Courtside Conversations - October/November 2016

October/November 2016

PLUS NBA PREVIEW WHAT TO WATCH THIS YEAR KD: STATE OF URGENCY THE ROOKIE LIST

LEBRON JAMES: THE CHASE

2016-2017 N WHAT TO

NBA SEASON: O WATCH

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October 25 : th

“Opening Night”

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The Cavs and Knicks opened up the season last year in LeBron’s big homecoming back to Cleveland and once again one half of the banana boat buddies will face off.

The Knicks look different this year and might make for an interesting start to the season, but against the defending champs?

At least Melo will be able to watch as his good buddy LeBron receives his brand new shiny ring.

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It’s almost fitting that the NBA gives us an immediate look at the new and improved Golden State Warriors as Kevin Durant makes his debut at the Oracle. And the opponent? Well why not give them the leagues best franchise and the team that went under the radar last year thanks in part to the Warriors.

This game probably takes the cake for opening day and will be one to watch from buzzer to buzzer as we begin the journey of the super team 2.0.

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How do you end a long day of opening day basketball? The recipe is simple in this match-up, grab 2 of the youngest teams in the league that will most likely end up in the playoffs this year and let them loose.

If your feeling tired after the first 2 games of the day, be prepared for some great young talent to keep you hooked right until the end in this one. Utah have been due for a playoff breakthrough and Portland shocked the league last year and now both ourtside teams will onversatons kick off their seasons going head to head, yes please.

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November 3 : th

“New House, Old Friends”

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It may not be the homecoming just yet but this one will defintiely have people watching as Durant’s former team step into the Oracle for their first meeting since everything went down. It’s easy to give the backstory again for this game but if your reading this then it wouldn’t be worth boring you with the details.

We all know that every game the Warriors play this season will once again be watched and critiqued to no end, but there meetings with the Thunder are obviously the more intriguing. For this game in particular, due to its early scheduling it won’t mean as much as the next time these 2 teams face off in the new year. It will be too early to decide which team was affected by Durant’s decision which changes the build up and investment to the competitive nature of the game.

So who should win? The Thunder are deifnitely the team that should do everything they can to leave with the win for a few reasons. The main reason is that it would enhance Durant’s return even more for fans league-wide which would almost certianly force one of the most competitve games we may see this whole season. For Durant, these games won’t be like LeBron’s returns to Cleveland during his 4 years in Miami.

This is definitely the game we want to see, but it is simply to add to the build up for the February 5th showdown. At the very least we can see if Triple-Double-Westbrook will be exactly as we thought.

November 4 : th

“Hometown Hero”

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The Knicks made some moves this offseason that have left alot of questions to be answered and yet at the same time, they’ve managed to make themselves one of the more entertaining teams to watch this year.

The Bulls and Knicks will play 3 times this season, but no game out of those 3 will see ratings like this one as Chicago’s own Derrick Rose will return home in the new blue and orange uniform. His return to Chicago will be a huge deal after seasons of agony and inability to give the fans what they’ve been holding onto since his MVP season at least now the Bulls fans have their chance to thank Rose one final time for his time.

For Rose, the new change fo scenary may just be what he needs, although his love for the city of Chicago remains, it would be unfair to think that he didn’t give them everything he could while he was there.

This game will be a chance for Rose to reflect but also silence his critics within Chicago that were quick to turn their back on him after his numerous injuries. It may be a chance to show that his game was always there and that perhaps he and Jimmy Butler really couldn’t work out as they would have taken away from each other in the long term.

Whichever it is, there should be alot of people rooting for Rose this season as he still has the chance to show the NBA fans that he wasn’t another injury riddled player who was slowly pushed away from the league.

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November 10 : th

“Wade’s Return to Miami”

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Heat fans took the news pretty tough when Dwyane Wade had announced he’d be signing with the Chicago Bulls this past offseason and wasn’t shy about explaning why he reached the decision as he made it. The Heat were laser focused on trying to court Kevin Durant and even though they were swift to give Hassan Whiteside a max deal in the end it was Wade who was left in the dark for weeks.

This game will be one of celebration and should be unlike any other players return to their former team since the likes of Michael Jordan with the Wizards. Wade’s history with Miami is more than 3 championships, it was the team and the town he grew up in after being drafted back in 2003 logging 13 years with the franchise.

Anything short of an overwhelming ovation at the American Airlines Arena would seem petty from a fanbase that has been up and down with the franchise throughout the years.

Wade still has game left in his beaten and bruised body even after coming off a 2014-2015 season where the talk was that he may have finally reached his limit and should maybe considering retirement. Dwayne single handedly walked the Heat into the second round of the playoffs and gave Heat fans even more classic Wade moments in the process.

South beach is still Wade County and in early November, this will be a great stage for Dwayne to give Heat fans one more moment to celebrate before it finally sinks in that they lost the young atheltic guard that thrilled them for the last decade.

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December 25 : th

“Christmas Day”

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The Warm up game to kick off the christmas day line-up isn’t as bad as past years and does have some potential to be a decent game, but if we’re all being honest the NBA knows that we need a so-so game to get us ready for the main event.

It will be interesting to see where both teams are when it comes to late December, if the Knicks become something that not alot of people thought was possible then it could help build some mild interest for this game but with the pre-show out of the way we’ll be moving ahead with the next games.

This is the big one right here and as you’ve settled in for the line-up this will have you locked in right up until the end. The Finals rematch but with Golden State looking like a brand new team apart from the majority of the starting five and some key bench players.

So while it doesn’t feel like a “rematch” per say, it will be the beginning point for finals conversations to gain traction and refuse to stop until June. By this time the Warriors super-team would have spent almost 2 months figuring out how to play together and meanwhile LeBron and Kyrie will be picking apart the league without a care in the world as they focus on the playoffs.

The Bulls will look very different this season and for the Spurs they should be just as good if not better this year. It won’t be the first time these teams meet but it has the makings for a highly entertianing game.

A great mix of young and veteran talent on display has almost always delivered and somehow it would make the most sense for Dwayne Wade to go off in a game like this. If their December 8th meeting is a good preview then expect for this one not to disappoint either.

The NBA scheduled this game perfecty, with a brief moment to relax after the Cavs v Warriors game the league hits us with what should be one of the most up and down, high flying and fast paced games of the day with the Thunder and Wolves.

If you thought watching Westbrook was exhausting enough the you’ll need to down at least 3 energy drinks to keep up with the action. With the T-Wolves expecting to take a big leap once again this year and the Thunder going in a new direction even with the addition of Victor Oladipo this will defintiely be a great way to close out the christmas day games.

To end this massive day of basketball the battle of Los Angeles will be played as the Clippers come off a rather disappointing season once again which is becoming an unwanted consistency for a team that year after year is in a position to compete for a championship.

On the other side, the Lakers are young and fresh bursting with a tonne of a potential talent and this year we’ll see which player can stand in the spotlight and do so on the biggest day in the NBA.

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February 11 : th

“Durant’s Return to OKC”

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February marks a huge point in the the NBA season as we inch closer to the most entertaining All-Star festivities across all of the major American sports. It also becomes a time in the year where we start to get a good feel for where certain teams are in terms of the playoffs and possibly the Finals.

However on February 11th we’ll be given the NBA’s greatest storyline for a player that captivates fans of all teams for a brief moment. Theres no doubt that this will be one of the most watched games of the season as Kevin Durant returns to Oklahoma City for the the first time since leaving for the Warriors.

Durant was originally drafted by the Supersonics and after the team moved to Oklahoma City, Durant was the face of that franchise as the fanbase watched him and the entire team grow right in front of their eyes. This past summer however, the Thunder fans watched it all slip away in a crushing choice by Durant to leave after one of the most promising playoff runs since their 2012 exit from the NBA Finals.

The build up for this game is already in place and like all the other home returns from previous players, the way the fans react will be highly intriguing due to the fact that this fanbase is like no other in the league.

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onversatons Courtside onversatons Courtside onversatons Courtside As the final buzzer sounded in Oracle Arena on June 19th the NBA world stood in shock as the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied back from a 3-1 defecit to defeat the Golden State Warriors. This marked the franchise first championship and Ohio's own LeBron James his third in the last 6 years in 6 straight finals appearances. In a series that seemed almost definitely over, James silenced his critics in the best 3-game stretch of his unfinished career. Out of the 6 finals James had been apart of prior to 2016, not a single series had rivaled when it came to storylines and with that brought and overwhelming amount of doubt and dismissal on one of the NBA's generational players.

THE CH This doubt wasn't just birthed this year, but rather something LeBron has dealt with for the last 6 years since his departure from Cleveland to Miami. It wasn't so much a conversation that he wouldn't win a championship but rather how many he'd win after he poclaimed the famous "not one, not two, not three..." chant in late 2010. By this time the elephant in the room has been brought up multiple times, and after 2010 there were no shortage of comparisons and if James could ever measure up to the greatest player ever. It became more about what LeBron needed to do but not about what he had already done in his then young career.

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HASE Now with redemption and the never better storybook ending that was written with James' 2016 NBA Championship win, the barbershop talk had slightly dissipated and began to settle.

That was until, in a recent Sports Illustrated artcle, where James was quoted candidly as he spoke to attendees taking part in a Nike promotional event that hosted young up and coming basketball talent. It was in this moment that when James was asked the question on most objective and a curious NBA fans as it pertains to exactly what James has left to chase after acheiving such a huge feat as he did in this years finals. One of the attendees would ask James what his motivation is after doing what most thought was impossible.

James took moment before answering, as described in the SI article, then told the young players that his motivation was a "ghost i'm chasing... the ghost played in Chicago".

After all the comparisons that James had downplayed throughout his career in a single but brief sentence he chose to perhaps provide validation to the notion that he may be playing for more than his own legacy. The quote itself isn't much to draw conclusions on given James' history of being passive agressive using "coded" messaging to say what he's really feeling. If this is how it reads however, what is it that LeBron is now playing for? And does he stand a chance to match his Airness?

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This is how LeBron James operates in the realm of basketball, but unlike Jordan it bled into his on-court and off-court personality from a very early age. Something that Michael Jordan reserved for his spectaculer on-court performances throughout the years. Quickly we will do the thing where we immediately judge a player by measuring their greatness by the number of championships they have or therefore lack of. After 2012 however, this was no longer going to be the case for LeBron which was later solidified as the next few years saw James return to 6 straight NBA Finals in a row. This feat in itself is something that even Jordan didn't acheive, but in the 6 that he was apart of he holds a perfect record of 6-0, which could be argued to be 7-0 if not for his short retirement or ban if you're into conspiracies.

By no means is that meant to be a stand-out point in an arguement of who's better, but rather a chance to offer perspective on the way we compare players and their greatness. If we did this for every player then by numbers alone Horace Grant would be "better" than LeBron James with Grant going to 6 Finals and holding a 4-2 record. Of course this is deemed unreasonable because we wouldn't even bring a player like Grant into the conversation because of the other factors of his game don't exactly reflect being the sole reason he won those championships.

No matter your opinion on where you stand in the fan fight, we need to know where this all started and how our view on the game has changed as we continue to say who the best players in todays league remind us of or play the most similar too. As Jordan transitioned out of the league the NBA landscape had changed dramatically, since then the search for the "next guy" has been an extensive search with only a few guys that could even rise to the occasion.

If we're focusing on purely trying to find the next MJ then the player needed to match the position and/or playing style. Under this criteria the only 2 players to be considered in the realm were Kobe and LeBron. To decide who came closer is an even greater debate in itself, and if we again look at objectively, James comes out on top as the most complete NBA player of the two.

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MAN Since James' days in high school, the expectation level for a player to become the next basketball phenom was and has never been higher than that of what he or most other players have dealt with before. In an age of heightened media sources it became more and more diffcult for James to escape these shackles of expectation to excel, something that both Jordan and Bryant would probably be glad to have dodged.

James and Jordan do share similarities in the trajectory during the start of their NBA careers in that it took both of them at least 7 years before they won their first championships and up until then were doing things individually that took the league by storm.

The accolades may be different but the build up was not too far apart, and both required the sourrounding of like-minded and complementary talent to help exceed them to the ultimate goal. While up until this point the stats will say that both have shown the promise that it was only a matter of time before they begin to contend and surely win their first championship and prosumptively not their last.

Admittingly this is where the trajectory takes a turn in the road for both players as Jordan's playoff start and finished drastically different to James. Again however, we must take into account the logical contrast in the players time during the NBA and the field of talent during these times. Each player dominated their conference year after year, and when the Finals came around each player experienced their own conditions to acheiving success.

James in his own right dominated his finals teams in different ways to Jordan and in a league built on the stipulation that no excuses can be made for how a finals outcome is reached, certianly for both players the pros and cons of their resume can be subject to disection. The greats will forever long for the chance to dethrone the next obstacle in front of them and for James, the road that his career has traveled needs to looked at differently instead of defaulting to the stubborn point to echo "did he win it all or not".

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Jordan certainly did his fair share of winning, and did so in soime of the most entertaining ways possible which you can still see in NBA highlights around the world. For a large majority if NBA fans these days, the only account we have on Jordan is these highlights and as much playback as the internet provides us.

This was the player who had a book of rules written that was in part created by a team that gave him his biggest problems - the 'Bad Boy' Detroit Pistons. Jordan's accolades are the reflection of one of the most celebrated cases of unfathomable work ethic and extreme talent. Jordan was the bi-product of a athlete that took on every challenge and usually came out on top.

While its important and certianly deserving to celebrate a player such as Michael Jordan, just like many of the other major sports around the world, the game adapts and eventually evolves bringing in new players and even more importantly new fans. Because of this, for a younger fan they may be subject to impressionable views on how things were, and to some fans, will always be.

Jordan is the prime example of this in basketball and for the sake of LeBron James, he'll simply never compare in the eyes of a older fan that grew up with the NBA with Michael Jordan in it.

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THE LE ______

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Something that Jordan will forever be reveered for was one of the biggest reasons why his basketbal character is so larger than life is the transedence of the league and its popularity.

So much attention is payed to the acheivements and while deserving, these are accomplishments are projected to an even bigger scale due to the globalisation of the league. For the most part, Michael Jordan is undoubtedly a big reason for this and that is something that can never be taken away.

You won't find but a few very knowledgeable NBA fans or older that can tell you how great Bill Russel was. The same rules apply for Jordan, but then you could multiply that by unquantifiable amounts.

This feather in the cap is something that is not only held over James, but rather every player after Jordan for the rest of time. This in part is the reason why a civil conversation will never be had regarding greatest ever, because for alot of fans it all started with Air Jordan.

EGEND The shooting guard position was something that Michael Jordan dominated, and for the majority of his career there was nobody close to being better apart from when he faced Larry Bird early in his career. Once Jordan broke the chains in 1992 after years of falling to great Celtics teams and then the Pistons twice in a row, his game reached a supremely new level once the playoffs came around.

This was where Jordans game was truly on show, and if we were to give players a certain aspect of basketball skill that defined what they were best at then Jordan's level of play and hightened competitive nature once the playoffs started will most likely never be seen again. James does share this trait but in a totally different way, but when it comes to Jordan his record speaks for itself.

No player has ever won a NBA championship by themselves, but Jordan's skill wasan imperitive and he was always a huge part of moments that would either change the game or win it entirely. Up until now, its hard to find a player who was demanded to do so much for his team and still manage to win not only 1 championship but to do it 3 times in a row back to back.

His level of basketball stardom will never be touched, and although LeBron has a huge fan following the NBA has a level of talent that draws fans to different stars and dedicate a loyalty that is unwavered by the best player in the league. This was not the case for Jordan in any city, as much as he was loved he was just as hated, but ask any fan back then how they feel now and they will most certainly put their fandom aside and give respect the best player of his generation.

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THE LE

EGACY LeBron James is going to go down as one the greatest players to ever play the game, but the greatest ever? At this point it would be hard for James to receive that kind of praise from the masses. For LeBron, the only way that it seems possible is to reach his 6th or more NBA Championship - something that would be an acheivement like no other considering the road James has had to travel already.

James has been smart about this from the very beginning, vying to be one of if not the greatest players to ever play this game, and if Jordan is truly a goal of his then we should know not to present doubt so quickly. LeBron's historical awareness of the game is up there with a basketball purist like his peer Kobe Bryant and with this knowledge is always reminding himself where he stands in the many facets of the game. Since bursting into the league at the ripe age of 18 his game has skyrocketed to levels that have made him sharper, surpassing that of Michael Jordan and perhaps hovering just under the tier of a Magic Johnson.

Although James may never be able to take the title, at the end of the day it's a title that is interchangable to the many people who love the game of basketball. The list is short but is none the less a list that is dependant on the fan that perceives it given everything that seperates 2 players like Jordan and LeBron. LeBron has carved out his own niche, likely something that will never enter the league for a long time or even never again. Athletes, specifically basketball players, are constantly changing year after year and for the most part these almost superhuman beings are given a disadvantage right from the beginning.

At 6' 6" 190lbs, Jordan was perfectly sculpted for the way the game was played through the mid-80's and thereafter mixed in with the added ability of being offensively masterful as well as defensively capable there was nothing else like him in the league for most of his era. Eventually however, we'd see similarly built players enter the league after Jordan but clearly lacking even an ounce of the talent Jordan posessed. James is almost defenitely the only other player that this kind of description could be closely linked to as James stood 6' 8" weighing in the neighbourhood of an NFL tight end at 260lbs with an all-around talent that can make him a threat offensively against any player and any team.

While we are seeing this play out before our eyes there are still a pocket of fans that won't let go of the past and by no means are they at fault for this. The back and forth will never be settled due to this tug of war with letting the great be great and to avoid relinquishing the athlete that they covet so much.

Ultimately this is not LeBron's title for the taking and for whatever James has left to "chase" he would have carved out his own "path to greatness" that should leave him with a high ranking in top 10 greatest ever. James has broken down walls inside and out of the NBA and like the many players before him that he praises, he can also be looked at as a player that opened up opportunities for players for many generations to come. Of course a young LeBron James, like everyone else, wanted to be "Like Mike", but it is James' unlikely story that sets him apart from Jordan forever.

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I’ll be honest, I’m shocked by my own pick. Perennial cellar dwellers at the bottom of the standings the last few seasons, the Jazz have put together an interesting squad. With four starters arguably in the top 10 for each of there positions and a young PG in Exum, don’t sleep on the Jazz. The team is relatively young and has been able to push the pace of a game in the past but nobody should expect to see this team come June. I was considering putting the Knicks in this spot but the Jazz take it as the #5 league pass team for ‘16-’17.

Russell Westbrook. Do I need to say anymore? After a turbulent offseason that saw top 5 player Kevin Durant leave in a shock move as well as key role player Serge Ibaka, Westbrook is about to be unleashed. Paired up with new backcourt team mate Victor Olidipo, just the athleticism alone of these two warrants a league pass selection for the highlight ability. OKC might not be as dominate as last year but the idea of Westbrook being a one-man army able to drop a triple double at will has every NBA fan on edge.

Having back to and a 2x dunk your team screa pass gold. Anyb managed to m Anthony Towns season missed is on his way to greatest, pair th new successful Tom Thibodeau must watch NB tell you what I’ excited for this Zach Lavine con human highlig KAT continue is greatness? You past watching t this season.

onversatons Courtside ourtside It’s the start of a new exiting NBA season and with that for C rabid NBA onversatons fans the start of hours waisted away on league pass. Every year the

debate always opens up on who are the most watchable teams, who are the most watchable players and who you need on league pass. After everything that happened this summer I formulated my own list of this seasons top 5 league pass teams. Their not all title contenders, but with the long season ahead it’s hard to look past these teams when there playing in full flight.

o back rookies champion on eams league body that miss Karl s rookie d a player who o be one of the his up with l head coach u and you have BA. I couldn’t ’m more s season. Will ntinue to be a ght real? Can s path to u can’t go the Wolves

Boston landed one of the biggest free agent names this summer in Al Horford.

Paired up with all-star Isaiah Thomas and solidifying their back court, this team has its best chances yet at the Eastern Conference crown.

Add in three first-round picks into the fold and a system where role players seem to flourish, the Celtics look capable of a deep playoff run and your league pass viewing.

Sometimes picking a team is predictable, but its often only predictable because it’s so likely to happen you have to accept it. The Warriors are included in this rule because who would go past watching them. Assembled to be the “god squad” the idea of this much high calibre talent in one team is only usually reserved for All-Star games.

Featuring 2 MVP’s and now 2 Olympic gold medallists this team ticks all the boxes of watchablity. Highlight plays, winning record and a roster loaded with talented players, love or hate GSW they’ll have you watching every minute of all 82 games.

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2016 2017

PREVIEW

The 76ers had a poor year in the wins and losses column, but in this past year have gone through some much needed change as the franchise was re-vamped starting in the front office. The departure of Sam Hinkie has proposed to position the team in a forward direction now as they continue to groom their young players and hopefully get Joel Embid back from injury troubles.

Even with the clubs shake up, they managed to snag the #1 pick in this past NBA Draft and have now acquired young aussie prospect Ben Simmons who is surely going to see extended court time as we approach the new season.

So what does this mean for the 76ers for 2016-2017?

Best case scenario is they lift themselves from the bottom of the East for the first time in a long time, but Philly fans need to remain realistic. That said, don’t overlook the 76ers for too long, their rise is only beginning.

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Brooklyn have been in down into the league, which could organisational choices rather with the team itself. As for th certianly gave up certain pie good choices in their new ad

They’ve done a sound job in veteran players as well as so the limited options they have control over their offseason f yeah that trade. Fans of the N to the future as the team re-in year after year.

This team can only play the w it does seem like they’re mov

nward spiral since their arrival have more to do with some r than having anything to do his upcoming season, the Nets eces but made reasonably dditions to the squad.

n the draft and acquired some ome consistent NBA talent with e since almost giving Boston felxibility since the trade...

Nets should once again look nvents itself and picks itself up

waiting game for so long, but ving in the right direction.

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The super team of NBA has been built again, but it’s certainly not going to be playing in New York at least until the Warriors are scheduled. The Knicks are desperately trying to build something in New York that the fans can appreciate, something that they can be proud of since the likes of Linsanity. Everybody has seen the moves the Knicks have made this offseason and at this point the optimism is split among fans as they try to prepare for the best and worst case scenario of how this will play out.

The Knicks are slowly improving and look to be in prime position to make it into the playoffs this year which should keep MSG relatively populated as this season goes on.

New York basketball is extremely contagious when the team sees any success and if the team starts off postively, Knicks fans will finally be able to find solace after some of the darker time in Knicks past seasons.

The dynamic between the Knicks new players and Carmelo Anthony will garner interest outside of New York’s fanbase, and has the potential to overachieve. Regardless, expect to see the Knicks take a jump in the East and finally give back to their fans.

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The Bucks are a few teams t and additona competitive ea took a step ba out about thei going forward

They’ve made Dellavedova a selecting Thon prospect that turned into int

Milwaukee ha mix of the Eas to a high leve playoffs once the Bucks hav Eastern Confe

e moving in a great direction and are apart of that are on this rise doing so with young talent al talent that are making them increasingly ach and every year. Unfortunately the Bucks ack this season, but in doing so found things ir team that will change the way the play d.

e some great additions this summer in and Teletovic and made a gutsy move by n Maker in the NBA Draft, originally a was sorrounded with questions that quickly trigue after his summer league appearances.

as desprately tried to keep themselves in the st and this season should see them get back el of basketball and hopefully back into the e again. With so much potential on the team, ve alll the pieces to make a deep run into the erence.

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The Magic have changed everything coming into this new season. A new revamped front court with attention to defence as well as an increased emphasis on the three ball, Orlando is looking to hopes of a playoff birth. Under new coach Frank Vogel who believes the Florida team is ready to take the next step in the post Dwight era, as well as the nice additions of Serge Ibaka, Bismack Biyombo, Jeff Green and alike will surely help this cause this coming season.

The real Question for Orlando is around its young stars.

The team’s success is built on the hopes Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton, Mario Hezonja and Evan Fournier and if they are able to take the next step. After huge praise in last years Dunk Contest a lot of Orlando’s attention is squarely aimed at young star Gordon and at only the age of 21 has shown glimpses of why Orlando used the 4th pick back in 2014.

Payton coming into his third year has huge question marks around his ability to produce a reliable jump shot, but if he is able to keep improving his ability to command and move the offense Orlando may have found their long term point of the future. Orlando heading into this season shouldn’t be looking to wow anybody but to slowly improve and get back into the Eastern Conference race like they have been perennially during franchise history.

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Washington should be one of the more exciting teams of the East and for a moment in time they were definitely being looked at as a threat by other teams. Recently however, they’ve dropped into the lower end of the conference after injury riddled seasons and some poor playing stretches.

When this team is healthy they’ve looked exactly like we all expect and the result is usually a win, but this has constantly been prevelant on Bradley Beal’s presence.

Beal and Wall are one the best backcourts in the NBA, but because of the lack of time on the floor together is has been left for Wall to mostly pick up the pieces. Washington fans can look to some possible changes with the new head coach switch to former Thunder coach Scott Brooks, but they won’t improve drastically just based on coaching.

The Wizards are stuck in a limbo of losing games and losing players which will ultimately dictate their positioning this year and in the next few seasons.

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The Chicago Bulls are a team looking for a new identity.

The trade of Derrick Rose, who was seen as the cornerstone of the franchise has signalled that Chicago is aiming for a new direction. The loss of Joakim Noah and other role players such as E’twaun Moore, Justin Holiday and Aaron Brooks also signal a retooling process.

With general managers Gar Forman and John “I hit a clutch 3 one time” Paxon need for a ‘younger and athletic team’, they acquired not so agile big man Robin Lopez, not so ‘young and athletic‘ any more Dwyane Wade and also Rajon Rondo. However, each player is not to be understated with Lopez a great presence at the rim, Wade still clutch from mid-range and crafty around the basket and Rondo still a playmaking threat, this team has the potential to surprise even the higher ranked teams.

In the 2016 draft, the Chicago Bulls selected Denzel Valentine, a 2 guard who possesses NBA level basketball IQ, passing skills and a respectable jump shot that will be effective on open shots. A dark horse for the playoffs in an Eastern conference that has only improved, Vegas and other agencies see this team as a 38 win max. However, a new system and players could be the spark they need to be back on top again.

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Detroit finally cracked the playoffs spot this year and although they were routed by the now NBA Champion Cavaliers, the team showed a huge amount of fight and for team that has a very young core, they most likely took alot learning away with them into the offseason.

Head Coach Stan Van Gundy has another team on his hands that could make a playoff push much like his 2009 Magic team did, but rather this time with more talent.

Piston fans can expect another strong season after adding to the already established roster with a new back-up point guard/psuedo-shooting guard in Ish Smith and big-man Boban Marjanovic from the Spurs. Detroit now have one of the biggest teams in the NBA and have been projected to end up alot higher than they did this past season.

Basketball success has been restored in the Palace and fans should definitely look forward to another playoff run, and it wouldn’t be a big surprise if they become one of the tougher teams to beat once the playoffs begin.

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The Pacers did a great job getting to the playoffs in 2016 and almost knocked off a desperate Raptors squad after taking them to 7 games. Unfortunately, the loss prompted the Pacers to once again return to the drawing board on for a team that’s been chasing another finals visit for a few years now.

Indiana shipped out a few good pieces and in return collected some good assets in Jeff Teague (traded from the Atlanta Hawks), Thad Young (traded from the Brooklyn Nets), Al Jefferson (signed for three years, $30 million), Jeremy Evans (traded from the Dallas Mavericks).

With such a big change, and the unknown of how each player will fit, it goes without saying that the Pacers will take a minute to figure this out, but it will be interesting to see where they are leading into and after the All-Star break.

Playoffs? It would take a fair amount for the Pacers to not reach the playoffs again, and while they don’t look like a finals team right away, they surely aren’t too far away.

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Charlotte had a solid year and found themselves in the playoffs with a first-round match-up against the Miami Heat, where they battled tremendously and gave the Hornets fanbase something to finally cheer about. After years of being the joke of the NBA, the Hornets are finally winning and building a team with some real NBA talent.

So where did 2016 leave Buzz City? They dished out 2 really good pieces on Jeremy Lin and Courtney Lee, which could knock the team back a slight notch.

On the other hand, it may just allow their remaining core to step-up and with the return of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist the Hornets are staying hopeful that these players can take that next step.

They may have lost the All-Star game but don’t let that deter from the fact that the Hornets are a tough team in the East currently. More than anything, Hornets fans can get excited to possibly see their team improve right before their eyes.

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Add Boston to the list of teams that missed on the Durant sweepstakes this year, but don’t think that Boston didn’t focus just on getting one of the toughest free agents since LeBron James.

The Celtics may have lucked out, but instead of cleaning house in hopeful preparations to landing Durant the C’s remained fundamentally the same as we head into the 2016-2017 season.

They let go of both Evan Turner and Jared Sullinger, but actually improved that flip by gaining Jaylen Brown with the 3rd pick in the draft and Al Horford off of free agency.

So at a quick glance, the Celtics are essentially unchanged and unphased. The rebuild on Boston has been going on for a while now and the team has remained solid and will do so again going late into 2017.

Danny Ainge was noted to have tried to do something with his pick this year, but nothing fell through, not even a Jimmy Butler trade rumour could pull the Celtics over the hill. So this year, expect the Celtics to be back in the playoffs, but in the Finals? Fans may have to hold out a bit longer for this historic franchise to reach the top again.

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Don’t look now, but this might not be the year for Hawks fans and honestly it’s ok to take that and recognise it for what it is. The Hawks have been knocked off for the second time in the playoffs and once again made changes to the roster. This time however, it’s not that they made questionable changes but rather what the changes mean for other players on the roster.

With Jeff Teague’s departure, the role that the Hawks will expect Dennis Schroeder to play will be a huge one this year and heres hoping its a positive showing for Dennis after his impact in the playoffs. The Hawks also lost Al Horford to the Celtics but signed Dwight Howard and not without bringing alot of questions along with him to his hometown.

The Howard effect has been promised to return year after year but has simply been missing - something the Hawks are hoping is turned around with Howards new sorroundings.

So don’t panic Hawks fans, but also don’t hold your breath that this season will be something to behold in terms of a playoff run. Expect to watch the roster grow from this year and make strides to becoming a force in the East again, but until then.....

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It’s certainly not 2010 anymore and the 4 years of jubilation and fanfare in South Beach has taken such a far turn to the left in the last 3 years that to prepare for what comes next is tough for any franchise that faces this turning point.

We mentioned the Durant sweepstakes earlier and here we are again with another team that tried but ultimately failed in achieving the goal. But failing that wasn’t the biggest blow the franchise took, instead losing their franchise player of 13 years in Dwyane Wade.

So how do the new age Heat look? They made a necessary move in resigning Hassan Whiteside and gave Tyler Johnson a large contract as well. The Heat also picked up some assets in Dion Waiters, Derrick Williams etc. but nothing that will stand out instantly. In short, Miami is in a slight flux and it’s the type that screams a semi-rebuild that may take form in a number of years.

Lets not forget either that there are still a number of questions regarding Chris Bosh’s health that are still being kept very secure by the Miami front office and until that is revealed, the Heats future is yet to be determined.

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What moves does a team make as the second seed in the East, winning your first-round playoffs series in more than 10+ years as well as making the Eastern Conference Finals? In the Raptors case, this season was all about one guy and one guy only. Demar DeRozan. The Raptors made sure they resigned the other star in their backcourt right away leaving nothing to chance.

The Raptors biggest loss in the offseason was Bismack Biyombo, however when you see they gained Jared Sulllinger from Boston and selected the young prospect Jakob Poeltl 9th in the Draft, the loss becomes a minor one at that.

Sullinger isn’t going to fill that void, but as we saw in the playoffs, besides Valanciunas, Toronto desperately needs a solid starting 5 that can produce offense as well as defense and adding Sullinger and Poeltl will definitely help with this need.

Now that Demar is locked in and the Raptors haven’t drastically changed the roster, the Raptors will remain a force in the East this year however the playoffs was a hell of a grind for a second seed team to go through, something that will hold them back if it doesn’t change.

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The Cavaliers had the most expensive roster last year and whenever you hear about professional teams spending the most money possible to bring a championship to the city, the Cavs are really a good case for paying the ultimate cost for success. One thing money could never buy is the path the team took to reaching their goal and in the process making history at the highest stage against a team who had already made history from the very start of the season.

It almost didn’t seem real when it happened and as you go back through the year, it almost couldn’t have been predicted even by the wackiest of predictions that this is where the Cavaliers would end up.

The Cavs never stood idle, as they made the moves to get them to this point and it worked, standing behind GM David Griffin who is one of the leagues smartest with a keen eye for the right player almost every time.

Put yourself in the Cavs shoes, you’ve just done something that no other team in history has done against a team that also made history in the same season. Now as you look at your roster what do you possibly do to stay at the top or, dare I say, get better. Firsty the Cavs did have some losses this offseason in both Timofey Mozgov and Mathew Dellavedova who were both important at one point or another. In the grand scheme of things however, Dellavedova will be the biggest loss the Cavaliers have going forward as he brought that defensive toughness as well as a crafty point guard game with some ocassional scoring potential.

But even with these losses, Cleveland did still stay constant giving LeBron James a deserved 3 year/$100 million deal as well as retaining JR Smith and Richard Jefferson once agian. Aside from that this is where it gets interesting for the Cavs and it starts with Mike Dunleavy who the received from Chicago in a deal that gives Cleveland a more refined and skilled veteran shooter who’s role will fit seamlessly into the Cavaliers make-up. They also signed Chris Anderson, a cronie of LeBron’s from his Miami days where Birdman was the Dennis Rodman of the Heat’s championship run. Another good fit who will match the level of intensity and pride that Tristan Thompson shows on the defensive side of the ball.

The final piece to the Cavaliers new puzzle is Kay Felder, selected at #54 in the draft who is a point guard that from an aesthetics point of view resemebles a Eric Bledsoe, and will attempt to cover the loss of Dellavedova on a production side of things, but will most likely not be able to match the defensive grit.

The Cavs are definitely returning as the top of the East and seemingly ready to stay there fror the time being as it doesn’t appear likely they’ll be challenged too much for the Finals spot in June next year. The moves they’ve made don’t improve them substantially but rather enough to remain a power in the NBA and a huge threat once the playoffs come back around.

Los Angeles has stepped into 2016 and they days of Showtime and then Kobe Bry centre. LA’s offseason saw an extensive exhale of a whirlwind season with ups and book consisting of re-signing promising SG Jordan Clarkson, drafting Brandon Ingr out alot of their bigger players in Roy Hibbert, Robert Sacre, Ryan Kelly which may

The Lakers also brought in a new Head Coach with Luke Walton who will most like his journey with the Golden State Warriors it doesn’t seem farfetched to beleive tha

With the past now behind Lakers fans, it’s going to be hard to find that sole reason showed in the Summer League this year, they’ll definitely be a reason to watch.

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yant are now long gone with a new crop of young talent stepping into the spotlight of Staples d downs finishing on the ultimate high and in gearing up for the next chapter in the Laker’s ram (#2) and Ivica Zubac (#32) and signing Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng. They shipped y be a hint towards the playing style that this Laker team will play this upcoming season.

e implement a fast paced playing stlye with this new young group and coming of the heels of at he’ll be taking aspects and fusing it into his new group.

n to invest in every game win or lose, but with the performances some of the new assets

The Suns are staying young all the moves they’ve made seasons it’s been tough for anything in particular. How showing some signs of bein fanbase and attempting to develop into the team they

The Suns have always man veteran player to keep the the additions of former Sun Leandro Barbosa there is a Pheonix are going to need were picked right from the Dragan Bender (#4), Marq (#38).

All of these picks are prom to develop down in Arizon sourrounding the Suns curr Suns won’t wow anyone th they’ve taken a step in the

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g and supposedly loving it! With e and the slow decay of winning r the fanbase to be excited for wever this offseason, the suns are ng back in touch wtih their have their young players are hoping to be.

naged to have that mentor-type young guys in check and with ns players Jared Dudley and a sense of nostalgia in the air. d this as their other additions NBA Draft with the signings of quese Chriss (#8) and Tyler Ulis

mising players and will be able na and will be nice assets rent guards. Once again the his year in the wins column, but right direction at least for now.

Things are getting interesting in Minnesota and everyone knows it, and if you don’t then you soon will. The Timberwolves had a very productive season and dealt with a tough less in the interim of head coach Flip Saunders.

However in terms of their player development, the young core are now quite defined in their roles and are looking better by the day.

The Timberwolves picked up a very interesting and NBA ready player in Kris Dunn at #3 in this years draft, at 22 years old Dunn will enter as one of the most equipped rookies entering the league this year, already older than his 2nd year teammates his play will only take this team higher.

The Wolves also picked up some great complementary players in Brandon Rush, Cole Aldrich and Jordan Hill. All the types of players that will lift this team into the playoff stratosphere. The fans have waited a long time for a playoff birth and this team is primed and ready to give it to them.

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The Pelicans had another lackluster year that going into the year had Anthony Davis being a high ranked MVP candidate and while that simply didn’t happen, not much else went right for the Pelicans anywhere else. The black cloud that has been hanging over the franchise is the problem with injuries, as year after year the team loses players left and right throghout the year.

The Pelicans answered a few of these problems this offseason by adding players that can play both sides of the ball as well as be relied on to stay healthy for the majority of the season at least. They dipped into the draft and selected one of the most electric scorers out of college in Buddy Hield as well as Chieck Diallo (#33).

They replaced their losses with E-Twaun Moore, Soloman Hill and Langston Galloway who’ll definitely bring some change to the team but will it be a huge upgrade?

Probably not, and New Orleans will definitely need to keep working at it..

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Denver stayed very quiet this offseason, and last year was definitely an odd year of learning and getting better, especially with their younger players in Mudiay, Harris etc. Mudiay is projecting to be a real talent for Denver and with supporting players also having great seasons like Barton and Gallinari.

The Nuggets picked up Jamal Murray at #7 in the NBA Draft and if he can play anything like he did at Kentucky this past year then he’ll have no issues scoring in the league. He’s a tough player who can also defend and should see minutes this season purely because of the talent he will immediately bring to the team.

Another year of growth seems to be on the horizon for Denver, their young players still need to develop into their roles and with 6 guards on the team it’s going to be tough finding the best rotation between them.

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The Kings have stayed steady for the last few years and DeMarcus Cousins stock is throught he roof, but at the same time is constantly unafraid to display his unhappiness with the team and its never-ending shortcomings. So what does 2016 look like for the Kings? Well they signed some veterans and picked up more supporting players but heres where it gets tricky for the Kings draft choices as they picked up not 1, but 2 centers! No wonder Boogie was SMH’ing through twitter on draft night.

It’s been hard to figure out exactly what the Kings are planning to do each year as they continue to keep the team in a fluctuating rotation of players and coaching etc. So whats the answer here? Stability perhaps? Whatever they decide it needs to be something that will appeal to Cousins, who is looking closer and closer to walking out the door the next moment he possibly can.

So with this new cast it doesn’t seem likely the Kings go too far this year, and honestly it just appears to be another year to build towards something bigger (I don’t know about better), but hey at least they’ve got new uniforms right? Thats kind of cool?

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If any team has been expected to make the contention, and begin to shake up the Wes been the Utah Jazz. They’ve built a really g have given them a decent amount of time t riggers fo the NBA environment. They’ve c rise to a playoff opportunity, but this year t priority to do something about it.

Utah did relatively well in the draft picking players, one that will stand out to anybody NCAA Championship game by drafting N Marcus Paige. But this is not where Utah m upgrade, rather the Jazz traded their 12th helping them acquire an experienced poin Hill as well as veterans Joe Johnson and Bo

Perhaps this is all Utah needs to push them intended) and with the return of Dante Exu forget the shortcomings that Jazz fans have years. The West just got alot more interesti Jazz are now a reason to get excited in 20

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e jump into playoff stern Conference it’s good young team and to settle into the come up short in their they’ve made it a

g up some nice young y who watched the North Carolina guard made their major pick to the Hawks nt guard in George oris Diaw.

m over the hill (no pun um it will be easier to e endured the last few ing this year and the 016-2017.

Houston was definitely a team that had some internal problems that were obvious to be seen from the outside in and it eventually spilled onto the court in players performance and overall attitude. The Rockets are on the move and it started with the inevitiable departure of Dwight Howard who should hopefully find peace in his new situation in Atlanta.

James Harden will be the focus again for the next 4 years, and joining him this year the Rockets went out and got players such as Nene, Ryan Anderson and Eric Gorden. These are the type of players that Harden can work off of when all he wants them to do is receive passes and score. This should be easily achievable as Mike D’Antonio takes over the Head Coach role to try build another offensive locomotive.

The biggest question for Houston this year will once agian be defense, except this time it’s not just James Harden in question.

The Rockets offense will be good but not good enough to allows poor defense to get them where they want to go. This is a fresh start for Houston and all signs point to a good direction the team is heading.

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The Griz have constantly stayed in the mix of the West and usually find their way into the playoffs year after year.

However, they’ve still been using their offseasons to find the perfect player to help take them deeper into the playoffs run and hopefully into the Finals.

This offseason might just be their best yet, we all know they resigned point guard Mike Conley to a very lux contract of $150+ million but their biggest pick-up this offseason was Chandler Parsons. With the “Grit and Grind” core still intact this may just be the player the Grizzlies have been waiting for.

Unlike alot of other teams that added to their roster this year, Memphis should have no issues slotting Parsons straight into the wing position and playing some great basketball straight out the gate. They’ve kept coming back year after year, and yet this year should be Memphis’ best to date - get ready grindhouse.

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Dallas are doing.....well after this offseason it’s still not 100% clear and after resigning Dirk for the last ride and Deron Williams back as the veteran point guard the Mavs had to move out a fair bit for the other pieces. They decided to inherit 2 of Golden States starting five in Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut, 2 players that had their negatives in Oakland. I can’t tell if Dallas is expecting Barnes to become something incredible now he’s emancipated the splash brothers, and Bogut is a great defensive players when he’s healthy and we’ve seen that story end quickly before.

Dallas looks to be in the transitioning phase as they await Dirk’s departure, but they won’t rush it nor will they guide him out the door before giving him anything he wants and then some. It will be interesting to see just what they can pull of in these next 2 years, but again with the players they’ve brought in, it doesn’t seem like the answer.

Thats not to say that the Mavericks are just throwing a team together as they have a solid foundation to build on however this just is too hard to predict exactly how this experiment will turn out.

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Portland were one of the best stories of the season this past year and it seems that the front office agreed wholeheartedly that the team they’ve got is defintely going somewhere. Currently, the Trailblazers are hosting a tonne of young talent that can run with any team in the league and are only going to get better as this goes on.

This offseason the Blazers made sure to resign C.J. McCollum keeping the second best backcourt in the NBA together for a few more years to come. They also picked up some extra assets in Festus Ezeli and Evan Turner who will provide some added talent to the second unit line-ups that will fill some minor holes in the Blazers game during the dead minutes.

Since Portland stayed whole and took a reserved approach this offseason it leaves room to get very excited about the trajectory of this team. Who really expected them to be this good after losing 4 starters? At least now its Dame time all the time in Oregon.

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The Clippers went into the offseason with the mindset similar to Portland’s with the priority being to keep their core group together and try to improve the bench.

Honestly, they did the right thing by doing this even after a season where they were still a 4th seed and missing Blake Griffin for more than half season. Even Chris Paul was no stranger to the injury bug and in a way I can’t help but feel like these setbacks have now set-up the Clippers for a very good year in 2016-2017.

As stated the additions the Clips did make were definitely to bulk up the second unit - a veteran point guard in Raymond Felton and veteran big in Mareese Speights.

They also dipped into the draft and picked up Dimaond Stone, an efficient big man as well as Brice Johnson who will play behind Brandon Bass and should try to learn his skills and aim for better.

The Clippers overall moves are to keep them exactly where they’ve been the last few years, and with the window closing in on this group it would seem this year is the year, but this has been the quote every single year so far. So do the Clips have what it takes? If healthy and productive then sure why not, otherwise its Clips gon’ Clip.

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Take a deep breathe and prepare for the best damn season a team will ever play after losing they’re superstar and possible hall of fame player for absolutely nothing.

OKC may have not received anything for Durant’s departure, but they still have more than enough to pick themselves up from momentarily falling into the mud.

Even before Durant exited, the Thunder went right out the gate and got Victor Oladipo in what looked like a highway robbery for Serge Ibaka going to the Magic.

Then it happened. Fast forward and the Thunder powered on, picking up a very intriguing player in Domantas Sabonis at #11. The pressure was back on when Westbrook extension talks escalated, but once resigned the Thunder fanbase could let out an exhale like no other.

So how do the Thunder look now? They come out of a seemingly horrible occurance in immaculate shape given the circumstances. They’ll be back in the playoffs this year and should be a source of endless excitement on league pass throughout the season.

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Coming off their best regular season in Spurs franchise history almost quietly behind the now historic 73 wins by the Warriors the Spurs had a long list of questions to answer as they exited the playoffs earlier than expected to the Thunder. The big fundamental decided it was a wrap and for San Antonio it begun as they went out and signed players that act as a mix between a patch for the upcoming season and a solution for the future departing players.

They retained Manu Ginobli after a minor bid from the 76ers, and while they let some fan favourites leave the team, they made some smart signings like Pau Gasol and Dewayne Dedmon, both are players who add size and scoring potential. The most interesting addition however would have to be Dejounte Murray who they picked at #29 and some are looking at as a potential draft steal.

At point guard, it defintiely seems like the Spurs will be grooming him to takeover once Parker finishes his career.

For the dedicated Spurs fans, why even worry about anyhting at this point, your front office is the best in the league and your coach continuously gets your team playing some of the greatest modern-day basketball for decades now. Go Spurs Go!

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This past year was one for the ages for the Golden State Warriors who from the first game tip-off decided that the 2015-2016 NBA season would be the one where they’d set NBA records after NBA record both individually and as a team. It wasn’t as if we saw it coming and as the year went on it was some of the most amazing basketball that we as fans had ever seen as every night it seemed we were gifted with something to rave about the following day.

Just as quickly as we celebrated them and almost immediately proclaimed and conceited them as the NBA champions barring a historical catastrophy it actually didn’t seem unreasonable at times. Once the playoffs started it was clear that the Warriors great season was beginning to catch up to them and fast. Admittingly, the setbacks they endured were not actually of their own doing but as the Warriors watched their unanimous MVP Steph Curry suffer fluke injuries early in the playoffs, the drain of a historical season was beginning to creep up.

As the Finals started the storylines that sorrounded the series were enough to devote a 15 part TV series alone due to the weight and impact each team would inherit with a winning result. Ultimately, the Warriors lost the series in historical fashion in the most “Slap in the face” way possible.

The players admitted that it hurt, but as we’d soon find out they were ready to look ahead. As the offseason started all the rave was Durant and his free agency. The Warriors durfaced as the team to swindle Kevin Durant into a 2 year/$50+million deal and just like that the Warriors went from a level that was enough to set multiple NBA records to having 2 of the NBA’s top 5 players in the league.

Like Cleveland winning the title it almost didn’t seem real to those outside looking into Durants thought process. In doing so, the Warriors did happen to lose a good chunk of their starting five, but when you’ve gained a Kevin Durant as well as David West, Zaza Pachulia it doesn’t seem as bad giving up Harrison Barnes (Dallas), Andrew Bogut (Dallas), Mareese Speights (LA), Festus Ezeli (Portland), Brandon Rush (Minnesota) and Leandro Barbosa (Phoenix).

Yes they lose alot of their energy players, but this is doubtful to affect the team in their plans to reach another Finals as they now hold the NBA in their hands according to most fans.

People do question if this could go the way of a 2010 Miami Heat and it doesn’t seem like this will be case though as Durant fills a range of postions for the Dubs.

Theres no denying the Warriors will be closely watched once again for another season as they now command a large group of the NBA audience. Will the road be bumpy, yes of course it will - teams that stack talent need the time to figure it out, one things for sure is that it will be interesting to see how the shots are divided up. Klay Thompson has already expressed his thoughts on the matter and for the most part all the Warriors players are signing to the same tune and even though they’ve dealt with adversity before, this season will be like nothing they’ve experienced in their professional careers.

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Kevin Durant made headlines this year when he agreed to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder and join Golden State Warriors for a 2 year/$54.3 million contract.

The move shocked fans everywhere and for alot of people has still been difficult to completely register as real.

Durant received some backlash for his choice and back in OKC had fans torn between acceptance and disbelief.

The choice was very bold for a player who is still young and like another superstar has been with his now former team for a lengthy 8 years.

It’s safe to say that the move has shifted a power balance in the NBA that wasn’t to broad to begin with. So much so that it even had the Commissioner feeling a certain way about how the NBA’s superstars can team up together. Regardless this is the way it is unless the CBA is once again restructured, but even that doesn’t appear to be happening anytime soon.

Durants decision is clear now, he wants to win and thats all that matters, and why not do it in Oakland.

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rafted back in 2007 by the then Seattle Supersonics, Durant was a superior talent that most people were worried about given his body type. The super-lanky kid from DC who had averaged 25 points in his one year at Texas was something the NBA couldn’t have anticipated.

After just one year in Seattle, the team uprooted itself and moved onto Oklahoma City just before the start of the 2008-2009 season. For Durant and a rapidly evolving franchise, the movements had begun to bring success to this new franchise as quickly as possible. The 2008 NBA Draft would bring a player to OKC that turned the team into a must watch squad that was quickly on the rise with their selection of Russell Westbrook as well as Serge Ibaka.

The duo would face a rough first year together on OKC under former head coach P.J. Carlesimo finshing with a record of 23-59. After a change in coaching and constant revamping of the roster to support the 2 stars, they achieved an average of almost 50 wins each year since then. With new head coach Scott Brooks the Thunder shot up the NBA ranks as an emerging force in the Western Conference going from a first round playoffs loss in 2010 and a Western Conference Finals loss in 2011 to a NBA Finals birth in 2012.

For a very young OKC team, who out of the 16-man roster had just 3 players with more than 5 years experience and 2 NBA veterans with 10+ years experince, it was a very harsh learning experience as they ran into the Miami Heat who were playing for alot more at the time.

Durant and company lost the series 4-1 and like many young teams that enter the Finals gained a fair amount of lessons that they would attempt to implement over the next few years. Unfortunately these lessons would haunt the team and Durant for the next few years to come. With the departure of James Harden and Russell Westbrook undergoing knee surgery, Durant was left to carry the Thunder for most of the 2013-2014 NBA season. Durant did more than carry, earning himself an NBA MVP award but even with Westbrook returning after the All-Star break, would still fall short to the Spurs in 6 games in the Western Conference Finals.

After Durant kept reaching the top of the West it seemed like there was always something that would halt him and the Thunder in their tracks.

In his 7th year with the Thunder their story would be no different as he suffered consecutive injuries keeping him from playing a full season during the 2014-2015 season. Once again Durant had to watch from the sidelines as another year dwindled away giving the same painful result.

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his past season looked to be another turning point for the Thunder who hired a new head coach and set their sights on the goal they’ve been so close to now for almost 5 years. The roster was as stable as ever and both Durant and Westrbook were at the top of their game.

Among all the storylines being created this year, the Thunder were carving out another solid season and looking to make a push to get back to the NBA Finals. As the playoffs begun they faced a savvy veteran Dallas team that gave the Thunder a mental test like no other. The second round was no different as the Thunder escaped a hard-fought series with their conference rivals the San Antonio Spurs in 6 tough games.

Once again the Thunder were back to to Western Conference Finals and looking to finally pull off a 7 year goal. Now more than ever for Kevin Durant with a win against the historic Golden State Warriors and possible NBA Championship would have the validity alone to vault him up the NBA ladder that he’s been yet to climb higher since 2012. Durant’s time to win big was laid out right in front of him as they took a 3-1 commanding series lead with 2 games on the road and 1 more at home to get them to the Finals.

The NBA world watched as the collapse of the Thunder was a few moments of Warriors brilliance crushed their hopes and ultimately leaving Kevin Durant in another year of dispair and questions. Even with the stinging loss, the city of Oklahoma and most NBA media turned their attention to Durant’s pending free agency. Finally Kevin had a huge decision to make, even though the majority thought that OKC wasn’t in any real danger of losing him.

This time was a different in comparison to LeBron’s famous decision to join the Miami Heat. Unlike James, Durant still had his All-Star teammate and strong supporting cast still in OKC. As the weeks went on and Durant met with several NBA teams, the behind the scenes was something that no one could see coming, unless you understood Durant’s mindset.

That mindset is clear now as the news came that Durant would be joining the Golden State Warriors for his next 2 NBA seasons. Durant’s mindset is he wants to win, and even withthe backlash he recieved given the dynamics of his final choice. This is simply a superstar who wants to experience something that he has been excrutiatingly close to for 7 years now.

The top of the mountain is still in reach and for Durant it’s been a long time coming.

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Leading into the draft Simmons was projected to go first all along at least until rumors circulated that the 76ers were perhaps reconsidering their choice and possibly looking at taking Brandon Ingram instead. As it turns out however, the upside of Simmons was too much to pass up even with all the noise about his jumpshot - more so a lack there of.

As it turns out Philadelphia went with the right decision picking Simmons first, even Nike saw something in Simmons judging by the sneaker contract they gifted him. Even with his attitude in question Simmons is still the clear cut choice for a deserving first pick.

His vision on the court has already garnered comparisons to the likes of LeBron James and it isn’t hard to see why. Throughout his college career Simmons was dropping some incredible dimes to his teammates and even showed his incredible skill all the way through Summer League.

Simmons is a perfect fit for Phily and they should see an immediate impact from Simmons play as he’ll see max minutes surely. The biggest leap he’ll have to make is in his mid-range and possibly beyond, but at 240 pounds if you can’t be stopped going to the hoop then the jumper can defnitely be moulded at a later time. The 76ers have a potential mutiple all-star on their hands and if the process is what they say it then this is the centerpiece.

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Early into Ingram’s career much like Simmons, the comparisons were plentiful and in this case it was Kevin Durant’s name that was brought up in conversation. The 6’ 9” length is something that any team would want after watching the kind of player Durant has grown into it’s not hard to understand why.

Ingram edges closer to the comparison with his scoring ability during his college career at Duke, and while he’s fairly solid from mid-range to outside, he can still find ways to get to the rim and finish.

Like any rookie, there are some downsides and once again like Durant himself Ingram shares the same lanky body type that will need to be drastically changed as he transitions into the NBA. His skills make this pick for a Lakers an extremely safe one and the potential for Ingram to build and improve on his talents could make him a great player. During the offseason Ingram has been bulking up in preparation for this upcoming season, but it will be a gradual increase as he works on other parts of his game.

The best part about all this is that Ingram is stil only 18 years old. His integration into a Lakers squad that already boasts some exciting young talent is enough for fans as they enter the rebuilding days ahead. Out of all the rookies in this years class Ingram is defintiely the one to watch for as he embarks on a potentially great career.

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Jaylen Brown had the most interesting draft night of the top 10 picks as the Celtics were in several talks of possibly selecting Kris Dunn instead which may have involved a trade for Chicago Bulls star Jimmy Butler. When all the dust settled so did Boston as they finally took Brown at 3rd and in doing so added a wing player that brings questions but a tonne of potential.

During his days at California, after turning down the bigger schools, he was tasked with taking the offensive load for the Golden Bears and while he showed a slightly sporatic efficiency his game had moments that showed off his offensive arsenal.

Averaging just over 14 points for the season, Brown has a solid body that will serve him well in the NBA especially if he decides to carry over his nack for getting to the free throw line.

Brown should be able to find this alot easier as the team and fans expectaitons aren’t high on him to be what they are missing as the pieces are already there.

While his college career has left some questions in NBA scouts minds about if he can improve his shooting will be something that his development will need to show.

The big question for Boston will be whether Brown works out or not is if they should have acted on some moves with this 3rd pick initially. With the Celtics pushing to build a team quickly to start contending while Jaylen Brown doesn’t set them back it’s possible that he could have been utilised differently.

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Yes the league is moving away from the whole big man game or at least thats the case for any team not named the Grizzlies. The Suns however, made a great pick to bring in the 18 year old from Croatia to fill their power forward spot on a team that is stacked with multiple talented guards.

At #4 Phoenix is receiving a young but somewhat well-rounded player in Bender who enters the league at 7’0” but has the weapon of an outside shot which is something every team is trying to find in their power forwards these days.

While at Maccabbi Tel-Aviv his stats don’t immediately jump out at you as anything insanely special, but in a league that is moving to the fast paced offense Bender can fit in with time.

Essentially the Suns could use Dragan similar to how Golden State utilised Bogut in terms of passing but with an extremely upgraded offense. Immediately it won’t make a big impact but if the Suns stick with thier young core there is a lot to work with as they develop together.

Bender definitely comes in as one of the more sound players in this draft but will of course need to adjust his skills to the NBA scene which may prove difficult right away while he’s still young. He definitely ranks among his class as one of the best players in terms of the contribution he can make short term and long term.

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The point guard position has been at an elite level across the NBA and with the Timberwolves selecting Kris Dunn 5th in the Draft while it’s a great pick it certainly stirred some controversy.

During the lead up to the draft it was questioned as to whether or not the Wolves would be looking to trade Ricky Rubio who has been up and down for Minnesota while showing flashes of brilliance as their primary point guard.

However now with the addition of Dunn, the Wolves have decided to keep Rubio to run the show but also give the rookie some help. Dunn is one of the more mature players entering the league this year and after a rough stint of injuries during his time at Providence he certainly proved he was a top 10 pick this past season in college.

Dunn averaged around 16 points during last season and while he got a very agressive offensive game and can be savvy on defense but, like many of the other rookies, theres room for improvement. Dunn will need to adopt a certain level of discipline which shouldn’t be difficult now with the hiring of Tom Thibodeau as the new head coach for Minnesota.

The move to keep Rubio definitely throws the fit for Dunn a little off and while he has some glaringly better offensive skills he will need the reps to improve. With the trade deadline not until February it is possible a move is still made, the question now is whether it will be Rubio or Dunn.

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Buddy Hield was a stand-out star this past year in college basketball as he helped take his Oklahoma team well into March Madness, but unfortunately suffered just short.

Hield was one of the most offensively gifted players of all the college players entering this years NBA draft and even drew comparisons to Steph Curry due to his fast release and ability to create space and get a shot off over his defender.

Hield’s story is an amazing one at that and his college career goes hand in hand with that as he battled through his adversity with consistent hard work. With a player like Hield theres almost no doubt he’s ready for a NBA career and thats exactly what New Orleans have provided as they selected Hield with the 5th pick in the draft.

The Pelicans have had a rough time trying to give their star Anthony Davis players that can play around him due to the constant setbacks with injuries year after year. With this pick the Pelicans definitely seem to be shifitng into a new direction and Buddy Hield is a solid place to start.

With a player like Hield he can play on the outside and even provide some ball handling opportunities for the team as well as provide some extra scoring. One question still lingers on some scouts mind regarding his defense, however in comparison to the other rookies in this class, it’s doubtful that Hield won’t use his incredible work ethic to improve this slight fault in his game.

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Canadian players are slowly becoming hot commodities in the league these days as the talent seems to be flowing into the NBA at an alarming rate. The Nuggets just dipped into this pool of Canadian talent with the 7th pick in the draft of Jamal Murray.

The 6’4” guard out of Kentucky had alot of eyes on him as he approached his freshman year of college, playing alongside fellow draftee Thon Maker in Canada for Orangeville Prep. As he was being recruited his performance at the Nike hoop summit would put him in a different light than other rookies in this years class.

Murray has an amazing ability to score which he did while at Kentucky averaging 20.2 points while playing off the ball. Due to Kentuckys often large groups of talent, Murrays ability to play at the point was rarely seen but he does have this part of his game at his disposal.

For the Nuggets this pick is one of the best of the draft not only in terms of overall value but in terms of value for the team he’ll be going to. The Nuggets already have a solid group and by adding Murray into the fold he’ll be able to make them an even bigger threat offensively.

It’s been said that Murray needs to work on getting his teammates going offensively, but this can be easily developed with some time in Denver.

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The Kings made an interesting pick at number 8 in Marquese Chriss and just as quickly they managed to ship him off to Phoenix. Phoenix gains another young player with some great scoring potential, but is an odd fit into the already young roster.

The Suns may want to rotate Chriss through a few lineups, but what they have on their hands is a potentially high volume scorer. While at Washington, Chriss didn’t boast huge scoring averages, but rather it was his percentages that instantly took the attention of scouts league-wide.

Chriss shot 53% from the field and backed that up with 33% from three and if Chriss can transition into the league with this efficiency or close to it, then there should be a number of teams who’ll keep tabs on him.

Ultimately the one thing that was written about Chriss was his discipline, especially on defense, the main factor being foul trouble. Unfortunately for somone who is so gifted offensively it could prove detrimental for teams if Chriss cannot keep himself on the floor to showcase his scoring.

Chriss should find a spot in the NBA and at this point with the Suns, he’ll be sure to get some playing time throughout the season. His work ethic towards changing his defensive tendencies and focusing his offensive game should see him through.

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The Raptors had a good playoff run last year and while it wasn’t the prettiest playoffs ever they still managed to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals at the end of the season.

During the offseason the Raptors lost their secondary big-man in Bismack Biyombo and while not a true Center by any means it seems with this pick at number 9 in the draft that they have replaced their loss.

Jakob Poeltl is a 7’1” Austrian born player who made a huge impact in Europe during his time with his Under 18 FIBA championships before going to college in Utah. While at Utah Poeltl averaged 13 points and 8 rebounds which at the center position is intriguing to NBA teams.

Poeltl has a great inside game and can certainly cause some problems for teams in the league, as far as is fit in the Raptors line-up it will most likely be to replace the minutes Biyombo received. Poeltl is a slight upgrade from Biyombo in terms of the offensive game however his defensive game is in question and probably won’t be close to what Biyombo offered last season.

Another factor of Poeltl’s game that will be closely watched is how he’ll add diversity to his game, as we know the league is searching for big players that can work inside and out as the league transitions into the more fast paced and versatile skill range.

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The Bucks made a very interesting pick in Thon Maker in this years NBA Draft at number 10 and are recieiving a player that shows alot of potential and gifted athleticism. At the same time however, Milwaukee are showing signs of a true gamble on a player that skipped college entirely and faced elite competition yet.

Maker is an interesting story and has done alot to get to the position he is currently in, and his basketbal story will be no different. Maker possesses some great offensive game as well as an effective defensive game which is the most reasonable explanation for his value in the eyes of scouts league-wide.

The Bucks are fairly stacked when it comes to the frontline which makes the Maker pick a bit fo a head scratcher, and with Maker’s ability to bring his game to the NBA level leaves alot of questions to be answered. There’s no doubt that Maker can succeed in the NBA, the question now is how long does it take before he begins to make an impact and if that will be done in Milwaukee.

Once again, the NBA teams search for that versatile big payer is showing itself every year and while it’s tough to see Thon Maker being that guy to take that role, his impact may still be useful elsehwere.

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