It’s hard to believe we’re already over a month into the season. The offseason always feels incredibly long, and then, once it finally starts, we’re all waiting eagerly for those first ten games to figure out whether a strong start is just luck or whether a team truly has the potential to sustain it throughout the entire season.
Who would have thought, for example, that the Pistons would be at the top of the standings or that the Raptors would perform this well? I didn’t see Miami coming either. For a moment, it even looked like the Bulls might actually be a serious threat. But once we move beyond that ten-game mark, it often becomes clear that some things were simply due to an easier schedule without the toughest contenders — and then reality reshuffles everything.
My first game of the season was Opening Night: Lakers vs. Warriors — a touch of nostalgia with the old-school legends. But now I’m excited to take a closer look at the players we don’t always have on our radar.
24 November 2025 – Flight to Seattle, then driving to Portland to cover Blazers vs. Spurs.
I arrived two days early, and on game day I drove from Seattle to Portland early in the morning — about two hours and forty minutes. I love these kinds of drives; I always use them to gather myself, listen to podcasts, and catch up on perspectives from my American colleagues. The Blazers started the season strong but then hit a stretch of losses.
They’re still the only team that managed to beat the powerhouse in Oklahoma City so far. OKC is sitting at 21–1. You can’t imagine how curious I am to see whether they really are the next great dynasty — or whether it simply won’t be sustainable because they won’t be able to pay everyone once next season arrives.
But back to Portland — Deni Avdija is playing an absolutely outstanding season. He’s putting up across-the-board career highs: 25.8 P / 7.1 R / 6.2 A compared to last season’s 16.9 P / 7.3R / 3.9 A. Toumani Camara is showing steady improvement as well, as is Donovan Clingan. With Shaden Sharpe, meanwhile, the question is whether he can grow beyond his role as a slashing dunker. Can he become a true two-way player?
On the Spurs’ side, Victor Wembanyama was unfortunately out. Their rookie, Dylan Harper, who had been injured recently, returned just in time for the game — but didn’t see much playing time. At the beginning of the season, Wemby was outstanding, and I already saw at least one award coming his way. But now the question is how many games he can actually play to qualify.
The absolute highlight for me was my pre-game interview with Deni Avdija. These interviews are always exciting because the exact location and time aren’t confirmed until shortly before — and you can never be fully sure whether the player might cancel last minute.
About an hour and a half before tip-off, I finally received the location. I got to set up in the newly renovated entrance area of the Trail Blazers locker room, right where the beautiful team logo stands. And then Deni Avdija really walked up to my camera — still pumped, coming straight off the court after warm-up shooting.
What truly impresses me about Deni Avdija is his exceptional basketball IQ and his sensitivity. When you ask him a two-part question, he doesn’t just answer randomly; he starts with the first part and then moves to the second. He listens very carefully. He takes his time and chooses his words thoughtfully.
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I asked him a question about Franz Wagner. The two had played against each other as teenagers in a friendly game in Tel Aviv. I asked Deni whether he remembered his first impression of Franz and how he evaluates him today. Even though he couldn’t recall the details from back then, Deni spoke very positively about Franz Wagner and highlighted his exceptional qualities both as a player and as a person. It’s always beautiful when one player talks about another with that much respect and appreciation.It’s important to mention that this was an Emirates Cup game — and the Blazers had to win to advance.
The intensity was accordingly high. And the Blazers are lucky: their Cup court is actually beautiful. Unlike Minnesota’s, which is so neon green that all the players look like Hulk. Portland’s has a dark gray with dark red — gray in the center and red around the edges. Unfortunately, the Blazers couldn’t take the win and were eliminated from the tournament.
Aurelia Rieke
What impressed me even more afterward was Deni’s fearless play on the court. His ability to dive into the paint and use his body, and his versatility: he can finish at the rim with one-foot layups, spin moves, reverse layups, and Dirk-style fadeaway one-leg jumpers. He’s also a dangerous shooter from distance.
That level of versatility at such a young age is incredibly exciting — I can’t wait to see what he’ll achieve in the future, especially with Damian Lillard returning next season. The Blazers as a whole are showing remarkable adaptability despite their challenges at the point-guard position. Scoot Henderson is still out due to the hamstring injury he suffered in training camp, and Jrue Holiday is still out as well. At least Shaedon Sharpe is back now. Still, their forwards are shining with their versatility. The league is shifting — the traditional point guard is losing some of its significance as forwards and even bigs develop more and more skills to fill that gap. It’s fascinating to watch this evolution. Thinking back to the Steph Curry era, we’re now seeing bigs regain influence as they become increasingly skilled and versatile rather than just traditional centers.
After the game, I had the chance to go into the locker room and conduct a strong interview with Caleb Love. I was really impressed, especially because Caleb went undrafted. I love stories of players who “fall through the cracks,” who supposedly aren’t good enough, but then get a chance from a team — and use it to show with everything they have that they belong.
Aurelia Rieke
What makes him even more interesting is that he was one of the players who attended Damian Lillard’s Camp Zero and became MVP there. Damian Lillard is one of his mentors, supporting him intensely from the sidelines during games. I’m very excited to see how his career develops. He had his breakout game against the Warriors a few days earlier — 26 points, hitting six of fourteen threes, right in front of Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard. That must have been incredible.
I’m incredibly overwhelmed by all these impressions and grateful for the chance to begin my fourth season with Sky Sport by my side. It’s amazing to see how partnerships evolve over the years. Getting to work for Sky Sport and stand in front of the camera is still unbelievable to me. I’m full of joy, gratitude, and anticipation for what’s ahead — because the next trip is already coming up.
Now it’s back to New York. I’ll be spending St. Nicholas Day in New York and then, on December 6, I have my Nets game vs. the Pelicans. I’m already excited to see Ben Saraf again and talk to him — about Ulm, preparing for the NBA from Germany, and his first experiences in the league. The next day brings a real highlight: the New York Knicks face the Orlando Magic. I’m especially looking forward to seeing our three German players again.
And who knows — maybe I’ll even manage to talk to Tristan. Because the game will be commented by none other than Frank Buschmann and Oscar da Silva. Oscar commentating the game of his own brother — we love that.
So, guys: stay tuned! I’m already excited to tell you all about my New York experiences in my next column.
