RAHEEL RAMZANALI
The NBA is back, and all is right in Raheel's world
Oct 16, 2018, 7:05 am
Today is the holiest of holy days for me, Raheel Ramzanali. The start of the NBA season. If I had it my way, the season would have started even earlier - like on June 9, the day after the NBA finals. We can give the two teams in the NBA finals a week off, but for the rest of the guys, let’s get right back at it so Raheel can watch hoops all summer long. I digress. With the start of the season here, I wanted to layout some storylines that I’m excited for in the 2019 season:
Will Carmelo Anthony have a positive impact on the Rockets after the All-Star game? I think Carmelo is going to look pretty good to start the season, but father time is undefeated when it comes to everybody but LeBron James. How is Melo going to look shooting with tired legs? If he can overcome his spotty defense with some good shooting nights late in the season and the playoffs, it will be worth it for the Rockets.
Will Russell Westbrook get to the second round? It’s only been two years since Durant left, but those two years have been brutal in terms of team success for the Thunder. Last year’s disappointing loss to the Jazz in the first round was the cherry on top, but will it get better now that Paul George is all in with the Thunder? I love watching Russ play, but it’s time to add some team awards to his mantle in addition to the triple doubles.
Can the Raptors make the East fun again? LeBron has finally left the East and now all signs point to a new dynasty rising in the Celtics, but can Kawhi Leonard make this a bit more fun and entertaining? This Raptors team was the No. 1 seed last year and only got better with the addition of Kawhi and Danny Green. I think they win the East. I know I’m crazy.
Will anybody ever get any sleep now with the Lakers being a must-watch team every single night? We only have a few more years of prime LeBron to watch and I really don’t want to miss any of the action. In addition to that, we still have those Golden State Warriors fellas to scout if you’re a Houston fan.
All signs point to Giannis winning the MVP this year, BUT BUT BUT...indulge me for a second because I think Victor Oladipo has a shot to win it out of nowhere. Oladipo has been progressing every single year and I think has a legit shot to crack 29 ppg this year. While the league scoring leader isn’t guaranteed to win the MVP, it does put him in the conversation and if his team is top 2 in the East, why not?
Where will Kemba Walker end the season? I’m thinking San Antonio. I don’t know how, but for some reason I have a feeling something like this will happen.
My league pass team for this season: Donovan Mitchell. I can’t say the Jazz.
Two storylines for the New York City readers: the Nets will make the playoffs AND Kevin Knox will be a monster for the Knicks.
The Houston Astros announced on Monday that additional imaging has revealed that Jeremy Peña is dealing with a small fracture in one of his ribs.
Peña left Friday's game after being hit by a pitch in the ribs. The club originally believed they had avoided any fractures or breaks, but new information has informed them otherwise.
Update on Jeremy Peña: pic.twitter.com/jfCsCUKWFx
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 30, 2025
Peña is heading to the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 28. This news comes at an unfortunate time, with Jeremy posting the best regular season numbers of his career. He's currently slashing .322, .378, .489 with an .867 OPS.
Peña will miss the Rockies and Dodgers series at a minimum.
Story on Peña headed to the IL with quotes from Dana Brown.
“This isn’t one of those things where you have to be sidelined the whole time. Once the inflammation goes down, he might feel good enough to swing a bat.” https://t.co/ih2G09Jpcf
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) June 30, 2025
Let's hope the team doesn't rush him back too soon and create an even bigger problem. These quotes above from Dana Brown have me concerned. Playing through injuries can create bad habits, and Jeremy has clearly found his swing this season.