Upset Special

A quick look at a few teams and how they fared after opening tip-off

By Doug Knopf

Alas, the NBA season is upon us; a time to rejoice for all basketball fans. Now it is time to get down to business.

AP Photo/ Chuck Barton

First off, it is necessary to point out that the Charlotte Bobcats won a game and against a legitimate team too, the Indiana Pacers. The game was not flashy at all; teams missed a combined 104 shots. Indiana played to its strength, its defense; but when Gerald Green has the second most shot attempts on the team, there is something wrong. The Pacers completed the weekend with a 2-1 record while the Bobcats lost their other game leaving them at 1-1 to start the week off.

Moving around the league, another upset which shocked the league is the Bulls loss to the Hornets without Anthony Davis. The Bulls were outscored in three quarters by the Hornets’ practically nameless roster. One of the Hornets’ many new players, Greivis Vasquez, led the team with 18 points. Even though the Bulls are currently 2-1, they are obviously looking for someone to take Derrick Rose’s place. Tom Thibodeau was rotating four players in and out of the point guard position throughout the game, showing the inconsistency of the offense.  One of the Bulls most missed players from last year might be backup point guard John Lucas who filled in nicely after Rose’s departure. 

More believably, the Milwaukee Bulks took down the aging Boston Celtics on Friday night. The Bulks, riding the on the back of Jennings established a balanced approach with six players in double-digit scoring.  Boston did a good job defending Monta Ellis, holding him to six baskets. Possibly for the only time this season, the Bulks are in first place in the conference. As one of the five undefeated teams left in the league, it’ll be interesting to see where this team will go.

Like baseball, there are so many games played in a season that there are bound to be multiple upsets. All teams have to do is to keep it close and since most teams do not play defense to begin with, it’s pretty easy to match basket for basket.  Usually in basketball one team is just more athletic than the other. But when scheme and teamwork come together, it is difficult to predict games.