All Hail King Luka!

Undoubtedly, I've seen a lot of basketball games in my time on this wonderful planet. What I've never seen is a player dropping 60 points and 20 rebounds on the way to a triple-doubles. Not even the legendary Wilt Chamberlain did that. Not even the triple-doubles king, Russell Westbrook. Dirk Nowitski is probably the most heralded international to ever play in the NBA. Isn't it a wonderful coincidence that Luka Doncic made history just a few days after Nowitski's statue was unveiled by the Dallas Mavericks? Doncic has been in freakish mode this season, single handedly playing the Mavericks out of tight spots on numerous occasions. At present, it looks like the race for the MVP is a straightforward shootout between Doncic and Boston Celtic's Jayson Tatum. However, while Tatum has very impressive casts like Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart to call upon at Celtics, Doncic is all on his own at Mavericks. Give it all to Luka Doncic, the Slovenian dude running the show down at Dallas. I'll lump on Tatum winning the MVP battle ahead of Doncic this season simply because the Celtics are a better team than Mavericks. However, Doncic will definitely get that crown very soon. The freakish part, he's only 23!

Hornets @ Warriors
At Chase Center, the Warriors are simply a different animal. Their overall record this season is that of an above average team. However, Conference topping teams have waltzed into San Francisco hoping to take advantage of the unpredictable season the Warriors are having only to learn in a hard way that the champions won't go down without a fight. Jayson Tatum was kept quiet; Ja Morant's best effort couldn't get Grizzlies the win. Not even the legendary LeBron could stop the barrage of mind blowing offensive plays oppositions are subjected to in San Francisco. The Hornets are the latest victim of Chase Center's magic, a place where the Warriors currently have a 14-2 record this season. With Curry still out with a shoulder injury and Wiggins still to return, Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson have partnered the ever dependable Draymond Green to keep things ticking nicely. And, what's up with those eye-catching dribbles from Poole in the 4th quarter against the Hornets. That dude is developing nicely. Now, the Warriors won't top the Western Conference. But whichever team gets them during the close season will be a very unlucky one. The Warriors are still here. Never. Count. Them. Out!

Unpleasant Lingard Return
Lingard at Manchester United just never really clicked. The interesting dude said nobody told him why he wasn't playing at United. But, my opinion has always been Jesse Lingard just doesn't have enough in his repertoire to play regularly for United. Heck, no one even knows his best position. Yes, he runs tirelessly, but he's not ruthless enough to play one of the three forward roles. He was tested at the hole behind the striker, but he's not good enough to find the final pass that unlocks defence, nor is he silky enough to link midfield with attack. Lingard thrived when given a free role at West Ham, a team that depends more on fast breaks. At United, 70% of the game they play will have opposition defenders shutting down all the spaces while packed in a defensive shape.
So, you can imagine my surprise when Lingard believed he should've played for United regularly despite not being exceptional in anything.

Flaky Chelsea
For all the trouble Potter's Chelsea endured before the World Cup, it would be stretching things too far if anyone expected Bournemouth to win at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea duly dispatched Bournemouth, but they also displayed some of the underlying problems that saw them lose their last three EPL games before Qatar 2022. The return of Reece James gave assurance to their performance. It all unravelled immediately when their impressive right back left the pitch at the 53rd minute due to injury concerns. Chelsea's next match is at Nottingham Forest, a match they will be expected to win. However, their progress will be judged when next they face a top 10 team. Afterall, all they are now is a top 10 team!

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