Opening day of the NBA regular season has arrived! Time to plan our viewing schedules for the upcoming season, and that means looking at which teams have the most former University of Kentucky Wildcats on their rosters. A whopping 18 out of 30 NBA teams have at least one Cat. Let’s have a look at some of the teams who definitely deserve a spot on your NBA League Pass rotation.
First up are the Phoenix Suns, who are starting the regular season with four Wildcats. Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, Devin Booker & Tyler Ulis all suit up for the Suns. Bledsoe is returning from a long absence due to injury, so look for him to come out strong as the Suns’ starting point guard. Fans will remember how fast he is; I can’t wait to watch him fly up & down the court again. Booker had a great inaugural season last year that included finishing in the final three during the 3-Point Competition of All-Star Weekend alongside Steph Curry & Klay Thompson. There is already talk of Booker winning the Most Improved Player award this year. Knight will probably play much less now that Bledsoe is back, but when he plays, he always does really well, averaging almost 16 points per game last year. This is Ulis’ first season, so expect him to bring a lot of energy when he finds minutes off the bench.
Next up are the Sacramento Kings with three Wildcats. DeMarcus Cousins, Willie Cauley-Stein & Skal Labissiere will be suiting up in the purple & white. DeMarcus Cousins should be enough to entice those on the fence to tune in, as he’s easily the best big man in the league, averaging a double-double last season. Nobody knows what to do with him when he dominates; their only hope is to try to provoke his anger & pepper him with cheap shots. Boogie averages 20/10, an indication that those tactics might not be that effective. Cauley-Stein is a high-energy, high-flying dynamo who loves to try to block any shot he can; he averaged one block per game last season. His dunks are also fantastic. This will be his second season & I believe his confidence will be much higher. Labissiere will come off the bench in his first season, hoping to provide valuable minutes where he can.
Flying into third place on our list are the New Orleans Pelicans with two Wildcats: Anthony Davis & Terrence Jones. These two won an NCAA championship together in 2012 before entering the NBA Draft, and they’ve reunited in the Big Easy with hopes of taking their current team to the playoffs. Davis is entering his 5th season and averaged over 20 points, 9 rebounds & 2 blocks a game last year, but sustained a few injuries last season that we hope are fully healed. He’s recovered from the sprained ankle that happened during the Global Games in China earlier this month. I look for Davis & Jones to do big things as they try to recreate their on-court relationship from UK, in the absence of several players who would usually be in the starting lineup for the Pelicans. I’m really looking forward to seeing how they play together now.
The Charlotte Hornets feature two Wildcats: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist & Aaron Harrison. MKG has been battling injuries for a while, and is now back on the court at full strength. He’s a defensive nightmare for opposing teams, getting in their face & disrupting all ball handling. I look for him to come out very strong alongside Kemba Walker, making a strong case for themselves for best backcourt duo. Aaron Harrison earned a spot on the squad with a non-guaranteed contract for this season, so we’ll hope that his best efforts coming off the bench will reflect his desire to remain a Hornet well into the future.
They’ve got a great young team in Minnesota that’s led by Karl-Anthony Towns, the winner of Rookie of the Year honors last season. Towns is being discussed as the new Tim Duncan. That should say it all. He’s already had major highlight plays in the preseason & things will only get better. The Minnesota Timberwolves‘ roster also boasts a few other young stars: Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine & Ricky Rubio. They are bound to have a better record than last season, but regardless, they are very entertaining to watch. They’re young, quick & flashy when they get going with in-game dunks.
A few other teams that each feature one former Wildcat on their rosters have been much-discussed during the preseason with storylines that piqued national interest. The Chicago Bulls have Rajon Rondo in their starting lineup alongside Dwyane Wade & Jimmy Butler. Will these alpha-males be able to work well together? The Los Angeles Lakers are in rebuilding mode, trying to find an identity with a young team that includes Julius Randle & D’Angelo Russell. Will John Wall & Bradley Beal lead the Washington Wizards to the playoffs after missing last year? How will Enes Kanter & the Oklahoma City Thunder deal with losing Kevin Durant? How exciting will it be to see DeAndre Liggins on the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ floor with LeBron, Kyrie & KLove? And will Nerlens Noel end the season with the Philadelphia 76ers, or will he be traded as has been rumored for months?
Welcome to Opening Day, folks. Join me over on Twitter @AmyBethCombsNBA for coverage of the 18 teams that feature players that will always call the University of Kentucky their home.