NBA: Thoughts on Giannis’ statement performance and a Warriors collapse

10 NBA thoughts after Giannis Antetokounmpo posted a triple-double on the Bucks opening night against James Harden’s Rockets, and the Warriors collapse vs. the Clippers 

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks took on the Houston Rockets last night in Texas and eventually came out on top, 117-111. Milwaukee’s team came back from a 16-point deficit as the Greek Freak put on a freakish triple-double.

At the same time, Trae Young went off for the Atlanta Hawks (won in Detroit, 117-100) and the Golden State Warriors collapsed against the Clippers (lost, 141-122) in their San Fransisco debut.

• Click here for my thoughts on the Lakers – Clippers opening night showdown.
• Click here for my thoughts on Kyrie Irving’s spectacular 50-point debut with the Brooklyn Nets.

1. The Bucks are a serious title contender team. While playing on the road against another contender in the Rockets, Mike Budenholzer’s team came back from 16 points to come out on top. And even though Giannis had a historic triple-double, he fouled out with 5:18 remaining in the fourth quarter. Despite having their leader on the bench, the Bucks remained confident, and slowly but surely, put away the Rockets.

2. Giannis’ stat-line was insane, as he became the first player since Oscar Robertson (1966) with a 30-point triple-double in a season opener:

3. Antetokounmpo picked his sixth foul in the fourth quarter, on a reach-in call on Clint Capela. Fouling out could be an issue for Giannis and the Bucks, come playoff time.

"“I was pissed,” Giannis said. “Stupid sixth foul. I got under Clint Capela. I could have avoided the situation. You’re so excited, you reach a lot, but as a basketball player you have to control your excitement”."

4. At 24, Giannis is already a great leader on and off the court. Trusting his teammates to execute with him on the bench, showcases his mentality.

"“We stayed together. We play together. We win together. We lose together,” Antetokounmpo told TNT’s Kristen Ledlow after the game. “My team without me, they did a great job executing.”"

5. Russell Westbrook’s first game with the Houston Rockets had its ups and downs. Westbrook scored 16 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, trying to keep his team in the game. He added a game-high 16 rebounds and seven assists. Despite his efforts, the Rockets blew a double-digit lead.

6. It’s just one game but Westbrook and Harden are already arguing. Even if they both said they’ll figure it out, this clip in their season opener doesn’t look good for either of them.

7. As Dwayne Wade put it best, the Clippers are just what we thought they were going to be. Unstoppable. And Paul George isn’t even playing yet. Kawhi Leonard’s team blew out the Golden State Warriors in their first-ever game at San Francisco, scoring 141 points on them. Leonard played only 22 minutes and scored 21 points. He even handed out nine assists.

8. Clippers depth. Doc Rivers used all 12 of his players, and 11 of them scored. Seven of them finished the game in double-digits. As a team, the Clippers shot 62.5 percent from the field, and 56.2 percent from beyond the arc.

9. The Warriors’ defense is a real problem. Steve Kerr’s team could end up having one of the worst defenses in basketball. Besides Draymond Green, they don’t have any other premiere NBA defender. They’ll miss Klay Thompson a lot. As coach Kerr admitted, this is the reality.

10. Trae Young will make the All-Star team. Lock it in already. The Hawks sophomore went off for 38 points (6-10 3FG), nine assists, and nine rebounds in Atlanta’s season-opener against the Pistons in Detroit. He even swished a 3-point shot from the logo. He looks ready. And so do the Hawks. Hence, Lloyd Pierce’s team could end up in the playoff hunt.