2018-19 NBA Season Guide - Double Clutch UK

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THE GUIDE 2018-19

Welcome to the 2018-19 season.

Every year, when we sit down to write our guide, we discuss how we can make the NBA easier to understand for new UK-based fans.

This year, we have included mini histories for each team, provided quick reference points and answered three specific questions across all 30 teams, in a bid to make the league we love easier to understand. To all the newbs - welcome to #NBAintheUK, we were all you once and if you ever need anything, hit us up on social media.

However, we understand that a large majority of what makes Double Clutch, Double Clutch, is the content produced by our panel of expert analysts. So make no mistake, this 156 page guide includes well over 60,000 words for fans of all experience and interest levels.

And so to basketball.

The summer of 2018 has been a whirlwind. Since the Warriors annihilated the Cavaliers in four games last June. We’ve seen LeBron leave Cleveland (again) to join the fabled Los Angeles Lakers. Toronto and San Antonio completed one of the biggest trades in recent memory, switching DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard. The Warriors somehow defied the odds (and the salary cap) once again, adding yet another All-Star into the mix.

And Jimmy Butler, who was only traded to Minnesota last summer, demanded a trade only to be forced to return to Minnesota, less than a week before the season tip-off. At time of writing, he’s still pouting in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and NBA Twitter is flooded with reactions to his first team practice.

And somewhere in amongst that, our team were privileged to be taken to Athens and New York by 2K UK ahead of the launch of NBA2K19.

So after that “restful” summer, it’s time for tip off. And if the offseason was anything to go by, you’re in for a real treat. Get your flexible working requests in, build up some lieu time, opt for the mid or late shift, or at least get some decent excuses ready, because you have 1,230 regular season games and at least 68 playoff games to get through. Don’t panic though, Double Clutch will be right there with you.

GAMEPLAN FEATURES

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Matthew Wellington

EDITORS 1

THE MENTAL HEALTH DISCUSSION AND THE PROGRESSION OF THE NBA Josh Coyne takes a look at mental health and the progressive nature of the NBA, as players’ voices become movements.

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LEBRON JAMES, THE NBA’S ADJUSTMENT BUREAU AND SPACE JAM With many of today’s greatest basketball players seeking to carve their own futures, Nick Whitfield provides a rather unique look at the NBA’s newfound player power.

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THE EMERGENCE OF TALL BALL Joe Hulbert takes an in-depth look at teams experimenting with tall ball line-ups, including how it can work with the Orlando Magic and where it has failed before.

Huw Hopkins Mike Miller Sean Guest

ILLUSTRATIONS Scott Dillon @sdillon90 Matthew Wellington

CONTENT Aaron Eamer @eamer Ben Moorcroft @Moorcroft1906 Huw Hopkins @coach_huw Joe Hulbert @HulbertJoe Josh Coyne @poundcoyne Karl Moon @NokkonWud Mike Miller @MikeMiller_Time Nick Whitfield @Njwhitfield Timi Awotesu @TimiAwotesu Ross MacLeod @CanOnlyBeOne_ Sam Chadwick @Chadwick9 Sean Guest @SW_Guest Matthew Wellington @matsmashed For more on our team visit: doubleclutch.uk/roster Copyright © 2018 Double Clutch Double Clutch is not affiliated with the NBA and does not claim ownership over any images used in this guide.

All photos, unless stated otherwise, are copyright of NBA Entertainment and respected parties.

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CONFERENCE AND DIVISION MAP A visual guide to the NBA’s conference and divisional splits.

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81

CENTRAL DIVISION

SOUTHWEST DIVISION

17 21 25 29 33

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS INDIANA PACERS MILWAUKEE BUCKS DETROIT PISTONS CHICAGO BULLS

83 87 91 95 99

HOUSTON ROCKETS NEW ORLEANS PELICANS SAN ANTONIO SPURS DALLAS MAVERICKS MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

37

103

ATLANTIC DIVISION

PACIFIC DIVISION

39 43 47 51 55

TORONTO RAPTORS BOSTON CELTICS PHILADELPHIA 76ERS NEW YORK KNICKS BROOKLYN NETS

105 109 113 117 121

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS LOS ANGELES LAKERS SACRAMENTO KINGS PHOENIX SUNS

59

125

SOUTHEAST DIVISION

NORTHWEST DIVISION

61 65 69 73 77

MIAMI HEAT WASHINGTON WIZARDS CHARLOTTE HORNETS ORLANDO MAGIC ATLANTA HAWKS

127 131 135 139 143

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER UTAH JAZZ MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES DENVER NUGGETS

The TODAY Show, (Photo by Soobum Im) USA TODAY Sports, (Photo by Paul Zimmerman) WireImage, Getty Images / Double Clutch illustration

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THE MENTAL HEALTH DISCUSSION AND THE PROGRESSION OF THE NBA Written by Josh Coyne

While fellow sporting bodies across the globe continue to be hampered by poorlyhandled public controversy, the NBA’s approach to mental health shows signs of a highly progressive league.

When the damning revelations of Donald Sterling’s personal prejudice rose to the surface back in 2014, newly promoted NBA commissioner Adam Silver was called into crucial action much quicker than anyone could have anticipated. The Los Angeles Clippers owner had been recorded making hideous remarks about NBA legend Magic Johnson and the league faced a potential PR disaster. Silver responded quickly, banning the billionaire from the league and as a result, forcing the sale of the Clippers franchise. Fans of the NBA were almost immediately introduced to someone who holds social justice up as a high priority.

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Former commissioner David Stern was frequently criticised for attempting to limit expression from the players and treating the athletes as a mere commodity. Silver was named Sports Illustrated Commissioner of the Year early in his career, beating out rulers of American sports leagues that were seen to be almost regressing in terms of their tolerance and progressive thought. He has pushed hard for revenue in areas of sponsorship not previously explored, he has softened the league’s stance on gambling to reflect a more realistic viewpoint, he has been open about the problematic atmosphere within the Dallas Mavericks organisation. But most importantly, he has shown that he values the importance of the voice of his players.

Of course, it would be practically impossible to completely police the self-expression of basketball players during the social media age.

Refreshingly, Silver actively encourages it.

“We recognised that the players are the stars, and we treat them as our partners.

The fact that the league has their backs when they put themselves out there doesn’t necessarily mean we agree with everything they say. But we want them to know that political speech is protected in this league.”

“The players enjoy being the multidimensional people they are on social media and demonstrating to the public and their fans that they are more than just basketball players, that they have points of view about what’s happening politically, that they have particular fashion tastes and music tastes,”

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Are we sure this is the NBA? The same NBA that sparked a heated race-related discussion after Stern enforced a strict dress code? The same NBA that faced negative press around players’ reactions to Magic Johnson’s HIV diagnosis? The same NBA in which British NBA star John Amaechi was marginalised by teammates after discussing his sexual orientation? Bad things still happen to and because of the players in every sports league, but a sense of trust in leadership and the way they deal with injustice has been built as of late. Public image is not perfect in the NBA, but it’s closer than it used to be.

Players are not only allowed the right to selfexpression but they are now armed with a multitude of platforms to channel it through. From inane, humorous developments like young star Joel Embiid attempting to charm Rihanna, to powerful retorts from the game’s greatest player – LeBron James – when challenged on his political beliefs by attention-seeking media figures. Embiid failed to bag a date, but gained a legion of casual fans. LeBron shut down racial profilers and subsequently embarrassed them by opening an entire public school for at-risk children just weeks after.

Arguably the most effective way NBA players have used their platform to make a change recently is by opening up a public discourse around mental health. Every single team in the NBA has been touched by an incident that involves poor mental health and the stigma that can exist around it. Players have mysteriously failed to reach their potential, teams have fallen apart and lives have been ruined by the lack of resources available to young athletes reluctant to address their mental wellness. With a long way to go until the most appropriate infrastructure is in place for these players, but small steps have been taken by a handful of brave veterans with significant platforms.

In March, Kevin Love wrote a thoughtful essay on the struggles he’s experienced with his mental health on The Players’ Tribune. During a turbulent time in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ season, Love had suffered a panic attack that resulted in an unexplained departure from a regular season game. His teammates questioned his actions and it created tension within the locker room. The veteran forward deemed it important to set the record straight on his personal situation, while shining a light on a seldom-discussed, taboo subject.

Love sought professional help after the incident – a decision often avoided by those struggling, in the fear that they will stand out from the crowd. This kind of trepidation is especially rife in athletes, whose careers are uniquely competitive; opponents are constantly trying to expose their

vulnerabilities and should they show signs of what some perceive to be weakness, their days in the industry could be numbered.

After briefly revealing his struggles with depression through the medium of Twitter, then Toronto Raptors All-Star DeMar DeRozan opened up about his struggles with depression when speaking to the Toronto Star.

“I always have various nights,” he said. “I’ve always been like that since I was young, but I think that’s where my demeanour comes from. I’m so quiet, if you don’t know me. I stay standoffish in a sense, in my own personal space, to be able to cope with whatever it is you’ve got to cope with.”

Therein lies the problem. Unlike the majority of physical health issues, the signs aren’t visible, and highly successful guys like DeRozan won’t receive help unless they make it clear that they need it. The ignorant assumption that success brings happiness clouds the public’s perception of NBA players but DeRozan had the bravery to open up

and it was extremely well-received. Thousands of basketball fans realised that these apparently superhuman athletes feel the same things that they do.

ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan spoke to players and coaching staff all over the league over the summer, resulting in several articles and a fivepart series focused on the subject of mental health. We heard from Marcus Morris, Danny Ainge, Paul Pierce and many more about their personal struggles. This doesn’t happen in every league and should be applauded.

Over recent months, I’ve heard and read what feels like hundreds of conversations around this subject. Personally, I consider myself to be in a fortunate place mentally and hope that if that should change, I am afforded the chance and to speak to somebody that can help. One concern that has been expressed at an alarmingly regular rate is that struggling with mental health issues shows a lack of ‘mental toughness’, this should be reconsidered. That phrase is used far too regularly to convey an idea that a player is or is not able to persevere. Within the broad range of conditions that can affect people, the ability to persevere in sport is not exclusively linked to any of them and should not be used as a scouting tick-box while the discussion continues to develop.

Educating ourselves on the importance and effects of mental health is major. As fans of the most progressive league in the world, we can be thankful that people are talking.

(Photo by Stacy Revere) Getty Images

Everyone Is Going Through Something 4

(Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein) Getty Images, Associated Press, (Photo by Chris Young ) The Canadian Press / Double Clutch illustration

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LEBRON JAMES, THE NBA’S ADJUSTMENT BUREAU AND SPACE JAM Written by Nick Whitfield

A man glimpses the future that Fate has planned for him and realizes he wants something else. He sets out to change his fate. Do we control our destiny, or do unseen forces manipulate us? This is part of the synopsis for the 2011 movie, the Adjustment Bureau, but this is also the same narrative that’s playing out over and over again with the NBA’s biggest stars.

In the movie, Matt Damon plays a United States congressman, who discovers that what appear to be chance events in his life are actually controlled by a technologically advanced intelligence network. After an event of complete chance occurs, he sets out to secure a future that he has willingly chosen, even if it means forfeiting the predestined future of greatness that awaits him if he accepts his fate.

Unwilling to accept this interference with ‘the plan’, the Bureau (as they become known), who manifest themselves as shadowy figures in suits, set about trying to frustrate and prevent Matt Damon’s new path.

As many of today’s greatest basketball players seek to carve their own futures with a team and in a city of their choosing, I’m struck by the parallel between these stories.

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The One Team Star in NBA History For the stars of the 1990s and earlier, players generally had one big move in their career.

That was until perhaps they passed their prime and either became a serial trade chip (I still shudder at the sight of Patrick Ewing in a Seattle SuperSonics jersey) or spent their twilight seasons looking for that elusive championship.

For better or worse, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon and many others of their generation played the vast majority of their careers with the same franchise – even when it felt like they had an incredibly limited prospect at winning a title by doing so. It’s hard to imagine a modern-day Mitch Richmond for example, seemingly content to play out his best years on a perennially cellar-dwelling Kings team without agitating for a move.

For better or worse, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon and many others of their generation played the vast majority of their careers with the same franchise No matter exactly who your list consists of (unless you’ve gone very, very wrong), if you take the top 10 players in NBA history and ignore anyone still active, with the exception of Wilt Chamberlain (always the exception) you can be sure that all of those players had a maximum of one big move in their career until their final seasons.

This was the perceived burden of being a franchise star – that the organisation, its fanbase and even the city was reliant on you. In turn, unless the team chose to trade you, the situation you found yourself in was it. It was on you to turn the team into a winning franchise. The stories around Michael Jordan’s intolerance for lackluster practices and how he dragged role players into playing above their perceived ability always remind me of this.

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The Adjustment Bureau Today’s stars are built differently though. Following the example of LeBron James, players are unwilling to accept that they must always accept the hand that fate seems to be handing them.

In a league that saw an unparalleled veto of a Chris Paul trade to Los Angeles by the league, and the trading of players like DeMar DeRozan, who have shown loyalty to their franchise, a player’s legacy is too important to leave to the (literal and metaphorical) men in suits – or the NBA’s Adjustment Bureau if you will. Players now understand they have to take responsibility for their legacy.

Classified by those looking through a negative lens as a swipe-right generation, people (and despite their superhuman talents, NBA players are still people) are increasingly conditioned to expect choice, immediacy and instant gratification.

But for me, it goes deeper. For centuries, philosophers and theologians have been almost unanimous in the view that a belief in free will is crucial to civilisation. Everything from our identity and our ethics rely on the belief we are free to make the choices we do. In US-specific terms, the nation’s greatest story – the American Dream (the belief that anyone, no matter their background or upbringing can make something of themselves through their actions and their choices) is also entirely dependent on the concepts of choice and free will over a belief that our futures are somehow pre-written.

The Butler Did It As one club-man Manu Ginobili retires, and Dirk Nowitzki enters into perhaps his final season with the Dallas Mavericks, we see LeBron James, the greatest player of his generation, wearing the yellow and gold of the Los Angeles Lakers, having played for the Cavaliers twice and the Miami Heat too. Indeed, if you were to look for one tumultuous event to tie this trend to, it would inevitably be James’ initial ‘Decision’ to leave his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. The ebbs and flows of player movement in the NBA inevitably stems from it’s biggest star.

We see rumours swirling around Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving – both on their second teams, which are good enough to be championship-favourites.

And yet we already hear talk of the potential for them to move on next summer.

Kawhi Leonard suits up for the Toronto Raptors after forcing his way out of San Antonio and we saw Jimmy Butler hand a very specific list of teams to the Minnesota Timberwolves this summer to which he wished to be traded.

What we’re seeing in the NBA isn’t necessarily a new wave or a spoilt generation expecting everything to be easy, it’s the fulfilment of principles that run to the very heart of American society, and it all comes back to James. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but none have mastered the role that these engrained societal stories play in our perception of greatness on a level even close to James.

The Power of Stories LeBron James is not only the greatest player of his generation, he has become its greatest storyteller too.

After making what he would no-doubt consider a mistake now, in how he delivered The Decision, LeBron James has been on a narrative roll like no player in NBA history other than Michael Jordan, whose legacy and “ghost” he’s been chasing for some time now.

After making what he would nodoubt consider a mistake now, in how he delivered The Decision, LeBron James has been on a narrative roll like no player in NBA history other than Michael Jordan, whose legacy and “ghost” he’s been chasing for some time now.

Earlier, I referenced the concept of the American Dream. That enduring story and belief that even those from humble beginnings can succeed. #TheKidFromAkron was listening.

Many of Hollywood’s most popular and enduring movies have circled around the ‘rags to riches’ motif. The struggle before the eventual reward was where the story lay and allowed people to identify with the story. As #Year15 rolls into #Year16, we see LeBron #StriveForGreatness.

Wasn’t Space Jam in the Title of this Article?

Los Angeles. The home of Hollywood and of an unparalleled storytelling tradition. The entire city has become the set for LeBron James’ final chapter – his curtain call.

Or has he moved for business interests? Has he moved to make movies? It’s already been confirmed that he’s the star of Space Jam 2. But his motive isn’t primarily financial. He’s moved to make movies, yes, but the wording I prefer is that he’s moved to tell stories.

In the original Space Jam, the Looney Toons had to seek out the greatest basketball player on the planet in order to defeat a team of Monstars that seemed unbeatable. It was a powerful enough story to compel a generation of kids to take a greater interest in basketball. The odds seemed long, and that’s what made the eventual victory seem that much greater.

In Los Angeles right now. A team that includes Javale McGee, Lance Stephenson, Rajon Rondo and Michael Beasley – I’m trying not to be cruel, but let’s go right ahead and call them the Looney Toons – has teamed with the greatest basketball player on the planet to try and defeat a team of stars that seems unbeatable.

The odds seem long, LeBron James seems destined to fail.

But he writes his own story. And we are all witnesses.

There are those who like to simply count rings when comparing players. But relatively few of those same people argue that Bill Russell is the league’s greatest ever player. Not all championships are created equal in the minds of basketball fans, and LeBron James understands that.

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Available Now Š 2005-2018 Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. and its subsidiaries. 2K, the 2K logo, and Take-Two Interactive Software are all trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. The NBA and NBA member team identifications are the intellectual property of NBA Properties, Inc. and the respective NBA member teams. Š 2018 NBA Properties, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Officially licensed product of the National Basketball Players Association. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

(Photo by Brian Babineau) Getty Images / Double Clutch illustration

THE EMERGENCE OF TALL BALL Written by Joe Hulbert

There are good teams in the NBA, and there are bad teams. The place where every team wants to be is at the top, but teams fear being stuck in the middle spots more than anything else.

That is where the Orlando Magic have been since Stan Van Gundy departed in 2012. Not only has the team been bad, but they have been borderline unwatchable, and bottom of most people’s league pass rankings. Sure, Aaron Gordon can provide highlights and Mario Hezonja was supposed to be fun, but Orlando have simply sucked the life and soul out of the sport in the last couple of years.

The man brought in to change this was Magic General Manager John Hammond, formerly of the Milwaukee Bucks. His strategy in Wisconsin was to draft big rangy athletes with switch ability. This concept was not exclusive to the Bucks, but they

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were one of the teams who lived and died by it.

Their former Assistant Coach Sean Sweeney was notorious for running a switch-everything style of defense, which saw him become a popular candidate for head coaching vacancies.

Hammond has only had a year at the helm in Orlando after the disastrous reign of Rob Hennigan, but he looks to be opting for a similar strategy. The Magic signed Jonathon Simmons last year in Free Agency and went after Joe Ingles, which signals the desire for defensive solidity. What intrigues me most about this Magic team though, is the two draft picks he has made.

In an era dominated by the Warriors and Rockets three-point bombing offenses and a move away from driving into the paint and towards screens that aim to attack the perimeter, many have attempted to simply copy them. Hammond appears to be going in an entirely different direction though. This is a team that is going to be built to play a tough brand of perimeter defense, and potentially even some tall ball basketball.

The last tall ball experiment I remember well was the 2013-2014 Detroit Pistons. Joe Dumars had a promising big man duo in Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond, and decided to bring in Josh Smith on a huge contract in Free Agency. The experiment was a complete disaster that caused then Head Coach Maurice Cheeks to be thrown under the bus very quickly, and the Pistons are still paying Josh Smith today after Stan Van Gundy opted to stretch his contract.

I have no idea if the Pistons opted for this experiment out of choice or just out of complete ineptitude, but the results were not good.

Hammond seems determined to make this work though, and he is at least planning for this rather than just signing the best available player like the Pistons did.

His first selection as GM was Jonathan Isaac, and The is the reason I have some hope for this experiment. The Magic had very little to cheer about last year as their guard play was historically bad, summarised best by the Magic’s official Twitter account when they tweeted that Shelvin Mack was their leading assist player, with a dismal 3.9 assists per game.

One of the few bright spots was Isaac. The Magic were 20th in defensive efficiency, which was higher than many expected them to be, and you could argue that he was the main reason. The team’s defensive rating with him on the court was a respectable 104.1, which dropped to 111.7 when he went to the bench.

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The issue the Magic had in his rookie year, and something that could be the main flaw with this new-found experiment, is that the offense was horrendous with him on the court. They were never really a good offensive team by any stretch of the imagination, but with Isaac out there they went from being average to markedly awful. The offensive rating with Isaac out there was 96.7, and it went up to 107.0 when he was benched. The eye-test backs up the numbers in this case too, as Isaac appeared to play at a slow pace and not really have much polish in his game. Most defensive minded rookies have at least one skill to lean on but Isaac had very few.

Some across the NBA expected the potential emergence of Isaac to create two potential questions for the Magic

Do we let Aaron Gordon leave?

Do we draft a guard in the NBA Draft?

Rather surprisingly, the Magic answered both of these questions with a resounding no. Aaron Gordon returned to the team, and project center Mohamed Bamba was selected with the sixth overall pick. The Magic’s best player is likely a power forward, and their two building blocks are a power forward and a center with limited offensive games at this point in time.

The Magic’s best player is likely a power forward, and their two building blocks are a power forward and a center with limited offensive games at this point in time.

The Aaron Gordon breakout has been in transit for a long time now, but there are reasons to believe he could do it this year. He showed flashes last year despite having next to nothing around him, notably a 40-point outing against the Oklahoma City Thunder where he kept Paul George in check. His defensive energy fits well with the other two long term pieces the Magic have, and he can kill teams on the inside. The outside shot improved from 28% to 33% last year and while this is still a below average number, it is enough to provide some kind of spacing.

With Gordon though, I feel the inefficiency issues were the result of the Magic having absolutely nothing else offensively, especially from their guards. Per SB Nation’s Pinstriped Post, Gordon

shot 22% on pull-up threes but over 40% on spotup threes. This suggests that Gordon can provide proper spacing as a stretch three or stretch four.

My worry with this Magic team though, is whether they added the back-court and ball handling personnel to ensure that Gordon will have enough spot-up attempts.

You have to assume that the Magic are going to want Gordon and Isaac playing together. You don’t pay a guy just south of $20 million per year and draft someone in the top six to stagger their minutes, especially when you have a clear dearth of talent elsewhere. This pairing has serious defensive potential, and if they were the only major front-court pieces, the answer to this riddle would have been very obvious.

The thing that makes this situation complicated though, is the selection of Mo Bamba. He was as polarising a prospect as any in the draft, with some actually calling him the best big in the draft ahead of DeAndre Ayton and Jaren Jackson.

As a pure defensive presence, Bamba has the potential to be a switchable big with downright scary shot blocking skill. There were some effort and motor concerns at the collegiate level, and many questioned if he had any kind of half-court offensive value.

The thing that makes this situation complicated though, is the selection of Mo Bamba. He was as polarising a prospect as any in the draft, with some actually calling him the best big in the draft ahead of DeAndre Ayton and Jaren Jackson.

Then, Bamba started hitting threes. Until I saw him drain those them and have plays drawn up for him by Head Coach Steve Clifford, I was very much of the opinion that this Magic trio could not work offensively. I still have concerns over whether it can have enough perimeter action in order to fully stretch NBA defenses, but if Mo Bamba can start hitting them regularly, things could get interesting.

The fact a new Head Coach, who is notorious for designing offensive schemes that promote team basketball, sees Bamba as worthy enough to draw up shooting sets for him is significant.

His form looked excellent with a nice high quick release, which means that this trio should not just be downright ugly on the offensive side of the ball.

Schematically, it will be interesting to see if Clifford adapts his defensive schemes to meet the needs of the modern NBA, and his roster full of defensive length. His defense is complicated, but I will attempt to simplify it.

He prioritises defending the paint. His teams will not aggressively attack the perimeter and will instead keep their structure on the interior. The idea behind it is to try and tempt the opponent into driving into the paint by giving the illusion that there is a driving angle, but they will then collapse and ideally force the offense into a bad shot like a mid-range jumper. The scheme was excellent at protecting sub-par interior defenders, but the Charlotte Hornets allowed more threepoint attempts than any other NBA team during Clifford’s reign. They were still somewhat solid, but pure perimeter-based action and things such as flare screens and back screens were an easy way to attack his defense. Given his personnel and Hammond’s beliefs around building a roster, it will be intriguing to see if Clifford is made to adapt.

The question in the short term is how the Magic can really get this trio playing at the same time.

Nicola Vucevic is still in town, and as mentioned before, this backcourt lacks playmaking ability.

Evan Fournier is a fine off-the-ball threat who can attack off screens, but the biggest issue many teams with loads of off-ball threats have is that they do not have the ball handler who can fully maximise and utilise the great spacing on offer.

It also raises a question about roster building, notably the debate over drafting for need or drafting best player available. The Magic needed a center, but in terms of their long term roster planning, there are questions over whether the three cornerstones of Gordon, Isaac and Bamba can co-exist on the court at the same time.

Answering that question will be the hardest one Clifford has had to answer in his coaching career, and it will determine whether the Hammond era will be a success.

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NORTHWEST

CONFERENCE AND DIVISION MAP

PACIFIC

SOUTHWEST

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CENTRAL

ATLANTIC

SOUTHEAST EASTERN CONFERENCE WESTERN CONFERENCE DIVISION

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CENTRAL DIVISION The Central Division was created at the start of the 1970–71 season, when the league expanded from 14 teams to 17. It originally featured the Cincinnati Royals (now the Sacramento Kings), Baltimore Bullets (now Washington Wizards), Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks. The same year, the league realigned itself into two conferences, the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference. Out of the four inaugural members, only the Cavaliers remain.

The division now consists of the aforementioned Cavaliers alongside the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks. And whilst the Pistons are the most successful franchise, in terms of division titles, when it comes down to the sacred NBA championships, none of the division’s teams compare to the once mighty Bulls, whose sixth and last title came in 1998.

Recent years, however, have seen the Cavaliers dominate the division, courtesy of the return of LeBron James. Now the door has once again been thrown open as the Pacers, Bucks and Pistons look forward to a period of resurgence after LeBron’s departure.

Location

Arena

Championships

Conference Championships

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS 2017-18

50

2019

32

32

50

INDIANA PACERS 2017-18

48

2019

34

44

38

MILWAUKEE BUCKS 2017-18

44

38

2019

44

38

DETROIT PISTONS 2017-18

39

2019

43

37

45

CHICAGO BULLS 2017-18

27

55

2019

28

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2019 = This is a predicted win/loss total for the 2019 season, based upon an average provided by our contributors’ individual predictions.

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CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

by Joe Hulbert

The Cavs are LeBron James-less for the first time in four seasons. And, much like his first departure in 2010, nobody is quite sure what this means for the future of the franchise.

The Cavaliers began as an expansion team in 1970. They opened their inaugural season losing their first 15 games and struggled in the early years. The team won their first Central Division title in 1976 and during the latter half of the 1980s and through the 1990s, were a regular playoff contender.

Cleveland, Ohio Quicken Loans Arena

In the 2003 Draft, they selected a homegrown phenom, LeBron James, who led them to their first appearance in the NBA Finals in 2007. They would return to the Finals in 2016, overturning a 3-1 deficit - the first time any team has ever done so - to lift their first championship.

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Owner: General Manager: Head Coach:

Dan Gilbert

Highest Paid:

Koby Altman

Best Addition:

Tyronn Lue

Kevin Love ($24,119,025) Kevin Love’s new Contract

Biggest Loss:

LeBron James

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

George Hill

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JR Smith

Cedi Osman

Kevin Love

Tristan Thompson

(Photo by David Richard) USA TODAY Sports / Double Clutch illustration

It’s over. After a successful return to his hometown team for four years, LeBron James opted to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and join the LA Lakers in the off-season. Cleveland sports fans expect the worst to happen nearly every time they start to believe in one of their teams, but it still hurts the fanbase almost as much as it will hurt the organisation.

It feels weird that most fans were so negative towards the Cavaliers during the 2017-2018 season despite making the playoffs and returning to the Finals. The reality, though, is that they were completely carried by one man, James, and he often had no help.

A generationally awful trade before the start of the season gave them Isaiah Thomas for Kyrie Irving, only for Thomas to become a locker-room problem and be traded months later. The move has potentially ruined the Cavaliers moving forward. James played like a superhuman in the post-season, and he made his teammates and the coaching staff look a lot better than they actually are.

The upcoming year is a big one for Head Coach Tyronn Lue. He has been the victim of having to coach James, and that is not to suggest that he is difficult, but when you have the best player in the world, you get the schemes that allow him to operate in the most effective way alongside him. The only one of James’ coaches who has ever really been able to put his own stamp on the team was Erik Spoelstra, and this was largely because he had the support of an all-time great in Pat Riley.

Before landing the Cavaliers job, Lue had the reputation of being one of the best assistants in the league. He was praised for his basketball mind and his schemes. He will need to give this job everything he has this year, or this Cavaliers team could be downright depressing.

They shouldn’t be awful: they have Kevin Love, who has shown that he can heighten a decaying franchise’s floor during his time in Minnesota. He signed a four-year $120 million deal at the end of the off-season that makes him their key piece moving forward.

He is a walking double-double and the spacing he offers should make things easier for the Cavaliers guards. This group is strange: you have the old-savvy yet declining veteran in George Hill, and he is surrounded by streaky players such as Rodney Hood and Jordan Clarkson. Hill will have to take up a bigger role than he played towards the end of last year, and based on his previous time playing for the Sacramento Kings, we shouldn’t expect too much from this.

They shouldn’t be awful: they have Kevin Love, who has shown that he can heighten a decaying franchise’s floor during his time in Minnesota.

The Cavaliers had a lottery pick to help transition into the post-LeBron era. With that pick they selected point guard Collin Sexton out of Alabama. He was not the greatest decision maker during the draft process, and was far too reliant on being better than his college peers.

He wasn’t always able to transition from the perimeter into the paint, and didn’t really have great assist numbers. On the whole, I Sexton should put up good stats, but he is going to be an on-off criminal as the Cavaliers will probably play better without him. Still, he should provide some highlights and he does have a lot of upside if he can attack the paint on a regular basis.

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CLEVELAND CAVALIERS - TEAM PREVIEW

Outside of the ‘big two’ Cleveland is stacked with off-ball threats. The likes of Hood, Kyle Korver, and Cedi Osman were brought in to play alongside LeBron James. Many think Korver will be traded, but the Cavaliers will be in desperate need for some instant offensive options this year. They got him for next to nothing from the Atlanta Hawks, so it will be tough to let him go.

The presence of multiple spot-up threats and floor spacing options should make things easier for the rookie guard Sexton. His efficiency issues are well documented but in this team, there is really no excuse for him to not be able to hit the paint and post good assist numbers.

In terms of other young projects, this roster has very few of them. Osman is a player to watch.

He became Cavaliers Twitter’s favourite meme as the season went on and was the subject of a #FREECEDI campaign towards the end of the year. Osman defends well and rebounds at an elite level for his size. He has a well-rounded offensive profile and can play on the ball and off the ball. Not only is he a legit building block for this team but at this current time, he could win Most Improved player.

The ‘big three’ moving forwards will be Sexton, Osman and Love. Weirdly, two of these are expected to begin the season on the bench.

Cleveland will likely opt for a Hill, Hood, JR Smith, Love and Tristan Thompson as a starting lineup.

They will have solid spacing but it is unsure whether any of those players individually can get into the paint in one on one situations to make the best use of the three-point shooting. Osman will likely be starting sooner rather than later, and it will be interesting to see whether Sexton gets close to matching Hill’s minutes.

Detroit. The Cavaliers have enough talent on the roster to at least float between that increasing gap. They have a young idealistic coach and a roster full of shooters. The key will be to unearth someone who can be a solo creator and take advantage of the excellent spacing.

They have a young idealistic coach and a roster full of shooters. The key will be to unearth someone who can be a solo creator and take advantage of the excellent spacing.

The post-LeBron era won’t be full of success, but it should be more fun than it was the first time round. This is one of the best fanbases in the NBA, and they should get behind a group of young players that really have the potential to spring some surprises throughout the year. The year is huge for Tyronn Lue, and whether he can live up to his pre-Head Coach reputation will determine the floor of this team.

The bottom of the Eastern Conference appears to have quite a big gap forming between last year’s bottom six and the lower seeds in Miami and

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

Probably not. This is a team with a good, not great player leading them. They are also pretty badly coached, and the roster has very few young players worth tuning in for at a late hour.

Who’s the best player?

Kevin Love is really the only player on this roster close to being all-star level.

He is not as much of a phenom as he was in the Minnesota days, but he has a well-rounded offensive game and he makes everyone else better.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Keep an eye on Cedi Osman. He is a very polished offensive player who rebounds and defends well for a modern NBA wing.

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#nbaintheuk

@CAVS OPENING NIGHT

CAVALIERS @ RAPTORS 00:30 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

CAVALIERS VS LAKERS 01:00 NOVEMBER 22

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Jordan Clarkson G

Bonzie Colson F

Sam Dekker F

Channing Frye C-F

George Hill G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

13.9

2.7

2.7

R

R

R

4.2

2.4

0.5

5.0

2.5

0.7

10.0

2.7

2.8

John Holland G-F

Rodney Hood G

Kyle Korver G-F

Kevin Love F

Larry Nance Jr. F-C

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

2.3

1.0

0.2

14.7

2.8

1.6

9.2

2.3

1.2

17.6

9.3

1.7

8.7

6.8

1.2

David Nwaba G

Cedi Osman F

Billy Preston F

Levi Randolph G

Collin Sexton G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

7.9

4.7

1.5

3.9

2.0

0.7

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

Kobi Simmons G

J.R. Smith G

Isaiah Taylor G

Tristan Thompson F-C

Ante Zizic F-C

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

6.1

1.6

2.1

8.3

2.9

1.8

6.6

1.4

3.1

5.8

6.6

0.6

3.7

1.9

0.2

20

INDIANA PACERS

by Nick Whitfield

The Pacers were the biggest surprise in the NBA last year. Now, this young and unproven core looks to take another step towards true contention.

Indianapolis, Indiana Bankers Life Fieldhouse 3

General Manager: Head Coach:

They became a member of the NBA in 1976. Initially the Pacers struggled to adapt to the NBA and a lack of continuity became the norm for most of the next decade. In 1987 the team would draft Reggie Miller, a Hall of Famer who would play all 18 seasons with the organisation.

The Pacers have won three championships, all in the ABA, and they haven’t been Eastern Conference champions since 2000.

1

Owner:

The Pacers were established in 1967 as a member of the ABA, named after Indiana’s history with the Indianapolis 500’s pace cars.

Herbert Simon Chad Buchanan Nate McMillan

Highest Paid:

Victor Oladipo ($21,000,000)

Best Addition:

Tyreke Evans

Biggest Loss:

Glenn Robinson III

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Darren Collison

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21

Victor Oladipo

Bojan Bogdanovic

Thaddeus Young

Myles Turner

(Photo by Michael Hickey) Sports Illustrated / Double Clutch illustration

It’s safe to say that the Indiana Pacers surprised a lot of teams last season. After losing their franchise star, Paul George, in what many people considered a lopsided trade, the Pacers went on to finish fifth in the Eastern Conference. They continued to impress in the playoffs, taking LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in the opening round before ultimately faltering. With the King vacating to Los Angeles and both Philadelphia and Toronto having varying levels of player turnover, the Indiana Pacers will be looking to strongarm their way into the elite ranks of the East.

A big reason behind the success of the Pacers was a career season for Victor Oladipo. There was much discussion over the gruelling workouts, shift in his diet and offseason dedication, but it was also a case of finding an ideal fit with the Pacers. Having been a complimentary player and backup ball handler in Oklahoma, Nate McMillan was happy to unleash him as a primary offensive option. We saw the athleticism, shooting, playmaking and defensive energy that had so many people excited about him as a prospect when he first entered the league. Oladipo’s efforts were rewarded with an All-Star berth, the Most Improved Player award, All-NBA Third Team and All-Defensive First team. If he can replicate this form, he’ll be rightly discussed among the very best two-way guards in the league.

Indiana fans would have rightly felt optimistic going into the offseason, with not only reason to believe the young team could continue to improve with greater experience playing together, but also because they had cap room to improve the roster. The primary addition is no doubt Tyreke Evans. Now, if you didn’t watch many Grizzlies games last season, you may be thinking this is an exaggeration. The former Rookie of the Year is often said to have regressed since that standout opening season, but he was exceptional for

Memphis. Most notable was the improvement of his long range shooting, flirting with 40% on 5.5 attempts per game. As a below average to poor shooter for most of his career, this has really opened up his offensive versatility. While some may point to overlaps between the games of Oladipo and Evans, the Pacers now have two athletic wings that both have to be respected from the arc. And they can also drive and make plays for their teammates.

Oladipo’s efforts were rewarded with an All-Star berth, the Most Improved Player award, All-NBA Third Team and All-Defensive First team. If he can replicate this form, he’ll be rightly discussed among the very best two-way guards in the league.

Doug McDermott has been added to the roster, bringing another perimeter shooter and positional versatility (offensively at least). The signing of Kyle O’Quinn, which may have gone under the radar of casual NBA fans, will bring further depth to an already talented frontcourt. He’s a solid rebounder and rim protector, but he’s also a solid positional defender. His strengths offensively lie with his touch around the rim and his stroke from three point range. As one of the weaker rebounding teams in the NBA last season, O’Quinn provides an alternative option and a physical presence from the bench. Aaron Holiday (brother of Jrue and Justin) also looks to be a

22

INDIANA PACERS - TEAM PREVIEW

solid prospect out of UCLA as a two way point guard. After leading the Bruins to the NCAA Tournament and averaging 20.3 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game, Indiana may have found a steal with the 23rd pick in the 2018 draft.

The potential improvement of the Pacers isn’t just from additions to the roster either. They were forecast to become Myles Turner’s team after Paul George departed the Hoosier state, but it didn’t quite happen. This was partly due to the ascension of Oladipo, but also due to a number of nagging injuries that made it feel like Turner never really got going last year. At just 22 years old, you’d expect Turner to bounce back and have a big season for the Pacers.

One of the upsides of Turner’s injuries in the previous campaign was that it gave Domantas Sabonis an opportunity to shine in the frontcourt. Similarly to Oladipo, hampered by his previous role with the Thunder, given greater license he was able to thrive. An all around talent, Sabonis is someone you really have to watch to appreciate.

Sabonis an opportunity to shine in the frontcourt.

Similarly to Oladipo, hampered by his previous role with the Thunder, given greater license he was able to thrive. An all around talent, Sabonis is someone you really have to watch to appreciate.

His game is built around nuance and decision making, as well as good shooting range and the ability to make plays too. Excelling in the pickand-roll, both Sabonis and Turner sit behind only Marc Gasol and Clint Capela in the number of points per game scored as the roll man in pickand-roll situations in the NBA. The extension of Thaddeus Young further underlines the depth at coach McMillan’s disposal. An efficient scorer and a multitalented player on the offensive side of the basketball, it’s often overlooked that he also has very active hands defensively. He finished 10th in the NBA in steals per game, perhaps overshadowed by Oladipo finishing 1st. Significantly though, you have to reach Anthony Davis at 15 before you find another big that was as proficient at stealing the ball as Young last season.

Rounding out the roster is Bojan Bogdanovic, who offers elite perimeter shooting and an overall offensive guile that allows him to score with or without the ball. Not known for his defensive intensity, Bojan’s role is to space the floor for his teammates. And, as we saw in the playoffs, he’s a player who rises to the pressure of big games.

He enjoys taking big shots and can also beat defenders with a surprising first step and ability to handle the ball. With a roster that also boasts Darren Collison and Cory Joseph, the Pacers are stacked with players that can all create for their teammates.

One of the upsides of Turner’s injuries in the previous campaign was that it gave Domantas

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

Yes, they will be one of my league pass teams this seasons and they’ll be fun to watch. They share the ball, have a number of athletic players and have a deep squad. They also have a clear objective: to force their way into the conversation as one of the elite teams in the Eastern Conference.

Who’s the best player?

Oladipo took the mantle of the Pacers franchise star last season, and raised a legitimate argument that the Pacers actually ‘won’ the trade that led to them losing Paul George, all things considered.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

For me it’s Myles Turner. He’ll be looking to bounce back after a down season and with his shooting touch and underrated shot blocking offers the Pacers an intriguing skillset. page

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#nbaintheuk

@PACERS OPENING NIGHT

PACERS VS GRIZZLIES 00:00 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

PACERS VS CELTICS 23:00 NOVEMBER 03

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Ike Anigbogu F-C

Bojan Bogdanovic G-F

Darren Collison G

Tyreke Evans G-F

Aaron Holiday G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

1.2

0.8

0.0

14.3

3.4

1.5

12.4

2.6

5.3

19.4

5.1

5.2

R

R

R

Alize Johnson F

Omari Johnson F

Cory Joseph G

T.J. Leaf F

Doug McDermott F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

5.5

2.8

1.8

7.9

3.2

3.2

2.9

1.5

0.2

7.8

2.5

1.0

Ben Moore F

Kyle O’Quinn F-C

Victor Oladipo G

Domantas Sabonis F-C

Elijah Stewart G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

0.0

0.5

0.5

7.1

6.1

2.1

23.1

5.2

4.3

11.6

7.7

2.0

R

R

R

Edmond Sumner G

Myles Turner C-F

C.J. Wilcox G

Thaddeus Young F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

2.0

1.0

0.0

12.7

6.4

1.3

2.0

0.5

0.5

11.8

6.3

1.9

24

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

by Matthew Wellington

The arrival of Head Coach Mike Budenholzer has changed all expectations in Milwaukee. In fact, this summer may be looked back on as a turning point for the franchise and its superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The franchise was founded in 1968. And, despite its small market size, has built a rich history in the NBA, hosting some of the alltime greats.

Fiserv Forum

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Sidney Moncrief, Oscar Robertson, Ray Allen and many more stars have graced Milwaukee’s court.

They won their only championship in 1971, but remained a dominant force in the league throughout that decade. And in 1972 they recorded their third consecutive 60-win season, becoming the first NBA team to achieve this.

1 2

Owner:

Wesley Edens, Marc Lasry, Jamie Dinan

General Manager: Head Coach:

Jon Horst Mike Budenholzer

Highest Paid:

Giannis Antetokounmpo ($24,157,304)

Best Addition:

Mike Budenholzer

Biggest Loss:

Jabari Parker

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Eric Bledsoe

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Malcolm Brogdan

Khris Middleton

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Brook Lopez

(Photo by Bill Streicher) USA TODAY Sports / Double Clutch illustration

This season should see a complete juxtaposition to last, as the Bucks look to rewrite the offensive playbook under a head coach known for his basketball intelligence and ingenuity. The Bucks quite obviously had a game plan on how to approach this summer and they executed it to perfection, utilising GM Jon Horst’s direct approach to get critical decisions across the line early.

First, they let Jabari Parker go, who throughout last season appeared to be at odds with the franchise. This is a move which ultimately makes the Bucks better, especially when you consider the number of injuries Jabari has sustained to date. That’s not to say he’s a bad player, because he isn’t, but when you factor in the significant risk of utilising your remaining cap room and thus weakening your chances of strengthening the bench, it’s a no-brainer to remove him from the equation. It’s the sort of franchise decision which in the past, has caused Milwaukee to reconsider their future and/or lose direction. But under Horst, everything is different.

It’s the sort of franchise decision which in the past, has caused Milwaukee to reconsider their future and/ or lose direction. But under Horst, everything is different.

The second year GM is no stranger to making tough decisions. After all, he took over from John Hammond just weeks before the 2017 NBA Draft and was quick to make his mark on the franchise’s new direction. In just last season alone, Horst let Michael Beasley walk, resigned Tony Snell and Jason Terry as well as making his first major move on the morning of the team’s 10th game; trading

Greg Monroe alongside a pair of protected draft picks to the Phoenix Suns for Eric Bledsoe. The trade was a bold statement of intent and one which, this season, should begin to fulfil its original promise. So it came as no surprise to many that, when Mike Budenholzer became available, Horst and the Bucks jumped at the chance to kickstart their future.

And so, with Parker gone, the Bucks went to work on acquiring some depth to add to their talented roster. But more specifically, perimeter threats to place around their star man. It began in the draft, as the Bucks selected the highly touted perimeter threat, Donte DiVincenzo with the 17th pick in the first round. Then, when July free agency hit, they went out and signed veteran center Brook Lopez to a one-year deal worth $3,382,000. An NBA bargain, if ever there was one. Lopez, who developed a rather efficient three-point shot during his time with Kenny Atkinson in Brooklyn, is a starting center who will add another dimension to their offense. However, they didn’t stop there, also signing Ersan Ilyasova who returns to the organisation which drafted him, for a third stint.

These are moves which undoubtedly allow the Bucks to place an emphasis on offensive spacing this season. And frontcourt additions like Lopez and Ilyasova, both excellent perimeter shooters, make it painfully obvious that this team will not repeat the same mistakes of the past; where the Bucks have effectively lived in three-point purgatory. Here’s the proof; in each of the past five seasons, the Bucks have ranked at or near the bottom of the NBA in three-point attempts per game, ranking 25th with 24.7 attempts per contest last season, making 8.8 per contest (35.5%).

That will all change as Budenholzer looks to implement a similar playstyle to that of his former team, the Atlantas Hawks. Who, under his guidance last season, averaged 31 three-point attempts per-game and finished just outside the 26

MILWAUKEE BUCKS - TEAM PREVIEW

top ten (11th) in three-pointers made. In fact, early last season, Budenholzer’s Hawks were posting historic shooting performances, converting their three-point shots at a rate above 40 percent.

The only other team to have ranked above them at that time, I hear you ask? Well that was obvious, the Golden State Warriors.

Fast-forward to the present and we are already seeing daily reports as to just how many threepoint shooting practices are taking place in the team’s practice facility. And it’s not just the usual suspects either, it is quite literally everyone.

Bud wants, and encourages, every player to improve as a long-range shooter, especially from the corners. Early glimpses of the Bucks this preseason has shown that this strategy is indeed working, but it remains to be seen just how well the Bucks can shoot during the gruelling 82 game regular season campaign.

Make no mistake about it, what has taken place in Milwaukee this summer is a revolution. And, the instalment of a consistent, focused direction, designed to maximise the potential of one man: Giannis Antetokounmpo.

In him they have found a quiet, unashamed superstar, who isn’t fazed by the glitz and the glamour and who’s humble upbringing hasn’t been quickly forgotten. He knows who he is and he will never change.

His potential was first unleashed back in 2014-15, as former head coach Jason Kidd, moved the 6-foot-11”Greek Freak” to the point guard spot.

The switch led to the league fearing the deer and was a sign that under Kidd, the Bucks would do things differently. And it was a move that saw the Bucks fly up the defensive rankings, finishing second overall that season. Unfortunately for them however, Kidd’s ingenuity soon hit a wall and his coaching inexperience came to light.

Kidd’s approach overlooked the rest of the team, in favour of Giannis. Budenholzer however, is

looking to take the opposite approach, whilst also reasserting his commitment to innovation on the court.

Make no mistake about it, what has taken place in Milwaukee this summer is a revolution. And, the instalment of a consistent, focused direction, designed to maximise the potential of one man: Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Budenholzer’s new system combined with the now honed potential of Giannis, is a truly frightening prospect. The Bucks will be a more disciplined team on the court, focused on staying in position on the defensive end, and stretching the floor for both Giannis and their many shooters on the other. The frightening length and athleticism of this Bucks unit, will be put to the test this coming season, as incremental improvements (such as learning what to do with their hands on defense, or just going straight up for a rebound), hopefully combine to make a huge difference at both ends of the court. Coach Bud has preached the basics, just like he did in Atlanta and just like he was taught in San Antonio. Effectively, it doesn’t matter what position a player may play, but what does matter is that you open up the floor enough so that Giannis can wreak havoc and yet still have a get out clause, should he run into trouble. Let us not forget, this was a team which took Brad Stevens’ Boston Celtics to a deciding game in last year’s playoffs. The talent is here, the brain has arrived, now it is truly time to fear the deer.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

We will find out pretty quickly whether or not this Bucks team is worth staying up for. Giannis Antetokounmpo alone is reason but if the Bucks achieve the levels of performance we’re expecting from them, it could be truly frightening.

Who’s the best player?

Is this a serious question? Giannis Antetokounmpo, without a shadow of a doubt.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Considering the wealth of talent now assembled on this team, this one’s a difficult one to answer. Donte DiVincenzo of Villanova will undoubtedly be one to keep an eye on, thanks to his three-point shooting, but Thon Maker is primed to make a leap. Sooner or later, it is coming.

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#nbaintheuk

@BUCKS OPENING NIGHT

BUCKS @ HORNETS 00:00 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

BUCKS @ CELTICS 00:00 NOVEMBER 02

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Giannis Antetokounmpo F-G

Eric Bledsoe G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

26.9

10.0

4.8

17.7

3.8

5.0

13.0

3.3

3.2

4.0

2.6

0.5

5.4

2.0

1.1

Matthew Dellavedova G

Malcolm Brogdon G

Donte DiVincenzo G

Sterling Brown G

Trevon Duval G

Pat Connaughton G

Tim Frazier G

John Henson C-F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

4.3

1.7

3.8

R

R

R

R

R

R

3.0

1.9

3.3

8.8

6.8

1.5

Ersan Ilyasova F

Brook Lopez C

Thon Maker F-C

Khris Middleton G

Jaylen Morris G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

10.9

5.9

1.3

13.0

4.0

1.7

4.8

3.0

0.6

20.1

5.2

4.0

4.7

2.7

1.2

Tony Snell G-F

Travis Trice G

D.J. Wilson F

Christian Wood F

Tyler Zeller F-C

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

6.9

1.9

1.3

R

R

R

1.0

0.5

0.1

3.3

2.2

0.2

6.7

4.6

0.7

28

DETROIT PISTONS

by Ben Moorcroft

This season will determine whether the addition of new coach Dwane Casey will be enough to make this team competitive or whether the organization needs a rethink.

The Pistons were founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons in 1941. They moved to Detroit in 1957 and have won three championships. They are a franchise with a rich history and just like the city of Detroit, there’s very little glamour on court.

Detroit, Michigan Little Caesars Arena

The Bad Boys era has gone down in the annals of time and become infamous for the successful implementation of the ‘Jordan rules’. And in the early 2000s a Chauncey Billups led team famously defeated Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals. One of the greatest sporting upsets of all-time.

3 7

Owner:

Tom Gores

General Manager: Head Coach:

Vacant Dwayne Casey

Highest Paid:

Blake Griffin ($31,873,932)

Best Addition:

Glenn Robinson III

Biggest Loss:

Anthony Tolliver

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Reggie Jackson

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Luke Kennard

Stanley Johnson

Blake Griffin

Andre Drummond

(Photo by Jeff Swinger) USA TODAY Sports / Double Clutch illustration

The Detroit Pistons had a 39-42 record last season, good enough for the ninth seed. They had the ninth highest payroll in the league and remain in the top ten this season. A lack of progression and development eventually cost head coach and President of Basketball Operations Stan Van Gundy his job, but this also contributed to the team making a major blockbuster trade in January. They gambled by sending forward Tobias Harris, guard Avery Bradley and center Boban Marjanović along with both a 2018 and 2019 first round pick to the L..A Clippers for perennial All-Star Blake Griffin.

The Pistons only achieved a 12-19 record after the trade, but the hope is the return of a healthy Reggie Jackson will mean they won’t be paying Griffin $140 million through 2022 for nothing.

different player now. He has moved on from an athletic dunker to a ball handling forward, slowly stepping further and further from the basket every year. To demonstrate this, the number of two-pointers he attempted dropped from 16.7 to 14.1 last season, while his three point attempts sky rocketed from 1.9 to 5.6. This is not the most talented roster, so having two players on the floor who can handle the ball and create offense for both themselves and others can only be a good thing. At times last season the offense stagnated and Griffin was played in isolation sets with the expectation of creating on his own, but Jackson takes the pressure off him and allows coach Dwane Casey to be more creative on the offensive end.

Reggie Jackson has played under 60 games in the last five seasons. Injuries have stunted his and therefore this team’s development. It is hard to build a team with a player when you cannot guarantee his health. With Jackson was on the floor, the Pistons were 27-18 last season, compared to 12-25 without him. That is a very significant jump. If you projected those records across a full season then a Jackson led Pistons would have been the fifth seed with 49 wins, but without him they would have finished 13th in the conference with just 26 wins. Now the sample size is small, but Jackson’s importance to this team can not be overstated.

This is not the most talented roster, so having two players on the floor who can handle the ball and create offense for both themselves and others can only be a good thing.

Jackson and Griffin shared just 85 possessions on the floor last season due to recurring injuries for both players. Understandably, there have been a lot of comparisons between the trio of Jackson, Griffin and Andre Drummond and the former Clippers ‘big three’ of Chris Paul, Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. We have seen Griffin play with a talented point guard and a dominant rebounder before, but to no great success. However, there is hope it can be different this time. Griffin is a

Trading away their 2018 first round pick, having no cap space and also a number of players who are on contracts which outweigh their ability means that the Pistons were unable to make any significant additions to the roster this summer.

This makes the appointment of Casey even more important. It is not often that a coach is awarded with the NBA Coach of the Year award and then fired. Casey has built a very good reputation for being an outstanding coach. The only criticism anyone can proffer is his playoff record, but the Pistons will just be happy to make it there this season. Casey is fundamentally sound and

30

DETROIT PISTONS - TEAM PREVIEW

motivates his teams to play above their ability year on year. The Toronto Raptors, Casey’s last team, ranked 3rd in offense and 10th in defense.

Nick Nurse, the current Raptors head coach, has been credited with Toronto’s success on offense, making the health of Griffin and Jackson all that more important. Detroit themselves ranked eighth in defense last season, but I would still expect Casey to be able to improve that further.

Arguably Casey’s biggest achievement at Toronto was improving the bench unit massively. Toronto’s bench last year ranked first in the league in net rating. This means they were the best team in terms of outscoring their opponents while their starters were off the floor. This contributed more than anything to Toronto having the best record in the Eastern Conference, as they were able to rest starters while continuing to dominate opponents. Casey will need to work the same magic with the Pistons bench. Ironically, the only second unit to have a better defensive rating than Toronto was Detroit. Detroit will likely run with a bench line up of Ish Smith, Luke Kennard, Glenn Robinson III, John Leuer, and one of Drummond or Griffin. The hope will be that the addition of Robinson and the further development of Kennard may help this unit to spread the floor and provide some offense.

The issue Casey will face with the second unit is depth in the front court. Although their skill sets are different in a lot of areas, you should expect Casey to stagger Drummond and Griffin throughout games, as they both like to locate the same floor space at the top of the key. Van Gundy had surprising success last year forming his offense around Drummond in the high post and the big man proved he is a better passer than he is given credit for. He ranked second among centers for assists, with an average of three per game. However, a lack of alternatives means Casey has no real option but to have

one of him or Griffin on the floor at all times.

John Leuer can play both positions in the front court, but his production isn’t great and he only managed eight games last year due to injury.

Casey’s other options are Zaza Pachulia and Henry Ellenson. One is a veteran who is over the hill and the other is a player in his third year who has a very low ceiling in terms of potential. Neither player can or should be relied upon. This will probably mean Casey will move Stanley Johnson to the four spot when circumstances permit. The hope will be that Johnson will help the team with floor spacing issues and reduce the workload on the shoulders of Griffin and Leuer considering their long injury records.

Van Gundy had surprising success last year forming his offense around Drummond in the high post and the big man proved he is a better passer than he is given credit for.

The lack of depth will likely minimise what this team can achieve. Casey will be given the reigns to do what is needed to get this franchise back on track and give it some direction. However, the lack of flexibility to make roster moves means Detroit might not be able to be a truly competitive team for a long time.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

Honestly… no. There are a number of teams who are also in the same bubble of being too good to tank and too bad to win. Detroit will likely finish in the bottom half of the playoff seeding and face an early exit.

Who’s the best player?

Reggie Jackson and Blake Griffin should both post good numbers this season but Andre Drummond is their most important player. With Griffin in decline, it will be his fellow big man who is relied upon to step up.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Stanley Johnson. The youngster has all the tools to be a great NBA defender and Casey can definitely improve this team in that area. The combination of both may see Johnson begin to live up to his potential.

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#nbaintheuk

@DETROITPISTONS OPENING NIGHT

PISTONS VS NETS 00:00 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

PISTONS VS CLIPPERS 20:30 JANUARY 12

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Bruce Brown G

Reggie Bullock G-F

Jose Calderon G

Andre Drummond C

Henry Ellenson F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

11.3

2.5

1.5

4.5

1.5

2.1

15.0

16.0

3.0

4.0

2.1

0.5

Keenan Evans G

Langston Galloway G

Blake Griffin F

Johnny Hamilton C

Reggie Hearn G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

6.2

1.6

1.0

21.4

7.4

5.8

R

R

R

1.0

0.0

0.0

Reggie Jackson G

Stanley Johnson F

Luke Kennard F

Jon Leuer F

Zach Lofton G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

14.6

2.8

5.3

8.7

3.7

1.6

7.6

2.4

1.7

5.4

4.0

0.6

R

R

R

Zaza Pachulia C

Glenn Robinson G-F

Ish Smith G

Khyri Thomas G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

5.4

4.7

1.6

4.1

1.6

0.7

10.9

2.7

4.4

R

R

R

32

CHICAGO BULLS

by Sam Chadwick

With Chicago’s management finally starting to get things right, can the Bulls really compete for a playoff spot in a weakened Eastern Conference, or do they need to keep building?

Founded in 1966, the Chicago Bulls dominated 90s basketball, winning 6 NBA championships between 1991 and 1998 thanks to the dominance of arguably the greatest player to ever live, Michael Jordan.

Chicago, Illinois United Center

Since then, the Windy City has had a distinct lack of success.

Despite drafting home town hero Derrick Rose, injuries cut that short and now the Bulls are hoping another hometown product can help them to the playoffs.

6 6

Owner:

Jerry Reinsdorf

General Manager: Head Coach:

Highest Paid:

Gar Forman

Best Addition:

Fred Hoiberg

Biggest Loss:

Jabari Parker ($20,000,000) Wendell Carter, Jr. David Nwaba

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Kris Dunn

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Zach LaVine

Justin Holiday

Jabari Parker

Robin Lopez

NBC Sports Chicago / Double Clutch illustration

Since MJ left in the late 1990s there has been a distinct lack of success for the Chicago Bulls fans to enjoy. They were teased in 2011 when home town hero Derrick Rose dragged the team from a lowly eighth-place finish in 2010 up to first place with a 62-20 record in the Eastern Conference.

He was crowned the youngest ever NBA MVP and you would understand why the future looked ohso bright. the team breezed its way to the Eastern Conference Finals, past the Indiana Pacers and the Atlanta Hawks, only to be dominated by LeBron James and the Miami Heat, who beat the Bulls four games to one. This was back in a time when Gar Forman was earning himself Executive of the Year and Tom Thibodeau was collecting the Coach of the Year awards.

A season later, during the shortened 2011/12 season, and with LeBron fully into his Miami experience, the Bulls still clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference despite the Miami big three. But then, 28 April 2012, game one of the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago was up 99-87 with 1 minute 20 seconds left.

Derrick Rose drives over the Joakim Noah pickand-roll, attacking the basket with speed, then a hop-step, but he lands awkwardly. His hand moves to his knee and he’s walking under the basket, but crumbles to the floor. Bulls fans panic.

Rose ends up with a torn ACL, he sits out the entire 2012/13 season, and then nothing ever returns to normal for Chicago and Rose. All that potential, the hometown hero story brushed under the carpet and just like that a new re-build starts.

Since that season Gar Forman has gone from collecting Executive of the Year awards to receiving #FIREGARPAX billboards. Tom Thibodeau has since done his best to rekindle those Bulls glory days as the Minnesota Timberwolves Head Coach.

However, it was the trade that most notably caused the #FIREGARPAX billboard that has sparked a positive turn in the franchise. The Bulls received Zach Lavine and Lauri Markkanen for Jimmy Butler in a 2017 trade, and the team has since added Chandler Hutchinson and Wendell Carter this off-season. The Bulls look to be a franchise on the rise.

While last season was not something to write home about – a 27-55 record was tied for seventh worst in the league alongside the Sacramento Kings – there were sparks of improvement over the season. Lavine managed just 24 games following surgery during the offseason and came back showing the same scoring and all-around game (16.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3 assists per game) that he displayed in his first three seasons in Minnesota, whilst shooting 34% on three-point attempts.

While last season was not something to write home about – a 27-55 record was tied for seventh worst in the league alongside the Sacramento Kings – there were sparks of improvement over the season.

A core of Markkanen, Lavine and Wendell maintain Chicago’s youth, but question marks still linger over who will fill in at starting point guard: Cameron Payne and Kris Dunn are two holdovers from last season who can compete for the job, but despite adding the summer acquisition of Jabari Parker, this squad currently feels incomplete.

34

CHICAGO BULLS - TEAM PREVIEW

There is no star player to compete with some of the lower Eastern Conference seeds like Washington or Miami. Meanwhile, other teams like the Charlotte Hornets have an teams experienced core with players like Kemba Walker and Nic Batum – this leaves the Bulls with a distinct lack of edge. And the young Chicago core is still a few seasons behind the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks who have been through the rebuild process and have made it through to the bright side.

If the young roster can hit its ceiling in terms of development, Chicago could compete in the East for years to come. Lauri has a similar game to legendary German player Dirk Nowitzki, Wendell Carter provides the team with a big-man that the Bulls have been lacking for some time, and allows Lauri to play outside the paint. And Jabari, while questionable last season in the playoffs for the Bucks, should have a hometown kick to bump his numbers.

If the young roster can hit its ceiling in terms of development, Chicago could compete in the East for years to come.

While the decision to sign Jabari Parker may be questionable right now it could be a blessing in disguise and one that fits well with the Bulls.

Parker signed a two-year deal, with a team option for next season. This allows the franchise to see how he fits and if he is truly recovered from injuries.

This addition, plus the overall change in mentality of the front office is one of the main benefits of this squad as the Bulls prepare for life after LeBron James in the Eastern Conference. The league needs to gear up for what happens when he eventually retires, and the East is already completely different ball game this season – teams will be wanting to take advantage of what will be a wide open conference.

This Bulls squad is one of the youngest teams in the league entering training camp. In a few short years, the likes of Ben Simmons in Philadelphia and Kristaps Porzingis in New York will be the guys dominating the league, and the Bulls could be right there with Markennen at the helm.

Since the #FIREGARPAX billboards just over a year ago, progress has been made within the franchise, and fans are excited to see where this Markkenen-train takes them.

This summer’s additions of Wendell Carter really shows the strides the franchise has made towards its change. The willingness to develop the younger talent and plan a future for the long term is positive for this team.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

This is surprisingly tough, the Bulls had some highlight level plays last season, Markkanen’s block on Steph Curry, the return of dunk champ Lavine may just tip the Bulls into watchable territory.

Who’s the best player?

It has to be Markkanen. His ability to stretch the floor is beyond valuable. But adding Carter should allow Lauri even more freedom to do what he is good at.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

If he’s back at full health, Lavine went down to injury as the best dunker in the league. Also, he’s pretty clutch, look for him to step his game up thanks to the nice big contract he signed this off-season.

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#nbaintheuk

@BULLS OPENING NIGHT

BULLS @ SIXERS 01:00 OCTOBER 19 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

BULLS @ BUCKS 02:30 NOVEMBER 17

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Rawle Alkins G

Ryan Arcidiacono G

Omer Asik C

Antonio Blakeney G

Wendell Carter Jr. F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

2.0

1.0

1.5

1.2

2.6

0.2

7.9

1.7

1.1

R

R

R

Antonius Cleveland G

Kris Dunn G

Cristiano Felicio F-C

Kaiser Gates F

Justin Holiday G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

1.4

0.8

0.1

13.4

4.3

6.0

5.6

4.2

1.0

R

R

R

12.2

4.0

2.1

Chandler Hutchison G

Zach LaVine G

Robin Lopez C

Lauri Markkanen F-C

Jabari Parker F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

16.7

3.9

3.0

11.8

4.5

1.9

15.2

7.5

1.2

12.6

4.9

1.9

Cameron Payne G

Bobby Portis F

Denzel Valentine G

Derrick Walton G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

8.8

2.8

4.5

13.2

6.8

1.7

10.2

5.1

3.2

1.8

1.0

1.0

36

ATLANTIC DIVISION The Atlantic Division consists of the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors.

The division was created at the start of the 1970–71 season, when the league expanded from 14 teams to 17 and began with four inaugural members, the Celtics, the Braves (now the LA Clippers), the Knicks and the 76ers. The Raptors, who joined the division in 2004, are currently the only NBA franchise based outside of the United States.

The Celtics have won the most Atlantic Division titles with 22 and enjoyed an unrivalled period of divisional dominance between the 1970s and 80s.

Much of the Eastern Conference has been pitiful over the past two decades, but the Atlantic Division lays claim to a special level of poor performance over that period, which includes a recent run of having at least two teams in the bottom six from 2014 to 2017. Now however, times are changing, as the Celtics, Raptors and 76ers battle it out to be labelled the best team in the East.

Location

Arena

Championships

Conference Championships

TORONTO RAPTORS 2017-18

59

2019

23

50

32

BOSTON CELTICS 2017-18

55

27

2019

55

27

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS 2017-18

52

2019

30

48

35

NEW YORK KNICKS 2017-18

29

2019

53

32

51

BROOKLYN NETS 2017-18

28

54

2019

27

53

2019 = This is a predicted win/loss total for the 2019 season, based upon an average provided by our contributors’ individual predictions.

38

TORONTO RAPTORS

by Josh Coyne

Toronto has gone all in this summer, trading a franchise legend and bringing in one of the most exciting players in the game. Will it work?

Bursting into the NBA world in 1995 as part of the league’s growth, Toronto travelled the same road as many expansion teams during its first few years: by sucking.

Toronto, Ontario

After early progression, the city started to get behind the Raptors when Vince Carter became half-man, half-amazing and dominated one of the greatest All Star Slam Dunk contests of all time. While he left shortly after, the seed was planted and a love of basketball blossomed and remained in Canada.

Scotiabank Arena 0 0

Owner: Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment

Highest Paid:

General Manager:

Best Addition:

Bobby Webster

Head Coach:

Nick Nurse

Kyle Lowry ($31,000,000) Kawhi Leonard

Biggest Loss:

Firing the ‘Coach of the Year’

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Kyle Lowry

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39

Danny Green

Kawhi Leonard

Serge Ibaka

Jonas Valanciunas

(Photo by Jerome Miron) USA TODAY Sports / Double Clutch illustration

Toronto made progress last year, logging 59 wins and securing home court advantage during the playoffs. However, they became undone in a fashion that has become somewhat of a post-season tradition – they were convincingly defeated by the now departed LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers. Led by Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, the deep Raptors team became champions of the Eastern Conference but that wasn’t enough for the ambitious franchise and their fanbase.

creating mismatch problems for defenses across the league.

While much of the playing roster has remained intact, a new chapter is certainly underway in Toronto. Although he enjoyed an incredible regular season, Dwane Casey was ousted from his role as Head Coach and was subsequently replaced by former BBL coach Nick Nurse, who previously served as a Raptors assistant, heavily influencing the offensive schemes. Casey’s firing sent shockwaves around the league and served as further proof of just how important post-season progression is for the organisation.

The veteran coach won the Coach Of The Year award in the same summer that he lost his job, he achieved a 57% win percentage over 561 regular season games but his 41% win rate in the playoffs ultimately cost him his position. Nurse will now attempt to usher in a new era of Raptors basketball from this year forward.

Another key starter for the Raptors was Jonas Valanciunas, who averaged the most points of his career last year at 12.3 per game. He gathered 8.6 rebounds and developed his game by making 30 three-pointers. He remains a significant part of this team’s success and will likely continue to adapt further to the modern game as the season progresses.

A large reason for the team’s 2017-2018 success was their potentially league-leading depth. Their star duo typically provided a large portion of their scoring but Toronto was loaded with talent through to the end of the bench.

Although not close to the player he was once considered back in Oklahoma City, Serge Ibaka remains a highly effective defender and averaged 1.3 blocks per game last season – the joint lowest in his career but achieved in only 27.5 minutes per game. He chipped in with 12.6 points per game at a rate of 48% from the field. He has the ability to be a good defender from beyond the arc too,

A large reason for the team’s 2017-2018 success was their potentially league-leading depth.

Third-year guard Norman Powell and breakout human battery Fred VanVleet served the second unit’s backcourt well, ensuring that Toronto finished the season as leaders in bench points league-wide. The latter was trusted with significantly more minutes in the 76 games that he played in, contributing 3.2 assists per game and making 41% of his from behind the arc, which earned him a two-year deal in the offseason.

Powell chipped in with solid contributions, while seeing a decrease in playing time from the year before. The team were also buoyed by the addition of veteran guard C. J. Miles who added a scoring punch in his 19 minutes per game.

The depth was highlighted by Toronto’s ability to lean on players such as Cameroonian forward Pascal Siakam and British rookie OG Anunoby.

Both players helped set the identity of the team’s defense: Siakam’s ability to smother the opposition earned him more trust from the coaching staff and he paid them back with consistent hustle plays. Previous Double Clutch interviewee Anunoby was true to his promise 40

TORONTO RAPTORS - TEAM PREVIEW

of delivering elite wing defensive play and serviceable shooting throughout the season; he found himself switched onto many team’s best player at an unprecedented rate for a rookie.

With the Raptors bringing in arguably the best on-ball defender in the league this summer, Anunoby may just become part of the league’s most fearsome defensive structure.

Anunoby was true to his promise of delivering elite wing defensive play Now a 12-year veteran, franchise cornerstone Kyle Lowry continued to lead the team on a nightly basis. Shooting at a clip of 42% from the field, the four-time All-Star averaged 16.2 points per game.

Although his scoring load decreased from the previous season, he found other ways to help his team over the line regularly; he grabbed a career-high of 5.6 rebounds per game – the fourth most of all NBA guards. Lowry also snatched 1.1 steals, delivered 6.9 assists and 3.1 threes per game. At the age of 32, he remains a vital cog in Masai Ujiri’s machine.

Last year’s standout, however, was the offensive juggernaut, Toronto’s longest serving player as the season began – DeMar DeRozan. The All-NBA second team star enjoyed the most well-rounded year of his career, totalling 23 points, 5.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game. He attempted more threes than any year of his career, shooting at an improved rate of 31%, yet he did most of his damage from the mid-range, where he remained a constant threat to opposing defenses. He seemed completely invaluable to the team, until the playoffs came around and instead of rising, his production dipped. Lowry and DeRozan had been the bedrock of this roster for years, but the front office felt it was time to make a change.

The reset of culture in began with the hiring of Nurse, but it really gained steam with one of the biggest trades in recent years. After almost a year of the Kawhi Leonard saga dominating sports media, the Raptors swept in with an offer that shocked the basketball world. It was expected that Leonard would end up in his seemingly preferred destination of Los Angeles one way or another, but with Ujiri and his front office so confident in their process, it was worth the one-year gamble. Despite his excellent season, DeRozan was traded alongside Jakob Poeltl, as well as a protected 2019 first round pick in exchange for Leonard and Danny Green.

This was a huge shift in direction for the Raptors but ultimately, it was time to move on from the annually-underachieving core.

With no guarantee that Leonard will re-sign next summer, Toronto truly put their cards on the table with this one. While Leonard could walk away and leave them with nothing, the upside of this trade is inconceivably high. When not leaving his team in the dark, Leonard is one of the league’s top3 players and has proven to have what it takes to catapult a team into contention. Through the span of his career, Leonard has averaged 16.3 points, 1 block, 2.3 assists, 1.8 steals, 6.2 rebounds and 49% from the field. In his last legitimate NBA year back in 2016-2017, he scored a career high of 25 points per game and shot 38% from threepoint land. Simply put, he has everything you could wish for from a basketball player. The worst case scenario for the Raptors here is a similarly wasted Kawhi season, followed by a void in the roster. The best case is Kawhi’s baseball-glovesized hands holding the Larry O’Brien trophy next summer and becoming completely enamoured with the organisation, and re-signing with the team.

The Eastern Conference has been opened up with the departure of Toronto’s bogeyman and the Raptors time to exorcise demons is now.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

As with all legitimately competitive teams, Toronto is well worth its share of the league pass subscription. Now boosted by the addition of Leonard, the Raptors could be an immensely difficult team to beat.

Who’s the best player?

This decision was far more difficult last season, when DeRozan and Lowry were co-faces of the franchise. However, should Kawhi reach even close to the peak of his powers, he is by far the most important and exciting player on this team.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

O.G. Anunoby could take a leap this year. Anunoby was born in London too by the way, so British fans will have a vested interest in his development, to say the least. page

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#nbaintheuk

@RAPTORS OPENING NIGHT

RAPTORS VS CAVALIERS 00:30 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

RAPTORS VS SPURS 00:00 FEBRUARY 23

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Deng Adel F

OG Anunoby F

Chris Boucher F

Lorenzo Brown G

Kyle Collinsworth G-F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

5.9

2.5

0.7

0.0

1.0

0.0

2.3

1.1

0.9

3.2

3.3

1.8

Danny Green G-F

Kay Felder G

Serge Ibaka F-C

Kawhi Leonard F

Kyle Lowry G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

8.6

3.6

1.6

3.6

1.1

1.3

12.6

6.3

0.8

16.2

4.7

2.3

16.2

5.6

6.9

Jordan Loyd G

C.J. Miles G

Greg Monroe C-F

Eric Moreland F-C

Norman Powell G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

10.0

2.2

0.8

10.3

6.9

2.2

2.1

4.1

1.2

5.5

1.7

1.3

Malachi Richardson G

Pascal Siakam F

Jonas Valanciunas C

Fred VanVleet G

Delon Wright G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

3.4

1.3

0.5

7.3

4.5

2.0

12.7

8.6

1.1

8.6

2.4

3.2

8.0

2.9

2.9

42

BOSTON CELTICS

by Josh Coyne

After finishing last season a game shy of the NBA Finals, can a reinforced Celtics squad take a bite out of the Eastern Conference this season?

Boston, Massachusetts TD Garden

They have a world-famous rivalry with the Lakers and have met them a record 12 times in the NBA Finals (including their most recent appearances in 2008 and 2010).

17

During their remarkable history, the Celtics have only truly struggled in one period, the 1990s.

21

Owner:

Founded in 1946, the Celtics are one of basketball’s founding franchises. It is the most successful in NBA history, with 17 championships, which accounts for 23.9 percent of all NBA championships since the league started.

Boston Basketball Partners

Highest Paid:

General Manager:

Danny Ainge

Best Addition:

Head Coach:

Brad Stevens

Biggest Loss:

Gordon Hayward ($31,214,295) Keeping Marcus Smart Greg Monroe... not that big a loss

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Kyrie Irving

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43

Jaylen Brown

Jayson Tatum

Gordon Hayward

Al Horford

(Photo by Brad Rempel) USA TODAY Sports / Double Clutch illustration

Last year’s Celtics did not believe in the concept of expectations. After losing two All-Star starters through injury, they took the Cleveland Cavaliers to Game 7 in the Eastern Conference finals, showing signs they were ready to compete for the ultimate prize. With Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving returning in 2018-19, they now boast a roster that could be the deepest in the league.

Despite losing the first seed in the East to the Toronto Raptors last year, the Celtics improved on their regular season record from the previous campaign, logging a total of 55 wins and 27 defeats. They carried this momentum into their postseason run, which lasted longer than anyone could have feasibly expected, circumstances considered.

Despite finishing 20th in points per game and 21st in field goal percentage, Brad Stevens’ young team found a way to earn the second spot, often due to gutsy late-game rallies. While they became essential League Pass viewing and national television darlings, the Celtics coaching staff will hope that they become more efficient offensively.

One reason for their recent success is the way in which GM Danny Ainge has built a team that can prosper in the modern NBA. Their defensive versatility gave them a chance of competing in every game, while effective floor spacing meant they shot an impressive 37.7% from three-point land, also finishing top ten in shots attempted from said territory.

Per yearly tradition, the Celtics found themselves involved with almost every trade rumor over the summer, due to the embarrassment of assets they have at their disposal. However, Ainge avoided making any major win-now moves that could compromise the developing core currently donning the green jersey, rightfully showing faith in the potential on show. Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James crossed coasts and, as a result,

Boston said goodbye to an all-too-familiar perennial roadblock over in Cleveland and saw last year’s top seed welcome an elite yet unreadable superstar.

One reason for their recent success is the way in which GM Danny Ainge has built a team that can prosper in the modern NBA. Although they stood pat on the majority of their roster, they were still present at the 2018 NBA Draft. With the 27th overall pick, Boston selected talented big man Robert Williams out of Texas A&M. Projected earlier in the first round, Williams dropped due to his off-court behaviour. But the organization felt he was a gamble worth taking, which could pay off, although some early red flags have appeared in the shape of press conference no-shows, training attendance issues and missed flights. At only 20-years-old, habits can still be changed and Boston will hope that its veterans can help Williams along the way.

Key rotation pieces Marcus Smart and Aron Baynes made it clear that their preference was to stay in Beantown as free agency reared its head. outside offers could have hampered Boston’s plans to bring them back, but fortunately for them, the market wasn’t quite there for the pair despite their on-court production. Australian center Baynes signed a two-year, $11 million deal and human cannonball Smart signed for $52 million, keeping him in Boston for the next four years.

These signings keep the team’s identity intact.

Baynes’ physical presence allows multifaceted veteran Al Horford to play as a forward during

44

BOSTON CELTICS - TEAM PREVIEW

large periods of games. He shoulders much of the burden when it comes to banging inside for this Boston team. For most of last year he was a starter, but with the projected small ball line up for this season, he will likely play a major part of the bench unit going forward. He ranked first in defensive rating for the Celtics last year and added small layers to his game offensively; Stevens clearly wanted to welcome the big man back.

A huge win for Boston was the way the Marcus Smart negotiations played out. Smart epitomizes what it means to represent the city and is adored by the fans. He is also a perfect fit for Stevens’ team, making enough quirky hustle plays, forcing enough turnovers and earning enough defensive stops to make up for his unpredictable, streaky outside shooting. Smart is Boston’s secret weapon. He works in the system, but, as proven by the lack of outside offers in free agency, nobody is sure if he’d be the same guy elsewhere.

Retaining him means that Boston finds itself above the luxury tax threshold for the first time in six years; proof that the club values this young man very highly.

Speaking of highly valued young men, Boston’s accelerated rebuild is over and they now will cross their fingers and hope for significant growth from their exciting young core. The wing duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are crucial pieces to develop and benefited last season, alongside playoff hero Terry Rozier, from the minutes that became available due to the team’s bad injury luck.

Tatum averaged 13.9 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and shot 43% from beyond the arc while playing 30 minutes per game during his rookie year. He possesses a polished game beyond his years and his offensive ceiling is believed to be at Hall of Fame level. Playing with this talented team, and under an elite head coach, served as a fastpass

for Tatum, who was immediately ready to take on many teams’ best wing defender.

Tatum averaged 13.9 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and shot 43% from beyond the arc while playing 30 minutes per game during his rookie year.

Due to Tatum’s fantastic opening season, Brown has almost become underrated. In his sophomore campaign, the 21-year-old elevated his game, averaging 14.5 points per game at an efficient rate of 46% from the field. He switched effectively and improved his off ball defense, picking up a steal per game while often guarding the best opposing player in playoff games. He has impressed off the court too, even delivering a speech at Harvard University in his free time.

While producing fewer highlight plays, last year’s best player was Al Horford, but the return of Irving and Hayward could make that conversation more interesting. Irving’s elite ball handling and shot making has made him a superstar. He presents a unique problem with defenders all around the league. Coming back from his horrific leg injury, it seems like a long time since Hayward led the Utah Jazz to an impressive playoff run. His overall game is to be admired and will not only provide the final piece of Boston’s contention puzzle, but should help accelerate the growth of his young teammates. The pair’s return will allow Boston to field a versatile small-ball starting five and creates healthy selection issues for Stevens.

The East is wide open and Boston now has no excuse not to take control of the conference over the forthcoming season.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

With them being situated on the east coast, Boston home fixtures are well worth staying up for. Sure, you’ll be groggy in the morning but the next day won’t be a write off.

Who’s the best player?

Only the Golden State Warriors make this question more difficult than Boston do. If you want to tune into some high-ceiling, exciting young talent, Tatum & Brown are essential viewing.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Marcus Smart is basically unlike anybody else in the league. He can switch from point guards to legitimate big men defensively and has a habit of coming up with the ball when it really matters. There is no way for teams to game plan against Smart, especially with the loaded roster around him, so expect him to serve as an x-factor on several occasions. page

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#nbaintheuk

@CELTICS OPENING NIGHT

CELTICS VS 76ERS 01:00 OCTOBER 17 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

CELTICS VS LAKERS 01:00 FEBRUARY 08

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Aaron Baynes C

Jabari Bird G

Jaylen Brown F-G

PJ Dozier G

Marcus Georges-Hunt G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

6.0

5.4

1.1

3.0

1.5

0.6

14.5

4.9

1.6

1.0

0.5

0.0

1.4

0.4

0.2

Gordon Hayward F-G

Al Horford C-F

Kyrie Irving G

Nick King F

Walt Lemon, Jr. G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

2.0

1.0

0.0

12.9

7.4

4.7

24.4

3.8

5.1

R

R

R

3.4

0.4

1.0

Marcus Morris F

Semi Ojeleye F

Jeff Robinson F

Terry Rozier G

Marcus Smart G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

13.6

5.4

1.3

2.7

2.2

0.3

R

R

R

11.3

4.7

2.9

10.2

3.5

4.8

Jayson Tatum F

Daniel Theis C

Brad Wanamaker G

Robert Williams F

Guerschon Yabusele F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

13.9

5.0

1.6

5.3

4.3

0.9

R

R

R

R

R

R

2.4

1.6

0.5

46

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

by Josh Coyne

Fresh off a much improved 52-win season and a second round playoff appearance, ‘The Process’ is at an advanced stage and 76ers fans expect nothing but contention from their team.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wells Fargo Center 3 9

Owner:

Philadelphia is one of the oldest franchises in the NBA, having originally been founded in 1946 as the Syracuse Nationals. The 76ers are a franchise loaded with history and have the players to back it up. Wilt Chamberlain, Julius ‘Dr J’ Erving, Charles Barkley and Allen Iverson are just four legends to have worn the famous jersey. And despite three championship banners, they haven’t been to the Finals since the Iverson era and have more recently been known as ‘The Process’, thanks to an historic ability to lose games. Now, however, things have changed in the City of Brotherly Love.

Joshua Harris

Highest Paid:

General Manager:

Elton Brand

Best Addition:

Head Coach:

Brett Brown

Biggest Loss:

Joel Embiid ($25,250,000) Drew Hanlen to mentor Fultz Marco Belinelli

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Markelle Fultz

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Ben Simmons

Robert Covington

Dario Saric

Joel Embiid

(Photo by Harry How) Getty Images / Double Clutch illustration

After years of dwindling in the doldrums of the NBA gathering assets, due to the vision of Philadelphia’s martyr Sam Hinkie, the 76ers fully arrived last year. Led by charismatic center Joel Embiid and potentially generational talent Ben Simmons, the team achieved a 24-win increase from the previous season. With depth and unlimited potential, they are expected to give the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors a run for their money in 2018-2019 under the watchful eye of their new GM Elton Brand.

Heading into the post-season, the Sixers became somewhat of a favourite in the Eastern Conference, as the buzz began to intensify.

With injuries in Boston and a disjointed season in Cleveland, there was some real belief in Pennsylvania. After disposing of the Miami Heat without any real danger, Philadelphia met a depleted yet spirited Boston team in the second round and were subsequently bounced 4-1 by the team they will meet on opening night in October.

This caused Sixers optimists to take a step back and reassess where the team are in their development, acknowledging that perhaps the NBA Finals talk was a bridge too far, considering the lack of playoff reps the core has.

Another summer has given this collection of young talent a chance to further develop and the post-season experience will have done them the world of good. Based on last year, Philadelphia sports fans have plenty to be excited about.

Their beloved big man Joel Embiid had his most impressive, and healthiest, season yet. He saw a 32 appearance increase from 2016-2017, logging 30.3 minutes per game, while averaging 22.9 points, 1.8 blocks, 11 rebounds and 3.2 assists. He shot 47% from the field, while anchoring a defense effectively on the other end of the floor.

In an age of the NBA when so much attention is paid on developing three-point-shooting wings, Australian prodigy Ben Simmons didn’t attempt

a single shot from behind the line. Yet, despite his unwillingness to let it fly, he forced his way to the basket and caused serious problems for opposing teams. Similarly to a certain NBA superstar that headed west this summer, Simmons has a way of using sheer physical force and uniquely excellent vision to help his team win. While earning the Rookie Of The Year title, the 22-yearold finished the season within a stone’s throw of a triple double average, racking up 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.2 assists. Should Simmons become a threat from beyond the arc, it’s really bad news for the league.

Based on last year, Philadelphia sports fans have plenty to be excited about.

Philadelphia’s supporting cast was no joke last year either. In his sophomore season, Dario Saric showed clear signs of development, improving in almost every single statistical category and perfectly suiting the team’s playing style. Veteran J.J. Redick became one of the defacto leaders of the team, averaging a career high in points and presenting the main threat from three point land.

Robert Covington’s production rate stagnated slightly but he remained a steady contributor for the team. The mid-session acquisitions of Ersan Ilyasova and Marco Belinelli afforded them extra depth.

One of the league’s strangest sagas unfolded in The City of Brotherly Love last year and the 76ers will hope that this season will represent a more positive chapter in the tale of Markelle Fultz. After being selected first, ahead of Lonzo Ball and Jayson Tatum in the 2017 draft, Fultz entered the league with some lofty player comparisons.

48

PHILADELPHIA SIXERS - TEAM PREVIEW

Alongside Embiid and Simmons, fans expected Fultz to usher in a new era of basketball in the city. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury hindered his shooting early in his rookie year and his 33% field goal percentage eventually saw him benched indefinitely. Fultz sat for an abnormally significant amount of time and upon his return, struggled to gain a foothold in head coach Brett Brown’s rotation, while dealing with the subsequent media circus following him daily. Over the summer, Fultz has worked with shooting coaches to correct his mechanics and collect himself, in the hope that he will return this year with a regained ability to pose a threat from deep. The ability is there, Philadelphia hopes the confidence will soon catch up.

This summer was bookmarked as a potentially historic one for Philly. They saw it as an opportunity to sign a major free agent or force themselves into trade discussions for a transcendent talent. Alas, Free Agency struck and before you could say ‘burner accounts’, LeBron James found himself in Tinseltown, Paul George stayed put and Kawhi Leonard headed north.

Some fans actually believe that the off-season of 2018 was a summer of regression in terms of squad depth, when it could have been so much more.

While they may have struck out on the biggest names, the 76ers made some interesting additions, as well losing some notable pieces.

They re-signed Redick to a one-year deal, before making two separate trades that landed them solid rotation guys with expiring contracts.

In a deal with the Denver Nuggets, the Sixers picked up 11-year forward Wilson Chandler in exchange for cash considerations. As a victim of the emergence of young talent in Denver, Chandler will look to find a suitable role under Brown and regain the level of play that he was previously known for.

Mike Muscala was also acquired in a three-team trade with the Atlanta Hawks that saw Justin Anderson and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot leave Philly. With his ability to serve as both a back up center and power forward, Muscala will bring heaps of versatility to the Sixers bench unit. He can connect from deep and has legitimately disruptive length of the defensive end.

On draft night, the Sixers were a bag of surprises.

With the 10th pick, the selected a hometown talent in Mikal Bridges. This choice to select the 6’7 swingman was received extremely well, which made the subsequent move even more shocking.

Shortly after his franchise-employee mother declared her delight that her son was coming home, it was announced that the front office had struck a deal with the Phoenix Suns that sent Bridges to Arizona in exchange for Zhaire Smith and an unprotected 2021 first round pick via the Miami Heat.

The trade was particularly unexpected because of the Sixers front office situation. For most of the summer, the role of GM was vacant, following a bizarre chain of events that saw Bryan Colangelo resign in reaction to a PR disaster unlike anything that the NBA has witnessed since formation. With ownership showing faith in a former player like Brand, time will tell how significant this change in staff was.

Smith is not likely to burst on the scene immediately, but youth is on his side and he has shown some tremendous upside that can be nurtured under the mentorship of his respected head coach. The Sixers haven’t exactly moved forward in the ground-breaking way some had anticipated over recent months, but after their monumental progress last season, they’ll be hungry to take things up a notch.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

The considerable amount of UK-based Sixers fans can be attributed to the ability to watch the team at a sociable hour. With many weeknight games tipping off at midnight and weekend fixtures beginning during our evenings, you’ll get plenty of chance to catch them. The stars alone make this team worth watching.

Who’s the best player?

Ben Simmons might have more potential to lead this franchise in the future, but Joel Embiid has a more well-rounded game at his position.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Markelle Fultz’s second season will be fascinating. With an unexplainable dip in performance from college to the NBA, only rivalled by Charles Barkley’s after aliens stole his talent in 1996 blockbuster Space Jam, his rookie year was somewhat of a mystery, but he has shown in minor flashes. page

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#nbaintheuk

@SIXERS OPENING NIGHT

SIXERS @ CELTICS 01:00 OCTOBER 17 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

SIXERS @ RAPTORS 23:30 OCTOBER 30

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Jerryd Bayless G

Jonah Bolden F

Anthony Brown F-G

Wilson Chandler F

Robert Covington F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

7.9

2.1

1.4

R

R

R

3.0

0.0

1.0

10.0

5.4

2.1

12.6

5.4

2.0

Joel Embiid C

Markelle Fultz G

Demetrius Jackson G

Amir Johnson F-C

Furkan Korkmaz G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

22.9

11.0

3.2

7.1

3.1

3.8

1.1

0.8

0.6

4.6

4.5

1.6

1.6

0.8

0.3

T.J. McConnell G

Shake Milton G

Mike Muscala F-C

Emeka Okafor C-F

Norvel Pelle G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

6.3

3.0

4.0

R

R

R

7.6

4.3

1.0

4.4

4.6

0.3

R

R

R

J.J. Redick G

Dario Saric F

Landry Shamet G

Ben Simmons G-F

Zhaire Smith G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

17.1

2.5

3.0

14.6

6.7

2.6

R

R

R

15.8

8.1

8.2

R

R

R

50

NEW YORK KNICKS

by Nick Whitfield

The Knicks look like they are pointing in the right direction for the first time in a while. Finally committing to the rebuild they delayed for years, the real story for New York comes next summer.

New York City, New York Madison Square Garden 2 8

The history of the Knicks predates the National Basketball Association, but that hasn’t necessarily led to championships.

For much of its existence, the Knicks have not been great, but the city has produced some epic players and memorable moments. The franchise peaked in the 1970s when it picked up two NBA titles, the first of which was the result of some heroics from Willis Reed: injured, he hobbled onto the court in Game 7 of the Finals and inspired his team to victory. Since then, the results have largely been disappointing, aside from a few Patrick Ewing-led teams in the 1990s, but things once again have potential.

Owner: Madison Square Garden Company

Highest Paid:

General Manager:

Best Addition:

Head Coach:

Scott Perry David Fizdale

Enes Kanter ($18,622,514) David Fizdale

Biggest Loss:

Michael Beasley

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Frank Ntilikina

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Tim Hardaway

Courtney Lee

Kevin Knox

Enes Kanter

(Photo by Brad Penner) USA TODAY Sports / Double Clutch illustration

For the first time in many years, Knicks fans will have genuine cause for optimism with an eye to the future. Not necessarily because of what they can expect to see at Madison Square Garden this season, but because the franchise seems to have finally accepted that it isn’t above the same rebuilding processes that every other franchise has to go through.

The strategy has become very clear. The first point is to pick up young players with genuine upside (even if they may not have fulfilled their potential yet elsewhere) and who won’t compromise cap space. The second point is to stop trading away draft picks – this has been an ongoing issue for a number of years. And the third, and perhaps most important, is to put the franchise in contention for the marquee free agent signings potentially available next summer.

As a secondary priority linked to the above, the Knicks won’t be looking to rush back Kristaps Porzingis from the torn ACL he suffered last season. Because firstly, it will potentially help the Knicks gain a higher draft pick if they lose more games. They could find someone to pair with whatever New York’s roster looks like the following season, and secondly, it will be important for Porzingis to appear fully healthy whenever he does return to act as an attraction to free agents.

Crucial to how the team shapes up this year is the appointment of David Fizdale as the Head Coach. The culture of accountability he will look to install has been popular with many of the players he has coached (including the fierce loyalty of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade), but famously, his style and personality also clashed with the Grizzlies star player Marc Gasol. With the lack of personnel potentially inclined to feel entitled on the Knicks roster, as might have been the case in Memphis, it should foster a competitive team spirit.

Porzingis is undoubtedly the cornerstone of the franchise for now – how much of the coming season he will miss, however, is up in the air. Latest reports indicate there is no specific timeline that the player and team are following, and that it’s crucial for him to be 100% before he takes the floor again. At his best, he’s a unique player. He’s one of the elite rim protectors in the NBA (finishing behind only Anthony Davis last year on 2.4 blocks per game), but he’s also an elite floor spacer from the frontcourt. He connected on 39.5% of his 4.8 attempts per game from the three-point line last season. His post game and face-up isolation game has room for improvement, but he’s still solid enough to be a handful for any defense.

While his numbers are hampered by the amount of time he spends on the perimeter, he’s also a fierce offensive rebounder capable of spectacular putback dunks with his combination of length and relative athleticism.

Porzingis is undoubtedly the cornerstone of the franchise for now – how much of the coming season he will miss, however, is up in the air. Latest reports indicate there is no specific timeline that the player and team are following, and that it’s crucial for him to be 100% before he takes the floor again.

52

NEW YORK KNICKS - TEAM PREVIEW

Tim Hardaway Jr also returns after the Knicks invested $71 million in securing his services on a long term deal. He had a career season in terms of scoring last year, but he scored his 17.5 points inefficiently, was not effective at getting to the line and also only played 57 games due to injury. As streaky a shooter as there is in the NBA, Hardaway Jr can go from unstoppable scorer to below average shooter from game to game.

His game is focused almost entirely on perimeter scoring, letting 7.2 attempts per game fly from beyond the stripe last season (10th in the NBA), but connected on just 31.7% of his attempts (a career worst). With better health and a more balanced offense, Hardaway will look to bounce back.

As streaky a shooter as there is in the NBA, Hardaway Jr can go from unstoppable scorer to below average shooter from game to game.

Enes Kanter will start at center, and plays a crucial role in a team. Short of traditional bigs, Kanter is the team’s best rebounder. He particularly excels on the offensive glass, finishing behind only Andre Drummond, Steven Adams and DeAndre Jordan in offensive rebounds per game last season. As someone who thrives on second chance points and plays within his role, he’s also incredibly efficient from the floor. As a disappointing rim protector, he and Porzingis make a good pair in terms of balancing each other’s roles and deficiencies.

Then there’s the rift of players fitting the strategic description in the opening of this preview. Low risk, low cost guys that have upside. After acquiring Trey Burke and Emmanuel Mudiay midway through the season, as well as Frank Ntilikina in the draft, New York has continued to follow this pattern. Noah Vonleh and Mario Hezonja join the team, with both players having a feeling that they have more to offer than they’ve currently shown in the NBA. A lot has been made of Kevin Knox who the Knicks drafted with the ninth pick in the draft.

An interesting combination of length, shooting and athleticism, a lot will be expected of Knox, particularly after his impressive Summer League campaign. Knox led all first year players in scoring, putting up 21.3 points per game, to go along with 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

A surprise to some perhaps, was the impressive Summer League performance of Mitchell Robinson, who led all players (first year or otherwise) in blocks per game, was one of the top rebounders and also finished second in field goal percentage of anyone who took 45 shots or more during the Summer League. With an energetic style of play, Robinson should provide dynamism from the bench when he gives Kanter rest.

With a new defensive-minded coach that will want to push the competitive instincts of his players, New York should be a fun team to watch this season. A lot of young players looking to make a name for themselves and others playing for contracts, means that there shouldn’t be too many down games. However, what happens on the floor this season isn’t the real story for the Knicks. The narrative to follow is how the franchise looks following the season. The Knicks will look to portray themselves as a team with a bright future, with an eye to landing one of the marquee difference-makers potentially available as a free agent next summer.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

Not for the first few months, but maybe when Kristaps Porzingis if fully healthy.

Who’s the best player?

Porzingis, but for now… maybe Kevin Knox?

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Knox will definitely be worth a watch, but it is also worth keeping an eye on the ultimate teammate and constant competitor that is Enes Kanter.

#nbaintheuk

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53

@NYKNICKS OPENING NIGHT

KNICKS VS HAWKS 00:30 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

KNICKS VS PACERS 00:00 NOVEMBER 01

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Kadeem Allen G

Ron Baker G

Trey Burke G

Jeff Coby F

Damyean Dotson G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

1.1

0.6

0.7

2.4

1.0

1.6

12.8

2.0

4.7

R

R

R

4.1

1.9

0.7

Tim Hardaway Jr. G

Mario Hezonja F-G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

17.5

3.9

2.7

9.6

3.7

1.4

4.4

2.3

0.9

14.1

11.0

1.5

R

R

R

Luke Kornet F

Isaiah Hicks F

Courtney Lee G

Enes Kanter C

Emmanuel Mudiay G

Kevin Knox F

Joakim Noah C

Frank Ntilikina G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

6.7

3.2

1.3

12.0

2.9

2.4

8.6

2.4

3.2

1.7

2.0

0.6

5.9

2.3

3.2

Kristaps Porzingis F-C

Mitchell Robinson C

Lance Thomas F

Allonzo Trier G

Noah Vonleh F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

22.7

6.6

1.2

R

R

R

4.1

2.4

0.6

R

R

R

4.9

5.8

0.6

54

BROOKLYN NETS

by Timi Awotesu

The Nets are finally up from under the thumb of the Celtics, and the trade that has cost them two lottery picks in the last couple drafts. This season brings the start of a necessary rebuild.

Originally founded under the ABA as the New Jersey Americans, the Nets have failed to capture any rings since the merger, after winning 2 ABA championships in the 1970s, led by Julius “Dr J” Erving.

Brooklyn, New York Barclays Center

The Jason Kidd/Richard Jefferson era came close, but was ultimately undone in two straight NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003.

Now, in their seventh season in Brooklyn, the Nets are still waiting for their first taste of the Larry O’Brien trophy.

2 2

Owner:

Mikhail Prokhorov (51%)

General Manager: Head Coach:

Sean Marks Kenny Atkinson

Highest Paid:

Dwight Howard ($18,919,725)

Best Addition:

Ed Davis

Biggest Loss:

Nobody

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

De’Angelo Russell

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55

Allen Crabbe

DeMarre Carroll

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson

Jarrett Allen

(Photo by Andres Kudacki) The Associated Press / Double Clutch illustration

The Nets have had it rough in recent years, mainly due to the blowback of what seemed like such a great trade in 2013. As part of the deal that sent Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to Brooklyn, the Nets traded away their 2018 first round pick, and gave Boston the right to swap first-rounders in 2017. The 2018 pick ended up as the seventh overall, becoming Cleveland Cavaliers guard Colin Sexton. But it’s the swap that was even more brutal, ending up as the first overall pick in 2017, which Boston traded to Philadelphia. Markelle Fultz, Jayson Tatum, Lonzo Ball; any of those guys could have been a Net had things gone differently.

On the court, they didn’t find any luck either last year. Starting guard Jeremy Lin went down in the opening game against the Pacers, one in which he had put up an impressive 18 points and 4 rebounds in 25 minutes of action. The exciting duo of Lin and D’Angelo Russell quickly became a solo act, and who knows how the year could have turned out if Lin had been in the line-up all season. It wasn’t long before the injury demons struck again, as Russell was forced to have knee surgery in November that would eventually keep him out for three months. In a division that also included the three best seeds in the East (Toronto, Boston, and Philadelphia), Brooklyn stood no chance. With a team always missing key pieces, and that, even at all full strength, was no wizard on defense, it’s no surprise that they were an average team offensively and one of the worst on D. There were some positives. Allen Crabbe, Spencer Dinwiddie and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson impressed at various points of the season. Dinwiddie’s season was a particularly nice surprise, as he took full advantage of Lin’s absence, and had a coming out season that’s sure to pay him in the long run. First round pick Jarrett Allen also showed that he can provide offense from various points on the floor as a big man, shooting 59% from the

field, 33% from deep, and 77% from the line. He has a way to go, but could end up a valuable member of this team, performing beyond his latefirst-round status. The Nets also boasted one of the more balanced scoring teams in the league, with seven players averaging double digits, led by Russell’s 15.5 ppg. With all seven players returning for the 2018-19 season, expect another balanced year, assisted by a year of playing together, and hopefully more luck with injuries.

The Nets have some serious decisions to make in the coming year, and so this season presents a unique opportunity for all concerned. For the squad, Joe Harris and Allen Crabbe are the only players with deals that are guaranteed through to 2020, with Crabbe’s coming in the form of a player option. If guys like DeMarre Carroll, Kenneth Faried and Ed Davis are going to have a future in Brooklyn, they’ll need to show management that they can be valuable contributors to the team.

The Nets have some serious decisions to make in the coming year, and so this season presents a unique opportunity for all concerned.

With so many contract years on the roster, fans may expect to see the best of these individuals at stake, as they are playing for their best possible future in the NBA. This presents a key issue for head coach Kenny Atkinson. Now going into his third year in Brooklyn, he’s had it tough with two straight disappointing seasons. Can he get the team to buy in to his game plan, and keep those in check that may turn their focus to getting their next deal?

56

BROOKLYN NETS - TEAM PREVIEW

For the front office, they’ll have key decisions to make about how to move forward. Dinwiddie was a valuable member of the team last season, but he’ll be playing at a seriously undervalued rate in the last year of his 3-year, $2.9 million contract. With the right moves, the Nets could have room for two max free agent slots next year, and they’ll have to decide whether to use some of their money to pay Dinwiddie what he’s owed.

The same goes for Russell, who can become a restricted free agent after this year. The Nets may have wild dreams of snatching a superstar under the radar, but they’re going to have to decide between risk and pragmatism eventually.

On the court, the Nets actually possess some deep guard play. They don’t have any stars, but have multiple guys in each backcourt position that can produce.

On the court, the Nets actually possess some deep guard play. They don’t have any stars, but have multiple guys in each backcourt position that can produce. Russell told Mike Scotto of The Athletic that he’s in the “best place ever”, as he looks to take the reins and be the go-toguy on this team. With Caris LeVert, Dinwiddie, Crabbe and newcomer Shabazz Napier all joining him, the Nets boast a combined 62.1ppg from their production last season; players who can create their own shot, and space the floor. Trade acquisition Jared Dudley will bring in even more spot up shooting, plus a veteran presence in the locker room.

By signing Ed Davis from the Trail Blazers, and Kenneth Faried from the Nuggets, the Nets are clearly focused on maintaining their status as one of the better rebounding teams in the league, having finished ninth last season. Balance seems to be the name of the game for Brooklyn this season. Don’t expect any one player to set the world on fire, but rather varied production from different players on the court. The main issue is that the Nets have made no significant moves that suggest that they’ll be any better on defense. Ranking in the bottom three last season, Brooklyn looks set for another season of having to outscore opponents for wins.

The team’s downfall, however, will ultimately come from the fact that they are simply outmatched in their division. Twelve of the Nets games will be played against the Raptors, Celtics and Sixers next season. Now that Porzingis is out until February, perhaps they will be able to eclipse their local rival Knicks for the fourth spot. But if their performance in the division is anything like last year (1-15), it’s hard to see where they’ll be able to make up those wins, especially with a stacked Western Conference. It’s no surprise that oddsmakers have them winning between 31-32 wins this season.

Ultimately, Nets fans should expect a struggle of a season this year. Tanking may not be as effective anymore, but trading away Allen Crabbe and his $18.5 million player contract could have positive long-term benefits on the team’s future.

Hang in there Brooklyn, it won’t be easy.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

Potentially. At times they’ll have some exciting offensive performances that will pay no attention to the fact that you can actually stop the other team from scoring. They have a lot of young talent too. And, for UK fans, they’re on at 11pm sometimes, which is great I guess.

Who’s the best player?

D’Angelo Russell is the best player, and he’s working towards his first big deal.

It’s conventional, but if anyone’s making headlines in this team, it’ll be him.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Like I said earlier, I’m high on Spencer Dinwiddie, and he’s playing for a lucrative contract this summer. I expect that he’ll continue to improve from his solid season last year, so watch out for him.

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#nbaintheuk

@BROOKLYNNETS OPENING NIGHT

NETS @ PISTONS 00:00 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

NETS VS KNICKS 00:30 NOVEMBER 20

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Jarrett Allen F-C

DeMarre Carroll F

Allen Crabbe G-F

Mitch Creek G

Ed Davis F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

8.2

5.4

0.7

13.5

6.6

2.0

13.2

4.3

1.6

R

R

R

5.3

7.4

0.5

Spencer Dinwiddie G

Jared Dudley F-G

Kenneth Faried F

Treveon Graham G

Joe Harris G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

12.6

3.2

6.6

3.2

2.0

1.6

5.9

4.8

0.6

4.3

1.9

0.9

10.8

3.3

1.6

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson F

Rodions Kurucs F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

13.9

6.8

2.5

R

R

R

12.1

3.7

4.2

R

R

R

R

R

R

Nuni Omot F

Caris LeVert G-F

Shabazz Napier G

Jordan McLaughlin G

Theo Pinson G

Dzanan Musa G-F

D’Angelo Russell G

Alan Williams F-C

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

8.7

2.3

2.0

R

R

R

15.5

3.9

5.2

4.0

4.4

1.6

58

SOUTHEAST DIVISION The Southeast Division of the NBA was created at the start of the 2004-05 season, as the league expanded from 29 teams to 30 with the addition of the Charlotte Bobcats (now the Charlotte Hornets).

The expansion led to a realignment, resulting in the three divisions of the Eastern Conference we see today.

It is home to the aforementioned Hornets, the Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards. The Heat are the most successful franchise within the division, having won nine division titles to date.

Recent history saw the division become rather lopsided, as LeBron James transported his talents from Cleveland to Miami’s South Beach in 2010. Miami’s ‘Big Three’ would go on to win two championships in 2012 and 2013, providing us with some of the greatest Finals moments in history by utilising a combination of small ball rebounding/offense and positionless basketball. In 2014, LeBron departed and the division has been stuck at a crossroads, with three average teams and two dumpster fires.

Location

Arena

Championships

Conference Championships

MIAMI HEAT 2017-18

44

2019

38

38

44

WASHINGTON WIZARDS 2017-18

43

2019

39

39

43

CHARLOTTE HORNETS 2017-18

36

2019

46

31

51

ORLANDO MAGIC 2017-18 2019

25 23

57 59

ATLANTA HAWKS 2017-18 2019

24 22

58 60

2019 = This is a predicted win/loss total for the 2019 season, based upon an average provided by our contributors’ individual predictions.

60

MIAMI HEAT

by Joe Hulbert

It might be Dwyane Wade’s final season, but the Miami Heat have bigger plans and will back their youth movement for sustained success behind a talented Head Coach.

Joining the league in 1988 as part of an expansion, the Miami Heat have always had a draw for NBA players, and it hasn’t always been about basketball.

Miami, Florida American Airlines Arena 3 5

Owner:

Early success was limited until Micky Arison took over, installed Pat Riley, who added Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway. Fun years didn’t lead to winning, but in 2003 Dwyane Wade was drafted, and Shaquille O’Neal soon joined to win the franchise’s first title. LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Wade in 2010 to win not one but two championships, but Head Coach Erik Spolstera has kept the team afloat since the big three have left.

Micky Arison

Highest Paid:

General Manager:

Andy Elisburg

Best Addition:

Head Coach:

Erik Spoelstra

Biggest Loss:

Hassan Whiteside ($25,434,263) Dwyane Wade coming back...

Nobody

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Goran Dragic

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61

Dion Waiters

Josh Richardson

James Johnson

Hassan Whiteside

(Photo by Charles Trainor Jr.) Miami Herald/TNS / Double Clutch illustration

The Miami Heat were likely one of the least watched NBA League Pass teams last year. A roster boasting a lot of players in their non-all star primes coupled with a more old-school style of basketball meant that this team just wasn’t that interesting to many. I have covered them for the last three years and while I do understand why they’re not that attractive to an outsider.

They are a team with a very high floor and a very low ceiling, which isn’t necessarily an attractive proposition.

Last year, the Heat were one of the toughest teams in the Association. Their scalps included Boston, Utah, Philadelphia and Toronto, but they lost to the Brooklyn Nets twice. Their hard-nosed style of defense made them a tough opponent, but the offense looked very static at times.

The system was usually based on drive-andkick actions but when the driving was nullified, the team just sort of stopped working. They improved towards the end of the year, but their great defense was enough to carry them to the playoffs.

In something I’ve never seen before, the Heat are rolling back almost the exact same roster.

Jordan Mickey was the only rotation-level player who departed from the team. In addition to this, Miami had no draft picks as it lost them in the Goran Dragic trade in 2015, and subsequent swaps the following year. They have signed a lot of undrafted free agents to their G-League and training camp rosters, and with the team’s President Pat Riley and his strong player development track record, it wouldn’t be too shocking to see one of these emerge next year.

Despite the rise of players such as Bam Adebayo and Justise Winslow, we should expect Head Coach Erik Spoelstra to roll with an experienced starting line-up this year. They will likely re-install Dion Waiters to the starting lineup because he

can attack players one on one and collapse the defense, which is the premise for their entire offensive scheme. He will be partnered in the backcourt by Goran Dragic, with Hassan Whiteside, James Johnson and Josh Richardson rounding out the other starters.

The most interesting question surrounding this team is over the starting center position. Hassan Whiteside burst onto the scene and almost revived the Miami Heat, but his level of play has come into question. Not only has he been accused of a lack of effort, but he has been rightfully labelled as not fitting with the rest of the roster. His offensive game and tendency to hang in the paint fits badly with a drive and kick philosophy, and his inability to defend out in space makes him a bad fit with the Heat’s switchable wing defenders such as Johnson, Winslow and Richardson.

Hassan Whiteside burst onto the scene and almost revived the Miami Heat, but his level of play has come into question. Not only has he been accused of a lack of effort, but he has been rightfully labelled as not fitting with the rest of the roster.

But the answer to this question is more complicated than just starting Adebayo. While he is a generational defensive talent, he might not have the greatest fit with Johnson, whose entire

62

MIAMI HEAT - TEAM PREVIEW

offensive game is built on driving into the paint. It will be hard for Johnson to do that with Adebayo clogging the lane, as he has an incomplete offensive profile at this point. If Adebayo comes into the starting five, it will have to be a double move with either Winslow or Kelly Olynyk coming in at the same time.

The Olynyk signing was labelled as a farce by many, but you could feasibly argue he is the most important player on this team. The offensive rating with Olynyk on the court sits at a monumental 113. When he comes off, this drops by 10 points.

The presence of a stretch center is of monumental benefit for the Heat. This is not a team that really has many players who can score one on one, so the increased spacing makes it easier for the likes of Winslow to attack the paint. The Olynyk difference was also stark in the playoffs, as the offensive rating dropped from 109 to a dismal 92 when he went to the bench. The gravity he provides on the perimeter makes him an essential player for this Miami Heat team, and their ceiling could increase a lot if they gave him more minutes and even a starting role.

When spread offenses burst onto the scene in the NBA, many roles began to change. Gone were the roles of an offensive rebounding four, and one of the roles that filled that vacuum was the ‘3 and D’ position. The term is often thrown around, but one player that absolutely fits that bill is Richardson.

This is a player who is not only a very good defender, but a top five defender in the entire league. Richardson is a supreme shot blocker, as he was one of only two players to nail 125 threepointers and block 75 shots last year. The other one? Kevin Durant. He is switchable, aggressive and can do absolutely everything you want him to. His off-the-ball movement is great, and it is no real surprise that he is the ideal piece

Timberwolves fans want in return for Jimmy Butler (as we were finalizing this, the latest trade talks had fallen apart).

Riley’s ring total is in double figures, so this is a guy who ultimately wants to win whenever he can. He has built a good roster, but many criticise him for investing a lot of many in good but not great players. The Heat have a top five payroll and when you look at the fact they arguably don’t have a single All-Star level player, it doesn’t make a great deal of sense. But Riley is not going to tank, and he is not going to allow his product to put out less than 30 wins. It may be wrong to invest money into making a franchise just a steady team, but for right or wrong this is what he is going to do.

The Heat have a top five payroll and when you look at the fact they arguably don’t have a single Al-Star level player, it doesn’t make a great deal of sense.

This is a Heat roster that isn’t really going to see much player growth this year, but they should still be relatively fun to watch. Adebayo is the main man to watch, but the fact he is buried in a complicated front-court rotation is going to put a lot of people off watching the team. Still, they should be a playoff team again, and maybe we undervalue that in this version of the NBA.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

I would personally go with no. This is a team I’ve covered for the last three years, but their narrow offensive scheme makes them a tough watch at times.

If you enjoy tough defense, they might be the one for you.

Who’s the best player?

This was a hard one to answer, but I’d go with Josh Richardson. He sets the tone on both ends of the floor with his constant off the ball movement on offense, and his versatile defensive game.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Keep an eye out for Bam Adebayo. He has hall of fame level defensive potential and a dunk-heavy offensive game.

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#nbaintheuk

@MIAMIHEAT OPENING NIGHT

HEAT @ MAGIC 00:00 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

HEAT VS SIXERS 00:30 NOVEMBER 13

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Bam Adebayo C-F

Charles Cooke G

Goran Dragic G

Wayne Ellington G

Udonis Haslem F-C

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

6.9

5.5

1.5

0.5

0.2

0.1

17.3

4.1

4.8

11.2

2.8

1.0

0.6

0.7

0.4

James Johnson F

Tyler Johnson G

Derrick Jones Jr. F

DeAndre Liggins G

Yante Maten G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

10.8

4.9

3.8

11.7

3.4

2.3

3.1

1.9

0.5

1.7

1.3

0.8

R

R

R

Rodney McGruder G

Kelly Olynyk C-F

Josh Richardson G

Duncan Robinson G

Jarnell Stokes F-C

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

5.1

1.8

0.9

11.5

5.7

2.7

12.9

3.5

2.9

R

R

R

2.4

1.4

0.3

Dwyane Wade G

Dion Waiters G

Briante Weber G

Hassan Whiteside C

Justise Winslow F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

11.4

3.8

3.4

14.3

2.6

3.8

2.8

1.9

1.2

14.0

11.4

1.0

7.8

5.4

2.2

64

WASHINGTON WIZARDS

by Joe Hulbert

The will they / won’t they get it together questions around the Washington Wizards begin for another season in 2018-19, only this time with one of the biggest will he / won’t he players of the last 10 years.

Washington DC has a fascinating NBA story that begins in 1961 as one of the first expansion teams, the Chicago Packers. They moved to Baltimore a few years later and were renamed as the Bullets. They moved again in 1973, this time to Washington DC, where they eventually became the Washington Bullets. The Bullets won their only championship just five years later.

Washington, D.C. Capital One Arena

After limited success throughout the 1990s, the team name changed to the Wizards, and the great Michael Jordan took over as President of Basketball Operations, later part-owner, and ultimately came back from a second retirement to play for the team.

1 4

Owner:

Monumental Sports & Entertainment

General Manager:

Ernie Grunfeld

Head Coach:

Scott Brooks

Highest Paid:

Otto Porter ($26,011,913)

Best Addition:

Austin Rivers

Biggest Loss:

Marcin Gortat

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

John Wall

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65

Bradley Beal

Otto Porter

Markieff Morris

Dwight Howard

(Photo by Brad Mills) USA TODAY Sports / Double Clutch illustration

Entering the new season with the same big three and some additional pieces, the Washington Wizards are being labelled as a certainty for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference by most.

Despite the solid roster, this is a team with clear coaching problems and a locker room that could fall apart from the other quickly due to a lot of big and brutish personalities.

Last year, the Wizards were without John Wall for exactly half of their games, and they still managed to make the playoffs as the eight seed.

They took two games off the Toronto Raptors, and it was in that series that many teams stopped believing in the Raptors as a serious contender.

Despite the injury crisis that rocked the Wizards, Scott Brooks will enter the season on the hot seat for Washington. The basic offensive scheme, combined with the fact that many expect better from a team that boasts two top-30 players and a solid collection of role players, makes Brooks the Vegas favourite to be the first man gone.

The basic offensive scheme, combined with the fact that many expect better from a team that boasts two top-30 players and a solid collection of role players, makes Brooks the Vegas favourite to be the first man gone.

The Washington Wizards starting line-up will boast four of the same five starters in Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter and Markieff Morris. Their

main change has come at the center position where Marcin Gortat has been replaced by Dwight Howard. Gortat became unpopular towards the end of his time at the Wizards, but he was an excellent screen setter. The Wizards run a lot of high pick and rolls and his skill is an asset in those situations, but he was very poor at attacking downhill, ranking in the 13th percentile on this play-type. Some of this is related to the fact the Wizards don’t have much motion from the other players on their pick-and-roll sets, but the reality is that Gortat doesn’t do an awful lot after being a good brick wall. His below-average rebounding ability was also a huge reason the Wizards faithful turned on him as the season went on. He also allowed a field goal percentage of 59.8% at the rim, which is well below league average for centers.

Howard is probably a better basketball player than Gortat, but there are questions about how he fits in this scheme. Charlotte Hornets Head Coach Steve Clifford didn’t get a lot of national credit for how good his schemes were in Howard’s previous location, but his pick-and-roll game was versatile and had good spacing and motion to go alongside the point guard and center position action. Even in such a good set up, Howard could only rank in the 42nd percentile as a roll man. In such a poorly designed Washington scheme, he could really struggle to provide the interior threat required for the Wizards to create their good looks on the outside. When you also factor in the fact that Howard demands post touches even though he has no post moves, this does look like a very bad move for the Wizards to make.

Washington has a lot of back-court depth and it will be interesting to see how the Wall-Beal combination gets on this year. The Wizards played at a mediocre level in the games that Wall missed, going 19-22. Due to a five-game winning streak at the end of January, many over-reacted

66

WASHINGTON WIZARDS - TEAM PREVIEW

and proclaimed that the Wizards are a better team without John Wall. This was reactionary, and he remains the best player on this team by a good margin. The issue the Wizards have had when he plays though, is the lack of engagement off the ball. Most of this is on the scheme, but if Beal is to turn the flashes he showed as a playmaker without his point guard on the court, Wall simply needs to offer more as a cutter and even as a spot-up shooter on the move.

The team added more guard depth in the form of Austin Rivers. The son of Doc is often clowned by NBA fans for that reason, but he has turned into a serviceable player in the last couple of seasons.

He shot 38% from three last season, and flashed ability as a playmaker as he averaged four assists per game, despite his teammates being chopped and changed over the course of the year. He doesn’t move the needle in the way many other Eastern Conference signings do, but he provides another solid option in the backcourt for the Wizards.

Something Washington needs to do in order to improve is fully embrace small ball. Scott Brooks is one of the few coaches who completely believes in playing traditional power forwards at the four position, but it honestly limits the ceiling of the Wizards. They are blessed with two very rangy wing players who are capable of defending against bigger players in Porter and Kelly Oubre.

It’s about time they fully used this.

The Wizards starting line-up of Wall, Beal, Porter, Morris and Gortat had a net rating of 6.0 last year. This is fine, it’s good enough to be a solid team. With Oubre in there over Morris, the net rating jumps to 14.4. Morris can be a reliable stretch big but he does have a tendency to linger at the elbow and clog the driving angles for Wall. Oubre moves around more, proven by the fact that the pace when he plays with the starters instead of Morris is 104.24 instead of 98.7.

The Wizards are faster and less predictable when Oubre plays more, which is important, because their scheme is so bland and almost relies on the players to do freelance actions at will.

Something Washington needs to do in order to improve is fully embrace small ball. Scott Brooks is one of the few coaches who completely believes in playing traditional power forwards at the four position, but it honestly limits the ceiling of the Wizards.

If Brooks changes his ways, this could be a very good team. They have a good starting lineup and a bench packed with shooting and playmaking.

He needs to embrace small ball – something he should be able to do quite easily.

He will likely keep the same offensive scheme they have played with for the last couple of years though, which limits their ceiling and how far they can go. On the whole, it shouldn’t matter too much: they are a lock for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and they have a good chance at winning home advantage on talent alone. Their lack of coaching will matter in the playoffs, but it might not harm them in the regular season.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

Absolutely not. This is the most under-coached team in the League. Only Scott Brooks could make a roster with two elite guards and an elite wing play such a boring bland of vanilla basketball.

Who’s the best player?

I’d say it’s John Wall, but it’s not as definite as it was two years ago. Bradley Beal is more efficient and more of a team player, but Wall is still one of the greatest playmakers in the NBA.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

I’m looking at Kelly Oubre to make a jump. The Wizards were an infinitely better team when he played at the four over Markieff Morris, I think he is key to this team.

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#nbaintheuk

@WASHWIZARDS OPENING NIGHT

WIZARDS VS HEAT 01:00 OCTOBER 19 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

WIZARDS VS CELTICS 00:00 DECEMBER 13

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Lavoy Allen F-C

Bradley Beal G

Troy Brown Jr. G-F

Thomas Bryant C

Chris Chiozza G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

4.8

4.8

1.0

22.6

4.4

4.5

R

R

R

1.5

1.1

0.4

R

R

R

Jeff Green F

Dwight Howard C

Tiwian Kendley G

Ian Mahinmi C

Jordan McRae G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

10.8

3.2

1.3

16.6

12.5

1.3

R

R

R

4.8

4.1

0.7

4.4

1.0

0.7

Jodie Meeks G

Markieff Morris F

Kelly Oubre Jr. F

Otto Porter F

Chasson Randle G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

6.3

1.6

0.9

11.5

5.6

1.9

11.8

4.5

1.2

14.7

6.4

2.0

5.3

1.2

1.3

Austin Rivers G

Devin Robinson F

Tomas Satoransky G

Jason Smith F-C

John Wall G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

15.1

2.4

4.0

2.0

5.0

0.0

7.2

3.2

3.9

3.4

1.6

0.4

19.4

3.7

9.6

68

CHARLOTTE HORNETS

by Huw Hopkins

For too long, the only reason the Charlotte Hornets have had any relevance is because of who owns them, but some new acquisitions in the 2018 offseason might see them in next season’s playoffs.

Charlotte, North Carolina Spectrum Center

The Hornets had their first game in 1988, but played some terrible basketball until Larry Johnson was drafted in 1991.

Alonzo Mourning joined him, and the team put together winning records for eight of the next 10 seasons.

The franchise moved to New Orleans in 2002 before a new structure was set up in 2004, the Charlotte Bobcats. In 2014 ‘the franchise’ changed its name and the Hornets moniker returned to Charlotte under the ownership of Michael Jordan.

0 0

Owner:

Michael Jordan

Highest Paid:

General Manager:

Mitch Kupchak

Best Addition:

Head Coach:

James Borrego

Biggest Loss:

Nicolas Batum ($24,000,000) Miles Bridges Dwight Howard

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Kemba Walker

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69

Nicolas Batum

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Marvin Williams

Cody Zeller

(Photo by Brett Davis) USA TODAY Sports / Double Clutch illustration

It seems like we go into the season thinking ‘the Charlotte Hornets could take the next step’ or ‘they are going to make the playoffs this year’.

The team has made the postseason twice since point guard Kemba Walker was drafted in 2011.

This is a player who is among the top point guards in the NBA – albeit not on the same level as Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook or Kyrie Irving. He’s probably capable of playing at a similar level to the ageing Chris Paul, as well as others like Mike Conley, Damian Lillard and John Wall. And while these players are incredible talents, you could argue that each of those latter names are not good enough to build around. It almost feels like they would be better off as being the secondary explosive talent on an elite team.

But not every team is elite, and this is why the Hornets are trying to find talent to support Walker. He has been pretty durable so far during his career, only playing fewer than 70 games twice in his seven years. He has also improved each season, upping his three-point shooting percentage for the past three years from the low 30s to around 38%. This has helped him average better than 20 points per game every year since 2015, during which period he is also managing well above 55% in true shooting percentage (this adds up two-pointers, three-pointers and freethrows). He has become so much more efficient and this is helping him contribute to nearly nine wins per season, more than double what he managed during his first four years.

The team decided to go all-in on putting talent around Walker after some unsuccessful years, and in 2014, Charlotte brought in Nicolas Batum from Portland. The French national had built a solid career as a 12-to-15-point scorer but was valuable for having no major weaknesses in his game. He could be slotted in anywhere, as a scoring Shane Battier-type (a do-it-all, glue guy who held together the LeBron James Miami Heat

title teams). Unfortunately, the team only got 64 games out of Batum last season and the Hornets couldn’t put together enough wins to reach the playoffs.

Dwight Howard was on the team last season but has since left, which just leaves Batum and Walker as the top players. And while Batum occasionally fills up a stat sheet, he is probably not quite good enough to fill the second option role in the same way that Walker is probably not quite good enough to fill the lead role.

And while Batum occasionally fills up a stat sheet, he is probably not quite good enough to fill the second option role With Howard on the team last season, the Hornets managed exactly the same record as the previous year. But, aside from getting rid of the center, few changes have been made. One of them is signing former San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker, but it doesn’t look like many more are coming. Batum is under contract for three more seasons, the Hornets will want to leave space to sign Walker to a maximum contract at the end of this season, and aside from a few rookies joining the team, not a lot will change according to new General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

One way the team can improve, however, is under the tutelage of James Borrego. A longtime San Antonio assistant coach, Borrego has learned from one of the best. In some of his latter seasons with Gregg Popovich, Borrego was the go-to assistant when the head coach got himself ejected from a handful of games each season.

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CHARLOTTE HORNETS - TEAM PREVIEW

And, he seemingly has enough of a rapport with Tony Parker to convince him to leave the only NBA team he has ever played for. There are few examples of him building his own offense, but if his ability to build strong relationships with people like Parker means anything, it will help the team recover from playing with Howard, who doesn’t have the greatest reputation in the locker room.

he managed just 6 points and 6 rebounds. He will be battling Frank Kaminsky, Willy Hernangomez and Cody Zeller for minutes in Charlotte. And all four of these guys are starting from a pretty similar level – not great scorers and just average rebounders for their position – but Biyombo is known to be a hard worker, so expect him to pick up playing time through sheer grit.

In terms of the on-court personnel, Parker should add some support to Walker at the point position.

Despite occasionally falling out with teammates, Parker has been a good mentor to Dejounte Murray in San Antonio, as well as the other younger players, and has shown a willingness to take a back seat. If he can teach Walker how to take his team to the next level, that would be worth the $5 million per year contract he’s just signed until 2020.

If things aren’t looking good for a playoff appearance, the Hornets may choose to go young and play their new rookies and recent draft picks. Malik Monk was someone many had high hopes for during his first season with the team. But playing just 13 minutes per game on 63 occasions last year, didn’t give him many opportunities to deliver. However, per-36 minutes, Monk would have averaged nearly 18 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists, which is arguably better than veterans Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marvin Williams, both of whom come out worse on the same minutes.

In terms of the on-court personnel, Parker should add some support to Walker at the point position.

Parker has always used his speed to great effect, despite his height. Walker has this athletic trait in spades and will benefit from the Frenchman’s support. But Parker has also shown an ability to play off the ball. In San Antonio, he would regularly play alongside in Patty Mills, would cede point duties to Murray, and has played along players who operate with the ball in their hands, like Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. He has also developed into a reliable corner shooter.

Elsewhere on the roster, Bismack Biyombo is a solid big, and while he hasn’t played up to his hefty contract for a few years, he may finally have an opportunity to prove himself. In a mess of a situation with Orlando for the past two seasons,

Dwayne Bacon also showed flashes of excellence last year. As a rookie, he mainly feasted on garbage minutes, but he showed offensive skills from every area on the floor. Other youngsters include Miles Bridges and Devonte Graham.

Bridges was great in college, averaging 17, 7.6 and 2.4. He is a left-handed player, which will catch some defenders out, but can finish with his right. The tape shows a well-rounded wing who has great passing ability, can kick out from drives, rebound well and defend with tenacity.

He has an NBA-ready body and looked like a man among boys at Summer League. Graham is a beautiful passer and has a good feel for the game. He can run a team well. He seems to enjoy coming off high screens with his left hand and has a dangerous first step to get to the rim, but is patient when looking for his teammates.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

Give it a go. They’re not going to win much but they’re well coached, have a bunch of good young players and a decent closer in Kemba Walker.

Who’s the best player?

By far, Walker. But he can only do what he does because Nic Batum is a guy who can do everything else on the floor.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Miles Bridges has an outside shot at Rookie Of The Year. All the ingredients are there: underrated talent that fell in the lottery, team that won’t win kids of games, a roster that has a history of injuries so Bridges might need to step up.

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#nbaintheuk

@HORNETS OPENING NIGHT

HORNETS VS BUCKS 00:00 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

HORNETS @ KNICKS 00:30 DECEMBER 10

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Dwayne Bacon G

Jaylen Barford G

Nicolas Batum F-G

Bismack Biyombo C-F

Miles Bridges G-F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

3.3

2.3

0.7

R

R

R

11.6

4.8

5.5

5.7

5.7

0.8

R

R

R

Joe Chealey G

Devonte’ Graham G

Willy Hernangomez C

Frank Kaminsky F-C

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

R

R

R

5.1

3.8

0.7

11.1

3.6

1.6

9.2

4.1

1.0

Jeremy Lamb G-F

J.P. Macura G

Malik SMonk G

Tony Parker G

Zach Smith F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

12.9

4.1

2.3

R

R

R

6.7

1.0

1.4

7.7

1.7

3.5

R

R

R

Kemba Walker G

Isaiah Wilkins F

Marvin Williams F

Cody Zeller C-F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

22.1

3.1

5.6

R

R

R

9.5

4.7

1.2

7.1

5.4

0.9

72

ORLANDO MAGIC

by Aaron Eamer

In 2018, Orlando were loaded with bigs and their record showed how behind the times they were. The solution this summer? Draft another big... obviously.

As an expansion franchise in 1989, the Orlando Magic didn’t have to wait long for success. Behind Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway, Orlando reached the NBA Finals in 1995.

Unfortunately, they ran into a red-hot Houston, who won the series 4-0 and the team would not return to the Finals for over a decade.

Orlando, Florida Amway Center

Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill reinvigorated the Magic during the early 2000s but the spell didn’t last. Hope returned in the 2004 draft with Dwight Howard, who got the Magic back to the Finals in 2009 before bolting West to the Los Angeles Lakers, where O’Neal had gone so many years before.

0 2

Owner:

RDV Sports, Inc.

Highest Paid:

General Manager:

John Hammond

Best Addition:

Steve Clifford

Biggest Loss:

Mario Hezonja

Head Coach:

Steve Clifford

Aaron Gordon ($21,590,909)

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

D.J Augustin

page

73

Evan Fournier

Aaron Gordon

Jonathan Isaac

Nikola Vucevic

(Photo by Jeremy Brevard) USA TODAY Sports / Double Clutch illustration

The 2018 season didn’t go exactly to plan for the Orlando Magic, who finished one place above the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference standings. Many were expecting to see big improvements under Head Coach Frank Vogel but although some statistical categories might suggest slight improvements, overall, they just continued to lose games.

In 2017, the Magic were able to win 29 games, losing 53. While the most optimistic of fans may have hoped to see Aaron Gordon breakout and start to push them towards the lower end of the playoff spots, things just quietly got worse. Those 29 wins in 2017 evolved into just 25 in 2018 as the Magic flirted with a 60-loss record for the first time since 2013, the year Dwight Howard left the club.

In the last couple of years Orlando has seemingly been gathering bigs and not built anything else to go with them. Last season, the Magic had Nikola Vucevic and Bismack Biyombo to deal with, as both earned way over what they offered on-court. Vucevic’s problem was more his injury problems than his talent but the latter, Biyombo, has now left Florida to head back to Charlotte, where his career began.

You might think Orlando has done well in offloading Biyombo’s $17 million per year contract for the next two seasons, but unfortunately, they’ve taken on the also significantly overpaid, Timofey Mozgov. Do not expect to see Mozgov play any part this season. His remaining $33 million over two years will likely be the last NBA deal he sees in his career.

And why might Mozgov never play? Well, firstly he’s bad and everyone but the team signing him knew it at the time. It’s one of those crazy deals we’ll never quite understand. But on a less negative note… Because the Magic have drafted athletic freak, Mohamed Bamba.

Another big man? That’s right. But this one

signifies change. Nikola Vucevic is in the last year of his deal, Mozgov will never play and Bamba is the future.

Firstly, let’s not even look at his college stats to begin. Let’s look at some other numbers.

Bamba stands at 6’11”. Bb current NBA standards isn’t overly special but the 20-year-old’s wingspan reaches a huge 7’10”. Not only that but his standing reach of 9’7.5” means the kid is literally a couple of inches away from touching the rim without lifting his heels off the ground.

Teaming Bamba up with the 6’11”, 20-yearold Jonathan Isaac, also with a 7-foot-plus wingspan, is where Orlando hopes to build.

They’re looking over at Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and hoping they can fill themselves out with lengthy young talent to take them forwards.

They’re looking over at Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and hoping they can fill themselves out with lengthy young talent to take them forwards.

It’s worth mentioning that Bamba also ran a three-quarter court sprint in a time that was quicker than what Russell Westbrook and Dwyane ‘The Flash’ Wade ran it back at their combines.

Other players he was quicker than include James Harden, John Wall and former Magic wing Victor Oladipo. Bamba’s build seems like someone has hacked the NBA2K creation limitations and just done what they want with it.

Aside from Bamba, the Magic haven’t gone out of their way to add any significant pieces this off-season and are perhaps looking at one more 74

ORLANDO MAGIC - TEAM PREVIEW

year of losing so they can pick up a point guard in the 2019 draft. Their main priority this off-season was keeping hold of prized asset Aaron Gordon and they have done that. Due to the current financial state a lot of teams are in, it lowered the pure volume of teams able to offer Gordon the type of deal he might dream of. But in Orlando it gives him the perfect opportunity to breakout in a no pressure environment and grab the opportunity to become a leader.

But where did things go wrong last season for Orlando?

As a team the Magic improved as an offensive and defensive team but while they moved up in those rankings, they were excessively poor in a number of individual categories. None were more telling than their rebounding percentages.

Orlando, despite having Bismack Biyombo and Nikola Vucevic on the roster, had the fifth-worst rebounding team in the league. Of all available offensive rebounds, they rebounded them at a rate that was the second-worst in the league.

At the other end of the court, their defensive rebounding percentage was dead-last. Looking at a team full of big-men and the talented Aaron Gordon who you could at times consider a big as well, you’d expect much, much more.

Over the last two seasons it’s seemed like the Magic have been seeking a new identity, one that they lost when Howard sought pastures new, and that’s fine. This is professional basketball and no team will keep the same identity forever. At a point, things change and you need to adapt but Orlando hasn’t been able to find their direction.

To help with this, the team will have a new man at the helm in 2018-19: Steve Clifford.

Former Head Coach Frank Vogel was known for implementing a defense that is difficult to breakdown and the Magic have done the same with this appointment. Clifford coached Charlotte to two playoff appearances during his

previous five-year tenure at the club, but was dismissed from his position after the Hornets saw no progress between 2017 and 2018, winning just 36 games in each of the two years. The will-he, won’t-he drama of Kemba Walker staying in Charlotte will no longer be a problem for Clifford to try and work around. Instead, he is not in winnow mode and can focus on developing a team his way. Whether replacing one defensive-minded coach with another is the best plan though is yet to be seen.

This is professional basketball and no team will keep the same identity forever. At a point, things change and you need to adapt but Orlando hasn’t been able to find their direction.

With the addition of Bamba, and Vucevic’s time in Florida coming to an end, it seems that the Magic might have found what they’ve been looking for.

The only thing we need to do with the BambaIsaac combo is remember to be patient. A number of big-men in the league don’t come in to their own until a number of years in the league and at 20-years-old, both of them will need time, which is something Orlando has plenty of.

The Magic don’t have an immediate star that is in win-now mode, they are all about developing and gradual improvement to their youth. Any players around Orlando right now who aren’t Bamba, Isaac or Aaron Gordon are there to fill out the roster. I’m sure that’s hard to take as an Orlando fan but the truth can be that way. There is a long way to go.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

Unless Mo Bamba starts to show off his freakish athletic skills and potential early, no. Watch somebody else. Fortunately, Orlando are in the East so most starts will be earlier than 3am anyway.

Who’s the best player?

Aaron Gordon has just signed a four-year $76 million deal to keep him in Florida and the Magic believe he is the man to help lead them forwards.

He could be an early contender for Most Improved Player if we start to see change.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

If Aaron Gordon breaks out like former team-mate Victor Oladipo, him. If not, Mo Bamba is your man. But again, Orlando are a team we may need to be patient with. They won 25 games for a reason last season. They’re not good.. page

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@ORLANDOMAGIC OPENING NIGHT

MAGIC VS HEAT 00:00 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

MAGIC @ BULLS 02:30 DECEMBER 14

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Braian Angola-Rodas G

D.J. Augustin G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

10.2

2.1

3.8

R

R

R

4.2

4.3

0.8

R

R

R

Troy Caupain G

Mohamed Bamba C

Devin Davis F

Khem Birch C-F

Evan Fournier G-F

Isaiah Briscoe G

Melvin Frazier G

Aaron Gordon F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

R

R

R

17.8

3.2

2.9

R

R

R

17.6

7.9

2.3

Jerian Grant G

Jonathan Isaac F

Wesley Iwundu F

Amile Jefferson F

B.J. Johnson G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

8.4

2.3

4.6

5.4

3.7

0.7

3.7

2.2

0.9

R

R

R

R

R

R

Jarell Martin C

Timofey Mozgov C

Terrence Ross F-G

Jonathon Simmons G-F

Nikola Vucevic C

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

7.7

4.4

1.0

4.2

3.2

0.4

8.7

3.0

1.6

13.9

3.5

2.5

16.5

9.2

3.4

76

ATLANTA HAWKS

by Aaron Eamer

The Hawks were bad in the 2018 season, missing out on the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. But everyone expected it. They now have new hope - step forward Trae Young.

Despite history that predates Atlanta, the Hawks settled into their current location in 1968 and have never won an NBA Championship there.

Atlanta, Georgia

The franchise had some incredible moments during the 1980s and 1990s when ‘the Human Highlight Film’ Dominique Wilkins tore up the league and earned a nickname for Atlanta’s home arena, The Highlight Factory.

State Farm Arena 1

Until recent years, the Hawks had one of the longest playoff appearance streaks in the league but they don’t look to be returning this coming season.

4

Owner: General Manager: Head Coach:

Tony Ressler Travis Schlenk Lloyd Pierce

Highest Paid:

Kent Bazemore ($18,089,887)

Best Addition:

Trae Young

Biggest Loss:

Mike Muscala

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Trae Young

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77

Kent Bazemore

Taurean Prince

John Collins

DeWayne Dedmon

(Photo by Mark J. Rebilas) USA TODAY Sports / Double Clutch illustration

The 2018 season was a transitional one for the Atlanta Hawks. They were expected to be one of the worst teams in the NBA and surprised nobody in matching that prediction beautifully. The Hawks dropped from 43 wins and a playoff spot in 2017 to just 24 wins last season, but that was entirely understandable when considered in light of the losses in personnel. Kyle Korver and Paul Millsap both made their way out of Georgia and, no matter what you might think of him, the loss of big-man Dwight Howard also affected the Hawks massively. Atlanta dropped from the 9th best rebounding team in the NBA in 2017 to 6th worst in 2018.

There really was little to celebrate at the Philips Arena last season. The team were dead-last in attendance totals as they struggled to get fans through the door, mirroring their position in the attendance standings in the Eastern Conference.

Only Memphis and Phoenix held worse records last time around.

After winning on day one, it was all downhill from there. But the Hawks found solace in their one single grain of hope, John Collins. Not the most exciting of names in the world, but he did his talking on the court and averaged consistent minutes all season as the Hawks had nothing to lose. On Valentine’s Day they eventually tied Collins to a starting spot as his average minutes jumped from 22.2 to 28.8.

The rookie big-man wasn’t able to turn the tables in Atlanta’s favour but he was able to ensure home fans saw that there was a plan in the works, focused around the youth of Collins and veteran Dennis Schröder…

Damn.

Schroder then found himself surplus to requirements in the offseason, heading over to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although the Hawks received no immediate assets, they weren’t

looking for them. Carmelo Anthony was waived quickly as the Hawks had fun with his acquisition and departure on social media. What the Hawks did receive in return was cap flexibility.

Schröder is due $15.5 million for each of the next three seasons in the NBA, a big price to pay for a point guard you’re not confident in and who didn’t want to participate in Atlanta’s rebuild.

Instead, the quick acquisition and buyout of Carmelo Anthony pulled $26.6 million onto this season’s cap only and frees up the Hawks moving forwards.

Next step in the clear-out? Miles Plumlee and Kent Bazemore will likely be on Travis Schlenk’s hit-list.

So where do Atlanta’s hopes now lie with Schroder not providing to Collins? Step-up Trae Young, the next Stephen Curry, right?

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down now.

Some are still a little perplexed by the Hawks trading back from third and grabbing Luka Doncic to taking Trae Young. But if you take a look at where they got a lot of their points last season, you can see why they made the move.

Some are still a little perplexed by the Hawks trading back from third and grabbing Luka Doncic to taking Trae Young.

In 2018, Atlanta scored 32.5% of their points from behind-the-arc. Only four other teams had a larger percentage of points coming from the three. And it is a bit hit or miss on if you think this is a good strategy. Houston (1) and Boston (4) are

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ATLANTA HAWKS - TEAM PREVIEW

the good and make you see the positive side of shooting the three-ball, but then Brooklyn (2) and Dallas (3) are there to show you the bad. The Hawks evidently believe that Trae Young will be effective in turning this into a positive and he’ll be allowed to shoot all he likes in a team that will not be making the playoffs, even in the East.

Why not? The East is bad. They’ve got a chance to sneak into the 8th seed.

Rose-tinted glasses on this one I’m afraid. Last season, the Hawks finished 25th in field goal percentage, 23rd in free throws attempted, 23rd in blocked shots and, most importantly for me on the offensive end, 27th in turnovers per game.

Something Trae Young will not help to improve.

The Hawks evidently believe that Trae Young will be effective in turning this into a positive and he’ll be allowed to shoot all he likes in a team that will not be making the playoffs, even in the East.

A rookie point guard is guaranteed to make mistakes, it’s part of the learning process.

Fortunately, Trae Young can make as many as he likes in Atlanta and he probably will do.

At Oklahoma, Young averaged a turnover percentage of 18.2%. In comparison, Schröder averaged 12.7% in 2018. But look on the bright side, in Schroder’s rookie season he averaged 22.8%! Like I said, Young can make as many mistakes as he likes. What matters is he learns from them.

So what about the other Atlanta draft picks?

They’re in rebuild mode, so will likely get a chance.

With some of what I just wrote about Trae Young, you can say the same thing again for Kevin Huerter. Huerter is another three-point shooter and turnover liability. He shot over 41% from distance in his final year in Maryland, but once again his turnover percentage was super-high at 17.8%.

Both players can boast good assist percentages though, so expect so see a lot of ball movement in Atlanta from these two.

One man I really do like and think could be a diamond in the rough, much like John Collins was, though is Omari Spellman. The forward fills a huge gap in rebounding for Atlanta. When you start to consider other offensive factors to Spellman’s game as well, he gets better and better. Spellman had an effective field goal percentage of 57% and a turnover percentage of less than 10%. The one offensive criticism I’d have of his game is he doesn’t get to the foul line enough. But, overall, I had him as my third highest ranked offensive bigman in the first round of the draft. Just ahead of Mo Bamba, who isn’t a bad defensive rebounder or shot-blocker either.

So, what do we have in Atlanta this season?

Atlanta aren’t looking at now. They will look to develop what they have and pick up another piece next summer to add further compliment to their young assets. Las Vegas has Atlanta in last place at 1000/1 to win the NBA title and gives them an over/under of just 23.5 wins in the 2019 season. It’s a hard position to argue, as the Hawks haven’t looked to improve this year, they’re looking to grow for years ahead. It’s also a pointless argument as well. Is there much need to debate if the Hawks will win games? I don’t think anyone wants to really waste their time doing so.

Even if John Collins does think they can sneak a playoff spot.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

If you like to catch a young team in their early days then maybe… If you like seeing lots of threes being thrown up then maybe… If you like seeing a consistently good team then probably not, no.

Who’s the best player?

Carmelo Anth-- Sorry. But seriously, John Collins maybe? Trae Young could be if his skillset transfers immediately to the NBA… But out of the blocks it disappointingly might be Jeremy Lin. That’s how bad Atlanta are.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Trae Young. Young is the Hawks’ hopes and dreams. He grabbed all the headlines in college and they’ll be hoping he can do the same in Atlanta, whether he can do it straight away is another story, NBA competition is elite...

But maybe you can say you were there and watched his rookie season if he does come good. page

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@ATLHAWKS OPENING NIGHT

HAWKS @ KNICKS 00:30 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

HAWKS VS THUNDER 00:30 JANUARY 16

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Jaylen Adams G

Justin Anderson G

Kent Bazemore G-F

DeAndre’ Bembry F

Vince Carter G-F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

6.2

2.4

0.7

12.9

3.8

3.5

5.2

2.8

1.9

5.4

2.6

1.2

John Collins F

Dewayne Dedmon C

Tyler Dorsey G

Daniel Hamilton G-F

Kevin Huerter G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

10.5

7.3

1.3

10.0

7.9

1.5

7.2

2.3

1.4

2.0

0.8

1.3

R

R

R

Isaac Humphries C

R.J. Hunter G

Alex Len C

Jeremy Lin G

Miles Plumlee C-F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

3.8

1.0

0.6

8.5

7.5

1.2

18.0

0.0

4.0

4.3

4.1

0.8

Alex Poythress F

Thomas Robinson F

Omari Spellman F

Taurean Prince F

Trae Young G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

1.0

0.7

0.1

4.9

4.8

0.6

R

R

R

14.1

4.7

2.6

R

R

R

80

SOUTHWEST DIVISION The Southwest Division, also formed at the start of the 2004-05 season, contains the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans (Hornets at the time) and San Antonio Spurs.

Three of the division’s teams are based in Texas and road trips there are often referred to as the ‘Texas Triangle’, as teams from outside the state visit all three cities during a short spell.

Traditionally the Spurs have dominated, winning eight titles. That is not to say the division is one-sided, instead it is better known for setting high standards. In the 2007–08 season, all four teams that qualified for the playoffs each had more than 50 wins. And, during the 2010-11 and 2014-15 campaigns, all five teams won over half their games. That was topped in 2014-15, as every team made the playoffs, a feat only achieved twice in the last three decades.

To date, four NBA champions have emerged from the battleground that is the Southwest Division. The Spurs won rings in 2005, 2007 and 2014, while the Mavericks claimed their first in 2011.

Location

Arena

Championships

Conference Championships

HOUSTON ROCKETS 2017-18

65

2019

17

51

31

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS 2017-18

48

2019

34

38

44

SAN ANTONIO SPURS 2017-18

47

2019

35

41

41

DALLAS MAVERICKS 2017-18

24

2019

58

27

55

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES 2017-18 2019

22

60 28

54

2019 = This is a predicted win/loss total for the 2019 season, based upon an average provided by our contributors’ individual predictions.

82

HOUSTON ROCKETS

by Nick Whitfield

Houston will view last season as bittersweet. They had the best regular season record and the league MVP, but a defeat to the Warriors in the Western Finals means it’s championship or bust this time.

The Rockets were founded in 1967 in San Diego, before moving to Houston in 1971. Moses Malone won two MVP trophies as a Rocket in 1979 and 1981. Under his leadership the Rockets reached the Finals in 1981, losing to Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics.

Houston, Texas Toyota Center

Three years later, the Rockets would draft Hakeem Olajuwon who would lead the team to two consecutive titles in 1994 and 1995. The all-time leader in blocked shots, Olajuwon is the franchise’s greatest ever player. Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming never reached the heights that Rockets fans would have hoped for in the 2000s and now Harden, Paul and Anthony bring new hope.

2 4

Owner:

Tilman Fertitta

General Manager:

Daryl Morey

Head Coach:

Mike D’Antoni

Highest Paid:

Chris Paul ($35,654,150)

Best Addition:

Brandon Knight

Biggest Loss:

Trevor Ariza

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Chris Paul

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James Harden

P.J Tucker

Carmelo Anthony

Clint Capela

(Photo by Troy Taormina) USA TODAY Sports / Double Clutch illustration

The Houston Rockets ended last season in heartbreaking fashion. Having beaten the Golden State Warriors to the best regular season record, they played fantastic basketball all year long.

They came within a single game of eliminating the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, but with Chris Paul injured for the latter part of the series, the Rockets inevitably ended up lamenting what might have been. If it wasn’t for that illtimed injury, this may well have been a preview of the NBA champs.

As the only team that seemed able to consistently make the Warriors uncomfortable in their head-to-head matchups, they enter this season with ‘championship or bust’ ambitions.

They have one clear goal, and one specific team they know they need to leapfrog in order to achieve that goal. Complicating the matter however, is the fact that the Rockets aren’t simply running it back with the same roster.

They have lost two of their opening day starters from last season. Ryan Anderson and his sizeable contract were shipped out to Phoenix. Anderson earned his contract off the back of his shooting range and ability to space the floor, but it was his poor defense that made him difficult to play in key matchups.

Perhaps more significantly, Trevor Ariza also now finds himself with the Suns after leaving in free agency for a more lucrative offer than the Rockets could afford. Despite his advancing years, Ariza felt like a perfect fit alongside the team’s stars, James Harden and Chris Paul. He provided the kind of defensive effort, length and versatility crucial in a squad primarily focused on offense, while also spacing the floor and excelling in transition. Similarly to Ariza, Luc Mbah a Moute also left in free agency. Last season he was crucial to the success of the team’s ‘switch everything’ defensive scheme.

Before we shift to who the Rockets have brought in to replace what they’ve lost, it’s worth underlining that the team has two of the league’s outstanding talents in James Harden and Chris Paul. Having two such impressive isolation players at his disposal has led to a fascinating evolution of Mike D’Antoni’s offensive scheme, without having to change any of its fundamental principles. When it comes to the half court, D’Antoni likes to force defenses to make uncomfortable decisions, and potentially make mistakes.

Having two such impressive isolation players at his disposal has led to a fascinating evolution of Mike D’Antoni’s offensive scheme, without having to change any of its fundamental principles.

We grew accustomed to seeing pick-and-roll action (and we still do) to initiate key defensive decisions and rotations. The first decision comes after the pick: whether to switch, or fight through.

If either the guard or the player who sets the pick and is now rolling to the basket are open, the rest of the defense needs to decide whether to help and defend the basket (leaving their assignment open on the three point line) or whether to stay with their man. The guard then has free rein to pick the defense apart based on their decisions.

The crucial difference now is that both Harden and Paul can consistently force these exact same problems, without even needing a pick to

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set them free. Both are capable of blowing by even the best defenders, which means D’Antoni’s scheme now has a lot more flexibility and scenarios they can play depending on matchups and the opponent’s defensive strategy.

D’Antoni’s scheme now has a lot more flexibility and scenarios they can play depending on matchups and the opponent’s defensive strategy.

Unfortunately for both the Rockets and James Harden in particular last season, when Paul went down with his injury, the burden fell entirely on his co-star to produce for the entire team within this scheme. Even as the reigning MVP and a perennial contender for the award, the cumulative fatigue of a season combined with the narrower focus for the other team’s defense can significantly reduce the team’s effectiveness in the playoffs.

To offset their losses, the Rockets have brought a number of new pieces to the roster. The first, and most intriguing, is Carmelo Anthony. Off the back of a disappointing season in Oklahoma, he now teams up with one of his best friends in Paul.

Fascinatingly, he also finds himself playing for the coach he ran out of New York after giving the franchise an ultimatum. With the power dynamic now very much the other way around, whether Melo falls in line will be a key narrative. A key thing to watch is exactly how the team utilises him too.

D’Antoni has gone on record several times, saying he sees Carmelo’s best position as power forward within his system. But Melo has historically been reluctant to shift up a position. That said, he may

provide a level of insurance on the health of Chris Paul. Were he to get injured again, the Rockets would at least have a capable secondary scorer and offensive option in the half court.

Also joining the team are Michael CarterWilliams, Marquese Chriss, James Ennis and Brandon Knight. Both Knight and former Rookie of the Year Carter-Williams provide quality depth and options off the bench. The Rockets had a significant number of huge blowout wins last season, and if they can lessen the miles on Harden and Paul in such games, it can only benefit the team. The hope for Ennis will be that he can replicate the defensive contributions of Ariza and Mbah a Moute, whilst the hope for Chriss is that he continues to improve the flashes he’s shown in his first two years in the league.

Remaining contributors include Clint Capela, who has evolved into one of the most elite pickand-roll bigs in the league. He anchors Houston’s defense, and his role in helping the Rockets get easy baskets with his rolls to the rim cannot be understated. Eric Gordon’s long range shooting sometimes overshadows what a versatile scorer he can be. He’s one of the top sixth men in the NBA. P.J. Tucker showed an invaluable ability to contribute effectively from both forward spots, and Gerald Green continues to provide the kind of length and shooting the Rockets look for in their wing spots.

The Rockets came within one game of the NBA Finals last season. After some roster overhaul this offseason, the key question is whether their window has already passed.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

For sure. With some of the top players in the league, they’re a must watch in my opinion

Who’s the best player?

While watching James Harden get to the line and take it easy on the defensive end isn’t necessarily for everyone, he is one of a kind. A combination of size, strength, old-school nuance and all around offensive brilliance, he makes dominating games look easy.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Carmelo Anthony will have a big focus on him this season. After a disappointing year for OKC, he’s now playing for the coach that he ran out of New York - it’s put up or shut up time for Melo.

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@HOUSTONROCKETS OPENING NIGHT

ROCKETS VS PELICANS 01:00 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

ROCKETS VS WARRIORS 01:00 NOVEMBER 16

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Carmelo Anthony F

Bruno Caboclo F

Clint Capela C

Michael Carter-Williams G

Marquese Chriss F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

16.2

5.8

1.3

2.2

1.8

0.3

13.9

10.8

0.9

4.6

2.7

2.2

7.7

5.5

1.2

Gary Clark F

Vince Edwards F

James Ennis F

Alessandro Gentile F

Eric Gordon G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

R

R

R

7.1

3.1

1.0

R

R

R

18.0

2.5

2.2

Rob Gray G

Gerald Green G-F

James Harden G

Isaiah Hartenstein F

Nene Hilario F-C

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

12.1

3.2

0.6

30.4

5.4

8.8

R

R

R

6.5

3.4

0.9

Brandon Knight G

Chris Paul G

Zhou Qi C

P.J. Tucker F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

15.2

3.3

4.3

18.6

5.4

7.9

1.2

1.2

0.1

6.1

5.6

0.9

86

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS

by Joe Hulbert

The New Orleans Pelicans managed to sustain a playoff spot and win a series despite the injury to DeMarcus Cousins last year. Can they do that again without Cousins for good?

New Orleans, Louisiana Smoothie King Center 0 0

Owner:

New Orleans took over the Hornets franchise from Charlotte in 2002. Within three years, however, the city was hit with one of the worst natural disasters in US history, Hurricane Katrina.

Despite splitting time between Oklahoma and New Orleans as the city recovered, in 2007 the franchise returned to New Orleans permanently. However, in 2013, it wanted to change its nickname, giving Charlotte the chance to bring its old moniker back. It chose the name Pelicans – the state bird – and has developed a strong identity with Anthony Davis as its first real leader since the early days of Chris Paul.

Gayle Benson

General Manager: Head Coach:

Highest Paid:

Jrue Holiday ($26,131,111)

Dell Demps

Best Addition:

Julius Randle

Alvin Gentry

Biggest Loss:

Rajon Rondo

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Elfrid Payton

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Jrue Holiday

E’Twaun Moore

Julius Randle

Anthony Davis

(Photo by John Wilcox) Boston Herald / Double Clutch illustration

Since the New Orleans Pelicans drafted Anthony Davis, people have been waiting to find the right time to jump on their bandwagon. The Pelicans have had a couple of borderline playoff seasons, but coming into last season, this was not a team that had ever been particularly good or eyecatching. That changed last year, as they played better as a defensive unit and rode their star talent on offense, eventually finishing as the six seed and upsetting the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round.

Entering the new season, there are changes to the Pelicans roster as a whole. DeMarcus Cousins departed the franchise and joined the Golden State Warriors. Rajon Rondo, who played well for them joined the Los Angeles Lakers to provide a scary playmaking trio in purple and gold. The duo were replaced by Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton, which shows that the Pelicans targeted two things in the off-season- pace and athleticism.

The Pelicans were exceptionally well coached after the Cousins injury and they did one thing well: play at an extraordinary pace. Their pace of 104.45 led the league for the remainder of the season, and it was the highest pace recorded since Hollinger and ESPN starting tracking the statistic. The Pelicans had the seventh highest net rating in the post-Cousins season.

It was already likely that the Pelicans were going to play this way again, but their offseason signings only make this a near certainty.

Randle has more value as a defender than he does on offense, but he can still provide some value attacking downhill. He ranked in the 68th percentile as a pick and roll man, and he should become a viable secondary partner to Jrue Holiday when Davis is off the floor. The team finished second in the NBA in field-goal percentage on drives, so Randle absolutely fits their its offensive philosophy.

Payton, on the other hand, is a problematic signing. Rondo was so important to this Pelicans team. Davis could do a lot, but on possessions when New Orleans struggled, Rondo was essential. He is one of the most intelligent halfcourt players of all time, and his ability to make the right pass at the right time and even make smart cuts to the basket would create a domino effect in the opposition defense. Payton will play at a much higher tempo than Rondo did, but the results will likely be mixed. He isn’t very good, and plays out of control. Replacing one high-intensity point guard with a lacking jump shot with another has caused many to think this is a straight swap, but that is far from the truth.

The Pelicans were exceptionally well coached after the Cousins injury and they did one thing well: play at an extraordinary pace.

Their pace of 104.45 led the league for the remainder of the season, and it was the highest pace recorded since Hollinger and ESPN starting tracking the statistic.

Payton’s start to the season with the Orlando Magic last year was impressive to the naked eye as he shot over 50% from the field and 37% from three while registering six assists. Despite this, the team still traded him for essentially nothing, which speaks volumes of how they viewed that short spell. It was not a new Payton – more of an

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NEW ORLEANS PELICANS - TEAM PREVIEW

outlier for a player in a contract year. Rondo was never a good shooter in New Orleans, but he was always engaged off the ball and as an off-ball threat inside the arc, which sort of made up for his lack of shooting. Payton won’t play with the same intelligence due to the fact his Basketball IQ isn’t quite there.

a stretch big justified Head Coach Alvin Gentry’s all-out pace scheme and improved it. The big three posted a net rating of 9.3 last year, and what impressed me so much about Mirotic was the fact he played well with nearly every player on the Pelicans roster. The Pelicans go as far this year as this front-court takes them.

The thing that will carry the Pelicans this year, is their front-court. Davis does not really need explaining, but the level he played at last season was just unfair, especially in the playoffs. He averaged 28 points, 11 rebounds and 2.3 assists, alongside 2.6 blocks per game. He shredded teams on the interior and was the best defensive big not called Rudy Gobert. In the playoffs, the way he defended the pick and roll single handedly ruined Terry Stotts’ Portland Trailblazers playbook. Davis legitimately put the team on his back. This makes him a serious MVP candidate for the upcoming year. For this to happen though, the Pelicans need to be a playoff team, which will be difficult.

My one worry though, is how Randle comes in and affects this. I like him as a player, but the Pelicans are at their best when Davis is partnered

by Mirotic. You could feasibly try playing all three at the same time but I question whether Mirotic would have the speed to keep up with wings and smaller guards. Randle is a good player in a vacuum, but there are concerns over how he fits with the rest of the roster, and whether he will force the Pelicans to keep Mirotic off the court and therefore lose effectiveness.

The thing that will carry the Pelicans this year, is their front-court. Davis does not really need explaining, but the level he played at last season was just unfair, especially in the playoffs.

On the whole, this is a solid New Orleans Pelicans roster. But I do fear that the losses of Rondo and Cousins will potentially unearth the fact that the Pelicans might have caught lightning in a bottle at the end of last season. This is a team that will play at an intense pace and they have the best player of any of the teams competing for the bottom six playoff seeds in the West, but the big question is whether he alone will be enough.

The thing that should give the Pelicans hope, is their big three of Holiday, Nikola Mirotic and Davis. On our podcast, I called Mirotic one of the all-time great trade deadline day moves, and I stand by that. They got the Bulls best player for absolutely nothing, and the gravity he created as

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

Absolutely. This is a team that played at a historically fast pace when DeMarcus Cousins got injured, and I expect this to continue. They jack up threes and their porous defense makes them a fun watch.

Who’s the best player?

It’s pretty obviously Anthony Davis at this point. He is a floor spacing five with elite defensive ability, elite rebounding ability and a dominant inside game. He is an unfair player to have.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

I really liked what I saw from Nikola Mirotic last year. He was the Bulls best player and he became the Pelicans most important offensive player outside of Anthony Davis.

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@PELICANSNBA OPENING NIGHT

PELICANS @ ROCKETS 01:00 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

PELICANS @ WARRIORS 02:30 NOVEMBER 01

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Alexis Ajinca C

Trevon Bluiett G

Ian Clark G

Anthony Davis F-C

Cheick Diallo F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

5.3

3.9

0.5

R

R

R

7.4

1.7

1.5

28.1

11.1

2.3

4.9

4.1

0.4

Garlon Green G

Solomon Hill F

Jrue Holiday G

Jarrett Jack G

Frank Jackson G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

2.4

3.0

1.8

19.0

4.5

6.0

7.5

3.1

5.6

R

R

R

Darius Miller F

Nikola Mirotic F

E’Twaun Moore G

Darius Morris G

Jahlil Okafor C-F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

7.8

2.0

1.4

15.6

7.4

1.5

12.5

2.9

2.3

3.3

1.0

1.4

6.3

3.0

0.4

Elfrid Payton G

Julius Randle F-C

Kenrich Williams G-F

Troy Williams F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

12.7

4.3

6.2

16.1

8.0

2.6

R

R

R

6.3

3.0

0.8

90

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

by Huw Hopkins

It’s all change at the Alamo, but while things seem unfamiliar in San Antonio, the outlook isn’t negative.

New All-Stars, new young prospects and a new look, with the same great coach at the helm.

No other NBA team has won as many games as the San Antonio Spurs this millennium. But stars have been traded, legends have left, and there are exciting rookies and a whole new roster. These are not your daddy’s Spurs any longer.

San Antonio, Texas AT&T Center

The team from Texas has been a poster franchise for the NBA since merging with the ABA in 1976, and the Spurs have registered just four losing seasons since then.

5 6

Owner:

Spurs Sports & Entertainment

General Manager: Head Coach:

R. C. Buford Gregg Popovich

Highest Paid:

DeMar DeRozan ($27,739,975)

Best Addition:

DeMar DeRozan

Biggest Loss:

Kawhi Leonard

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Dejounte Murray

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91

DeMar DeRozan

Rudy Gay

LaMarcus Aldridge

Pau Gasol

(Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn) USA TODAY Sports / Double Clutch illustration

In 1998, Tim Duncan arrived and led the team to the first of its five titles the following season, building a legacy for players like Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili along the way. But now that Ginobili has joined Duncan in retirement, Kawhi Leonard has been traded and Parker has moved to the Charlotte Hornets, there is little evidence of the championship-winning teams from the past 20 years, apart from Head Coach Gregg Popovich.

He is a legendary coach who has specialized in putting an elite international player scouting programme together to find players at bottom of the draft – he has had to due to the lack of lottery picks since selecting Duncan first overall.

But Popovich has not had to build a brand new offense around a go-to player since then. There may have been tweaks along the way, but this season will be something new for one of the oldest coaches in the NBA. In 2015, the team signed the biggest free agent of the summer in LaMarcus Aldridge. Last season, he signed a new three-year contract and put together his best season in San Antonio.

The Spurs also traded for DeMar DeRozan this past off-season, giving them a second player who made the most recent All-NBA Team. Few teams have this, so while the franchise might be starting a whole new chapter, having two great players and one of the two or three best coaches of all time working from the same playbook makes them promising on paper.

However, building the system with two All-Star level egos, neither of which were around for San Antonio’s glory days, will be an interesting challenge for a coach who’s career has been built on player development and roster stability.

When Aldridge asked for a trade at the end of the 2017 season because of Poppvich’s “overcoaching”, it was a new challenge. For three

decades, the franchise was gifted with two of the most respectful, coachable, team-first superstars in NBA history, with David Robinson and Duncan, but without that leadership on court, Popovich has to learn to submit to a different type of star.

When you consider Aldridge’s rebounds were up last year, he had also scored, assisted and shot the ball better than any season he’d had in San Antonio, it’s safe to say the heart to heart conversation between the team’s new star and its old grizzled coach worked – it showed Popovich still has an ability to switch up his coaching style.

The Spurs also traded for DeMar DeRozan this past off-season, giving them a second player who made the most recent All-NBA Team.

The key question will be if he can do this with DeRozan as well. The former Raptor became beloved in Toronto and envisioned spending his whole career playing there. He was a bit miffed when he learned about the trade.

But the signs during the off-season were promising. Popovich and DeRozan spent plenty of time together for Team USA, The guard joined Rudy Gay at summer league’s in Los Angeles, and the rapport with his new city seems to be developing.

While that’s all well and good off the court, it will be interesting to see whether two specialists from mid-range can work together on offense.

Aldridge took 1,347 shots last season. 538 of them were from 10-19 feet away from the basket (around 39.9% of his total shots), 463 (or 34.3%) of

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SAN ANTONIO SPURS - TEAM PREVIEW

them were fewer than 5 feet away. He was still effective 5-9 feet away and even beyond the arc, but there is a clear preference in terms of his positioning and the type of shots he took: first is a jump shot, next is the turnaround jump shot, third is the layup.

Compare that to DeRozan and his positional shot breakdown and his preference is equally clear. In that 10-19 feet range, 37.7% of his 1,413 shots were taken. While he got to the rim slightly less than Aldridge, 350 shots (or 24.7%) came from within 5 feet. Shooting from range has always been shaky for DeRozan but he doubled the number of attempts per game he took last year and was much more efficient. He still wasn’t great, just 31% from three but his range has improved, and there will likely be more open opportunities with the Spurs in comparison to his previous team, simply by nature of the system and the fact that the other shot creator on the Raptors, Kyle Lowry, spent more time on the perimeter.

The truth of the matter is that DeRozan has never played with a big man of Aldridge’s calibre. Jonas Valanciunas is a dependable defensive big who can dazzle with a few post moves, Serge Ibaka is a decent shooting big, but you would have to go back to DeRozan’s rookie season, just before Chris Bosh departed to the Miami Heat, to find another 7-footer who could do serious damage on the offensive end.

The truth of the matter is that DeRozan has never played with a big man of Aldridge’s calibre.

Aside from the two stars, a lot has changed in San Antonio. Ginobili, Parker, Leonard, Danny Green and Kyle Anderson are gone – five of the top 10 minute getters from last season per game. Pau Gasol remains, but his days of 70plus games at 30-something minutes per night are long gone. Patty Mills will still be the hotshooting defensive pest he always is, but at barely 6 foot, he is always difficult to play against wing-heavy teams. Rudy Gay earned a decent contract during the off-season for the way he bounced back from an Achilles injury, but at 32, he probably has his best years behind him. Davis Bertans comes back a year older and better, as does Bryn Forbes. Jakob Poeltl came over in the trade with DeRozan. There are also the exciting rookies, including the impressive Lonnie Walker IV, and second-year man Derrick White. And the team has signed veterans Dante Cunningham, Quincy Pondexter and brought back Marco Belinelli to balance out the youth movement.

But the person who was going to be the final piece of the Spurs new big three was Dejounte Murray. His great rebounding, fantastic defense, good speed and exciting athleticism complements what San Antonio has looked for in point guards of the past. However, an injury in the pre-season that potentially sidelines him for the upcoming season might delay his, and the Spurs, rise back up to 50 wins.

A torn ACL can stop you moving for a few months, but one of the areas he will need to work on is his shooting. If Murray can spend the year perfecting his form and working on the upper-body motion while his bottom half recovers, San Antonio has its point guard of the future. If he is able to improve on what has been a successful first two years, he could be part of the Spurs core, and keep them in winning, for a long time to come.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

Head Coach Gregg Popovich is still one of the most respected names in basketball, but he also has a stable of young talent ready to step up to make up for the loss of a previous aged roster.

Who’s the best player?

LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan will be the go-to players this year but it will probably be the big man’s team.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Lonnie Walker. He has drawn comparisons to Kawhi Leonard coming out of college, so the ceiling is high. He might not be on the MVP radar in five years but he could be a good All Star to pair with Dejounte Murray in the future.

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@SPURS OPENING NIGHT

SPURS VS TIMBERWOLVES 01:30 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

SPURS VS RAPTORS 01:00 JANUARY 04

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

LaMarcus Aldridge F-C

Marco Belinelli G-F

Davis Bertans F

Dante Cunningham F

DeMar DeRozan G-F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

23.1

8.5

2.0

12.1

1.9

1.9

5.9

2.0

1.0

5.7

4.1

0.7

23.0

3.9

5.2

Drew Eubanks F

Bryn Forbes G

Pau Gasol F-C

Rudy Gay F

Nick Johnson G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

6.9

1.4

1.0

10.1

8.0

3.1

11.5

5.1

1.3

2.6

1.4

0.4

Chimezie Metu F

Patty Mills G

Dejounte Murray G

Jakob Poeltl C

Quincy Pondexter G-F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

10.0

1.9

2.8

8.1

5.7

2.9

6.9

4.8

0.7

2.0

1.2

0.4

Lonnie Walker G

Derrick White G

Okaro White F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

3.2

1.5

0.5

3.3

1.8

0.3

94

DALLAS MAVERICKS

by Joe Hulbert

The Dallas Mavericks will be a League Pass team for many after they drafted Luka Doncic. But what questions do they need to answer in order to make their first playoff appearance for two years?

The Mavericks joined the NBA in 1980 and it wasn’t long before Dallas’ latest sports team thrust itself into title contention, consistently reaching the playoffs between 1982-1990.

Dallas, Texas American Airlines Center 1

Jason Kidd, Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki are just a few of the notable names to have worn the Royal Blue jerseys.

2

Owner: General Manager: Head Coach:

Throughout their history, the Mavericks have been one of the most stable franchises in the league. They made their first finals appearance in 2005-06, losing to the Heat. They would meet Miami again five years later, this time beating the famous ‘Big Three’ in 6 games to lift their first championship.

Mark Cuban Donnie Nelson Rick Carlisle

Highest Paid:

Harrison Barnes ($24,107,258)

Best Addition:

DeAndre Jordan

Biggest Loss:

Doug McDermott

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Dennis Smith Jr.

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95

Wesley Matthews

Luka Doncic

Dirk Nowitzki

DeAndre Jordan

(Photo by Brad Rempel) USA TODAY Sports / Double Clutch illustration

The Dallas Mavericks were likely one of the least watched teams by British League Pass owners last year. Without being disrespectful, the team just wasn’t that interesting. Dennis Smith Jr. gave us a highlight-filled yet ultimately inefficient rookie campaign, and he was surrounded by other players who weren’t quite enough to give Mark Cuban the competitiveness he has come to expect in the Dirk Nowitzki era. Harrison Barnes had another quietly solid season, but the rest of the roster was just ordinary. Rick Carlisle still managed to get 24 wins out of the roster, but it was the lowest win total of his career and the Mavericks lowest win percentage since the 97-98 season.

I have failed to mention Dirk Nowitzki in the first 100 words of this piece, which should be a sackable offense. But he does not provide the star power he once did. Still, he did re-sign in Dallas for another year instead of chasing that second ring, and he has been surrounded with players who actually give Dallas a realistic shot at a playoff spot.

It makes sense to take the Mavericks offseason chronologically, beginning with free agency.

Dallas have been notorious for striking out on most free agents they target. But after all that heartbreak, the Mavericks landed a big player in the form of DeAndre Jordan. Analytics guys think Jordan has taken a step back, but he still provides well above average defense and hallof-fame level roll gravity. Rick Carlisle loves to use his centers for alley-oops to create space at the elbow and at the top of the key, and Jordan is amongst the best of all time at doing this.

Elsewhere, Dallas did lose some serviceable pieces. Doug McDermott performed well as a spot-up shooter and as a team defender.

That performance earned him a nice contract in Indiana. Yogi Ferrell provided solidity off the bench, and he joined Sacramento. Seth Curry

also moved within the Western Conference, as he joined the Portland Trail Blazers on a oneyear contract. Essentially, the Mavericks lost a fair chunk of outside shooting in free agency. They have other spot-up guys on the roster, but elite spacing is essential for Rick Carlisle’s system to actually work. To counter this though, the arrival of DeAndre Jordan to space teams internally should provide a very expensive band aid for their external spacing.

Though the Mavericks did lose some outside players, they are still left with the likes of J.J. Barea, Wesley Matthews and Harrison Barnes.

All three of these players profiled well as spotup shooters, which says a lot about how well the Mavericks maximise every player on their roster.

Free agency was key for the Dallas Mavericks, but their biggest splash came in the NBA Draft.

In a move that was weirdly as surprising as it was unsurprising, the Mavericks did a draft day deal with the Atlanta Hawks. They moved up two spots, which cost them next year’s first rounder, and they selected Luka Doncic. The draft process was quite miserable to follow on twitter, because the Doncic debate got exhausted quickly. His fans called him the best draft prospect in a decade, and his doubters littered the debate with their xenophobically tainted claims that the Euro League isn’t as good a test for prospects as the zone-defense infested world of NCAA Basketball.

Free agency was key for the Dallas Mavericks, but their biggest splash came in the NBA Draft.

I sit somewhere towards the hopeful side of the Doncic camp. He was my number two prospect

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DALLAS MAVERICKS - TEAM PREVIEW

behind Jaren Jackson, who I believe to be a generational defensive talent. Doncic will provide value as a primary or secondary ball handler in the NBA, and he should find a connection very quickly with DeAndre Jordan. The question over Doncic is whether the conditioning issues and the lack of explosiveness will hinder his ceiling.

But I believe he will be a borderline All-Star level contributor from the moment he suits up for Dallas. He plays with a control in the halfcourt that can’t be taught, and he should have two-way value, which is rare for such a young prospect. There will be growing pains, but having the easy Jordan lob plays to go to eight times a game should give him a nice safety blanket early in his career.

Doncic will provide value as a primary or secondary ball handler in the NBA, and he should find a connection very quickly with DeAndre Jordan. The question over Doncic is whether the conditioning issues and the lack of explosiveness will hinder his ceiling.

The main source of trouble for the Dallas Mavericks could be centred around how well Doncic will co-exist with Dennis Smith. The Slovenian can absolutely be part of a one-two punch due to his outside shooting ability and intelligence on plays such as cuts to the basket.

Smith, though, has a lot of work to do in this area.

In his defense, he was thrust into a historically

large role for a rookie. Smith was amazingly second amongst rookies in terms of usage percentage, sitting at 28.7%, which is just a couple of ticks lower than Donovan Mitchell. This was the highest usage percentage posted by a rookie since Ben Gordon in the 04-05 season. Dallas had very few other natural creators, so Smith was really asked to just go and attack downhill and in transition for the entire game.

I have included this because I do not believe people should use those stats to suggest Smith cannot play off the ball. Instead, I question whether his natural skills translate to him ever being a premier off-the-ball threat. He should have value on back cuts and potentially curling off some of the elbow screens the Mavericks love to set, but it’s hard for a guard to be valuable off the ball unless they are at least an above average shooter. Smith shot 31% from beyond the arc and 39% from the field overall. The normal field-goal percentage was really the result of an overly high usage percentage, but the threepoint shooting was worrying. Smith appeared to lack engagement off the ball at times, and he will need to improve that outside shot so the Mavericks can maximise themselves as a driveand-kick offense with a deadly one-two punch.

He does not need to be Steph Curry, but he needs to be giving defenses headaches without the ball in his hands, otherwise the Doncic-Smith pairing will be very one-sided.

In terms of a ceiling, this Mavericks team could be the eight seed. They would need other teams to implode and have some injuries, but that does usually happen in the NBA during any given season. The floor is not terrible, because they have a good mix of young talent and proven veterans. Regardless of the record, they should show some real growth though, allowing Mark Cuban to be proud of his baby again.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

Yes. This is a team with two elite highlight reel players and a surrounding shooting cast. This team will have alley-oops coming from everywhere.

Who’s the best player?

At this point it’s DeAndre Jordan by a distance. He struggles as a perimeter defender but in a defense that doesn’t use a lot of switches, he is still elite. He will also provide a lot of highlights over the year

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Watch out for Luka Doncic. He was a divisive draft prospect, but he plays with a veterans poise and gives Dallas the second playmaker they have been coveting for years. He makes everyone better.

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@DALLASMAVS OPENING NIGHT

MAVERICKS @ SUNS 03:30 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

MAVERICKS @ HAWKS 00:00 NOVEMBER 25

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Kostas Antetokounmpo F

J.J. Barea G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

11.6

2.9

6.3

18.9

6.1

2.0

R

R

R

R

R

R

Luka Doncic G-F

Harrison Barnes F

Dorian Finney-Smith F

Devin Harris G

Ryan Broekhoff F

Jalen Brunson G

Donte Ingram G

DeAndre Jordan C

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

5.9

3.6

1.2

8.4

1.8

2.1

R

R

R

12.0

15.2

1.5

Maxi Kleber C

Daryl Macon G

Wesley Matthews G

Salah Mejri C

Dirk Nowitzki F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

5.4

3.3

0.7

R

R

R

12.7

3.1

2.7

3.5

4.0

0.6

12.0

5.7

1.6

Dwight Powell F-C

Dennis Smith Jr. G

Ray Spalding F

Rashad Vaughn G

Ray Spalding F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

8.5

5.6

1.2

15.2

3.8

5.2

R

R

R

2.3

0.8

0.5

R

R

R

98

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

by Huw Hopkins

The Grit’n’Grind era is gone from Memphis, but nobody really knows what to make of the Grizzlies in 2019. Two stars remain, but there are new pieces that could make or break the franchise.

Having joined the NBA in 1995 as the league’s second basketball franchise outside the USA, the Grizzlies enjoyed little success during its six-year stint in Vancouver. And in 2001, the team moved to Memphis.

Memphis, Tennessee FedExForum

After drafting Paul Gasol, things started looking up. Gasol won Rookie of the Year, secured a few playoff appearances, but he was traded for the rights to his brother, Marc Gasol.

The additions of Mike Conley, Zach Randolph and Tony Allen created the greatest era in Grizzlies history.

0 0

Owner:

General Manager: Head Coach:

Robert Pera

Highest Paid:

Chris Wallace

Best Addition:

JB Bickerstaff

Biggest Loss:

Mike Conley ($30,521,115) Jaren Jackson Jr Tyreke Evans

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Mike Conley

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Dillon Brooks

Kyle Anderson

JaMychal Green

Marc Gasol

(Photo by Kevin Jairaj) USA TODAY Sports / Double Clutch illustration

Last year was ugly for the Grizzlies as they recorded their joint-worst winning percentage since the franchise moved to Memphis. The team won five of its first six, but lost All Star point guard Mike Conley just 13 games into the season. Head Coach David Fizdale was fired after losing 11 of his next 13 and squabbling with Marc Gasol, who also missed several games due to injury.

Fizdale’s replacement is JB Bickerstaff. This is someone who has a strong pedigree, being the son of Bernie Bickerstaff (a legendary coach who moved around the NBA’s coaching staffs over 40 years). Son JB got his first head coaching gig with the Houston Rockets when Kevin McHale was fired in 2015. He managed the team for 71 games and led them to a 37-34 record but lost in the first round of the playoffs and wasn’t hired as the fulltime replacement. He then joined Fizdale’s staff in 2016, only to replace him as Head Coach last year, again, part way through the season, but it wasn’t as successful as the Houston takeover.

The biggest reason for this is the loss of Mike Conley. Achilles injuries can be serious, especially in big men, and they contribute to the loss of speed in smaller players like the Grizzlies point guard. However, his game was never built on out-running players in the same way that Tony Parker or John Wall used to, but using a deceptively quick first step and a high basketball IQ to get himself or other players open. That being said, Conley is now 30 and probably no longer has that deceptively quick first step, or if he does it won’t be for too many more years. It will be disappointing to see one of the league’s most likeable players no longer being an elite contributor when he’s on the floor, but injuries have benched him consistently for three years (the last time he played 70 games was 20142015). The Grizzlies need him he to complete the season, and return to form alongside his close friend Gasol.

Speaking of which, the big Spaniard needs to be on his best behaviour this year. The center took umbrage at Fizdale due to a clash of personalities and a system became more perimeter-orientated. After Conley went down, Gasol justifiably wanted more of the ball and let his feelings be known, which eventually led to the coach’s dismissal.

Conley is now 30 and probably no longer has that deceptively quick first step, or if he does it won’t be for too many more years. It will be disappointing to see one of the league’s most likeable players no longer being an elite contributor when he’s on the floor Gasol posted solid numbers – 17, 8 and 4 – over 73 games, but it could be argued that he didn’t help the team. According to BasketballReference, he posted the second lowest win shares of his career (how many wins he personally helped attain for the team) and one of the worst plusminus scores (how many points your team scores when you’re in the game versus how many they score when you’re on the bench). Ultimately, he wasn’t making his teammates better. He has the skill level to be great, the defensive ability to be essential, but it might be that his leadership is in question and he needs a running mate to help him out. Thankfully for Gasol, no amount of knee injuries can damage this area of Conley’s game.

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MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES - TEAM PREVIEW

An occasional spark flickered for the team when Chandler Parsons, a player with great third-guy potential, having averaged 14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists in Houston and Dallas, had a handful of decent ‘I’m back’ games. It was knee surgeries in 2015 and 2016 that previously slowed him down, then a torn meniscus in 2017. He only averaged 20 minutes in 36 games last season, and produced what would have be solid numbers per-36 minutes, but the team was moving into tanking mode after compiling a terrible record, and some knee soreness saw the team shut Parsons down.

To make up for some of this lack of production, the Grizzlies got a good deal on Kyle Anderson. The former San Antonio Spur signed with Memphis this past off-season for roughly $8m per year The issue with this is that Parsons earns around $24 million this season, just shy of Gasol’s income, meaning the team has an albatross of a contract attached to a player who has managed to play just 42 per cent of his games in two years.

To make up for some of this lack of production, the Grizzlies got a good deal on Kyle Anderson.

The former San Antonio Spur signed with Memphis this past off-season for roughly $8m per year. He is not a quick player but he is wily, and having grown under San Antonio’s Head Coach Gregg Popovich (a specialist in player development) he will be dependable and will rarely make mistakes.

He could be a huge asset to the team as another ball handler and a decent rebounder who can give you 10 points per game.

But Memphis will need more. This is why it was key (and possibly planned?) that the Grizzlies won as few games as possible. It meant they got a decent draft pick, which converted to a fourth pick in the draft lottery. Double Clutch’s own Joe Hulbert assesses Jaren Jackson Jr to be selected here, and while the power forward is an offensive project, he has defensive skills and size that could help Gasol take on a lighter load with some potential to improve his scoring in the future.

One loss that might cause problems for Memphis from last year is Tyreke Evans. The shooting guard won games for the team last year, and when you consider that it only managed 22, that’s kind of a big deal. He played well enough to earn a decent contract from Indiana Pacers, which left a hole in the Grizzlies’ starting line-up. While Garrett Temple won’t make up for everything Evans brought to the table, he is the type of player that will make himself useful. During his nine years, he has split time between point guard, shooting guard and small forward, and while he doesn’t boast gaudy scoring numbers the 8.4 per game last year was a career high. He also shot the three at 39% , the highest he has ever done so, which will be useful for a team that has limited outside shooting. If anything, his lack of star power, and the veteran experience of knowing his role, will be useful.

The Grizzlies have the potential to be a dangerous contender for the playoffs that will play in a manner that could cause the likes of Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors headaches. If it gets to the post-season, Memphis won’t advance far but could make for an exciting few match-ups in the first round.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

If you’re hoping for the San Antonio Spurs and the LA Clippers of old, they probably don’t exist anymore, but Memphis will potentially be battling for a low seed in the West so certain games will have appeal.

Who’s the best player?

Gasol or Conley will lead the team most nights.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Jaren Jackson Jr was selected fourth in a decent 2018 draft, and while he was’t the most exciting player in the lottery, he is very young and has great potential. He also has “glue-guy skills” according to The Ringer, which will serve him well in a fourth or fifth spot on the roster.

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#nbaintheuk

@MEMGRIZZ OPENING NIGHT

GRIZZLIES @ PACERS 00:00 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

GRIZZLIES @ SPURS 01:30 NOVEMBER 22

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Kyle Anderson F-G

Dillon Brooks F-G

MarShon Brooks G-F

Jevon Carter G

Omri Casspi F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

7.9

5.4

2.7

11.0

3.1

1.6

20.1

3.0

3.6

R

R

R

5.7

3.8

1.0

Mike Conley G

Markel Crawford G

Marc Gasol C

Brandon Goodwin G

JaMychal Green F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

17.1

2.3

4.1

R

R

R

17.2

8.1

4.2

R

R

R

10.3

8.4

1.4

Andrew Harrison G

Jaren Jackson Jr. F

Shelvin Mack G

Doral Moore C

Chandler Parsons F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

9.5

2.3

3.2

R

R

R

6.9

2.4

3.9

R

R

R

7.9

2.5

1.9

Ivan Rabb F

Wayne Selden G-F

D.J. Stephens G-F

Garrett Temple G

Yuta Watanabe F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

5.6

4.4

0.9

9.3

1.6

1.9

2.3

1.7

0.0

8.4

2.3

1.9

R

R

R

102

PACIFIC DIVISION The NBA’s Pacific Division features the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns.

As one of the original divisions formed at the start of the 1970-71 season, it has traditionally been owned by the Los Angeles Lakers, who have won 23 division titles to their name. The Suns and Warriors are tied for second, with six titles each. And the Kings and Clippers have two apiece.

Rather amusingly, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Portland Trail Blazers, both of whom now reside in the Northwest Division (having been displaced from the Pacific division in 2004) own 9 division titles between them.

Last season, as the division’s lone representative in the Playoffs, the Golden State Warriors won their second consecutive title and third in four years, as they cemented their claim as the NBA’s newest dynasty.

The Pacific Division is the home of the champions, and now, LeBron James - that alone is something to get excited about.

Location

Arena

Championships

Conference Championships

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 2017-18

58

2019

24

56

26

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS 2017-18

42

2019

40

29

53

LOS ANGELES LAKERS 2017-18

35

2019

47 41

41

SACRAMENTO KINGS 2017-18 2019

27 19

55 63

PHOENIX SUNS 2017-18 2019

21 23

61 59

2019 = This is a predicted win/loss total for the 2019 season, based upon an average provided by our contributors’ individual predictions.

104

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

by Mike Miller

The Dubs stand on the precipice of the new season with their destiny firmly in their hands. Can this team solidify their spot in history as one of the greatest dynasties ever?

The team was established in 1946 as the Philadelphia Warriors and won two championships before moving to San Francisco in 1962. The San Francisco Warriors name lasted nine years before eventually becoming the Golden State Warriors in 1971.

Oakland, California Oracle Arena

All-time great, Wilt Chamberlain once scored 100 points in a single game for the Warriors, and recent seasons have seen the team revolutionise the NBA behind deadeye shooters, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

6 10

Owner: Joe Lacob (majority) Peter Guber

Highest Paid:

General Manager:

Bob Myers

Best Addition:

Head Coach:

Steve Kerr

Biggest Loss:

Stephen Curry ($37,457,154) DeMarcus Cousins Nothing

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Stephen Curry

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Klay Thompson

Andre Iguodala

Kevin Durant

Draymond Green

(Photo by Adam Hunger) USA TODAY Sports / Double Clutch illustration

What is there left to say about the Golden State Warriors?

Their dominance of the Modern NBA cannot be overstated. Last year they were by far the favourites to win the title and, come June, they completed one of the most one-sided Finals of all time. Sweeping the LeBron James-led Cavaliers 4-0, the Dubs claimed their third title in four years and finally forced the King to abdicate his Eastern Conference throne.

At a high level overview, everything went according to plan. But dig a little deeper and the Warriors road to the championship was more than a little bumpy. Complacent, and sometimes lackadaisical in their approach, throughout the regular season, the Warriors finished with a 58-24 record. By their lofty standards this was a significant regression and represented the lowest win total (by nine games!) for the franchise since Steve Kerr took over the coaching reins in 2014.

In the Western Conference Finals, for the second time in three years, it took the full seven games before the Warriors were able to emerge victorious. Yes, they were missing Andre Iguodala, but if the number one-seeded Houston Rockets Chris Paul had also been healthy, how confident are you that it wouldn’t have been the Rockets dismantling the Cavs?

Stories emerged, sourcing (now retired) Warriors big man David West, that there was malcontent in the locker room. Smoke and mirrors? Or perhaps the darker side of success beginning to hold in the Oracle? Pat Riley coined the phrase “the disease of me”, to describe the internal issues that can cause the downfall of a successful team.

Could it be that the Warriors are suffering from this affliction?

On the court, though they’ve been the measuring stick for small ball with the evolution of their “Death Lineup” into the “Hampton’s Five”, this team’s biggest weakness has been size in the front court. This summer they lost the

aforementioned David West (retirement) as well as Zaza Pachulia (Detroit) and JaVale McGee (Lakers) and somehow came out with an even stronger core for the new season.

The surprise arrival of All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins as a free agent on a one year mid-level exception deal for $5.3 million deal (roughly a $12.5 million pay cut!) is hands down the steal of the summer. And I say this knowing full well that the 6-11, 270lb, 28-year-old is currently on the difficult road back from a devastating tear of his left Achilles.

Cousins is expected to return to the court in roughly December / January time, leaving plenty of opportunity to embed him into the Warriors sets. However, the long term impact of the injury remains to be seen. Historically, an Achilles tear has ended careers - if not immediately, then effectively. And here we have a behemoth of a man, much bigger than those who have successfully managed to come back. Cousins’ future as a marquee big man in the league is not, by any measure, a certainty, but Golden State provides the most ideal environment to afford him the best opportunity to return to old form.

Whilst he continues his rehab duties, the five spot will be shared between Kevon Looney and Jordan Bell. Bell, in his second year out of Oregon, showed some potential last year and could, once more, turn into a steal of a draft pick by the Warriors. His averages were unspectacular (but given the talent ahead of him is that surprising?) and he dealt with recurring ankle issues throughout the season. Now healthy, he could provide a real impact for the Dubs.

But to be frank, with the efficiency and effectiveness that the Warriors execute on both ends of the floor, they don’t require much from the Center position - did you ever expect JaVale to be a starting center on the NBA Champions? A half-life version of Cousins is still a huge upgrade on McGee and Pachulia.

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GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS - TEAM PREVIEW

Of course, it takes more than one man to make a team and I’ve managed to write 684 words without mentioning this team’s big guns; the Warriors now have as many titles as they do MVP crowns in the locker room. With the dearth of talent in this starting unit, it is almost disrespectful to suggest they could be anything other than champions come June 2019.

be viewed as a cautionary tale. After all, he has never managed to play in as many games, log as many minutes or average as many points as he did in his rookie season.

Outside of the core four, the Warriors boast an impressive amount of depth.

Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are hands down, without a shadow of doubt, the greatest shooting backcourt in NBA history. If we’re not comfortable saying that now, we never will be.

They complement each other perfectly, one making up for the other’s physical and defensive lapses (which are often overstated), knowing their roles to perfection. Curry capable of dribbling through the masses and hitting an unfathomable three, Klay capable of dropping 60 points whilst taking less than 10 dribbles.

Having sorted out the “issue” (if you can call it an issue, they swept the Cavs with the GOAT of Shaqtin-a-fool starting) at the five spot. The Warriors only have one perceivable weakness: themselves. There have been many examples in sports of the phrase “the only person who can beat me, is me” and this is definitely true of the Warriors.

In the front court, they have the most visceral scorer in the league right now in Kevin Durant and one of the greatest glue-guys ever in Draymond Green. Both are X-factors for totally different reasons, capable of taking over games (one more obviously than the other) whilst utilising gamechanging skill-sets no one thought possible at their respective size.

Where does their challenge lie this year? They struggled for motivation last year and it showed with other teams appearing to close the gap.

The Rockets came close to knocking them off, but they themselves have taken a step back this year as well. There’s suggestion that the narrative could be “let’s get Cousins his title”, but I don’t buy that as providing any extra incentive.

Outside of the core four, the Warriors boast an impressive amount of depth. The aforementioned Iguodala, Bell and Looney are re-joined by the evergreen Shaun Livingston, the star of last year’s Cinderella story Quinn Cook, and Damian Jones.

New additions, joint the chase for a ring, are rookie Jacob Evans, Damion Lee (on a two-way contract) and Jonas Jerebko.

The biggest challenge will likely lay out East in the shape of the Boston Celtics. Top to bottom, their roster is the best designed to cope with the Warriors “switchability”. They would likely have provided a more entertaining Finals for last season, and the return of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward from injury only bolsters an already talented, deep and hard working team. Yes, the Warriors are still distant favourites to claim another banner next June, but they are at risk of being outworked. And when it comes to the hunt for the Larry O’Brien, the hungrier dog hunts best.

Jerebko may be able to act as a sounding board for DeMarcus as the Swede suffered the same injury which ruled him out of his entire second season in the NBA. But whilst Jerebko has logged seven seasons since his journey back, he could

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

Erm… is the corner three the most valuable shot in basketball analytics? This is one of THE GREATEST TEAMS OF ALL TIME! With an abundance of talent on both ends of the floor. Staying up to watch them is a must.

Who’s the best player?

Controversial… but Steph Curry. The team plays so differently with him on the floor, he creates for others, moves well off the ball and is the greatest shooter of all time.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Kevin Durant… the Finals MVP, a seven footer who plays like a guard. An indefensible scorer and an underrated defensive presence. Probably a top ten All-Time NBA talent, which just adds to the controversy of Steph being the best player on this team. page

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@WARRIORS OPENING NIGHT

WARRIORS VS THUNDER 03:30 OCTOBER 17 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

WARRIORS @ CELTICS 01:30 JANUARY 27

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Jordan Bell F

Will Cherry G

Quinn Cook G

DeMarcus Cousins C-F

Stephen Curry G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

4.6

3.6

1.8

1.9

0.6

1.0

9.5

2.5

2.7

25.2

12.9

5.4

26.4

5.1

6.1

Marcus Derrickson F

Kevin Durant F-G

Jacob Evans G-F

Draymond Green F

Danuel House G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

26.4

6.8

5.4

R

R

R

11.0

7.6

7.3

6.6

3.3

1.1

Andre Iguodala G-F

Jonas Jerebko F

Damian Jones F-C

Damion Lee G

Shaun Livingston G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

6.0

3.8

3.3

5.8

3.3

0.6

1.7

0.9

0.1

10.7

4.7

1.9

5.5

1.8

2.0

Kevon Looney F-C

Alfonzo McKinnie F

Kendrick Nunn G

Klay Thompson G-F

Tyler Ulis G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

4.0

3.3

0.6

1.5

0.5

0.1

R

R

R

20.0

3.8

2.5

7.8

1.8

4.4

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LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

by Timi Awotesu

LeBron has been the all the rage in L.A. this summer. But there’s another team in the Staples Center looking to make some moves of their own, who still think they’re the best in town.

Los Angeles, California

The Clippers were actually founded in 1970 in Buffalo, where they were known as the Braves.

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After 8 years, they moved to San Diego where they took up the Clippers mantle. In 1984 they moved again, this time to Los Angeles. Throughout this 48 year period the franchise has known little success, capturing just 2 division titles in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

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The Clippers have frequently been seen as an example of a perennial loser in American professional sports.

Staples Center

Owner: General Manager:

Steve Ballmer Michael Winger

Head Coach:

Doc Rivers

Highest Paid:

Danilo Gallinari ($21,587,579)

Best Addition:

Marcin Gortat

Biggest Loss:

DeAndre Jordan

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Patrick Beverley

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Avery Bradley

Danilo Gallinari

Tobias Harris

Marcin Gortat

(Created by Layne Murdoch) NBAE / Getty Images / Double Clutch illustration

The Clippers have gone through a major turnaround in the last couple of years, as they moved on from the ‘Lob City’ era and its underwhelming legacy. The likes of Chris Paul, J.J. Reddick, Blake Griffin, Jamal Crawford and DeAndre Jordan have all since departed Staples, with the latter the last to leave during this summer’s free agency period. Under the consultation of Jerry West, the Clippers have taken major steps to creating a new winning environment for the team. And yet, a major problem landed on their doorstep this offseason, as LeBron James said goodbye to Cleveland once again, this time deciding to take his talents westward, to the other team in Los Angeles. Being better than the Lakers has not been an issue for the Clippers in recent years, but now the city just became a whole lot more competitive.

Under the consultation of Jerry West, the Clippers have taken major steps to creating a new winning environment for the team.

And yet, a major problem landed on their doorstep this offseason, as LeBron James said goodbye to Cleveland once again Last season set the tone for the team and their potentially promising future. Trading away Blake Griffin’s questionable contract to Detroit (that they had given him just months before) started a series of moves that show that the franchise

is trying to rid itself of any deadwood. Whether that means moving on from Austin Rivers and the issues he brought as the coach’s son, or trading Sam Dekker due to issues with his work ethic and lackadaisical mindset, 2018-19 marks the start of a new era.

Trades and shakeups played a part, but the injury demons also took their toll on the team last season. Patrick Beverley played only 11 games, while Danilo Gallinari was only able to contribute in 21 out of 82 possible fixtures. Even Avery Bradley, who was acquired in the Blake Griffin trade, missed a chunk of games after surgery on his adductor and rectus abdominus muscles.

Despite all the setbacks, the Clippers were still able to earn a 42-40 record in a stacked Western Conference, largely due to their impressive 12-4 record in the Pacific Division. Lou Williams was outstanding, taking control of the team as he won his second Sixth Man of the Year award. With 22.6 points, 5.3 assists and 2.5 rebounds a game, Lou Will even came close to an All-Star appearance… from the bench! DeAndre Jordan was a trade topic all season, but still put up an impressive 12 points and 15.2 rebounds per game, finishing second in the league in boards and field goal percentage. The Clippers neither shone nor stunk in major team stats, but were a top ten team on offense and below average defensively.

Like the Lakers, the Clippers go into this season mired in one-year deals. Gallinari and Williams are the only key rotation players that are signed past this season, as the Clippers are one of a few teams that could easily have two max slots for 2019 free agency. Whilst many believe that Kawhi Leonard will either stay in Toronto or join LeBron and the Lakers after this season, the Clippers believe they have a legitimate chance to swoop in. They can also provide the Klaw with the city of L.A. and a max deal, without having to play under the umbrella of LeBron James. With a potential

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move to Inglewood now cleared by the franchise, the Clippers may not be tenants of the Staples Center for much longer either.

Fresh young talent has joined the team in the form of rookies Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson, taken 11th and 13th respectively in this year’s draft. Shai brings a new explosiveness to the team as a versatile combo guard, who can create his own shot from various points on the court. Robinson can also play multiple positions - either the two or the three - and has become a talented scorer of the basketball after three seasoned years of college ball. We’ve seen the benefits of multiple years of college on Donovan Mitchell and Kyle Kuzma, who both made the All-Rookie first team last season, despite not being drafted in the top ten. Look out for Robinson to be a surprise talent in the upcoming season.

We’ve seen the benefits of multiple years of college on Donovan Mitchell and Kyle Kuzma, who both made the All-Rookie first team last season, despite not being drafted in the top ten.

Look out for Robinson to be a surprise talent in the upcoming season.

game, pick-and-roll abilities and solid passing skills for a big man, he represents more versatility at the five spot than DeAndre Jordan ever could have. Avery Bradley and Patrick Beverley will be a backcourt of two immensely talented perimeter defenders, and with Lou Will to pick up the slack offensively, they could have a nice guard rotation this year. Bradley and Bev will also find defensive assistance in Luc Mbah a Moute, who returns to the Clippers after a solid spell in Houston. The 11year veteran was an important part of Houston’s 65-win season last year en route to the Western Conference Finals, but a shoulder injury hindered his performance in the postseason.

For head coach Doc Rivers, the main issue he has to overcome is a new and improved Pacific Division. Even overlooking the Lakers, the Suns have added some key new pieces, including number one overall pick DeAndre Ayton and 10th pick Mikal Bridges, as well as Trevor Ariza and Ryan Anderson. The Clippers 12-4 record within the division was a strong point last season. But, this year, the likelihood is that there’ll be a dropoff against their local rivals. It’s no coincidence that oddsmakers have the team winning 36-37 games this season, a small drop-off, despite all the players returning from injury.

At their best, this team could still push for one of the bottom playoff spots, but their conference is stacked, and any slip could be catastrophic for the team’s success. With so many players returning from injuries, the fear of many going down again is also a potential threat to this team.

With that said, they’ve got some talent, and an excellent coach. Even without all the lobs, they can still make some noise this season.

The expiring contracts are going to have to prove they have a place on this team moving forward.

Tobias Harris and newcomer Marcin Gortat form a duo of skilled frontmen, and with Gortat’s low post

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

If they’re playing the Lakers maybe (said a completely unbiased person and not a long time Laker fan.) In all seriousness, they’ll be entertaining this year, and their best performances will come against the better teams of division, especially the one across the hall. Give this team a peak now and then.

Who’s the best player?

Jerry West. Oh, you meant on the court? This is a tough one but I gotta go with Tobias Harris. I don’t think there’s a standout player on this team, but he probably has the most upside so let’s go with him.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Lou Williams, who was ROBBED of an All-Star appearance last year. Hopefully one day he’ll win a ring as a sixth man so he can cement himself as one of the best of all time. He could well average 20+ points from the bench again this year. page

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@LACLIPPERS OPENING NIGHT

CLIPPERS VS NUGGETS 03:30 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

CLIPPERS @ LAKERS 03:30 DECEMBER 29

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Patrick Beverley G

Avery Bradley G

Angel Delgado C

Jawun Evans G

Danilo Gallinari F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

12.2

4.1

2.9

14.3

2.5

2.0

R

R

R

4.8

1.8

2.1

15.3

4.8

2.0

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

G

Marcin Gortat C-F

Montrezl Harrell F-C

Tobias Harris F

Wesley Johnson F-G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

8.4

7.6

1.8

11.0

4.0

1.0

18.6

5.5

2.4

5.4

2.9

0.8

Boban Marjanovic C

Luc Mbah a Moute F

Johnathan Motley F

Jerome Robinson G

Desi Rodriguez F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

6.0

3.7

0.6

7.5

3.0

0.9

8.7

4.5

0.6

R

R

R

R

R

R

Mike Scott F

Milos Teodosic G

Sindarius Thornwell G

Tyrone Wallace G

Lou Williams G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

8.8

3.3

1.1

9.5

2.8

4.6

3.9

1.9

0.9

9.7

3.5

2.4

22.6

2.5

5.3

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LOS ANGELES LAKERS

by Matthew Wellington

Whilst there is undoubted championship potential for the Lakers in 2019, it’s time for the fans to start being more realistic about the year ahead. LeBron James can only do so much.

Los Angeles, California Staples Center

The Lakers are one of the great NBA dynasties and a worldwide sports brand. They were founded in 1947 as the Minneapolis Lakers, where they captured 5 championships before moving to Hollywood in 1960.

16

Since then, the Lakers have gone on to become the second most successful franchise in the NBA, sitting behind their arch rivals, Boston.

31

The Lakers last championship came in 2010 and recent seasons have seen them enter a rare period of rebuild.

Owner:

Jeanie Buss

Highest Paid:

General Manager:

Rob Pelinka

Best Addition:

LeBron James

Luke Walton

Biggest Loss:

Julius Randle

Head Coach:

LeBron James ($35,654,150)

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Rajon Rondo

page

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Kantavious Caldwell-Pope

LeBron James

Kyle Kuzma

JaVale McGee

(Photo by Ken Blaze) USA TODAY Sports / Double Clutch illustration

Last season the Los Angeles Lakers finished with nine more wins than in 2017, but 11 games back of the eighth seed in the West. Luke Walton’s second season in-charge offered little to cheer about, as offensively the Lakers struggled in the halfcourt, with not enough being done by the way of X’s and O’s.

However, Walton was able to bring the defensive presence out of players who didn’t appear to have one. Lonzo Ball especially, ended up looking like a great defensive point guard, finishing top-3 in both Defensive Box Plus/Minus and Defensive Win shares for the team. His length, combined with his IQ and ability to cut the passing lanes, made him a real problem for opposing teams.

Thanks in part to his influence, the Lakers ended up ranking 13th in defensive efficiency and 12th overall in defensive rating. This made them one of only two teams with top-15 defensive ratings that missed the playoffs. Walton also experimented with a variety of line-ups throughout the season, partly out of intrigue but most due to injuries.

Brandon Ingram played as point-forward while Kyle Kuzma became a real focal point of the offense. Off the court, Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka got their first full season under their belts and made some significant changes, which were ultimately for the better. The Lakers overall, did everything they needed to do last season.

This offseason they welcomed eight new players into the fold, including the prize target, LeBron James, who announced his four-year, $154 million contract decision early on in the free agency period. Lakers fans were understandably ecstatic.

After all, you don’t land the greatest player of all-time every offseason (come at me Jordanites).

His willingness to sign a multi-year contract goes against the usual contractual strategy of twoyear contracts and provides the Lakers with an increased level of flexibility, as well as security, for years to come.

Confirmation of the King’s arrival set in motion a hectic chain-reaction of events, all designed to land the Lakers another superstar. However, it soon became apparent that the asking price for the likes of Kawhi Leonard was too high, while Paul George, who had for so long been linked with the purple and gold, refused to even take a meeting. Thus, Magic, Pelinka and probably James - yep, definitely James - went to work acquiring talented players on short-term deals.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope returned, signing another one-year deal, this time for $12 million $6 million less than he got last season. CaldwellPope had an up-and-down 2018 campaign, improving in a lot of areas - including 3-point shooting percentage and rebounds - but his scoring and assist totals went down. Now, playing alongside LeBron, his numbers should go up.

Confirmation of the King’s arrival set in motion a hectic chain-reaction of events, all designed to land the Lakers another superstar. However, it soon became apparent that the asking price for the likes of Kawhi Leonard was too high Of all the Lakers free agent acquisitions, Lance Stephenson is the biggest head-scratcher.

Yep, the man who once decided to become an eternal meme by blowing into the ear of LeBron signed for one-year, $4.5 million. In all honesty, Stephenson actually had a solid year in 2018,

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LOS ANGELES LAKERS - TEAM PREVIEW

where he made significant contributions to a young and incredibly talented Pacers roster, which pushed LeBron’s former team, the Cavaliers, to a Game 7 in the first round of the playoffs.

During 2018, he averaged 22.6 minutes per game, while making a full 82 appearances. The reason the acquisition is such a puzzling one is the simple fact that the Lakers are absolutely loaded with wings,most of whom are far better than Stephenson is.

Magic and Pelinka then seized the opportunity to sign Rajon Rondo on yet another one-year deal having rescinded their qualifying offer to Julius Randle. Rondo is an intriguing addition and a player with whom the Lakers have been linked since before Kobe retired. Rondo has been a starter for most of his career and has absolutely no intention of relinquishing that role to a young gun like Lonzo Ball. This point guard battle will probably be the best thing to watch next season Lakers-wise. One can only imagine the chaos which will ensue if Lonzo’s father, LaVar, voices his opinion.... oh, wait... he’s already done that. If there’s one thing the Lakers are hoping for more than anything, it’s that Rondo will push Ball to be a better version of himself. He can also step in and play heavy minutes if Ball is to miss any time due to injury.

The strange free agent acquisitions didn’t stop with Rondo, there was but one more man the Lakers needed to complete the weirdness. Enter Michael Beasley.

Beasley was once seen as the next big thing in the NBA, but after a torrid time in Miami, where he showed brief flashes of brilliance, he fell off the radar. Last season though, Beasley posted one of his best seasons, starting 30 games for the New York Knicks, averaging 13.2 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 50.7 percent from the field. Beasley, like Stephenson, is unlikely to see the same amount of minutes he saw last year, but hopefully that won’t deter him from giving his all

everytime he hits the hardwood. The Lakers will be hoping Beasley can become a spark-plug off the bench and provide opposing defenses with another shooter to guard whilst also having to handle LeBron. Beasley, like the others, is on a one-year deal.

Joel Berry II, Jeffrey Carroll and Johnathan Williams were also brought in during this hectic summer period.

This season will feel like watching a brand new Lakers team, with a few familiar faces sprinkled in.

Make no mistake about it, this is just year one of a far greater plan and, unsurprisingly, only seven players return from last season’s roster.

The starting lineup is going to be different. The rotation is going to vary on a night-to-night basis and Walton will now have to navigate the complexities of managing a variety of different ages, personalities and talent levels, not to mention the best player on the planet.

This season will feel like watching a brand new Lakers team, with a few familiar faces sprinkled in.

While it’s unlikely they contend for a title in the first year of this new regime in a crowded Western Conference, the Lakers will be in the mix all season long. And they will certainly make a playoff push (LeBron James all but assures that), but predicting how many wins this roster will have when it’s all said and done is difficult to do. A total between 47 and 52 wins is not exactly beating the Warriors, but oddsmakers in Las Vegas have given the team odds of 7-to-2 to win the NBA championship next season.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

Well, yes they have the best player on the planet and a core of talented, young players. However, it won’t be easy. This team has a lot of work to do.

Who’s the best player?

Easy, LeBron James. He averaged 27.5 points, 9.1 assists, and 8.6 rebounds per game with a 62.1 true shooting percentage last season, with just one fringe All-Star beside him.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Kyle Kuzma is a must-watch this season. Kuzma burst onto the scene last year and averaged 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in 31.2 minutes per game during his rookie season. He performed better than No. 2 overall pick, Lonzo Ball, and was recently listed by the marketing company CHARGE, in their prestigious 25-under-25 list for athletes with the strongest brands. page

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@LAKERS OPENING NIGHT

LAKERS @ BLAZERS 03:30 OCTOBER 19 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

LAKERS @ WARRIORS 01:00 DECEMBER 26

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Lonzo Ball G

Michael Beasley F

Isaac Bonga G

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope G

Alex Caruso G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

10.2

6.9

7.2

13.2

5.6

1.7

R

R

R

13.4

5.2

2.2

3.6

1.8

2.0

Josh Hart G

Brandon Ingram F

LeBron James F-G

Kyle Kuzma F

JaVale McGee C

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

7.9

4.2

1.3

16.1

5.3

3.9

27.5

8.6

9.1

16.1

6.3

1.8

4.8

2.6

0.5

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk G-F

Rajon Rondo G

Lance Stephenson G-F

Moritz Wagner F-C

Travis Wear F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

8.3

4.0

8.2

9.2

5.2

2.9

R

R

R

4.4

2.2

0.4

Johnathan Williams F

Ivica Zubac C

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

3.7

2.9

0.6

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SACRAMENTO KINGS

by Ben Moorcroft

Are the Kings built on solid foundations or quicksand? With virtually no veteran presence, their young players will need to prove this franchise has some form of direction.

Sacramento, California Golden 1 Center

Their only championship came against the Knicks in 1951 and in the early 2000s, were considered must-watch entertainment.

Recently however they’ve been one of the worst run teams in the association. The Kings have not made the playoffs since 2006, the longest active streak in the league.

1 1

Owner:

The Sacramento Kings have been around since 1985, but were actually founded way back in 1923, as the Rochester Seagrams.

They have had five different names during their turbulent history, along with multiple places of residence, including Kansas and Cincinnati.

Vivek Ranadivé

General Manager:

Vlade Divac

Head Coach:

Dave Joerger

Highest Paid:

Zach Randolph ($11,692,308)

Best Addition:

Nemanja Bjelica

Biggest Loss:

Garrett Temple

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

De’Aaron Fox

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Buddy Hield

Bogdan Bogdanovic

Nemanja Bjelica

Willie Cauley-Stein

(Photo by Rocky Widner) NBAE / Getty Images / Double Clutch illustration

The Sacramento Kings have failed to win more than 30 games in all but two seasons over the last decade. The team has effectively been rebuilding since 2006 and that’s all you need to know about the misery Sacramento fans have faced.

The Kings have now become synonymous with ineptitude. They have effectively provided the how to guide on how not to rebuild a franchise. It is this losing culture that Kings General Manager Vlade Divac has clearly set out to transform.

Since his hiring in 2015, Divac has largely operated smartly in free agency and all but one of his draft picks have come from outside a top five college. The idea is simple. By drafting from major college programs like Duke, Kentucky and Kansas, there is a hope that these rookies will bring with them that professionalism and winning attitude, expelling the current one in the process.

As you would expect from a team that managed 27 wins last year, there are many holes in this roster. The most notable is on the wing. Having two-way perimeter players is essential in today’s NBA and the Kings do not have one on the entire roster. Bogdan Bogdanović will likely start at that spot with Nemanja Bjelica backing him up. This causes more than a few problems. Bogdanović and Bjelica shot well from three last season, 39% and 42%, respectively. Both are reasonably good playmakers and ball handlers, allowing them to conceivably work playing at the small forward position on the offensive end of the floor. However, Bogdanović is undersized at 6 foot 6 inches for a wing and Bjelica is not agile or athletic enough to cover the younger and more explosive players away from the basket.

Moving Bjelica also effects Sacramento’s chances of floor spacing. Players like Willie Cauley-Stein and Skal Labissière looked at their best playing at center in small-ball lineups. De’Aaron Fox improved his shooting from beyond the arc but

he is a played who likes to drive to the rim. Yet, the lane was often crowded last season, and the Kings have done nothing to address that. Bjelica moving to the three spot means there will be more minutes for Marvin Bagley III and Harry Giles, neither of which particularly like to shoot from the outside.

As you would expect from a team that managed 27 wins last year, there are many holes in this roster.

The NBA Summer League provided Sacramento and Head Coach Dave Joerger with areas of optimism, firstly involving Justin Jackson. The 2017 15th overall pick failed to flatter in his first season in the league, however, his displays this summer hinted at signs of progression. Jackson averaged 19 points per game and was able to provide instant offense. There were times last season when Buddy Hield was dropped to the second unit to provide scoring but the emergence of Jackson could allow Hield to play more with the starting line up. This would undoubtedly help Sacramento to provide some balanced scoring.

The second, and by far the brightest, point from Summer League was Harry Giles. The athletic forward was once the ESPN’s highest ranked freshman in 2016. The early anticipation was that Giles would leave Duke as the number one overall pick but injuries blighted his chances. He only managed a total of 300 minutes for the Blue Devils in college, an average of 2.7 minutes per game. Despite this he was still selected with the 20th pick in the 2017 draft. Predictably, injuries kept him out for the entirety of his first season.

However, Summer League lay the foundation for some very solid outings. He appeared busy

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SACRAMENTO KINGS - TEAM PREVIEW

on both ends of the floor, with a good offensive touch. Regardless of injuries, he appeared agile with good bounce and little signs of rust.

Sacramento is high on him and you could even argue his rookie season is more highly anticipated than Bagley’s. You heard it here first, an injury-free season could see Giles in with a shot for Rookie of the Season.

The starting backcourt of Fox and Hield should, at the very least, provide entertainment. Fox displayed the characteristics of a very good NBA point guard. He has a strong NBA motor and is dogged and tough on both ends of the floor. He has always possessed the quickness and ability to get to the basket but this resulted in defenders stepping off him placing more onus on his jump shot. This was a question of Fox entering the league and he proved he was worth his high draft selection. Where many players regress, Fox made a major leap in his three-point percentage from college to the NBA. He witnessed a remarkable increase from 24.6% to 30.7%, which equally impressed alongside his improved percentage in his catch-and-shoot numbers which went from 20% to 29.5%. A further increase would only exemplify and complement the other areas of his game.

With all his attributes, Fox could easily become a top 10 point guard in the league. Pair this with Hield’s deadly accuracy from deep and natural scoring ability and you could have a great young backcourt. Hield has made the second-most three-point attempts ever after his first two seasons (324), more than Klay Thompson (322) and Steph Curry (317), and only behind Damian Lillard (403).

The Kings enter the season with approximately $11 million in cap space. This and an additional $45 million in expiring contracts make them ideal trade partners before the NBA February trade deadline. This was reflected when they traded

Gary Temple away for two non-guaranteed contracts in Ben McLemore and Deyonta Davis.

This will also likely be reflected when the team waive some of these contracts to trim the roster down to 14 players, allowing them to leave one roster spot available. It leaves the high probability this team looks very different before the end of the season.

It is easy to underestimate the importance of this season. It seems like everyone within the Kings organization has their eyes set on next summer when they have in excess of $60 million available.

It is easy to underestimate the importance of this season. It seems like everyone within the Kings organization has their eyes set on next summer when they have in excess of $60 million available.

Their ability to attract free agents like George Hill, Zach Randolph and Vince Carter recently will encourage them that free agents will take them seriously. However, one thing could greatly advantage them, proof their young stars could provide a good supporting cast. The young roster needs to make strides this season in an attempt to give this rudderless franchise a direction.

Failure to do so may result in them beginning to rebuild… again.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

Yes… as long as there isn’t anyone else playing. It is a young roster with potential stars who will play hard every night, however, there are many more talented teams who will play more entertaining basketball.

Who’s the best player?

De’Aaron Fox holds the key to this team. His outside shooting showed the marked improvement it needed if he was going to be a good NBA player. A similar stride forward again alongside his driving ability and dogged defense will make Fox a top ten player in his position.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

It, of course, has to be the forward and highly anticipated first round draft pick from Duke… Harry Giles. If he can avoid injuries expect Giles to post some great numbers this season. page

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@SACRAMENTOKINGS OPENING NIGHT

KINGS VS JAZZ 03:00 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

KINGS @ SUNS 02:00 DECEMBER 5

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Jamel Artis G-F

Marvin Bagley III F

Nemanja Bjelica F

Bogdan Bogdanovic G

Willie Cauley-Stein F-C

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

5.1

2.5

1.2

R

R

R

6.8

4.1

1.3

11.8

2.9

3.3

12.8

7.0

2.4

Deyonta Davis C-F

Yogi Ferrell G

De’Aaron Fox G

Wenyen Gabriel F

Harry Giles F-C

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

5.8

4.0

0.6

10.2

3.0

2.5

11.6

2.8

4.4

R

R

R

R

R

R

Buddy Hield G

Justin Jackson G-F

Kosta Koufos C

Skal Labissiere F

Kalin Lucas G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

13.5

3.8

1.9

6.7

2.8

1.1

6.7

6.6

1.2

8.7

4.8

1.2

0.0

0.0

0.0

Frank Mason II G

Ben McLemore G

Zach Randolph F-C

Cameron Reynolds G

Iman Shumpert G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

7.9

2.5

2.8

7.5

2.5

0.9

14.5

6.7

2.2

R

R

R

4.4

2.9

1.2

120

PHOENIX SUNS

by Ross Macleod

The Phoenix Suns struggles of recent years might start to come to a close this season with a young roster packed full of talent, but can a new coach pull them together to create wins?

Phoenix, Arizona Talking Stick Resort Arena

2

More recently, the Suns have been rebuilding.

General Manager: Head Coach:

They went to the NBA Finals in 1976 and 1993, losing both.

During the 2000s the Suns revolutionized the NBA, behind their two-time MVP, Steve Nash. This era became known as the “seven seconds or less” era.

0

Owner:

The Phoenix Suns were one of two expansion franchises to join the NBA in 1968. They were the first professional sports team in the entire state of Arizona, and remained the only one for the better part of 20 years.

Robert Sarver Ryan McDonough

Igor Kokoškov

Highest Paid:

Ryan Anderson ($20,421,546)

Best Addition:

Trevor Ariza

Biggest Loss:

Nobody

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Shaquille Harrison

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Devin Booker

Trevor Ariza

Ryan Anderson

Deandre Ayton

(Created by Bill Streicher) NBC Sports Philadelphia / Double Clutch illustration

The 2017-18 NBA season saw the Phoenix Suns celebrate their 50th year as a league franchise, and typical of the team over the past eight seasons, there wasn’t a whole lot of celebrating on the court. Only three games in, Head Coach Earl Watson was fired from his role and Jay Triano installed for the rest of the season. What had been billed as the season of ‘The Timeline’, a reference to the budding young core of talent, turned into a disaster and saw Phoenix win only 21 games.

The same night as Watson’s departure was announce, starting point guard Eric Bledsoe quickly sealed his exit in what must be the first player trade request via Twitter, when he stated “I don’t wanna be here”, which inspired many amusing memes during the season. And who could blame him. The dysfunction was clear to see and a lack of front office leadership and direction was exposed once again.

The younger players struggled in stay engaged during the season, and veterans like Tyson Chandler and Jared Dudley saw their playing times reduced. Dudley in particular racked up numerous Did Not Plays (DNPs) and played in only 48 games despite being healthy.

Rookie Josh Jackson took a number of months to adjust to the NBA after being drafted as the fifth overall pick in the draft. He was projected to be the defensive wing the Suns had lacked and whilst finding the opening months tough, he developed into one of the better rookies after January and finished the season strongly. The same could not be said for Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender. Both players looked well short of confidence and regressed from their rookie seasons.

One player did show up and provide the fans with some bright sparks: Devin Booker. He improved his numbers in almost every statistical category, and took home the three point contest trophy at All Star Weekend, setting a new record in the

competition beating out Klay Thompson. His points per game, assists and rebounds were close to 25, 5 and 5 and together with increased efficiency showed that the 21-year-old shooting guard is primed for the next phase in his young career.

Once the season was over (many said this could have been in October) the Suns finally saw the ping pong balls bounce their way, winning the Draft Lottery. The excitement of picking first had fans buzzing for the future with the hope of adding a potential superstar to add to the likes of Jackson and Booker. The summer saw countless debates on who would be the best pick for Phoenix. The Suns stated after their workouts with Ayton that he blew them away with his unbelievable agility and skills for a big man. Luka Dončić however, did not do any workouts for a single NBA team as he was still competing with Real Madrid in Europe.

The quietest addition to the team was the appointment of Igor Kokoskov as the new Head Coach. Igor previously worked as an assistant to Alvin Gentry in Phoenix and more recently with Quin Snyder in Utah, where he oversaw the development of Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert. He notably took the unfancied Slovenian national team to European championship glory where he also coached Dončić. His offensive system is primarily based on a motion offense, similar to San Antonio over the past few seasons.

Many of the Suns issues with younger players have been systematic of poor coaching and development, which is an issue Igor is expected to rectify. Many fancied his input into the Suns draft selection believing Dončić would be the natural selection due to his recent relationship with the player.

The Suns front office were enamoured with Ayton and selected the Bahamian with the number one pick. They also made a surprise trade with the 76ers to acquire 3-and-D wing Mikal Bridges 122

PHOENIX SUNS - TEAM PREVIEW

with the tenth pick in return for Zhaire Smith and an unprotected 2021 first round pick from Miami.

French point guard Elie Okobo was taken with their second round pick at number 31.

Devin Booker inked a new five year, $158 million contract extension in the summer that cemented his position as the Suns franchise player going forward. The star proclaimed that it was an easy decision, and is determined to lead Phoenix back to past relevance and championship contention.

To ease the load on Booker, Trevor Ariza signed a one year deal worth $15 million deal to provide and experienced player who can still contribute at a high level while giving a veteran presence to mentor Jackson and Bridges in that frontcourt wing position.

Knight and Chriss were traded to Houston in exchange for sharpshooter Ryan Anderson and rookie point guard De’Anthony Melton. Both players slot in well on the floor, with Anderson providing spacing for Ayton and Holmes to work down low, and Melton giving a defensive tenacity to compeiment the offensive capabilities of Booker.

Richaun Holmes was acquired in a deal for cash consideration, bolstering the athletic center position for Phoenix. Dudley was shipped out to Brooklyn with a 2021 second round pick to the Nets for Darrell Arthur, who may not even be seen in a Suns uniform and be released. Fan favourite and Phoenix native Alan Williams along with Alex Len were both released in the summer, freeing up cap room.

Looking at the season ahead, the roster is certainly stronger in the front-court than in recent campaigns. TJ Warren quietly puts up nearly 20 points per game and adds a scoring punch from his unorthodox style of play. Bridges and Anderson are serious three-point threats to opposing teams, leaving more space for Ayton and Booker to operate as the primary offensive

threats. Bender has to show far more this season and should be pushed by Kokoskov to be aggressive on both ends of the floor consistently.

Too often he appears to be a giraffe on roller skates, not knowing where he should be on the floor and passing up drives to the basket for poor, passive shots.

The back-court is less clear for Phoenix. Booker has the shooting guard slot nailed down, and, as the team’s primary weapon, will play the majority of minutes every game there. However, the lack of an NBA-ready point guard is where the early season struggles may arise. Shaquille Harrison will likely be the starter on opening night, backed up

by Melton and Elie Okobo. This position is up for grabs, and subject to ongoing trade rumours as we head into the season, but don’t be surprised to see Booker playing point occasionally. His playmaking is underrated and would be similar to the way Houston have used James Harden.

Booker has the shooting guard slot nailed down, and, as the team’s primary weapon, will play the majority of minutes every game there.

If all goes well for Phoenix, with the new coach in place and Ayton, Jackson and Booker becoming a triple threat, their best case is around the 30 wins mark for the season. Simply, they cannot afford to waste their window of opportunity to establish themselves as the league’s next best young team while giving the city of Phoenix a chance to shine again.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

In Booker, Ayton and Jackson they have the shooting, raw talent and athleticism for plenty of highlight reels during the course of the season. But there could be prolonged losing streaks.

Who’s the best player?

Even though Devin Booker is the focal point for every team’s best defender, he still has the ability to put up huge scoring numbers. Only Kevin Durant and Lebron James have scored more points at this age.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Deandre Ayton has already twitter-beefed with Joel Embiid, and become popular with NBA fans due to his big personality. His on-court skills along with the constant media focus of being the number one pick should make him the one to watch on and off the court. page

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@SUNS OPENING NIGHT

SUNS VS MAVERICKS 03.:30 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

SUNS VS LAKERS 03:00 NOVEMBER 25

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Ryan Anderson F

Trevor Ariza F

Darrell Arthur F

Deandre Ayton F-C

Dragan Bender F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

9.3

5.0

0.9

11.7

4.4

1.6

2.8

0.8

0.5

R

R

R

12

10.2

5.6

Devin Booker G

Mikal Bridges G

Isaiah Canaan G

Tyson Chandler C

Troy Daniels G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

24.9

4.5

4.7

R

R

R

8.6

2.3

3.8

6.5

9.1

1.2

8.9

1.6

0.6

Shaquille Harrison G

Richaun Holmes F-C

Josh Jackson F-G

George King G-F

De’Anthony Melton G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

6.6

2.7

2.4

6.5

4.4

1.3

13.1

4.6

1.5

R

R

R

R

R

R

Élie Okobo G

Davon Reed G

T.J. Warren F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

3.0

1.9

0.6

19.6

5.1

1.3

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NORTHWEST DIVISION The NBA’s Northwest Division formed ahead of the 2004-2005 season is home to the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz.

The Thunder franchise has won the most division titles, with six (three of those though, in 1978, 1979 and 1996, was as the Seattle SuperSonics), while the Jazz and Nuggets have won three and the Trail Blazers with two.

To date, the Timberwolves have never won a Northwest division title and recent seasons (2012-present) have seen the Thunder, Blazers and Jazz all fight for dominance, with no one team coming out regularly on top.

Last year, four out of the five Northwest Division teams made the Playoffs. This year, we wouldn’t be surprised to see all five of these teams in the Playoffs (pending Jimmy Butler trade). The Northwest Division is a powerhouse and probably the most competitive in the NBA.

Location

Arena

Championships

Conference Championships

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS 2017-18

49

2019

38

33 44

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER 2017-18

48

2019

34

44

38

UTAH JAZZ 2017-18

48

2019

34

43

39

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES 2017-18 2019

47 38

35 44

DENVER NUGGETS 2017-18 2019

46 38

36 4

2019 = This is a predicted win/loss total for the 2019 season, based upon an average provided by our contributors’ individual predictions.

126

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

by Karl Moon

The Portland Trailblazers have returned much of the same team from their successful run toward the playoffs last season, but can they improve on a first round exit?

A darling of the NBA thanks to a successful heritage that includes one championship in 1977 and two more Finals. From the overachieving youngsters that won the title, to the talentladen underachievers on the 1980s, and the All Star ensemble in the 1990s to the ‘Jailblazers’ of the early 2000s.

Portland, Oregon Moda Center

And despite losing Brandon Roy, a player with some of the greatest potential in a generation, a few years ago, the franchise has drafted well and developed players to have achieved the third best record in the West last year.

1 3

Owner:

Paul Allen

Highest Paid:

General Manager:

Neil Olshey

Best Addition:

Head Coach:

Terry Stotts

Biggest Loss:

Damian Lillard ($27,977,689) Seth Curry Ed Davis

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Damian Lillard

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CJ McCollum

Maurice Harkless

Al-Farouq Aminu

Jusuf Nurkic

(Photo by Jesse Johnson) USA TODAY Sports / Double Clutch illustration

It’s fair to say that the Portland Trailblazers surprised many last year by finishing the regular season as the third best team in the Western Conference. That’s the best team that wasn’t the Golden State Warriors or the Houston Rockets.

second round to the Sacramento Kings, who subsequently traded him to Portland. The Blazers will be hoping he shows glimpses of the talent he showcased in 2017.

Of course, it was all for nought when it came to the playoffs and they went crashing out at the first hurdle to an Anthony Davis-inspired New Orleans Pelicans, a side that finished the regular season ranked sixth. The playoffs are a funny business: it’s where teams need to step it up, and that will be the goal for the Trailblazers come April.

One advantage for the Blazers is the lack of major changes in the roster, they’ve kept their best two players in Lillard and McCollum, who continue to be surrounded by a fleet of solid players, allowing them to truly shine.

For the regular season, Portland’s finest will be looking to be the best of the rest once more, something they’re capable of with messers Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in the backcourt.

This elite pairing is one of the strongest in the league, and, like the franchise itself, seem to be going from strength to strength with every season. Whether or not they can get any better is another matter. The West is a murderers row of sensational talent, and outside of the Warriors and the Rockets, it really is too close to call. Portland could finish third, they could finish outside of the playoff positions. The West is just that tough.

One advantage for the Blazers is the lack of major changes in the roster, they’ve kept their best two players in Lillard and McCollum, who continue to be surrounded by a fleet of solid players, allowing them to truly shine. Shabazz Napier and Ed Davis joined the Brooklyn Nets and Pat Connaughton went to the Milwaukee Bucks, but Neil Olshey has recruited very wisely for the new season.

Gary Trent Jr joins after one year in college. A highly regarded high school shooting guard, the 19-year-old was expected to be a first round draft choice but ended up going 37th in the

Another rookie joining the Trailblazers for the upcoming season in Anfernee Simons, another two guard, who was selected 24th overall in the draft. Simons is a rare breed, joining the NBA straight out of high school after being invited to the NBA draft combine. Interestingly, he was named after multiple time All-Star Anfernee ‘Penny’ Hardaway. The Blazers will be hoping that there’s more in common between the two than just their names.

Nik Stauskas has joined after spending last year in Brooklyn, and the 2014 draftee will be hoping to establish himself in Portland having played in Philadelphia and Brooklyn since being drafted eighth overall by Sacramento. Stauskas brings with him a solid three-point shot, shooting over 40% last year, and with a better team around him, expect the Canadian native to capitalise on much improved looks this season.

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PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS - TEAM PREVIEW

Seth Curry, another player who has been around the league in recent years, also brings an outside threat, a career 43% shooter over 118 games.

Whilst not the talent of his megastar older brother Steph, Seth will definitely be able to spread the floor for the Trailblazers, and he’s coming into the season healthy, having played 70 games for the Mavericks in 2017-18, by far the highest tally of his career so far.

Lillard continues to be supported by his partner in crime, CJ McCollum. The shooter has has become the hallmark for consistency in Portland over the last three years, where he has played 241 of a possible 246 regular season games in that time.

McCollum and Lillard have shown over the last three seasons that they mesh incredibly well, working hard for the team while putting up very good numbers.

Of course, there’s no looking past Portland’s genuine superstar Damian Lillard. He is coming off being named in the All-NBA First Team as well as a third All-Star appearance. A true talisman in every sense of the word, fans of Portland know their success lies at the feet of the 6’ 3” point guard.

Jusuf Nurkić freshly inked a new four-year, $48m contract in July and fans will be hoping he can continue the form he showed last season after returning from a fractured leg, which he suffered in March 2017. The 7’0 Bosnian played 79 games last season, averaging a very respectable 14.3 points and 9.0 rebounds over 26.4 minutes, and will continue in the starting five-spot.

Lillard played 73 regular season games, averaging 36.6 minutes per game, with a terrific offensive output, averaging 26.9 points per game alongside 6.6 assists per game. He was the team leader with a 25.2 Performance Efficiency Rating, rating higher than the Houston Rockets Chris Paul – who is so often the yardstick for quality – while playing 15 more games. Perhaps even more impressive is that this is something Lillard has improved upon in every single season he’s been in the NBA. Now 28, Lillard is perhaps at his peak and will hope to build upon the previous seasons performances yet again, and is perhaps a dark horse for the MVP award in 2018-19.

A true talisman in every sense of the word, fans of Portland know their success lies at the feet of the 6’ 3” point guard.

Evan Turner, Maurice Harkless, Meyers Leonard and Al-Farouq Aminu all bring with them a solid playstyle to work around the likes of Lillard, McCollum and Nurkić. This is a robust side that knows how to grind out wins when needed and has the ability to blow teams away in a hurry if they aren’t focused.

This is an important year for Neil Olshey and the Portland Trailblazers. On one hand, they finished third in the West, progressing to the playoffs with the youngest team in the final 16. On the other they crashed out, swept by the Pelicans in the first round. This could be a stick or twist season.

Do they stick with a talented group of youngsters come the seasons end? Or do they look to make a major moves to reset, and rebuild a franchise that has had more than its share of ups and downs, while it still can?

The question will be, ‘do this team have a real shot at being a championship contender?’

Ultimately, this is a team that just doesn’t look like it’s championship caliber. Rip City will still be strong, but sadly, they’re just not strong enough.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

Lillard and McCollum can light it up in a second and the team around them plays an exciting brand of basketball you can still get exciting about when you’re feeling crap for the next day.

Who’s the best player?

It’s still Dame Time.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Keep an eye on Meyers Leonard. He has not been particularly exciting so far during his career but has spent the off-season training with uber trainer Drew Hanlen and holding his own in summer scrimmages against the likes of Joel Embiid.

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@TRAILBLAZERS OPENING NIGHT

BLAZERS VS LAKERS 03:30 OCTOBER 19 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

BLAZERS @ WARRIORS 03:30 OCTOBER 24

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Al-Farouq Aminu F

Wade Baldwin G

Zach Collins C-F

Seth Curry G

Maurice Harkless F-G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

9.3

7.6

1.2

5.4

1.1

0.7

4.4

3.3

0.8

10.2

2.1

2.2

6.5

2.7

0.9

Jake Layman F

Meyers Leonard C-F

Damian Lillard G

CJ McCollum G

Jusuf Nurkic C

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

1.0

0.5

0.3

3.4

2.1

0.5

26.9

4.5

6.6

21.4

4.0

3.4

14.3

9.0

1.8

Cameron Oliver F

Chinanu Onuaku F-C

Gary Payton II F

Anfernee Simons G

Nik Staukas G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

4.0

4.0

1.0

3.0

1.9

0.9

R

R

R

4.4

1.6

1.0

Caleb Swanigan F

Gary Trent Jr. G

Evan Turner G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

2.3

2.0

0.5

R

R

R

8.2

3.1

2.2

130

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

by Karl Moon

For the Thunder it may be addition through subtraction. With Carmelo Anthony gone, OKC is able to focus on the defensive versatility and faster pace their roster would indicate is their strong point.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Chesapeake Energy Arena 1

The franchise is now recovering from losing one of the biggest ‘what if’ rosters in NBA history - drafting Durant, Westbrook and Harden in successive seasons. The Thunder lost in the Finals to Miami in 2012, before Harden left for Houston and Durant to Golden State.

4

Owner: General Manager: Head Coach:

Formerly the Seattle Supersonics, the franchise controversially moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. Formed in 1967, the Sonics won a championship in 1979 led by Gus Williams, Jack Sikma and Dennis Johnson. The team rose to contention again in the 1990s behind Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, losing in the 1996 Finals to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.

Clay Bennett Sam Presti Billy Donovan

Highest Paid:

Russell Westbrook ($35,654,150)

Best Addition:

Dennis Schroeder

Biggest Loss:

Carmelo.... naaa

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Russell Westbrook

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131

Terrance Ferguson

Paul George

Jerami Grant

Steven Adams

(Photo by Matthew Stockman) Getty Images / Double Clutch illustration

By the time the new season begins on October 16th, it will have been 467 days since 5x All-Star Paul George joined the Thunder roster. A move widely regarded as risky by fans and media alike. A move that saw both Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis go the other way in a trade with the Indiana Pacers, with the former having a breakout year, becoming an All-Star for the first time, but crucially, a move that was seen as a rental for George’s services from the perspective of OKC and nothing more.

It’s the last point that is perhaps the most notable here, because, as good as Paul George is, this was always going to be a short-term move for him. A short-sighted look for immediate success at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, teaming George with the veteran Carmelo Anthony and the previous year’s MVP, Russell Westbrook. It was an exciting proposition after all, three superstars with a combined total of 20 NBA All-Star game appearances between them and a hunger for success. But despite this, it was impossible to shake the interim nature of it all with an over the hill Anthony and an almost certain one year layover in the Sooner State for George.

That was until July 6th 2018. Six days into free agency and George re-signed with the Thunder to a reported four-year, $137 million contract, shocking many, but most importantly, a huge success for Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their gamble paid off and kept one of the best two-way players in the League in Oklahoma for another year.

The first goal will be to better the .585 record of the previous year, surpassing 48 wins and then progressing beyond the first round of the playoffs where they fell disappointingly to the Utah Jazz in 6 games this past season.

Of course Russell Westbrook remains an absolute monster of an attacking point guard. He’s an unstoppable juggernaut, and a player who for two consecutive seasons has averaged a tripledouble, a remarkable feat regardless of thoughts

about stat-padding, and one of the league’s few players capable of shouldering the entire scoring responsibility on his own. He’s a player who continues to get fans around the world off their seats every time he drives into the paint.

On the perimeter, the Thunder have one of the strongest defensive duos in the NBA with Andre Roberson and Paul George, the latter of course also being a superb second scoring option alongside one-man wrecking crew, Westbrook.

The bad news here is the currently unknown time frame for Andre Roberson’s recovery from injury.

The elite defensive guard ruptured his patellar tendon in January, an injury that kept him out for the rest of the season. Whilst Roberson wasn’t expected back in time for the start of the season, it was thought it wouldn’t be much longer than a couple of weeks. The news that he could potentially be out until December is devastating news for a side looking to kick on from last year.

On the perimeter, the Thunder have one of the strongest defensive duos in the NBA with Andre Roberson and Paul George, the latter of course also being a superb second scoring option alongside one-man wrecking crew, Westbrook.

As a minus, Roberson doesn’t offer a scoring presence and opposition teams can overload the paint whilst the 6ft 7in guard is on the court. But it’s Roberson’s next-level defense that really sets him apart. Over 39 games (26.6 mins) the New Mexico native achieved a net rating of +8.2, 132

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER - TEAM PREVIEW

highlighting his importance to the team. Whilst he was off the court, the Thunder achieved a rating of +1. He may not be a superstar like Westbrook or George, but his presence on the court is every bit as important to the Oklahoma outfit. Of course there is also no guarantee that Roberson will be the same player after knee surgery either. Many careers have never been the same after knee surgeries, perhaps none more notable in the modern NBA than Derrick Rose. Whilst Roberson isn’t the same explosive player Rose was, a large part of his defensive game is predicated on speed and strength, and it’s these facets of his game where his value on the court lies. So, the big question is, just who do the Thunder start at Shooting Guard whilst Roberson is out?

Abrines is an obvious suggestion despite being arguably the most polar opposite player in the franchise. He’s not a lockdown defender, but what he doesn’t bring in defensive presence he more than makes up with a 3pt threat. A large part of his game will be dependant on George or Westbrook creating the space for him to hit shots from deep. He was also the best alternative last season whilst Roberson was rested or injured.

Perhaps another alternative is one of the more impressive moves over the summer. Dennis Schröder joined the Thunder from Atlanta as part of a three-team deal. The german put up just shy of 20 points and roughly 6 assists per game last year for the struggling Atlanta Hawks, and will offer great cover for Westbrook when he rests, something which has been a recurring issue for the Thunder in previous seasons. With the 24-year old Schröder on the roster, the Thunder have possibly the best backup point guard in the league. Head coach Billy Donovan has said he wants to play faster this season too, so the possibility of seeing both Westbrook and Schröder in the line up together is a very real proposition, particularly without Roberson. A frightening proposition for many teams and one

that could potentially allow for Westbrook to really shine off the ball as well as on it. Whilst not the 3pt threat of Abrines, Schröder does bring a more diverse range of options to the Shooting Guard spot if required.

A frightening proposition for many teams and one that could potentially allow for Westbrook to really shine off the ball as well as on it.

The reliable Steven Adams will retain the starting Center position. Adams has started all but 10 regular season games in the last 3 seasons. Whilst healthy, Adams will start and the Thunder will hope that continues to be the case throughout the 18/19 season, but he will now be supported by Nerlens Noel. Noel is a player who has had very much the opposite experience over the previous three seasons, starting only 25 of a potential 246 games and will be hoping that the 2018/19 season will be his second breakthrough year. Both Adams and Noel will be supported by rookie Tyler Davis.

The Thunder will be a much more athletic team this season and much quicker in transition without Carmelo Anthony, who joined the Houston Rockets. Fast, strong and aggressive in attack and capable of rebounding well at both ends of the court, they remain a threat any time they’re in the paint. Whilst no longer a poor 3pt team, they will look to improve over recent seasons, a key factor in the modern NBA where poor shot decisions, mostly from Westbrook, have generated almost as much talk as his incredible plays. A big improvement in this area should see the Thunder comfortably move to 50+ regular season wins.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

Yes. In George and Westbrook, they have two of the league’s outstanding talents.

Who’s the best player?

Former MVP and triple double machine Russell Westbrook. He is a truly unique talent, even among the best players in the world.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Dennis Schroder has the chance to replicate Westbrook’s role when he takes the bench, and also play alongside him. The knock on him has always been efficiency, and now he has the opportunity to get easier looks in a supporting role.

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@OKCTHUNDER OPENING NIGHT

THUNDER VS WARRIORS 03:30 OCTOBER 17 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

THUNDER VS JAZZ 01:00 DECEMBER 11

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Alex Abrines G-F

Steven Adams C

Deonte Burton G

Tyler Davis C

Hamidou Diallo G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

4.7

1.5

0.4

13.9

9.0

1.2

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

R

Raymond Felton G

Terrance Ferguson G-F

Paul George F

Jerami Grant F

Donte Grantham F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

6.9

1.9

2.5

3.1

0.8

0.3

21.9

5.7

3.3

8.4

3.9

0.7

R

R

R

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot F

Abdel Nader F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

5.8

1.4

1.0

3.0

1.5

0.5

4.4

5.6

0.7

3.9

2.4

0.7

5.0

4.7

1.2

Dennis Schroder G

Nerlens Noel C-F

Patrick Patterson F

Andre Roberson G-F

Russell Westbrook G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

19.4

3.1

6.2

25.4

10.1

10.3

134

UTAH JAZZ

by Mike Miller

Behind Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, the Jazz are a stingy defense, feeding an electrifying scorer. Their challenge; proving that last year wasn’t a fluke and that this team are for real.

Salt Lake City, Utah Vivint Smart Home Arena 1 3

Owner:

Jazz Basketball Investors, Inc.

General Manager: Head Coach:

Utah’s basketball team got its Jazz nickname from the franchise’s early years based in New Orleans. The team moved to Salt Lake City in 1979, just five years after their league debut, but didn’t achieve much until drafting John Stockton in 1985 and Karl Malone the following season. In 1988, Jerry Sloan stepped into the Head Coach role and began Nearly two decades of brilliance but no title. After Stockton retired and Malone moved on, the pairing was remade with Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, but the point guard argued with the coach and both ended up leaving. Now, behind rookie sensation Donovan Mitchell, the Jazz look to compete once again.

Dennis Lindsey Quin Snyder

Highest Paid:

Rudy Gobert ($23,241,573)

Best Addition:

Grayson Allen

Biggest Loss:

Jonas Jerebko

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Ricky Rubio

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Donovan Mitchell

Joe Ingles

Jae Crowder

Rudy Gobert

(Photo by Chris Pizzello) Chicago Sun-Times / Double Clutch illustration

The Utah Jazz were something of a Cinderella story last season. Having lost their franchise centrepiece in free agency, the team looked set to slump down the ever-increasingly competitive Western Conference. Unbelievably, they dropped just three games on the 2017-2018 season, thanks to their defensive stalwart and an unheralded rookie who set the league alight.

Defense is the root note of the Jazz’s chord: it starts in the key, a major key if you will, with Rudy Gobert. Despite playing only 56 games last season, Gobert claimed his first Defensive Player of the Year award. Leading the league in Defensive Win Shares (DWS) of 0.068, and the 26-year-old was responsible for 61.7% of the Jazz’s 9th rated 5.1 blocks per game.

With him on the floor, they Jazz piled up a 37-19 record, a .661 win rate and good enough to be clear as the third seed in the West. In his absence, Utah were only able to muster 11 wins, with 15 losses, a win rate of .423 and the equivalent of the eleventh seed. Gobert’s value cannot be understated here, but the Jazz’s reliance on his health is worrying. Only once in his five seasons has the 7’1”, 245lbs center been available for all 82 games. He logged 81 in another, but he’s never bettered 61 in his other three campaigns. If The French Rejection can stay healthy this season the Jazz has a solid shot at topping Northwest division.

But this is no solo act. It takes more than one man to create the second-best defense in the league (and the best in the West – read into that what you will). Fortunately the Jazz have an abundance of defensive talent to protect their rim. The backcourt is made up of two top10 players for DWS amongst guards: Donovan Mitchell (fourth) and Ricky Rubio (tenth). Whilst, without doubt, their DWS ratings have been boosted by the presence of Gobert, both are far from pushovers when it comes to playing defense.

As a rook, Mitchell, showed his chops matching up with (then reigning) MVP Russell Westbrook in the first round of the playoffs. Showing a poise, awareness and defensive guile way beyond his years and experience should have allowed for.

With a year of the NBA and a summer of 5am(!) workouts under his belt, expect him to be have made measurable improvements this year as he transitions into the leader of this team (we’ll get to his offense shortly).

Rubio led the team in steals (1.6) and ranked third in rebounds (4.6), and considering he’s only 6’4”, that’s pretty impressive. Constantly criticised for his scoring limitations, the Spaniard averaged a career high in points, field goal percentage and three point percentage… in career low in minutes.

The only drawback, is that the man famed for his passing abilities saw a significant drop off and career low in assists.

Rounding out the starting line-up are the oftoverlooked duo of Derrick Favors and Jinglin’ Joe Ingles. Favors’ value has been called into question in recent years, but his team friendly contract and an apparent evolution of his game last season, as he appears to have extended his range, make him valuable asset to the team on the court and as a potential trade chip.

Ingles is also frequently underrated (unless like me, you possibly overrate him). Slow Mo Joe is an excellent utility role player and averaged a career high 11.5 points, splashing threes at a 44% clip, dropping 4.8 dimes, snaring 4.4 boards alongside 1.1 steals. Entering year two of a four-year front loaded contract, at $13 million, Jingles is a steal.

Not bad for a player who’s NBA chance came aged 27 with the Clippers and almost ended before began.

One of the key things for Utah this season has been the retention of the bulk of their roster.

Losing Jonas Jerebko as well as Jazz legend John Stockton’s son, David, and replacing them

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UTAH JAZZ - TEAM PREVIEW

with incoming rookies Trey Lewis and Grayson Allen are the only roster moves the Jazz have made. Lewis was signed after impressing the Jazz front office in Summer League after pro stints in France and Germany. Allen, at 22, is a relatively old draftee and his shooting can help spread the floor on offense. Fingers are crossed that the Jazz’s already excellent D can hide Allen’s shortcomings on this end of the floor.

With the rest of the roster remaining the same, Utah have a plethora of players who can help bolster this defense further. Jae Crowder, who arrived in a mid-season trade with Cleveland looked much more comfortable in the Vivint Smart Home Arena than he did in the Quicken Loans Arena. Expect Crowder to switch into the starting line-up for Favors when the Jazz want to start games small. Thabo Sefolosha is returning from his season ending MCL avulsion and has impressed in open sessions at the Jazz’s practice facility. Despite being 34, he’s still a solid defender and the ability to switch Sefolosha and Crowder into the line-up for a full season should give several teams absolute fits.

There’s an old coaching adage that opines “offense wins games, defense wins championships”. If that were true, this Jazz team would be a shoo-in for the Finals. It’s one thing to stop a team, but it doesn’t mean much if you can’t put the ball in the bucket yourself.

Something the Jazz, who rank 19th in points per game and 16th in offensive rating, struggled with at times last season. Cue Donovan Mitchell. The 6’3” shooting guard, taken with the 13th pick of the 2017 draft. He entered the league with little to no expectations on his shoulders. It took 12 games for Mitchell to establish himself as a starter and his season skyrocketed from there. Two 40-point games, and a whole bunch of other scoring outbursts had at least 10 teams (Boston and Philly are excused) quickly questioning their draft day decisions.

There’s an old coaching adage that opines “offense wins games, defense wins championships”. If that were true, this Jazz team would be a shoo-in for the Finals.

Mitchell’s rise quickly developed a fan-following calling for him to be anointed Rookie of the Year.

And though he couldn’t pry the honour from Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons’ hands, it created a buzz around the Jazz that hadn’t been seen in a long time. In the playoffs, a time when bigger names have wilted under the bright lights, Mitchell pushed his scoring up another notch, to 24.4 per game. Upsetting the Thunder in six games, Mitchell gave established NBA superstars a glimpse of their own mortality, and Utah hope at what the future might hold.

Patrolling the sidelines for his fifth season will be Head Coach Quin Snyder, the fiery former Duke point guard is another of Utah’s underrated assets. Capable of inspiring a locker room and a master at maximising the options available to him, he’s really one of the best coaches in the league at the moment. Deservedly a Coach of the Year nominee last season, Snyder also received votes for best Head Coach in the NBA in the annual GM survey ahead of this campaign.

Utah has all the tools to secure home-court advantage, and get at least one series victory to their name. There is no reason why this team can’t improve on their 25th ranked pace, with minimal impact on their defensive presence. This team is good, very good, so good in fact that finally, the Jazz should be able to escape their hipster appealing, perennially-underrated moniker and be recognised as a Western Conference power.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

They don’t play the uptempo flashy style that attracts casual fans, which is perhaps why they’ve exclusively been the hipster’s choice in recent years.

Donovan Mitchell is helping to change that, so get on the bandwagon now.

Who’s the best player?

Is it Mitchell or Rudy Gobert? For viewing pleasure alone it’s Mitchell. It’ll be interesting to see how the youngster handles defensive game plans designed to stop him.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

Ricky Rubio. This is a big year for the (almost 28-year-old) Spaniard with Free Agency looming next summer. This will be his eighth season and what should be the prime of his career, but Rubio has never really achieved anything near his expected potential. page

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@UTAHJAZZ OPENING NIGHT

JAZZ @ KINGS 03:00 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

JAZZ VS WARRIORS 02:00 DECEMBER 20

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Grayson Allen G

Tony Bradley F-C

Alec Burks G

Tyler Cavanaugh F

Isaiah Cousins F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

0.9

1.2

0.1

7.7

3.0

1.0

4.7

3.3

0.7

R

R

R

Jae Crowder F

Dante Exum G

Derrick Favors F-C

Rudy Gobert C

Isaac Haas C

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

9.7

3.4

1.2

8.1

1.9

3.1

12.3

7.2

1.3

13.5

10.7

1.4

R

R

R

Joe Ingles F-G

Jairus Lyles G

Donovan Mitchell G

Naz Mitrou-Long G

Raul Neto G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

11.5

4.2

4.8

R

R

R

20.5

3.7

3.7

3.0

0.0

0.0

4.5

1.2

1.8

Georges Niang F

Royce O’Neale F

Ricky Rubio G

Thabo Sefolosha G-F

Ekpe Udoh C-F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

1.0

1.0

0.3

5.0

3.4

1.4

13.1

4.6

5.3

8.2

4.2

0.9

2.6

2.4

0.8

138

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

by Sean Guest

Last year’s impressive campaign that saw playoff basketball return to Minnesota may have been marred by this offseason’s Jimmy Butler fiasco, but do the wolves have enough to repeat the feat?

Minneapolis, Minnesota Target Center 0 0

Owner:

Glen Taylor

General Manager: Head Coach:

Founded as an expansion team in 1989, the Timberwolves struggled until they drafted charismatic superstar-in-themaking Kevin Garnett in 1995. Behind him, the team made eight-straight playoff appearances between 1997 and 2004, when they went all the way to the Western Conference Finals.

The team then suffered a dramatic playoff drought, during which they traded Garnett to Boston in 2007, before finally appearing in the postseason once again this year, thanks to the combined efforts of Jimmy Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.

Scott Layden Tom Thibodeau

Highest Paid:

Andrew Wiggins ($25,467,250)

Best Addition:

James Nunnally

Biggest Loss:

Nemanja Bjelica

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Jeff Teague

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139

Derrick Rose

Andrew Wiggins

Taj Gibson

Karl-Anthony Towns

(Photo by Kyusung Gong) Pioneer Press / Double Clutch illustration

Whatever happens with Jimmy Butler, the Minnesota Timberwolves are in a state heading into the new season. It’s never good for a club to be at odds with its star player (just ask the San Antonio Spurs), but going through an ugly divorce when you’re trying to prepare for a new campaign must be hell.

Arguably it’s shown in preseason, as the Timberwolves currently bear little resemblance to the team that recorded a 47-35 record last season. With Butler, they succeeded in ending the league’s longest playoff drought, giving the fair city of Minnesota postseason basketball for the first time since 2004-05. But now uncertainty reigns once again.

And to think, this time last year, things were looking positively rosy. The draft night deal that saw them send Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the No. 7 overall pick - which became Arizona big man Lauri Markkanen - to Chicago in exchange for Butler was viewed as a huge win for the Wolves, by just about everyone. Adding him to a young core featuring Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins put Minnesota back on the map - somewhere it hadn’t really been since Kevin Garnett rocked one of the NBA’s coolest jerseys back in the 90s.

Things weren’t perfect - many criticised coach Tom Thibodeau’s schemes on both ends of the the floor, as well as his tendency to ride the hell out his star players night in night out - but, along with steady point guard Geoff Teague and some solid role players, the Timberwolves ‘big three’ battled their way to the eighth seed. Their reward was a first round series against the team with the best record in the NBA, the Houston Rockets.

As expected, James Harden and company tore through their upstart opponents, but the Wolves managed to snag a game in the process - evidence of better things to come, or so it seemed at the time.

Over the offseason Butler allegedly became sick of Towns’ attitude and reported a general dissatisfaction with a team that he feels fails to deliver the same level of effort on both ends of the floor that has enabled him to establish a reputation in the league. Last season, that tenacity ensured Butler averaged 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.0 steals in 36.7 minutes per game over 59 appearances - enough, presumably, to convince him that he deserves to be top dog.This is a status he’s unlikely to achieve whilst playing alongside a talent like Towns, which is perhaps why he’s on the outs in Minnesota. And besides, by entering free agency Butler would be in a position to snare a five-year, $188 million max contract from the team that retains the right to offer him a Designated Player mega-max, or a four-year, $139 million offer from one that doesn’t - quite a bit more than the $110 million, four-year deal the Wolves reportedly offered.

Over the offseason Butler allegedly became sick of Towns’ attitude and reported a general dissatisfaction with a team that he feels fails to deliver the same level of effort on both ends of the floor that has enabled him to establish a reputation in the league.

If successive reports are to be believed, Butler has met with coach Thibs on multiple occasions this summer, reiterating his desire to leave each time out. Where he’ll land, nobody knows. Although his

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MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES - TEAM PREVIEW

preferred destinations include Miami, Brooklyn, L.A., New York and Houston. Of those teams, only the Heat have engaged in serious talks, but neither party succeeded in reaching an agreement. While it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him land in one of these incredibly desirable NBA markets, it would certainly be a lot of fun if an outsider, like, say, the Philadelphia 76ers were to join the running.

Wherever Butler ends up, the Timberwolves should start preparing for a tough season ahead.

As without him, they don’t actually have a great deal beyond Towns. They do, of course, have Wiggins, but the jury’s still out on whether or not he’s a legitimate star. Last season he averaged 17.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2 assists per game, shortly after signing a five-year, $147.7 million contract worthy of a former number one overall pick. It set a new precedent in the NBA, as Devin Booker’s people allegedly used it to negotiate the guard’s five-year, $158 million extension a year later.

They do, of course, have Wiggins, but the jury’s still out on whether or not he’s a legitimate star. Last season he averaged 17.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2 assists per game, shortly after signing a five-year, $147.7 million contract worthy of a former number one overall pick.

If Butler were to leave, Wiggins would have to shoulder a far greater burden than he has done to date and no one really knows if he’s capable of

doing that. His contribution is, after all, tough to gauge. Last year, for instance, he set a careerhigh by accounting for 1.6 Defensive Win Shares, but this was offset by a six-point drop in offensive production, while his three-point shooting percentage languished at 33.1 percent. That may have been due to the presence of Butler, but a guy who’s earning the kind of money Wiggins is has to be capable of more. The coming season may give us all a chance to see whether he is or not.

As for Towns, his offensive production also fell last season, as he recorded 21.3 points per game almost four less than the previous year. That said, he’s a double-double machine, who shoots the three-ball at almost 39 percent (42 percent last season), so what’s not to like? Entering the final year of his rookie contract, he’s already put pen to paper on a deal worth a reported $190 million over five years. He is the present and the future of the franchise and, ultimately, if Jimmy Butler doesn’t want to play with him, he’s probably better off going elsewhere.

Unfortunately for Towns, he’s lumbered with Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson for another year, while Jeff Teague will serve the same term and even has a $19 million player option for 2019-20.

And that’s not even the biggest problem, as Tom Thibodeau’s questionable decision making and penchant for former players knows no bounds.

Still, by 2020, the franchise may be in a position to surround Towns with consistently productive players that he actually wants to play with.

Until then though, they’ll just have to get by with what they’ve got. That means they’ll be relying on production from a lot of role players and whatever they’re able to salvage from the increasingly inevitable trade of Butler - probably not enough to snare a playoff spot in the West. If he were to stay though, things will be a lot more interesting, particularly if he’s willing to put this fiasco behind him for the sake of the season.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

If Butler stays, this team could be all kinds of entertaining. Whether they’re stay-up-to watch-them-at-3am entertaining depends largely on the severity of the reported rift between him and Towns though.

Who’s the best player?

Even if Butler stays, Towns is the alpha dog on this team. He can do it all on offense and, who knows, maybe this is the year he finally gets his act together on defense. If Butler is traded, expect him to take his game to the next level.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

If Butler sticks around, don’t take your eyes off him - he’s an accident waiting to happen. If not, keep an eye on Andrew Wiggins. The guy’s a bundle of potential who’s yet to live up to the hype. But now’s the time to start delivering on that big fat contract, perhaps. page

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@TIMBERWOLVES OPENING NIGHT

TIMBERWOLVES @ SPURS 01:30 OCTOBER 18 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

TIMBERWOLVES VS BULLS 01:00 NOVEMBER 25

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

Keita Bates-Diop F

Jimmy Butler F-G

Luol Deng F

Gorgui Dieng C

Taj Gibson F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

22.2

5.3

4.9

2.0

0.0

1.0

5.9

4.6

0.9

12.2

7.1

1.2

Darius Johnson-Odom G

Tyus Jones G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

0.0

0.9

0.3

5.1

1.6

2.8

3.4

1.5

0.6

R

R

R

2.0

0.0

0.0

Derrick Rose G

James Nunnally F

Jonathan Stark G

Josh Okogie G

Jeff Teague G

Justin Patton C

Jared Terrell G

Anthony Tolliver F-C

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

8.4

1.4

1.5

R

R

R

14.2

3.0

7.0

R

R

R

8.9

3.1

1.1

Karl-Anthony Towns C-F

Andrew Wiggins F-G

C.J. Williams G

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

21.3

12.3

2.4

17.7

4.4

2.0

5.5

1.5

1.1

142

DENVER NUGGETS

by Josh Coyne

Denver are sitting on a goldmine of young talent, but their fortune this season depends on whether or not they can dig their way out of a loaded Western Conference.

Denver, Colorado Pepsi Center 0 0

Owner: General Manager: Head Coach:

The Denver Nuggets were actually in the inaugural NBA season but folded before the second year began. They returned in 1976 and were one of the higher scoring teams. Being based so high above sea level in the mountainous region of Colorado, the squad gets used to the altitude. It can be a problem for visiting teams who tend to struggle with the thinner air and as a consequence, most Denver teams have had an uptempo style.

Denver hasn’t had championship-level success but has been a fan favourite because of its playing style and personalities like Dikembe Motumbo, Alex English, and more recently Carmelo Anthony.

Ann Walton Kroenke Artūras Karnišovas Michael Malone

Highest Paid:

Paul Millsap ($29,230,769)

Best Addition:

Isaiah Thomas

Biggest Loss:

Nobody

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE

Jamal Murray

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143

Gary Harris

Will Barton

Paul Millsap

Nikola Jokic

(Photo by Garrett Ellwood) NBAE / Getty Images / Double Clutch illustration

Denver missed out on the playoffs by a game on the final day of the 2017-18 season. Measured against the team’s expectations and oftdebated hype, the Nuggets underachieved but simultaneously made progress. They won six more games than they did in the previous campaign, while competing in arguably the toughest division in the NBA. Having made a habit of securing the ninth spot, Michael Malone’s squad will be laserfocused on making a postseason run this season.

The Nuggets were offensively efficient last year, shooting 47% from the field - tenth best overall.

They made the sixth most three pointers per game, finished sixth in scoring and averaged the fifth most assists, which suggests their problems lay elsewhere.

23-year-old is a polarising figure online, where you’ll find a constant debate about his proper rating. But he is the best player on the roster and has a surprisingly silky game, considering his imposing frame.

Denver enjoyed an eventful early offseason, in which it managed to retain key free agents and heighten its ceiling by adding veteran talent.

Taking care of the ball was a problem, they averaged 15 turnovers per game, inadvertently inviting their opponents to control the pace. They also shot free throws at an underwhelming rate of 76.7%. While these are valid issues that need to be addressed, the average age of the Nuggets roster in the 2017-18 season was just 25.8 years old.

Around the same time period, Denver also signed reliable reserve Will Barton to a multiyear extension, keeping the core of the roster intact.

While most Nuggets fans felt as though they had overpaid for the forward, he remains important to Malone’s second unit. This reinforced foundation allowed them to build their team for the remainder of the offseason.

Denver enjoyed an eventful early offseason, in which it managed to retain key free agents and heighten its ceiling by adding veteran talent.

Crucially, the team heads into the season with a clean bill of health, something that they craved last year while 4-time All-Star Paul Millsap sitting on the treatment table.

Shortly after that, the Nuggets welcomed top prospect Michael Porter Jr. through June’s NBA draft. Porter’s development has been tracked for years due to his seemingly boundless upside.

However, luck has not been on his side thanks to recurring back injuries. In his first game for the University of Missouri, the freshman suffered a back injury that required surgery. Still, taking a risk on him with the final pick of the lottery could be considered a low risk, high reward signing.

Although summer had just begun, a cloud loomed over the Nuggets front office for the opening weeks of free agency. Superstar big Nikola Jokic’s contract was the franchise’s first priority and management acted quickly, re-upping the Serbian for another five years. This was a nobrainer, but the length of the contract was the real takeaway from the deal; five more years of Jokic is exciting for the franchise. The skilled

Also on draft night, Denver traded the rights to the 43rd pick and a 2019 second rounder to move up two places and draft Kentucky forward Jarred Vanderbilt. Similarly to Porter Jr., Vanderbilt gained some intense early steam as a versatile, dynamic high-school player. But injuries meant

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that his stock plummeted at Kentucky, giving the selection an equal amount of steal and bust potential.

Polishing off Denver’s 2018 draft haul is UCLA big Thomas Welsh. He is expected by many to have a fairly short NBA career, with his consistent mid-range jumper that helped him prosper in the Pac-12 but an archaic playing style. In a league where speed and spacing is key, Welsh is not exactly what scouts look for in centers. Of course, Welsh and the Nuggets will hope that he can turn doubters into believers during his time in Colorado.

Once they had picked up assets that signified their current direction, the team shed some that had kept them afloat in previous years. Like veteran duo Wilson Chandler and Kenneth Faried, who both said goodbye to the altitude.

Once they had picked up assets that signified their current direction, the team shed some that had kept them afloat in previous years.

To avoid paying a hefty amount of luxury tax, the Nuggets traded Chandler to the Philadelphia 76ers along with a 2021 second round pick.

Chandler was a regular starter for the team but his trade saved the organization $50 million in salary and tax. It’s good for business, but Denver lost a skilled veteran as a result. Faried’s contract has been a contentious issue for fans for a while and the time was right for the front office to offload the formerly explosive glass-eater. The 28-year-old was traded alongside Darrell Arthur, a future second and a protected 2019 pick to

the Brooklyn Nets, where he will likely be afforded another chance to prosper for an NBA team. Both of these moves were executed with ownership’s wishes in mind, but neither affect the direction of the young Nuggets outfit drastically.

The team’s most high-profile acquisition was two-time All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas, who just two years ago embarked on a franchise-leading season in Boston that earned him a realistic space in the MVP discussion. Since then, the ‘little guy’ has been traded, played through a hip injury, experienced surgery, played with LeBron James, left LeBron James, spent a matter of months in Los Angeles and become a free agent. It is highly unlikely that the 2016-17 version of Thomas will ever return, as his game relies heavily on physical excellence that transcends his lack of size. He was considered a max-contract talent in recent history and now finds himself trying to secure a role. That said, if IT can find a way to fit as part of Denver’s second unit, he can easily provide them with a scoring punch and leadership. Say it quietly, but this move could really pay off for Denver and Thomas himself.

With improvement from the guard combination of Gary Harris and Jamal Murray, elite playmaking will be a strength of Denver’s. The duo can work in tandem to cause wing defenders problems.

Should Juan Hernangomez, Malik Beasley and Trey Lyles serve as solid contributors, depth will work to their advantage.

The leadership of a healthy Millsap will be even more crucial for Denver than some will realise heading into the season. The former Atlanta Hawk could compliment Jokic perfectly to create a colossal pairing that elevates them into contention.

It’s playoffs or bust for the Denver Nuggets. Ninth place or below is not an option, as they attempt to mine through the brutal Northwest division.

Should I stay up to watch them at 3am?

Situated in the West, tip-off times are obviously more of an obstacle for British viewers. But if that doesn’t put you off, the Nuggets will be worth a watch.

They could even be a League Pass favourite during the next season with their dynamic young team.

Who’s the best player?

Make no mistake, the team’s centrepiece is big, bad Serbian Nikola Jokic.

Who’s the one to watch this season?

During his time in the NBA, every stint at each team he’s played for has been significantly different: from his time fighting for minutes in Phoenix; his franchise-leading tenure in Boston; and his underwhelming recovery year in Cleveland and L.A. – the Isaiah Thomas experience is a wild ride

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@NUGGETS OPENING NIGHT

NUGGETS @ CLIPPERS 03:30 OCTOBER 19 MUST WATCH MATCH-UP

NUGGETS VS LAKERS 02:00 NOVEMBER 28

ROSTER 2017-18 - points (pts) total rebounds (trb) assists (ast) | Guard (G) - Forward (F) - Center (C) | Rookie (R)

DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell G

Will Barton G

Malik Beasley G

Torrey Craig G-F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

R

R

R

15.7

5.0

4.1

3.2

1.1

0.5

4.2

3.3

0.6

17.5

2.6

2.9

Juan Hernangomez F

Nikola Jokic C-F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

3.3

2.2

0.5

18.5

10.7

6.1

0.0

0.0

0.0

9.9

4.8

1.2

14.6

6.4

2.8

Monte Morris G

Tyler Lydon F

Gary Harris G

Jamal Murray G

Trey Llyes F

Mason Plumlee C-F

Paul Millsap F

Michael Porter Jr. F

Emanuel Terry F

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

3.3

0.7

2.3

16.7

3.7

3.4

7.1

5.4

1.9

R

R

R

R

R

R

Xavier Silas G

Donald Sloan G

Isaiah Thomas G

Jarred Vanderbilt F

Thomas Welsh C

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

PTS

TRB

AST

0.0

1.0

0.0

5.5

2.1

3.0

15.2

2.1

4.8

R

R

R

R

R

R

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