After LeBron James raised the Larry O’Brien and the Lakers hoisted their 17th banner in the rafters of the Staples Center, a countdown began in the minds of every NBA fan: the days, hours, and minutes ticking away in their brains until the preseason began. Thanks to COVID, the preseason began soon after the regular season ended. With the regular season starting Dec. 22, let’s take a look at what has happened so far.

The Good

The defending champion LA Lakers look even better than they did last season, with the surprise performance of guard Talen Horton-Tucker. The Lakers biggest need has been a consistent scoring guard, and between THT, the newly received Dennis Schroder, and what looks to be an improved Kyle Kuzma, they might just have one.

The Hornets are going to be a really fun team to watch this season. With young talent like Devonte’ Graham and LaMelo Ball, they have an electric offense. Both Melo and Graham shoot the 3 well, and Melo shows great promise as a playmaking guard who can enable his guys and set up good shots. I wouldn’t bet on them to make a deep playoff run, but they should be exciting to watch.

Fans have been waiting for the Nets to reach their full potential, and from the looks of it, the wait is over. With two of the most unguardable players in the league, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and a certified baller in Caris LeVert, the Nets are a serious threat in the East this year. If the team stays injury-free (knock on wood) I don’t think the Eastern Conference Finals are out of the question.

The Bad

If you have the misfortune of being a Clippers fan, you know they are a frustrating team to root for. They have immense star power in Kawhi Leonard and Paul “Playoff P” George, and some solid role players as a supporting cast. They just can’t deliver however, and have continued to be underwhelming not only in their matchups against their crosstown rivals, the Lakers, but other prominent teams in the West as well. They just can’t seem to hang with the rest of the conference, and with the West only getting tougher after the offseason, something’s gotta give for the Clippers to finally play to their potential.

The Knicks

The Knicks are still the Knicks. With the pickup of Obi Toppin in the draft and the continued development of RJ Barrett, it appears they might finally have a solid young core to build around. However, they are also the Knicks, and with a notoriously terrible front office, and Tom Thibodeau as head coach, I wouldn’t expect any miracles.