21 Things We've Learned 21 Days Into The NBA Season

Three weeks of NBA action isn't enough to make any well-researched, educated statements about the season as a whole...but it's the perfect amount of time for some hot takes!

Let's see. The Lakers should've passed on D'Angelo Russell. Russell Westbrook is serial killer who murders people at the rim...and should be traded. Lil B needs to stop cursing people. And the Knicks (yes the Knicks) are shockingly, surprisingly, miraculously, watchable and, dare we say, borderline good.

That's just a sampling. The colder it gets, the hotter the takes. These are 21 Things We've Learned 21 Days Into The NBA Season.

LeBron is Magic. Steph is Bird. It’s not a jump out the window hot take if you believe these two will be trading championships for the next few years. LeBron is his own animal. He’s a machine. Steph may be more dangerous, though, and the team around him is an advanced chemistry set. They play off each other so phenomenally, it makes me want to cry. Meanwhile, Steph plays like he was in Angels in the Outfield. His shot was touched by the gods and it counts for more points too. Bronny, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook have a more all-around game but they aren’t as lethal. Steph Curry is the best player in the league until someone snatches his crown.

While being Public Enemy No. 1, the Warriors have still managed to get off to a furious start with a 10-0 record. Barring injury, 72-10 is a real possibility. According to Basketball Reference’s offensive and defensive ratings, Golden State sits at No. 1 and No. 3, respectively. When looking at the same stats for the 1996 season, the Bulls were No. 1 in both categories. Them matching Chicago’s historical season isn’t out of the realm of possibility. They won 67 games last year and finished the season with a No. 2 offensive rating and No. 1 defensive rating...and Steph is looking like he’s better than he was last year. Pay attention this year because you don’t want to be on the wrong side of history. —Angel Diaz (@Adiaz456)

Leaving on top. It’s what most athletes say they want to do and nearly none actually do. Michael Jordan came close with his championship-winning shot in 1998, but just had to come back one more time. Unless injury or illness strike, most elite athletes play until they can’t play anymore, leading to such images as Hakeem Olajuwon in a Toronto Raptors uniform or Shaquille O’Neal as a Boston Celtic.

In Kobe Bryant’s case, the uniform is the same—it’s everything else that’s different. The 37-year-old Bryant seems like he is trying to shoot himself back into his prime, and it’s just not working. He’s shooting 34 percent from the floor and 23 percent from three, both which would be career lows by a wide margin over a full season. His Lakers are 2-9 and a final playoff appearance, let alone a championship, already seems out of reach. Bryant didn’t want to be celebrated in what should be his final season. What he’s getting is even worse. —Russ Bengtson (@russbengtson)

He may have been made in a lab as far as we know. We’re not sure where Phil Jackson and his team found him. Some say they captured him on the shores of some deserted island in the Pacific. They tell us he was Spain’s premier league—Liga ACB’s—best kept secret. Those are just theories, though.

What we do know is that Kristaps Porzingis is for real. Eleven games into the season and he’s putting up numbers only players like David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Anthony Davis, and Blake Griffin have put up during the early stages of their respective rookie years. And what about those put-back dunks?

Let that Euro Techno grab your soul! King Kong ain’t got nothing on Godzinigis. —Angel Diaz (@Adiaz456)

Yes, the Volt Green is a tribute to the old Atlanta Hawks jerseys. Yes, the new pattern is meant to signify an attacking hawk's feathers. Yes, the asymmetrical design is unique and the mix-and-match creates multiple interesting kit combinations.

But you know what? They're still hideous.

I love the creative work the Hawks are doing on social and their pass-first product on the court and how the organization is creating a fun, young basketball culture right in the heart of college football country. Sincerely love all of that.

But the jerseys still look hideous.

Just look at them.

Hideous. —Maurice Peebles (@tallmaurice)

Before the season started, AD was a popular MVP pick and, for the most part, he’s put up MVP numbers so far this season. Averaging more than 25 points and nine rebounds and nearly three blocks per game is obviously nothing to scoff at. Problem is, New Orleans is dead last in the Western Conference right now (worse than the Lakers!) due to a bunch of injuries (including one to Davis) and in that tough conference their slow start is going to bury them. That probably means no playoffs for the Pelicans and, more than likely, no MVP award for Davis. —Chris Yuscavage (@CYuscavage)

The only thing worse than the Nets' 1-9 record—well, other than the 76ers 0-11 mark—is Brooklyn's prospects for the future.

The premium Mikhail Prokhorov put on winning a title now when he took control of the team in 2010 has competitively bankrupted the organization. With only one true “building block” in Brook Lopez (who happens to be one of the league's most brittle big men, not sure that's how "building blocks" work) and no control over their first round draft picks for the next three years thanks to GM Billy King's head-scratching acquisitions (Joe Johnson, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce), Brooklyn's future is blacker than midnight on Broadway and Myrtle. Sure, the Nets have $40 million in cap space next summer, but is Kevin Durant signing with Brooklyn? LeBron? Noooooope. —Adam Caparell (@AdamCaparell)

D'Angelo Russell is immeasurably better at basketball than the best basketball player you know personally, but in NBA terms, the No. 2 overall pick kinda sucks. Like on an embarrassment scale of 1 to This Year's Kobe, it's safe to say the former Ohio State standout's debut season is at about a 7. Which isn't great when you play for perhaps the highest profile basketball organization in the world and so many of your fellow rookie classmates are balling out.

Karl-Anthony Towns is already a two-way beast with a burgeoning three-pointer, but he went No. 1 and L.A. never had a shot at him. But Jahlil Okafor, Kristaps Porzingis, Emmanuel Mudiay, Justice Winslow...even off the radar guys like Nemanja Bjelica and T.J. McConnell are playing better than Russell. Kid's not even really dating Kendall Jenner like we thought he was!

It's way too early in the season and in Russell's career to say anything definitive...but yeah. The Lakers screwed up. Don't believe me? Just go to any Lakers messageboard. —Maurice Peebles (@tallmaurice)

He was as raw as they came when he entered the league as a 19-year-old, but the promise that so many saw in Andre Drummond appears to have officially arrived this year.

He’s shown flashes over previous seasons, but the freakishly athletic 6-foot-11 Pistons center has been a beast this season, averaging 18.5 PPG and 19 RPG. According to The New York Times, no one has averaged that many boards per game since Wilt Chamberlain pulled down 21.1 per in 1968-69 and he’s on pace to have historic offensive and defensive rebounding totals, surpassing marks set by Moses Malone and Dennis Rodman, respectively. When you're only 22 and putting up numbers reserved for legends, you're blowing up. Now if only he could do something about that free throw percentage (39.7). —Adam Caparell (@AdamCaparell)

All respect due to The Based God, but in a post-calling-Russell-Westbrook-a-sandwich world, maybe it's time he sit the next couple quarters out. Lil B already successfully cursed Kevin Durant, who's currently sitting on the sideline with no rings, a hamstring injury, and no hair brushes. Nice work there. But his curse on James Harden? Decidedly a failure. Since originally cursing Harden last year, The Bearded One has gone on to win the players' MVP award, date a Kardashian, and sign a $200 million sneaker deal with adidas. Oh, and he's currently averaging 28.4/6.5/6.1. WHAT A CURSE!

Maybe if we're all lucky Based God will curse the rest of us into public recognition from our peers, a celebrity relationship, nine figures in the bank, and a literal truckload of sneakers. Start cookin', y'all. —Maurice Peebles (@tallmaurice)

The Spurs have the only roster in the NBA with an average age over 30 and the names the world knows are all entering the twilights of their careers. Yet here we are again, the team is sitting at 8-1 with the best defensive efficiency in the NBA and a top 10 offense. You know how the saying goes, "The only guarantees in life are death, taxes, and the Spurs winning 50 games." Oh, that's not actually it? You could have fooled me. The best team in Texas has five players dropping double figures a night, while only two players, Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge, average more than 30 minutes per game. Talk about spreading the wealth. The Spurs might not have the juice to bring them back to the top (or maybe they do?), but until something changes, tally up another 50-win season and hopefully a healthy playoff run this time around. —Skylar Bergl (@skylarbergl)

Yes, the West is still the best. But the East ain’t bad.

Just look at the standings. All but two teams are hovering right around .500 or better and the Central just might give the Southwest a run for the NBA’s most competitive division. The Bucks are no longer up and coming— they're a perennial playoff squad. The Pistons have surprised everyone. The Raptors appear to be just as good as last year. Same goes for Atlanta. A year after missing the playoffs, Miami should be a Finals contender. Look out for the Wizards if they start clicking. Even the Knicks, after last year’s 17-win debacle, look competent.

And of course we can't mention the East without Vegas's favorite to win it all: Cleveland. —Adam Caparell (@AdamCaparell) 

No sleeves. Just right.

Christmas is a big deal for the NBA and adidas, its apparel partner, has rolled out special jerseys for years now to celebrate the league's hold on the national sports scene every Dec. 25. But previous iterations have basically been bricks featuring jarring colors, completely redesigned logos, and the kind of sleeves LeBron does not like.

This year is different. The NBA and adidas debuted some sweet retro unis that are classic, clean, and a present basketball fans would actually want to open under the tree. Let's hope adidas, and eventually Nike when they become the league's official apparel provider in 2017, stick to this script going forward and don't revisit the retina-burning catastrophe that was the 2013 Knicks jerseys. —Adam Caparell (@AdamCaparell)

Here is what was going to happen with the Chicago Bulls this year with Fred Hoiberg replacing Tom Thibodeau as head coach: The offense was going to get better—there would actually be one, for starters—and the defense would fall apart. Here is what actually happened, at least through the first 10 games: The offense has improved marginally (especially in terms of pace) and the defense…got better?

The Bulls are allowing opponents to shoot just 40.9 percent from the floor, the stingiest mark in the league. Their overall defensive ranking is 6th in the league, after coming in at 11th last season. Even playing at an increased pace (11th up from 24th) they’re allowing less than 100 points per game. They’re 7-3, and would likely be better if their offense weren’t mired at 24th—no doubt in part due to Derrick Rose’s ongoing double vision issues. Miss you, Thibs—but not as much as we thought we would. —Russ Bengtson (@russbengtson)

The only type of Linsanity we're going to get this season is in the form of his follicular acrobatics on the top of his head. Somehow, he pulls off the feat of having two terrible haircuts at once. When he doesn't have it gelled, it sits like a typical elementary-level bowl cut. When he does, it's as if a Super Saiyan hairdo leapt from cartoon to real life. Whatever way you slice things, it's basically an affront to humanity, even in a league that has seen its fair share of wild hairstyles. I just wouldn't want to be him when he really starts sweating and the gels runs into his eyes. That's probably why he started wearing the headband. —Skylar Bergl (@skylarbergl)

I’m rooting for the Thunder to go all the way this year. It’s more than likely not going to happen, but it better for their sake. I want the Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook experiment to work. Having two of the top five players in the league and not being able to make it to the Finals every year (when healthy) makes absolutely no sense. This is the best team Sam Presti has built around them since they had James Harden coming off the bench.

D.J. Augustine is a solid backup point guard and gives them the flexibility to let Russ play off the ball. Enes Kanter can’t play a lick of defense but he’s one of the best offensive big men in the game. Dion Waiters is hot and cold but can drop 20 when need be. Billy Donovan has already shown more creativity than Scott Brooks during this young season.

However, the West is stacked and all of those positives may not be enough to survive. With KD’s free agency looming, trading Westbrook in order to keep Durant should be a real option. I would rather build around Durant than Westbrook. Russ is a one-man wrecking crew in the vein of Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury. That’s not necessarily a good thing. His shot selection and inability to defer to Durant during key situations is beyond frustrating. If it doesn’t work, chalk it up to karma for leaving Seattle and blow the whole thing up. —Angel Diaz (@Adiaz456)

Y’all roasted my guy when Steve Kerr chose the Warriors instead of the Knicks. Y’all slandered a man with 13 rings when the Knicks went 17-65 last season. And y’all called him out when he took an unknown European project with the No. 4 pick.

But then something crazy happened. After Kerr led Golden State to a title in his first year, Phil wisely he decided to pull the plug on the 2015 season. This led to a top five draft pick, his staff spending their cap space on solid role players that fit their system, and Kristaps Porzingis looking like the absolute steal of the draft. If he were the President of the Lakers or the Bulls, everyone would be on his jock and that’s a fact, Jack. I truly believe the Knicks will go .500 and make the playoffs this year. That will be the best case scenario for a team trying to rebuild around an aging star. A rising cap is on the horizon and judging by the smart moves Jackson made so far and the Porzingis potential, it shouldn’t be hard to attract top tier free agents next go ‘round. In Phil We Trust. —Angel Diaz (@Adiaz456)

A verbal and/or physical confrontation with his cancer surviving head coach George Karl barely scratches the surface as to why DeMarcus Cousins needs to be rescued from Sac-town. Pairing one of the best young big men in the world with a crumbling stadium, a washed malcontent point guard, and a reactive owner who may or may not have fired his last coach for refusing to play 4-on-5 defense...what could go wrong?

Boogie is too good and too much fun to watch to have his talents wasted playing for the Kings. Vlade Divac is the team's GM for Christ's sake. If God is indeed an NBA fan, He'll find a way to move Big Cuz off Sacramento's roster by the trade deadline. —Maurice Peebles (@tallmaurice)

Want to watch a team play great defense? Don’t watch the Rockets. Houston has given up more than 100 points in every single game this season, including against the Nets. They’re near the bottom of the league in defensive rebounding, put-back points per possession allowed, and a bunch of other categories that just scream “We are built to get blown out by the Warriors in the postseason.” And while some of that can be attributed to Dwight Howard sitting out games to rest, Houston isn’t going to be able to just flip a switch and play good D once the playoffs start. It’s time to get back to the basics. Or else…. —Chris Yuscavage (@CYuscavage)

MLB Twitter made strides in their coverage of America’s pastime, and NFL Twitter would be more fun if it weren’t for egg and dog avatars being racist whenever a black player celebrates in the endzone. Both leagues still have a ways to go, though, as NBA Twitter is light-years ahead of them. The league has embraced social media early on, and one can seemingly follow a game just by logging onto Twitter. Not to mention the quality sportswriters and witty Twitter users who make watching the game more enjoyable. The memes, Vines, and GIFs that are made by fans take a life of their own and provide the NBA with free marketing. This James Harden Vine has been making the rounds as a reaction meme since users put it on the ‘net. More major sports leagues should follow suit. They even made it possible to watch live games by providing links in their Facebook and Twitter feeds. This is why the NBA’s standing with the millennial generation is so strong. —Angel Diaz (@Adiaz456)