Today’s set of NBA preseason games gave SBOBET fans a quick preview on some of the familiar faces in new places.
Jimmy Butler made his Miami Heat debut in their match against the San Antonio Spurs, while Russell Westbrook was finally fielded in by Mike D’Antoni alongside James Harden versus the Toronto Raptors.
In what might be a reincarnation of the Steve Nash-Dirk Nowitzki combo that may produce some of the best NBA 2019 highlights, Kristaps Porzingis finally joined Luka Doncic with the Mavericks after a long hiatus.
Today in our NBA roundup, we will feature these notable veterans and how they’ve looked playing for their new teams.
Russell Westbrook still getting acclimated
After a stellar game previously against the Los Angeles Clippers, Harden and the rest of the Rockets travelled to Japan to face the defending champions, the Toronto Raptors.
While James Harden did his usual output by going to his bag of tricks with 34 markers, it’s safe to say that there was still rust on Russell Westbrook’s part as he finished with 13 points, six assists, and five turnovers in 21 minutes of play time.
The former MVP didn’t flash his strong form in this game. However, head coach Mike D’Antoni doesn’t seem worried for one bit especially since he just came off from a surgery on his right knee during the summer.
“He hasn’t played all summer. That was the first exhibition game, and I thought he was very good, very athletic. His knee was good, so there are a lot of positive things and he’ll get better from here,” observed D’Antoni.
Russell Westbrook joined the team during the offseason after being exchanged for Chris Paul. While most would still wonder on how these two ball-dominant players will co-exist on the hardwood, their history together should put those questions to rest come the regular season.
Jimmy Butler’s seamless fit
The Miami Heat weren’t expected to do much during the offseason, but they pulled the trigger for a trade that brought them Jimmy Butler to give themselves a bona fide star.
So far, adding him makes a lot of sense for the Erik Spoelstra-mentored club as Butler has helped established a workhorse culture around the team as they prepare for the upcoming season. The four-time All-Star reportedly wakes up at 3:30am for some workouts even if the team’s practice schedule starts at 10am, and that habit has rubbed off his teammates in a good way.
In his first game in the Heat uniform, Butler had a decent performance of 10 points, three rebounds, and five assists in 24 minutes. He is expected to do more come the regular season, however, and Erik Spoelstra and Pat Riley can’t help but heap praise towards Butler’s way.
“He has Heat DNA. He was meant to play here,” mentioned Spoelstra.
“The history that he might have had in the past, based on how I have witnessed what he has done had to be bogus. He has really brought an awareness to another level of what he has to do. I think he’s going to be great for us. I just do,” echoed Riley.
Encouraging signs for Porzingis and Doncic
It’s been quite a while since we last saw Kristaps Porzingis play, which is why the hype around him joining the Dallas Mavericks was understandable.
With club legend Dirk Nowitzki already retired, Kristaps Porzingis is expected to team up with Rookie of the Year awardee Luka Doncic to spearhead Dallas’ push for a playoff berth next season.
In his first game back, Porzingis scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds despite playing limited minutes. His running mate Doncic was superb as usual with 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
The said duo vowed to improve their conditioning and physique during the offseason. Doncic made his commitment to strengthen his core while Porzingis added muscle mass to his body in order to avoid injuries.
Seeing all of these unfold of course makes Rick Carlisle happy, and he is optimistic about their NBA 2019 odds of making it to the postseason next campaign.
“I know [Porzingis] is ready. He’s excited to get back out there. I just want him to play within our system and just get him out there, really. He’s put an amazing amount of time, effort, and diligence into his rehab,” observed Carlisle.
“We have to make the playoffs, that’s the goal for us. The Western Conferece is extremely tough, but we believe that with this group we’re capable of doing it,” said Porzingis when asked about their playoff chances.
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