Double Clutch NBA 2016-17 Season Guide

#NBAintheUK

DOUBLE CLUTCH 2016-17 SEASON GUIDE Copyright © 2016 Double Clutch Double Clutch is not affiliated with the NBA and does not claim ownership over any images used. All rights are those of the NBA/NBA UK and respected parties. Guide designed by Matthew Wellington.

IT IS TIME Welcome to the 2016-2017 Double Clutch season guide. Last season, the King continued his reign, bringing a title to Cleveland and washing a city clean of its sporting failures. As always in the NBA however, you have to run just to stand still -- Cleveland’s nearest rivals have all reloaded for another deep playoff push. The Toronto Raptors listened to their fan base and brought back Demar DeRozan, whose partnership with Kyle Lowry will be crucial in getting the Raps to return to the Eastern Finals. The Hawks have added Dwight Howard and will need him to be at his best if the Hawks are to recapture a playoff place. Over in Boston, Celtic Pride has swelled during the summer with the addition of Al Horford. Horford, something of a throwback in the modern smallball era, will bring solid scoring and rebounding to the Celtics whilst being the inside presence required to allow the Celtics’ wing defenders to continue to wreak havoc.

Out west, the Warriors have reloaded, bolstering one of the most effective regular-season teams ever with the addition of the league’s premier free agent, Kevin Durant. Maligned by many over the summer, KD will be aiming to shut the critics up and justify his decision to jump ship from Oklahoma City and join the stars in the Bay Area. Russell Westbrook is left to seethe back in Oklahoma and will be chasing a triple double every night as he tries to push the Thunder back into the playoffs. Over in San Antonio, Gregg Popovich continues to construct a roster and work ethic that will coalesce to produce solid regular season results.

They do, however, enter the season with a new identity, shorn of their talisman Tim Duncan, and now relying on a core of solid veterans led by NBA defensive player of the year Kawhi Leonard. Our season guide will breakdown the progress of all 30 teams -- and we’re sure you’ll agree that this season promises to be fascinating.

The team at Double Clutch has expanded over the summer, but our mission remains the same: To bring you a unique, UK-centred perspective on the NBA.

This season guide will get you acquainted with our team of writers, who bring you an in-depth preview of each team, including a breakdown of the off-season roster changes and an analysis of how the new pieces might fit together. Our ever-growing podcast will also be available to provide you with a weekly fix, detailing the highs and lows of every week in the 2016-2017 season. You can also head over to our website, where our expanded roster of writers will be creating regular, fresh content for our redesigned blog. Bring your comments on our pieces to the blog or hit our team on Twitter. We are also hoping to develop our partnership with Nike to bring readers and listeners some fantastic deals this season.

Once again we’d like to kindly point out that Double Clutch are not responsible for any lack of sleep, alarms missed, or sick days pulled. We hope you enjoy the guide and the season.

gameplan HAIL TO THE KING PAGE 1

THUNDERSTRUCK PAGE 5

SUPER TEAMS and talent

the previews: western conference pages 49 - 78 49 GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 51 SAN ANTONIO SPURS 53 OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER 55 LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS 57 PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS 59 DALLAS MAVERICKS 61 MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES 63 HOUSTON ROCKETS

65 67 69 71 73 75 77

UTAH JAZZ SACRAMENTO KINGS DENVER NUGGETS NEW ORLEANS PELICANS MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES PHOENIX SUNS LOS ANGELES LAKERS

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most valuable player PAGE 13

nba london preview

the previews: eastern conference

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pages 17 - 46 17 cleveland cavaliers 19 toronto raptors 21 MIAMI heat 23 ATLANTA hawks 25 BOSTON celtics 27 CHARLOTTE hornets 29 INDIANA pacers 31 DETROIT pistons

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33 35 37 39 41 43 45

CHICAGO bulls WASHINGTON wizards ORLANDO magic MILWAUKEE bucks NEW YORK knicks BROOKLYN nets PHILADELPHIA 76ers

nba 2k17 - 10 reasons to play regular season w-l predictions PAGE 83

what is #NBAintheUK and who’s involved?

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from now until the end of the playoffs PAGE 88

HAIL TO THE KING

LEBRON JAMES’ CAREER DEFINING MOMENT will never be forgotten

June 19th 2016 - The Cleveland Cavaliers end a 52-year sporting drought and LeBron James is named the unanimous Finals MVP, after leading both teams in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks during the series - a feat that had never before been accomplished in any NBA playoff series. Alex Cole takes a look at Lebron’s defining year.

Eric Risberg - Associated Press

On the 26th of June in 2003, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected LeBron James with the number one overall pick.

JR Smith on the straight and narrow during the season.

The King is a demanding figure who gets the best out of his guys on and off the court.

Just less than 13 years later, as game 7 of the NBA Finals comes to a close, LeBron sinks to his knees, presses his head against the hard wood and cries.

LeBron James has finally led a Cleveland Cavaliers team all the way to an NBA championship.

LeBron himself leaned on veterans like Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye and his past Heat team mate James Jones. Channing Frye came to the ball club in a three way trade during the season which sent old friend Anderson Varejao on his travels, ironically coming face to face with Varejao in the Finals as a Golden State player. Channing Frye could not have been a better pick up for the Cavs, and the result was a perfect fit in Cleveland. Having Frye on the court stretched the floor for the Wine and Golds, gaining everyone on his team a little more room on offense. Opposing teams could not give Frye any time or space whilst he was shooting so magnificently, he hit 1.5 threes a game during the playoffs at an incredible rate of .565% and made the big shots when they really counted. Combined with a long and intelligent presence of defense, Frey ended up changing the way this team could play. LeBron recognised this and praised Frye frequently throughout the season.

After his four year sabbatical in Miami, James has shown remarkable desire to bring a title to Cleveland for the first time, fulfilling a promise made to the city during his first stint there. The citizens were desperate as Cleveland hadn’t seen success since the Browns brought home the last championship in 1964.

The past two years in Ohio have not gone without their trials and tribulations. LeBron showed frustration to start, clashing with head coach David Blatt. LeBron carried the team in the 2015 NBA Finals without injured co-stars Love and Irving, finally giving way to Stephen Curry and his Golden State Warriors. Blatt was eventually fired midway through last season and Tyron Lue stepped up from his role as assistant coach, bringing a nice combination of fresh ideas and trust within the current group of players.

LeBron essentially coasted through the regular season, which is quite scary considering his season stat line averaging of 25.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists with 1.4 steals thrown in. He has regularly admitted to saving himself for the post season; a tactic which clearly worked for him as he stormed along through the Playoffs and one which he will surely be trying to replicate as he heads into the new 2016/17 season aiming for a second ring with Cleveland and his fourth overall.

Not only has the St. Vincent-St. Mary High School alumna focused on rest and recovery over the past season, but also in getting his team mates involved at every given opportunity. Let us not hold any delusions, LeBron was EPIC in the Finals and in getting that Larry O’Brien trophy to Cleveland but he will be the first to admit that he couldn’t have done it without his guys.

James constantly stuck with Kevin Love in times when Love was under scrutiny, he got the best of our Kyrie, was vocal in his support of Tristan Thompson during summer contract negotiations last summer and kept

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As we begin another season, LeBron’s 14th in the league, James faces a new challenge; a new super team (please note correct context Mr Derrick Rose) of Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. This could be beyond anything that has been thrown at King James before but have no doubt that an experienced LeBron will be lowering the drawbridge, pulling down his visor and charging into battle.

Cleveland remain much the similar team this season as they attempt to remain the best, especially after James signed a three year, $100 million deal making him the NBA’s highest paid player for the first time in his career.

Examples of his influence and power upon others were apparent this offseason and the franchise came under severe pressure and forked out additional extra dollars for a few more years of J.R. Smith. They also added wily veteran and sharp shooter Mike Dunleavy, who should work nicely on the floor with LeBron; every quality spot up shooter does.

Fans should also watch out for young rookie Kay Felder who led the NCAA last season in assists per game.

Felder won’t be hugely in the spotlight this season but he will bring a load of energy in his few minutes on the

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floor and LeBron seems to love the fact that he “has a chip on his shoulder and that’s great to have”.

That’s enough talk about his band of brothers, what about the King? We saw possibly the best single player performance in Finals history, in which LeBron led all individuals in the Finals in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals; the first player ever to do so in a playoff series.

If James has a similar season and can defeat this unbelievable Golden State Warriors team, it may even be a bigger achievement than this past season. It is worth noting that another Championship will draw him a single ring behind Michael Jordan. LeBron was recently quoted as saying that his motivation “is this ghost I’m chasing. The ghost played in Chicago.” Will a 2016/17 championship put him in the conversation for the Greatest of All Time? Let us discuss this time next year.

CATCH ALL THE ACTION

THIS SEASON

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THUNDERSTRUCK

RUSSELL WESTBROOK IS ABOUT TO GO TO WAR FOR HIS TEAM AND HIS CITY

For his entire career, Westbrook had been paired with a fellow superstar in Kevin Durant, and together they turned Oklahoma City into a perennial NBA title contender. This season however, everything is set to change, as Westbrook takes center stage on one of the NBA’s most unique small market franchises. Mike Miller, examines the Thunder’s uncertain future.

Mark D. Smith - USA TODAY Sports

For eight years, Russell Westbrook has been in the shadow of a “more talented” team-mate. Forced into the role of side-kick when his personality, demeanour and game demanded so much more. Russ is no Robin.

In the wake of Durant’s departure to the greatest team ever (Who lost a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals....), stories surfaced on the discontent between the two (then) friends. In retrospect, it’s not hard to see why. The two cornerstones of the Thunder’s title hopes were so different.

Durant is congenial, polite (though not always with the media), whereas Westbrook will stare down and intimidate team-mates if they accidentally forget to high five him (that said KD did chew out Dion Waiters on court last year). Both are unique in the game, KD a seven footer (you know he is) with more range than that place “where the deer and the antelope play” and Westbrook with so much speed and bounce that MJ paid him the ultimate compliment by simply saying “thirty years ago, that’s me.

But let’s move on from Durant, just as the Thunder now have to. Can this beast of a point guard steady the Thunder’s ship? We all know that Russ can do just fine on his own. In the 2014-15 season, with Durant out with his dodgy foot, Westbrook went off for 11 triple doubles in the second half of the season. This included four straight TDs where his scoring jumped from 20 to 39 to 40 to 49 throughout. The only issue is, this isn’t an individual sport.

Polarising opinion Russ’ plaudits drew as much criticism as celebration, as the Thunder “struggled” (7-4 across his triple doubles) and missed the playoffs with a 45 – 37 record. Criticism of course is not something new when it comes to Westbrook. His decision making has repeatedly (and not necessarily correctly) been called into question.

Cries for him to defer more and give the ball up in clutch situations were regular narratives on the media circuit, particularly anytime OKC lost. A lot of people listened to the noise, Westbrook was not one of them.

Now, less than two years later, we get to see how far the 27 year old can carry a team for whom he is now the indisputable marquee player. Realistically, what can expect from Russ? Sure, you can guarantee that he will

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hit the ground running - his speed and explosiveness have already been on display throughout the preseason and the Thunders visit to Spain.

But that’s not enough.

You down with M.V.P.?

Sure Westbrook is the bookies favourite to win MVP. He’s also the only guy for some time who has the potential to match Oscar Robertson’s season long tripledouble average (our friends at Basketball Reference are predicting Russ to average 25.6 points, 10 assists and 7.9 rebounds). But the two won’t necessarily go hand in hand.

To claim the MVP crown, which at no point has Russ said he is aiming for, the Thunder will need to make the playoffs at the very least. That in itself will be no easy feat. OKC are clearly not the title challenging behemoth that we witnessed take the Warriors to game seven in last season’s Western Conference Finals. In fact, with the departure of not just KD, but also Serge Ibaka and (to a lesser extent) Dion Waiters, I can see the Thunder struggling to play post April.

Not I’m not saying they’re bad. The additions of Joffrey Lauvergne, Domantas Sabonis, Ersan Ilyasova and Victor Oladipo are all intriguing prospects. And the pairing of Oladipo with Westbrook, likely gives the Thunder the most athletic starting backcourt in the league this season. But this is a roster with some significant limitations.

Game Changer?

Though Westbrook is not afraid to shoot from deep, for the past two seasons he’s only averaged 1.3 threes per game on 4.3 attempts. That puts him 59th in the league.

This in itself has not been a huge issue, because we know he score from inside the line – his 2 point field goal percentage last year was 50.3% – but is he really going to have the same space to manoeuvre this year?

The loss of players who can stretch the D (like KD and Ibaka) hasn’t been replaced sufficiently. Oladipo only averaged 1.4 on 3.9 attempts from three per game and is not known of his range. Ilyasova, who is known for being able to shoot from deep, averaged 1.3 on 3.5 attempts (though I accept that this could increase with more minutes). For comparisons sake, Durant shot 2.6

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on 6.7 attempts on his own. Oh and lets not forget we’re only a summer away from Andre Roberson passing up an open three with the team down in the dying minutes of a playoff game.

Opposing defenses will be focussing in on how to stop Westbrook. That has to be clogging the lanes and stopping dribble penetration. Defenses can afford to sag off without (or if not without, than at least with a significantly reduced) outside threats to keep them spread. Reducing the space that Russ can operate in will not only have an effect his field goal percentage, but also his assist to turnover ratio. So whilst his basic stats should all see healthy increase this year, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the advanced stats we get nowadays take a significant hit. And if the Thunder struggle, which to be frank I think they will, expect some of the historic criticisms of Russ’ game to start bubbling up again.

Cleared for take off That said, you’d be a fool to think that Westbrook will change his game for the sake of public opinion.

Remember, this man has no chill. There are few no other players in the league that possess his combination of power, athleticism and aggression. An undersized, shoot first point guard, with a chip on his shoulder and an iron will to beat you over and over again.

There’s a reason he’s favourite for the MVP. This guy is one of the best ballers of this generation. He has a drive and determination rarely found amongst athletes in any sport. He’s the face of the GOAT’s own brand.

He doesn’t care what market he’s in (a surprising three year $85 million dollar extension quashed and rumours of a bolt to greener pastures). And he doesn’t know when to quit. They say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Well in the NBA, when you come within one game of the Finals and fail, just like in his latest commercial – some run, some make runways.

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SUPER TEAMS and talent wastage we’ve never seen anything like the golden state warriors before

With the dust now settled from the fallout caused by Kevin Durant choosing to join the Golden State Warriors, Nick Whitfield asks the question of how well he’ll actually fit with the existing team and how that compares to what we’ve seen with other ‘Super Teams’.

Ezra Shaw - Getty Images

What even is a ‘Super Team’?

The terminology surrounding the Super Team or a ‘Big Three’ or ‘Big Four’ started to enter the everyday NBA lexicon around the time LeBron James made ‘The Decision’ and moved to Miami. In reality however, stacked rosters have been ever present in the NBA. The Bill Russell-era Celtics won double digit championships from the late 50s into the 60s. The 70s seemed to see better parity in the league, before the Celtics, Lakers and Pistons shared the majority of championships in the 80s, with Philly also picking up one. When you look at those 80s teams, they are all super teams. Magic, Kareem and James Worthy - Bird, McHale and Parish. All could have been faces of a franchise.

Even the second three-peat Bulls team of the 90s took Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen and added Dennis Rodman and Ron Harper, who most people forget was coming off a season in which he averaged 20.1 ppg, 4.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.9 steals (as well as 9 prior seasons of comparable stats).

Even unsuccessful teams such as the Rockets were able to build on a championship core of Olajuwon and Drexler to add Charles Barkley and later Scottie Pippen. You could perhaps even argue that the Lakers roster that added the ageing veterans Karl Malone and Gary Payton to Kobe and Shaq was technically a super team of sorts.

So while acknowledging that I find the very definition of a ‘super team’ challenging, for the sake of simplicity in this article I’ll exclude pre ‘Decision’ teams from the discussion.

When LeBron James teamed with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in 2010, it caused a kind of moral outrage among many onlookers. With the Michael Jordan prototype and mythology still dominating the popular perception of what an NBA superstar should be, it caused a vitriolic reaction among many NBA fans who struggled to come to terms with the move.

The idea that three of the best and most established players in the league could simply elect to play on the same team through free agency rather than compete for dominance over one another seemed both alien and somehow unfair. Surely the talents of LBJ, Wade

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and Bosh would lift the Miami Heat to countless NBA championships and the rest of the league would have to watch. That’s not what actually happened though.

Miami did go to the finals for four straight years, but they only won championships in two of those years, and often performed less convincingly than the cumulative ability of the roster would suggest was the ceiling for their talent.

And that’s one of the major minefields of building a super team in the first place. It’s about the favouring of talent as the all-encompassing key to building a team, regardless of fit or system. Acquire the most talented players you can the logic dictates, and let the talent work out how to win. It’s essentially the ‘Galacticos’ principle employed by Real Madrid for a time.

I’d argue that that while you can win this way (and sure enough Miami won two championships), it’s not the best, the most efficient or even the most effective way to build a championship team. The Mavericks roster that beat Miami handily was a terrific counterpoint, made up on a single superstar, with a roster built deliberately to complement his skills, hide his weaknesses and with a system installed in which they could thrive.

What is Talent Wastage?

When overall talent is the driving logic in player recruitment, there’s nearly always some element of what I’m going to refer to as ‘Talent Wastage’, which I’ll define below.

Talent Wastage: when the skillsets, tendencies and preferences of the players that you have overlap to an extent that they actually become less effective as a unit compared to substituting one of them with a potentially inferior player that is simply more complementary.

We saw this when LeBron joined Miami, with James and Wade essentially having to take turns to be the focal point of the offense. Neither of these players are as effective without the ball in their hands as they are with it, meaning that each time either Wade or LBJ took a backseat, the team was effectively wasting a certain amount of their considerable talents on that possession.

Neither James nor Wade are consistent outside shooters, meaning that they also struggled to provide the necessary spacing to make each other’s games

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Draymond Green’s role as facilitator and primary frontcourt defender in theory actually becomes easier playing alongside the length of Durant and the spacing that he brings with his shooting threat compared to Harrison Barnes. The fact that all four can shoot the ball, with three of them being among the best in the NBA means that all of these players are effective and dangerous on possessions in which they’re not the primary option.

Shooting has become progressively more important in the NBA over the past few years, and this Warriors roster is the absolute culmination of that trend. Teams attempting to defend the Warriors will have to pick their poison in terms of trying to limit the opportunities of Curry and/or Durant, with the downside likely meaning leaving Klay Thompson wide open... Most likely, teams will have to play the Warriors straight up defensively and simply hope to catch them on a bad night or before they gel.

long as the team is winning, then any discontent will be muted. However, if the Warriors reach the All Star Break and are too far behind the impressive record the team had accrued at the same point last year, then individuals may begin to start voicing why they should be getting more shots or more touches - watch this space.

Air Jordan Retro High Banned

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What to watch out for - Chemistry & Egos

Kyle Terada - USA TODAY Sports

easier. You took two of the best players in the league, and somehow the sum of their parts playing together wasn’t what you’d expect having seen them play on opposing teams. You were adding 1+1 and somehow getting 1.5 as the answer. They were obviously able to work more effectively over time, and could look unstoppable running the break, but a lot of effort had to go into making that work.

The dropoff for Bosh was obviously even more significant, with him getting far fewer shots than he was accustomed to, and also having to adapt to playing away from his favoured high post a lot of the time to make space for LeBron. Again, Bosh was eventually able to make it work, developing his long range shooting, and upping his defensive game to work alongside his new teammates… but again, a lot of the talents Bosh possessed were effectively wasted and underused.

This same dynamic I’d argue has followed LeBron James to Cleveland. Kevin Love will identify with how Bosh had to adapt to playing with James, now largely a spot up shooter on the Cavs, having demonstrated a far more complete game previously with the Timberwolves. Again, Cleveland has found a way to win a championship, but I’d argue this has been more to do with the individual (and it sounds crazy, but almost underrated) brilliance of James and his ability to work around the players around him than due to

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brilliant roster construction.

For extended periods of the back end of last season, and even for some of the playoffs, the Cavs actually looked better playing Channing Frye than they did with Kevin Love as he was a better natural fit for how the team want their Power Forward to play and how they can complement the skills of their best player, James.

This is an example of talent wastage in action; the team as a whole actually performing better with an inferior player on the floor because his skills and playstyle are better suited to how the team plays.

The Golden State Wa rriors With Kevin Durant effectively replacing Harrison Barnes in the regular season record-breaking Warriors roster, this team has an opportunity to be special. In my mind, the Warriors are the first example of a Super Team where the key players are actually largely complementary.

Curry is the only player on that roster that really is most effective with the ball in his hands on every possession, accounting of course for the share of possessions that Draymond Green becomes the playmaker. Thompson is as effective a defender and off the ball shooter as there is in the NBA and Durant is already accustomed to finding offense playing with a ball-dominant point guard.

While everything seems like it should work in theory, the unpredictable element of bringing a super team together is always the egos of the players involved.

On the one hand, the nucleus of Curry, Thompson and Green is proven to be of a championship level and so the onus should be on Durant to adapt. But is the best and most effective option really to force one of the best players in the game into being a role player out of principle?

Most likely, the team will require a period of adaptation, as the team adjusts to having this new offensive weapon in it’s arsenal, and the kinds of looks and opportunities it provides them with. The interesting thing to watch for will be whether coming off a record-breaking regular season, a slower start and a reduced number of shots starts to wear on any of the key players involved.

With defense and playmaking being the hallmarks of Draymond Green, how will he respond to potentially seeing not only fewer shots, but also fewer touches of the ball? Will Thompson be content to become mostly a spot up shooter having worked on developing a more well-rounded game in terms of ballhandling and playmaking the past few seasons? With an US Olympic roster that featured Durant, Thompson and Green, it was Durant that Coach K turned to for a ‘Point Forward’ role to supplement the team’s guard play - will Kerr make the same decision?

How will Curry react to sharing the limelight with another bonafide superstar and former scoring leader?

How will Durant adapt to being the third and at times fourth option on individual possessions - a role he’s never played in his time in the NBA? Provided the team is able to keep it’s egos in check, it has an opportunity to be special. My guess is that as

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most valuable player this year's mvp award is up for the taking

Stephen Curry (pictured) swept all before him last season in what was one of the most one-sided MVP races in NBA history. He became the first unanimous winner in the award's 61-season history but with the recent player transactions across the league and his lacklustre Finals performance, this season's award is up for the taking. Ciaran Mills looks at the would be challengers.

Ben Margot - Associated Press

The awards races are always a big discussion point among fans, with the most valuable player award often proving the most divisive. After two seasons of dominance from Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, this year could be one of the closest yet!

this award, as he picked up the Defensive Player of the Year honours instead. With Tim Duncan retiring over the summer, there is now even more space for a new leader in San Antonio and Leonard is the perfect candidate. Quiet, reserved, and extremely talented, he is basically Duncan v2.0.

In his reign, Curry has broken plenty of records, and that looks like it may be the case again this year. He was the star behind the Warriors 73-9 record last year, has broken his own record for most three pointers made in a season, and was crowned the first ever unanimous MVP. Despite all of this, he is still not the favourite to retain the award according to some bookies.

Of course, there are plenty of candidates beyond these five favourites, all of which come with plenty of “what ifs”. Pelicans forward Anthony Davis has the potential to be a game changer, but needs to hope the rest of his team can help him in his quest. Paul George also looked to be heading that way before a horrific leg break injury with Team USA in the summer of 2014. He’s now back to full health, and has a strong team behind him but because of small ball now being popular, he may be forced to play at his less favoured position of power forward. Teammates Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are always around the top ten in voting, but suffer from the same issue Durant and Westbrook do. Damian Lillard is one of the most intense players in the league, but is often overlooked for accolades, while James Harden will have to step up his efforts on defense to even have a slim chance.

This may be because of who is joining his cast this season. Kevin Durant is a former MVP himself - 2014 was his crowning year - but has failed to set himself aside from Russell Westbrook since then. It looks like this could be the same scenario in Golden State; with both Curry and Durant chasing the award, they may end up taking votes away from each other. Add into this Klay Thompson and Draymond Green’s efforts, and the two stars are beginning to look like long shots for the award.

The current bookies favourite is the man that Durant left behind in Oklahoma, Russell Westbrook. He is known as one of the most ferocious players in the league, and the chip on his shoulder will be larger than usual. We really could see a record breaking season from the point guard, with a statline of 30 points, 8 rebounds and 11 assists per contest being predicted by some. The only thing that could trip him up is a low winloss record for the Thunder, with the squad seemingly down to its bare bones.

There’s plenty to look forward to this season, and the MVP race is one of those. Who will win? Who knows!

Considering he may possibly be the greatest player of the generation, and arguably one of the top ten of all time, it’s amazing that voters have seemingly got bored of LeBron James. He hasn’t won the award in the past three seasons, though coming in the top three every time is a sure sign of his consistency. He has had to share the limelight with some fantastic players over the year - Dwyane Wade and Kyrie Irving come to mind - which may damage his chances, but there is also a lot of hate towards the Cleveland Cavaliers player.

There are surprisingly high odds on the man who came second in last year’s voting. San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard wasn’t too sore about losing

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EASTERN conference PREVIEWS

The Eastern Conference of the NBA has traditionally been the weakest of the two, however in recent years the gap between the NBA’s traditional powerhouse Conference and the weaker East has narrowed. And as the NBA seeks Conference parity, big names players such as Lebron James have helped to slowly level the playing field between the two.

In the past 5 seasons, 3 NBA titles have found their way to the so called ‘weaker’ conference, most of which were captured courtesy of Lebron James. Last season was no different, as Lebron James led his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA title. It was the moment Lebron had waited for since he was first drafted by the Cavaliers in 2003, and it all but erased the bitter memory of his departure in 2010.

As a result of the Cavaliers recent dominance, this season the East is more competetive than ever and will see multiple teams fighting for a Playoff spot and two possible challengers to the King’s crown.

In fact, you’d be hard pressed to define the 8 Eastern Conference Playoff seeds, because a lot can happen between October 24th 2016 and April 12th 2017.

In New York NBA mastermind, Phil Jackson, has united a team of former superheros in an attempt to save New York. In Washington a new coach, Scott Brooks, has been hired to help change the fortunes of one of the conference’s most talented, yet underachieving franchises. And in Boston, Celtics fans are still complaining about Kevin Durant. All of which leads us to our previews.

Over the following 15 double-page spreads our talented and unique writers will delve into each of the Eastern Conference franchises, giving you their expert opinion on what might happen this season.

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Following the euphoria of the Cavaliers winning the city’s first title in any major sport since 1964, the team understably made minimal offseason moves. As the champagne flowed, and J.R. smith embraced a shirtless lifestyle, the Cavs management will have spent a lot of time analysing their success. In pulling off the unlikely comeback victory against the Warriors, the Cavaliers also found a previously hidden chink in Golden State’s formidable armour.

Nick Whitfield - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 57-25 (1st in Central) 8-8 in division 35-17 vs. East 22-8 vs. West 33-8 at home 24-17 on the road 3-3 in overtime PLAYOFFS 16-5 Defeated Detroit 4-0 in Eastern Conference First Round Defeated Atlanta 4-0 in Eastern Conference Semifinals Defeated Toronto 4-2 in Eastern Conference Finals Defeated Golden State 4-3 in NBA Finals ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 1,728-1,996 (.464) in 46 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 100-89 (.529)

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Shifting their offense away from what it had run over the course of the season, the Cavaliers threw the clock back - instead looking to actively create individual mismatches and then methodically and brutally exploiting them. In particular, whomever Steph Curry was guarding whether it was Shumpert or Smith became a focal point - engaging in pick plays with James until they caused a switch that either left Curry guarding LeBron, or the cumulative physical toll created a gap in the defense to exploit.

No doubt the finals would have been cathartic for LeBron James, who as he enters his 30s is finally able to enjoy competing as an underdog. The otherworldly performance from James in the finals - let his stat line sink in... 29.7ppg, 11.3 rpg, 8.9apg, 2.6spg, 2.3bpg served notice that he doesn’t feel ready to surrender the tag of the ‘league’s best player’, regardless of individual awards.

Factoring in the moves made by Warriors this offseason the Cavaliers will remain underdogs, which sheds the pressure that would normally follow a championship win. The acquisition of Kevin Durant in Golden State also provides fresh motivation for this team, providing an even more seemingly insurmountable mountain to climb.

Having kept the core from their championship season last year, the onus will be on working how to better integrate Love’s talents into the team, and trying to ensure health come playoff time. Thompson and Frye remain key frontcourt contributors, while Shumpert provides a spark in the backcourt. The Cavs will hope to use 35 year olds Dahntay Jones and Richard Jefferson sparingly, but both provide the kind of defense and experience to contribute at key points in the season if required.

The team did lose Timofey Mozgov to the Lakers and Matthew Dellavedova to the Bucks in free agency, but neither had truly been a part of the Cavs core rotation in last year’s playoffs. Far more important, was the re-signing of J.R. Smith. Having finally found his shirt at some point over the course of the summer, Smith has finally been tied down a long term contract. The Cavs have managed to coax ‘good J.R.’ out of Smith for the past couple of seasons, and he’s become a key shooter and two way contributor on this team.

Lebron James has already broken all perceived human limits on longevity and consistent performance for a player in the upper echelons of the NBA. By age 30 (as he now approaches his 32nd birthday) he had already played more career minutes than the entire careers of Steve Nash, Larry Bird, Clyde Drexler, Jerry West and Magic Johnson. As his minutes rack up, the question remains over when James will take a firm back seat in the regular season and hand over more responsibility to his deputies.

Kyrie Irving took major steps forward last season in finding his role and meshing his abilities playing alongside James. Always a gifted scorer, Irving proved in the playoffs how he can become the team’s goto offensive weapon in the clutch. Irving could well carry the scoring load for the Cavs this season, letting James remain the primary playmaker and orchestrator.

Irving is coming into the season healthy, which is a good sign for the Cavs as the team is a little shallow in point guard depth after losing Dellavedova. The Cavs rookie Kay Felder has looked strong in the preseason, but Irving will have a green light to put up big numbers and could even be on for a career season if he stays healthy. Thinking of his own legacy, Irving will no doubt want to cement his own position among the elite NBA point guards.

management will be whether the team can afford to have a large amount of salary tied up in Love’s contract, if he doesn’t match up well with the team they’re most likely to end up playing in the Finals. We may well see more of Love directing play from the high post if James does choose to take it easy in the regular season, but the uncomfortable truth is that come playoff time, James spends more time in the post, which shifts Love into becoming a spot up shooter on offense, and remains a so-so defender. While it’s unlikely, if there is any sense of discontent, or the Cavs believe they’d be able to secure a more complementary piece, Love would be the most likely outgoing in any roster moves.

Simply put, it’s championship or bust for the Cavs.

In LeBron’s own words he’s chasing ‘the ghost that played in Chicago’ and fighting for his long term legacy.

The sand timer has well and truly been turned on his championship window due to age, and having been to the Finals and lost four times over the course of his career, James knows he can’t afford to spurn many more chances. The Cavs will be expected to win the East at a canter, but all that will matter to this roster will be getting to the finals and securing another title.

Kevin Love is the only question mark remaining in the Cavs lineup. While clearly a key part of the team in terms of relationships and in the locker room, we’ve still yet to see the best of Love in a Cavs uniform. Coach Lue took the bold step of moving Love to the bench in the Finals, and no one can say that it turned out to be a bad decision. The pressing question for Cavaliers

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The time is now for the 6. However, after reaching the Eastern Conference finals last season, Toronto were largely static in the offseason. Their biggest move was the re-signing of Demar DeRozan, who returns fresh off his Olympic success with Team USA. In re-signing DeRozan, the Raptors made a commitment to their fervent fan base to push for an NBA finals berth. But will it be enough to get them to the top?

Matt Soto - Lead Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 56-26 (1st in Atlantic) 14-2 in division 39-13 vs. East 17-13 vs. West 32-9 at home 24-17 on the road 3-1 in overtime PLAYOFFS 10-10 Defeated Indiana 4-3 in Eastern Conference First Round Defeated Miami 4-3 in Eastern Conference Semifinals Lost to Cleveland 2-4 in Eastern Conference Finals ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 734-940 (.438) in 21 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 24-38 (.387)

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The athletic swingman will return alongside dynamic point guard Kyle Lowry. Both will be leaders on a team vying for more playoff success. DeRozan and Lowry formed one of the best back courts in the league last season and were crucial to the Raptors’ progress. Lowry solidified his status as a top point guard, making the All-Star game, and the continuation of his dominance over most point guards in the east will see him make a third straight. He averaged over 21 PPG on the best shooting of his career and played better defense than he has previously. More importantly, he is the player the Raptors look to for leadership and to make a big play when they need it most.

DeRozan, despite having an old school game that doesn’t always translate well in the new NBA, had another All-Star season. He is overly-reliant on midrange jump shots, and it showed last season as he led in the league in two point attempts. He converted relatively efficiently however, and also got to the FT line at a career high rate and shot the best percentage of his career. DeRozan turns 27 this season and whilst he still possesses elite athleticism he will need to develop an efficient outside game in the next few years as he grows into his contract and the end of his career. It is for this reason that the Raptors know that their time is now.

NBA rosters are built on zero-sum equations however, so the signing of DeRozan came at a cost. The loss of Bismack Biyombo, a tower of strength during the postseason run, will be offset by the pushing of Jonas Valunciunas to the fore. Val needs to provide effective shot blocking and rebounding in place of Biyombo whilst maintaining his whirling dervish defensive activity.

The Raptors bet on Valanciunas being worth his 16 million dollar contract this season, and it looks like the gamble paid off. Val would pump-fake his own grandmother, but his herky-jerky offensive game was efficient last season in spite of nagging injury. However, his defensive weaknesses were routinely exploited by teams in previous years. He also has a history of being a foul machine, repeatedly reaching and giving up fouls in post play, and serving as a defensive turnstile on pick and rolls. Thankfully for the Raptors, Valanciunas made progress last season on that end and his high intensity game helped push the Raptors through the playoffs.

With a strong start on another successful Raptors team

Val could be on the receiving end of All-Star votes.

Demarre Carroll returns to run the wing for the Raptors.

Carroll stumbled around the NBA early in his career, even spending some time in the D league, but has matured into a defensive powerhouse. His relentless work defending the Raptors basket has created a legion of fans in Toronto -- with each passing game last season his 4 year, $60 million contract looked like good business. He is also developed a good outside touch and shot 39% from outside the arc in the regular season. Teams will have to monitor his position and respect him as a legitimate offensive threat. Carroll spent the summer getting into peak condition after only playing in 26 games last season due to a knee injury that required surgery. If he is present for the full 82 game tilt it will be akin to having a new signing.

With the ninth overall pick in the 2016 draft Toronto selected Jakob Poeltl. Poeltl has a rare blend of height and power, at 7’ and 230lbs, that he uses to his advantage in post play. He averaged 9 rebounds and 17 points per game in his last college season at Utah and won the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar award for the best college center. He undoubtedly has the size to operate under the basket in the NBA and has basic post moves that will allow his to put up some offensive points. Early in the season the Raptors are likely to look for a simple combination of solid defense and rebounding. Poeltl’s good mobility and size means that he can slot into the second unit from day one. He will be required to add strength to hold off top-tier NBA-size centers however, and he must add a variety of post moves, using either hand, to really become push for a starting position.

Overall, the Raps experienced a very stable offseason.

The optimists in the 6 will see the return of a core of conference finalists as a sure indicator of playoff success. In the NBA however, many teams run just to stand still. Nothing the Raptors have done suggests that they can hurt the Cavs any more than they did last season, when they were beaten in six in the east finals.

In the division, things look tougher too. Boston reloaded and should push for the second seed in the east. The Knicks, whilst vulnerable, have a roster of players who, if they return to previous form, will take wins away from the Raps 56 last season. Similarly the young 76ers core is likely to put together some good division wins as their young group gels. The Raptors are solid, but will continue to rely on the development of Lowry and DeRozan, and Raptors fans will navigate by those stars to the playoffs.

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Only three years ago, the Miami Heat were the rulers of the NBA galaxy thanks to the expertise of Pat Riley, Eric Spoelstra and the star trio of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James. Now, only Bosh remains of that big three but he is largely expected to be released by the team in March due to his blood clot issues and also because the Heat want to move forward as a franchise.

Joe Hulbert - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 48-34 (T-1st in Southeast) 10-6 in division 31-21 vs. East 17-13 vs. West 28-13 at home 20-21 on the road 3-3 in overtime PLAYOFFS 7-7 Defeated Charlotte 4-3 in Eastern Conference First Round Lost to Toronto 3-4 in Eastern Conference Semifinals ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 1,170-1,078 (.520) in 28 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 123-96 (.562)

The changes mark a new era, and Pat Riley will be rubbing his hands together at the crop of free agents in 2017 with the likes of Blake Griffin, Gordon Hayward and Paul Millsap all potentially becoming available on the open market. Miami is of course committed to its young guys, but Pat Riley is a chronic winner who also happens to be a genius, he knows he will need to get a free agent in South Beach next summer in order to challenge again.

The current crop of Miami Heat players has the potential to be really fun as there are a lot of young guys with high ceilings in there. Justise Winslow is the pick of these and it is expected that this will be his team coming into the New Year. Winslow came into the NBA as a mere defensive specialist, but under the coaching of Eric Spoelstra and David Fizdale he has turned into a player who could potentially grab this franchise by the balls and make it his own. Winslow is versatile offensively, he shot 42% from the field and 28% from downtown and showed some insane flashes of athleticism over the course of the year. He still needs to improve on that end of the floor, but the early signs were great and we should see even more of him this year due to the departure of Luol Deng.

Eric Spoelstra is a coach who gets unfairly criticised in the national media and by a lot of NBA fans. Sure, having LeBron James no doubt helped him get a lot of wins, but he is an outstanding tactician and he could very easily take this group of guys into the playoffs.

The offensive style of this team will be interesting to watch as Eric has generally preferred a half court set since he has been in South Beach, but he now has a point guard who can run an up-tempo offense in Goran Dragic and a bunch of super young guys who want to get out and run. Miami were 21st in fastbreak attempts last year and they were 24th in efficiency off these.

Whilst I cannot accurately predict whether they will be efficient, they are absolutely going to try and run more this year as they have a young team who are not yet ready for a slower mechanical offense.

Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson are also cornerstones for this group, they can both shoot the three ball well and they have proven to be valuable additions to the rotation. These two are perhaps the best example of the incredible job the Heat do at developing talent that no one else wanted. It is because of this that the Heat will not be out of the elite

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for very long, the side dishes are all there, they just need to find another star.

The Chris Bosh saga is an extremely sad one and out of respect for him and the Heat organisation, it makes little sense to go into the finer details of it during this preview. His impact on the court however is worth discussing. Chris Bosh has been vital for the Heat because he can play as a four if they want to go big but he also has the defensive prowess and the towering height to play as a center in a small ball system. This was particularly effective with Bosh because he could shoot the three well and he was also mobile enough to set multiple screens in the same possession. From a purely basketball perspective, Bosh’ absence is huge for the Heat and it means that they will be fighting for a bottom playoff seed as opposed to a top one.

Even the most astute Heat fan would struggle to suggest their free agent signings have been exciting, but Pat Riley has added players who can play a role in an up tempo system which shows he is somewhat buying into Goran Dragic for at least the upcoming year.

Dion Waiters is NOT the next Dwyane Wade, but he has a similar game in the sense that he is an oversized two guard who prefers to isolate himself at the elbow as opposed to work off screens on the perimeter. He will simply do a job for the team and the same can be said for the athletic draft bust Derrick Williams, the hipster Extraordinaire Luke Babbitt and the journeyman sharpshooter Wayne Ellington. These are essentially low risk guys who could earn themselves a spot on a very ambitious franchise if they play well this year. We are potentially looking at the next generation of heat role players to follow in the footsteps of the likes of

Shane Battier and Mike Miller.

Last but not least, it seems fair to dedicate a paragraph to the amazing Hassan Whiteside who will now become the go-to star in Miami due to the departures of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Whiteside is seen as a bit of a fraud by many NBA fans but he is what he is, a top tier defensive center and a weapon in the pick and roll. For a team that wants to push the pace, his athleticism and his know how in the half court will be absolutely essential. He showed on social media he wasn’t too thrilled that everyone left South Beach, but he has the chance to make this franchise his if he knuckles down and stops chasing blocks on every defensive possession.

Overall, the Miami Heat should not be ruled out. I’ve projected them to miss the playoffs pretty comfortably, but they will be hard to beat and they could spring a shock and be a surprise seed come April.

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One of the more consistent teams in the League in recent years, the Atlanta Hawks will be hoping they can push on in the post-season this year. Mike Budenholzer is a terrific coach who has this team playing an amazing brand of basketball and even though their current roster looks different to last year, he should be able to milk results out of it.

Joe Hulbert - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 48-34 (T-1st in Southeast) 8-8 in division 29-23 vs. East 19-11 vs. West 27-14 at home 21-20 on the road 0-5 in overtime PLAYOFFS 4-6 Defeated Boston 4-2 in Eastern Conference First Round Lost to Cleveland 0-4 in Eastern Conference Finals ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 2,650-2,656 (.499) in 67 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 153-202 (.431)

The biggest change comes at center with the face-up specialist Al Horford making way to Boston whilst being replaced by former All-Star and future Hall of Famer Dwight Howard. Horford was pivotal for the Hawks last year as they liked to play a ‘five out’ style system that got a lot of open perimeter looks. As a matter of fact, no team got more wide open looks than Atlanta last year, as 27% of their looks were undefended. This was 7% higher than the team in second place which shows just how well drilled this team was under Mike Budenholzer. The addition of Dwight Howard creates some questions as he has absolutely no jump shot and isn’t really known as a fine passer of the ball, however his signing will just signal a style change as opposed to a locker room disaster.

Howard is a pick and roll master, he was at his best in Orlando when he was in Stan Van Gundy’s system that used more them more than any other team last year. He worked well with Jameer Nelson in Orlando and he should be able to find the same success with the young, yet sometimes erratic, German point guard Dennis Schroeder. Schroeder was only the backup point guard for the Hawks last year, but he was still 12th in possessions attempted as the pick and roll ball handler which shows that this is the game he will be running this season. He only ranked in the 34th percentile which isn’t great, but he will likely improve as he now has a center who specialises in the pick and roll. Howard ranked in the 71st percentile last year which was actually worse than Horford, but Howard wasn’t playing for a team who really played to his strengths as Houston ranked second to last in attempted pick and rolls. He was a last resort for Houston’s three point bombing offense, but this will not be the case in Atlanta.

Many see Howard as a locker room cancer and a troublemaker, but this level of criticism has become unfair in recent times. He hasn’t been disruptive since he was in Orlando and he has still performed despite not really fitting into the system of either of his last two teams. Howard is still a premier rebounder and an amazing defender, he is a first ballot Hall of Famer whether you like it or not. Atlanta have an amazing knack of being able to get the best out of every single player on their roster, there is no reason they won’t be able to do the same with Dwight Howard. He just needs to be loved, and he will get that at his hometown ball club.

rebuilding after this summer, but they managed to avoid that by signing Kent Bazemore to a long term deal.

Bazemore has become the latest of an assembly line of trendy ‘three and D’ players and he was expected to get paid somewhere else, but Mike Budenholzer managed to keep him on board which is great news for them. He shot 35% from beyond the arc and his defensive ratings were through the roof for the entirety of the year. He was often the player who ended up in the corners as Kyle Korver generally did most of his shooting work off the screen. Atlanta maybe should have rebuilt, but Mike Budenholzer wants this team to be competitive and his moves have showed that.

The point guard situation is an extremely interesting one as Jeff Teague was reliable if unspectacular, whereas Dennis Schroeder was inconsistent and defined by wild shot attempts and bad decision making. Schroeder definitely has a higher ceiling than Teague did, but they will need a major jump from him and he will have to improve his outside shot as they already lack spacing without Al Horford. The move to promote Schroeder to starter also leaves a slight hole on the bench, with Thomas Delaney of the EuroLeague expected to be the backup point guard. His numbers in Russia were impressive and he appears to be an intelligent player, but he is new to the league and might take a fair bit of time to get going. Schroeder was good on the bench because he gave the team energy against the second units.

You cannot talk about the Atlanta Hawks without mentioning Paul Millsap, he is their best player, he is a star, and he is one of the top 20 players in basketball.

Millsap can do pretty much everything, he is seen as a Swiss army knife but he should be described as a gold plated Swiss army knife as he is elite at what he does.

Millsap was just a guy in Utah, but he fits Budenholzer’s system perfectly as he sacrifices for the good of the team. Last year he had career highs in rebounds, assists, blocks and steals per game which shows just how much he has evolved as a player. He gives this team a genuine shot in the postseason and he also gives Dwight Howard a player who will take attention away from him but also sacrifice for him, this has the potential to be an amazing pairing and it could push them on in the postseason.

Overall this Hawks team should make the playoffs as they have done for the last nine years. Horford is a loss for the system, but Dwight Howard is comfortably the better player. They won’t hit the heights of 60 wins again, but somewhere in the region of 42-48 wins seems very realistic.

Atlanta were expected to either fall apart or end up

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It has taken a few years, but the Celtics have now reloaded. General Manager Danny Ainge has masterfully built a fluid roster chock full of skilled players that are ready to push for the Eastern Conference crown.

Matt Soto - Lead Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 48-34 (2nd in Atlantic) 10-6 in division 31-21 vs. East 17-13 vs. West 28-13 at home 20-21 on the road 1-2 in overtime PLAYOFFS 2-4 Lost to Atlanta in Eastern Conference First Round ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 3,221-2,257 (.588) in 70 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 346-261 (.570)

The roster rebuild is nearing completion and so the Celtics are in win-now mode - but have a sustainable model. They haven’t mortgaged the future on any superstar, instead building carefully through shrewd trades and draft selections. Boston also have a reserve of draft picks (including a likely lottery pick from Brooklyn) that could be traded if they are challenging the East’s elite, or can be stashed and the value extracted in the upcoming stocked draft.

The offseason additions clearly place the Celts as a top team in the East alongside the Cavaliers and Raptors.

The most important was the capture of Al Horford from Atlanta, who – without Tim Duncan - is now the owner of the sweetest post moves in the NBA. The four time All-Star is a beast in the paint who uses movement and smarts to gain good position for both offensive play and rebounding. Stevens will hope that Horford can start 82 games again, as he did last season for the Hawks, and add to his 7.3 rebounds and 15.2 points per game in 2015-16. Horford will no longer share the front court with All-Star Paul Millsap so will have the opportunity to be more aggressive on the offensive end. Stevens will run plays to establish a more aggressive Horford in the post and will expect regular double-doubles in return.

The onus will be on the big man to load the shooters on the outside should the defense collapse on him.

To take advantage of this, the Celtics have surrounded their skilled big man with solid shooting from three point range. Horford will provide excellent spacing for the deep shooting of Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas. Expect Boston to present offensive sets in which all five starters switch position, probing for mismatches and weaknesses in the defense in order to generate good looks at the basket. Coach Stevens wants players who can handle the rock, dribble penetrate, and make the right pass at every position, so they figure to be a difficult team to control on the offensive end.

The Celtics should also be a fearsome defensive team.

The athleticism of Amir Johnson provides good rim protection alongside the savvy positioning of Horford.

The team will still have to work hard however to protect the diminutive Isaiah Thomas on defense against the more dominant point guards. Where possible, Stevens will scheme switches to set Avery Bradley against offensive steamrollers such as Russell Westbrook. Jae Crowder is a shut-down defender on the wing, and will need to be so again if the Celtics are to advance past LeBron James’ Cavs in the playoffs.

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The Celtics have built a roster allowing them to go 10 deep on any night. Draftee Jaylen Brown is likely to backup Crowder at small forward. Whilst he is still raw, the third overall pick is a skilled offensive player who could contribute scoring on a regular basis. The everreliable Marcus Smart will provide a change of pace at the point, providing tenacious defense and leading the second unit. Gerald Green and Jonas Jerebko will provide cover at the forward positions. Both have a solid offensive game but must improve their D if the Celts are to take the next step. Kelly Olynyk should be a defensive disruptor in the middle, and can spread the opposing defenses with his shooting from 18 feet.

Wing scorer Evan Turner and forward Jared Sullinger have moved on from last season’s corps, which can be reasonably adjudged to be addition by subtraction.

Turner is capable of creating his own shot but the Boston rightly balked at the huge offer sheet he signed in Portland. Sullinger was also a useful player but his absence should create more opportunities for Amir Johnson to develop his mid-range game and move away from his occasional disasterous attempts from three. The question for Celtics fans is: Do the pieces put them over the top? Horford and the development of the young guns should lead to an increase in wins, especially when a few losses last season were to the husk of a Nets team and a Knicks squad in disarray.

free throws, and the muscular inside presence of Horford and Johnson suggests that the Celtics will be a hard team to control.

Stevens’ teams have shown resolute defense in his short career -- don’t expect this to change in 2016-17.

In particular, division rivals will struggle to put up big numbers in Boston, placing even more emphasis on the match-ups with the offensive talents of the Raptors, with whom the division title will be fought for.

A playoff spot is a certainty, probably through a two or three seed. Boston has the offensive talent and defensive athleticism to cause the Cavaliers some problems should they meet in the playoffs, but no team can contain LeBron, Kyrie vs Isaiah Thomas is a mismatch, and so failure in the Eastern Conference finals beckons.

Offensively, the Celtics should be a tight unit, running Coach Stevens’ well-reasoned game plans with skilled, interchangeable talents. Their balance of outside shooting and ability to push the ball up the court, strong wing play attacking the basket and accruing

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You will struggle to find a more complete and a more underrated team than the Charlotte Hornets. They are brilliantly well drilled at both ends of the floor and Steve Clifford is definitely in the top five NBA Head Coach conversation. The team don’t really have a player who stands out in the grand scheme of things, but every player is versatile and they are put in situations to succeed.

Joe Hulbert - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 48-34 (T-1st in Southeast) 8-8 in division 33-19 vs. East 15-15 vs. West 30-11 at home 18-23 on the road 5-0 in overtime PLAYOFFS 3-4 Lost to Miami in Eastern Conference First Round ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 916-1,168 (.440) in 26 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 23-40 (.365)

Offensively this team is capable of doing well from anywhere, this is largely because they take care of the ball. They were the best team at avoiding turnovers and this was mainly because their offense was well designed and players weren’t put in situations where they had to do too much. Kemba Walker is no doubt the leader of this team, his drive and determination lifts the whole group and he broke out last year to establish himself as one of the NBA’s best point guards.

The re-signing of Nicolas Batum was a pivotal move for the franchise as he is probably their most important player. He can do absolutely everything and he is good enough to play at the two and the three in Charlotte.

The fact he stayed with the team rather than leaving to join a so called ‘big market’ shows just how good the set-up is in Charlotte, he feels comfortable working with Steve Clifford, Patrick Ewing and Stephen Silas which makes perfect sense as they are an excellent coaching trio.

Charlotte will be hoping for a sophomore jump from Frank Kaminsky as he has now had a year to get to grips with the step-up from Wisconsin to the NBA. Kaminsky showed flashes of an excellent prototype forward in his rookie year as he could play both inside and out, something which is pivotal to a team like Charlotte who try to score the ball in as many ways as possible. Kaminsky came into the league as a raw talent, but Steve Clifford is already shaping him into a top player which is great news for the Hornets fans.

One of the only questions marks over Charlotte comes over their bench as they lost Jeremy Lin who was a reliable player for them. Still, Ramon Sessions is hardly a bad replacement, he was terrific in Washington and he is perfect for the pick and roll game that Steve Clifford likes to run with his bench unit. Sessions might also be a better defender than Lin, who was no doubt unreliable on that end of the floor. Jeremy Lamb is another question mark on the bench, he is seen as talented but Steve Clifford has shown some annoyance with his performances in preseason and his role is currently in question as Clifford has been disappointed with his decision making. Lamb was good at times for Charlotte last year, but if Clifford is fed up with him he could easily find himself out of the rotation.

Charlotte also have a decision to make at the center position with both Roy Hibbert and Cody Zeller vying for the starting role. Hibbert was poor in LA last year,

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but he still has something left in the tank as he is a good rebounder and an able post defender, this was an area the Hornets often struggled in last year after the departure of Bismack Biyombo. Zeller on the other hand has shown nice development and because of this, he is largely expected to win out the role. This is a nice dilemma for Clifford to have, as either one of them would be a fine addition to their bench unit.

Marvin Williams was originally a draft bust after being selected with the 2nd pick back in 2005 by the Atlanta Hawks, but he has revived his career and has established himself as one of the Hornets key players. Williams is a rangy stretch four who shot 40% from downtown last year and Charlotte were better offensively when he was on the floor. One of their major objectives was keeping him in Carolina as he is a price effective role player who opens things up for the rest of his teammates. You will struggle to find better value than Marvin Williams’ contract.

The only question mark over this team is the potential lack of star quality. This really hurt them in the playoffs against Miami because Dwyane Wade would often take over games for the Heat and the Hornets didn’t have an answer to it on either end. Systems will always beat out individuals, but there are times where you need a big game from one player to get over the hump. The Hornets look set up to be a very good regular season team, but one has to wonder whether they will have the star power to make a deep postseason run.

It is hard to gauge the ceiling for this Hornets team, but I firmly believe that they can push for 50 wins this year because of their outstanding level of organisation and the fact Steve Clifford knows how to make in game adjustments. Charlotte have had a good level of continuity which is another thing in their favour, many of the teams who are in the same sort of region as them have experienced player losses to both the starting lineup and the bench. Charlotte still have the same core starting five of Kemba Walker, Nicolas Batum, Michael Kidd Gilchrist, Marvin Williams and Cody Zeller which gives them a huge advantage over other teams.

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For the better part of six seasons, Indiana was ruled under the watchful eye of Frank Vogel. With the defensive-minded coach, the franchise were consistently good, reaching the Playoffs in five of the last six, including two Conference Finals appearances, losing both to the LeBron James juggernaut in Miami.

Alex Cole - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 45-37 (2nd in Central) 8-8 in division 30-22 vs. East 15-15 vs. West 26-15 at home 19-22 on the road 1-7 in overtime PLAYOFFS 3-4 Lost to Toronto in Eastern Conference First Round ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 1,606-1,625 (.497) in 40 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 112-110 (.505)

Only once, in the 2014/15 season, had a Vogel led Pacers team endured a losing record. They were never great enough to get a shot at the big prize and many put this down to offensive proficiency. Despite regularly being one of the league’s best defensive teams, they were often one of the lowest scoring teams in the NBA, never once finishing a season in the top 10 in points scored per game.

Last season saw the return of team leader and NBA 2K17 cover star Paul George, after a devastating compound fracture to his tibia and fibula that derailed the progress of the team in the aforementioned 14/15 season. His return brought a winning record back to Indiana during the campaign, with George averaging 23.1 points, 7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game after initial public complaints about Coach Vogel’s decision to play him at PF for the first few games.

So when the Indianapolis side finished the regular season 25th in the league in offensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions) and were sunk in game seven of the first round by the Toronto Raptors, General Manager Larry Bird decided it was time for a change. Vogel was promptly fired and Nate McMillan was promoted to Head Coach.

McMillan is an experienced mind in this league, flitting between head coach and assistant head coach roles over the years. The 52 year old from North Carolina has spent part of seven seasons in Portland as the main man and another five in Seattle, reaching the Playoffs five times in total with a complete record of 478 - 452.

It is also worth noting that Nate was the assistant to Mike Krzyzewski for both of Team USA’s Olympic gold medal wins at Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

Nate McMillan is known for coaching NBA teams with a slow paced offensive style but Larry Bird is still insisting that he wants a free flowing, fast paced offense here in Indiana so we can only wait and see how this ends up.

With George Hill gone in an offseason trade, the Pacers have lost their dependent floor general, but in the same three-team trade they acquired Jeff Teague from Atlanta. Teague is an exciting point guard who will get to the rim relentlessly and maintain a high pace of offense, as per Larry Bird’s request. Teague is coming home as a native of Indianapolis and is in his contract year, so will be looking to impress for many reasons.

The moves made by Larry Bird were aggressive over the summer and other significant offseason transactions were the free agency signing of Al Jefferson on a three

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year deal, alongisde a trade which saw them send their 20th pick in the draft over to Brooklyn for Thaddeus Young.

There is no doubt that Al Jefferson is a very good ball player despite going against the aforementioned swift flowing offensive characteristics which Indiana are aiming for this season. The 12-year veteran adds much needed efficiency around the rim and certainly gives the team the option to play through the post.

Thad Young then completes an interesting frontcourt, likely starting at the power forward position, ending any more talk of Paul George playing there again and allowing the Pacers to nurture Myles Turner. There are not many forwards in the NBA that managed to produce the season that Thaddeus had last season.

The only players to average at least 15 points, 9 rebounds and 1.5 steals during the season were Andre Drummond, Paul Millsap, DeMarcus Cousins and Thad Young. Young may not be as high up in the pecking order a he was in a dross team over in Brooklyn but he will look to boost this line-up in Indiana.

Monta Ellis has recently lost some of the explosion he had when he was younger, which makes his role within the team slightly uncertain, but he still remains a stat stuffer and has reformed his game slightly as a playmaker so should lead the backcourt along with Teague.

Other notable role players include CJ Miles, who can light it up off the bench and can be great fun to watch when he is in good form. Glenn Robinson III may also see some minutes at SG and former NBA Dunk Contest champion Jeremy Evans hopes to find a home in McMillan’s rotation.

All in all, the Pacers front office are looking to change to the way the offense flows but everyone else is waiting to see if they have the personnel out on the floor to manage this. A lot of this season will be spent observing this narrative but with this aside, Indiana clearly have talent on the roster and if Nate McMillan brings it all together, then they can certainly be a top team in the Eastern Conference.

Myles Turner, now a sophomore, will play behind both these new acquisitions which isn’t a bad thing. He is expected to mainly fit in behind Young on the depth chart but can move to the C spot when the team attempt to play small ball. Turner should gain a lot from both Young and Jefferson’s experience and knowhow. He will be in some tough match-ups over the course of the season and against some stronger guys, particularly if he plays at center, but Jefferson will be there to pass on some killer moves in the post.

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Deeee-troit Basketball is coming off a season in which the team finally made the playoffs, after seven straight losing seasons. The franchise has a fresh feeling of momentum after empty seats and muted crowds had started to become a regular feature at home games.

The fact that the Pistons were swept from the first round of the playoffs by the now-champion Cavaliers doesn’t tell the full story, with only one of the games being decided by more than ten points, and two of the games had a winning margin of less than five points.

Nick Whitfield - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 44-38 (3rd in Central) 10-6 in division 29-23 vs. East 15-15 vs. West 26-15 at home 18-23 on the road 4-1 in overtime PLAYOFFS 0-4 Lost to Cleveland in Eastern Conference First Round ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 2,616-2,752 (.487) in 68 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 188-178 (.514)

The physical style of the Pistons riled the Cavs more than their execution, and that will be an ongoing theme to watch out for when they matchup again this year.

The kind of defence played by Drummond, Stanley Johnson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in particular was impressive and will serve as the model for this young roster moving forward.

Head coach Stan Van Gundy is setting about constructing the roster in a similar vein to his Magic team that went all the way to the finals in 2009. Built around the huge physical presence of Andre Drummond, Van Gundy will be hoping that he can replicate the success he had in maximising the effectiveness of Dwight Howard within a team concept, using his physical gifts to draw defenders, and his rebounding prowess to maximise second chance points from the shooters he’s surrounded Drummond with. Van Gundy’s system relies on playing with a single post presence, a pick and roll focused point guard and surrounding that core with as many shooters as possible to provide the necessary spacing.

Andre Drummond’s performance will be buoyed by the fact the league has implemented rule changes to cut down on away from the play (Hack-a-Shaq) fouls.

This means even before considering any potential improvement as a player, the Piston’s most important player can still be on the floor at the end of quarters, which had become an issue the team struggled with down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs.

Drummond has upped his points and rebounds every year of his career so far, which is a frightening prospect considering he averaged 16.2 ppg and 14.8 rpg last year. The next step in the evolution of Drummond’s game will be whether he can continue to refine his post game and offensive moves to become a threat in the half court, as well as off broken plays, put-backs and transition plays. If he can improve on his 1.4 blocks and (already stellar for a center) 1.5 steals a game then he can help cement himself among the better defensive centers in the game too.

Reggie Jackson will feel like he still has a lot to prove. Despite playing well last season, in a league in which point guard is the strongest position, there are whispers over whether he’s the man to run the

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Pistons offense in the long term. In reality, Jackson quietly became one of the more efficient pick and roll ball handlers over the course of the last season, and while not necessarily efficient, has proven he can put up points when required. Reggie Jackson has never shied away from wanting to prove his ability, and while he’s out for 6-8 weeks to open the season, there’s no doubt he’ll be back with a chip on his shoulder.

Van Gundy has done an incredible job of righting the ship in Detroit and gradually forming a roster of (mostly) young talent that plays to his style. Bringing in the versatile Tobias Harris last season brought a power forward to complement Drummond, while Marcus Morris, Caldwell-Pope and Stanley Johnson all offer solid two-way play on the wings.

Boban Marjanovic was an interesting player for the Spurs, never able to secure significant court-time but who at times could absolutely dominate the minutes he did earn. While his numbers are modest in terms of per game averages, they translate incredibly in terms of per 36 minutes figures.

strong signs that he has an interesting skillset in a league that values shooting, athleticism and efficiency.

Leuer will nominally play power forward alongside the Pistons post-focused bigs and provide spacing with his outside shooting, without necessarily sacrificing size on the defensive end.

Ish Smith was a solid pickup for the Pistons to cement the point guard rotation. Having become somewhat of a journeyman the last few years, Smith has proven he can facilitate off the bench and keep teams with very different personnel ticking on the offensive end.

Having stretched the Cavaliers more than the sweep would imply, Detroit will be looking to push on this year with 50 wins the likely target having won 44 last season.

Providing they can avoid the Cavs up to that point, this roster will be gunning for the Eastern conference finals. On the other hand, if the Pistons somehow don’t start up to their expectations, it will be interesting to watch whether Van Gundy looks to cash in on any of the young, promising players from the group he’s put together.

Boban will remain a backup, but adds further depth to what Aaron Baynes provides in terms of attempting to replicate the output of Drummond as much as possible whenever he’s out of the game. Not only does Boban provide an extra layer of security in terms of potential injuries in the frontcourt, but Van Gundy will be able to rotate three solid bigs and ensure the frontcourt is ready to go come playoff time.

The addition of Jon Leuer was an under the radar move that further demonstrates Van Gundy pushing to bring players in that fit his system. While he’s always played a bench role in the NBA, in fits and starts he’s shown

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Nick Whitfield - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 42-40 (4th in Central) 10-6 in division 25-27 vs. East 17-13 vs. West 26-15 at home 16-25 on the road 2-4 in overtime PLAYOFFS Did not qualify ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 2,115-1,936 (.522) in 50 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 184-154 (.544)

The Bulls underwent one of the most radical transformations in the East, trading both Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. These were two of the absolute stalwarts of the franchise over an extended period of perennial contention in the conference and the trade seemed to indicate that the keys to the franchise were being handed to Jimmy Butler. Furthering this vacuum in leadership, the Bulls also refused to re-sign Pau Gasol and also lost a consistent bench contributor and floor spacer in Mike Dunleavy. In their place, the Bulls have brought in Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade, Jerian Grant, Robin Lopez and Michael Carter-Williams among others.

It was confusing to many looking on when the Bulls acquired Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo for several reasons. While Rondo and Wade’s All-Star track records create a sense of a ‘big three’ forming in Chicago, it’s difficult to imagine this trio complementing each other on the floor. None of them are consistent three-point shooters, which means floor spacing is going to be a real problem for this roster. Both Wade and Butler have historically liked to have the ball in their hands a lot too, which simply isn’t much of an option whenever Rondo is on the floor.

The biggest challenge for Coach Hoiberg may actually be off the floor, trying to merge the personalities of Butler, Wade and Rondo into a coherent unit, with all three having a track record of feuding with coaches and generally imposing themselves both on and off the floor. Both Wade and Rondo are on record as saying the Bulls are ‘Butler’s team’, but we’ll see if this deference is real or simply offseason PR. If the team is going to have a chance of succeeding, Butler and Wade will have to accept playing without the ball for the most part when sharing the floor with Rondo. Because of the respective ages of Wade and Rondo, this acceptance needs to happen early, or else it’s simply not likely to.

In terms of potential chemistry issues, Taj Gibson would have wanted to see an uptick in minutes this season, with Chicago’s historically crowded frontcourt looking slightly thinner. The problem Hoiberg will face however is being able to play Gibson alongside Lopez when the team’s primary backcourt so obviously lacks shooting.

Unless Noah has a major bounce back in New York, bringing in Lopez might arguably be the only position in which the Bulls have strengthened from last season.

Unless Wade or Rondo are able to replicate Jason Kidd’s late career surge in being able to stroke the ball from deep, there will be a huge reliance on Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic to provide lights out shooting to prevent defenses simply collapsing into the paint. The acquisition of Michael Carter-Williams has firmed up the Bulls point guard rotation, but the former Rookie of the Year is also not a great shooter,

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which puts an even greater emphasis on the Bulls having shooting at the forward positions.

Rajon Rondo has perhaps the largest contrast in the NBA in terms of his effectiveness with and without the ball in his hands. Having never demonstrated a consistent three point stroke, the best case scenario for Rondo is to be surrounded in finishers and shooters, which is only half true in Chicago. While some may point out that Rondo did shoot a career high 36.5% on threes last season, with limited shooting around him in Chicago he won’t be able to pick and choose his looks. No one can challenge Rondo’s ability to create for his teammates, having quietly lead the league in assists last year for the third time in his career, but it’ll be interesting to see whether he can come close to the kind of defense we saw from him in Boston.

Having opted to join his hometown Bulls, Wade leaves his South Florida legacy and will have to prove himself all over again if he’s to endear himself to Bulls fans.

Having fallen out with the Miami Heat over a perceived slight over the money he was offered this season, there may be sections of Bulls fans that worry over Wade’s motivation beyond his paycheck this year. A big part of Wade overcoming this sentiment will be replicating the 74 games he played for the Heat last season, having previously not played in 70 or more games since the 2010-11 season. A minutes restriction seemed to be effective last year in keeping Wade healthy and productive, and it would make sense for the Bulls to look to continue this. While Wade is now at the tail end of his career, he’s still a good offensive option who can show flashes of his old self down the stretch.

Butler will be one to watch this year, having publicly feuded with Coach Hoiberg last year. Butler more than anyone would have thought that it was finally his time to shine when the former MVP, Derrick Rose was traded from Chicago. Having had the ball effectively taken out of his hands with the arrival of Rondo, and the bigger ‘name’ of Wade added to the roster too, Butler faces another situation in which he will potentially feel he is wrongly positioned as a supporting player. Butler’s ascension as a player has been rapid, from Most Improved player in 2014, to All-Star appearances in 2015 and 2016, if Chicago is going to have any chance of success this year, it will likely rely on the continued improvement of Butler. As one of the best two-way guards in the league, Jimmy has to be the one setting the tone on defense, and making sure that everyone on the roster is held accountable.

With a mismatched roster and with several key contributors already having limited windows due to age, the Bulls will have to prove early that they can make this work. With the quick trade of Tony Snell for Michael Carter-Williams in mid-October, there is also a definite feeling that this roster may be a work in progress and there could be further player movement. There is an alternate universe where despite so obviously lacking shooting, everything clicks perfectly in Chicago and the Bulls are able to make a push for the playoffs. The problem is the thousands of universes in which the deficiencies in how this roster has been constructed are too big to overcome and too easy to exploit.

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Much of the narrative out of Washington last season revolved around the impending free agency of a certain Mr Kevin Durant and a potential move back home to join the Wizards. Now that KD’s future has been decided, it is time for the D.C. franchise to move on.

In amongst this speculation, the Washington Wizards never really got things going in the 2015/16 season and disappointingly finished outside of the playoff spots for the first time in three years. A record of exactly .500 wasn’t good enough for Randy Wittman to keep his job and he was fired as the season finished.

Alex Cole - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 41-41 (4th in Southeast) 10-6 in division 30-22 vs. East 11-19 vs. West 22-19 at home 19-22 on the road 0-2 in overtime PLAYOFFS Did not qualify ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 2,004-2,447 (.450) in 55 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 89-124 (.418)

Scott Brooks was the man chosen to replace Wittman as head coach for the new season. Whilst most agree that Brooks is an upgrade over Wittman, many have split opinions on whether he can be lauded for his time in Oklahoma. Brooks took a talented Thunder roster extremely far at times but failed to land the coveted prize. Coaching the Wizards will be an entirely different challenge.

Young Bradley Beal was given a max contract in the offseason and becomes the highest paid player on the squad. Beal is a pure shooter who must stay injury free this season for that contract to start paying itself off.

The University of Florida marksman has only played over 65 games in a season once during his four years in the league.

Beal’s relationship with his backcourt partner, and face of the franchise, John Wall is key to the underlying success of the ball club going forward. Wall is a one man fast break and has such quick, explosive attributes whilst still seeing the floor well. This makes him one of the most entertaining guys to tune in and watch on League Pass on any random night of the week. Despite a reasonably turbulent year for the group as a whole, Wall was close to averaging 20 points and 10 assists, which is something that only a handful of elite point guards have done over the history of the NBA. Wall is signed through until 2019 and may get frustrated if the Wizards are still in a position where they aren’t close to contending for a title.

Of course at this point it is unknown how Wall will react to a team-mate earning more than him despite him being the team’s leader on and off the court. He has indicated a somewhat frosty relationship with Beal this summer by referring to a “tendency to dislike each other on the court”. In the past the two have had various disagreements and Scott Brooks will look to pull them together on the same path to success.

Brooks believes that Wall and Beal can be one of the best 2-way guard combos in the league if he can get them playing the way he trusts they can. Wall is an underrated defender but needs maximum effort on that on that end of the floor for people to truly believe that he is the best point guard in the game. Beal is

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looking to continue to strengthen various aspects of his offensive game, with Brooks putting emphasis on both guards getting to the free throw line more often.

One of the positives to come out of last season was the acquisition of Markieff Morris. Morris has been a somewhat controversial character during his time in the league but it looking pretty settled in Washington so far and producing on the court. If he continues to keep out of trouble, he may solidify himself as the starting power forward for the Wizards.

Other than throwing a hat full of money at Bradley Beal, Washington didn’t do too much this offseason. They signed Ian Mahinmi on a 4-year deal, which I believe to be a very solid move. Mahinmi immediately makes Washington better on the defensive end of the floor (as a high level defender and rebounder) and adds depth to the roster. He will likely still come off the bench behind Marcin Gortat however, which unfortunately makes it quite disappointing as the major offseason signing for a franchise who had been saving their cap space for this summer.

weapon for the Wizards and shot 42% from beyond the arc in second half of last season.

Scott Brooks hopes to get a hold of this team like Wittman couldn’t. But with plenty of uncertainties, the Wizards ceiling is tough to predict when it comes to their success this season. If things start to click and they are fortunate enough to pick up no injuries; they could be looking to challenge the likes of Toronto towards the top of the East and face multiple rounds in the playoffs.

However, if the chemistry evaporates, players start to squabble and key players pick up injuries again; this team could find themselves scrambling just to make the 8th seed and compete in the postseason. Make no bones about it, this teams should be somewhere in the middle of the playoff pack, so the latter would be a huge disappointment. A lot lies on the shoulders of Brooks as many see this as a true test of his coaching abilities.

Other role players signed include Andrew Nicholson and Jason Smith. We saw Jason Smith display his midrange abilities for Orlando Magic in the London 2016 game, where he dropped 16 points in a rare 37 minute night, but he will be behind Gortat and Mahinmi in the depth chart in Washington. Nicholson is 26 years old and trying to progress his skills as a stretch four but will take few minutes from Morris at PF. They will have to improve from within and one position where they can do this is at SF where they have the young pairing of Otto Porter and Kelly Oubre Jnr. Porter in particular is showing signs of being a legitimate

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Joe Hulbert - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 35-47 (5th in Southeast) 4-12 in division 21-31 vs. East 14-16 vs. West 23-18 at home 12-29 on the road 3-5 in overtimee PLAYOFFS Did not qualify ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 1,062-1,104 (.490) in 27 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 57-66 (.463)

For the first time since Stan Van Gundy, the Magic have a genuinely alright Head Coach in Frank Vogel. I may be being a little harsh towards Scott Skiles, as he did get them more organised at both ends of the floor But it was clear that he was never going to take this team to the next level as he was too abrasive with his players and he simply didn’t have the creativity that is required from a coach in 2016. Frank Vogel isn’t necessarily the most creative coach in the world either, but his defensive schemes are amazing and he has a roster that is capable of being very strong on that end of the floor. The Magic seemingly went all in on defense as they acquired Serge Ibaka from the Oklahoma City Thunder and signed Bismack Biyombo to a near-max deal from the Toronto Raptors. When you add these two to a group containing the rangy, athletic freak Aaron Gordon and the understated Elfrid Payton, you have a stingy group that will make it extremely difficult for opposing offenses to get anything going.

One of the major themes surrounding this team is the belief the franchise have in Aaron Gordon. Last season, Tobias Harris was seen as their best player by many, but one of the reasons he was flipped at the deadline was because they wanted to make room for Gordon to become the full time small forward in Orlando. Harris obviously offers much more on the offensive end, but Gordon is an incredible defender and athlete who has started to develop an outside shot. He is seen as the franchise player, but in order to become as valuable as other franchise players he absolutely has to develop an offensive game.

In honesty, that will be the main issue for the Magic.

Outside of Evan Fournier and Nicola Vucevic, they don’t really have a lot of offensive creation. Two creators may seem fine, but Vucevic is caught in a logjam in the frontcourt and doesn’t really fit into the defensive philosophy that Frank Vogel will want to install with this team. Elfrid Payton is very average on offense, Bismack Biyombo is alright at a small volume and Serge Ibaka was only really used as a spot-up three point shooter in Oklahoma City. What is also worrying is that Frank Vogel isn’t really a guy who is great at getting good offense out of defensive minded groups. In his last year in charge of the Indiana Pacers the team ranked 23rd in offensive efficiency with a very similar roster to what the Magic currently have. He will sort them out on one end, but he is absolutely not the kind of guy who is going to milk this team for all the offensive potential it has.

The bench unit has the potential to be fun, Nicola Vucevic is a matchup nightmare for most second units and Mario Hezonja has shown a good deal of potential in his short time in the League. I would expect Vogel

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to almost unleash Hezonja in the way that Scott Skiles never did, his direct play has the potential to give this team a much needed spark.

Although this team’s prospects don’t look great, they have some fun small ball line-ups they can use which is kind of ironic given how tall their roster is. A lineup of DJ Augustin, Mario Hezonja, Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon and Serge Ibaka could give a good balance and it is clear from the Magic pre-season that Vogel is committed to using many different line-ups in order to find offense wherever he can.

Evan Fournier is a player who probably could have found a better home elsewhere in the NBA, but the Magic should be very glad that he has stayed with the team. He is an amazing three point shooter as shown by his 40% chip from downtown last year and he was the guy that Orlando went to in high pressure situations. Fournier is going to be important because of his ability to play both on and off the ball, it adds an unpredictability that Orlando will desperately need over the course of the season. Fournier isn’t a great defender, but Orlando absolutely have the pieces to mask his inefficiencies on that side of the ball and they will be difficult to score on.

Stan Van Gundy committed daylight robbery against his old team. Add to this the Ibaka trade, though the Magic probably needed his outside shot, his contract expires at the end of this year which essentially means that if he walks, the franchise gave up Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and a first round draft pick for nothing.

General Manager Rob Hennigan is making win-now moves when this team isn’t even close to winning.

Sure they may be good on the defensive end, but they lack creativity and they don’t have a secure future Biyombo and Fournier took up a huge bunch of the cap room and Ibaka could easily walk out on the team after one year.

Overall, the Magic are barely, if at all, in the playoff race this year. They will be good defensively but there have been plenty of defensive teams who have found it hard in an Eastern Conference that is full of teams who are well drilled at both ends of the floor, as opposed to just one. The Magic will struggle to get to 30 wins, but at least they will be in the top ten of the defensive efficiency charts.

When you analyse recent moves made by the Magic front office, it is fair to react with negativity. The Tobias Harris trade was frankly ridiculous as he is one of the more versatile pieces in the whole of the NBA having the ability to play both in the post and as an outside shooter. They got very little in return for him,

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Finishing with 33 wins last season would have felt like a disappointment to many Bucks fans, taking into account the huge strides the team made the previous year and being another year into this young roster’s development cycle. There were sure signs of progress as the season rolled on, with the nucleus of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jabari Parker finding form, fitness and chemistry by the end of the season, but too late to make a playoff push. On the downside, the marquee signing of Greg Monroe proved an uncomfortable fit, and the defensive efficiency that had fueled the team’s success markedly declined.

Nick Whitfield - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 33-49 (5th in Central) 4-12 in division 21-31 vs. East 12-18 vs. West 23-18 at home 10-31 on the road 4-0 in overtime PLAYOFFS Did not qualify ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 1,983-1,905 (.510) in 48 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 106-122 (.465)

The Bucks have an interesting roster filled with versatile, long, athletic players at all positions, with Jason Kidd’s philosophy built around creating a stifling defense and a series of matchup problems on offense.

The keys to the point guard position were handed over to Giannis last year, and signs were encouraging enough that this is likely going to stick as a key part of the rotation moving into the new season. The Bucks can potentially start a 6ft 11 point guard, with Michael Carter-Williams having departed for Chicago.

Having watched the awkward assimilation process last season, it looks like the Bucks made a mistake bringing in Greg Monroe the previous Summer. He’s one of the few players that doesn’t fit with Kidd’s philosophy and it shows. The logic was understandable - have a key player to make use of in the half court, and for teams deliberately slowing the pace or who are potentially vulnerable defensively in the frontcourt. What has proven more obvious however, is that Monroe is not a stalwart defender himself, and also struggles to find a role within a team that seems most suited to a running, fast-paced offense.

By midseason last year, the Bucks had already discovered the hyper athletic Miles Plumlee to be the rim protector, rebounder and fast break trailer that would fit better with how the team wanted to play.

John Henson also proved to be capable of playing important minutes, and providing shot blocking without stagnating the offense. While Monroe did still manage to contribute in terms of points and rebounds (as well as actually finishing the year with the highest win share on the team) over the course of the season, the awkward fit with Kidd’s philosophy and the fact he has the largest contract for the Bucks means he’ll likely be a trade candidate in the first half of the season.

The other key weakness for the Bucks last season was long range shooting. While Khris Middleton, Jerryd Bayless (now gone) and O.J. Mayo (since disqualified from the league for violating their anti-drugs policy) were all good shooters last year, it’s tough in today’s NBA for a team to have such limited shooting in the starting lineup. While the team added Matthew Dellavedova, Jason Terry and Mirza Teletovic this

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offseason, there are still likely to be a number of key lineups for the Bucks that struggle to space the floor.

The nucleus of the Bucks is now set, with three key contributors that will largely define how the season plays out.

Khris Middleton led the team in scoring last season, putting up 18.2 ppg, 3.8rpg and 4.2apg (as well as a solid 1.7 spg) and the Bucks have nailed down his future for the next few years with a new contract signed in 2015. Expect Middleton to produce similarly this season, quietly becoming one of the better wings in the East.

Jabari Parker bounced back from injury nicely last season, not only putting up an efficient 14.1 ppg and 5.2 rpg, but also managing to play in 76 games. Jabari is a strong candidate to improve on his numbers from last time out, entering his third season in the NBA, he’ll want to make up for lost time, and should have a natural progression in his game. Parker’s offensive versatility will also allow the Bucks to experiment roster-wise in terms of moving him between being a big small forward, or a mobile, playmaking power forward.

Giannis Antetokounmpo could well step forward into becoming one of the league’s better, and certainly most unique players this season. Already posting stats of 16.9 ppg, 7.7rpg, 4.3 apg and over a steal and a block per game he can flat out do it all. Towards the end of the year, Giannis showed signs of taking yet another step forward, averaging 18.8 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 7.2 apg, 1.9 bpg and 1.4 spg over the final 29 games. If he can work on his accuracy from long range, he could become unstoppable.

If Giannis continues to flourish playing the point guard spot with the Bucks, you’d naturally expect his numbers to increase with usage, but it will also be fascinating to see if he can improve even further defensively. With his incredible length and speed, he has the potential to be an incredibly disruptive presence on the perimeter, and a key factor in instigating transition, where we really saw the chemistry between Middleton, Parker and Giannis work well.

The addition of Dellavedova, with his prickly approach to defense is likely seen as a step towards restoring the team’s defensive record, or suggests Kidd wants to move Giannis off the ball more as the season develops. Dellavedova had a fine Olympic showing over the Summer and will surely have a point to prove coming from the reigning NBA champs.

Thon Maker’s combination of size and athleticism intrigued the Bucks enough to spend the 10th pick in the draft on him, which fits nicely with how the team has chosen to appraise talent in the past few years.

By all reports Maker is unlikely to make a huge splash this coming season, but the team’s gamble on taking another wiry athletic prospect in Antetokounmpo paid off spectacularly.

The team’s improvement will have to come predominantly from Kidd building a rotation that allows for better floor spacing, as well as the continued development of the team’s young core. The unpredictable element to watch for will be whether the team can shift Monroe for another piece that fit’s the team’s philosophy better, and how quickly Kidd can integrate any incoming players into how he wants to play.

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The Knicks go into the season teetering on the brink; theirs is a fine line between success and abject failure.

A rejuvenated Derrick Rose, a solid Joakim Noah, and a sharpshooting Courtney Lee could be the additions that New York needs to make a run at the playoffs.

Conversely, Rose and Noah are serious injury risks, and combined with the long-running saga of Derrick Rose’s off-court legal issues the ingredients are there for a galactic-scale disaster.

Matt Soto - Lead Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 32-50 (3rd in Atlantic) 8-8 in division 21-31 vs. East 11-19 vs. West 18-23 at home 14-27 on the road 2-2 in overtime PLAYOFFS Did not qualify ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 2,701-2,774 (.493) in 70 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 186-189 (.496)

Undoubtedly the biggest move of the Knicks offseason was the addition of Rose in a trade from Chicago. The 2010-2011 MVP point guard has unquestionable talent, but in recent years has not been able to avoid injury.

In the four years since his ACL tear Rose has played in more than 40 regular season games only twice, although the optimistic amongst the Knicks faithful will highlight the 66 games he competed in last season.

When healthy, the post-injury Rose still has enough athleticism to puncture the defense and drive to the rim. He is no longer able to throw down with the same power that characterised his MVP campaign, but he still has enough in those knees to make teams pay. He is also treading a well-worn road of injured superstars - the evolution from athletic supernatural to skilled veteran shooter. He has always had decent shooting numbers but he will need to keep working on this as defenses push up on his outside game now that the likelihood of him blowing past them is reduced.

There may be another reason Rose was so keen to make the move to New York: Phil Jackson and the triangle offense. As he moves into the latter stages of his career Rose could contribute with his vision and passing to a team built around the fluid movement of the triangle. He will have the freedom to attack defenders off the dribble and can kick out to open shooters. But he must reduce the number of turnovers from his funky jump-pass now that his athleticism is reduced. Coach Jeff Hornacek will give Rose the freedom to attack in this way as he blends his drive and kick slashing plays into the established virtues of the Knicks’ triangle.

Joakim Noah, the 7ft center with whom Rose shared a court in Chicago, is in many ways a perfect fit for the triangle. Noah signed a four-year $72 million deal in the offseason to reunite with former Bulls teammate. The Knicks were willing to pay so much, in spite of his injury record, because Noah has the perfect package for a team looking to run the triangle -- the ability to thread passes on offense and to finish simple opportunities at the rim.

Noah is not a skilled offensive player, possessing a basic jump-hook and little else. His jump-shot will make your eyes bleed. As a result of these offensive shortcomings, the gregarious Noah is likely to receive more technical fouls than double-doubles. His all-out style will go down well in the Garden, but it must be backed up by solid passing on offense, rim protection,

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and the shot-altering style that led to his 2013 Defensive Player of the Year award.

This could be a fantastic season for Carmelo Anthony.

The skilled forward brings back his sweet shooting stroke, and this year can count on more open looks with which he can punish opposing teams. Last season, the Knicks offense often degenerated into improvised isolation sets for Melo preceded by little effective ball movement. Defenses were free to play tight on Melo owing to the lack of threats posed by the rest of the Knicks offense. It won’t be like that this year. Derrick Rose has the ability to penetrate and force opposing defenders to collapse on the basket, and with the huge frame of Kristaps Porzingis looming for rebounds alongside the tenacious approach of Joakim Noah there is sure to be space outside for Melo to release his jump shot.

Anthony is also an underrated passer. The triangle system will place him in a position to be a threat both as a shooter or finding cutters to the basket with pinpoint dimes. If Melo’s teammates stay injury-free it is possible to see him putting up big, yet efficient shooting numbers, solid assists, and a strong win-loss record. That will be enough to make the MVP voters take notice. The time is now for Melo, and the Knicks’ management knows it. They have loaded up to help their star take them to the East finals for the first time since 2000.

The rest of the roster is filled out by good role players who fit the system. Courtney Lee has a solid offensive game and will be asked to do the things that work for him - take the open jumper and move the ball around the triangle quickly. Brandon Jennings can put points up in a hurry at the guard position, and Kyle O’Quinn is pushing for the Most Valuable Beard award from the backup center slot.

So the additions, on the surface, look like they fit the system. Joakim Noah is one of the best passing big men in the league. Porzingis can dribble-penetrate, pass, and take the open look, which are three keys to being effective in the triangle - very few power forwards have the length or mobility to deal with the ever-improving ‘Zinger’.

Knicks fans are rightfully excited about the upcoming season. However, the big name additions are all a few years removed from their best form and are undoubted injury risks. The new Knicks are all good system fits though and on paper, look like a top-8 team in the East.

They will walk a knife-edge of success all season. If the Knicks can avoid injuries to the biggest players, and the system fits the starting five like it should, a couple of playoff series victories are possible - especially if they avoid the Cavaliers.

Another huge star resides at the other forward position, and as always in the Big Apple, bigger is better. At 7ft 3, Kristaps Porzingis possesses a nice shot and an all-round competent offensive game that will flourish within the spacing afforded by the offseason additions.

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In Brooklyn, the hand of owner Mikhail Prokhorov guides everything. And like a ghost ship, the Nets sail on, led by their captain with no destination at hand.

Thankfully for Nets fans, the decks were cleared after last season’s sleepwalk to disaster and with the addition of some reliable, if unspectacular veterans, Brooklyn will aim to lay the foundations for future success.

Matt Soto - Lead Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 21-61 (4th in Atlantic) 6-10 in division 12-40 vs. East 9-21 vs. West 14-27 at home 7-34 on the road 1-2 in overtime PLAYOFFS Did not qualify ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 1,360-1,872 (.421) in 40 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 62-80 (.437)

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The Nets are now caught in a rebuild, which is hugely unfortunate as they have almost nothing to rebuild with.

After a monumental splurge in the summer of 2012 the Nets have parted ways with the huge contracts of Deron Willams and Joe Johnson and this summer traded away Thaddeus Young for a first round draft pick, signalling their full rebuild. That leaves Brook Lopez as the final holdover from the Nets’ last foray into the postseason.

Having learnt from their previous mistakes, Nets General Manager Sean Marks invested in low-cost reliable veterans to strengthen the Nets’ weakened core. This seems like a well-justified strategy, but is ultimately one that will not pack-out the Barclays Centre in springtime.

Jeremy Lin joins the Nets from Charlotte, bringing his controlled offensive game that Coach Kenny Atkinson will rely on to set up the pick and roll with center Brook Lopez. Keep an eye out for the breakout of Linsanity 2.0, as Lin should see plenty of opportunities when teams switch onto the dangerous Lopez and move over to defend the paint. Lin will also find himself surrounded by good quality outside shooting in the form of the rangy Bojan Bogdanovic and the cutting athleticism of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. In this context, expect Lin’s assists to rise from the 3 dimes per game he had last season in Charlotte. Overall, Lin represents an obvious upgrade from previous point guard Jarrett Jack, providing the Nets with a precise offensive curator who can maximise the talents of his teammates.

Hollis-Jefferson is a talented swingman who, whilst still raw, will be a key part of the Nets’ resurgence over the coming seasons. Standing at 6ft 7, he possess the height and athleticism to guard multiple positions, which should help the Nets cover dribble penetration and allow for fluid switching against small ball lineups. In his rookie season Hollis-Jefferson dropped 5.8 points and grabbed 5.3 boards in only 21 minutes of action, before a fractured ankle derailed his campaign.

The Nets camp believe he has fully recovered from the injury, and he will be keen to make an impact during the extended minutes provided this season. Randy Foye will battle for minutes with Hollis-Jefferson, but is likely to be relied upon to carry the scoring load on the reserve unit. Foye is a serviceable NBA player who has

had a solid career, but has not shown the ability to be a lead scorer so will have to have a significant step-up to shift Hollis-Jefferson out of the starting line-up.

Bojan Bogdanovic will fill the small forward spot. The 6ft 8 Croatian has a sweet shooting stroke, exemplified by last season’s 44 point outburst against division rival Philadelphia. He will need to show more consistency in his defensive game to solidify his claim on a starting place, although his value as an outside shooter on a team with an effective post-presence and skilled passer in undeniable.

Louis Scola will play at the power forward and has the unenviable task of filling the shoes of the departed Thaddeus Young. Scola shot a respectable field goal percentage on the conference finalist Toronto Raptors last season, but increasingly lacks the athleticism to deploy his skilled post moves, or effectively defend his position for long periods, particularly against stretch 4s. Nets fans will take a repeat of his statistics last season in Toronto, but Scola figures to be posterised on several occasions this season. In a division chock full of skilled forwards, Scola will have to play smart, strong defense to avoid riding the pine on a regular basis.

a force on the glass and will hope to improve on his 7.8 rebounds per game from last season, although the loss of Thaddeus Young may mean that opposing teams can focus on boxing out Lopez. Opponents will happily double up on Lopez in the post, so it is crucial that the Nets’ wings show accurate outside shooting and the ability to cut to the basket in order to keep the defense moving. Without this movement the Nets offensive plays will resemble a game of stick-in-themud, and the defense isn’t likely to be good enough to keep games like that close.

The Nets have made some considered decisions this offseason that put them on track to improve their record. None of their acquisitions place them on the road to the playoffs, but crucially, the Nets have not mortgaged their future to salvage something in the present. It may take time, but this is the first year of a rebuild. Patience is key for the Nets -- something that New York isn’t good at.

Standing at 7 feet tall, center Brook Lopez is the literal and figurative tower of strength for the Nets. Lopez’s offensive production was excellent last season. He put up 20 points per game whilst shooting 51% from the field - which is particularly impressive given the lack of talent on last year’s Nets squad. Lopez is still

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The pain of the past few years has been brutal for the 76ers. Previous General Manager Sam Hinkie paid the price for the slow progress over the past three seasons, but Philly fans can take heart that the incoming Colangelo regime trusts the system. Their reputation for reckless roster construction was not continued this summer. Thankfully for Philadelphia, the huge potential of the 76ers young core remains intact, and is now surrounded by solid veteran players who can further the development of the young talent while avoiding the dumpster fires of previous seasons.

Matt Soto - Lead Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 10-72 (5th in Atlantic) 2-14 in division 3-49 vs. East 7-23 vs. West 7-34 at home 3-38 on the road 0-4 in overtime PLAYOFFS Did not qualify ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 2,726-2,578 (.514) in 67 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 216-205 (.513)

So, is the year that Philly haul themselves out of the basement? It still won’t look good, but Sixers fans can take heart that the core of this team will be in the playoffs in three years, and that is where the mistakes and blowout losses of the last few seasons will be worth it.

For the first month of the season, the Sixers might be the worst must-watch League Pass team – and that was before number 1 pick, Ben Simmons broke his foot.

Once healthy, on offense, Philadelphia will allow Ben Simmons to bring the ball down court using his rare blend of size, speed and vision. Whilst it didn’t translate to enough wins in his college career at Louisiana State University, Simmons showed such skill at the forward position to be anointed the successor to the King, LeBron James. It remains to be seen if the Aussie has the rare blend of physical and mental power as James, but many of the tools are in place. Coach Brett Brown has already stated his desire to run parts of the offense using the smooth handle of Simmons to probe for mis-matches. It will be fascinating to see if this translates to the NBA, where many small forwards are as big as college centers. What is unquestionable is that Simmons must develop a cleaner offensive stroke to be respected as a threat in the NBA. He showed some flashes in Summer League skirmishes, but there is little time for major adjustments in the 82 game NBA season. If that shot isn’t working in November it is unlikely to in April.

The likely starting guards, Jerryd Bayles and Gerald Henderson, are good spot-up shooters and coach Brown will use down screens and pitch post sets to get the pair clear looks at the basket. Simmons should rack up some nice assist numbers facilitating for his guards. The savvy addition of these outside threats will create space for the thrusts of Simmons and allow the 76ers other young big men to establish themselves in the post.

Jahlil Okafor will again man the low post. He’ll continue to be a presence on the boards and has some of the smoothest post moves of any young player in the L.

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His 17 points and 7 rebounds per game in a rookie year, surrounded by the league’s youngest rotation, underlines his potential. But the biggest obstacles for Okafor are off the court. Speeding fines and street brawls punctuated his first season, leading to a team suspension and forcing the 76ers to assign a security guard to accompany Okafor in public. If he stays focused Okafor has the opportunity to be an All-Star, but a repeat of last season will see him traded to teams desperate for an inside presence.

leadership of Henderson and guidance of the coaching staff to limit the damage. Nerlens Noel is being dangled as trade bait by 76ers management, but if he sticks around he will perform a useful function as defensive stopper. Standing at 7ft to the top of his head, and 7ft 5 to his high top, Noel has the stature to affect shots in the painted area. However, Noel is moving into the final year of his rookie contract and needs to crank up his offensive efficiency and be the defensive force the 76ers need if he is to prevent being labelled a bust.

Joel Embiid, the possible starter at power forward, is somewhat of a forgotten man. The second pick in the 2015 draft, Embiid could be the key to allowing this young group to flourish in the future. Good spacing will be crucial in allowing Simmons and Okafor to be effective and Embiid may be the silver bullet. He probably has the best footwork and post moves of any big man entering the league in the last five years; his movement and demeanour hark back to Hakeem Olajuwan. To maximise his impact on the Sixers the big man from Kansas will establish position on the high and low post and will need to show he can efficiently score in isolation from those positions. If he can, the floor will be open for the 76ers other offensive talents: The veteran guards will get their looks, Okafor will be released from double teams, and Simmons can attack smaller and slower forwards in space.

It isn’t hyperbole to suggest that the 76ers have the best core of future talent outside of Golden State and Boston. However, the upcoming season isn’t likely to be too pretty, and well-oiled offensive teams will slice up Philly’s youngsters. The fans can stay positive through -- these are the hard yards. If the talents mesh the 76ers will be a perennial playoff team in the 2020s.

It could be ugly early on -- Philadelphia play 8 playoff teams in the first 10 games. The Sixers faithful have seen enough losses lately so Coach Brown will aim to hit the ground running with his young and talented roster, but Sixers fans shouldn’t lose faith. It is about three seasons too early for the 76ers, but listen carefully, that Liberty Bell will ring in celebration soon enough.

The biggest transition for a young player often comes at the defensive end of the court. Rarely are the top talents in the draft challenged by NBA-calibre players, so Simmons, Embiid and the rest will rely on the

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western CONFERENCE PREVIEWS

Revenge is a dish best served cold they say, and you can guarantee one thing this season, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors are out for some. And who can blame them? Last June saw a 3-1 Finals lead become a 3-4 Finals defeat, and no one saw it coming, least of all themselves.

So thus we begin again, the quest for a championship but in the NBA’s powerhouse Western Conference, nothing is ever as easy as it seems.

Irrespective of where the NBA crown rests, each season the Western Conference is hyped to be the favourite. And even if this is advantage doesn’t play out on court, it certainly provides us with some of the most exciting storylines for the year. But surely it’s the Warriors to lose? Wrong.

There are few things in this world as certain as death and taxes, but the San Antonio Spurs are up there and once again, however implausible, have seemingly improved. Then the Los Angeles Clippers find themselves in a make or break year which could define the franchise’s prospects for the several seasons.

But the Western Conference questions don’t stop there. Outside of the top three, the conference becomes so competitive, its pot luck for seedings anywhere between fourth and eleventh. And then, even at the bottom of the conference, there are some exciting young talents itching to make an impact in the league.

The world’s most popular NBA franchise, the Los Angeles Lakers look to make a return to relevance once again and quiet young unknowns, such as the Denver Nuggets are waiting patiently to make their mark.

So without further ado, here are your Western Conference Previews.

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Ross MacLeod - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 73-9 (1st in Pacific) 15-1 in division 27-3 vs. East 46-6 vs. West 39-2 at home 34-7 on the road 6-1 in overtime PLAYOFFS 15-9 Defeated Houston 4-1 in Western Conference First Round Defeated Portland 4-1 in Western Conference Semifinals Defeated Oklahoma City 4-3 in Western Conference Finals Lost to Cleveland 3-4 in NBA Finals ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 2,590-2,884 (.473) in 70 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 144-145 (.498)

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Last season saw the Warriors break the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls regular season wins record, finishing with a phenomenal 73 wins. Many expected them to coast to the NBA Finals again, but after overcoming the Oklahoma City Thunder in a gruelling 7 game series, they blew a 3-1 finals series lead eventually falling to the Cavs in the Oracle arena. This summer they have endured “3-1” taunts from rival fans, the loss overshadowing their historic achievement. So how did the Warriors react? Simply by landing the biggest free agent in former MVP (Most Valuable Player) Kevin Durant, they have re-installed themselves as the team to beat. His arrival will undoubtedly cause even more havoc on the court, terrifying opposing players and coaches alike. But this means also they have targets on their backs...

Gone from the roster are Leandro Barbosa, Andrew Bogut, Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezili, Marresse Speights and Brandon Rush. In their place David West, Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee have joined the supporting cast to complement the aforementioned massive addition of Durant to this team. Curry, Thompson, Green and Iguodala will form the core with KD to give a true line-up of death. They will hurt teams on the fast break, from outside and inside making their main unit a juggernaut which will take some stopping.

To have the array of scoring options (will Curry or KD be number one?!?) at their disposal, together with the defensive presence of Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala is incredible. This Warriors unit will look to put teams away early, leaving their stars to rest up with the heavy schedules ahead, and potential finals revenge mission against the Cleveland Cavaliers in June firmly in their minds. Their main rivals in the West will again be San Antonio who will slow the game down, preferring inside scoring, and the Los Angeles Clippers who may look to get into a shootout with the Warriors. Either way, this Golden State team is well equipped to deal with either style of play and take advantage of the mismatches their small ball line-up creates on offense.

Detractors will say that there will be sacrifices to be made by some players. Playing time may be reduced for KD compared to what he had in Oklahoma, Thompson may see less touches and Steph Curry may see a drop in his scoring numbers. For this team though, that may not be an issue as the players surely recognise the opportunity they have to form a perennial championship winning team for the next five or six season. You look at the Miami team that had the big three of Lebron, Wade and Bosh. They all made the necessary adjustments to make it work, financially and statistically to become that beast in the East. It will be interesting to see how it works out financially with

future contracts for Curry, KD and Thompson.

They will miss the interior passing and presence that Bogut provided, and the spark that Barbosa offered them from the bench. However Zaza Pachulia stepping in gives them a solid enough presence after a good season in Dallas, David West continues his pursuit of a championship ring whilst still being able to contribute, and Shaun Livingston is a more than able deputy at the guard position.

It’s easy to forget that Luke Walton coached the team for the first 43 games of last season, in which time he set a league record for the longest winning streak to open an NBA campaign. The Lakers pinched him in the offseason, making him their head coach, so Steve Kerr reacted by bringing in Mike Brown as associate head coach, a man who has a wealth of experience having been a head coach in his own right with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers. Kerr previously had Alvin Gentry in a similar role before he departed for New Orleans. Willie Green also joined the coaching staff in charge of Player Development.

Green only recently retired from playing after a 12 year career and is highly thought of by Kerr. Former twotime MVP Steve Nash also has consulting duties with the Warriors and has been seen working out with the players in training camp.

the massive talent that Kevin Durant brings to this team.

Barring serious injuries to key players, this team will be around the 70 wins mark again. Steph is projected to be at full health, after admitting he was not firing on all cylinders during the playoffs. Now that there is another scoring champion on the team, this will lessen the burden on his ankles that have bothered him in parts of his career to date, and in turn keep him fresher for the playoffs.

The loudest arena in the league is going to get louder this season. Watching what is virtually the starting five for the Western All-Star team on one court is crazy when you think about it, but that is what they are. We may be about to witness the most exciting team in NBA history witness and if you thought the Warriors were great the last two seasons, then strap yourselves in for the ride. It’s about to go off...

The ceiling for this team is so high, it’s virtually impossible not to consider them as the favourites for the NBA Finals, and to go on and win it. The early games may see a period of adjustment for the players to get used to their new roles adjusting to incorporate

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July 11th was a sad day for Spurs fans across the globe, and perhaps one of the most important days in the history of the franchise, if not the whole league. Power forward, and living legend, Tim Duncan decided to call it a day on his epic 19-season career, all of which he spent with the team who drafted him way back in 1997, the San Antonio Spurs.

Ciaran Mills - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 67-15 (1st in Southwest) 14-2 in division 24-6 vs. East 43-9 vs. West 40-1 at home 27-14 on the road 1-0 in overtime PLAYOFFS 6-4 Defeated Memphis 4-0 in Western Conference First Round Lost to Oklahoma City Thunder 2-4 in Western Conference Semifinals ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 2,006-1,226 (.621) in 40 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 210-165 (.560)

He retired with 26,496 points (the 17th highest total of all time), 15,091 rebounds (7th) and 3,020 blocks (6th) in 1,392 games (8th, behind just John Stockton in most games played for one franchise). His numbers may seem a little low - you can thank Pop’s mentality of resting players for that - but when you add in five championships, two MVP titles and fifteen All-Star nods you can see why he is revered by so many.

But this was more than just another legend retiring.

This is a sign of the beginning of the end for the old guard in San Antonio. After fourteen seasons together - including four championship runs - the big three of Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili is down to two, with the guards playing smaller roles themselves.

Even head coach Gregg Popovich is starting to enter the last few years of his career. Despite taking on a new job with USA Basketball, it was clear to see the effect Duncan retiring had on him, and at the age of 67 he must be thinking of calling it a day himself. He signed a five-year contract last summer, and he has told media sources that he intends to see it out to the very end – that being the 2018-19 campaign. Whether this is true or not remains to be seen.

It all looks pretty bleak for Spurs fans after 20 years of dominance. But they should not fear, as the new guard are coming in. Led by LaMarcus Aldridge, Danny Green, and two-time Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs are still breathing; and thriving with that.

Green recently took a pay cut to stay with the Spurs, and although he had a bit of a dip in form last season, fans hope the sharpshooting 29 year old can rediscover his shooting form this year. Aldridge is the most recent addition to the team, signing from the Trail Blazers on a four-year deal last season. Despite being 31 years of age, the Texas native is still producing at as high a rate as ever, and fit exceedingly well in the Spurs system despite some early jitters.

But the real buzz in San Antonio is around their small forward Kawhi Leonard. A two-time Defensive Player of the Year - one of just nine players to win the award more than once - Leonard has very quietly risen into one of the top players in the league. He came second in MVP voting last season, and has seen his stats rise every year since he’s been in the league.

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His talents aren’t just impressing fans and pundits, Duncan - the previous leader of the team - has come out and said that the team now belongs to Leonard.

The small forward seems like the perfect candidate to take over from the outgoing legend; quiet, reserved, but extremely talented.

Another young small forward impressing people is Kyle Anderson. At just 22 years of age, he already has eleven starts under his belt, and saw his role improved after a very impressive summer league campaign which resulted in him winning the MVP award. With his 6ft 9 stature and ball handling skills, he is a very versatile player who can be played across several positions.

Predicting how many games the Spurs are going to win is hard to tell. To win is in their DNA and they have won over 50 league games every season since the 1998-99 lock-out campaign. But the loss of Duncan, as well as key role players such as Boban Marjanovic, David West and Boris Diaw may affect them more than fans care to admit. The beauty of Pop’s system though is that it is based around team work and movement, rather than any player being a star. Players come and go, though the system continues to work.

two-year, $30 million deal may be seen as a little pricey for the seven-footer, but the increased cap space will help to soften the blow.

David Lee is a signing that intrigues many as well. After being traded from the Warriors for cap space reasons, he struggled to fit in at both Boston and Dallas and decided to try free agency. A move to San Antonio is ideal for both parties; Lee gets a real shot at another championship ring, while the Spurs get a dependable forward for almost the veteran’s minimum.

Behind the record breaking 73-9 Golden State Warriors, it is easy to forget the Spurs had one of the best seasons ever last year. A 67-15 campaign put them seventh on the all-time NBA list, and despite the lack of a ring (or even Conference finals appearance) they should hold their heads high. I do think there will be a dip this season, as they may try to reserve more for the postseason campaign, so I have them winning 62 games. Their playoff run will be harder to predict, but a conference finals bow is overdue. If anyone is to push the Warriors in the west, it will surely be them.

Besides, it’s not all been losses. They have managed to bring veteran forwards Pau Gasol and David Lee into the squad, and I believe that they will both make a positive impact in their time in San Antonio. Gasol is still producing at a high rate despite being 36 years of age, proved by his stint with his country in the Olympics.

He averaged 19.5 points and a tournament best 8.9 rebounds a game, in just 28 minutes per contest. A

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One of the most interesting teams to watch going into the 2016-17 campaign will undoubtedly be the Oklahoma City Thunder. Not because of the additions they made this offseason, but because of one particular subtraction.

Life after Kevin Durant begins in earnest on 27 October as, for the first time in nine years, they head to Philadelphia to face the upstart 76ers without one half of the superstar-duo that brought everything but a championship to Oklahoma.

Sean Guest - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 55-27 (1st in Northwest) 13-3 in division 18-12 vs. East 37-15 vs. West 32-9 at home 23-18 on the road 3-2 in overtime PLAYOFFS 11-7 Defeated Dallas 4-1 in Western Conference First Round Defeated San Antonio 4-2 in Western Conference Semifinals Lost to Golden State 3-4 in Western Conference Finals ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 2,139-1,831 (.539) in 49 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 157-151 (.510)

It is a new era for the Thunder, and fans should be under no illusion about just how challenging it will be to move on. Durant was, after all, their talisman, averaging 27.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists since getting drafted second by the (then) Seattle Supersonics back in 2007.

While he leaves a gaping hole, the Thunder can still count on Russell Westbrook, who has averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.6 assists on his career, despite playing in Durant’s shadow. Ever since KD announced his decision to sign with the Golden State Warriors, Westbrook’s been in a defiant mood, telling the media his goal is to “Win. The main focus is to win a championship every year. And that’s what I will try to do on both sides of the ball. Leadership wise as well.”

He has also expressed some uncertainty as well, explaining “I don’t know how it’s gonna work out. I’m going to just continue to do what I’ve been doing.

Come in and try to get better and lead our team.”

In some respects the Thunder will be starting afresh this year, especially as they opted to trade veteran power forward Serge Ibaka to the Orlando Magic for shooting guard Victor Oladipo (as well as Ersan Ilyasova and Domantas Sabonis) on draft night.

That deal was devised in order to free up extra cap space to re-sign Durant, but has instead made OKC’s starting five younger and more dynamic. Oladipo does, after all, appear to be an ok fit for OKC. While his game is still developing, he did show signs of the player he can be in Orlando last year, averaging 16.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Dipping into the advanced stats, Oladipo also highlighted his ability to play on both ends of the ball by contributing a 4.9 win share, 2.7 of which came on the defensive end.

Yeah he struggles with his shot at times, but Oladipo is a talented young player whose athleticism makes him a more intriguing backcourt partner for Westbrook than the departing Dion Waiters and Randy Foye.

That said, like Westbrook, Oladipo does need the ball in his hands in order to make things happen, so it’ll be interesting to see how the two fare alongside one another once we get down to it.

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The Thunder’s other new additions include Daniel Hamilton, as well as the aforementioned Sabonis and Ilyasova, all of whom should make the team deeper if not necessarily better.

There is a chance that Ilysova’s ability to space the floor and hit the deep ball will make him the favourite to start over Enes Kanter at the four. Andre Roberson, another shooter who averaged 4.8 points per game while playing limited minutes last season, will likely attempt to fill KD’s unfillable shoes at the three. This is, of course, OKC’s biggest concern going into the new season, as Roberson will have to step up dramatically this year, especially from deep, where he averaged just 31 percent last season.

In addition to Westbrook and Oladipo, Steven Adams will have a huge role to play this year and the big Kiwi showed solid progress in his third season, averaging 8.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last year. He was particularly solid in the postseason too, upping those numbers to 10.1 points and 9.5 rebounds over the course of 18 games. And realistically that’s the kind of production the Thunder will need from Adams this year if they are to make any noise, as he is now arguably the third most prominent player on this roster.

Whether he starts or not, this is also a year when OKC will need a lot from Kanter. Since joining the Thunder from Utah in the middle of the 2014-15 season, he’s become a valuable asset with a 23.4 usage rate (4th-highest on team) and 24.0 PER (3rd-highest) last season. Yeah he can still be terrible at times on defence, but Kanter’s size and versatility will enable Billy Donovan to play with a small line-up when necessary, the importance

of which shouldn’t be underestimated in the modern game, or when you have guys like Anthony Morrow, Kyle Singler and Sabonis waiting in the wings.

Speaking of Billy Donovan, he will have the unenviable task of getting the best out of Westbrook this season.

On the one hand you can argue that all you need to do is give him the ball and let him go to work. But on the other there is always a risk that he’ll try to beat teams on his own – something he rarely did when Durant was playing alongside him.

Now that KD’s gone though, the five-time All-Star has the keys to the car and will be playing this season with a chip on his shoulder. That could go one of two ways, as he’ll either lead by example, making those around him better on a nightly basis, or try to do it all and actually make the team worse in the process.

Whichever way he plays it Westbrook needs to stay healthy if OKC is to achieve anything this year. One semi-serious injury could severely hamper the Thunder’s chance for success.

And that’s the grim reality for this Thunder team, while it now has plenty of potential it also seems more like an outsider than a shoe-in for the postseason.

If they’re to get anywhere close they’re going to need Westbrook and Oladipo to gel quickly and deliver their best every night, whilst also getting not just solid contributions but also big steps forward from the likes of Adams, Kanter, Ilyasova, Roberson et al.

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Once again, the LA Clippers had a solid regular season record last year of 53 wins, finishing as the fourth seed in the Western Conference, second in the Pacific Division to the Warriors. But it was another early bounce from the playoffs for Doc Rivers and Co. They had a difficult year coping with injuries and suspensions to key players, before the surprising Portland Trail Blazers dispatched them from the first round of the playoffs in six games. During that series they lost both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to injury which saw the Blazers take advantage and advance to the second round.

Ross MacLeod - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 53-29 (2nd in Pacific) 9-7 in division 22-8 vs. East 31-21 vs. West 29-12 at home 24-17 on the road 5-1 in overtime PLAYOFFS 2-4 Lost to Portland in Western Conference First Round ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 1,469-2,255 (.394) in 46 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 41-56 (.423)

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This offseason saw far less drama than the flipflopping of DeAndre Jordan between Dallas and LA in 2015, instead we saw Doc (as both coach and GM) re-up existing players such as Jamal Crawford, Wesley Johnson and his son Austin Rivers. Crawford yet again won the Sixth Man Of The Year award (should really change the name of that award to the Crawford Trophy) showing that he is still one of the best bench production guys in the league, even at 36, giving scoring and instant offense off the bench. Doc rewarded him with a $42 million, three-year deal which will probably mean he sees out the rest of his career as a Clipper. Wesley Johnson signed a modest three-year deal at $18 million, which represents good value for a player that can score and provide some defense on the wing. Rivers signed a three-year deal at $35 million (I guess it helps when your dad is both the coach and GM), as for what Rivers provides for the team, the deal actually makes Crawford’s contract look undervalued.

Doc then made a few small additions to give the team some more depth that has been lacking and a source criticism of the team in recent seasons. Raymond Felton signed to provide a dependable backup for Chris Paul, whilst he won’t see big minutes, Felton gives a solid enough presence to step in and give CP3 some rest.

Marreese Speights was picked up from the Warriors, again like Felton, he can step in when required to give some production in spurts, the same goes for Brandon Bass.

Chris Paul is the undoubted leader of this team, a double-digit points and assists machine every night.

Now at 31, the pressure is on him to deliver this team to playoff success, having not made it past the second round ever in his eleven year career. The Clippers injury jinx came back in the first round series against Portland last season, when a fracture to his right hand ended his playoff participation. The Clippers seemed to have wronged someone in a past life, as every time this team looks set to have its best chance of going deep into the playoffs, a combination of bad luck and injury strikes them down, frustrating players and fans alike.

The team has been hampered by not having their best starting five on the court at the same time. Last season saw Blake have his injuries, as well as a four game suspension for punching a team staff member.

The same incident saw him miss nearly six weeks due a hand injury, in what was an embarrassing episode for the forward and the franchise. When Blake is fit and not punching ‘friends’ he is one of the best in the league at the power forward position. His mid-range shot has come on massively over the last couple of seasons, whilst still being explosive anywhere around the basket. The quad injury in game four of the Portland series just compounded a disappointing season for Griffin.

DeAndre Jordan continues to be the dominant man around the basket, again having a consistent season as the Clippers’ main defensive presence, rebounding at a fantastic rate of nearly 14 per game, whilst averaging over two blocks per game and 13.7 points. His ability to anchor the defense and be a force inside for the Clippers, gives Paul the chance to drive to the basket but also create space for the outside shooters like J.J. Reddick. J.J. saw another solid shooting season, even looking sharper defensively. His ability to hit shots from all over the court gives the team a good alternative to the inside games of Griffin and DeAndre.

The Clippers drafted Brice Johnson, a 6ft 10 forward from North Carolina with the 25th pick. He was a good rebounder and shot blocker in college, although it’s not clear how he will fit into the Clippers system and many analysts have been critical of Doc’s draft selections.

Frenchman David Machineau was taken with the 39th pick. The 6ft 3 guard has been playing in France for

the past 3 seasons with Elan Chalon and will spend at least another year overseas.

This may be one of the final opportunities that this group of players will get to have a shot at a title.

DeAndre is locked down long-term, but Reddick is an unrestricted free agent next summer and will want to be paid. Throw into the mix that both Griffin and Paul can also opt out of their contracts and become free agents too, then this presents a challenge for both GM Doc Rivers and Coach Doc Rivers. Can he retain all the pieces, or will players heads be turned by the offer of a different challenge out East where the Warriors don’t dominate the landscape? This is the dilemma facing the Clippers next summer. We have already seen KD move to a super team, this may tempt Paul or Griffin to explore more of their options next summer.

Out of all the teams in the West, the Clippers may feel that, with a fit and healthy roster they may be the ones most likely to take the game to Golden State in a playoff series. The regular season will see them play each other four times as division rivals, which will give this team confidence should they manage to get a couple of wins. They have already met in a preseason game which saw the Warriors blow them out comfortably, but preseason isn’t a barometer for a successful campaign.

I predict that the Clips will finish second again in the Pacific division, and third in the Western Conference overall. They have enough to cope with the majority of teams, provided they have their best players available, and could give the Warriors and Spurs a real battle in the playoffs.

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Considering the circumstances, the Portland Trail Blazers put together arguably the best season in the NBA last year. After all, they had lost four out of their five starters and were in most people’s books, including my own, cannon fodder for the entire league. Terry Stotts however did not read my memo and instead went on to guide the Blazers to a 44-38 season, a first round playoff win and a top 10 ranked offense. So what’s going to happen this season? Well that is one heck of a question.

Matthew Wellington - Co-Founder 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 44-38 (2nd in Northwest) 11-5 in division 15-15 vs. East 29-23 vs. West 28-13 at home 16-25 on the road 2-3 in overtime PLAYOFFS 5-6 Defeated LA Clippers 4-2 in Western Conference First Round Lost to Golden State 1-4 in Western Conference Semifinals ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 1,991-1,733 (.535) in 46 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 108-131 (.452)

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If Portland are to achieve anything this season, their hopes and fears yet again rest upon their dynamic, young back-court of Damian Lillard (25.1 points) and C.J. McCollum (20.8 points). Both of whom contributed significantly to the Blazers offensive output last season and there in lies the first problem, a severe lack of front-court scoring and indeed an over-reliance on their two stars. This over-reliance however both helps and hinders Stott’s team dynamics, because on one end they set fire to the rim and on the other they... well they struggle to stop perimeter shooters and place their opposition on the foul line a whopping 26 times a game.

But wait, Lillard can’t be that bad on the defensive end right? Wrong. Lillard’s defensive rating last season was a team worst, 107.3 and he allowed opponents to shoot 2% above their usual field-goal percentage. This simply has to improve and sooner rather than later, should the Blazers hope to stop anyone this season, because we all know the three pointer is going to be lit this October.

As for the front-court mentioned, well they contributed a meagre total of 35.8 ppg last season and in an area of the game which is becoming more varied and skilled, this has to improve or at least find a decent balance with the back-court. So how do the Blazers do this?

Well their answer appears to be sign Evan Turner on a monumental contract and spend more money than ever on secondary talent. The Blazers committed more than $334 million over five contracts this past summer, which is as clear a sign as any of the league’s current revenue standings.

Anyway veterans Evan Turner and Festus Ezeli, while certainly impactful and quality players, are probably not the answer to Portland’s long list of problems but both rather intriguingly represent us with two very different enigmas. Especially Ezeli who has long been confounded by health issues. However should he remain healthy this season his rim protecting skills may warrant the starting spot ahead of both Mason Plumee and Meyers Leonard. He’s not exactly someone who’s going to have a significant impact upon that 35.8 ppg though.

Then there’s Turner, Evan f**king Turner, the Swiss army knife of the NBA. A man who’s pretty good at everything but not great at anything. He’s the proverbial NBA question mark and was the only player to average at least 10 points, four rebounds and four assists in less than 30 minutes per game last season. That’s kinda impressive. That said, his offensive perimeter game is non-existent and in a league and team which has an obsession with the three pointer, this represents a problem. He’s also a questionable fit to start alongside Lillard and McCollum, both of whom like having the ball in their hand. In fact the only real thing Turner has going for him within this Portland line-up is his relative size compared to other forwards, something which will certainly help improve the front-court. And it is here where the Blazers biggest strength lies this season, something which I’m going to affectionately call, dynamic adaptability or in other words, an open rotation.

Stott’s has so many talented and skilled players at his disposal this season and Portland’s obsession with spending big this past summer, will increase the need for these players to perform. Because trust me, you don’t want that Rip City crowd on your back. The Blazers are three deep at multiple positions and that will either make or break them this season.

The emergence of Al-Farouq Aminu last season will keep new acquisition Evan Turner on his toes and, the likes of Maurice Harkless and Grant Jerrett will follow suit. Then there’s the frontcourt, a front-court dominated by young talent. General Manager Neil Olshey will hope that Noah Vonleh, Meyers Leonard

and Mason Plumlee will continue their upward trajectory, becoming increasingly more proficient on both ends of the court, learning from the likes of Ed Davis and Chris Kamen. Yes, Chris is still on a roster.

Whilst it’s far to easy to envisage a performance decline from a team comprised of young core players, the 2016-17 Blazers will hover around last season’s 44 win total and if lucky, surpass it. The reason for continue optimism lies in the aforementioned back-court, a back-court which many GM’s in the league are rightly enviable of. Only the Warriors combo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson outscored Lillard and McCollum last season and if that isn’t reason enough to be hopefully then I don’t know what is. This team could already ball and with the additions made this summer, Stotts should have them balling even more. It’s just a case of health and the traditional NBA dominos now.

To conclude, in an evolving Northwest Division will they compete? Yes. And will they become the dominant force in the Division? Well, they could. However the Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves are all expected to take an upward climb on the ladder this season, with the only drop-off being reserved for the Oklahoma City Thunder - three guesses why. So if you’re Blazers fan, there’s a lot to look forward to this October.

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In their 36 year history, the Dallas Mavericks have won one championship ring. Led by Rick Carlisle, a cast of Dirk Nowitzki, Tyson Chandler and Jason Kidd, Dallas pulled off one of the biggest shocks in the NBA’s history in the 2011 Finals. But winning the championship may have been one of the worst things that could have happened to the Mavs.

Ciaran Mills - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 42-40 (T-2nd in Southwest) 7-9 in division 15-15 vs. East 27-25 vs. West 23-18 at home 19-22 on the road 8-4 in overtime PLAYOFFS 1-4 Lost to Oklahoma City in Western Conference First Round ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 1,482-1,422 (.510) in 36 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 91-105 (.464)

Okay, that may be going a bit too far, but listen to the logic. Ever since their surprise victory fans have expected more of the same from head coach Carlisle and his men, and in all five seasons since, they have failed to provide. They’ve made the playoffs on four of those occasions, but were knocked out in the first round every time.

Looking over their roster, and in particular the starting five, there seems to be a real possibility of the Mavericks challenging some of the top teams this year. They certainly seem to have a winning formula running through their side with two ex-Warriors players joining in the summer, alongside a point guard with the surname Curry.

Unfortunately the Mavericks didn’t manage a major coup in securing the services of the two-time MVP, and possibly greatest shooter of all time, Stephen Curry.

No, rather they signed his younger brother Seth to a two year deal worth $6 million; not a bad deal, but not a groundbreaker. The two Warriors they brought in are much more intriguing signings though.

First off, they traded a future conditional second round pick for Bogut and a second round pick (in a move that freed up cap space for the Warriors to sign Kevin Durant). And for a surprisingly low price they managed to secure a smart starting center, who can fit into their offense quite easily. He may be 31, and comes to the side with a fairly hefty $12 million a year contract, but he still has a lot to offer to the team, and is a fantastic pickup.

They also acquired small forward Harrison Barnes.

Often seen as the weak link in the Warriors starting five, Barnes wasn’t offered a contract renewal in the Bay Area and decided instead to go to Dallas. He quickly got the fans on his side by saying that the team still belonged to Dirk Nowitzki, and that he has to earn anything he wants in this side. After playing for just 31 minutes of the 2016 Olympics he will be looking forward to getting some real court time this season.

They drafted just one rookie this summer in AJ Hammons, but the most enterprising young player in their squad is certainly swingman Justin Anderson.

After making 55 appearances for the Mavericks last season - and being sent on multiple assignments for the D-League side, Texas Legends - he returned to the Mavs summer league squad in July. Truth be told, he looked far too good for the tournament and will now be

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looking to make his presence felt in the big leagues.

Expect hustle, determination and supreme athleticism from the Virginia graduate this year.

Deron Williams will hope to continue his resurgent displays from last season that saw him have his most productive season in a while. He still had some of the injury issues that have plagued him across his eleven year career, but while on court he was able to provide his teammates with some fantastic assists. Being one year older will not help Williams but if he can contribute for at least 60 regular season games, as well as a playoff run, then the Mavericks will be much better off. If he does falter at any point, they can fall back on either Devin Harris or sharp shooting JJ Barea, both solid yet admittedly uninspiring choices.

We can talk about these other players as much as we want, but there is only one man who truly matters in Dallas. As the seventh highest all-time scorer in the NBA, and the holder of most of the Mavericks’ franchise records, freedom of the city must be granted to him some time soon. And at the age of 38 he is ready to go again, and he shows no sign of stopping beyond this campaign.

The man to lead this campaign will once again be Jim Carrey lookalike, Rick Carlisle. But unlike his actor double, Carlisle is no joke. He is often regarded as one of the finest coaches in the league, if not of all time.

Despite a 719-533 record, he has only won Coach of the Year once, though his name must have been bandied around in every ballot since his debut in 2001.

This will be his ninth season in charge of the Mavericks, with all but one of them resulting in a playoff appearance. In this increasingly cut-throat league it could be argued that Carlisle is under a little bit of pressure after four successive first round exits. He’s lucky to be in a franchise like the Mavericks, with fans that adore him and an owner in Mark Cuban who will not be rushed to get rid of him.

Realistically though, it does look like the Mavericks will finish their season at around the same stage as previous attempts. Although they have made a few upgrades recently, they are still not deep enough to challenge sides like the Warriors and Spurs. They may even face a fight for a playoff berth with young sides like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz gradually making their way up the standings.

He’s played 1,340 regular season games (as well as 145 postseason contests) and still managed to play an average of 31.5 minutes in 75 games last season. Not only that, he was still producing at a high level, no one coming near to forcing him out of his starting spot. His legacy as a true legend will not be realised until he retires, but you should definitely take in a few games of his before that day.

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Is grit ‘n’ grind still the mentality in Memphis? For years players like Zach Randolph and Tony Allen have brought the heart and desire that made them so loved

by Grizzlies fans. But with the game moving on, is it time the Grizzlies followed suit?

Ciaran Mills - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 42-40 (T-2nd in Southwest) 7-9 in division 17-13 vs. East 25-27 vs. West 26-15 at home 16-25 on the road 3-3 in overtime PLAYOFFS 0-4 Lost to San Antonio in Western Conference First Round ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 694-980 (.415) in 21 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 27-42 (.391)

The big story coming from Memphis this summer was the re-signing of point guard Mike Conley Jr. Normally the news of a second string point guard - no offense Mike - coming back to a smaller franchise such as the Grizzlies wouldn’t make much noise on social media.

However, a five year deal worth $150 million, including three years paying over $30 million per season, will definitely grab headlines.

The cap space may have jumped significantly this summer, but this deal still seems like far too much. To be fair to Conley, he has been an incredibly consistent performer for the nine years he has been in Memphis, and he is one of the most underrated players in the league. But for a player who has never made the AllStar or All-NBA teams (he did make the second team for All-Defensive in 2013), $30 million is high. Way high.

He will be glad when center Marc Gasol returns to court after breaking his foot in mid-February. After successful surgery the Spaniard chose not to represent his country in the Olympics, opting instead to stay in the US and hit the training court. Whether his omission from international play was his choice, or a sign that he is not recovering as well as he may have hoped remains to be seen.

Joining him down low is the King of bumping and hustling in the post, Zach Randolph. Despite being 35 years of age and entering his sixteenth campaign, his desire for the game is certainly still there. Due to his age he is having sit a little more now, and has been confirmed to be coming off the bench, but per 36 minutes last year was arguably one of his finer seasons in Memphis. His contract runs out this summer, though you can’t see either party being too keen to break it off.

They will begin the season with a new head coach after the sacking of Dave Joerger ended his three years in charge. The Grizzlies made the postseason in every year they were under Joerger’s control, including a 55 win season which eventually led to a surprising run to the conference semi-finals. It seemed like a harsh cut to make, especially as the man who took over, David Fizdale, has no head coaching experience himself.

That said, there were many rumours of unrest within the Grizzlies organisation, especially at the comments Joerger made about their roster.

Their biggest on court acquisition in the offseason was bringing in Chandler Parsons on a four year deal worth $94 million. A couple of years ago this move would have got many fans - including myself - excited, but

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after a couple of seasons of mediocrity from the former Rockets and Mavericks player, it’s honestly hard to care too much. Maybe Parsons being in Memphis will finally spark that jump to All-Star that everyone thought was due of him, but it is easier to believe that he will continue to operate at his current level.

it remains to be seen whether he will have this same enthusiasm for the game after another gruelling 82+ game season. If he does decide to call it quits it would leave the league with just four active players who were drafted in the 1990’s - Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry and Manu Ginobili..

The biggest problem (or opportunity, to the optimists out there) is that Memphis are very much in a transitional phase right now. Behind the starting guard of Gasol (31 years of age), Randolph (35) and Conley (34) the Grizzlies have a lot of young players who still need a few years to mature. Guys like James Ennis and Troy Daniels all showed glimpses of fantastic play last season, but are yet to show the consistency that could turn them into starters for their side. Only JaMychal Green is getting a shot at starting to ease Randolph’s load.

To this day most fans deem VC as the single reason NBA basketball is still played in Canada. As one of the first franchise players to go to Toronto and actually enjoy his playing time there, he probably saved the Raptors from extinction. Whereas other stars, such as Damon Stoudemire, demanded trades amidst a back office in disarray, Carter stuck around and gained the fans’ respect with his pure scoring skills and dazzling athleticism.

The position to watch in Memphis is definitely the point guard slot. Mike Conley may dominate the role as the starter, but both of his back-ups look like exciting prospects. Rookie Wade Baldwin IV is a Vanderbilt alum who broke the assists record for his college in his two years there. They will also have Andrew Harrison, who is yet to record any NBA court time. He spent the last season in Iowa playing the D-League, averaging 18.5 points and 4.9 assists per contest, and spent the summer with Memphis’ summer league side. He will hope to make his NBA debut proper this season.

Part of the reason the Grizzlies had such a disappointing postseason was the absence of both Gasol and Conley. They still managed to secure seventh place in the Western Conference, but honestly had no chance against the Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. It looks like another season of mid-table mediocrity with a first round exit is inevitable for the team. They could reach the semi-finals if Gasol, Parsons and Conley all stay fit through the playoffs, but in a tough Western Conference wins will come at a cost. Grit ‘n’ grind is still alive, but only just.

In sadder news, 39 year old Vince Carter enters the final year of his contract with the Grizzlies this season.

After Memphis’ early exit from the playoffs last season he seemed very keen to get back on the horse, but

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Last season showed exactly how the mighty can fall.

After a conference finals visit in which, they pushed the Golden State Warriors to five games in 2014-15, the Houston Rockets failed to secure a postseason berth in 2015-16.

A lot of factors can be seen as contributing to this failure. Firing head coach Kevin McHale in November was a response to their 4-7 start to the season. James Harden didn’t seem like himself either as he went on to set a single season NBA record for turnovers, giving the ball away 374 times; breaking Artis Gilmore’s old record by 8.

Ciaran Mills - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 41-41 (4th in Southwest) 8-8 in division 13-17 vs. East 28-24 vs. West 23-18 at home 18-23 on the road 4-2 in overtime PLAYOFFS 1-4 Lost to Golden State in Western Conference First Round ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 2,052-1,918 (.517) in 49 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 130-141 (.480)

Harden’s defense has never set the world alight, but he did seem to make much more of an effort in the 2014-15 campaign. The year after though, his d faltered again and Harden was soon back on Shaqtin’ A Fool.

But the hiring of Mike D’Antoni this summer suggests the Rockets front office aren’t too worried about that.

The former Phoenix Suns coach is best known for formulating the “seven seconds or less” offense, and for having a flippant attitude towards defense. This was an interesting hire by the Rockets, D’Antoni certainly has the experience but has so far been unable to replicate the success he had with the Suns. However, if he can work well with James Harden, we could see one of the finest offensive seasons since the peak days of Kobe Bryant or Tracy McGrady.

If the Rockets are to even have a chance of reaching the conference finals again, they will need more from Harden. According to teammate Corey Brewer, this shouldn’t be a problem. In a recent interview he backed up the Beard’s claims saying, “James is playing defense this year”.

The offensive side of things was much better for them last year, with the team ranking fourth in points per game and eighth in offensive rating. Harden in particular was very impressive, scoring a career best 29 points a game last year, on 44% shooting.

He did all of this without a top quality point guard to supply him. To add to the Rockets woes last year, they had to deal with Ty Lawson. They knew the risks of signing the diminutive point guard before he came to Houston, but with him coming off a season of averaging 15 points and 10 assists seemed to blind them a little. The problems started with his on court performance which did not live up to the hype the Rockets generated. Then off court troubles came back into play, being banned twice in a month for driving under the influence. On March 1st, the two parties agreed a buyout, and Lawson was waived.

This year it looks like Patrick Beverley will be back in a starting role. Though he seems to suit a sixth man role more, fans will be grateful to see his tenacious

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defense back on court for longer. He will be backed up by veteran Pablo Prigioni and the son of The Glove himself, Gary Payton II. He may have been undrafted this year, but the Rockets snapped him up on a threeyear deal, hoping to make the most of his athleticism and defensive ability.

The biggest roster change they have made though is the loss of center Dwight Howard. During his first season it looked like he had regained some of his past form, but it was downhill from there. There were rumours of him and Harden dining away from the rest of the team, and by the end of his contract it looked like his relationship with the front office was tenuous at best. He put pen to paper on a three-year deal worth $70.5 million with Atlanta in the summer. Maybe it was for the best.

If the franchise are willing to pay that kind of money for his services, it looks like he will be starting this season.

If this is the case, expect him to stretch the Rockets offense with his three point shooting.

Trevor Ariza, Corey Brewer and Sam Dekker will all fight it out for the small forward spot, with the first in that list looking most likely to start. Dekker looked like a very intriguing prospect coming out of the 2015 draft, but only managed to get court time in three contests.

He ripped up Las Vegas Summer League this year and could be a sharpshooter from the bench for Houston.

With Howard gone, and Josh Smith still unsigned it looks like a two way battle for the starting center spot between young gun Clint Capela and seasoned veteran Nene Hilario. The Swiss born 22 year old showed real signs of improvement in his second season, starting in 35 of his 77 appearances. Entering his sixteenth season, Nene will offer the Rockets something slightly different. He has been incredibly consistent during his time in the league, and can supply around 10 points a game in limited minutes.

It looks like the Rockets will try to nurture Capela while giving him support from Nene when it’s needed.

Alongside him in the frontcourt it looks like it will be either Ryan Anderson or Montrezl Harrell. Anderson was brought in on the first day of the free agency period on a $80 million deal over the next four years.

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For Utah Jazz fans, last season was one of topsyturvy mediocrity and a team which should have been a playoff seed, narrowly missed out. Finishing third in the Northwest Division, it was the fourth straight year that the Jazz were absent from the postseason. The infamous NBA luck just wasn’t with the team from the Salt Lake City, as Dante Exum missed the entire season due to an ACL injury, which he sustained playing for Australia during the summer. Then Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors both went down and out at the final hurdle of the regular season.

Matthew Wellington - Co-Founder 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 40-42 (3rd in Northwest) 8-8 in division 16-14 vs. East 24-28 vs. West 24-17 at home 16-25 on the road 5-5 in overtime PLAYOFFS Did not qualify ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 1,815-1,581 (.534) in 42 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 114-127 (.473)

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This season however, that will change and with the recent power moves out west, Kevin Durant to Golden State being the main one, the battle for a mid-range seeded finish in the Conference suddenly becomes a reality for Utah and they should accept nothing less.

A superb summer has seen the Jazz strengthen themselves in multiple positions and in particular, at the point guard spot. It wasn’t a marquee signing by any means but it was a valuable and necessary one.

The guard in question? George Hill, a savvy veteran whose experience with the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs will become an instant asset within Quin Snyder’s young locker room.

Joining Hill are two more veterans, Boris Diaw and Joe Johnson, the latter of which gives them a hyperversatile, highly skilled impact player. Signifying once again that the Jazz have moulded themselves an impressive array of frontcourt talent (they’re pretty good at this). These apparently insignificant moves will undoubtedly become the precursor of significant impact, as a team ridden by injuries in recent years suddenly positions itself to negate the ever-present threat. After all, depth is any NBA franchise’s biggest asset.

Add to this the already talented young core of the Jazz, who in recent years have exceeded and often physically smashed on-court expectations. Starting with Gobert and Favors, who together form one of the most formidable, athletic forward combos in the league, reminiscent of recent previous Jazz forward combos – Millsap and Jefferson, Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur. The defensively gifted Gobert has risen up the ranks in recent years, becoming one of the NBA’s most dominant defensive centers, regularly blocking shots and grabbing rebounds with unmatched ease.

His partner in crime, Favors often looks unstoppable on the floor, however unlike Gobert whose sheer size means he rarely has a quiet night, Favors occasionally appears missing in action. Yet despite this current flaw in his game, Favors is still young enough to work it out of his system and with Diaw now providing some extra punch off the bench, we should expect to see his impact become more consistent. Snyder is also a

stickler for the details and experienced players such as Diaw and in particular Johnson, know where the right position is on the court and how to fight hard to get past their defenders.

In the backcourt, the returning Exum will bring with him more fire than ever, as he seeks to make up for lost time, bringing with him his defensive impact of which they sorely missed at the point guard spot last season.

The addition of Iso-Joe will undoubtedly shift Alec Burks to the bench, in what is now a terrific rotation.

In the grand scheme of things, this is a positive because for years Burks has been portrayed as the next breakout shooting guard, maybe now he’ll finally achieve this. Why now? Well Burks not only gets to learn from Johnson, but also develop behind him with less of the in-game pressure offensively sitting on his shoulders – which tends to have been the case when a certain Gordon Hayward isn’t around.

However the Jazz are in an unenviable position and their time is now. With all this talent they could top 50+ wins this season, which could feasibly represent a top 5/6 seed in the toughest conference in the NBA. Four Jazz players are among the top 100 in the NBA in player efficiency rating and this season the roster is deeper than ever, now it’s finally time to convert all those lofty expectations into reality and hopefully give their new arena, scheduled to be ready for the 2017-18 season, a team worthy of its majesty.

Speaking of Hayward, is this the year he’ll finally reach All-Star status? Well to be honest I think he’s already there and with two fellow candidates in the team alongside him, Gobert and Favors, the Jazz’s future position looks to be an enviable one. Heck even Rodney Hood, Prince of Threes, has the potential to become a significant talent in the NBA and I’ve not even mentioned Trey Lyles, Raul Neto, Joe Ingles and Shelvin Mack, who themselves are superb role players. Yet let’s not get carried away, with new pieces come new problems and it could take the best part of 41 games before we realise just which Jazz team we’ll witness this season.

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Last season saw the introduction of Mike Malone as the Denver Nuggets Head Coach. Malone was handed the reigns for a rebuild following an unsuccessful two year stint with Brian Shaw at the helm. Irrelevancy is not something that Denver is used to. After a long stint of 10 playoff campaigns on the bounce under George Karl ended in 2013, they have failed to return since.

This current crop of players could be the ones to get them there, but fans must be patient.

Alex Cole - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 33-49 (4th in Northwest) 4-12 in division 15-15 vs. East 18-34 vs. West 18-23 at home 15-26 on the road 2-4 in overtime PLAYOFFS Did not qualify ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 1,563-1,669 (.484) in 40 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 61-101 (.377)

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There is an air of positivity around the Mile-High City as they head into this season, because of the young crop of talent on the roster. The team showed some flashes of promise last season and have now added three shiny new rookies, all from the first round of this summer’s draft. The Nuggets ended the season 33-49 including notable wins against the Raptors, Rockets, Clippers, Grizzlies and Spurs (albeit at the very end of the season).

In Emmanuel Mudiay and Nikola Jokic, they had two rookies in the spotlight last season. Mudiay was selected with the 7th pick in the 2015 draft and his season can be broken into two halves. Before the All Star game, Mudiay experienced a rocky start; shooting badly, turning the ball over an awful lot and then picking up his first injury in the league. These were all sure signs of a young player trying to get used to the league, however after the All-Star break the point guard made a significant leap, shooting over 36% from three-point land and adding a few 20 plus point nights. Though Mudiay showed his potential last season it was limited by a high amount of turnovers (as was the team in general) and coach Malone will be looking for his starting guard to be more careful with possessions next season whilst also improving on his shot selection. As his confidence builds in the league, hopefully we will see these improvements align as he still remains one to watch, with many intrigued to see what level he can elevate his game to.

Jokic was taken in the second round back in 2014 but continued playing for a year in Serbia before heading to Denver last summer. He surprised many outsiders last season, smashing expectations with an incredible rookie year that ended in a NBA All-Rookie team selection and a third place finish for Rookie of the Year (behind a top two of Karl-Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis, who both seem destined for greatness).

Jokic took down 7 rebounds a game and scored 10 points a game, but it was the versatility and range of offensive skills which impressed most during the season. He improved throughout the year and ended up starting in over half of the Nuggets games. Malone experimented with Jokic, playing him at the PF and the C positions and he excelled in both. The Serbian has a high ceiling and looks like he could go on to be

one of the major pieces on this team, or possibly even the single stand-out guy. Jokic followed up the season with a good show in the Olympics for Serbia and will be eager to start the 16/17 campaign.

Fellow big man Kenneth Faried hasn’t progressed on the curve most would have predicted in 2012 (after an NBA All-Rookie team selection of his own), but he remains a Denver Nugget despite constant trade rumours. Last season saw averages of 12.5 points per game and 8.7 rebounds with a very respectable .558 FG% and Faried should look to be a role model and leader for the young talent around him. At 26 years old, he is anything but past it and he can continue to make a serious contribution on the team next season.

Danilo Gallinari remains the most offensively gifted and productive player on the Nuggets but has been injured for significant spells over the past two seasons. When he is fully fit, he turns this team into a more significant force and everyone related to the franchise will be keeping their fingers crossed for an injury free season.

Some expect Gallinari to be used as trade bait towards the February deadline but that will probably depend on what comes back to Denver in any possible deal.

Reports state that he refused to be traded away last February which shows his intention to take the Nuggets into the upper echelons of the NBA.

a Canadian with plenty to prove and has already returned to his home province of Ontario to help hand out school supplies to kids from a housing community.

He would like to be a role model for many back at home and wishes to “have a lasting impression on these young people and maybe see them something as a long term support”.

Between Mudiay, Murray and Gary Harris, they have three guys aged 21 or younger in the back court who can take hold of a game and do special things with the basketball. At least, I should say, they all have the potential to make a difference on a consistent basis.

The veteran presence of Mike Miller, Jameer Nelson and a return from injury from Wilson Chandler will provide experience and a professional environment for the mass of youth on the roster. This is a very different team from the one that ended Brian Shaw’s reign in Denver.

So to encapsulate, Denver will be aiming to get as close to the 40 win mark as possible but will have a huge emphasis on performance rather than results.

Malone and the rest of the front office want to continue the upward rise this season and any breakouts from any of their young stars will be a welcome bonus.

Jamal Murray was selected 7th in this summer’s draft and holds the most expectations, where rookies are concerned this season. Murray was an out and out scorer in college; averaging 20 points a game for the University of Kentucky (it is worth noting that he has already torched this guy on 2K17 for Denver!!). He is

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Ross MacLeod - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 33-49 (3rd in Pacific) 8-8 in division 14-16 vs. East 19-33 vs. West 18-23 at home 15-26 on the road 0-3 in overtime PLAYOFFS Did not qualify ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 2,464-2,905 (.459) in 68 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 80-107 (.428)

This season will see the Sacramento Kings with a new arena, new uniforms and a new head coach. Will this lead to an upturn in the fortunes of one of the most dysfunctional franchises of recent times? Fans of the Kings will hope so, as the past decade has seen the team consistently underperform, and implode on several occasions. The Kings finished out of the playoffs for the tenth straight season, the second longest postseason drought in the NBA, and fired Hall of Fame Coach George Karl. During the course of the season, there were reports of players being unhappy under Karl, but the Coach also felt undermined and unsupported by the front office.

The parting of Karl and the Kings led to the appointment of Dave Joerger, who has had several seasons in charge of the Memphis Grizzlies. He shaped the Grizzlies into a tough, defensive-minded team that was difficult to beat and slowed the game to frustrate opponents. The first challenge facing the new coach is the relationship with All-Star center and franchise player, DeMarcus Cousins. The breakdown in relationship last year between the big man and Coach Karl played a part in the teams’ downfall. Early signs are that practices and training camp has gone well this season, with Joerger describing the sessions as positive and players keen to impress the new man in charge.

This offseason Ty Lawson, Aaron Afflalo, Matt Barnes (who worked with Joerger last season at Memphis), Anthony Tolliver and Garrett Temple, were all added to the roster. At the draft they tradeed with Phoenix, giving them their 8th pick and in exchange took center Georgios Papagiannis with the 13th pick, forward/ center Skal Labissiere with the 28th pick and the rights to guard Bogdan Bogdanovic who is playing with Fenerbache in Europe.

DeMarcus Cousins is one of the top centers in the league, with the ability to dominate games when he is in the mood. His application has been questioned in the past few seasons, when the team isn’t performing he appears to be disinterested and his body language (not to mention tweets) make it obvious that things are not right in the franchise. Keeping him engaged and challenged is a key to keeping the Kings season on track and the relationship with Joerger will be one that observers will be keeping an eye on.

The frontcourt in this team has a lot of depth at the center and forward positions. Willie Cauley-Stein, who was the sixth pick in the 2015 draft, has shown signs of being capable at the power forward and back-up center spot. His length offers protection around the basket and he can rebound well. Kosta Koufos offers a similar skill-set so it will be interesting to see how Joerger can rotate these along with rookie Skal Labissiere and Georgios Papagiannis. Rudy Gay would be the first choice at power forward and can still put up decent

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scoring numbers, but he looks to be working his way out of Sacramento, going by his lack of enthusiasm evidenced in the offseason. Matt Barnes gives reliable enough wing play on the offensive and defensive end, on what is a relatively cheap contract. Anthony Tolliver provides another scoring option in the frontcourt, but don’t expect anything from him defensively.

The backcourt for Sacramento is what gives most concern, especially at point guard. Ty Lawson is coming off his worst season and has had off-the-court issues hanging over him for alcohol related charges.

He has never been able to replicate his best form from when he was at the Nuggets. The Rockets let him go before the playoffs, and he was then picked up by Indiana on a short term deal till the end of the season.

If he can replicate his Nuggets days, then he can be a decent facilitator for someone like Cousins as well as providing some scoring.

Darren Collison has also had his own off-court issues this year, with domestic battery charges that have seen the league suspend him for the first eight games of the new season. He only started 15 games last year but will be fighting it out with Lawson for the starting point guard spot. Aaron Afflalo signed as a free agent, after spending last season with the Knicks. He will provide reliable scoring from the shooting guard position and should be a starter.

Ben McLemore is entering his fourth season in Sacramento, but last year saw a regression in his numbers and he lost his starting spot. Despite the hype surrounding McLemore when first drafted by the Kings in 2013, he has not blossomed into a starting quality guard in the league, with erratic shooting and

poor decision making on defense. Garret Temple and Malachi Richardson round out the backcourt, with Temple likely to see minutes at both guard spots.

With big decisions to be made by Dave Joerger in the frontcourt combinations and also the questions marks over the guards at his disposal, it’s hard to see the Kings being a playoff team with what is on the current roster. If they can facilitate a trade involving Gay and get some quality in the backcourt in return, whilst seeing progression from Cauley-Stein and Labissiere, then they may be in the conversation come April.

Boogie will guarantee 20+ points per game and 10+ rebounds but he needs help around him. The worst case for this team is that once again the wheels fall off due to bad decision making from the front office coupled with players falling out with each other and the coaching staff.

Cousins would fetch the biggest return if the Kings decide to explore rebuilding with a good net return of players. Boogie is only 26 years old and entering what should be his prime. The Kings have to push this season to surround him with the right environment to lead this team, or he may grow exasperated and force a trade believing that he is best served finding a franchise that wants to be a winner. If they don’t improve though, there are other teams in the West that have younger, talented rosters ready to overtake them. This will be another awkward season for Sacramento, falling short of the playoffs. Hopefully in twelve months’ time we are talking about a franchise that has a direction, not still a dysfunctional mess.

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Not many 22 year olds face the same amount of pressure that Anthony Davis faces on a regular basis.

Night after night, game after game, he is asked to give his all in the hope that he can drag his team to victory. And on 30 occasions last season, the Pelicans managed to do that. This tally put them 12th in the Western Conference, and they were 24th overall in the league. Considering the hope their fans had coming into the campaign, this was a very disappointing placing for the side.

Ciaran Mills - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 30-52 (5th in Southwest) 4-12 in division 10-20 vs. East 20-32 vs. West 21-20 at home 9-32 on the road 1-3 in overtime PLAYOFFS Did not qualify ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 528-604 (.466) in 14 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 15-25 (.375)

The 2014-15 season had brought their first winning season since the 2010-11 campaign, as well as a visit to the playoffs. They were dismantled by the Warriors in four games, but they did themselves justice, losing only one of those games by more than ten points, with another contest going into overtime. It was also fantastic to see Davis play at such a high level. During his time in the postseason he averaged 31.5 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks a game, proving yet again that when the pressure is on, the man from the University of Kentucky is more than up to it.

The hiring of Alvin Gentry was another reason to excite the Pelicans fans. After a trip to the conference finals with Phoenix in 2010 and earning a ring with the Warriors as an offensive coordinator, there was real substance behind his move to New Orleans. He did the best he could with a depleted squad, but it didn’t look like they could get it together last year.

The biggest worry for the fans will be whether Davis can get through a whole season without injury. Since being drafted in 2012 he has missed 68 games - nearly a quarter of all possible contests - through various injuries. None of these were particularly serious until the knee and shoulder injuries he suffered that caused him to be shut down for the season.

If he does manage to play for a whole season, he will have more eyes on him than ever. He has potential to be a regular MVP candidate, but he will have to start making some real headway. He’s been on a winning side just made the postseason and been an MVP contender (he finished fifth) just once in four years, not coincidentally these were all in 2014-15. He will hope to improve on these statistics as his career progresses.

To do so he will need some help from his teammates.

He’ll have to do it without Jrue Holiday, who is out indefinitely as he looks after his wife, former football player Lauren Holiday, who has a brain tumour. Davis has had to do it without the help of Holiday before due to his injury woes, though this situation may affect him even more.

With the Pelicans finally getting rid of Eric Gordon’s ugly contract, it looks like Tyreke Evans may start in the two spot. It will be a welcome return for the 26 year old. After missing the beginning of the last season

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while recovering from knee surgery, he played in just 25 games before having to go back under the knife.

He’s incredibly effective when he plays, averaging 16.7 points and 5.3 assists per game over his career, and could just be good enough to be the running mate that Davis so desperately needs.

One of the more intriguing draft picks of the 2016 ceremony was the Pelicans picking shooting guard Buddy Hield. In a league that seems to be getting smaller by the day, there is definitely room for a 6ft 4 shooting guard with an extremely consistent shooting stroke. After a rough start to his University of Oklahoma career, he soon found his rhythm. His draft stock rose considerably thanks to his final season there, in which he averaged 25 points per game on 50% shooting from the field, 46% from three-point territory and 88% from the charity stripe.

If Hield does make the grade and earns a starting spot in the team, it could shove Evans down to the three, though he will face stern competition for the spot. Dante Cunningham and Alonzo Gee shared this position last year, with Quincy Pondexter out due to two surgeries on his knee. To make matters even more complicated, the Pellies signed Solomon Hill to a big four-year, $48 million deal in the offseason. Don’t let his low numbers fool you, Hill is a versatile defender who can make a big difference to a team. Expect him to start, with Cunningham playing a sixth man role.

liabilities Anderson and Gordon both now gone, it looks like the Pelicans are looking to toughen up on d, working around Davis who could be a contender for Defensive Player of the Year.

Davis signed one of the biggest contracts in the NBA last season, putting pen to paper on a five-year extension worth $145 million. With this deal he showed that he is definitely in this for the long haul. But we could be waiting until the end of this extension before we see Davis make his impact on the All-Time NBA lists.

With a genuine star in AD, solid back-ups in Evans and Holiday and a rookie of the year contender in Hield, all led by a fine coach in Gentry, the Pelicans may just sneak into this year’s playoffs. However, that prediction is based on a lot of hope and “what if” scenarios going in New Orleans favour. It’s more likely that they will miss out on the postseason, and finish slightly below .500.

That role is now free due to Ryan Anderson leaving the side for the Houston Rockets. He was a fan favourite in N’awlins despite being on the trading block several times, and many were sad to see him go. With defensive

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The Minnesota Timberwolves have become the very definition of a transitional team in recent years, trading then two-time NBA All-Star, Kevin Love to Cleveland in 2014 to bring in rookie Andrew Wiggins, the tragic loss of coach Flip Saunders at the start of last season and the retirement of legend and future Hall of Fame superstar this summer, Kevin Garnett. Young and hungry would be a perfect definition of the 2016 group.

Karl Moon - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 29-53 (5th in Northwest) 4-12 in division 11-19 vs. East 18-34 vs. West 14-27 at home 15-26 on the road 4-3 in overtime PLAYOFFS Did not qualify ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 847-1,319 (.391) in 27 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 17-30 (.362)

Andrew Wiggins, of course, went on to win Rookie of the Year for the 2014-15 NBA Season and, in the final coup of Flip Saunders’ reign as coach and GM, was to bring in last years Rookie of the Year, Karl-Anthony Towns, who had a year to learn under the tutelage of ‘The Big Ticket himself’. There can be little doubting the talents of the 7ft Center out of New Jersey native out of Kentucky, upon which to place a ceiling on his talents would be to do him a great disservice. A double-double machine who won Western Conference Rookie of the Month in all six-seasons then went a step further in being named unanimous Rookie of the Year, and there can be little doubt as to why, starting in all 82 regular season he was able to average at least 18 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.5 blocks per game, one of only 5 rookies to ever be able to achieve such numbers. Shooting 34% from 3pt range as well as finishing in the top 10 in the league for field goals, FG percentage, rebounds and blocks, it’s fair to say that Karl-Anthony Towns is the future of the franchise and the new leader on the court. For a man who is yet to turn 21, the potential is frightening and every single Minnesotan thankful that he’s theirs.

This year the Timberwolves have brought in the much talked about rookie PG Kris Dunn from Providence with the fifth pick of the first round (the same pick as Garnett himself, 21-years prior) to add competition for Ricky Rubio and second year man, Tyus Jones, and whilst he won’t be expected to start over the experienced Spaniard, the 2x Big East Player of the Year will be ready to take his chance when it comes calling with the hope of making it three successive seasons for Timberwolves Rookie of the Year awards. That’s a lot of depth at the 1 and whilst many seem to be calling for Kris Dunn to be given the spot it would be foolish.

Rubio is a very solid defensive guard as well as an incredibly productive one going forward. Rubio lead the league in steals last year (2.1 per game) which came about due to his excellent reading of the game and was fifth in the league for assists (8.7 per game) which put him behind Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Rajon Rondo and John Wall. Rubio is a selfless creator who sees passes others can’t.

The trio of Rubio, Wiggins and Towns is deadly, capable at times of scoring at will, and will be looking to the high flying, back to back Dunk Contest winner,

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Zach LaVine to become more productive on the court.

Whilst undoubtedly talented and incredibly athletic, he’s often seen as little more than a flashy dunker, and whilst there have been times LaVine has been guilty of passing up opportunities to score, he was the only Timberwolves player to hit more than 65 three’s last year. He’s also more secure on the ball, reducing his turnover rate to 1.9 from 2.5, despite playing more minutes, including playing as PG throughout Ricky Rubio’s stint on the sidelines due to injury. Still only 21 years old, LaVine can be a key element to the offense of this franchise.

The Timberwolves will be looking to improve on the last campaign where the amassed only 29 games, but there is no doubt that the signs are encouraging in Minnesota, bringing in former Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau as Head Coach and President will add a steel to their defense in a bid to improve their record this year as well as looking to reinforce a stronger mentality in the young Minnesota roster.

high level coach in Tom Thibodeau, a man who has never finished with less than 45 wins in a season.

They have a genuine star in Karl-Anthony Towns, a legitimate scorer in Andrew Wiggins and a productive point-guard in Ricky Rubio. If this group can continue to develop and grow then they have the potential to give any side a game, something we saw last year against the Golden State Warriors, but others, notably Zach LaVine, must improve alongside Wiggins and Towns too. Whilst questions marks still arise over just how solid they are without the ball, bringing in arguably the greatest defensive coach of his generation, will go some way to countering that, it’s exactly what they needed, even if it was under the worst of circumstances.

They’ll be going into the season with huge positivity, but must get wins out of the block else it could get ugly quick. This won’t be a magic remedy season for the Timberwolves, they’re realistically a year or two away from being a real threat in the west, but a playoff spot is the target.

Smart acquisitions in free agency has brought in veteran experience Cole Aldrich, Jordan Hill and Brandon Rush in reserve to complement the starting five of Rubio, Wiggins, LaVine, Dieng and Towns. It’s all about strength in depth for the developing Timberwolves and not leaving themselves short. Aldrich in particular had himself a good year for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2015-16 will be looking to capitalise on that this year.

Minnesota haven’t had a winning season in over a decade, that will be the goal, however ambitious that may be, but there is something different about them this year, a confidence, a belief and of course, a genuinely

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Ross MacLeod - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 23-59 (4th in Pacific) 6-10 in division 6-24 vs. East 17-35 vs. West 14-27 at home 9-32 on the road 0-1 in overtime PLAYOFFS Did not qualify ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 2,122-1,766 (.546) in 48 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 133-141 (.485)

The 2015-16 campaign saw the Suns charge towards the end of the regular season like a bus on fire, with a 19 year old rookie in the driving seat. The season was punctuated with injuries, a disgruntled twin and then Jeff Hornacek getting fired to be replaced by a guy with no previous head coaching experience in Earl Watson. No surprise that this resulted in a record of just 23 wins and 59 losses, missing the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year. The only bright spot was landing a high draft position and the emergence of rookie Devin Booker as a future star, and face of the franchise. The front office had to make a choice, continue as they are or properly rebuild around the few assets they have, invest the time to develop the youth on the roster and incoming draft picks.

The Suns finally cut ties with the sulking Markieff Morris in February, receiving a late lottery pick for their troubles. After witnessing the horrible Twin Towers experiment with Alex Len and Tyson Chandler sharing the frontcourt at times late in the season, the priority for GM Ryan McDonough was to fill a position of need at power forward. Croatian 18 year old Dragan Bender was taken with the 4th pick and acquired Marquese Chriss (taken at 8th) from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for picks and the rights to Bogdan Bogdanovic. Tyler Ulis, a 5ft 10 point guard from Kentucky, was also picked up in the second round.

All three players were taken with the view of developing and adding to the other young talent on the roster, such as TJ Warren, Alex Len, Archie Goodwin and Devin Booker. Bender in particular will take time to adjust. At 7ft tall, he has the terrific agility and hands for a big man. Many feel he can play anywhere on the frontcourt, eventually ending up at small forward. Chriss is raw energy, reminiscent of Amar’e Stoudemire around the basket, whilst Ulis throws up comparisons to Boston’s Isaiah Thomas due to his size and tenacity.

To mentor the youth movement, Ryan McDonough brought back former fan-favourites Jared Dudley and Leandro Barbosa. Both players bring back memories of good Suns teams and, indeed, playoff challengers.

Along with existing veterans like Tyson Chandler and PJ Tucker, these guys are there to provide the leadership on and off the court preaching the family philosophy that Coach Watson has been promoting since the end of last season.

As noted, Watson was made interim Head Coach when Jeff Hornacek was fired back in February, and finished the season with 9 wins and 24 losses, including a ten game losing streak. Many expected Phoenix to make a run at some of the bigger coaching names available on the offseason, such as Tom Thibodeau, but the players told the front office that Earl was the only guy they wanted to lead this team forward. Earl

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seems to command the respect of the players, and the youngsters on the roster have been heavily involved over summer with him at Summer League and voluntary workouts in Phoenix led by Eric Bledsoe.

Bledsoe saw his season cut early with another meniscus problem. He was shut down in December and underwent surgery, missing the remainder of the campaign. Before injury struck he was averaging 20 points, 6 assists, 2 steals and 4 rebounds per game, showing himself to be one of the top point guards in the West. Now fully fit after a summer of hard work, Bledsoe is the leader of this team and look for him to drive them forward. The question mark whether will his knees last 82 games, as he has suffered injuries every season he has been with the Suns. His backcourt partner Brandon Knight has also been injury plagued in Phoenix and averaging similar numbers to Bledsoe last season, but could only manage 52 games. Knight is to be used as a sixth man off the bench this season, rotating minutes with Bledsoe and Booker. His scoring prowess will stand him in good stead as an impact player with the second unit, or replacing a starter.

Question marks remain if he will be happy at being used in this role, and he is being mooted as the player most likely to be traded this season.

Devin Booker began last season as the baby-faced 13th pick from Kentucky and finished as the most exciting player the Suns have drafted since Amar’e Stoudemire. His defensive game needs a lot of work to get up to an acceptable level, but offensively this kid has all the tools to succeed. He came third in the 3-point Contest at All-Star Weekend, and worked out

with Team USA over the summer drawing praise from coaches and rival players alike. Fortunately he takes it all in his stride and cites Kobe Bryant as one of his role models for the hard work and dedication it takes to succeed in this league. This season, as a starter, he will find that defenses will be wiser, with opposing coaches focusing on stopping him so it will be interesting to watch Devin continue his development.

The frontcourt has the returning Tyson Chandler, Alex Len, PJ Tucker and TJ Warren (the latter also missed most of last season with a broken foot). TJ is unique compared to his frontcourt teammates as he is a pure scorer, and his development this season has been given added opportunity with Tucker missing the first month due to back surgery. Dudley and the two rookies, Bender and Chriss, fill out the power forward spots with Phoenix native Alan Williams playing forward and center when required.

Earl Watson now has an opportunity to bring the youth along in Phoenix, complemented by the older players.

The one thing that would hamper their development is if the vets are playing the bulk of the minutes week in week out. The Suns have to be committed to this rebuild if they have aspirations of creating something special. We saw two years ago after the unexpected 48 win season that quick fixes do not work in this league and are not sustainable. I’d expect Phoenix to finish fourth in the Pacific division, and see Booker grow his reputation as one of the deadliest shooting guards in the league.

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Ross MacLeod - Staff Writer 2015-16 RECORDS REGULAR SEASON 17-65 (5th in Pacific) 2-14 in division 9-21 vs. East 8-44 vs. West 12-29 at home 5-36 on the road 1-1 in overtime PLAYOFFS Did not qualify ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD 3,235–2,134 (.603) in 68 seasons ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD 438-296 (.597)

This will be the first NBA season for 20 years that the LA Lakers roster will not have the name Kobe Bryant on it. In what felt like the longest retirement tour professional sports has ever seen, the Black Mamba called time on an illustrious career that saw him bring five NBA championships back to LA, and all sorts of individual achievements which will see him ranked up there as one of the all-time great players in league history. However for the past few seasons, Kobe struggled with injury which coincided with the Lakers decline from being a Western Conference powerhouse to a team that won only 17 games. The worst season record in franchise history. Now that Bryant has gone, the Lakers are fully in a rebuilding mode with young talent and a new Head Coach in former Lakers player, Luke Walton.

Walton was one of the most sought after young coaches in the league, seeing his stock rise rapidly when he led the Warriors, in the absence of Steve Kerr, to an NBA record of 24 consecutive wins to start last season. How much of that was down to Kerr’s system or Walton’s personal input is unclear, but it was a hugely impressive achievement that made the league take notice of him. He seems at ease with younger players and also commands the respect of veterans, which is perfect for taking over the helm at a team that needs direction after the shambles left behind by his predecessor, Byron Scott.

At times last season it looked like Scott had sucked all enthusiasm and motivation out of the younger players, namely D’Angelo Russell, and there appeared to be a disconnect between the coach and the media, which is never a good thing at a high profile franchise like the Lakers. Walton on the other hand is positive when engaging with the media and looks to praise and encourage whenever possible.

This summer saw LA pick Brandon Ingram, from Duke, with the 2nd overall pick of the draft. The 6ft 9 small forward has fantastic scoring ability but a slight build and skinny frame, reminiscent of Kevin Durant when he entered the league. At just 19, Ingram will have plenty of opportunity to grow on this young Lakers team and the fans have high hopes for him to be the future star of this franchise. Center Ivica Zubac was taken with their second round pick but will see limited minutes this season behind Timofey Mozgov, Tariq Black and Yi Jianlian.

Free Agency opened with the Lakers making the first move with the quick signing of Timofey Mozgov. He joined on a $64 million, contract over four years, which hasn’t looked like the best piece of business. Perhaps an overpay for a player who has seen limited minutes in the past few seasons and is of average ability. British basketball star Luol Deng also signed on for four years

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at $72 million and gives the Lakers a player they can use on and off the court to help nurture the young talent around him. Deng still has plenty to offer on both ends of the floor, putting up over 12 points per game and 6 rebounds for Miami last season, starting a total of 87 games along the way. Veteran point guard, Jose Calderon, adds another dose of experience to the roster, backing up the emerging Russell After the Snapchat drama with Nick Young and friction with the departed Byron Scott, D’Angelo Russell will look to have a clean slate under Walton. Expect him to emerge as one of the leagues’ top young playmakers.

He has great scoring instincts and the ability to drive to the basket, setting the tempo for what should be a fast paced offense. He is once again joined by the improving Jordan Clarkson, who is the one young player on the Lakers roster that has improved over the past couple of seasons. His shot selection is still questionable at times and he needs to maintain his intensity on the defensive end. Lou Williams struggled for consistency last season, but like Russell, should benefit from the faster offense rather than the half court sets of Scott.

Nick Young returns and brings with him the expected attitude and smart social media posts that Swaggy P is known for. But there are questions as to whether he knuckle down under Walton and strive to improve himself, or just be known as another wasted talent.

with Luol Deng, and Larry Nance Jr who played above expectations last season. Anthony Brown returns and showed he is an above average defender with the ability to score when given the opportunity.

Mosgov is expected to be the starting center, especially after signing THAT contract. He is serviceable at best, and will be pushed by Tariq Black who is a younger, more dynamic option but still very raw. The Lakers don’t have any scoring options at center so don’t look for much production in the middle.

This team has a good shape on paper with a starting unit of Russell, Clarkson, Deng, Randle and Mosgov.

Williams and Ingram may work their way into the lineup, with Deng shifting to power forward and potentially seeing Randle at the center spot for a small ball lineup.

The expectation on Ingram and Russell is huge this season, Lakers fans want to see a return on the last few years of pain but will probably have to wait another year or two to see this team really develops. Luke Walton has had an excellent grounding and coaching education, it’s now time to see what he can do with this team, and put his own stamp on the franchise. I predict the Lakers will finish fifth in the Pacific Division, no hope of the playoffs for this season, but will be an interesting team to watch develop over this campaign.

Julius Randle showed in flashes that he can be the Lakers starting power forward in this rebuilding process, after missing his rookie season. His athleticism around the basket and strong rebounding make him an important player in the frontcourt. He will share minutes

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NBA LONDON preview

Tickets for the game will go on sale at the beginning of the 2016-17 NBA season. Fans in the U.K. will be able to watch the game live on BT Sport, while fans in Europe will be able to view it through local broadcast partners. James Lees takes a look at this year’s teams

THE ANNUAL EVENT RETURNS TO OUR DOORSTEP Isaiah J. Downing - USA TODAY Sports

During the long NBA season, we can often see as many as 12 games taking place on any given day. It’s near impossible to watch them all and even tougher as a British fan. Most games take place whilst we’re all asleep and unless you’re lucky enough to have plenty of time off work, you’ll spend most of your mornings watching several condensed games on League Pass. But there are a few magical moments scattered throughout the weekly NBA schedule for fans in the UK – the early games. There’s nothing better than sitting back to enjoy an that’s NBA game about to tip off at a reasonable time, we’ll take what we can get. If it means being able to watch live basketball and still get a normal night’s sleep, UK fans are grateful for it.

But what’s even better than an early NBA game? An early NBA game that’s also taking place in the UK! On January 12th 2017, the NBA will bring its seventh regular season game to our shores as the Indiana Pacers take on the Denver Nuggets at the O2 Arena in London. The game will mark both teams’ first trip to the UK and will be broadcast live on BT Sport. We may never see a London-based NBA franchise but the league certainly knows how valuable this annual trip to the UK is. This year we were treated to a live Facebook event to announce the game, complete with a UK-based studio discussion and a live Q&A with fans – something that had never been done before.

To most NBA fans, a January contest between the Pacers and Nuggets may seem like just another game in the schedule, but for UK fans, it’s so much more than that. It’s a chance to watch or even attend a game that matters and one night where both the British media and some of our most famous names are talking about the sport that we love. For every night that we spend glued to our television screens, phones or tablets watching games at 3am with only our Twitter timeline to talk to, the annual London game allows us to return to normality for one night. It’s a chance to gather some friends around a television and be able to make the NBA a social event or even reel in some new fans.

For one night, the spotlight is firmly on the NBA in the UK. Since BT Sport acquired the NBA television rights in the UK, they’ve done a tremendous job with their coverage, especially with the Global Games. They send in their own staff who seem genuinely interested in the sport and produce pre-game, halftime and postgame shows. They put some care into the product

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and give the NBA the attention that it deserves in this country. We even get a half time appearance from Adam Silver, who travels to the UK just to attend the game. BT’s Global Games presentation has gotten better with each passing year and we’re certain that 2017 will be no exception.

The Pacers and Nuggets are more than capable of putting on a thrilling contest and fans in London should expect a fast-paced, high-scoring affair. Last year, the London crowd saw the Toronto Raptors beat the Orlando Magic in a highly entertaining contest that went to overtime and showed the London crowd just how entertaining the NBA can be.

Fans will also have the opportunity to see Paul George in action, who is primed to have a huge season.

George is a three-time All Star and has come off of an extremely successful stint at Rio 2016, helping Team USA capture a gold medal. He even graces the cover of this year’s NBA 2K17 game, which is always hugely popular with UK fans. The Pacers finished seventh in the Eastern Conference last year – Paul George’s first full season since suffering his gruesome leg break two years ago. The team has also undergone some major changes since the 2015-16 season wrapped up. Frank Vogel was let go as head coach and replaced by Nate McMillan who was promoted to the role. George Hill was traded to the Utah Jazz and the team brought in Jeff Teague and Al Jefferson. They also let Ian Mahinmi, Jordan Hill and Solomon Hill walk in free agency. Many have questioned some of the moves that Larry Bird made in the offseason, namely getting rid of Frank Vogel and it remains to be seen if it’ll be a move that pays off, but expect to see the team play a much more up-tempo style and for George to play an even bigger role in the offense.

The Nuggets didn’t have the most electrifying offseason, with the biggest news being that they kind of, almost signed Dwyane Wade but didn’t. They lost D.J. Augustin but drafted Jamal Murray, Juancho Hernangomez and Malik Beasley. Don’t let their less than exciting summer fool you though – this is a young team that plays hard and fast and is a lot of fun to watch.

Denver seems to be banking on youth and seem to content to wait and see how it all plays out. They’ve got a great coach and fans are hoping that Emmanuel Mudiay makes a big second season leap.

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NBA 2K17 - 10 REASONS TO PLAY THE WORLD’S BEST SPORTING SIMULATION IS BACK

The best NBA 2K gameplay ever.

Improved MyCareer

One of the main focuses of this year’s game is allowing the player to be fully in control at all times. One of the main criticisms of past 2K games has been that players can often feel trapped in pre-canned animations, but 2K has listened. In 2K17, you control every part of the crossover and every part of the layup and can chain together the most beautiful basketball moves ever seen in a videogame. In addition, the artificial intelligence is better and everything plays buttery smooth. It’s a joy to pick up the controller in this game.

The much-hyped Spike Lee-directed career mode that featured in NBA 2K16 wasn’t exactly well received, but 2K Sports has changed things up for this year’s game.

While there’s still a cinematic story mode, MyCareer 2K17 feels less scripted and offers more player control over what happens. There’s also a greater focus on what happens on the court. “Creed” star Michael B. Jordan also provides some solid voice acting and the story is genuinely interesting.

Beautiful graphics Since NBA 2K hit next-generation consoles in 2014, 2K have improved on the graphics each and every year and 2K17 is no exception. Player models are stunning and it really feels like no detail has been missed. In fact, this year, 2K Sports travelled to each and every NBA arena to capture the correct lighting and as much detail as possible, resulting in a visually stunning experience.

Authenticity 2K Sports didn’t stop there. As well as travelling to each NBA arena to capture the correct lighting, the game features arena-specific sounds, chants and mascots and just about every player celebration that you can think of. NBA 2K17 matches the real life NBA television experience like no other game ever has.

Improved controls Everything feels that little bit smoother in 2K17. If you’re someone who usually shoots with the face buttons on the controller, 2K really wants you to give stick shooting a try. They’ve really improved it this year and made it feel so much more fluid and intuitive.

The Commentary The NBA 2K series has always been known for its excellent commentary, but 2K17 doesn’t rest on its laurels. For the first time ever, the game features multiple commentary teams. Kevin Harlan and Greg Anthony feature in the booth, but they’re joined by different people depending on the game that’s being played. It might be Doris Burke, Steve Smith, Chris Webber or Brent Barry and this really helps to keep the commentary fresh and authentic. You’ll also find David Aldridge on the sidelines and the half-time, pre- and post-game show with Ernie, Shaq and Kenny is also back and better than ever.

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Scan your own face In previous games, face scanning was limited to those who owned a PS4 camera or Kinect, but this year 2K have implemented this feature into the My2K App. Now you can scan your face using your phone and upload it directly to the 2K servers. It may take you a few attempts to get right, but it’s a huge improvement over the last couple of games.

Improved Presentation As well as the usual pre-game, post-game and halftime shows, 2K17 also features improved TV interviews between quarters and lots of small little details that really set it apart from other sports games. You’ll see cheerleaders throwing t-shirts into the crowd, acrobatic slam dunk performances at half time and improved player introductions.

League Expansion If you’re a fan of MyGM, you’ll love what NBA 2K17 brings to the table. For the first time ever, the game features the ability to expand the league to up to 36 teams. There’s even built in, pre-made custom teams you can use as well as graphics, logos, arenas and commentary that’s all been created exclusively for this mode.

Post-release support We all love to get our hands on the latest NBA 2K game as soon as it hits the shelves, but the games always really shine once the regular season begins.

2K’s post-release updates are second to none and already this year we’ve seen updates to improve various team courts and to reflect what’s going on around the league. It’s the benchmark that other sports games should aspire to.

NBA 2K17 is out now on Playstation 4, XBOX One and PC.

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regular season w-l predictions MATT SOTO @mattsotosports

It’s that time of the year where once again the roster here at Double Clutch make their regular season predictions. As you will find over the next two spreads, these predictions are varied and feature all kinds of expectations for the season ahead.

This year’s playoff seedings on both conferences are up for grabs, with a wide variety of teams capable of breaking into the playoff pack, thus making predicting 2-8 harder than ever.

It looks set to be one of the most interesting and exciting seasons yet and as usual, the roster here may or may not have some explaining to do come June.

Predictions in-line with 1230 max wins between the two conferences. 82 games for each of the 30 NBA franchises

Cavaliers Celtics Raptors Wizards Pacers Hornets Hawks Pistons Bulls Knicks Bucks Heat Magic Sixers Nets

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W 59 54 51 50 47 45 44 42 40 38 37 33 30 20 19

L 23 26 33 32 35 37 38 40 42 44 45 49 52 62 63

Warriors Clippers Spurs Jazz Trail Blazers Rockets Timberwolves Grizzlies Thunder Mavericks Pelicans Nuggets Kings Suns Lakers

W 68 61 55 50 49 46 44 42 37 34 33 31 26 25 20

L 14 21 27 32 33 36 38 40 45 48 49 51 56 57 62

Cavaliers Raptors Celtics Pacers Hawks Wizards Bucks Hornets Bulls Heat Pistons Knicks Magic Nets Sixers

W 61 52 51 50 48 44 41 41 40 38 38 37 32 25 20

L 21 30 31 32 34 38 41 41 42 44 44 45 50 57 62

L 20 29 30 34 36

Hawks Bucks Knicks Hornets Bulls Magic Wizards Heat Sixers Nets

42 39 38 38 35 33 32 25 20 17

40 43 44 44 47 49 50 57 62 65

Spurs Warriors Clippers Timberwolves Trail Blazers

W L 65 17 64 18 55 27 49 33 48 34

Rockets Jazz Grizzlies Mavericks Thunder Nuggets Pelicans Suns Kings Lakers

48 43 42 42 39 34 25 24 20 18

34 39 40 40 43 48 57 58 62 64

ROSS MACLEOD @CanOnlyBeOne_

ANDI DUNCAN @BigAndiD

MATTHEW WELLINGTON @Matsmashed

Cavaliers Celtics Raptors Pacers Pistons

W 62 53 52 48 46

KARL MOON @NokkonWud

Warriors Clippers Spurs Grizzlies Trail Blazers Thunder Pelicans Timberwolves Rockets Jazz Mavericks Nuggets Kings Suns Lakers

W 62 51 50 45 44 44 42 42 41 41 40 34 32 23 21

L 20 31 32 37 38 38 40 40 41 41 42 48 50 59 61

Cavaliers Raptors Celtics Pacers Pistons Wizards Hawks Hornets Magic Knicks Bucks Bulls Heat Sixers Nets

W 60 55 52 45 44 43 42 40 38 36 34 33 30 24 17

L 22 27 30 37 38 39 40 42 44 46 48 49 52 58 65

Warriors Clippers Spurs Jazz Thunder Trail Blazers Grizzlies Rockets Dallas Timberwolves Nuggets Kings Pelicans Suns Lakers

Cavaliers Raptors Pacers Celtics Wizards

W 62 56 51 50 49

L 20 26 31 32 33

Hawks Hornets Knicks Pistons Bucks Bulls Heat Sixers Magic Nets

48 43 42 41 40 38 36 27 24 14

34 39 40 41 42 44 46 55 58 68

Warriors Spurs Clippers Grizzlies Trail Blazers

W 67 59 58 53 47

L 15 23 24 29 35

Timberwolves Thunder Rockets Jazz Mavericks Kings Nuggets Pelicans Lakers Suns

43 40 38 36 32 32 31 27 26 20

39 44 44 46 50 50 51 55 56 62

Warriors Spurs Clippers Jazz Rockets Trail Blazers Timberwolves Grizzlies Thunder Mavs Kings Nuggets Pelicans Suns Lakers

W 64 60 57 53 50 46 45 40 35 33 30 28 27 25 22

L 18 22 25 29 32 36 37 42 47 49 52 54 55 57 60

NICK WHITFIELD @Njwhitfield W 70 59 54 49 49 45 42 41 39 36 35 35 30 29 24

L 12 23 28 33 33 37 40 41 43 46 47 47 52 53 58

Cavaliers Celtics Raptors Pistons Hawks Pacers Hornets Knicks Wizards Bucks Bulls Magic Heat Sixers Nets

W 63 56 54 50 47 45 43 41 40 38 35 34 30 22 17

L 19 26 28 32 35 37 39 41 42 44 47 48 52 60 65

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JOE HULBERT @HulbertJoe Cavaliers Celtics Hornets Wizards Raptors Hawks Pistons Pacers Knicks Bucks Heat Bulls Magic Nets Sixers

W 65 54 51 49 47 45 43 42 40 36 33 32 28 15 12

L 17 28 31 33 35 37 39 40 42 46 49 50 54 67 70

MIKE MILLER @MikeMiller_Time Warriors Spurs Clippers Grizzlies Trail Blazers Jazz Rockets Timberwolves Mavericks Thunder Nuggets Kings Pelicans Lakers Suns

W 75 65 57 51 49 48 46 43 39 36 35 31 28 20 15

L 7 17 25 31 33 34 36 39 43 46 47 51 54 62 67

MATTHEW BATES @bates1991 Cavaliers Celtics Raptors Pacers Hawks Pistons Bulls Hornets Magic Bucks Wizards Knicks Heat Sixers Nets

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W 62 56 53 49 46 44 42 41 38 35 33 31 26 19 16

L 20 26 29 33 36 38 40 41 44 47 49 51 56 63 66

Warriors Clippers Spurs Rockets Trail Blazers Jazz Grizzlies Mavericks Thunder Timberwolves Pelicans Nuggets Kings Suns Lakers

Cavaliers Celtics Raptors Pacers Hawks Wizards Bucks Knicks Pistons Hornets Bulls Heat Magic Sixers Nets

W 61 54 53 48 46 44 42 39 37 36 34 30 28 22 20

L 21 28 29 34 36 38 40 43 45 46 48 52 54 60 62

Warriors Spurs Clippers Trail Blazers Jazz Grizzlies Rockets Timberwolves Thunder Nuggets Mavericks Pelicans Suns Lakers Kings

ALEX COLE @alexcoletalks W 67 60 56 51 49 47 45 42 41 39 36 29 26 25 23

L 15 22 26 31 33 35 37 40 41 43 46 53 56 57 59

CAL BRYANT @GPBRY W 69 61 60 53 49 48 45 43 43 40 33 29 27 20 19

L 13 21 22 29 33 34 37 39 39 42 49 53 55 62 63

Cavaliers Celtics Hawks Raptors Wizards Pacers Hornets Pistons Bulls Bucks Knicks Heat Magic Sixers Nets

W 62 50 49 48 47 46 45 42 41 37 34 31 28 25 19

Cavaliers Raptors Pacers Celtics Pistons Wizards Bulls Knicks Hornets Hawks Magic Bucks Heat Nets Sixers

W 59 52 50 49 47 45 45 42 41 39 37 34 32 17 16

L 23 30 32 33 35 37 37 40 41 43 45 48 50 65 66

DAVE FRASER @DavidFraser89 Warriors Spurs Clippers Jazz Grizzlies Trail Blazers Thunder Timberwolves Mavericks Rockets Pelicans Nuggets Kings Lakers Suns

W 66 63 55 48 47 46 41 41 40 39 35 34 30 21 19

L 16 18 26 33 35 36 41 41 42 43 47 48 52 61 63

JAMES LEES @leesjames L 20 32 33 34 35 36 37 40 41 35 48 51 54 57 63

Warriors Spurs Rockets Clippers Trail Blazers Jazz Timberwolves Grizzlies Thunder Mavericks Pelicans Nuggets Suns Lakers Kings

W 72 60 53 50 47 44 42 41 40 35 30 25 23 20 17

L 10 22 29 32 35 38 40 41 42 47 52 57 59 62 65

Cavaliers Celtics Raptors Pacers Hawks Bucks Hornets Knicks Wizards Magic Bulls Pistons Heat Nets Sixers

W 63 56 54 50 47 45 43 41 40 38 35 34 30 22 17

Cavaliers Pacers Raptors Celtics Pistons Wizards Hawks Bucks Hornets Knicks Bulls Heat Magic Sixers Nets

W 61 51 50 48 45 44 42 41 40 39 37 35 32 21 18

L 21 31 32 34 37 38 40 41 42 43 45 47 50 61 64

Warriors Spurs Clippers Thunder Trail Blazers Jazz Grizzlies Rockets Timberwolves Mavericks Nuggets Pelicans Kings Suns Lakers

W 67 58 57 50 48 44 42 41 39 38 34 33 27 26 22

L 15 24 25 32 34 38 40 41 43 44 48 49 55 56 60

Warriors Spurs Clippers Rockets Mavericks Trail Blazers Grizzlies Thunder Timberwolves Jazz Pelicans Nuggets Lakers Kings Suns

W 69 63 58 53 50 50 42 41 41 40 31 31 27 26 19

L 13 19 24 29 32 32 40 41 41 42 51 51 55 56 63

CIARAN MILLS L 19 26 28 32 35 37 39 41 42 44 47 48 52 60 65

Warriors Spurs Clippers Rockets Trail Blazers Grizzlies Timberwolves Jazz Thunder Mavericks Nuggets Pelicans Suns Lakers Kings

W 64 60 57 53 50 46 45 40 35 33 30 28 27 25 22

L 18 22 25 29 32 36 37 42 47 49 52 54 55 57 60

Cavaliers Celtics Pacers Raptors Hawks Pistons Bulls Bucks Hornets Knicks Wizards Heat Magic Sixers Nets

W 65 54 52 50 47 45 41 41 39 34 33 29 26 18 15

L 17 28 30 32 35 37 41 41 43 48 49 53 56 64 67

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what is #NBAintheUK and who’s involved?

from now until the end of the playoffs

In 2012 Double Clutch was launched with one mission, to expand the love of the NBA in the UK. To do this, we created #NBAintheUK to help drive social media engagements around the association and to give UK-based fans a place to share their thoughts.

Now, four years later Double Clutch and #NBAintheUK are expanding, for the greater good. The intiative? #NBAintheUK Associates.

October 25

June 1

Start of the 2016-17 NBA Regular Season (NBA Tip-Off 2016)

NBA Finals 2017 begin

#NBAintheUK is now a network of UK-based NBA fan-sites, NBA retailers and video content producers united by Double Clutch, joined by the love of the game.

January 5

The Finals 2017 latest possible date

THE BEST PLACE IN THE UK FOR BRITISH BASKETBALL NEWS, VIEWS AND PREVIEWS

#NBAintheUK ASSOCIATE YEAR JOINED: 2012

10-day contracts may now be signed January 10 All contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season

June 18 June 22 NBA Draft 2017

January 12 NBA Global Games 2017, Denver Nuggets vs. Indiana Pacers (London) February 17-19 NBA All-Star 2017 (New Orleans) March 1

IF YOU NEED NBA MERCHANDISE THIS SEASON, THERE IS ONLY ONE PLACE TO GO

#NBAintheUK ASSOCIATE YEAR JOINED: 2014

RUN BY LEWIS ROSE, HOOPASYLUM IS THE UK’S PREMIER BASKETBALL VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANY

#NBAintheUK ASSOCIATE YEAR JOINED: 2016

Playoff Eligibility Waiver Deadline April 12 Regular Season ends April 15 NBA Playoffs 2017 begin May 1 Conference Semifinals begin May 9-15 NBA Draft Combine 2017 (Chicago) May 16 Conference Finals begin (possible move up to May 14 or 15)

A WEB-BASED SERIES FEATURING WEEKLY BASKETBALL UPDATES AND LIFESTYLE NEWS

May 16 NBA Draft Lottery 2017

#NBAintheUK ASSOCIATE YEAR JOINED: 2015

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