Everyone from the NBA is currently enjoying a well-deserved Thanksgiving break with their families. It’s been a very interesting start to the 2019-20 campaign so far, and there has been plenty of action-packed basketball to enjoy.

Since there are no games on today, I decided to take the time to talk about a few of the things we NBA fans should be thankful for this season.

The Western Conference is insanely competitive

When the two teams from LA acquired Anthony Davis, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard, many of us figured that the Western Conference race was over. However, the offseason saw other teams load up on talent instead of surrendering.

The result has been phenomenal so far. Fives wins separate first and sixth place in the West, and the top eight seeds have all played good basketball. The Lakers lead the pack with a record of 16-2, and are followed by the Nuggets who are 13-3. The Clippers have figured it out recently as well, starting to come back from double digit leads late in the game, and stand at third with a 14-5 record. The Rockets, who raised eyebrows when they paired ball-dominant guards James Harden and Russell Westbrook, seem to be doing all right as well. Fifth and sixth place belong to the 11-6 Mavericks and 11-7 Jazz, who have also been playing great basketball. 

From a talent perspective, the Clippers and Lakers still lead the way. However, the Western Conference playoffs are going to be difficult to navigate, and we’re almost assured that any matchups will produce memorable games and tough battles.

LeBron James is putting in his best effort

LeBron James is putting in a monster effort this season, especially when considering the fact that he’s played for 16 seasons. He may only be 34 years old, but he has insane mileage on his body.

He has been the beating heart of the Lakers’ success this year. He’s averaging 25.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and league-leading 11 assists a game. While he may not feel forced to put forth Herculean scoring efforts thanks to the presence of Anthony Davis, he’s making sure everyone stays involved, understands what they need to do, and more.

He’s still capable of some amazing plays as well, including his patented chasedown blocks. 

King James has legions of both haters and fans, but one thing that everyone should agree on is that the NBA is in a better place when he is playing at a high level. 

The Clippers are playing fun basketball

Paul George missed a large chunk of the early season, and Kawhi Leonard’s been sitting for load management a fair bit, but their results together on the floor have been pretty good so far. 

However, it’s also important to note that they haven’t been invincible due to a mix of Leonard’s load management, George’s late start, and the Wild Wild West. However, they’ve also got a third star in Lou Williams, whose uncanny gift for scoring in big moments has helped carry them when their alpha dogs have been sitting or had off nights.

Additionally, Montrezl Harrell has been an endless source of energy for the Clippers. His effort, defense, and occasional scoring explosions have seen him finish a few games as the team’s best player. 

Patrick Beverley continues to be a thorn in other teams’ sides as well, and his rising confidence in his corner three opens up the floor even more.

The Eastern Conference has a few contenders of his own

The Eastern Conference is showing that their top teams won’t exactly be pushovers this year, either. The Greek Freak continues to lead the Bucks and their 15-3 record shows that they will be looking at making the NBA Finals this year. The Celtics have also put together a solid run, including a double digit win streak early in the season.

The Raptors have been great so far, as well. While many thought they would implode after losing their Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, they instead have put on a strong season thanks to the emergent play of Pascal Siakam and lesser-known names like Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and Chris Boucher. Siakam is making another huge stride in his play this season, upping his scoring average from 16.9 PPG last year to 26 PPG this year.

Jimmy Butler, at least when he’s been on the court, has been a great presence for the Heat as well. They’ve gotten off to a surprising 12-5 start and it looks like they’re going to be trouble in the playoffs. The 76ers are still playing solid basketball as well, though it’s a bit surprising that they find themselves in fifth place in the east this season.

The Pacers, sixth in the conference with an 11-6 record, have been a great surprise as well. They’re fighting and winning without star Victor Oladipo, who is still on the comeback trail from a major injury. Domantas Sabonis is becoming a must-watch young big man, and his 18.9 PPG and 13.3 RPG averages actually outshine Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic’s 16.1 PPG and 10.5 RPG.

Luka Doncic is playing out of his mind

Luka Doncic is a gift that keeps on giving this season. The young Slovenian superstar already has seven triple-doubles this season, in 17 games. He is certainly poised for stardom and has the Mavericks playing well while making the teams that passed on him last year rue their decisions.

His legend grows with every game, especially when he puts up feats like outdueling James Harden in a Texas rivalry game. As of the Thanksgiving break, he’s averaging 30.1 points, 10 rebounds, 9.5 assists, and 1.5 steals.

He and the Mavericks may not be perfect, as evidenced by their big loss against the Clippers this week, but they will always be entertaining to watch as long as Doncic is on the floor. Having young talent like him explode is exactly what the league needs as some of its other stars begin to enter the twilight of their careers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoL6V4Xw8xY