We're eight days into the NBA season, and so far it's been everything we expected. Twenty-six teams will take the court today, so it's going to be a busy night. Here's Wednesday's full schedule, as well as some players to keep an eye on.
NBA Schedule for tonight: November 1
NBA Players to watch on Nov. 1:
Jordan Poole, Washington Wizards
After a tough loss to the Celtics, Jordan Poole will be aiming to get the Washington Wizards back on track against the Atlanta Hawks. Even though it wasn't his best shooting night, Poole still shot 45.5% from the field against the Celtics. Poole is averaging 18.7 points, three rebounds, and three assists in his inaugural season in Washington.
In fact, Poole has tallied 56 points in his first three games for the Wizards, and he's not even shooting the ball well. He shot 5-of-23 (21 percent) from beyond the arc and 20-52 from the field (38%). Once Poole finds his rhythm from deep, it's bad news. The Hawks have allowed their opponents to shoot around 42 percent from 3 this season. Having said that, if the Hawks don't close out, Jordan Poole will have a very productive night.
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves may be 1-2, but Anthony Edwards is off to a hot start. So far, he's shooting 44 percent from the field and 60 percent from 3. He's averaging 25.3 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. At 22 years old, he leads his team in scoring and assists. Considering that, don't be surprised if Anthony Edwards has a huge game and hands the Denver Nuggets their first loss of the season.
Keep in mind, this matchup is personal for Minnesota. This is a rematch of last year's Western Conference first round matchup. Although the Timberwolves lost the series in five games, Edwards averaged 31.6 points, a handful of rebounds and assists each, two blocks, and nearly two steals. It will be an intense matchup. Anthony Edwards will be locked in. Sometimes, that's all there is to it.
Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
Naji Marshall is out for the next two weeks and Brandon Ingram is day-to-day with knee soreness. In other words, Zion Williamson will most likely be the Pelicans' chief offensive weapon against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Zion's 22 points-per-game average is the second most on the team. In addition, Zion has finished with at least 19 points and five rebounds in all three appearances so far this season.
Across four games, the Thunder have allowed their opponents to shoot 46.3% from the field. This bodes well for Zion Williamson, who shoots 57.1 percent from the field and hasn't made a three so far this season. Zion will face Jalen Williams, who is an inch shorter and considerably lighter than Zion. Zion could bully Williams and the Thunder all night. Plus, if it comes down to Chet Holmgren vs Zion at the rim, I'll take Zion every time.