Here they are (please note that we are still waiting for four more write-ups; those will be posted when we get them):
1. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Chicago, 6-3
Preseason ranking: 3Tampa Bay solidly beat Chicago. While contributions from Towns were expected, the key contributor for the week was Howard. Laughed at around the league for bidding on Howard, he provided a source of rebounds and blocks that helped push the victory. They face a tough test against Houston and a hot Wiggins this week.
-Fernans2. Brooklyn Nets (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Boston, 8-1
Preseason ranking: 1Big win over a conference foe. Siakam put together an MVP performance type of week. Despite losing Bagley for at least a month, they will be returning Butler. This is a powerhouse team with arguably one of the best starting fives in the league. They face an injury riddled Memphis this week.
-Fernans3. Houston Rockets (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Orlando, 6-3
Preseason ranking: 4Houston had a strong week, led by Leonard, Wiggins, and Lowry, to take the win over Orlando. News of Williamson being out for at least two months will hurt the team short-term, with four of the next five games against teams considered playoff contenders. Houston faces off against a strong and healthy Tampa Bay this week.
-Fernans4. Seattle Supersonics (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Atlanta, 5-4
Preseason ranking: 2The Sonics may have only won 5-4, but their match-up with the Hawks really wasn't all that close as Seattle dominated the 5 categories they won. They looked like a championship caliber team even with Harden and Gobert struggling. Bam might be most improved player, and Dejounte Murray is the real deal. An interesting game against Utah awaits. Keep an eye on... the aforementioned Murray has already turned himself into a triple-double threat on any given night.
-Miege225. Portland Trailblazers (1-0)6. Oklahoma City Thunder (1-0)7. Kansas City Kings (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Memphis, 7-1-1
Preseason ranking: 8Talk about starting off on the right foot. Kansas City absolutely dismantled Memphis this week. However, Memphis was massively injury stricken - no Dipo or PG - and Deandre Ayton only played one game before being suspended. Nonetheless, KC put up some very impressive numbers and has all the makings of a dark horse contender this season. If SGA is the leading scorer in any given week, it’s going to be hard for teams to beat the Kings. KC is well rounded and I expect them to get better as the season unfolds.
Kansas City’s player of the week: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (3 games) - 24.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 3 apg, 1.7 bpg, 2 threes/game
-Richardson2398. Boston Celtics (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Brooklyn, 8-1
Preseason ranking: 5I’m not going to let one week against the reigning champ change my outlook on Boston. It’s hard to compete when you are without two of your most important players - Joel Embiid and Blake Griffin. The one game Embiid played? He did Embiid things. However, a mostly healthy Brooklyn team proved to be too much. Boston will be a top four East team in the end, but it could be this kind of year if these two big guys don’t stay healthy.
Boston’s player of the week: Justise Winslow (3 games) - 19 ppg, 6.7 apg, 9.3 rpg, 1 bpg
-Richardson2399. Utah Jazz (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Cleveland, 6-3
Preseason ranking: 9I said before the season that consistency is key and Utah has proven me right. The Jazz took care of Cleveland, but it was a surprisingly close match-up. Utah has a nice crop of players, but I still think they’re a piece or two away from being a serious contender like they are each year. It seems like they only got the bare minimum from many guys, yet they still won. I expect that to change, and when it does, there won’t be close match-ups like this each week.
Utah’s player of the week: Kemba Walker (3 games) - 22 ppg, 2.7 apg, 4.3 rpg, 3.3 threes/game
-Richardson23910. Memphis Grizzlies (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to KC, 7-1-1
Preseason ranking: 7Memphis takes a fall in the rankings due to early season injuries, suspensions, and they simply faced a very good team. Despite the loss, Fultz showed us that he can actually do things and should have a larger role as the season progresses. PJ Tucker was an absolute beast in his 2 game showing, and Horford was solid. The Ayton suspension really hurts though, and this team needs George to come back as soon as possible. Beal and Porter Jr. need to show up as well as they struggled in week 1 (although Beal was very good assisting the ball).
-Two0six11. Washington Wizards (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Colorado, 7-2
Preseason ranking: 13The Wizards' match-up with Colorado looked like a rare week 1 "swing game" in the East, but Washington quickly took all the drama out of it. They've got solid players up and down the lineup, even with a couple of no-shows in Keldon Johnson and Nassir Little. Giannis? Still incredible. They've got the Warriors next. Keep an eye on... Maxi Kleber. The German product is already turning himself into a part of the core in Washington.
-Miege2212. Chicago Bulls (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Tampa Bay, 6-3
Preseason ranking: 11The Bulls ran into a buzzsaw, otherwise they likely would be 1-0. The good news is Donovan Mitchell, Andre Drummond and and Nikola Vucevic all looked great, and Tyler Herro already looks like a great pick. The bad news is the bench was non-existent. We'll see if they can bounce back against a frisky Cavs team. Keep an eye on... Christian Wood. The lanky big man already has one double-double this week and looks to get more PT with Blake Griffin out.
-Miege2213. Minnesota Timberwolves (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to OKC, 6-3
Preseason ranking: 14I guess Malcolm Brogdon and Josh Hart are the best backcourt in the league now. They ran up against a better team in OKC, but there was no shame in their effort. They'll have a chance to get even against a banged up Boston Celtics team. Keep an eye on... Troy Brown Jr. Brown makes his return to the court this week and could make an immediate impact given the (real life) Wizards' lack of depth on the wing.
-Miege2214. Golden State Warriors (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Portland, 6-2-1
Preseason ranking: 15Golden State lost to Portland, but the match-up was much closer than the final score would suggest. Rose was the star for week 1, and Rui Hachimura was solid as well. Dunn had a disappointing first week, and with the team thin at the 2, he may be expendable. They face 1-0 Washington this week.
-Fernans15. Toronto Raptors (1-0)Week 1 result: Beat Las Vegas, 4-4-1
Preseason ranking: 16Toronto won a close one over Vegas and they have one man and one rookie to thank. That man is the one they call "the unicorn," Kristaps Porzingis, who finished the week with a 26-6-3 line with 3 threes, 3 blocks, and 45% shooting. The rookie is none other than Ja Morant, who brushed off a slow start to the season and absolutely broke out in his third game dropping 30-9-4 (and beating Kyrie). Fox should have better weeks as he was playing through injuries and Jaylen "Brinks trucks" had a good start despite the game 1 dud.
-Two0six 16. Atlanta Hawks (0-1)17. Las Vegas Gamblers (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Toronto, 4-4-1
Preseason ranking: 18Vegas lost a close one to Toronto, and I am sure they are happy #TrustTheProcess. Kyrie looks like an MVP candidate as he opened the season with a 37-6-6 line with nearly 2 steals and 5 threes. Joe Harris did Joe Harris things, and Hayward looked a tiny bit of the old Hayward. Bledsoe needs to play better period for the sake of his value, even if this team won't be winning many games. Michael Porter Jr. did not play but I am anxiously waiting for his return.
-Two0six18. Cleveland Cavaliers (0-1)19. Orlando Magic (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Houston, 6-3
Preseason ranking: 17One of the more interesting teams took an L against Houston, but they enjoyed a monster week from Brandon Ingram who averaged 27-9-4 with 3 threes and almost 2 blocks on 52% shooting. Wow. Valanciunas looked really good in his limited minutes and will see his minute cap increase over the next couple of weeks. Other than that they are going to need Rozier, Monk, Hunter and Payton to take it up a notch with their consistency if they are going to upset some teams. Keep an eye on them.
-Two0six20. Colorado Swannies (0-1)Week 1 result: Lost to Washington, 7-2
Preseason ranking: 12Colorado has a brutal first week against the Wizards. Outside of Anthony Davis and Myles Turner, the Swannies didn’t get anything from their supporting cast. I still believe in this team and think that they’ve got the pieces to be competitive. However, I think the dormant free agency will impact them and force this team to make a decision. Do they want to build around AD, or might it be time to cash in on their prized big man and collect a haul of talent that could better round out this team?
Colorado’s player of the week: Anthony Davis (3 games) - 25 ppg, 10 rpg, 3.3 bpg
-Richardson239TEAM | Miege22 | Fernans | Richardson239 | two0six | teefbe |
Tampa Bay | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Brooklyn | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Houston | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
Seattle | 3 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
Portland | 6 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
Oklahoma City | 7 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 7 |
Kansas City | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
Boston | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
Utah | 8 | 15 | 10 | 8 | 9 |
Memphis | 10 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 8 |
Washington | 11 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 12 |
Chicago | 12 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
Minnesota | 13 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 13 |
Golden State | 15 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 15 |
Toronto | 14 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 14 |
Atlanta | 17 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 16 |
Las Vegas | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
Cleveland | 19 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 17 |
Orlando | 20 | 16 | 20 | 15 | 19 |
Colorado | 18 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 |
BIGGEST RISERSOklahoma City (up 4)
Atlanta (up 3)
Tampa Bay (up 2)
BIGGEST FALLERSColorado (down 8)
Memphis (down 3)
Boston (down 3)