Tuesday, October 27th will be the opening night in the NBA. The start of a new season for the fans of most NBA teams is exciting because a new season brings hope for success. For Concord New Hampshire’s Matt Bonner and the San Antonio Spurs, opening night is a time to celebrate by hoisting another championship banner to the rafters of the AT&T Arena and by giving out gaudy championship rings. The players, coaches and fans will bask in the glow of their accomplishments. But after the celebration, the 2013-14 season will officially become history. There will be a game to play with a strong divisional interstate rival, the Dallas Mavericks. The champions must begin defense of the title.
It will be interesting to see how Coach Popovich will navigate this team through the grueling regular season with aging stars like Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili. How will he integrate emerging stars like Kawai Leonard and Patty Mills into the lineup? Armchair coaches will be focused on how Gregg Popovich proves again that he is the best coach in the NBA.
Matt discussed one of the main reasons for the success of the Spurs–ageless wonder, Tim Duncan. Mr. Fundamental, as he is known in the NBA, is entering his seventeenth year in the league. Everyone wonders how Tim is able to play at such a high level for so long? Matt, who has been with the Spurs since 2005, is continually amazed by Duncan’s work ethic and durability.
Next, Chris interviewed Celtics big man, Kelly Olynyk. The second year player discussed the upcoming season. You can catch all the Celtic games here on WKXL. That interview was followed by a chat with former Manchester Monarch, Marc-Andre Cliche. He is now starring for the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche.
In the final segment of the show, Matt and Chris discussed the teams in the powerful Western Division of the NBA that will be threats to the Spurs repeating as champions. The teams in the Eastern Division were also evaluated. They also discussed what makes a successful coach in the NBA. Can college coaches like Brad Stevens, the second year Celtics’ coach, make the jump to a “players league” like the NBA? Can NBA players transition smoothly to coaching guys that they played with? Is it important for a coach to have experience as an NBA player?
