With four wins apiece, the Cavaliers and the Jazz are two of the top teams in the NBA right now. This is expected for Cleveland, but the same can’t be said for Utah because they are supposed to be in a rebuild.
Meanwhile, the Bulls have something to celebrate despite losing to the Spurs, as their star forward achieved a new milestone, while the Lakers are trying something new in order to halt their freefall as soon as possible.
Learn more about the latest SBOTOP NBA 2022 updates by continuing to read down below.
Donovan Mitchell rejuvenated in Cleveland
The summer arrival of Donovan Mitchell was welcomed by Cavs fans since he adds significant firepower to their fledgling core. Mitchell has averaged at least 20 points per game in all of his years thus far in the NBA, including this season where he averages a team-high 28.5 points per game.
With backcourt partner Darius Garland sidelined because of an eye injury, Mitchell put the Cavs on his back by leading them to wins following their opening loss to the Raptors.
And against the Celtics a while ago, who are the reigning Eastern Conference champions by the way, he and Caris LeVert produced one of their best performances to date en route to winning their fourth game in a row.
They dropped 41 points apiece to pull off a comeback from trailing by 13 at halftime to shush the raucous crowd in Boston by a score of 132-123.
They were the second pair in Cavaliers history to score at least 40 each in a single game besides Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, who did this in Game 5 of the 2016 Finals – the game that fueled their legendary 3-1 comeback that led them to Cleveland’s only title.
When Darius Garland comes back, the Cavs are going to be heavily backed by the NBA 2022 odds since they have two dynamic shot-creators, as well as a beefed up frontcourt with Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Kevin Love.
The Jazz should be tanking right?
Mitchell’s former team – the Jazz – have shocked the league with big victories to start their 2022-23 campaign. They defeated the Nuggets, Timberwolves, and the Pelicans – sides who were tipped to be contenders in the Western Conference – as well as the Rockets en route to a 4-2 record.
So what’s the secret to the Jazz’s success thus far? Well, they have six different players averaging north of 10 points per game and they have the league’s sixth-best defence with a 107.2 defencive rating.
Lauri Markkanen maintained his excellent form from this summer’s EuroBasket, leading the team with 22 points and 8.8 rebounds per game on 49-per cent shooting from the field.
Jordan Clarkson is also posting norms of 18.8 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game, while Kelly Olynyk, Malik Beasley, Collin Sexton, and Mike Conley averages 13.2, 12, 10.6, and 10.4 points per game respectively.
The Jazz really don’t have an incentive to win many games this season since it would compromise their lottery chances, but it hasn’t panned out so far.
Westbrook tasked to lead the Lakers’ second unit
With four defeats on the bounce, the Lakers are trying everything to end their losing streak. They were unsuccessful yet again, this time against the Timberwolves, but there is cause for optimism for the Purple and Gold.
Darvin Ham decided to let Russell Westbrook come off the bench, and he had his best performance to date with 18 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in 33 minutes – although his efficiency and turnovers still left a lot to be desired.
Westbrook has been the scapegoat for the Lakers’ woes dating back to last season, since his style of play doesn’t fit well with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
But with no imminent deal for the Lakers that will rid themselves of Westbrook, they have no choice but to find a way to make it work on the court.
DeMar DeRozan joins exclusive list
DeMar DeRozan just became the 50th player in NBA history to eclipse 20,000 career points.
He did it with his signature midrange jumper during the first quarter against the Spurs, and he did it in the arena he called home for three seasons before moving to Chicago in 2021.
His former coach Gregg Popovich called a timeout so that the fans can celebrate DeRozan’s achievement, and the two hugged it out for a heartwarming moment.
DeMar DeRozan is still playing at a high level despite turning 33 on August, and he’s far from being done.
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