his decision. It marks an unfortunate end to a very surprising and impressive streak for The King.
