2017-18
THE GUIDE
GARY DINEEN GETTY IMAGES
Welcome to the 2017-18 NBA season. As a new NBA season approaches, we can’t help but be overwhelmed by the ‘hype’; a thoroughly AmericanEnglish word, if ever there was one. Hype - first used in 1920s America under its original definition: cheat. Ironic really, when you consider the current state of the NBA and it’s so-called ‘cheat’ team, the Golden State Warriors, last year’s NBA champions. So where are we going with this you might ask; well the answer is simple. Change. Just like the definition of the word hype, the NBA has undergone significant change during its history, and this offseason wasn’t any different, perhaps, cementing the NBA as a truly 365 day, 24/7, global social media and sporting phenomena. In Hollywood a new rookie prepares to take the stage and as if that wasn’t enough, ‘The Process’ is on the horizon. Philly fans, you know what we’re talking about. #EmbiidforPresident In June the idea of Kyrie Irving wearing anything other than a Cleveland Cavaliers jersey this season; was absurd. Then the news broke of his trade request and come August, Kyrie was seeing green. But the big changes didn’t stop there. Jimmy Butler was traded from Chicago to Minnesota. Chris Paul added more fuel to the Rocket in Houston; and in small town Oklahoma storm clouds gathered and superstars arrived, as Paul George and Carmelo Anthony landed like a thunder bolt in the most unexpected of destinations. Oh, and Dwyane Wade rejoined Lebron James, this time in Cleveland. Now take our advice, prepare those cans of Red Bull, charge those phones, prep those hash-tags - oh and write that sick note before 3am - because the new season is here and it’s going to be one hell of a ride.
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Super Teams Assemble
EASTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW
Movements this summer showed us one thing, the super team is here to stay.
05 The End of Grit and Grind Grit and Grind was a style that always earned respect, but it was definitely time for a change.
09 Showtime 2.0 38 years after drafting Magic Johnson, the Lakers look to ‘Showtime’ once more.
13 The Wizard of Oz Kyrie Irving takes his talents to Boston, as he continues his quest along the yellow brick road.
19 A Tale of Two Cities New York and Los Angeles, the NBA’s two biggest markets couldn’t be more different.
27 31 35 39 43 47 51 55 59 63 67 71 75 79 83
Atlanta Hawks Boston Celtics Brooklyn Nets Charlotte Hornets Chicago Bulls Cleveland Cavaliers Detroit Pistons Indiana Pacers Miami Heat Milwaukee Bucks New York Knicks Orlando Magic Philadelphia 76ers Toronto Raptors Washington Wizards
87 WESTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW 89
93 97 101 105 109 113 117 121 125 129 133 137 141 145
Dallas Mavericks Denver Nuggets Golden State Warriors Houston Rockets Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Lakers Memphis Grizzlies Minnesota Timberwolves New Orleans Pelicans Oklahoma City Thunder Phoenix Suns Portland Trail Blazers Sacramento Kings San Antonio Spurs Utah Jazz
DARREN ABATE ASSOCIATED PRESS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Matthew Wellington
Lead Writers Joe Hulbert Matt Soto Mike Miller Sean Guest
Writers Alexander Cole Jaime Oppenheim Josh Coyne Karl Moon Nick Whitfield Tom Atkinson Timi Awotesu Tom Hyland Thomas Rowberry Ross MacLeod
For more on the guide writers and our expanded team visit: doubleclutch.uk/roster/
Copyright © 2017 Double Clutch. Double Clutch is not affiliated with the NBA and does not claim ownership over any images used. All photos, unless stated otherwise, are copyright of NBA Entertainment and respected parties.
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super teams
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The era of the NBA “super team” is officially upon us. If you had any doubt prior to this offseason, both the free agency period and the trades/buyouts that followed confirmed exactly that. And it’s down to the recent dominance of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors, as opposing teams have realized that the only way to beat a super team is by forming a super team. And, frankly, one or two stars is no longer enough to beat a team whose roster features three of even four of the NBA’s most talented players. As of now, you can find super teams not only in Cleveland and Golden State, but also in Houston, Oklahoma City, Boston (kind of) and there’s also one in the making in Minnesota.
This may seem like bad news for the rest of the league, but as history tells us, superteams don’t always succeed in doing what they’re supposed to. Just look at the 2012-13 L.A. Lakers, who, after acquiring Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, went on to win just 45 games, before losing in the first round of the playoffs. Or the 1996-97 Houston Rockets, who finished third in the West before also losing in the first round, despite having a team that featured Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Charles Barkley. Still, even as recently as 2013, superteams were rare in the NBA. Now they’re commonplace, largely due to the fact that players have realized they need to gang up in order to compete for a title.
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We saw it with the 2007-08 Boston Celtics, who had Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. We saw it with the 2010-11 Miami Heat team, who had Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. And we’ve seen it again more recently in Cleveland and Golden State. But this is different, as the movement’s gone league-wide, forcing those outside the super team mini league to rethink their rebuilding plans. Whether this is good or bad for basketball very much depends on whether you’re a fan of one of the league’s elite teams or not. If you are, you’re probably delighted by the prospect of a 60-win regular season, followed by an extremely deep postseason run that has a decent chance of resulting in serious contention. If you’re not, you should probably think about switching allegiance pretty soon, especially if your team (as mine is) happens to be a basement dweller in the doldrums of the Eastern Conference! Obviously I’m not really encouraging you to give up on your team in order to support another. But, if there’s one thing that’s clear right now, it’s that stars attract stars. Sometimes this happens in the NBA’s most desirable basketball locations (Boston, Golden State, Houston), but, ultimately, players are now willing to embrace cities that don’t exactly tick that box (Oklahoma City, Cleveland) if doing so gives them a chance to team up with other stars. This is good news if your team has a bonafide superstar in the making on its books (think Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia etc.), as help’s probably on the way. But it’s really bad news if it doesn’t (here’s looking at you, Chicago, Atlanta, Indiana, Orlando etc.). Notice that all these teams are based in the East – the home of mediocre basketball for some years now, whichever franchise LeBron James happens to be playing for notwithstanding. And most of this super team malarkey comes back to LeBron anyway, as he singlehandedly (well, with the help of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, actually) broke the mold back in 2010
by ditching the solo act in Cleveland to join the affectionately named ‘Heatles’. Now it’s important to note that his decision to do so was, in reality, a response to the fact that the Celtics “big three” had joined forces a couple of years earlier, thus robbing him of the opportunity to reign in the East with role players like an aging Shaq and Wally Szczerbiak in tow. But LeBron was a perennial MVP candidate – one whose pride and desire to “go it alone” should have convinced him that this was a terrible idea. But LeBron’s far smarter than that, and he realized that playing with other star players gave him the best possible chance of achieving his ultimate goal – winning an NBA Championship.
Fast forward seven years and “The Decision”, the ring counting, the jersey burning is largely forgotten. But LeBron’s decision to swap Cleveland for Miami has left a lasting legacy – one that current NBA players are not afraid to emulate.
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Just look at Kevin Durant, who did exactly the same thing by walking away from OKC, albeit to a comparatively muted response. Most fans were ultimately torn on the matter, as while it was fun watching KD in OKC, the prospect of him playing in Oakland was positively mouthwatering. And it all but guaranteed him a ring (or seven!). The NBA has now introduced a measure to encourage players to stay with the team that drafted them, but it’s merely financial and wasn’t enough to tempt either Paul George or Gordon Hayward, both of whom walked away from (in one form or another) their respective first franchises this summer, choosing the prospect of gold rings over the guarantee of additional gold coins. And who can blame them? Top NBA players like George and Hayward make money by the bucket load, but only a handful of players from every generation ever get to say they won a championship. And the bottom line is that it doesn’t matter if they do it as part of a super team or not, which probably means that we’ll see even more stars collaborating in even more cities over the coming seasons, at least until the league comes up with a way to discourage it that is. This is, after all, the era of the super team, so you’d better hope your team’s next.
LAYNE MURDOCH GETTY IMAGES
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THE END OF GRIT AND GRIND by Joe Hulbert
JEFFREY BECKER USA TODAY SPORTS
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‘Matt (Barnes) and Vince (Carter) , they wanted to finish the game, and I think that… that’s what Grizzlies basketball is all about’, sobbed Memphis Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger, after the Memphis Grizzlies were knocked out of the 2016 Postseason by the San Antonio Spurs. Joerger’s emotional interview went viral, and received millions of views across the world, and his tears foreshadowed the end of an era in Memphis. It was an iconic moment in NBA history, as he was completely in awe at the effort and commitment of his own players, in a series where they were completely out-matched. Joerger explained to reporters that he was ‘so proud’ of every player in his locker room, as the 2016 Grizzlies went through 28 players over the season due to a historically unlucky injury crisis. The final lineup of the Grizzlies 2016 campaign had Matt Barnes playing 45 of the 48 minutes on offer, and in addition to this, Jordan Farmar and Xavier Munford both played over 20 minutes neither suited up for an NBA team last year. The Grizzlies looked mortal in 2016, but while they did not have the same defensive prowess or the same stifling offense, the heart and spirit of Grizzlies basketball lived on through the 28 players who suited up in that season. Dave Joerger’s tears were a representation of the years of hard work and effort that went into making a historically awful team in the Grizzlies into a team that almost made the NBA Finals, and the hardest team to play against in the NBA for half a decade. Grit and Grind will likely live on for a while longer in Memphis, as mentalities do not simply disappear, but the departures of Zach Randolph and Tony Allen mark the end of an era. Randolph opted to re-join his old coach Dave Joerger in Sacramento, and Allen joined the New Orleans Pelicans after meeting with nearly six other NBA teams. The Grizzlies do still have Mike Conley and Marc Gasol to carry the torch forwards, but the approach to the game will likely be completely different to how it was under Lionel Hollins and Dave Joerger.
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Hollins and Joerger were about as old school as you could get; tough disciplinarians who favoured veterans over rookies and ran the majority of their offense through the post. Their new Head Coach David Fizdale is the opposite; a calm collected man who has no problems throwing rookies into the fire – just ask Wayne Selden, who became a huge player for the Grizzlies down the stretch. Fizdale’s offense is much more advanced and encompassing than the one ran by his predecessors, and he uses a lot more off screen action and creativity in his half court sets than the majority of coaches.
3.6 per game after Fizdale arrived from Miami. Gasol’s ability as a pick-and-pop threat, and as a passing big, opens so many things up in the halfcourt, and it is disappointing that his previous coaches never allowed him such freedom. Fizdale often uses Gasol off fake screens, and such half court creativity is a reason that multiple rookies have entered the Grizzlies locker room and become such productive players. The likes of JaMychal Green and Andrew Harrison have benefitted from David Fizdale’s approach, and it is clear that he is the right man to lead them into the future.
There is no doubt that he wants them to get out and run more, as they have been practicing this throughout pre-season. The offense they are running in the half court has been vanilla because that’s simply the way things work in pre-season, but they have been running more than they have in the past. Memphis still runs a slow offense, but there is more action, and less reliance on simply trying to bully their way to the basket.
To some extent, one does wonder how useful Fizdale’s creativity would have been in the Lionel Hollins era. It could have been the sort of thing that could have pushed them over the edge just before the Golden State Warriors rose to stardom. Regardless, an era ended in Memphis, and they may not be as formidable as they were, but they are going to be good in a wholly different way.
Fizdale’s fit with Memphis is a good one, purely because he is not going to force a pace style on this Grizzlies team. One major beneficiary of this has been Marc Gasol, who has developed into the NBA’s best stretch big. He has always had three-point range, but his attempts shot up from 0.1 per game, to
One man who is going to be essential in this transition, is Chandler Parsons. The former Houston Rocket has become somewhat of a joke on social media due to his injury history, combined with a horrendous contract, but people must not forget what a good player he can be on his day. Parsons will be the power forward for Memphis when he is healthy, and his style could not really be more different than Zach Randolph’s. Z-Bo lived on the low block and was reliant on post moves, whereas Parsons does more of his work off-the-ball, and he can become a reliable hybrid-forward in David Fizdale’s system. Parsons is essentially the man who this transition hinges on, as he is the player who can help maintain the defensive solidity, whilst also expanding the offense, and allowing David Fizdale to run a completely open offense. Many will disagree, but Parsons is not a bad player, he is just overpaid, which is not something we should hold against him.
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SERGIO ESTRADA USA TODAY SPORTS
Memphis were everyone’s ‘second’ team, but now they appear to be flying under the radar, with many predicting them to miss out on a playoff spot. I personally think this is mightily disrespectful as they have two top 35 players, and a decent supporting cast including Tyreke Evans, Wayne Selden and Chandler Parsons. I currently have Memphis as the six seed in the West, and if Chandler Parsons is healthy, they could easily become the five seed in the West ahead of the Nuggets, Clippers and Timberwolves.
Grit and Grind was a style that always earned respect, but it was definitely time for a change, and Grizzlies fans should be excited about their current core. Many want them to blow it up, but there is something exciting about being a good team and selling out every night, they should embrace this.
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SHOWTIME 2.0 by Matthew Wellington
ROBERT CASILLAS SCNG
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During the 1980s the Los Angeles Lakers revolutionised the game of basketball, behind an enigmatic and gifted young point guard named Magic Johnson. That era became known as ‘Showtime’. 38 years later, and with Magic as President of Basketball Operations, they look poised to do it all again. In the 1979 NBA Draft, Los Angeles selected 6-foot, 9-inch point guard Magic Johnson from Michigan State with the first overall pick. With Magic’s arrival, his unmatched passing ability and unrelenting marketing appeal, the NBA as the world knew it became must-watch television. The 1980s were a time of great expanse for the NBA, as the popularity of the league rose in the United States and across the globe. It was a rise which ran in parallel with its two biggest stars, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Two superstars who would not only go on to win championships, but revolutionise the game in their own individual ways. During the 1970s, after the retirement of Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, the league fell into the doldrums, failing to land a good television contract and playing to half-full arenas. In the 1980s Magic and Larry changed all that, introducing a new more action-packed, more intense era of basketball which mesmerised the sports world. For the Lakers, the 1980s meant five championships in nine years, led by a new look fast-break and powered by a certain player called Magic and his chorus of stars. ‘Showtime’
became the biggest thing in Los Angeles and eventually, sports. Easily making the Lakers and indeed the Lakers vs Celtics rivalry, which dominated the era, a must watch spectacle. Fastforward to present day and a new young Lakers point guard, Lonzo Ball, looks set to ignite the league’s most popular franchise once again. In February this year Magic became the Lakers new President of Basketball Operations and with it the Lakers ushered in a new era of optimism and hope. It’s a hope which not only stems from Magic’s past but his vision of the future. For months before this past June’s draft, Magic knew instinctively who he wanted to lead his Lakers, a college player who shared all the characteristics of his younger self. The 6-foot, 6-inch Ball shared a stylish, unselfish approach to the game of basketball and it was this characteristic which inevitably brought the player and the franchise together. With the decision to take Ball with the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Magic has thrown his own reputation into the ring and the Lakers’ hope of a quick rebuild along with it.
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Ball’s talents, as defined as they may be, represent a risk, not a guarantee. However when you break Ball down, into the intangible abilities he brings to a basketball court, this new face of the Lakers has all the pieces to level and even surpass the man who drafted him. His self confidence is evident, drilled into him by an overly-confident father, LaVar Ball. A man who quite literally said he could beat Michael Jordan on national television. But confidence is just one part to the Ball package. His marketing appeal in the United States alone made him a worthy second overall pick, but if Ball can become a truly transcendent player - as the Lakers foresee him becoming - then his global appeal is endless. On the court it’s impossible to deny the effect Ball’s presence had on the University of California, Los Angeles Bruins last season and subsequently the impact he had upon the young Lakers roster during this past Summer League; where Ball helped turn a non-event into the event. His extremely unselfish approach to the game, united with outstanding court vision, led to him opening his Summer League account in style, connecting with fellow Lakers stud Brandon Ingram on the very first play. This unselfish nature, combined with a Magic-esque passing ability, has rubbed off and will continue to rub off on teammates.
ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN GETTY IMAGES
Ball, the first Laker to be named NBA Summer League MVP, averaged 16.3 points and a league-leading 9.3 assists to go with 7.7 rebounds and 2.5 steals. He even managed to add to the Ball hysteria by wearing multiple brands’ sneakers, creating a media frenzy which directly highlighted the limitations of being tied to a single brand. The end result of Summer League, a Lakers trophy, proved that Ball will be the key to their future offense, possessing an innate ability to run a fastpaced, modern NBA offense, the likes of which Lakers head coach Luke Walton, helped
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develop in Golden State. And before the season has even begun his effect on the Lakers young roster physically has already been felt.
someone who could shoulder more of an offensive burden, leaving Ball and his unorthodox shot open, just the way he likes it.
Recently Walton claimed that 6 or more players now regularly turn up for extra off-season coaching and conditioning, something he called “incredible” and something which was largely down to Ball’s own work ethic. A work ethic similar to the man he has been destined to replace, Kobe Bryant. Unlike Kobe however, Ball isn’t designed to carry the load, he’s the representation of everything basketball fans have come to respect in the modern NBA, moulded in the shape of Magic, gifted with the talents of Jason Kidd and powered by an appeal as significant as Lebron James. Questions do however remain.
Whether he’s a superstar or just a very solid rotation player, he’s as good a bet as anyone to have a long, substantial NBA career and with his long-awaited arrival the Lakers are back to dreaming big again, about Lonzo’s future, and about that of their franchise.
SCOTT VARLEY SCNG
Ball possesses a rather unique and somewhat unorthodox shooting motion, the mechanics of which may not be suitable for the NBA. The way in which Ball releases the ball in his shooting motion will undeniably make it difficult for him to pull up while attacking off the dribble. Problems also emerge when Ball is forced to pull up to the right, something which we saw on more than one occasion during Summer League. His natural shooting motion results in him bringing the ball back across to his left, making it easier for a defender to block. Experienced defenders in the NBA, especially those who study their opponent, will surely utilise this to their advantage. This stand-out weakness, would suggest that Ball is in fact suited to being the second-best player on the court behind
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the
wonderful wizard of oz by Mike Miller
The arrival of Kyrie Irving in Boston was the epicentre of this summer’s hurricane of an “offseason”. Gone are the dog days of summer, where the greatest league in the world pulls down its shutters and closes shop for a few weeks of sun. The pace and unrelenting ferocity at which the basketball world has spun since the Dubs were crowned champs in June, has perhaps provided us with the first year-long NBA season. And yet, in those few weeks off, so much has happened that we return to a league that looks significantly different from last year. L. Frank Baum’s 1900 classic, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz provides an interesting allegory that can be applied to the remarkable move that led to Kyrie ending up in Beantown. He represents just about all aspects and characters of the tale. He is, after all, a ball-handling Wizard from the Land of Oz. So let’s not dive down a rabbit hole (we wouldn’t want to mix metaphors now would we) and instead turn the page with Kyrie. Beware, the following article many utilise poetic license.
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MADDIE MEYER GETTY IMAGES
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You’re not in Kansas anymore
a 28-point explosion in the team’s exit from the NCAA Tournament. And with that, Irving’s time at college was done.
To understand our protagonist’s decision (to ease the comparison to Dorothy, let’s focus on the ruby slippers – the wine and gold colourways of his signature Nikes), we need to at first understand where he came from. Irving’s father, Drederick played college ball at Boston University before embarking on a professional career in Australia. In March 1992, Kyrie was born in Melbourne, where he lived until he was two. The family then uprooted and moved to New Jersey, and Irving set upon his path (his yellow brick road, if you will) to hoops stardom. Basketball was in his blood - he grew up watching his dad play and attending camps at BU. His high school and junior/amateur career is jawdroppingly impressive. State Titles. All American honours. Team USA Gold medals.
GARY A. VASQUEZ US PRESSWIRE
By the fifth grade (10-11-years-old) BU had already offered the youngster a scholarship and it was clear that this kid was a star in the making. In 2010 he embarked on his brief college career at the hallowed Duke University, under the guidance of basketball deity, Mike Krzyzewski. Irving arrived with a bang – averaging 17.4 points per game on 53.2% shooting, 5.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals across his first eight games – but in his ninth, a toe injury put the young star out of action indefinitely. Irving would make just two more appearances for the Blue Devils, including
If I only had a brain Coming into the league, it was clear that this guy was a stud. But let’s face it, most players drafted in the first round have been the alpha their entire career. Despite the season derailing injury at Duke, Irving was still the consensus number one pick, landing in a desolate Cleveland still mourning the departure of LeBron.
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Adjusting to the NBA game is tough. It’s quicker, more physical and you need to be smart in order to dominate. Kyrie seemed to have a handle on all these; Rookie of the Year honours in his first season, an All-Star in his second, the All-Star MVP in his third; the youngster was undeniably in the ascendency. However, his individual success was not translating into immediate team success, with the Cavs earning just 21, 24 and 33 wins across those seasons. Irving hardly had the tools around him to succeed though, with two coaches in that time; playing for a franchise which stalwart professional, Luol Deng, called “a mess” Somewhat unfairly, the bulk of the blame and criticism fell at Kyrie’s feet. He’s one dimensional. How can you have a point guard who doesn’t pass? Kyrie was evolving though. His scoring was never in question and his assists rose each of the first three years. Yes, so did his minutes, but bear in mind that his turnovers came down too. What is now being understood to be Kyrie’s general demeanour was treated as aloofness and mental lapses were seized upon as examples of this guy just not getting it. Unsurprisingly, rumours were abundant that Kyrie wanted out. In a time when a franchise should be nurturing (note – not pandering to) its star, having learnt from its previous mistakes, instead Uncle Drew was being surrounded by instability and chaos. Hardly the environment to let a hoops head evolve.
The Tin Man needs a heart And then, in the summer 2014, the unthinkable happened. The King returned. Burnt jerseys were resurrected. The streets spilled over with adoring (if not slightly hypocritical) fandom, Cleveland became Beliveland and the world became
Kyrie, already disgruntled, was now cast aside. His star eclipsed by the overwhelming shadow of the greatest player of this era. witness. The city’s heart, which he had been promised, belonged to another. But Kyrie didn’t despair, he kept his nose to the grindstone and continued to produce. Playing second fiddle to LeBron, the Cavs steamrolled themselves in the Finals to face the otherworldly Warriors. In game one, facing off against freshly anointed MVP, Steph Curry, Irving matched him toe-to-toe. 23 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 4
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steals. Perhaps most impressively though were his two blocks on the MVP, including one with 26 seconds left in the fourth with the score tied. Then, in overtime, disaster strikes; a drive right against Klay Thompson. An awkward fall and an immediate grab of the left knee. Dreams, hearts and knees broken in an instant. Of course Kyrie’s redemption would come the following June, when he showed the heart (and some) to step up and nail the go-ahead bucket in a Finals game seven. Proving that he could handle the pressure and belonged on the game’s biggest stage. EZRA SHAW GETTY IMAGE
The Lion’s courage Individually, Irving has achieved just about all there is to in the league. But LeBron played a huge role in Kyrie’s overall success and in turn perhaps took some of the credit due to his costar. Clearly, having been the lead all his life, he was not comfortable playing the supporting role. Despite being irked by the beta status, and by James’s constant babying of him, Kyrie knew he had a good thing going on. That is until the latest iteration of the decision raised its head. With LeBron clearly not seeing eye-to-eye with management and the threat of his second departure growing more and more imminent by the day, Kyrie had two choices. One; ride this season out, leaving the future of the franchise to the whims of LeBron and be left to pick up the pieces in a desolate wasteland, à la 2011-14. Two; have the courage to take control of his own destiny and try to forge his own path as a leader of his own team. And so, in mid-July, Kyrie officially requested to be traded and fuelled enough offseason news and content to last the entire summer. A week later, on Tuesday 22 August 2017, Kyrie Irving was sent to Boston. The deal between the teamswas unexpected to say the least, not since the Phoenix Suns and Seattle SuperSonics (RIP) swapped Paul Westphal for Dennis Johnson in 1980, had the NBA witnessed a trade between the previous season’s conference finalists.
The Emerald City Now Kyrie has arrived in a green land, glimmering with the sparkle of 17 championship trophies. He joins a team in the midst of an impressive rebuild and with enough assets and picks to be a title contender – maybe not instantly, but soon and for a long time to come.
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The Boston front office finally parted with some of their war chest of assets to land Irving. An unprotected pick from Brooklyn, solid two-way wing Jae Crowder and, the man who cemented his place in the hearts of the Boston faithful with his incredible performance in the Playoffs, Isaiah Thomas. For the franchise to give up so much is a testament to their faith in Kyrie. It also means that expectations will be incredibly high, not just from management and fans, but also from Kyrie himself. Having joined a team that had already improved upon being the number one seed in the East, Kyrie has challenged himself with being the guy on a contender.
changing winds of the league. In the book (spoiler alert), the Wizard was an ordinary man empowered by the faith others put in him. Right now, Danny Ainge is that man. Behind his curtain, pushing the Celtics into one of the most remarkable rebuilds in memory, (still) with an abundance of assets at his disposal. With such a great set-up and potential to reign supreme, don’t expect Kyrie to click his heels together anytime soon.
You don’t switch allegiances away from the King, unless you’re going to make a claim on the throne. Kyrie needs to have an MVP-calibre season. It’s certainly possible, but odds of 12/1 have the guard as an outside chance. Key to this will be quickly developing a chemistry and understanding with the Celtics other haul this summer, Gordon Hayward. This shouldn’t be too difficult a transition, both players possess skill-sets that should perfectly complement and play off each other’s.
The Wizard For this season, at least, the Celtics and Kyrie will likely continue to play second fiddle to the Cavs and LeBron. But Boston are geared up to dominate the East for a number of years to come, primed to endure and survive the
CHARLES KRUPA ASSOCIATED PRESS
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A TALE OF TWO CITIES by Nick Whitfield
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New York and Los Angeles, the NBA’s two biggest markets, couldn’t be more different With the Carmelo Anthony era in New York having now officially come to an unsuccessful end in a trade saga that overtook much of last season, the Garden is far from Eden. It’s telling that there are no whispers of any elite talent from around the league lining up to take on the mantle. In Kristaps Porzingis the Knicks have a potential All-NBA talent that could seemingly be paired with anyone, and yet still nothing. Compare this to the Lakers. There is a badly (read not at all) kept secret that over a year on from the retirement of Kobe Bryant, several of the very best players in the league are now looking to Los Angeles as a potential destination for them to ply their trade. LeBron James, Paul George and Kevin Love have all been rumoured in one way or another to have L.A. on their respective radars. With this upcoming season to observe how the young roster that the Lakers have constructed develops, next season we could see L.A. fast-tracked back into contention. As a Knicks fan I can’t help looking enviously out West and asking why the bright lights of New York haven’t attracted any star talent since Carmelo Anthony joined the team in 2010. Historically, NBA franchises in the ‘major markets’ have been able to rely on their status and relative wealth to attract some of the league’s best talent like a magnet. The potential for lucrative endorsements that comes with the level of exposure that being a star in a major media centre brings also represents the tangible benefits of playing in the big cities. New York doesn’t just have earning power, it also has a proud basketball history - from it’s playgrounds, high schools and universities, all
the way up to the Knicks themselves. New York lives and breathes basketball. For its incredible history, Madison Square Garden is even referred to as the “Mecca of basketball”. So in one of the world’s major media hubs, with an owner willing to spend and a culture that demands winning, what’s gone wrong? The NBA has changed. This generation of players has proven that they have more agency in where they play than any that have come before them. We’ve seen LeBron James up and leave the Cavs to play for Miami, until he decided to return home and it was (of course) on his timing. We’ve seen Kevin Durant elect to leave Oklahoma City and play in the location and with the players he saw fit. I could go on. But I won’t, because the message is clear: the best players in the league now have more leverage to pick up and play wherever they want, with the players they think give them the best chance of winning. At the same time, the growth of technology, online culture and digital platforms means that the necessity of playing in a major market in order to maximise your endorsement and media opportunities is simply no longer true to the same extent. This is played out in the top selling jerseys, shoes and the size of endorsement deals. The money follows the talent far more than the market in which they play. NBA junkies and international fans can watch any game they want with League Pass - a huge shift from the days when fans were reliant on the TV schedule to govern which games they could watch and the players they’d get the chance to see. Demonstrative of the power of even “small market” teams to pull together contending
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rosters, we’ve seen Paul George and Carmelo Anthony team up with Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City - one of the smallest markets in the NBA. The Bucks are building around Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Cavs have maxed out around LeBron James and San Antonio has built an unmatched consistency and culture of excellence over the past couple of decades. In a similar vein, Dallas has been able to build a player-first culture around Dirk Nowitzki, Pat Riley is able to point at the beach and tap his rings on the table down in Miami, and Boston has those banners hanging from the ceiling. Whether it’s market size, culture or winning, the landscape has become incredibly competitive to lure the best players.
the Knicks were simply no match for a Tim Duncan-led Spurs team.
If New York was assessed just by the glitz and the glamour, the ‘city that never sleeps’ would be high on any player’s radar. But that’s not where we are now. Accepting that the best talent can more or less choose where they want to play – market size is obviously a factor still, but it’s not as important as front office competence, commitment to winning, culture and how an organisation treats its stars. It’s these metrics where the Knicks start to fall apart, when you compare this franchise to others. Sure there will still be an attraction for young players wanting to make a name for themselves (Porzingis allegedly withheld his medical records from Philadelphia to engineer New York as his draft destination), but it all changes for established stars. So where did it all go wrong? I’m going to go way (way!) back to the last period of real consistency. In 1994 the Knicks fell to the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals and an inspired Hakeem Olajuwon, but as a perennial contender at that time, it felt like the Knicks would surely get another chance. It didn’t quite happen for the franchise until an improbable run to the Finals as an 8th seed in the lockout-shortened 1999 season gave the team false hope. This was a season characterised by unpredictability due to the sheer number of back-to-back games, poor player conditioning and severely hampered training camps. Whilst an exciting playoff run,
NATHANIEL S. BUTLER GETTY IMAGES
In the Summer of 2000 the Knicks traded Patrick Ewing to Seattle, believing Latrell Sprewell to be the future of the franchise. But why am I looking back this far? This trade marked the end of contention for the Knicks and, looking back, is actually representative of the approach the Knicks have largely taken since. Having been the face of the franchise since 1985, Ewing took exception to what he viewed as the disrespect shown to him in his twilight years once the franchise believed they had their next star in Sprewell and agitated for
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a trade. Rather than try and simply placate their franchise cornerstone for his one remaining season and have his $18 million salary come off the payroll, they gambled. As part of a four-team trade, the Knicks received Luc Longley and a broken down version of Glen Rice, along with their bad contracts. Once it was clear a trade was going to happen, rather than try to take on expiring deals and shed salary that way, those expensive courtside seats and the always-on media culture demanded that the team attempt a quick-fire rebuild that ended in compromise. Since this time it’s been largely the same story over and over. Similar moves either saw the team trade for or hand large (unmovable) contracts to Antonio McDyess, Steve Francis, Eddy Curry, Jerome James, Andrea Bargnani, Joakim Noah and Stephon Marbury. The Knicks have incessantly (and unsuccessfully) gambled on the health and / or form of former NBA stars and compromised themselves down the standings. Superstitious NBA fans might even view how these moves worked out as somehow karmic for the Knicks treatment of arguably their greatest ever player in Ewing. The brief glimpses of success the Knicks have seen since their 90s success (I would argue) have only gone to serve as mini 1999 playoff runs in that they built false hope and pushed the team to go ‘all in’ when conservatism would have been better placed. In what looked like another gamble of a move, the Knicks acquired Amar’e Stoudemire (and his uninsurable knees) in 2010 but were actually rewarded with half a season of MVP-level performance. The Knicks proceeded to trade most of the productive roster, barring Stoudemire, to acquire Carmelo Anthony. To many, this was a sure sign the Knicks were back – one of the greatest scorers in the league, in his prime and actively wanting to join the Knicks. The pairing never truly worked on the floor - a true mismatch of playstyles. But, regardless, a team led by savvy veterans overachieved their way to 54 wins in 2013-14. When these veterans left the following season, so did many of the wins.
CHRISTIAN PETERSEN GETTY IMAGES
And back to the present, the Knicks have alienated yet another of their superstars in Carmelo Anthony - a well-respected character among his peers - and demonstrated a fundamental lack of understanding of the importance of building a culture that players want to be a part of.
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RONALD MARTINEZ GETTY IMAGES
Ewing isn’t the only legendary Knick to feel hard done by. That same Sprewell that the Knicks saw as their post-Ewing future eventually left the franchise in a cloud of ill-feeling. Just this past season the team attempted to embarrass Charles Oakley, a fan favourite from the perennial contending Knicks teams of the 90s. With Phil Jackson also running Carmelo’s name through the mud all season (ironically killing his trade value), and later even publicly discussing listening to trade offers for Kristaps Porzingis, it’s hard to see why an All-NBA type talent would choose the Knicks over any of the myriad options they have. It’s hard to imagine they would genuinely believe the Knicks to be equipped to help build a team around them that will really contend. So let’s turn to Los Angeles during this same period. Following their relative down period postMagic Johnson, the Lakers utilised the prime of Shaquille O’Neal. The team was also savvy enough to acquire a young Kobe Bryant, blend his talents with O’Neal and then build a team entirely around him following Shaq’s departure – all to the tune of five championships (and another two unsuccessful Finals appearances). Some may look at this comparison and simply see the Lakers as having had the superior talent over this time period – and that’s certainly true. But the key for me, taking this long-term view, is that even in the team’s down seasons (immediately post-Shaq and in the last few seasons of Bryant’s career) the Lakers unreservedly stood by their star - something the Knicks have consistently not done. When players in the NBA look at the Lakers and talk to their peers that have played for the organisation, it makes a real difference. Even beyond the two all-time talents, the Lakers were able to draw championship level performances from Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom etc. And all of these players talk fondly of their time with the franchise and many of whom think of themselves of ‘Lakers’ first, even when they
With Bryant gone, the franchise shed payroll, picked up favourable contracts and draft picks and put themselves in the best position for next summer, where the real action and prize hauls can be made.
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also played elsewhere. While the Lakers aren’t likely to be competing for the top spots in the West this year, that hasn’t been the objective. And what of the Knicks? One of the key themes of Charles Dicken’s novel of the same name of this article (A Tale of Two Cities) is the everpresent possibility of resurrection and this is where New York finds itself. Amidst all the doom and gloom, the Knicks have now parted ways with Phil Jackson, which means Jeff Hornacek will be free to push the tempo and run his own system. As well as Carmelo played in the Big Apple, his presence and the unrelenting media speculation surrounding his inevitable and eventual departure had become an exhausting burden. With Carmelo gone, Porzingis becomes the young focal point and there’s a chance for a more positive locker room and morale.
gamble and fast-track a rebuilding process that has proven unsuccessful over and over again. As someone who’s followed New York basketball closely for years, the desecration of past and present stars, PR gaffes and personnel mismanagement has become tiresome. There are shoots of recovery however, and while this is unlikely to be a standout season for the Knicks – it could be the beginning of the revival. For now, only one thing is certain. If the Lakers are able to lure LeBron James, Paul George or any of the other elite players rumoured to be circling L.A. next summer, New York fans will be looking at their West Coast counterparts, asking what might have been had they really committed to rebuilding years ago.
The Knicks find themselves at a crossroads. They can use this opportunity to take the baby steps required to restoring the franchise’s reputation and start to build the kind of culture and environment that people actually want to to play in. Or they can continue to attempt to COREY SIPKIN GETTY IMAGES
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EASTERN CONFERENCE
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Last season turned out to be more exciting than many anticipated the Eastern Conference could possibly be. An entertaining regular season saw The Boston Celtics battle their way to the No. 1 seed, only for the Cleveland Cavaliers to overcome them on their home floor in the Conference Finals. It was a result that shocked no-one, but one that laid the foundation for what turned out to be a crazy summer, during which Boston swung for the fences, Cleveland replaced long-serving GM David Griffin and the Indiana Pacers gave up superstar Paul George. These moves rocked the league to its core and in the conference ruled by the King, there are now fewer challengers to the throne than ever. But thankfully those that do remain aren’t afraid of the task at hand, or of upsetting a narrative supposedly already written. Boston, after all, has a new prince in Kyrie Irving, who has more reason than anyone to want to topple the King. And he may actually be able to do just that, with the help of Al Horford and Gordon Hayward. In Washington, where American nightmares are rapidly becoming reality, John Wall and co. have the power to bring long-dreamt dreams to life and may, at long last, have a team capable of securing 50-wins – a feat not accomplished in D.C. since the team was know as the Bullets. In long-forgotten Milwaukee, everyone’s favourite Greek God, Giannis Antetokounmpo, is preparing for an MVP campaign, after he received a challenge from the legendary Kobe Bryant. While Toronto, Charlotte, Detroit, Miami and the Philadelphia 76ers may have what it takes to cause an upset or two along the way. So let’s take a look at the NBA’s lesser conference, as our writers preview the East ahead of the 201718 season.
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CHRIS SCHWEGLER GETTY IMAGES
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After two years trying to recapture the magic of their 60-win team, the Hawks are, once again, a mess. by Tom Atkinson
There’s no easy way to say this: it will not be a season to enjoy for Hawks fans. After ten straight years of postseason basketball, Atlanta is rebuilding and they have certainly committed to it. The team traded Dwight Howard to Charlotte and let Paul Millsap walk without even trying to re-sign him. To put the weakness of Atlanta’s roster in perspective, ESPN has the Hawks finishing with 27 wins, bottom of the Eastern Conference and the entire league. Many fans would say this rebuild has been coming, with the team peaking, declining and disbanding since the 60-win season in 2014/15. Horford and Teague departed in 2016 and now the Hawks are barely recognisable. Any hopes they have of success this year depend firmly on Dennis Schröder to run what promises to be a mediocre offense, because beyond him, the roster is bare. Schröder will be leading a starting unit with Kent Bazemore, Taurean Prince, Ersan Ilyasova and Dewayne Dedmon. Even the depth chart doesn’t look great, although there are a number of young prospects that the Hawks fans will be happy to see more of, namely DeAndre’ Bembry, Taurean Prince and dunk king John ‘the Baptist’ Collins. Of course, Atlanta does boast one of the best coaches in the league in Mike Budenholzer. With that in mind, it would be no surprise if the Hawks
exceeded expectations but the team will still be in the lower rungs of the NBA. Comparing the talent Atlanta has with most other NBA rosters reveals a pretty obvious mismatch and the Hawks have no particular strength. They have shooters in Babbitt, Muscala and Belinelli and rebounders in Dewayne Dedmon and John Collins. They have a penetrator and playmaker in Dennis Schröder and he could potentially take a significant step forward with a bigger role this year. However, the positives are badly outnumbered by the negatives. Many of these key players are either unproven in bigger roles, like Prince or Bembry, or struggling with their roles, like Bazemore. And while players like Ilyasova and Dedmon have their strengths, they are significantly inferior to last year’s frontcourt of Dwight Howard and Paul Millsap. In fact the duo are inferior even to many of the weakest frontcourts in the league. But that is by design. The Hawks brought in Travis Schenk, formerly of the Golden State Warriors, as their new general manager and Schenk has quickly set about reshaping the Hawks roster. A rebuild is indeed the best idea for the franchise. The core around Horford, Millsap and Teague had peaked and the addition of Howard did nothing to elevate that ceiling; if anything,
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DeAndre Bembry
Dennis Schroder
Dewayne Dedmon
Ersan Ilyasova
Jeremy Evans
John Collins
Jordan Mathews
Josh Magette
Kent Bazemore
Luke Babbitt
Malcolm Delaney
Marco Belinelli
Mike Muscala
Miles Plumlee
Nicolas Brussino
Quinn Cook
Taurean Prince
Tyler Cavanaugh
Tyler Dorsey
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it brought that ceiling down. Things had started deteriorating immediately after that 2014/15 season and it became clear that the Hawks core just couldn’t become a true contender.
The mediocrity had gone on long enough and it was time to retool, to look to the future. We’ve seen many successful rebuilds recently. The Philadelphia 76ers are threatening to become elite (with time). The Philadelphia 76ers are threatening to become elite (with time). The Minnesota Timberwolves are already there after adding Jimmy Butler to a core of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. After a few years at the bottom, the Atlanta Hawks will hope to be in a similar position, having drafted high-end talent that might be able to take them to the top. Perhaps they’ll draft a superstar and those are very much a rarity in Georgia; perhaps the last one seen there was Dominique Wilkins. And yet, the rebuild comes at a bad time and will undoubtedly hurt Atlanta. The franchise’s fanbase has been a consistent concern but in
recent years that had begun to change. The team, led by fan-favourite Al Horford, was putting up wins and delving into the playoffs. The marketing departmnet was making smart moves with great promotions; like Tinder Night to bring in more people - and even paying for the wedding of a couple who met on that night! The Hawks social media team was innovative and forward-thinking, adding to the appeal with funny gifs and top-notch emoji usage. The fanbase was being revived and crowds were getting bigger because they knew they could go and see their Hawks and have a good chance at seeing a big old W. But now they are rebuilding. A new, amazinglooking arena might be coming but if the team on the hardwood can’t put up wins, then the crowds will undoubtedly drop, even with immediatefavourite John ‘the Baptist’ Collins destroying rims night after night. All of that good work over recent years will start to reverse and the regression will get worse with every L they put up and every year they finish with a losing record. Aside from the hardcore, the already limited fanbase will lose its devotion and shrink; so the rebuild threatens to do real damage. And yet it is the best idea. It is the only way the Hawks can become relevant and competitive again. It is also the Hawks best chance of acquiring a superstar who will breathe new life in the Atlanta fanbase. And so the fans need to patient. Dare I say it: they need to trust in the process, Atlanta’s process. Either way, the 2017-18 season is setting up to be a tough one for the Hawks team and the Hawks fans. The roster is straight-up bad but Budenholzer’s coaching acumen might actually lift Atlanta away from the very top picks and that’s not what the fans want to see. All in all, there are very few matchups in which Atlanta seems to have a good chance at victory. As a result, it seems like Hawks fans will have to get ready to see their team put up more L’s than the name of a Welsh town. Being a Hawks fan isn’t fun at the best of times. This year will be even worse.
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BRIAN BABINEAU GETTY IMAGES
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Boston hit a home run this summer, raising the question: is banner eighteen just over the horizon? by Josh Coyne
In March 2014, during the early stages of Boston’s swift, accelerated rebuild, team owner Wyc Grousbeck pledged that ‘fireworks’ were on their way. Similarly to almost every bonfire night event that I’ve ever attended, the display was delayed and fans were left underwhelmed, hoping for something much more explosive. This summer, with the team already way ahead of schedule, GM Danny Ainge and his staff set off the pyrotechnics with a series of bold transactions that overhauled a squad of overachievers and acquired a collective that includes two All-Stars. For every guy the Celtics lost, they received an arguably superior player in return and may now be closer to presenting a significant challenge in the race to the Finals. For Celtics fans it has been a summer of confusion and heartbreak, in which they were expected to disconnect their heart from their head. Each move carried logic and increased the amount of talent on the team, but the fans experienced plenty of emotional turbulence. The first difficult decision made by the front office saw their longest tenured player and defensive ace, Avery Bradley, along with a second round pick, traded to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for 27-year-old forward Marcus Morris. Some within the organisation found it difficult to let go of Bradley, who served as a leader in the locker room and had improved
on the offensive end of the floor exponentially. With the move clearing cap space for the team and creating further opportunity to improve the roster, a sentence that would be uttered all summer in Boston was ‘it is a business after all’. The cold-hearted, business driven theme continued in August, when wantaway All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving was moved to Beantown, in exchange for Jae Crowder, Croatian big man Ante Zizic, the 2018 Brooklyn Nets pick, a second round pick and most notably, Isaiah Thomas. Miscommunication and uncertainty clouded the deal, which became a prolonged debacle, eventually resulting in Boston now able to avoid awkward Isaiah Thomas contract discussions and welcome an elite offensive talent at the tender age of 25, with two years left on his contract. There are several factors that will affect the way the deal looks when we look back at it in years to come. Thomas’s health is an obvious one, but Irving’s ability to lead, Zizic’s contribution and whether or not Brooklyn can improve will mould the long-term perception of the deal. The fact that the Celtics waved goodbye to almost all of last year’s squad is remarkable, considering their 53 win season, number one seeding and Eastern Conference Finals appearance. It’s rare for a relatively young team, faintly knocking on the door of the NBA Finals
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Abdel Nader
Al Horford
Andrew White
Aron Baynes
Daniel Theis
Gordon Hayward
Guerschon Yabusele
Jaylen Brown
Jayson Tatum
Kadeem Allen
Kyrie Irving
L.J. Peak
Marcus Smart
Semi Ojeleye
Shane Larkin
Terry Rozier
Marcus Morris*
* Marcus Morris did not attend Media Day and is currently on trial along with his twin brother, Markieff Morris, for an incident back in 2014.
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to let so many guys walk. But Ainge and his colleagues believed that they could strengthen the team with sufficient replacements. Kelly Olynyk, Amir Johnson, Gerald Green, Jonas Jerebko, James Young, Demetrius Jackson, Jordan Mickey and Tyler Zeller all became free agents, leaving the roster dauntingly thin. The front office then began to look at how to reload. Following a pick swap with the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston selected multi-faceted Duke forward Jayson Tatum, powerful SMU standout Semi Ojeleye, Kadeem Allen and Jabari Bird on draft night. They then bolstered the team with last year’s draft stash Guerschon Yabusele, German forward Daniel Theis, former Nets guard Shane Larkin and Australian bruiser Aron Baynes. With these additions, they hoped to address ongoing problems that the team had faced - rebounding and depth. Boston’s biggest free agency coup came in the form of swingman Gordon Hayward. The former Butler Bulldog reunited with his college head coach Brad Stevens, after leaving the Utah Jazz and politely declining the chance to join the Miami Heat. Together, the duo will try to redeem their NCAA Championship Game disappointment, leading the team alongside Irving and last year’s major signing Al Horford. Stevens now has a considerable amount of offensive weapons at his disposal with the roster that has been assembled. Last year’s addition of Jaylen Brown and Horford spoke for how much the organisation values adaptability. This summer’s flood of versatile athletes further states the team’s intention to prosper among the age of positionless, fluid basketball. Schematically, options have broadened substantially. Last year’s team relied far too heavily on the scoring of Thomas, who pulled the team to the finish line late in games on a regular basis. The coaching staff will now hope that Hayward, Irving and eventually Tatum will allow them to dump the ball in a number of hands when a bucket is required. The spacing on the floor should improve also, with more capable shooters in Morris, Ojeleye and an improved Brown. This in hand allows
more space for the above mentioned go-to stars to create their own shots. An underrated aspect of the team is the way in which Horford can help those around him. Al is able to consistently create space and opportunity for teammates, as seen with the improved numbers of wings, such as Bradley, last year. Perimeter defence hasn’t been an issue in recent years for Boston, which shouldn’t change with Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown potentially taking on increased roles in the team. In the interior, Baynes and Morris should add some much needed steel.
To his credit, Stevens has a history of making the most out of limited resources. He previously helped flawed journeyman Jordan Crawford earn the title of Player of the Week and has overachieved during each of his seasons at the helm. Irving, despite playing with LeBron James, has never fully benefited from the services of a widely revered head coach for an extended period of time. If the stars on the roster are willing to fully buy into Boston’s system, the results may speak for themselves. The onus is now on Stevens to help convert the wealth of talent into success. The litmus test when it comes to progress for modern playoff teams is plainly unfair. Following almost every move, the basketball world speculates on whether it will be enough to push them past LeBron or the Western Conference juggernaut that is the Golden State Warriors. Whilst no move made by Boston this summer instantly pushes them past Cleveland, the ambition to do exactly that is there for all to see.
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ABBIE PARR GETTY IMAGES
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Brooklyn secured a star this summer, but just how much does D’Angelo Russell improve the often hapless Nets? by Jaime Oppenheim
Of all the vulgar four letter words used in association with the Brooklyn Nets in recent years, hope, perhaps the cruellest expletive of all, has not even been mentioned in passing. That changed in a flash in the days leading up to the 2017 Draft. In his first truly inspired move, General Manager Sean Marks acquired former No. 2 overall pick D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov’s oversized contract from the Lakers in exchange for local legend Brook Lopez. A lot has been written about Russell’s rocky two-year stint in Los Angeles, but for a franchise like Brooklyn, he’s a gamechanger. Not only is he the type of young talent that the Nets weren’t supposed to be able to obtain in the wake of their disastrous 2013 trade with the Boston Celtics, he is the most talented player to ever put on a Brooklyn Nets uniform – one whose prime still lies ahead of him. And, what’s more, the addition of genuine NBA talent didn’t end with Russell. After striking out in free agency, Marks went back into the salary dump market twice more, taking on the hefty contracts of Toronto Raptors forward DeMarre Carroll and Portland Trail Blazers wing Allen Crabbe. The difference may be subtle, but with these three acquisitions the Nets went from having a roster full of mediocre players who were no longer in the NBA when Brooklyn called, to a roster of players who were still in the NBA but whose teams were happy to pay someone to
take them away. And yet, progress, at any rate, is still progress. So will Brooklyn be better than their dead last finish, which saw them log a truly awful 20-62 record, from a year ago? Yes, they should most definitely be. As, all jokes aside, Carroll and Crabbe represent a clear upgrade over the likes of Quincy Acy and Joe Harris, and while Timofey Mozgov is not exactly a suitable replacement for the offensively talented Lopez, he still knows what it takes to succeed in the NBA and, let’s take this opportunity to remind ourselves, even has a championship under his belt thanks to his time in Cleveland. While no-one’s exactly shouting from the rooftops about this team, some have had the audacity to suggest that it might actually be a little bit of fun to watch – something that hasn’t been true since Jason Kidd was traded away by the, then, New Jersey Nets a decade ago. After all, Head Coach Kenny Atkinson believes in a fast-paced, democratic brand of basketball smatter with an abundance of three-pointers. One way of describing Atkinson’s system is as sort of the basketball equivalent of “Total Football”: all five players are expected to push the ball in transition, drive and kick in penetration and, of course, fire away from deep. What the Golden State Warriors are able to do out of an abundance of talent, the Nets are trying to do out of sheer tactical execution.
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Akil Mitchell
Allen Crabbe
Caris LeVert
D’Angelo Russell
DeMarre Carroll
Isaiah Whitehead
Jacob Wiley
Jarrett Allen
Jeremy Lin
Jeremy Senglin
Joe Harris
Milton Doyle
Quincy Acy
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
Sean Kilpatrick
Spencer Dinwiddie
Timofey Mozgov
Trevor Booker
Tyler Zeller
Yakuba Ouattara
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Russell will most likely share the backcourt and primary ball-handling duties with fellow combo-guard Jeremy Lin, who missed 46 games through injury last season.
Despite the trade rumours, Lin is still very much the team’s leader both on and off the court, and while “Linsanity” is just a whisper of the past at this stage of his career, he still has more than enough juice to instil fear in opposing defenses. Beyond those two, the picture gets somewhat cloudy for Brooklyn. The combination of Atkinson’s system and a glut of players between 6’5” and 6’8” means we should see everchanging lineups, not just from week-to-week and game-to-game, but even, perhaps, from quarter-to-quarter. Crabbe, a long sought-after target of Marks, should figure as the team’s third scorer and also as their best shooter. He shot 44.4 percent from three-point range on nearly four attempts per game last season, although he will have to reassert himself on the defensive end to nail down a starting spot in his new home town.
The positionless Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will most likely have the first crack at power forward, although perhaps it’s best to just label him a menace. Shooting woes have hindered his development thus far, but his defensive upside is undeniable. Carroll can probably expect to see significant minutes at power forward, and though he’s undoubtedly lost a step, he’ll bring muchneeded shooting to an otherwise punchless front court. The task of replacing Brook Lopez, the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, and offensive talisman from last year, will be Atkinson’s biggest challenge. Mozgov will bring size, defensive nous and experience to the position, but he’s never been dynamic, or much of a scorer for that matter. He’ll hold down the position while 19-year old rookie Jarrett Allen develops, and perhaps even lend some of his experience along the way. The rookie big man has plenty of upside and thanks to his freakishly long arms and incredible feet for a big, could actually turn out to be a draft day steal for Brooklyn. The name to circle in all this, though is Caris LeVert. The second-year wing looked so smooth on the floor during his rookie season that most people missed the fact that statistically he was terrible (last year he averaged just 8.2 games and 3.3 boards in 21 minutes per game). Despite that, LeVert serves though as the prototypical example of everything Marks and Atkinson want in a player: he can defend multiple positions and handle a variety of roles on offense. He just needs some time to put it all together. When you total it all up, the Brooklyn Nets might not look like much, but this year we’re likely to see a vast improvement over the boring, talentless teams from the past two seasons. Though they’re still without their first round pick this year — it now belongs to Cleveland — it’s possible, even likely, that the selection won’t end up in the top-three again. While that alone may elicit hope throughout the fanbase, the young nucleus will inspire real hope for the future too.
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BRIAN BABINEAU GETTY IMAGES
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Can this strange mixture of cast-offs, veterans and rookies ensure the Hornets have a sting in their tail? by Nick Whitfield
With the furore around the personnel changes in Cleveland and Boston, there’s been little fanfare over the Charlotte Hornets this offseason; a team that ultimately finished 11th in the East and seemed to take a step back from the prior season. But the Hornets 36-46 record doesn’t tell the full story with regards to how Charlotte performed last year. After racing out to a hot start, Charlotte would have been disappointed to miss out on the postseason. The Hornets started out 20-16, then went 16-30 for the remainder of the season, including a five game skid in their final games to remove any faint hopes of reaching the playoffs. In terms of areas of improvement, Buzz City finished as a statistically average team on defence overall, but teams attempted and made more three point shots against them than any other franchise. This should be something Coach Clifford looks to address in the coming season. The team also finished 26th in offensive rebounds, placing them amongst the worst in the league at winning extra possessions. In terms of positives, Charlotte turned the ball over the fewest number of times in the NBA, displaying the disciplined offense that has become a hallmark of Steve Clifford’s four year tenure. Similarly, the Hornets committed the fewest fouls in the league, and conceded the fewest free throws, showing this discipline extended to both sides of the ball.
Kemba Walker set the pace with a career season in 2016-17. Career highs in points per game (23.2), field goal percentage (44%) and three point percentage (40%) underlined the work Walker put into improving and in being able to lead this team by example. His offensive and defensive ratings per 100 possessions were also at career high levels – whichever way you look at it, Walker was fantastic. In a weakened Eastern Conference, from a talent perspective, Walker should make the All-Star Team and continue his fine form from last season. Besides Walker, Charlotte sees many stalwarts from the last campaign return this season. Defensively, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is an upper tier player in the NBA and rallied back from a 2015-16 season derailed by injury. While limited offensively, Charlotte will rely on MKG to stop the opposing team’s primary scorer. The versatility, length and playmaking displayed by Nicolas Batum last season definitively justified the his re-signing last summer. Batum will continue to be a stat stuffer alongside Walker. Marvin Williams has found a steady niche as the team’s stretch four and Frank Kaminsky showed moments of promise too. There is however one giant, six foot eleven, two hundred and sixty five pound question hanging over the Hornets. On the one hand, the acquisition of Dwight Howard makes a lot of sense. Cody Zeller made huge strides last year through a combination of improved play and his
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Cody Zeller
Dwayne Bacon
Dwight Howard
Frank Kaminsky
Isaiah Hicks
Jeremy Lamb
Johnny O’Bryant III
Julyan Stone
Kemba Walker
Luke Petrasek
Malik Monk
Mangok Mathiang
Marcus Paige
Marvin Williams
Michael Carter-Williams
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Nicolas Batum
T.J. Williams
Terry Henderson
Treveon Graham
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fit into the offensive schemes of Coach Clifford. But the team went 3-17 in games that Zeller missed, and struggled to find an interior identity without him on the floor.
Adding Dwight Howard provides a physical presence, a rebounder and an interior defender in a package that still demands to be respected. As the league trends smaller, someone of Dwight Howard’s physical stature can still overwhelm small ball frontcourts and control the paint. The fact that there are even question marks over Howard shows just how far the former star has fallen from grace in the league and from his position as being considered a franchise cornerstone. The worry over Howard goes beyond his diminished physical attributes which, while still formidable, are far from the allconquering Superman of his Orlando days. There were reports this summer of his former Hawks teammates deliriously celebrating his departure from Atlanta, which, along with Los Angeles and Houston makes his third unsuccessful stop since he was considered the premier center in the game. If reports are to be believed, Howard insists on being heavily involved offensively, even when the team’s system, the stats and the eye-test indicate this to be against the team’s best interests. Perhaps, struggling to come to terms
with his diminished role in a league whose priorities and values have shifted, Charlotte will be a big test for Howard in reconciling his pride with how he can best help the team. All eyes will be on Howard as this is potentially a last chance to salvage his reputation among his peers and the league. The other major acquisitions for Charlotte came in the form of drafting the free-scoring Malik Monk out of Kentucky University. An explosive scorer in college, and projected to be picked higher than his eventual eleventh position in this year’s stacked draft, Monk should be able to contribute a scoring punch, athleticism and floor spacing right away. The team also acquired Dwayne Bacon in a draft night trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. Bacon is a promising guard/forward from Florida State, who also displayed prolific scoring ability in the college game. This influx of young talent will provide an interesting wildcard to a Hornets roster that looks to already have strong depth across the front and backcourts, with Michael CarterWilliams backing up Walker and Jeremy Lamb also fighting for minutes. With the competition lessened and having added some strong talent to the roster, the Hornets should make the playoffs. How far they go will largely depend on the seeding they’re able to achieve and whether they’re able to avoid the bigger hitters in the first round. The East is top heavy, and whilst Charlotte should be in line for a strong season to make up for last year’s disappointments, it would be surprising to see them go further than the first round. That said, Washington surprised many last year and came within a game of the Eastern Conference Finals. There is a best case scenario in which Dwight accepts his role, Monk and Bacon are better than expected and the Hornets cause a playoff upset. There is also a worst case scenario however in which this time next year it’s the Hornets roster celebrating the departure of Howard.
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Beating the Cavaliers in the preseason might end up being the best moment of the Bulls season. by Sean Guest
The greatest era of post-Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls basketball officially came to an end this offseason when Jimmy Butler was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The deal provided the surprise of the summer, as many felt GM Gar Forman could have got a much better return for one of the league’s best players. As it turns out, the best he could get was Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the 7th overall pick (Lauri Markkanen) in this summer’s draft. To make matters worse, Forman threw in the 16th pick (Justin Patton) for no apparent reason, irking Bulls fans even further. Giving up star players is always tough, but a haul of picks and prospects can go a long way to easing the pain – just look at Sacramento right now. Sadly, LaVine is still recovering from a torn ACL, Dunn had an underwhelming first year in Minnesota and Markkanen is little more than a shooter entering his rookie campaign. Had Chicago held on to Justin Patton, their return might have looked more appealing. But, as things stand, all Bulls fans can see right now is a long, hard road ahead. And all this after last season’s campaign saw a team led by Butler, Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo win 41 regular season games, before losing to the Boston Celtics in six in the first round of the playoffs. The realists among us know that Rondo’s injury isn’t what ultimately separated the two teams in that series, even if Chicago did hold a 2-0 lead before he went
down with a broken thumb. But, regardless, with those three players on board there was an air of optimism about the Bulls, as it seemed, back at the beginning of last season at least, as if the franchise was perhaps a few moves away from being a threat in what is ultimately a weak Eastern Conference. But, somewhat unsurprisingly, things didn’t go as planned and the team spent most of the year swatting away controversy. Then, this summer, Rondo left to join the New Orleans Pelican before Wade was bought out after it became apparent that there was little point in him returning to the Butler-less United Center. And as someone who goes there from time to time, I can tell you that fans are feeling the same way right now, as what remains has the look of a team that’s built to be bad – really bad. Beyond the injured LaVine, there isn’t a whole lot to get excited about. In fact, it’s hard to work out just who the Bulls will run out last when their starting five is announced on opening night. That honour is usually reserved for the team’s star player, but, as things stand, someone like Bobby Portis or Nikola Mirotic may need to step up in the absence of one. Speaking of Mirotic, he signed a two-year, $26 million extension this offseason, making him the second highest (active) earner on this roster, behind Robin Lopez. The big man, who was brought in to complement Butler, Wade et al, will earn just over $28 million over the next
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Antonio Blakeney
Bobby Portis
Cameron Payne
Cristiano Felicio
David Nwaba
Denzel Valentine
Diamond Stone
Jarell Eddie
Jaylen Johnson
Jerian Grant
Justin Holiday
Kris Dunn
Lauri Markkanen
Paul Zipser
Quincy Pondexter
Robin Lopez
Ryan Arcidiacono
Zach LaVine
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two years, which may make him tough to move, should the Bulls even bother trying. Behind those two contracts, Chicago doesn’t have a whole lot of money tied up long-term, which at least gives them some flexibility going forward. They will pay another big, Cristiano Felicio, a guaranteed $32 million over the next four years, but as things stand no other player on this roster is set to get paid beyond the 201920 season. And when you look at some of the other names it features that can only be a good thing. After all, guys like Cameron Payne, Jerian Grant and Jarell Eddie are hardly likely to set the world on fire. Denzel Valentine, Diamond Stone and Paul Zipser offer some level of intrigue, especially as there will probably be a whole lot of minutes up for grabs this season. Additionally, Justin Holiday and Quincy Pondexter have both proved that they can be solid contributors over the years, while David Nwaba will be looking to make an impact after his disappointing rookie year with the L.A. Lakers. There is, of course, a chance that Markkanen’s shooting will light up the occasional highlight reel this year, while LaVine could be throwing down All-Star Weekend-worthy dunks again as soon as late November. But there’s no point in rushing the development of the former at this stage, or even the return of the latter – as this is a team that should be firmly focused on the future right now. And doing so may not be such a bad thing, as the next couple of draft classes look set to deliver a handful of studs capable of transforming even the most hapless of franchises. Whether Bulls fans trust Forman and John Paxson (VP of Basketball Operations) with their draft picks going forward remains to be seen, but the fact that some started a GoFund Me page to raise money to pay for a ‘protest billboard’ this offseason tells you everything you need to know. After all, it seems as if the franchise would have benefitted more from an overhaul of its front office than of its playing personnel, but despite the negative appraisal of recent
developments it doesn’t look as if that’s going to happen anytime soon. And yet, rebuilding, or attempting to rebuild, a team without a solid foundation in place behind the scenes can often prove disastrous (I’m a Magic fan, so believe me, I know!). If the start that GarPax is off to this season is anything to go by then things could, believe it or not, get even worse for the Bulls before they get better.
The franchise is, like it or not, going to be lottery-bound for the next few seasons. Meaning Bulls fans might want to turn their attention to the Cubs, or the Blackhawks, or the Fire, or even the hapless Bears for at least the next couple of years, assuming they haven’t done so already.
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S. BUTLER GETTY IMAGES
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There were plenty of significant changes in Cleveland this summer, but will they make any difference? by Nick Whitfield
In the 2016-17 NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers came closer to really testing the Golden State Warriors than the 4-1 outcome would initially suggest. The Warriors struggled to contain both James and Irving, and it felt like the Cavaliers found some success too late in the series. It came as a surprise to many therefore to see Kyrie Irving demand a trade this offseason and for a three-time consecutive finalist to be overhauling its roster. The Cavs return to action with a radically reformed playing staff from the last campaign. With Irving having departed to Eastern Conference rivals Boston and Deron Williams, Dahntay Jones and Derrick Williams having become free agents. After three Finals campaigns and a championship, everyone knows what LeBron James, Kevin Love, J.R. Smith and Tristan Thomas will contribute. All eyes will be on the collection of new faces, however, to gauge whether the Cavs might be able to bring another title to ‘the Land’. Because Irving has become such an incredible playoff performer, much will be made of the comparison with Isaiah Thomas, who was the major piece of the trade coming back. In theory, following a fantastic campaign in Boston, Thomas could replicate some of the heroics Kyrie Irving provided in isolation sets. With Thomas having ranked among the worst in the league at his position defensively, his
contribution will have to be assessed by the array of offensive skills that fuelled his career season. Thomas will be absent until perhaps January with his injured hip, however. Which perhaps eases this pressure, but also means the team will have to find offensive production elsewhere. The Cavs also welcomed a multitude of other new players. Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Jae Crowder and Jeff Green all come to Cleveland looking to compete for a championship. On the surface, the Cavs roster is stacked. The problem that I have with these moves is that while the Cavaliers are now able to cruise through the regular season, they can only play five of these players at any one time. They have a wealth of potential lineups and options with which to toy, but I still don’t see a combination that will pose a true threat to the Warriors. The odds highly favour a fourth matchup of Cleveland and Golden State, and this is the scenario the Cavs will have in the back of their minds entering the season. Neither Rose, nor Wade provide the shooting that has become a calling card of Cleveland basketball. Last season the Cavaliers made 353 corner three point shots - the most by any team in the 21 years since shot location data has been available. This was truly a foundation of the team’s success. LeBron James assisted on almost half of all of these three point shots,
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Ante Zizic
Cedi Osman
Channing Frye
Derrick Rose
Dwyane Wade
Edy Tavares
Iman Shumpert
Isaiah Thomas
Jae Crowder
Jeff Green
John Holland
Jose Calderon
JR Smith
Kendrick Perkins
Kevin Love
Kyle Korver
LeBron James
Tristan Thompson
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showing how important it is for him to be surrounded by shooting to be his dominant self. Able to man-handle most players one-on-one or in transition, defences have to pick their poison as to whether to help and leave an open shooter, or let James bully his way to the rim. Wade and James eventually found success in Miami by surrounding themselves with shooting to create the space and floor spacing required to allow each to play something close to their natural games. With the respective status of the two stars now far from equal in expected contribution, Wade’s lack of consistent outside shooting impacts the rotation. For all his merits attacking the basket, Rose is neither a consistent shooter or a plus defender, and so Coach Lue will have to experiment to find the best combinations. To help spread the floor, Kevin Love will likely see more time playing the five position, probably at the expense of some of Tristan Thompson’s minutes. Jeff Green may also have a role to play alongside Channing Frye in spacing the floor from the big positions. Whatever the offensive fit, the Cavs will likely make it work. For the last nine seasons, teams that feature LeBron James have finished in the top six in the league for offensive efficiency. The concern, however, may be the other side of the ball.
The Cavs ranked 22nd defensively last season and it’s hard to see where they have improved significantly.
The addition of Crowder provides a physical and competitive presence on the defensive end, but Shumpert’s minutes are likely to be largely eaten up by Wade, Rose and eventually Thomas. The Cavaliers will hope they can keep Wade healthy and fresh over the course of the regular season, and are rewarded with flashes (remember when that was his nickname) of the Hall of Famer when it really counts. Something to monitor as the season unfolds is if the Pelicans or the Grizzlies reach the midpoint of the season and have underperformed and look to overhaul their rosters with the future in mind. The Cavaliers now have a range of potential assets or expiring contracts to package were players like Marc Gasol or DeMarcus Cousins to become available. Securing a star centre would likely create a more favourable potential matchup with the Warriors and would allow the team to consolidate its talent into fewer players. With LeBron James having openly discussed prior to last season that he felt he was “chasing the ghost in Chicago”, his priority is clearly legacy and championships. As incredible as James continues to be, his prime can only last so long. Every season is championship or bust for the King. To say the Cavs have reacted strongly to losing one of their prize assets in Irving would be understating the performance of the Cleveland front office. This will be the deepest Cavaliers roster LeBron has played on and in releasing Irving they also received the coveted 2018 Brooklyn pick and a 2020 second round pick. Despite a very positive summer however, the Cavaliers are up against a juggernaut in Golden State. It still seems unlikely that without good fortune or injuries, this roster will have enough to overcome a full strength (assuming they come through the West) Golden State Warriors team. Were this same story to unfold again, all eyes will be on James, whose contract expires this summer and who is surrounded by speculation that he could head to Los Angeles.
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Injuries, stagnated development and uneasy locker room dynamics sunk Motor City last season. So what’s next? by Joe Hulbert
The Detroit Pistons enter the season with a lot of uncertainty, as they were a below average team last year, and are essentially rolling out the same roster. The only major change to their starting line-up comes in the form of Avery Bradley, who was acquired in the summer in exchange for Marcus Morris. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was weirdly considered to be a candidate for a max contract throughout the off-season, but he and his sub 40% field goal percentage left to join the Los Angeles Lakers. The Pistons were not particularly bad last season, but they weren’t particularly good either. They were above average defensively but their offense was poor, and Stan Van Gundy’s system was exposed as being outdated and not fit for purpose in the modern NBA. Van Gundy’s ‘four out one in’ with over 30 three-point attempts a night was revolutionary when he introduced the system at Orlando, but the reality now is that everyone has copied his system, and the Pistons offense involved a lot of standing around and doing nothing. This, combined with the decline of Reggie Jackson and the stagnation of Andre Drummond, leaves Detroit with a future that has a high floor, but a very low ceiling. On the whole, people are slightly underrating the Detroit Pistons, and they do have enough on their roster to at least be a low playoff seed. Reggie Jackson was poor last year, but it was clear that the injuries he had previously picked
up were hampering his game, and this is a problem for a point guard who relies on downhill power and speed, as opposed to finesse or jump shooting. Jackson is a prime candidate for the unofficial ‘comeback player of the year award’, and I am actually touting him as a dark horse to be an All-Star. The issue for Detroit, is that they do not really have many high ceiling players surrounding him. Tobias Harris is one of the most underrated players in the league as he can score in a variety of ways, and Stan Van Gundy’s decision to start him on the bench throughout last year was one of his most baffling. Harris’ offensive versatility is key for the Pistons as their system is pretty vanilla and does not include many disguises or unpredictable plays, so Harris is an important piece. The rest of the Pistons roster is made up of effective yet unspectacular role players, with Stanley Johnson, Langston Galloway, Jon Leuer and Ish Smith all capable of contributing to an above average level. The upcoming year is a huge one for Andre Drummond, because he simply did not offer enough throughout last season. His effort levels look mixed, and he is not the dominant athletic rim protector that someone with his frame probably should be. He also offered next to nothing on offense, and his post offense is a real worry. Drummond doesn’t appear to have any real post moves, and he kind of just turns
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Andre Drummond
Anthony Tolliver
Avery Bradley
Beno Udrih
Boban Marjanovic
Derek Willis
Dwight Buycks
Eric Moreland
Henry Ellenson
Ish Smith
Jon Leuer
Landry Nnoko
Langston Galloway
Luis Montero
Luke Kennard
Reggie Bullock
Reggie Jackson
Stanley Johnson
Tobias Harris
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around and throws it in the general direction of the hoop without any control or authority. He also ranked poorly in the pick and roll, which is a problem because Reggie Jackson’s offensive game is essentially reliant on a lot of that type of action. Per SB Nation’s Detroit Bad Boys blog, Drummond was 7th in post up attempts last season, but 90th of the 99 qualified players in points per possession. Drummond post ups essentially became wasted possessions, and he was not the solo threat that Stan Van Gundy wants him to be. One way Detroit may be able to help Drummond is by running more action for him when he’s in the post. From watching Pistons tape, the other four players essentially just stood still when Drummond was in the post, and this led to Drummond being used as an isolation player. If the Pistons can better utilise back cuts and perhaps some split-action, Drummond might be able to use his power to his advantage. As of now, giving the ball to Drummond and expecting him to go to work against an average NBA defender is naïve, as he is more often than not coming out on the losing end of the matchup.
Gundy has spent millions of free agency dollars and multiple draft picks trying to find. Langston Galloway also provides much needed outside shooting in their offense and draft pick, Luke Kennard, has shown his ability as a two-way player throughout Summer League and training camp. Earlier this summer I ranked the attractiveness of all 30 NBA teams for prospective fans, and I had the Detroit Pistons in last place, purely because you know exactly what you are going to get from them. Their win total will be in the high 30s or the low 40s, and they will likely end up being a low playoff seed. They have some good players, but no great ones and no players who appear to have the potential to become stars in this NBA. Detroit sports fans are used to heartbreak, but this Pistons team won’t get far enough to deliver heartbreak. They are firmly middling fodder, which isn’t an awful thing, but neither is it an exciting thing.
The Pistons starters are likely good enough to get them into the playoffs, and they also added some undervalued players to their bench in order to get them there. The Pistons starters are likely good enough to get them into the playoffs, and they also added some undervalued players to their bench in order to get them there. Anthony Tolliver was excellent in Sacramento and was a big reason for their placing inside the top five of three-point percentage last year. His return to Detroit gives them the spot-up stretch four that Stan Van
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The Pacers are looking to move forward after trading away superstar Paul George by Mike Miller
The Indiana Pacers start the 2017-18 season a markedly different team from the one whose last campaign ended with a sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Unfortunately for Pacers fans, the changes were not for the better. Perhaps the London game, in January, proved to be the make-or-break point for the (then) roster’s potential. Heading into the game as favourites, the Pacers were obliterated by the Denver Nuggets (this game, was also arguably the turning point of their season) and never really seemed to recover. Just over three years ago, this was a team contending in the Eastern Conference Finals. Built around a young star, yet to reach his prime, in Paul George. But Indiana failed to capitalise on George’s presence, unable to surround him with the requisite talent to push through LeBron James and whichever team he was leading. Last season, they were distinctly mediocre across the board. 42-40, 14th in opposition points per game, 15th in both points per game and offensive rating, and 16th in defensive rating. It was clear that something needed to be done. Unfortunately that meant embracing the slide, not halting it. Now, the Pacers are in full-on rebuild mode. The grumbling George forced himself to the plains of Oklahoma and the arms of the reigning MVP. Jeff Teague, home-town boy, brought in to steady the perimeter and run an efficient team-orientated offense for a single season, ran for the tall trees
and young pack in Minnesota. Even Larry Bird realised his own shortcomings of recent years and removed himself from the role of General Manager. It’s not all doom and gloom in Indianapolis though, they still have Myles Turner, who’s an incredibly underrated star-in-waiting, cut from the same mould as the “Unicorns” league fans so adore – just a little more physical. He’ll get his chance to lead a franchise sooner than expected. And don’t be surprised if he eclipses last year’s averages of 14.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game with something a lot closer to 20 and 10. Surrounding the third year, 21-year-old center is a blend of unproven youngsters and misfit veterans. There could be some really interesting moments for this team, but these will more than likely be a rarity in a season filled with mutually accumulating losses and lottery ball odds. Vets like Lance Stephenson (strangely revered as a pseudo-deity by the fan base), Darren Collison and Bojan Bogdanovic are all players whose potential to produce huge numbers, once in a blue moon, far outweighs their ability to actually produce at a decent level, consistently. Victor Oladipo (part of the package received for George) is almost considered a vet as he enters his fifth season. He too suffers a similar fate, as he has potential to produce, but can’t seem to do it regularly. Admittedly, he’s not been given the greatest opportunity to shine. Orlando is not
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Al Jefferson
Alex Poythress
Ben Moore
Bojan Bogdanovic
Cory Joseph
Damien Wilkins
Darren Collison
DeQuan Jones
Domantas Sabonis
Edmond Sumner
Glenn Robinson III
Ike Anigbogu
Jarrod Uthoff
Joe Young
Lance Stephenson
Myles Turner
T.J. Leaf
Thaddeus Young
Trey McKinney-Jones
Victor Oladipo
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an ideal environment for developing elite NBA talent right now. His lone season in Oklahoma was less an investment in his own future and more a need to (poorly) plug the scoring gap when Westbrook sat, whilst deferring in totality to him when he was on court. This is his chance to make the next step in his career. He’ll get decent reps and will be given significant leeway to make mistakes and develop. With fewer “stars” to cede to, this is a great chance for him to show-out and prove himself worthy of his contract. He’ll undoubtedly put up some highlights this year and will be hoping the biggest one won’t be the release of his new album. Joining Oladipo from the Thunder is second year, 6-11 forward Domantas Sabonis. A player with much potential and promise, Sabonis was a little underwhelming last season. The son of Hallof-Famer Arvydas Sabonis appeared to have difficulties adjusting to the speed of the pros. If he can keep pace, work on his shot consistency and develop just 10 percent of his father’s passing ability, he will become a very serviceable NBA player. Interestingly Oladipo, Thaddeus Young, Bogdanovic and Collison (respectively) are the Pacers top four earners. Fifth is Al Jefferson. Not exactly a fear inducing line-up. Jefferson, entering his 15th season, is a throw-back to the seemingly bygone era of low post play. When asked what adjustments he needed to make to fit in with new breed of big men, in January, the former All-NBA’er simply responded “none, they have to adjust for me”. Perhaps it is this unwillingness to adapt to the evolving game around him which resulted in the 32-year-old averaging career lows in minutes and rebounds, whilst putting up his lowest scoring output since his second year in the league. One positive move made this summer was the acquisition of Corey Joseph from the Toronto Raptors. The combo guard was impressive in his back-up role in last year’s playoffs and
his time with the Spurs gives the 26-year-old poise and experience beyond his years. Joseph is an excellent “plug and play” teammate. Capable of logging minutes in either guard spot, comfortable working on and off the ball, efficiently contributing without needing the spotlight. Expect him to be one of the calming heads smoothing over the erratic, though electric Oladipo in the backcourt. Nate McMillan will once again be calling the plays at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse, but you have to wonder how long he will last in that role. Upon McMillan’s appointment last year, Bird was quite vocal in his desire to get the team playing an uptempo style. This vastly contradicted the style and system utilised by McMillan in his previous roles. Something that was borne out in the team’s eventual 18th ranking in pace. Although Bird is gone, this team is trending more towards playing fast as they get younger and worse from last year.
They will struggle and, barring some unbelievable output from Myles Turner, will be significantly behind the playoff race. There will be some bright spots along the way, with both Oladipo and Glenn Robinson III more than capable of creating their own highlight reels, but they will be infrequently scattered amongst a difficult and ultimately disappointing season.
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ISSAC BALDIZON GETTY IMAGES
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Miami narrowly missed out on the Playoffs last season. Now they stand poised to make some real noise in the East by Joe Hulbert
The Miami Heat underwent a historical “Jekyll and Hyde” campaign last year, as they started the season with a record of 11-30, before finishing with a record of 31-10, narrowly missing the playoffs due to other Eastern Conference teams deciding to gang up on them. The Heat played like a legit contender in the second half of the season, and many including myself believed Erik Spoelstra was a dark horse for the Coach of the Year award. Off the back of a fun campaign, the Heat were expected to be contenders for big free agents such as Gordon Hayward and Blake Griffin due to Florida’s friendly tax laws, great weather, and Pat Riley’s mob-like persuasion skills. Unfortunately they struck out on the big names, and ended up rolling back the majority of the same team from last year, alongside other players such as Kelly Olynyk and draft pick Bam Adebayo. From the outside, many felt the Heat just lost their heads after plan A failed. But a couple of the guys they brought back were fully deserving of a new contract, and might even push the team towards the playoffs. James Johnson was a bit-part player in Toronto, but you could now make an argument that he is an elite two-way player. Johnson’s defence is personally the best I’ve seen since I’ve been covering the NBA, and he was an excellent playmaker for a Heat bench unit that was full of young and untested players.
The other contracts make less sense, particularly the one handed out to Dion Waiters. I covered the Heat’s winning run, and Waiters was no doubt a big part of it. If you look past the game winners, he was still a really good defender, and someone who managed to play his part in an offense based on sharing the ball, and moving it as much as possible. Waiters should also be praised, because he got the best out of Goran Dragic, who has been an up and down three point shooter. That said, it’s clear he’s at his best when he plays alongside an aggressive slashing guard, as his best years have come alongside guys like Gerald Green and Dion Waiters, who fit that bill perfectly. Despite my praise for Waiters, the contract he received still isn’t ideal, and it’s not the sort of contract Miami is likely to be able to move going forward. The only kind of team that would take him is a contender in need of a bench scorer, but even then, it would be an expensive trade. Waiters had a career year last year as he posted highs in nearly every available stat and metric, but it is hard to see him growing any further. The Heat might be the most modern team in the NBA, and you could argue that next year they will have perfect spacing at all times, which is why I will defend the Kelly Olynyk signing. At all times, the Heat should really have either Olynyk or Whiteside on the court, which gives them 48 minutes of top-tier centre play, and a lot of
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AJ Hammons
Bam Adebayo
Derrick Walton Jr.
Dion Waiters
Erik McCree
Goran Dragic
Hassan Whiteside
James Johnson
Jordan Mickey
Josh Richardson
Justise Winslow
Kelly Olynyk
Larry Drew II
Matt Williams Jr.
Okaro White
Rodney McGruder
Tyler Johnson
Udonis Haslem
Wayne Ellington
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variety. Olynyk can be a poor man’s Al Horford by creating a ‘five out’ system, and Whiteside is easily one of the best rim protectors and roll men in the League. Once again, the figure given to Olynyk is worrying, but his unique skill set means he is a potential trade chip, and a reliable contributor even if shots might not be falling for him.
As someone who watched the Heat last year, I do feel they are a good team, but I also feel that they caught lightning in a bottle in their end of season run. They should be a playoff contender, but I have seen some tip them for a four or five seed, which is way too much.
They will have a good defence and good spacing, but if Dragic is having an off night, they lack another player who can step up and score big points. I’m not a guy who really enjoys watching defensive basketball, but if that is your thing, the Heat should be your League Pass team. James Johnson is undoubtedly an elite defender, and the likes of Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow are guys who will make defensive highlights every single night. Richardson especially really developed as the season went on, and he is a dark horse Defensive Player of the Year candidate amongst voters who actually watch more than one team. The Heat selected Bam Adebayo in the latest draft and took a lot of Heat for it (no pun intended). But he looked the part in Summer League, and Pat Riley may have found a gem. He seems to believe Adebayo can be a stretch four, which makes him a fascinating fit alongside Hassan Whiteside and Kelly Olynyk moving forward. The Heat will likely be a good team, and that’s fine. Pat Riley is used to winning, so seeing a product that can win nearly 50 games is likely good enough for him at his current age. The ceiling is low on this Heat team though, especially offensively. So anything beyond a second round appearance in the playoffs is pretty unlikely. Many believe that the Heat should have tanked, and I agree for the most part, but it’s hard not to commit to a core that includes guys like Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside. This will be a fun team that plays hard on both ends, and their defensive versatility makes them a team that Boston, Cleveland and Toronto will want to avoid when the postseason rolls around.
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The “Greek Freak” is a year older and wiser, now it’s time for the young Bucks to throw some true haymakers. by Mike Miller
Wisconsin has never been known as a place full of excitement. There was a prolonged period wherein no one really wanted to play for the Bucks. Sure, they’ve had some bright spots in (fairly) recent memory – Ray Allen, Michael Redd. But those moments have been few and fleeting. This feels different. The Bucks are one of the most exciting young teams in the NBA. They have an otherworldly star, a good coach and a core of hungry, athletic players capable of challenging any other team in the league on their day. A couple of summers ago, their marketing team coined the phrase “Fear the Deer”. Fear was an interesting concept, few would have feared a team that failed to make the playoffs that season. This, though, was not like an immediate fear, such as a reflex to a swift turn of events. This was something much darker and brooding, the slow-burning, creeping fear that grows over time and plays on your psychological state, building from recurring nightmares until it becomes a full-blown phobia. And now we are at the point where the Bucks are starting to give other coaches and players nightmares. Their combination of speed, size, length and athleticism makes them unique in the league. With more wingspan than an airplane hangar and a glut of lithe and agile players, willing to play defense, these Bucks are one of the few teams in the league capable of switching across all positions, at all times. The
only problem is getting them to do it - the Bucks finished 19th in Defensive rating last year. Last season’s 4-2 loss to the Raptors in the playoffs was a warning shot fired across the Eastern Conference’s bow. Their best is yet to come. Jason Kidd is the perfect coach for this team, continuing to grow and develop in his role at the same time as his roster is teaching him patience and has afforded him the ability to experiment with a host of interesting rotations. It feels like Kidd is still a young coach, entering his fifth season pacing the sideline. But let’s face it, he was calling plays for 19 years as one of the greatest point guards ever. He’s been there, in their shoes, and won. Looking to make a splash this year will be shooting guard, Khris Middleton. After missing a lot of time last season, it didn’t take too long for Middleton to shake off the rust, putting his shooting talents on display. Middleton is perhaps the best defender on this team too – frustratingly in the modern NBA, the ability to stop the ball is nowhere near as valuable as the ability to score. For the few that can do both, they’re looked at as freaks, as if this is somehow unnatural. Providing he can stay healthy this year, Middleton has the potential to earn himself his first All-Star nod. His task, though not impossible, is significantly harder now.
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Brandon Rush
D.J. Wilson
Gary Payton II
Gerald Green
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Greg Monroe
Jabari Parker
James Young
Jason Terry
Joel Anthony
John Henson
Kendall Marshall
Khris Middleton
Malcolm Brogdon
Matthew Dellavedova
Mirza Teletovic
Rashad Vaughn
Sterling Brown
Thon Maker
Tony Snell
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Health seems to be the main restraint on the Bucks success. Just as Middleton returned last year, Jabari Parker went down, tearing the ACL in his left knee for the second time in three years. It was tough news to stomach, as the youngster had been playing well and showing real promise. The number two pick in the 2014 draft has some serious game, with a smooth mid-range J, great footwork and the strength and athleticism to get to the cup. Middleton was able to cover the loss in production, but fans were denied the chance to see both on the court alongside a blossoming Giannis. Though there are questions as to the long-term sustainability of the ParkerAntetokounmpo pairing. Parker will be missed. But, providing his surgically repaired knee hasn’t sapped too much athleticism and he can quickly dust off the cobwebs on court, he could become an integral part in determining the Bucks postseason seeding come April. Tony Snell arrived last season, cast-off by division rivals the terriBulls and immediately had an impact. Having started just 77 games across his first three seasons combined, the versatile wing stepped right in and tied the Bucks for most season starts with 80. His production needs to get better (8.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game) for the 29.5 minutes he plays. But given this field goal percentage of 54.8% from two and 40.6% from three, there is no reason he can’t become a very competent third option at around 14 points per game. The Bucks also boast reigning Rookie of the Year, Malcolm Brogdan. Yes, he might have only been given the award because a certain Process failed to withstand a full season, but this guy is a very solid player. He may not be future “star”, but his ability to fit right in and adapt to any role will make him a very serviceable utility backup and will likely lead to a long career. With guys like Greg Monroe, Mirza Teletovic and Jason Terry primed on the pine, this roster’s bench mob has the ability to put up a lot of points, very quickly. The trio may not be defensively minded, but the Bucks have plenty of talent in that department to help.
But of course, the key to the Bucks success this year falls down to one man in particular, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Greek Freak has quickly transitioned from novelty spectacle to unstoppable force. A one man highlight reel, who is realising his own ability and potential to run this league. Knee soreness kept the big combo pointshooting-small-power-center from representing Greece at EuroBasket this September. But the conspiracy theorist in me believes this was a deliberate step to prevent opposing scouts from getting an early peak at this year’s upgrade to his game. It remains to be seen how the recent loss of his father will affect his focus. The biggest flaw to his game, to date at least, is his shooting range. Most glaringly obvious in the dying second of the game 6 loss to the Raptors in last season’s playoffs. Down by 3, with the clock winding down, Giannis opted to drive and dunk rather than attempt to tie the game up. He is slowly improving though and taking more threes. If he can get to over 35%, the rest of the league better watch out. The mood is deservedly high in the Wisconsin with a young team, on the rise – so much so that they felt confident enough to throw their name into the mix for Kyrie. Last year’s 6th seed was fine. This year expect them to be pushing on further, nipping at the heels of the 4 seed and winning around 45 games.
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NATHANIEL S. BUTLER GETTY IMAGES
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In the city that never sleeps, hope springs eternal. But is the “Latvian Gangbanger” capable of turning dreams into reality? by Karl Moon
So it happened. A mere week before the start of the 2017-18 NBA Season, after a long protracted summer of non-stop trade rumours, ten-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony departed for pastures new, joining fellow All-Stars Russell Westbrook and Paul George at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma for the Oklahoma Thunder in what many will label the latest “super team”. Super team: a term attributed to the Knickerbockers before a ball had even been bounced in anger last year by then new starting point-guard and former NBA MVP, Derrick Rose, himself now recently departed, having signed with Cleveland as Kyrie Irving’s replacement. It seems laughable to think that he even had the audacity now, 12 months on, even more so than at the time, given the ups and downs seen in what was a crazy year for the New York Knicks. In fact, sub-par team was a more suitable label for what we saw last season. Joakim Noah: arriving on a contract everyone could see was too fat for a player who had spent too long on the side line, injured. Derrick Rose: an unknown quantity in terms of fitness, who actually surprised many by averaging 18.0 points in 64 games, fined for missing a game unannounced. Charles Oakley: a legend of the franchise, whose name is regularly cheered from the stands was arrested and humiliated in the Garden, banned for a year. Phil Jackson: President of the Knicks since 2014, continually
belittled star player and face of the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony last year, making it clear he wished to trade him, causing undoubted drama behind the scenes. Surprisingly he would then go one further, shocking everyone by listening to offers for one of the hottest young talents the Knicks have ever had in Kristaps Porzingis. The latter was clearly the final straw; Phil Jackson was let go and Porzingis stayed. He is, after all, the heir to Melo’s throne. Questions will be asked of whether he’s ready; whether he’s good enough to take on the mantle. But the answer is yes. He’s not the finished article yet, and he does foul far too often – the biggest hole in his game – but his numbers speak for themselves. The closest player to matching him over their first two seasons in the NBA is LeBron James; arguably the greatest player to ever play in the league. Only Porzingis and James can claim to have amassed over 1,000 rebounds, 150 made three-point shots and 100 blocks within those two seasons. Porzingis has amassed over 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 150 made three’s and 250 blocks. He’s the only one, ever (credit: ESPN). Losing a key player like Anthony is often insurmountable for most teams, yet there’s promise within the Knicks, thanks to a strength in depth they were missing last year. The
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Courtney Lee
Damyean Dotson
Doug McDermott
Enes Kanter
Frank Ntilikina
Jarrett Jack
Joakim Noah
Kristaps Porzingis
Kyle O’Quinn
Lance Thomas
Luke Kornet
Mindaugas Kuzminskas
Nigel Hayes
Ramon Sessions
Ron Baker
Tim Hardaway Jr.
Willy Hernangomez
Xavier Rathan-Mayes
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additions of Doug McDermott and Enes Kanter (plus a second round draft pick for 2018), both 25, as part of the trade for the 33-year-old Anthony, goes some way to bringing the average age of the team down – something that clearly started last year. In Kanter the Knicks have a proven offensive rebounder, who’s always a threat and who totalled 18 double-doubles last year from the bench (the second most in the league), while logging 14.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Willy Hernangomez has spent a year in the league now and is an incredibly promising young center. The growth is noticeable and, had he been given more minutes, it wouldn’t have surprised many to have seen him challenging Marcus Brogdon for Rookie of the Year last season. Only 23, his speed in transition, rebounding and point scoring (plus his threepoint threat) are huge weapons. If he can improve his handling on passes then the Knicks have the perfect foil for Kristaps Porzingis. And with Noah certain to miss the first 12 games of the season due to suspension, Hernangomez and Kanter have a chance to make that role theirs for the foreseeable future.
Frank Ntilikina – Phil Jackson’s last recruit prior to departing New York – is one of the real mysteries going into the season.
Capable of playing both guard positions, he’ll most likely be utilised at point. Journeyman Jarrett Jack has been brought in to help support the position, no doubt to lessen the pressure placed on the rookie. But, without a certain starter, it could remain a problem position, and the questions about whether the Knicks were right to choose the Frenchman over Dennis Smith in the draft will continue to circle. But he certainly has potential, and he’s quick and long – unusually long for a guard at 6’ 5” with a 7’ wingspan – to boot. The biggest surprise for the Knicks in the offseason however was bringing Tim Hardaway Jr. back in. Sent to Atlanta the same night Porzingis was drafted, it has seen him develop a more well-rounded game and he has begun to deliver on his undoubted potential. That said, the Knicks overpaid on his $71 million, 4-year deal. But if he can reproduce the form he closed out last season with he will stretch the offense thanks to his frightening outside threat. All of these changes amount to a fresh start for the Knicks, but Melo will be missed. And for all the ridiculous chatter about postseason failures attached to his time in New York, his numbers prove he’s as an elite player that any franchise would miss. How this young team will mesh in his absence remains to be seen, but it’s a gamble that the franchise had to take. Young, fast and multi-disciplined, this group could shine in Hornacek’s system. And now that the team is finally free from the Triangle Offense, the goal will be to exceed the measly 31 wins they logged last season. One thing is for certain, New York remains predictably unpredictable. Changes were long overdue, but where this leaves the Knicks who knows.
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FERNANDO MEDINA GETTY IMAGES
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The magic has been somewhat vacant recently in Orlando. So is this a season worth shouting about? by Sean Guest
There has never been a worse time to be an Orlando Magic fan, as the team is currently going through the longest playoff drought in its 28year history and has been stuck in a seemingly never-ending rebuild since trading All-Star center Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2012. Last year Orlando won just 29 games, enough for General Manager Rob Hennigan to lose his seat at the top table following his failed attempt to go all-in the previous offseason. And the reason: a series of boneheaded moves that saw him give up talented assets like Tobias Harris and Maurice Harkless for little return, trade Victor Oladipo for the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Serge Ibaka and sign players like Bismack Biyombo and D.J. Augustin to abominable contracts. With him out of the way, it will be up to new GM John Hammond to pick up the pieces. And that won’t be easy, as the roster he’s adopted is in pretty poor shape, while the resources that remain are unlikely to turn this franchise on its head. This is largely due to the fact that despite only winning 132 games in the past five years the Magic have failed to strike gold in the NBA Draft. In fact, in that time they’ve bombed on Oladipo and Mario Hezonja and taken on underachieving projects like Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon. The latter may yet develop into quality players, but with both contracts up for renewal at the end of the coming season there’s little doubt
that Hammond and new President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman will be keeping a close eye on the pair over the course of the next 82 games. Still, the Magic did use the 6th overall pick in this year’s draft to land Jonathan Isaac out of Florida State. Standing at an impressive 6’10”, Isaac is a little gym time away from being a versatile, rangy ball-handler who can play small forward, power forward and potentially even center. He’s the type of guy John Hammond loves (he did after all draft Giannis Antetokounmpo), but will be another project that will likely take five to six years to develop into the player experts believe he can be. So where does that leave the Magic? Well, during their introductory pressers, Hammond and Weltman were keen to stress the fact that this will be a transition year for the team, using the phrase “sit and evaluate” to describe their intended approach to it. And that seems like a pretty smart move. Because as things stand the team does not have much in the way of star talent to build around. Gordon and Isaac have the most potential to become that, but both are a long way from where the Magic need them to be. Still, under the guidance of a pair of execs who have proved throughout their careers that they know what they’re doing (Hammond won the NBA Executive of the Year
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Aaron Gordon
Adreian Payne
Arron Afflalo
Bismack Biyombo
D.J. Augustin
Damjan Rudez
Elfrid Payton
Evan Fournier
Jonathan Isaac
Jonathon Simmons
Kalin Lucas
Khem Birch
Mario Hezonja
Marreese Speights
Nikola Vucevic
Shelvin Mack
Terrence Ross
Troy Caupain
Wes Iwundu
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Award for rebuilding the Bucks in 2010, while Weltman helped construct a Toronto Raptors team that reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2016 and has qualified for the playoffs each of the past four seasons) things could finally be looking up for the Magic.
They did, after all, wangle one of the best moves of free agency this offseason, signing swingman Jonathan Simmons to an affordable threeyear contract. While Simmons isn’t exactly the player the Magic need right now (they need players who can put the ball in the basket!) he is a quality addition to a roster light on experience and is known around the league for his dogged work ethic. His toughness and defensive nous will add an extra dimension to Orlando’s on-court presence and Head Coach Frank Vogel will no doubt be looking to him to lead by example from day one of training camp. As he no doubt will with another of the offseason’s additions – Shelvin Mack, a journeyman guard who’s likely to play behind Payton in the rotation this year. That may seem a little strange, given the amount (in excess of $7 million) Augustin will be earning, but Mack is
a savvier all-rounder, while Augustin only really plays one end of the ball (and not even all that well). As for other additions, the Magic picked up veteran big man Mo Speights, they brought swingman Arron Afflalo back for another go and also added 3-and-D two-guard Wesley Iwundu with the thirty third overall pick in the draft. All in all this roster looks solid, but far from great. And that’s a concern, because it seems that (assuming all key assets remain injury-free) the team may be too good for the lottery but too bad for the playoffs this year – and in the NBA there’s nothing worse than being mediocre. Still, if the goal for the upcoming campaign is to “sit and evaluate” at least Hammond and Weltman will get the opportunity to take a good, hard look at the assets they do have. That will be key in deciding who stays and who goes as the Magic look to put the mistakes of the past five years behind them. What, exactly, the pair are hoping to salvage from the current crop remains unclear. But it’s highly likely that there’s change afoot for this franchise, even if that change is implemented with more patience than the Hennigan administration saw fit to employ. The trouble, of course, is that the fan base has grown tired of losing. Although the thing that’s seen them grow sick to the pit of their collective stomach is the poor decision-making that transformed a promising young roster into an odd collection of ill-fitting pieces, thrown together and expected to win. Still, the only way is up for the Magic and hopefully the forthcoming campaign serves as a step in the right direction. And if preseason’s anything to go by, this young, athletic group should be a lot more enjoyable to watch this year, even if that doesn’t necessarily show up in the win column.
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BILL STREICHER USA TODAY SPORTS
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The year of “The Process” has arrived but everybody is still asking one thing, will Embiid be the difference? by Alexander Cole
If you are an NBA fan and Philadelphia isn’t one of your League Pass teams, then you need to lay off the drugs. Last season was a topsy-turvy one which saw a 28-54 overall record. This is disappointing on the surface of course but we know that for the first time in many years, there were genuine positives. The biggest of all the encouraging signs were the 10-5 record throughout January and the emergence of a healthy Joel Embiid. For a couple of weeks, the Sixers were seriously being talked about in playoff discussions within NBA circles and it wasn’t until Embiid tore his left meniscus that the tanking returned. With the number one pick in 2016, the previous summer’s NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Ben Simmons from Louisiana State University. He injured his foot before the season began. After showing flashes of what he could do in Summer League, it is safe to say that the injury to Simmons (and Embiid) derailed their season somewhat but the franchise were not satisfied with this. They took advantage of Boston’s situation, flipping assets to the very top of the pile and found themselves waiting to catch another superstar. With the number one pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers selected the impressive Markelle Fultz, from the University of Washington. At the time of writing, there is
talk about the duo of Simmons and Fultz and which one will start at point guard but there is no question now that the Sixers have a wealth of young talent in that position. I expect Fultz to take on a slightly less ball dominant role as Simmons runs the point but those decisions will be up to Brett Brown. After the past season was said and done, Philadelphia clearly felt that they were ready to put out a more effective product in the Eastern Conference. In the first week of free agency, they signed reliable veteran players in J.J. Redick and Amir Johnson. We all know what Redick can bring to a team; the sharpshooter is famous for his justified confidence from deep. Redick’s catch and shoot aptitude, combined with his effort and talent of finding space on the perimeter will stretch any defence. This is integral on the Sixers team, perhaps more than any as it can allow the youngsters to flourish, giving Embiid and Okafor space to go to work with their backs to the basket and providing the space and passing lanes for Simmonds, Saric and Fultz if and when they get to the paint. It could also give Embiid more freedom outside the arc, which could be essential to his growth as we have already seen how good he can be from three. One significant difference between the current Sixers roster and previous years is depth. Dario
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Amir Johnson
Ben Simmons
Dario Saric
Emeka Okafor
Furkan Korkmaz
Jacob Pullen
Jahlil Okafor
James Michael McAdoo
Jerryd Bayless
J.J. Redick
Joel Embiid
Justin Anderson
Kris Humphries
Markelle Fultz
Nik Stauskas
Richaun Holmes
Robert Covington
T.J. McConnell
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot
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Saric proved that he belonged in the league and will look to make another step up this season. Jahlil Okafor is another year older and perhaps another year more mature. Whatever side of the argument you are on in regards to whether his old style game fits the modern day NBA, the guy clearly has talent and progression would add another dimension to the squad. Scrappy, high effort players like T.J. McConnell and Robert Covington will add deflections, steals and energy to the line up. Covington may even start, with his ability to switch and guard multiple positions being useful as an anchor to the other, more explosive starters. Either way, these two will predominantly play large parts as role players in the high spirit of this young camp. Nik Stauskas has teased fans with irregularly high performances in the past and will be hoping to bring that consistency to the table. His game has gradually grown throughout his three years in the NBA and his outside shooting has got better and better. If he is moulded into a perimeter shooter, he can stick around with the Sixers and will boast an ever increasing points total. The efficiency of the Sixers needs to improve. Over the full course of the 2016/17 season, Philadelphia scored 102.4 points per game which was at 25th in the league, with a field goal percentage of 44.2% which was 27th in the league and an offensive rating which was rock bottom worst in the league. This should get better with an increase in experience and the depth of personnel mentioned, but it’s all on Brett Brown to pull this team together and get the best out of the young players like Okafor, Fultz, Simmons and Stauskas. As for the aforementioned Joel Embiid, as well as being the key man in the upturn of the franchise, the upcoming season will be so important for him personally. After being drafted way back in 2014, the 31 (albeit incredible) games last season are the only ones he has to his name in the league. The Cameroonian born big man would
have easily been Rookie of the Year (a prize that went to team mate Saric) if he wasn’t deprived of games through injury. Popular with fans for his on and off the court exploits, the doctors have given Embiid the go ahead for the start of the season and he will be ready to go out all guns blazing. He is without doubt, the leader of the team when he is on the floor. I trust that a healthy Embiid is the difference between the team being a flop once again and a playoff-bound group capable of making an upset in the post season.
In what is Brett Brown’s fifth season in charge at Philly, he is finally graced with the opportunity to coach a bona fide NBA roster. They will look to be an up-tempo team who will be fun to watch. If they are fortunate with the injury list and Brown gets them playing defence, they will every fan’s second favourite team and should sit in one of the lower playoff spots out East.
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FRANK GUNN THE CANADIAN PRESS
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The Raptors will once again be bringing back a lot of familiar faces, but is this the year their playoff fate finally changes? by Mike Miller
The Toronto Raptors went all in ahead of the playoffs, shuffling the deck in trades with the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns to bolster their line-up. In an attempt to snatch the Eastern Conference crown, Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker were added to a roster that had already made the Eastern Conference Finals in 2015-16 The Raps had to give up a little bit for the two (very) solid vets, but most of the value in the trades were their draft picks. No offence to Jared Sullinger (for Tucker) or Terence Ross (for Ibaka) although the latter still has plenty of time to reach his potential. The moves had fans salivating at the prospects of Playoff successes that would erase the pain of seasons past. Even some of the DCHQ stalwarts felt that now was the time to back the Raps, primed to ascend to the Finals for the first time in franchise history (you know who you are guys – insert smug, sideways looking emoji here). But when June rolled around, the Toronto roster was off, lying on a beach somewhere having once again been obliterated. This time in an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Cavs in the second round. All in. Crapped out. And then Tucker bolted for Houston in the summer. Once again questions of this team’s identity were raised and once again these fell at the feet of the Raps two All-Stars, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. At times the tandem are jawdroppingly impressive at other times, they blend seamlessly into the background. Too often than
not, in the Playoffs at least, the latter happens to both at the same time. DeRozan usually receives the most flack for this. His game is fantastic, but without the ability to knock down the three consistently - just 26.6% accuracy… dropping to 6.7% in the playoffs – really limits his impact. This summer, KD cited DeRozan as someone he studies so as to improve his own footwork. Inside the arc, his mid-range game one of the best throughout the league. But the Playoffs brings increased defensive efforts, reducing his space to operate and, ultimately, limiting the number of good looks DeMar gets. Thankfully DeMar’s running mate Kyle Lowry will be back to help him out again for this campaign. In a unique summer of player movements and interesting contracts, the Raptors got an absolute steal, re-signing the late blooming guard on a three year $90 million deal. The bargain was more a reflection of this summer’s market though rather than a drop-off in Lowry’s performance. Although recovering from a wrist injury, the 31-year-old was again underwhelming in the postseason. Fully recovered now, expect him to be taking the reins once more. Though DeRozan has the potential to be the better player, Lowry seems the more likely of the pair to step-up and be the Alpha this team needs. He needs to do it soon too, because this team’s window of opportunity seems to be swiftly closing.
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Alfonzo McKinnie
Andy Rautins
Bruno Caboclo
C.J. Miles
Delon Wright
DeMar DeRozan
Fred VanVleet
Jakob Poeltl
Jonas Valanciunas
Kennedy Meeks
KJ McDaniels
Kyle Lowry
Kyle WilT.J.er
Lorenzo Brown
Lucas Nogueira
Malcolm Miller
Norman Powell
OG Anunoby
Pascal Siakam
Serge Ibaka
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The retention of Serge Ibaka’s services was another move completed by Masai Ujiri this summer. The arrival of the 6-10 power forward - once considered one of the league’s X-factors in its transition to a small ball game - in February, was his third team in two seasons. But finally, Serge is on a team that appreciates and utilises his talents. Ibaka is an upgrade on (the since departed) Patrick Patterson and offers the Raps some much needed frontcourt flexibility, comfortably guarding 3 through 5. On offense he can still throw it down hard and he shoots 39% from three. On a less star-orientated team (see his OKC days) and on something significantly better than the hopeless mess that was the Orlando Magic, Ibaka has the chance to rediscover past glories. Expectations for him, should be high. Which brings us to Jonas Valanciunas; a 24-yearold, 7 foot monster who just doesn’t seem to have the skill-set for this team, perhaps even this league. His stats last year (12ppg and 9.5reb) saw him flirt with averaging a triple-double, but it doesn’t feel like the Lithuanian has really evolved over the last four seasons. His lumbering frame limits his ability to switch on defense and his four total career three point attempts (he made one last season!) says everything you need to know of his ability to open up the floor, creating space for others. Of course, he’s still young enough to adapt and develop, so he’s far from a write-off. With almost $50 million owed to him over the next three years, it remains to be seen how much patience the Front Office have with his rate of progression. Conversely, the Raptors top pick from this year’s draft, is perfectly poised to grow and evolve with the modern NBA. London-born OG Anunoby, very stoic and serious in his demeanour (see pod episode 218), has drawn comparisons to Kawhi Leonard for his defensive prowess and movement. Though still a work in progress, and due to miss the start of the season recovering from an ACL tear in January, the versatile 6-8 forward will benefit from increased opportunities following the departure of DeMarre Carroll. With lofty
career goals including winning DPoY OG has set high expectations for himself and with DeMarre Carroll landing in Brooklyn, there are extra minutes for the youngster to gobble up. One of the guys looking to keep OG catching splinters on the pine, will be Norman Powell. The undersized wing had some impressive showings in last year’s playoffs, resulting in a new contract during the pre-season schedule for $42 million over four years.
The Raptors have become a great regular season team in recent years, and this season should be no different. But with circa $124 million on the books for the season the stakes are high in the North. With limited playoff success (and continued disappointment in game ones) how long can Masai Ujiri continue with this roster? And what level of success does Dwayne Casey need to achieve to retain his job? Having slipped from second in the East to third last year, with Boston primed to be around for a long time and Washington maturing into a decent team, the Raps have their work cut out battling for home court advantage, let alone a Conference Final spot. This is a bright spot in franchise history, another top-four seed is more than achievable. But their window of opportunity is closing with this group of stars. There are capable, talented youngsters on the roster and any slippage could force the transition between eras to happen sooner than fans would like.
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NED DISHMAN GETTY IMAGES
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Can last year’s Eastern Conference Semi-Finalists take the another step to contention behind John Wall’s brilliance? by Sean Guest
There’s no doubt that this was a big offseason for the Washington Wizards. Following a regular season campaign that saw them win 49 games, they went on a deep postseason run that took them all the way to game 7 of the Eastern Conference Aemifinals, where the Boston Celtics eventually brought their season to an end. Still, this outcome was good enough to encourage franchise cornerstone John Wall to commit to Washington long-term, as the club wasted little time in signing him to a $170 million, four-year contract extension this summer. The Wizards were also able to extend Otto Porter Jr. by matching a $106.5 million, four-year offer sheet he signed with the Brooklyn Nets, having already re-signed Bradley Beal to a $128 million, five-year contract that goes through 2020-21 last summer. This is a nice, young core around which the Wizards would be able to build if they hadn’t already committed so much of their cap space to big-men Ian Mahinmi (who’ll earn $48 million over the next three years) and Marcin Gortat (who’ll get just over $26 million over the next two years) in summers past. Beyond them they’ll be paying the extremely useful Markieff Morris an extremely affordable $16.6 million over the next two years, while the only other player they’re committed to beyond this season is Tomas Satoransky, who’s guaranteed just over $6 million over the next two seasons.
This is by no means a terrible scenario, but the bottom line is that by committing to Wall, Beal and Porter Jr. the Wizards have limited themselves financially for the years ahead. Still, those were moves they had to make. And the real mistake was throwing a ton of money at Mahinmi, whose lack of productivity last season has put him right at the heart of the “worst contract in the NBA” conversation. That said, the French big-man has proved that he can be a useful asset throughout his career to date and may yet find his feet in Washington. Although allocating minutes to two old school centers like him and Gortat is never going to be easy – a phrase that also applies to the prospect of trading one of them (something the Wizards will surely attempt to do over the course of the coming season). Looking beyond the lack of flexibility, the good news for Wizards fans is that their team should be competitive for as long as Wall remains in D.C. He is, after all, one of the best point guards in the league right now, and is coming off a regular season campaign that saw him average 23.1 points, 10.7 assists and 2 steals per game – all of which are career highs. At just 26 years of age Wall is about to enter his prime and it’ll be interesting to see just how he goes about taking his game to the next level. The 27.2 points and 10.3 assists he averaged in 13 postseason games could provide some indication, as if the
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Bradley Beal
Carrick Felix
Chris McCullough
Daniel Ochefu
Devin Robinson
Donald Sloan
Ian Mahinmi
Jason Smith
Jodie Meeks
John Wall
Kelly Oubre Jr.
Marcin Gortat
Mike Scott
Mike Young
Otto Porter Jr.
Sheldon McClellan
Tim Frazier
Tomas Satoransky
Markieff Morris*
* Morris did not attend the Wizards 2017-18 Media Day and is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks after undergoing successful surgery to repair a sports hernia.
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Wizards are to become a dominant force in the East, Wall will need to aim to put up around 30 and 10 over the course of the regular season. Given the way he plays (aggressively) and the fact that he’s always had something of a chip on his shoulder, this should be more than feasible, especially now he’s soon to start earning the kind of money a player of his calibre deserves. That said, if the Wizards are to compete with the likes of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics next year, Wall is going to need some help. And that’s where Beal and Porter Jr. come in, as they’re going to need to try and justify the financial commitment the club has just made to them. And that won’t be easy, as neither player has quite found his feet in the NBA just yet. Both have provided glimpses of the players they may one day develop into, but, at just 24 apiece, both have some developing to do. And, maybe with the contract negotiation phase behind them they can start taking the next steps.
Beal, after all, averaged 23.1 points per game last season, while shooting an impressive 40 percent from deep. He is in many ways a great wingman for Wall, as he plays the bulk of his game on the perimeter while his point guard likes to get into the teeth of the defense. There is a concern that floor spacing may be an issue for the Wizards next
season, but Beal has to find a way to keep improving that silky stroke of his while adding other wrinkles – like enhanced defense, say – to his somewhat one-dimensional game. But with Wall behind the wheel, there’s no question that Beal should continue to get plenty of good looks. Porter Jr. is a little more difficult to gauge though, as last season he averaged a mediocre 13.4 points per game. Delving a little deeper reveals that he makes just over 50 percent from the field (43 percent from deep) while taking just 10 shots per game. This suggests that the potential’s there and that all Porter Jr. needs is a few more looks each game to improve those offensive numbers. He also needs to improve his work on the boards, as last year he averaged 6.4 rebounds per game – not bad, but not good enough for a small forward of his size. While it will be interesting to see just how much better Washington’s “big three” can be next year ,their bench will likely be the ultimate yardstick by which the campaign is measured. And while they made some nice additions here – I’m looking at rugged forward Mike Scott and sharpshooting guard Jodie Meeks – they’re still going to be relying on inconsistent types like Kelly Oubre Jr., Chris McCullough, Jason Smith etc. to do a lot of the heavy lifting – interpret that as you will! The bottom line is that while the Wizards made a lot of positive moves this offseason they’re still stuck with a number of pieces that are going to put a cap on their potential for the next few seasons to come. They’re most definitely going to be a playoff team in the Eastern Conference, but with Boston making the strides they did this offseason the crown is still some way off.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
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For three straight Finals the Western Conference has been represented by the Golden State Warriors. The Dubs have been a catalyst for change throughout the entire league, forcing the assembly of “Super teams” to the forefront of every front office’s strategy. In fact, Golden State’s super team has effectively rewritten the rule book on how to build an NBA roster. And, as a result, many expected competing organisations to roll over in the shadow of their greatness. This summer however, the Western Conference rebelled against those expectations. Instead of bowing down to their historic rivals, the West has loaded up on weapons and teams are rallying to the challenge that lies ahead of them. A movement of defiance which has seen superstars join forces in Oklahoma, Minnesota and Houston has led to a monumental shift in conference power. In many peoples’ eyes, the Eastern Conference has been left behind, in a state of disrepair. Over the next 2,460 games played by fifteen Western Conference teams bragging rights will be decided, career narratives will be written and rewritten, and records will be shattered along the way in a quest to become the best. Let’s take a look at the biggest questions surrounding the NBA’s must-watch conference, as our writers preview each franchise’s 2017-18 season.
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WILLIE J. ALLEN JR ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Coming off their worst season since 2000, the Mavs are stuck between the Dirk Nowitzki era and the need to rebuild. by Joe Hulbert
The Dallas Mavericks have been a powerhouse ever since the majority of the Double Clutch roster started following the NBA, so their recent decline is quite hard for some to take. The team, led by Dirk Nowitzki, has been an offensive juggernaut for the last decade with a knack for maximising veteran players. But they have fallen onto hard times and now find themselves to be, at best, a fringe playoff team. Nowitzki is still going and he signed a team-friendly deal so Dallas had cap flexibility, but they barely used the extra space and completely fluffed their lines in the Nerlens Noel saga, leaving them with essentially the same roster as last season. I haven’t done my projections yet, but I am higher on the Dallas Mavericks than most. Purely because they have one of the best coaches of all time in Rick Carlisle and an incoming rookie who was second on my annual draft board, behind only Markelle Fultz. Dallas will likely not be a playoff team, but anyone who is putting them in a tier of teams with no chance, is being harsh and naïve. Dallas have a chance because of Rick Carlisle and because their offense should be revolutionized by Dennis Smith. The most interesting question surrounding Dallas concerns their frontcourt, as Nerlens Noel provides an curious fit with an aging Dirk. Dallas started the last campaign terribly, but they looked a lot better when Nowitzki became the full-time center and Harrison Barnes was pushed
out to the four to accommodate three-guard line-ups. This helped compensate for Dallas’ lack of athleticism and downhill speed, and they looked like a fringe playoff team. The arrival of Noel however, halted this plan. Dallas were 24th in net rating after Noel joined, compared to 20th before he joined. To put it simply, it is hard to see a trio of Barnes, Nowitzki and Noel working if they are all on the floor at the same time and Rick Carlisle has a tough dilemma on his mind on the eve of the new season. Dallas are an organisation that want to reward Dirk’s loyalty, so the chances of him being moved to the bench are miniscule. Noel looks like a good fit on paper with Dennis Smith and he will have extra angles created for him due to Smith’s threat as a driver, but looking good on paper does not mean that this current front court will actually work. Harrison Barnes is largely better at the four because he is an isolation player, does a lot of his work in the low post and he also has the quickness to trouble bigger stretch fours. With Dirk and Noel both on the floor with him, his space is limited, and Dallas’ offense would become slow and ineffective. Two words that aren’t in Rick Carlisle’s vocabulary. Outside of the post Dallas actually have an underrated backcourt that is populated by guys who’ve struggled to make it on other
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Brandon Ashley
Dennis Smith
Devin Harris
Dirk Nowitzki
Dorian Finney-Smith
Dwight Powell
Gian Clavell
Harrison Barnes
J.J. Barea
Jeff Withey
Jonathan Motley
Josh McRoberts
Maalik Wayns
Maxi Kleber
Nerlens Noel
Salah Mejri
Seth Curry
Wesley Matthews
Yogi Ferrell
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rosters. Seth Curry has been a revelation since joining from the Sacramento Kings, and his sharpshooting ability and underrated playmaking is going to be key for Dallas, who want to move back towards the aggressive downhill offense they ran when Monta Ellis was in town. His absence due to a stress reaction in his left tibia is a big loss and provides Carlisle with another conundrum to solve. Being ruled out “indefinitely” is worrisome but will give Dennis Smith slightly more room for error in his rookie season.
This era looked set to be tough for Dallas, but they may have gotten a steal in Dennis Smith at the same spot they took Dirk at 20 years ago, and this gives them hope for the future. They still need to add some youth to their roster, but in the present, they are a definite dark horse for a playoff spot.
Yogi Ferrell was also an excellent contributor last year and, if he comes off the bench, he is a dark horse to win Sixth Man of the Year due to his shooting ability and overall offensive game. When you add the experienced Devin Harris and J.J. Barea to the picture, you get an experienced and reliable, if unspectacular, backcourt.
Dallas do not have the bench depth they had in the Peja Stojakovic and Brian Cardinal era. But Rick Carlisle’s system is usually rewarding for bench players, as it uses a lot of off-the-ball motion and gets wings into positions for easy buckets. It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if we saw another Yogi Ferrell emerge for Dallas this year. A guy to watch is Brandon Ashley, a stretch four out of Arizona, who has shown good range throughout summer league and training camp. Don’t be shocked if he uprooted Josh McRoberts or Dwight Powell spot in the rotation as the season progresses.
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SEAN M. HAFFEY GETTY IMAGES
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Denver shot the lights out last season, so can they shoot one step further this year and return to the Playoffs? by Thomas Rowberry
The Nuggets enter the 2017-18 season as one of the more intriguingly fun teams in the league. Tim Connelly and his staff have constructed a roster full of both exciting young talent as well as impactful veteran leaders. Last season’s young core, led by Nikola Jokic, Gary Harris and Jamal Murray, is joined by four time NBA All-Star Paul Millsap. Millsap joins a team which finished last season with the fifth best offense in the league. A team which missed out on the Western Conference’s eighth seed by a single game and possesses one of the most unique talents in the league, in Nikola Jokic. It is this combination of Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokic that has not only Nuggets die-hards but general NBA fans calling the Nuggets their ‘League Pass Team’. Jokic started off last season splitting minutes between both the power forward and center spots, that is until December 15th when Mike Malone promoted him to become the team’s full-time center… That’s when things got exciting in Colorado. Jokic became the focal point of the Nuggets offense, a point-center of sorts, and the team's primary ballhandler, showcasing a combination of court vision and passing acumen rarely seen in a center. Everything ran through Jokic, andhis size, passing touch and shooting ability led to easy open buckets for the likes of Gary
Harris, Will Barton and Kenneth Faried, whilst simultaneously creating open 3-point shots for the likes of Jamal Murray and Danilo Gallinari. An offense led by a 21-year-old sophomore center and no true ‘star’ became one of the best in the league and reached a 40-42 record ahead of schedule. In Paul Millsap, the Nuggets now have a star to pair with Jokic. The four-time NBA All-Star power forward has quietly been one of the league’s best players whilst suiting-up for the Jazz and Hawks. Last season, in what was very much a down year for the Hawks, Millsap averaged career highs in both points and assists (18.1 points and 3.7 assists per game). Millsap looks to slot into the starting rotation, providing an instant upgrade on Kenneth Faried and Danilo Gallinari, giving them a reliable shot maker with the awareness and attitude to lead the team. One thing being overlooked about the Millsap signing is the defensive presence he brings to Denver. He’s a good defender who doesn’t quit, something which the young Nuggets team did far too often last season. With Gary Harris expected to step up as a shutdown wing, the Nuggets needed somebody to step up next to the defensive turnstile that is Jokic. With the excitement of the Millsap signing it’s easy to forget that the Nuggets return pretty much the same team which overachieved last
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Darrell Arthur
Emmanuel Mudiay
Gary Harris
Jamal Murray
Jameer Nelson
Josh Childress
Juan Hernangomez
Kenneth Faried
Malik Beasley
Mason Plumlee
Monte Morris
Nikola Jokic
Paul Millsap
Torrey Craig
Trey Lyles
Tyler Lydon
Will Barton
Wilson Chandler
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season. Whilst trade rumours surrounding a potential move for Kyrie Irving certainly got fans talking this offseason, the front office instead chose to keep faith in their young core. Both Gary Harris and Jamal Murray had their names brought up in rumours, and frankly it’s easy to see why. As a rookie Jamal Murray split time between both guard spots, playing in all 82 regular season games (the only player to do so), whilst suffering from two sports hernias. In his debut season, the former Kentucky standout showed glimpses of how good he could be. When Jokic became the focal point of the offense and slashing lanes opened, Murray got to showcase his athletic ability - finishing at the rim with confidence and making the best of his chances from range. Now fully healthy, it is presumed Murray will sit atop the Nuggets depth chart at PG. Given what we saw last year, expect to see an improvement in his sophomore season. Gary Harris has quickly become regarded as one of the best two-guards in the league, so much so that he was the main piece going to Indiana in the reportedly agreed Pacers/Cavaliers/Nuggets trade. Harris has become a great spot up shooter and with his feet set he shoots a ridiculous 68.1 effective field goal percentage. With Jokic dishing from the post Harris’s effectiveness as a cutter has also become prevalent, land saw him finish last season with the eighth best true shooting percentage amongst guards. Harris should continue to thrive in a system which saw him excel last season. Whilst the Nuggets starting five is likely going to be as fun and potent as any in the league, it’s the bench that could make or break this team. Jameer Nelson and Emmanuel Mudiay are going to split minutes as the team’s third point guard, and will likely see playing time paired with both Gary Harris & Jamal Murray. Coach Malone is likely going to stagger the minutes that Jokic and Millsap play together so the likes of Kenneth Faried, Mason Plumlee and Juan Hernangomez can play significant minutes off the bench. Hernangomez could well line up as both a makeshift small forward and replacement power forward.
Whilst everybody is rightfully optimistic about watching the Nuggets offense there is certainly room for concern. The roster currently has six players vying for playing time at power forward. Whilst the likes of Tyler Lydon aren’t going to see major minutes, Darrell Arthur, Kenneth Faried and Trey Lyles will all expect a fair shot. It didn’t take long for Faried to complain about his role in Denver, making a case for himself to be the Nuggets starting power forward over Paul Millsap. If Coach Malone can’t split minutes fairly between the glut of power forwards there may well be some negativity surrounding the team, especially if players continue to speak out in public. Whilst an abundance of players at one position is a negative, in that it’s hard to give them all minutes, it’s also a positive for the Nuggets. They can afford to trade at least one PF and solidify the backup small forward spot, without really giving up too much. All in all, the Nuggets are expected to be one of the most fun teams in the league to watch. They’re a team you’re going to have to catch on League Pass and they’re a team that has the potential to cause quite a few teams quite a lot of problems. If the defensive issues can be properly addressed and the lopsided roster can be sorted there is a very good chance that this Nuggets team breaks 50 wins.
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NOAH GRAHAM USA TODAY SPORTS
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The greatest team of our time prepares to enter the arena once again, can anybody defy them? by Matthew Wellington
The Golden State Warriors enter the upcoming season in every team’s cross-hairs, as they look to defend their NBA championship. Over the past three seasons they have redefined the game, shaped player movements across the league and entered their application as the greatest team of all-time. And after Kevin Durant outperformed LeBron James in the 2017 NBA Finals, the scene is now set for yet another epic match-up - the fourth consecutive battle between Cleveland and Golden State. In theory at least. The Western Conference this season is however not the Western Conference of old. Seismic player movements this offseason have turned a competitive conference, into a warzone. And yet despite this Golden State is still projected to be seven wins ahead of any other NBA team. That’s according to ESPN, who utilise a mixture of science, art (just kidding) and their Real Plus Minus (RPM) metric to predict the totals for a new season. RPM estimates how many points each player adds or subtracts, on average, to his team's net scoring margin for each 100 possessions played. The RPM model also yields separate ratings for the player's impact on both ends of the court: offensive RPM (ORPM) and defensive RPM (DRPM). So it’s pretty good, but not entirely accurate and reliant on existing knowledge to work out predicted team line-ups.
The Warriors win total of 62.1 is unsurprising really, especially for a team which features the league's second best - in some eyes best - player. Durant went supernova last year, averaging 25.1 points on a career-best 53.7 percent shooting, 8.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.9 triples, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals in just 33.4 minutes. He took the hatred of his critics and ran with it, powering the Dubs to a 67-win regular season and a 16-1 postseason record, while also picking up the Finals MVP award en route to his first championship. Durant scored 39 points, Stephen Curry added 34 and the Golden State Warriors won their second NBA title in three seasons with a 129-120 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of The Finals. It wasn't a perfect postseason, but the Warriors still posted the highest winning percentage (.941) in NBA playoff history. And, never to be outdone by anyone these days, especially not their Western Conference rivals, the Dubs committed a whopping $334 million to ensuring their talent remained in the Bay and that new pieces were secured. It’s pretty comical to think that the league’s best team got better this summer. But they did. They brought in Jordan Bell (in the second-round after buying a pick), one of the biggest steals of the entire 2017 NBA Draft, with the hopes of developing his defensive talents so that one day he’s a reliable contributor. Then they signed
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Alex Hamilton
Andre Iguodala
Antonius Cleveland
Chris Boucher
Damian Jones
David West
Draymond Green
Georges Niang
JaVale McGee
Jordan Bell
Kevin Durant
Kevon Looney
Klay Thompson
Michael Gbinije
Nick Young
Omri Casspi
Patrick McCaw
Shaun Livingston
Stephen Curry
Zaza Pachulia
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two quality role players to minimum contracts in Omri Casspi and Nick Young, adding yet more firepower to their already ridiculous offense. So in fact, Golden State’s only real weakness remains at the center position, where teams like New Orleans could take advantage of their lack of talent. That’s not to say Zaza Pachulia sucks, because he doesn’t. But as impactful as he can be, he’s no match for the league's best forwards and centers. However, it’s pretty difficult to imagine the Pelicans, with the likes of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, posing any serious threat to this small ball, perimeter shooting juggernaut of a roster. Unlike last year, there are no big questions about how they’ll share the ball or whether or not they are capable of competing with the more physically imposing rosters across the league. All the Warriors have to do is stay healthy, because much of this season will take place under the command of their in-built cruise control setting, and with any luck young role players such as Patrick McCaw, who showed a lot of promise last season, will develop into even bigger pieces, helping to cement their bench as the best in the league. The gradual development of younger talent is also a critical factor in the longevity of this current formation of the Warriors. If it is to become a true dynasty, it will have to find immediate and reliable impact when veterans such as Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Zaza Pachulia and David West find themselves unable to contribute significant minutes or nestle comfortably among the reserves. Eventually the injury bug might hit the Warriors, but for now they have everything they could want to continue their historic run of form. Perhaps some players may lose a sense of urgency in the regular season after breaking records and dominating the last few seasons, though that seems unlikely.
The Warriors are in the most unique position in sports, untouchable when they’re at their best and on paper at least, guaranteed title contenders for the better part of the next halfdecade. Their stars, who range from 27 to 29 years old, are now reaching their prime and there are few teams in the league capable of sticking with the Dubs’ relentless scoring pace; let alone besting it. Expectations are so high that anything less than a third championship in four years would be a surprise and failing to win the West, now that would be a considerable failure.
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SHANE BEVEL GETTY IMAGES
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With a backcourt of James Harden and Chris Paul, the Houston Rockets are set for lift off. by Nick Whitfield
Those outside of Golden State would probably argue that having acquired Chris Paul this summer, the Rockets now have the best backcourt in the NBA. There is of course a question mark that will remain until the ball is tossed up on opening day however as to how two such ball-dominant guards as Chris Paul and James Harden can coexist. But surrounded with shooters in a D’Antoni system that favours speed, ball movement and playmaking, the Rockets are able to have at least one, and often two, of the most creative offensive playmakers in the league on the floor at all times. A burning question for many onlookers is the extent to which Paul, one of the greatest midrange jump shooters in the game, will be held to the “threes and layups” ethos that D’Antoni demands from the rest of the roster. Between Harden and Paul and how they share playmaking duties, there is simply too much talent for it not to work effectively. So while there’s no questions about the backcourt, the Rockets also managed to retain some of the key players from last season’s roster that won 55 games and a first round playoff series. Much to the dismay of Pelicans fans, Eric Gordon is coming off a real renaissance season, capturing the Sixth Man of the Year Award. His combination of shooting range and easy scoring will continue to be a crucial component of this team’s makeup that will look to run the score up every night.
The stretch four position that’s crucial for D’Antoni’s system has been occupied by Ryan Anderson, whose name was also thrown around in many of the summer’s trade rumours. Generally a laid-back character, Anderson shouldn’t cause any discontent this year. While he has undisputed range and touch from deep, he can also be targeted defensively by small ball lineups due to his slow lateral speed and mobility. D’Antoni (largely unsuccessfully) started to experiment with Anderson playing the five position towards the end of last season, but sacrificed rebounding in doing so. With Anderson earning around $20 million for the next three seasons, it’s unlikely we’ll see him moved, and D’Antoni will have to continue to find the best lineups to maximise his skillset. Clint Capela has found the perfect fit in Houston. Playing the five position for Mike D’Antoni largely involves rebounding, defending the rim, running the floor, setting good screens and diving to the hoop whenever there’s an opportunity – all of which suits Capela perfectly. Content in his role, we should see Capela continue to provide the efficient play he did last season. Just 23 years old, there’s also a strong chance we see Capela continue to improve. With the potent outside shooting threat the Rockets pose to their opponents, there should be plenty of space for Capela to continue his direct cuts and rolls off screens.
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Bobby Brown
Cam Oliver
Chinanu Onuaku
Chris Johnson
Chris Paul
Clint Capela
Demetrius Jackson
Eric Gordon
Isaiah Taylor
James Harden
Luc Mbah a Moute
Nene Hilario
P.J. Tucker
Qi Zhou
Ryan Anderson
Tarik Black
Tim Quarterman
Trevor Ariza
Troy Williams
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If there’s a critique to be made of the Rockets roster it’s that the team lacks the depth it did last year. Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell all played quality minutes for Houston and will be representing the Los Angeles Clippers this season. This production will need to be replicated by newcomers that include Tarik Black, Luc Mbah a Moute and P.J. Tucker. The other fear will be the spectre of injury, which could derail the already light depth of this roster. Chris Paul has played in more than 65 games in just seven of his twelve seasons in the NBA. With the cumulative wear on his body and celebrating his thirty third birthday this season, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if Paul picks up a minor injury that forces him to sit a number of games. But it’s not just Paul. Eric Gordon has played in 65 games or more only twice in his nine years in the league – his rookie campaign and last year (but has never played in all 82 games). For Ryan Anderson this number is four in nine seasons (and he too has never played in all 82 games). We’re obviously talking worst case scenarios here, but for a team comparatively light on depth compared to their rivals, it would be naive to go into the season with blinkers on. As much of a coup as acquiring Chris Paul was for the Rockets, it’s also significant to consider who the team could have picked up. The Rockets were in the running (and favourites for many) to land Carmelo Anthony and yet they will now see Oklahoma City running Melo as the potent combo forward they hoped to team with Harden and Paul. In a formidable Western Conference, the Rockets inability to pull off the Anthony trade has led to OKC emerging as yet another tough opponent. A lingering critique of teams coached by Mike D’Antoni is how effective and fun to watch they can be in the regular season, and yet, come playoff time, his seven seconds or less offense can be slowed and nullified. Last season was bittersweet for Rockets fans. On the one hand, James Harden played at MVP level all year and
the fans witnessed a fun brand of basketball that they would have hoped brought them back towards contention. But the offseason would have been painful, punctuated as it was by James Harden’s 2-11, six turnover, six foul elimination game performance. It is these moments where the Rockets will hope the pairing of Paul and Harden truly excels. By sharing the physical and creative burden of running a system reliant on speed and decisionmaking, the Rockets will hope they can keep both of their stars fresh over the course of the regular season.
With both Harden and Paul having experienced playoff disappointments over the years, and with seasons of top level performance perhaps now running short for Paul, playoff success is where this Rockets team will be truly measured.
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JAY METZGER GETTY IMAGES
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Will Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan usher in the new era of Los Angeles Clippers basketball? by Josh Coyne
When perpetual All-Star point guard Chris Paul joined James Harden and the Houston Rockets this summer, the underwhelming “Lob City” era screeched to a necessary halt, leaving the reshuffled Los Angeles Clippers front office to reignite the franchise. The blockbuster trade saw the Clippers part ways with CP3, in exchange for an embarrassment of riches that included hardnosed defensive terror Patrick Beverley, offensively gifted Lou Williams, former NCAA standout Sam Dekker, explosive leaper Montrezl Harrell, Darrun Hilliard , DeAndre Liggins, Kyle WilT.J.er, a protected first-round pick next year and cash considerations. Quite the haul, especially when you consider Paul’s apparent desire to leave Tinseltown. After decades of unforgettable basketball in the doldrums of the NBA, the Clippers upgraded from the league’s laughing stock to a formidable force and the superior team in Los Angeles during Paul’s tenure. He led a young core to playoff relevance but the group earned a reputation as underachievers, as health, internal turmoil and the rise of the Golden State Warriors robbed them of a realistic shot at the title. The Clippers big three had reached their ceiling and change was required. In order to alleviate some of the pressure on head coach Doc Rivers, team owner Steve Ballmer relieved him of his role as President of Basketball Operations in order to allow him to concentrate on his coaching duties. Lawrence
Frank was promoted by ownership, thus filling the open vacancy. The two will continue to be advised by NBA legend Jerry West, who stepped down from his advisory role in Golden State a year prior. Another major trade took place in July that sent veteran guard Jamal Crawford and Diamond Stone to the Atlanta Hawks via Denver, with Italian forward Danilo Gallinari joining the squad. Gallinari fills a hole in the Clippers line up that has been a continuous weak spot for years, as he’s a legitimately talented scorer at the small forward position, which is ironically what many considered to be the missing piece of the jigsaw during Paul’s time in L.A. Outside of trades, the roster overhaul began with letting half the team leave. The team lost a lot of experience, as Marreese Speights, Luc Mbah A Moute, Brandon Bass and Raymond Felt among others were allowed to walk. Most notably though, sharpshooting veteran J.J. Redick chose to leave the franchise, unimpressed with last season’s style of play and the offer that the Clippers were prepared to put on the table. Redick became part of “The Process”, joining the young core of the Philadelpia 76ers. L.A. did manage to retain some key pieces however, with freakishly athletic, rim protecting centre DeAndre Jordan still under contract. Jordan signed a humongous four-year deal in 2015 and is widely considered integral to the team’s development.
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Austin Rivers
Blake Griffin
Brice Johnson
C.J. Williams
Danilo Gallinari
DeAndre Jordan
Jamil Wilson
Jawun Evans
LaDontae Henton
Lou Williams
Marshall Plumlee
Milos Teodosic
Montrezl Harrell
Patrick Beverley
Sam Dekker
Sindarius Thornwell
Tyrone Wallace
Wesley Johnson
Willie Reed
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After opting out of his contract, mutli-skilled power forward Blake Griffin signed a new multiyear contract with the Clippers, establishing himself as the absolute face of the franchise, after sharing that role in recent times. The team’s front office and coaching staff will hope that they can rely on Griffin to take up more responsibility and become the team’s leader as it evolves. The aforementioned leadership will be vital when it comes to developing Clippers draftees Jawun Evans and Sindarius Thornwell. Evans, a 21-year-old point guard, entered the leagued after two years at Oklahoma State University and Thornwell spent four years at the University of South Carolina. In order for the rookies to make a steady contribution, the team’s more experienced veteran players will be relied on to help them succeed. With so many departures, Frank and his staff looked to free agency to bolster the roster. The first domino to fall was the acquisition of Serbian point guard Milos Teodosic. As a 30-year-old undrafted point guard with experience almost exclusively in Europe, he may not be a long-term option for LA, but he has fans excited for the upcoming season. His flashy passing has earned him a reputation as one of the most entertaining players outside of the NBA and his vision, along with Beverley’s defensive prowess, could help make up for the loss of a 9-time All-Star, as the team attempts to create a fresh identity. The City of Angels also welcomed a crew of probable role players in Jamil Wilson, Willie Reed, Tyrone Wallace, Marshall Plumlee and C.J. Williams. Mostly unproven, the Clippers would be wise to find ways in which to incorporate some of the above guys when possible, in the hope that at least one of them can surpass expectations and break into the regular rotation. Rivers possesses a melting pot of skilled specialists at the guard position, with Beverley, Teodosic, Williams and his son Austin expected to feature most consistently. However, if they are
able to impress early in the season, Thornwell and Evans could earn some regular court time at the veterans’ expense.
While the loss of Reddick and Paul is significant, the Clippers roster may have gotten deeper than it has been in recent memory. At forward, they boast a ton of positional flexibility, with Gallinari able to work in the post as well as space the floor and Dekker showing signs of increasing versatility. Look out for Griffin, as the team’s centrepiece, to occasionally take on the role of point-forward, as the coaching staff attempt to run plays through the 28-year-old. An unfortunately frequent issue for Griffin and Gallinari is that they spend a lot of game nights wearing a suit, as both of their careers have been marred by injury. Over the last three years, Griffin has played in 163 of a possible 246 games and his new teammate has only laced up for 175. To say that health could be potential stumbling block for this unit is an understatement. The ceiling of this team is hard to define but with the motley crew that it’s assembled, there is plenty of reason for Clippers fans to be optimistic, as they attempt to affirm their status as the Staples Center’s main attraction.
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ETHAN MILLER GETTY IMAGES
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Can the young Lakers upset the order and surprise the West, or will it be another bad year in Hollywood? by Tom Hyland
The Los Angeles Lakers actually had a far better offseason than most people seemingly expected them to. They got Timofey Mozgov’s whopping $48 million, three-year contract off the books by trading him and D’Angelo Russell to the Nets for Brook Lopez – giving them a more offensively polished center, albeit at the expense of the talented Russell. As well as this, the Lakers took on the remaining year of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s deal, providing the team with an improving spot-up shooter and an excellent wing defender. Coupled with their offseason additions, the Lakers drafted plenty of young talent too in the form of the highly-coveted Lonzo Ball, as well as Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart and Thomas Bryant – all of whom could see minutes during the 2017-18 season. Entering the 2017-18 season, the Lakers are finally beginning to look like a serviceable team in the post-Kobe era. Fans were able to breathe a sigh of relief after watching Lonzo Ball in Summer League, where he garnered MVP honours and went some way to proving that he’s worth the hype that accompanied him during his lone season at UCLA. Ball has shown his ability to make players around him better and, with him running the offense, those around him should get plenty of decent looks.
Brandon Ingram is another intriguing prospect for the Lakers. He had a relatively average rookie season, tallying 9.4 points to go along with 4 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Despite this, Ingram became one of five players in league history to notch 150 assists, 50 three-pointers and 36 blocks in a season before the age of 19. His lacklustre rookie season can probably be put down to the growing pains that a lot of young players entering the league experience and, after a summer of working on the weaknesses in his game, Ingram could be poised to have a breakout year in 2017-18. Another player primed for a breakout season is Julius Randle. He played just 14 minutes of his rookie season before suffering a broken leg that forced him to sit out the rest of the year. Entering his fourth (third*) season, Randle has slimmed right down while adding a fair bit of muscle, which could make him a starkly different player going into this season. With Lonzo feeding him the ball and Brook Lopez stepping out of the paint to clear space for Randle to cut, this could be the year that he truly unlocks his full potential. And with his contract year looming, it might need to be. Magic Johnson recently challenged Jordan Clarkson to go for the Sixth Man award this season, making it clear who he intends to begin the year with in the backcourt. Clarkson can eat minutes at both the one and two spots during
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Alex Caruso
Andrew Bogut
Brandon Ingram
Briante Weber
Brook Lopez
Corey Brewer
Ivica Zubac
Jordan Clarkson
Josh Hart
Julius Randle
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Kyle Kuzma
Larry Nance Jr.
Lonzo Ball
Luol Deng
Stephen Zimmerman
Thomas Bryant
Tyler Ennis
V.J. Beachem
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the season, filling in for Ball and Caldwell-Pope for stretches when they are off the floor. If Clarkson can put up similar number to previous seasons in a reduced role, he may earn the right to remain with the team long-term. But, it seems more likely that he becomes one of the team’s trade candidates whilst on an affordable contract.
Aside from Lonzo Ball making a run at ROY, this season for the Lakers will most likely be best remembered as the one that leads into the 2018 offseason. It is unlikely that they’ll make the Playoffs in an already stacked Western Conference, so there’s not really a whole lot for them to play for.
Conversely, there is also no incentive to lose either, as they don’t own their first round pick in the 2018 draft, meaning they should use this season as an opportunity to develop their litany of young talent. In his second season, and with no real expectations for the team, Head Coach Luke Walton will have plenty of options to experiment with, without consequence. Right now, the focus will be getting these youngsters as many reps as possible as they learn to compete in the NBA. Helping to guide them will be a collection of savvy and wily vets including Luol Deng, Andrew Bogut and Corey Brewer. Players who, along with Lopez, have a vast amount of experience and knowledge to pass on in the twilight of their careers. To paraphrase Billy Hoyle, this team will look good and lose. If you’re looking for a League Pass team this could be it. Expect lots of fastpaced, highlight-laden, LA-friendly action. But expect all that amongst a litany of Ls from a roster that will look drastically different a year from now. The Lakers have, after all, been freeing up cap space relentlessly this offseason to go after some of the major free agents who will be available in the summer of 2018. If we assume that they are to make a play for LeBron James, Paul George and the like, many of the young players on the current roster will essentially spend this season playing for their spot on next year’s team. On top of that, Julius Randle is approaching a contract year and if the Lakers don’t want to extend him, it may be that they part ways at the end of the season, even if he does have a breakout year. Clarkson is already one of the league’s most likely trade candidates, and Lopez, Caldwell-Pope, Brewer and Bogut are all on expiring contracts. So if anything’s certain, it’s that this season’s team will be totally different from the team that gets rolled out at the beginning of the 2018-19 season.
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JESSE D. GARRABRANT GETTY IMAGES
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The “Grit and Grind” era may be over in Memphis, but don’t expect these Grizzlies to roll over. by Sean Guest
It’s hard to believe that the 'Grit and Grind' era ended in Memphis this summer. But with Zach Randolph and Tony Allen moving on to pastures new, now seems like as good a time as any for the Grizzlies to re-brand themselves. And that may not be such a bad thing. Because, as fun as Grit and Grind was to watch, it didn’t exactly deliver Memphis a championship. It did, however, give one of the league’s small market teams an identity, not to mention a reputation for being a tough out in the playoffs. And the best thing about the Grit and Grind Grizzlies is that the entire city could relate to them, as Memphis is known for being a blue-collar town, founded on hard work and dogged determination – just like that team, led by Randolph and Allen. But, truth be told, things began to change when head coach Dave Joerger was fired a year ago. He was, after all, an assistant of predecessor Lionel Hollins – the Grizzlies coach under whom Grit and Grind flourished. And David Fizdale, Joerger’s successor and an outsider, then made some changes to the fabric of the team, the most notable of which involved moving Randolph to the bench so as to free up more minutes for the younger, more athletic JaMychal Green, a player who was also capable of stretching the floor. And one of the real positives to come out of this offseason is the fact that Green will be returning,
having signed a two-year, $16.4 million contract with the team. This makes him a key component of the Grizzlies new core, which, of course, also features the team’s star duo of Mike Conley and Mark Gasol, and the injury-prone Chandler Parsons. Parsons will most likely be the yardstick by which the Grizz are measured this season. He has, after all, found it difficult to get on to the court recently and made just 34 appearances for the team in 2016-17 – it’s also worth noting that Parsons has never played a full 82 games in his six-year NBA career. That said, when he does play, he’s productive, and has averaged 13.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists over the course of his career. Memphis invested heavily in him in the summer of 2016 (he’s the second highest earner on the roster, behind Conley and is set to pick up just over $23 million this year) and they will need to do everything possible to make sure he gets on the floor and stays on the floor if they’re to have any chance of competing in the West. Regardless of Parsons’s contribution the Grizzlies know they can rely on Conley and Gasol to perform at an extremely high level. Now in their ninth year in Memphis blue, this tandem will continue to terrorise opponents on both ends of the floor, thanks to their varied skillsets and an understanding of one another’s games. These two are, after all, a perfect pairing in many ways,
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Andrew Harrison
Ben McLemore
Brandan Wright
Chandler Parsons
Deyonta Davis
Dillon Brooks
Ivan Rabb
James Ennis
Jarell Martin
Jeremy Morgan
Kobi Simmons
Marc Gasol
Mario Chalmers
Mike Conley
Rade Zagorac
Tyreke Evans
Vince Hunter
Wade Baldwin
Wayne Selden
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as they run the pick and roll beautifully and both offer a significant scoring threat to the tune of 20.5 points per game for Conley last year and 19.5 for Gasol. On top of that, they can both defend at an extremely high level. And it will be interesting to see how they fare with a marginally younger group around them this season, as Randolph, Allen and Vince Carter’s spots on the roster will be filled by newcomers like Ben McLemore, Tyreke Evans, Mario Chalmers, Ivan Rabb and Dillon Brooks. While there’s not a whole lot to get excited about here, Evans and Chalmers are solid veterans, capable of contributing in limited minutes, while McLemore has a genuine opportunity to give his career a shot in the arm after several disappointing seasons in Sacramento. Given that he’s now the sixth highest earner on this roster, the likelihood is that he’ll slot into the starting five, at least initially, and may turn out to be a decent pick up thanks to his above average defensive abilities and his potential as a scorer. Even if that doesn’t turn out to be the case, his two-year, $10.64 million contract is a low risk gamble for a team struggling for cap space. As well as the new additions, Memphis will be looking for some solid production out of their returning players too. Brandan Wright is another savvy veteran whose offensive abilities could prove invaluable to this team, while youngsters like Wade Baldwin, Deyonta Davis, James Ennis, Andrew Harrison and Jarrell Marin all have plenty to prove. They will also have a shot at snagging more minutes during the upcoming season too, as beyond Conley, Gasol, Parsons (when healthy) and Green, no one else on this team is exactly going to be guaranteed playing time. This will likely result in some healthy competition that could prove useful as the season wears on.
The real challenge for this Grizzlies team though will be trying to maintain the extremely high defensive standards of previous incarnations. Last season opponents shot just 44.3 percent from the field against them, which made them the fourth-best defensive team in the NBA. It is, however, hard to see them performing that well defensively with this group, especially as Randolph and Allen were such a huge part of the team’s identity on that end of the floor. Still, this very much feels as if it’s going to be a transition year for the Grizzlies. While they still have their two best players, they aren’t in a position to put a whole lot of talent around them right now. This is in no small part due to the huge salaries of their three top earners – something that isn’t going to change a lot in the next couple of years. And with the West getting stronger and deeper, this could be a tough season for the Grizz. But don’t expect them to roll over. Conley and Gasol are just too good to go down without a fight.
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Minnesota fired the opening salvo of the summer, landing Jimmy Butler. Now can they finally return to the playoffs? by Joe Hulbert
The Minnesota Timberwolves were expected to leap from a basement team to a low playoff seed due to the arrival of Tom Thibodeau in the summer of 2016. But things didn’t really work out that way, and the Wolves once again missed the playoffs. For three quarters of the year they did, however, play like a 55-win team. But in the third quarter, they played like the ‘process’ version of the Philadelphia 76ers. This was largely because the younger players simply couldn’t execute for 48 minutes, but the lack of outside shooting meant that Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins were often forced to play hero ball. Minnesota had previously flirted with a Jimmy Butler trade on the night of the 2016 Draft, and it disappointingly fell through at the last minute. But the franchise struck gold due to the incompetence of Gar-Pax. They managed to acquire Butler by moving down nine places in the draft, while also giving up an athletic scorer coming off knee surgery in LaVine, and a point guard in Kriss Dunn who shot nearly 30% from the field and showed no sign of being anything more than a defensive stopper in a league dominated by spread offenses. Minnesota have experienced years of misery – more than most other teams, in fact. But the addition of Jimmy Butler has no doubt revitalised a fanbase that has for so long been forced to cling to the glory of Kevin Garnett’s time in
town. Minnesota fans are, after all, loyal for the most part, but they have been fed up of seeing garbage rosters full of has-beens being rolled out every year – something Butler should have no problem changing right from day one. He is, after all, a two-way player who was ranked in our official top ten, and will become the focal point of this offense, along with budding star Karl-Anthony Towns, who put up other-worldly numbers after last season’s All-Star break. Just a week after Butler was acquired, he told reporters that he was recruiting players ‘much better than him’ to Minnesota (even though there were none on the market). But clearly he was unable to deliver on this promise, as the pipe dream of landing Kyle Lowry to run the point never materialised. Instead, Minnesota acquired Jeff Teague from the Indiana Pacers, a solid player who has weirdly been much maligned on NBA Twitter. Teague ranked highly in true shooting percentage, and he provides a much needed outside threat, in addition to a pick and roll partner for Towns and to a lesser extent, Gorgui Dieng. Minnesota also added a defensive specialist in Taj Gibson – a player who has long been a favourite of die-hard NBA fans. Gibson brings a much needed toughness to this team, and Minnesota are going to be disgusting to play against next year. Most of the players on the roster are capable of being plus defenders,
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Aaron Brooks
Amile Jefferson
Andrew Wiggins
Anthony Brown
Cole Aldrich
Gorgui Dieng
Jamal Crawford
Jeff Teague
Jimmy Butler
Justin Patton
Karl-Anthony Towns
Marcus Georges-Hunt
Melo Trimble
Nemanja Bjelica
Shabazz Muhammad
Taj Gibson
Tyus Jones
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despite what the media may tell you. But they lacked intensity and urgency last season, something that Butler and Gibson simply will not stand for. Minnesota spoke to other players such as Tony Allen and Dante Cunningham, but no deal materialised. Minnesota’s bench unit was simply abysmal last year, so they decided to sign multiple Sixth Man of the Year winner Jamal Crawford to a two-year contract. I personally believe Crawford’s game has been declining for some time (which is not massively surprising given his age), but he adds a much needed focal point for a bench unit that had very little talent last year. The Wolves also got Shabazz Muhammad to return, and his proficiency from the corner should ensure their spacing’s good at all times.
Offensively the Wolves have very little issue, purely because Towns is a machine and a stretch big, and teams with stretch bigs generally create more open looks. The fact the Wolves were top ten in offensive efficiency last year, without any three-point shooting, shows that Tom Thibodeau is better on that side of the ball than he gets credit for.
The offense looks basic on the surface, purely because it is not a pace offense. But Thibodeau is actually pretty modern, and employs a lot of different tactics in order to free up his best players. Jeff Teague’s ability from the outside will open things up for other players to thrive, and Minnesota should become better at the driveand-kick style of basketball this year. That said, last year’s defence was simply not good enough, and while Gibson should help on that end of the floor, I don’t see this team being any higher than 16th in defensive efficiency. Jamal Crawford simply doesn’t defend, and Jeff Teague and Andrew Wiggins both lack intensity. Basically everything rests on Taj Gibson installing a fiery mentality in the rest of his teammates – something I wouldn’t rule out, purely because he’s is such a great locker room guy. The top four in the West is almost certainly set, and many believe that the Timberwolves are good enough to at least make some noise against that elite group. As a Wolves fan I do not believe they will though, and the team’s current ceiling is likely to put them at around the sixth seed, purely because this team’s going to have a lot of issues that will need to be ironed out over the course of the season. The defensive problems will take time to fix, and there is still not a wealth of scoring on the bench. In fact, the second unit will be hugely reliant on Jamal Crawford getting hot, and it seems unrealistic to expect this from a player who is at the tail-end of his career. At minimum, Minnesota will be an extremely fun team to watch – one that should make multiple highlight reels of their own every night, and that will likely appear in the top-five of most peoples’ infamous ‘League Pass rankings'. I will enjoy this team as a fan, purely because very few fanbases are lucky enough to be able to have two top 20 players on their team, and I have been used to misery.
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TED JACKSON NOLA.COM
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The Pelicans have plenty of firepower in their frontcourt, but can Davis and Cousins carry this team to the postseason? by Joe Hulbert
No team underwent a roster change quite like the Pelicans, as they began the season with a pairing of Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis, surrounded by misfits, and ended it with DeMarcus Cousins on their roster, having sent high draft pick Buddy Hield the other way. Entering the year the Pelicans signed shooters and versatile defenders who were supposed to run Alvin Gentry’s pace and space offense, but they ended the season with an elite big man pairing who formed a sort of throwback roster. Despite the hype and excitement, the Pelicans slumped to another poor season, and once again missed out on the postseason, something they have not tasted since Monty Williams was fired. For the most part the Pelicans were handcuffed in the offseason, as they’d previously handed out big contracts to the likes of Solomon Hill and Etwaun Moore and were unable to surround their big man pairing with the shooting threats that they will likely need. Jrue Holiday returned to New Orleans on a mega contract, and although it was criticised at the time, the Pelicans didn’t have much of a choice. The new rules on the hard cap allowed the Pelicans to go over it to sign Holiday as they had his bird rights. And if they had attempted to go on the open market, they wouldn’t have stood much chance of getting someone as good as he is on their limited budget.
Alongside him, the majority of the Pelicans additions have been underwhelming, or simply offer an odd fit. Rajon Rondo has been much chastised in recent years, and although I am higher on him than most, his fit with this team is an odd one. He is ball dominant, and the Pelicans will be doing the majority of their usage in the high post or in horns sets, meaning at least one of the guards has to be standing in the corner or making cuts away from the basket. Rondo is a ball-dominant guard, who spends time breaking down and attacking passing lanes, and his approach will just keep the ball away from Davis, Holiday and Cousins. The only good reason for signing him is that it will make Cousins feel valued and listened to. Offensively the Pelicans situation stinks of irony, as they brought Alvin Gentry in to run his Golden State Warriors system, but he will now have to design a scheme that moves at a much slower pace and seeks to create driving and cutting angles. To help him, the Pelicans front office brought Chris Finch over from the Denver Nuggets. He’s the man responsible for designing the Nuggets offense that was arguably the best in the NBA outside of Golden State’s last year. He fashioned a system similar to that of Rick Adelman’s ‘corner’ offense in Sacramento, but the system he will install in New Orleans will likely look a lot different.
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Alexis Ajinca
Anthony Davis
Charles Cooke
Cheick Diallo
Cliff Alexander
Dante Cunningham
Darius Miller
DeMarcus Cousins
E’Twaun Moore
Ian Clark
Jalen Jones
Jordan Crawford
Jrue Holiday
Martell Webster
Omer Asik
Perry Jones III
Rajon Rondo
Tony Allen
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The Pelicans lack outside shooting, and they also lack speed, which means Gentry and Finch are going to have to get very creative in the half court with how they create, utilise and attack space. The likes of Tony Allen and Rajon Rondo can be used as cutters, but you do have to question how effective the Pels can be as a team while relying primarily on cuts to the basket, as opposed to cuts away from the basket. Essentially, the Pelicans are going to have a highly difficult task in creating their new offense, but they do have the right men in place to give it the best possible attempt.
I have not yet finalised my predictions, but I have the Pelicans narrowly missing the playoffs. My main reason for this, is that they simply do not have enough depth on the wing, and will likely be exposed. For the record, I do not buy into the ‘weakness’ in three-guard lineups, as many believe that a bigger forward can destroy a guard in the post, but any team that is relying on post play will not succeed in 2017. I just do not think the Pelicans guards outside of Jrue Holiday are good enough to make the three-guard lineups they will have to employ worthwhile.
On the other side of the ball, New Orleans could genuinely be a top five defensive team, believe it or not. They were weirdly good on that end last year despite Alvin Gentry having a reputation as an offensive mind. And, with Cousins and Davis on the court together, the Pelicans posted a defensive rating of 99, which was higher than that any NBA team posted. While this stat doesn’t hold much value due to bench play usually bringing a team’s defensive rating down, it does show that the Cousins-Davis pairing will have no problem defending the rim or pushing out to guard stretch fours. With other defenders such as Tony Allen, Rajon Rondo and Dante Cunningham on the roster, the Pelicans should having plenty to throw at opposing offenses. And if all three buy in, work their socks off and stay healthy, this will most likely be a lockdown defensive team.
Regardless of what happens longterm, the Pelicans attendance figures should begin to rise, and they should be a fun League Pass team.
Many believe that this current Pelicans core is only going to be around for the short-term one, but I am fully convinced that DeMarcus Cousins will stay in New Orleans for the long-term. He seems to get on with Anthony Davis, and the signing of Rondo proves that he is being listened to – something that rarely happened when he was in Sacramento. This pairing of Cousins and Davis absolutely can work, but they need to sort out their medical staff, and find some gems in the late rounds of the draft or via the G-League in order to pad out their roster.
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LAYNE MURDOCH GETTY IMAGES
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They secured Westbrook, landed Paul George and persuaded Carmelo Anthony to leave the Big Apple, but will it work? by Timi Awotesu
“What a perfect ending, to a historic day!” The announcer rang out as Russell Westbrook hit a deep, walk-off 3-pointer against the Nuggets, in Denver. The historic part? Well that so happened to be Russell’s 42nd triple-double of the season, breaking Oscar Robertson’s record which had stood since 1962. On the back of this seemingly impossible achievement, averaging a triple-double for the season, Westbrook won his first MVP award and led his team to a 47-35 record. A team that, without Russ on the court, looked like nothing more than a lottery team. It may have been a historic season for Westbrook, but overall, it was a disappointing season for the Thunder, who were sent home in the first round of the Playoffs by Houston, in five games. Whilst last season might have ended in disappointment, a fantastic offseason has fans excited once more, as the Thunder now look to have returned to their status as one of the top teams in the West. With the new season on the horizon, there are a few major factors indicating that this year, OKC can be a powerhouse once more. In one of the major trades of the offseason, the Thunder acquired Paul George from the Pacers, in exchange for only Victor Oladipo and Damantas Sabonis. The departure of Kevin
Durant to the Warriors in the summer of 2016 left OKC void of a star partner for Westbrook. The pickup of George addresses this and may turn out to be the best move for the Thunder for multiple reasons. With a heavily ball dominant player on the court like Westbrook, having a premier off-ball player like Paul George can complement Russ’ high usage rate. George is a star that unlike, most of his calibre, doesn’t require the ball as much and excels in catch and shoot situations, shooting 42% of catch and shoot 3s last season. He’s also a premier wing defender and along with Andre Robertson, who just signed a 3-year extension, the Thunder should boast one of the best wing defending units in the league. However, George is a free agent next season and this great trade may end up as a one-year rental. Nevertheless, even if he does leave next summer, the Thunder will have money available for free agency next year. Getting Oladipo’s contract off the books was a great move, regardless of whether George re-signs with the Thunder or not. I’m not saying that he’s a bad player, but it just wasn’t working out with him in the OKC backcourt. You could have placed the Thunder as a top team in the West with George alone. However, in a move that shocked everyone, Carmelo Anthony arrived in exchange for Doug
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Alex Abrines
Andre Roberson
Bryce Alford
Carmelo Anthony
Dakari Johnson
Daniel Hamilton
Isaiah Canaan
Jerami Grant
Josh Huestis
Kyle Singler
Markel Brown
Nick Collison
Patrick Patterson
Paul George
Rashawn Thomas
Raymond Felton
Russell Westbrook
Semaj Christon
Steven Adams
Terrance Ferguson
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McDermott, Enes Kanter and a second-round draft pick. While most thought it was a forgone conclusion that Melo would be heading to Houston, Sam Presti’s work to land another All-Star may have some pencilling OKC in as the second-best team in the Conference. What a showdown we potentially have on our hands. A year after Westbrook is left in the dust by Kevin Durant, he now has a team capable of at least competing with the Warriors. It won’t be the one on four he encountered last year. With all the talent on the court, it would be a dream matchup for a Western Conference Finals series. For Melo, there are now no excuses. He’s no longer at a poorly run organization with little to no backup talent to go far into the Playoffs. It’s still a large stain on his career that he’s only been to one Conference Finals and is yet to make a Finals appearance. This is his chance to fix that. Although going into his 16th season, he’s still one of the best offensive talents in the league, and what he lacks on the defensive side of the ball is easily compensated by Robertson, George and Adams. In clutch situations, there are few better with the ball in his hands, and hopefully moving back West will see him back to his best. Like I said, it’s been a fantastic offseason, and with OKC also adding Patrick Patterson and Raymond Felton to this squad, the Chesapeake Arena should be a haven for great basketball this season. During Westbrook’s historic season, one major question on people’s minds was if he was as concerned about winning as he was “stat stuffing” in order to get triple-doubles, in an attempt to win the MVP award. Such things as OKC’s bigs consistently boxing out players, so Russ could grab uncontested rebounds, raised a few eyebrows. Well there’s nothing to worry about this season. A triple-double stat line and MVP award are now part of the trophy case, and it’s clear that the only major achievement Westbrook is yet to attain is the NBA Championship. With this improved lineup, look for Westbrook to trust his
teammates more than last season and be laser focused in leading them deep into the Playoffs. Looking towards next season, now Russ has signed a long-term extension, to the tune of 5 years and $205 million, attracting major players to the Chesapeake Arena in the future shouldn’t be an impossible task. With George and Carmelo also on expiring deals, a clear risk was taken to go all in this year. But if that’s what it took to get Westbrook to re-sign, can you really argue against it?
It’s been a superb offseason for the Thunder, and with a year under his belt as the team’s unquestionable leader, and with new star talents at his disposal, Russ can lead this team deep into the Playoffs. They’re clearly a top 4 team in the West once again, and whilst I doubt we’ll be seeing them play in June, they may be the West’s best hope of cutting the Warriors Finals streak at 3. Regardless of what happens, they’re in for a great season.
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Will the Suns finally make their way out of the blistering desert or will they surrender to the scorching heat once again? by Ross MacLeod
Last season saw the Suns miss the playoffs for the seventh straight season, their longest playoff drought in franchise history. A lack of overall talent on the roster and a “management decision” to sit out key players after the All Star break saw Phoenix make a run at the top of the draft lottery. However, in true Suns style, they fell short of that as well when the lottery balls dropped them to fourth spot. This summer saw Phoenix miss out on top free agents such as Blake Griffin and Paul Millsap, whilst looking on the outside of big star trades being made with Jimmy Butler moving to Minnesota and Kyrie Irving dealt to Boston. Always the bridesmaid never the bride is a fitting way to sum up the Suns recent offseasons. But one key thing to emerge over the last season has been the new found patience of often criticised owner Robert Sarver, who has finally bought into the vision of youth development over numerous short term moves that have found the Suns in a circle of mediocrity since Steve Nash left in 2012. He rewarded GM Ryan McDonough with a contract extension to continue the development known by Suns fans as “The Timeline”, and Head Coach Earl Watson remains in charge of getting the youngsters to gel and grow as a unit. On the court, the Suns strength continues to be in its backcourt tandem of Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker. The pair shoulder the bulk of the scoring for the team, backed up by Tyler Ulis,
recently acquired Troy Daniels and rookie Mike James. Brandon Knight looks likely to miss the entire season with an ACL injury, but his play and body language last season suggested he would rather be somewhere else anyway. Eric Bledsoe is coming off his best statistical season, until he was shut down, and looks to carry this forward. He is a great two way guard, putting up numbers comparable to many of his contemporaries around the league at the point guard spot. Booker is now in his third season, and at still only twenty years old will likely take another leap in his development this season. We all know he can score but the key is now to do it more efficiently and improve upon his poor defence. Tyler Ulis showed he was one of the steals of the 2016 NBA Draft, despite his small stature. Isiah Thomas ‘lite’ is an obvious but fair comparison, as he likes to shoot and showed some skills as a playmaker during his starting spell when Bledsoe was rested in the latter part of last season. James appears to be a solid all round guard from his games in Summer League, and will see some playing time due to Brandon Knight's injury. The front court for Phoenix looks altogether more versatile than previous seasons. Last year's rookies Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender had contrasting fortunes. Chriss was explosive around the rim, his dunks on many highlight clips. His aggressive play did earn him
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Alec Peters
Alex Len
Anthony Bennett
Brandon Knight
Davon Reed
Derrick Jones, Jr.
Devin Booker
Dragan Bender
Elijah Millsap
Eric Bledsoe
Jared Dudley
Josh Jackson
Marquese Chriss
Mike James
Peter Jok
T.J. Warren
Troy Daniels
Tyler Ulis
Tyson Chandler
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his fair share of technicals, and altercations with Kristaps Porzingis and Draymond Green cemented a reputation as a youngster who needs to channel his energies in the right way. Summer League saw him return with a more bulked up physique but hopefully it will not restrict his athleticism. Bender spent large parts of last season on the injury table, and when he did play, looked tentative and nervous. This was mainly down to being only eighteen and learning the NBA game whilst adjusting to living in a foreign country. He has great length which can be used on the defensive end, and even at over seven feet tall he is also quick enough to run the floor and finish. His versatility can be used to cause mismatches at all three front court positions. T.J. Warren started off last season on fire. Already a high percentage scorer, he led the Suns in scoring before a strange head injury caused him to miss a month of games. When he returned he took some time to get back to that form, then averaged 17ppg and 7rpg during the second half of the season. T.J. has just been rewarded with a 4-year, $50 million contract
The biggest addition to the Suns this season is rookie Josh Jackson. Drafted at number four in the lottery, he is the missing piece that the team has lacked.
extension. P.J. Tucker gave great service to the Suns before he was traded to the Raptors, and the roster lacked a defensive presence. Scouted as being tenacious on both ends of the floor and able to provide a spark to get the team moving, he gives the team an enforcer for Booker to operate on the wing and also get inside more. Comparisons to Leonard and Green are lofty at this stage, but he is the type of player that displays the aggression and attitude that Earl Watson loves. Jared Dudley fills out the main minutes at the forward positions, whilst providing a veteran presence in the locker room. Derrick Jones Jr and Anthony Bennett will fight for any leftover game time. The center position is up for grabs this season. Tyson Chandler showed he can still produce a double double with regularity until he was rested by management. Alan Williams certified himself as the leagues best bench cheerleaders, but also provided terrific production in limited minutes. He will likely miss the first half of the season recovering from a meniscus injury. Big Sauce was rewarded with a contract extension this summer and the local Phoenix native has become a fan favourite. Alex Len has looked increasingly like that his time as a Sun is drawing to a close. The former number five draft pick accepted the qualifying offer at $4 million after attracting no interest from other teams. He has not yet fulfilled the promise of being a starting calibre centre in this league, although the injury to Williams may present him with a larger opportunity before entering free agency next summer. Earl Watson remains as Head Coach this season, although he's not a popular choice to lead the franchise beyond that. He has done well in promoting togetherness and instilling belief in the young players. Where he falls down is his lack of head coaching experience to take them forward once they are ready to take the next leap. This will likely be his last season as Suns Head Coach.
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SAM FORENCICH GETTY IMAGES
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With Nurkic available for a full season, Portland looks to prove all the doubters wrong once again. by Mike Miller
The 2016-2017 Trail Blazers, underachieved on pre-season expectations. But was that really their fault? This is a roster that lost four starters in the summer of 2015 and dropped only seven games the following season. The perceived underachievement last year resulted in three less wins in an even stronger Western Conference and another trip to the playoffs. And that was despite being one of the worst rebounding teams for the majority of the season and finishing 20th in Defensive Rating. A significant proportion of the inflated expectations was the result of GM Neil Olshey’s lavish summer. The additions of Evan Turner and Festus Ezeli, alongside the re-signing of Allen Crabbe, Meyers Leonard, C.J. McCollum and Maurice Harkless resulted in the Blazers payroll ballooning to the second most expensive across the league. It didn’t take long for buyers remorse to take effect. Turner struggled all season to adapt to being an off-the-ball player, Leonard and Crabbe both failed to play at a level worthy of their new contracts. And poor old Festus Ezeli (he’s not old, he’s 27) didn’t even make it onto the hardwood, instead resigning himself to season ending cadaver knee surgery in an attempt to rescue his career. With the season dancing close to ending in April, Portland executed a trade with the Denver Nuggets. Mason Plumlee, one of the league’s best passing bigs, for Jusuf Nurkic, a big man
festering behind league darling Nikola Jokic, and a first round pick. The trade initially looked pretty tit-for-tat. But being considered surplus to requirements sparked something in in Nurkic, as the Bosnian Beast quickly made his presence felt across the Pacific Northwest. Bolstering the Blazers inside with a physical and intimidatory force, Nurk enamored himself with fans averaging a double-double (15 and 10) across 20 games and forcing Portland into a playoff spot. A broken leg curtailed any prolonged success, effectively ending his season - though he was able to hobble through 17 minutes of game three in the Blazers opening round sweep at the hands of the Warriors. The offseason has been relatively quiet in Oregon. Ezeli was waived, rookies Zach Collins and Caleb Swanigan were signed and (in a trade which saw the Nets finally get their man) Allen Crabbe was sent to Brooklyn in exchange for Andrew Nicholson - a salary dump that promptly saw Nicholson waived by the team. Once again the level of success or failure seen in the Moda Center this year will largely depend on the production of the formidable pairing of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. The undersized duo have forged one of the most fearsome offensive backcourt tandems across the league. For real. Check them out. Both play at an All-Star level, with C.J’s ascension to elite scorer only being overshadowed by Dame’s continuous, ridiculous output.
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Al-Farouq Aminu
Anthony Morrow
Archie Goodwin
Caleb Swanigan
C.J. McCollum
C.J. Wilcox
Damian Lillard
Ed Davis
Evan Turner
Isaiah Briscoe
Jake Layman
Jusuf Nurkic
Maurice Harkless
Meyers Leonard
Noah Vonleh
Pat Connaughton
Shabazz Napier
Zach Collins
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There is, however, a desperate need for both players to be somewhere near average on the defensive end. Making up for some of this defensive deficit was Al-Farouq Aminu, who when healthy, is an efficient and capable deterrent, versatile enough to cover threes and fours. And at 27 he’s now in his athletic prime. The only problem is that, last year, Aminu was far from healthy. The injuries took a toll on his offensive production which regressed significantly, especially from behind the arc. Aminu is not a guaranteed start at either forward slot now though. His absences last season gave Maurice Harkless the chance to spread his wings, becoming the team’s de facto starting small forward. He continues to show solid development on both ends of the floor, but is he really the answer to Portland’s needs for a “3 and D” guy? Aminu will be busting his tail to get his spot back and also over Harkless’ shoulder, vying for minutes, will be Evan Turner.
Turner had to be last season’s biggest disappointment. He never really appeared to be confident in Terry Stotts’ system. The presence of Lillard and McCollum meant that opportunities for Turner, to perform in his preferred facilitator role, were few and far between. In order to succeed at this franchise, E.T. needs to understand that he is not the conduit through which the ball moves. He’ll want to put last season’s nightmare behind him quickly, to silence the criticism of the decision to commit $70 million dollars to him through until summer 2020. Capable and versatile, the only things limiting Turner's capacity to be a significant contributor are his inability to be effective off the ball and knock down the three – both are serious drawbacks in this league and this system.
So with Lillard, McCollum and Nurkic firmly in the starting five, and Harkless pencilled in that leaves one spot open. Rounding out the expected/preferred line-up is Noah Vonleh. The 21-year-old has given us glimpses of the potential to be an athletic banger in the block. But is his game really suited to the modern, adaptable, small-ball switching style that the vast majority of franchises believe is required to win? But he must be disappointed to be starting the season dressed in street clothes, whilst his shoulder heals. As the ninth pick in the 2014 draft, it’s fair to say he’s not yet lived up to his potential. With Vonleh out, Meyers Leonard should be picking up some extra minutes and finally looks physically ready to do so. The big man has been a work in progress now for five full NBA seasons and was another candidate for biggest overpay last season. At 7-1 with the ability to knock down 3s (at 34.7%), it’s easy to see why the Portland staff are seemingly infatuated with the big man. He could still blossom into a “Unicorn”. Meyers appears to have finally realised that something needed to change. He wasn’t happy with last season’s performance (an honest assessment) and has returned looking trim, athletic and ready to go following a summer with elite trainer Drew Hanlen. If he can finally get near expectations, he could cause a lot of trouble on the court. The Blazers have an exciting and incredibly young core, overseen by a great coach, but there are too many hypotheticals for this team to be consistently good. It doesn’t help that the Pacific division is by far the most competitive in the league, with all five teams within it looking like legitimate candidates to make the playoffs. Last season there was hopes of a four seed… this season, a sixth seed would be a decent achievement. More realistically though, it looks as if this team will be locked in another battle for the eight seed.
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MARK SOBHANI GETTY IMAGES
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Sacramento blends a new generation with the old in a bid to return to relevance this year. by Jaime Oppenheim
Sometimes all you need to let a little light into your life is to trade the 6’11”, 270-pound hulking monolith that’s blocking the sun to New Orleans. That’s exactly what the Sacramento Kings did and the effect has been enormous. DeMarcus Cousins is undoubtedly a supremely talented and supremely productive basketball player, but in six and a half seasons all that talent never translated to wins or even good vibes in Sacramento. In fact, the Kings failed to win more than 33 games in a single campaign while Cousins was on their roster. Thanks to proactive planning from Vlade Divac and Scott Perry (who’s now with the New York Knicks), the Kings were well setup for the post-Cousins era. While a lot of onlookers were uncertain about the return the Kings got back when they traded Cousins, what’s left in his wake is a deep roster filled with young players on rookie contracts and a smattering of talented veterans on short-term deals to provide guidance. It’s the perfect way to handle a rebuild, even if Sacramento’s previous short-sightedness led to imperfect execution. Divac’s first order of business this summer was to use the fifth pick in the draft to find the Kings next alpha dog, and boy did he find a good one. Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox appears to have the size, athleticism and competitive drive to be a superstar in the NBA. During the NCAA Tournament he dominated the much-hyped
Lonzo Ball to such an extent that people have begun speculating that the Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard is now afraid to play against him. Anyone who’s watched him play knows he’s that good and has the potential to be even better. And all that’s really missing from his game at this early stage in his career is a consistent jumper. And with their new point guard in place next to a bevy of talented prospects, Divac and the Kings spent free agency looking for veteran leaders who could shore up the roster. With cap space drying up around the league, former Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers point guard George Hill practically fell into their collective lap on a reasonable three-year deal. Some raised questions about the logic behind adding a guy who’s probably going to want to start games to a roster featuring a talented young point guard, but however Sacramento utilises him, on paper Hill looks like a great addition. And he’s not alone in that, as having left the “Grit and Grind” of blue collar Memphis, Zach Randolph and Vince Carter will further bolster the veteran quota, bringing talent, dogged determination and years of veteran insight to the Kings proverbial table. While head coach Dave Joerger may lean on experience for stretches, this season is all about the kids, and there are a lot of them on this roster. That doesn’t always lead to good things in the short term, but this group should bring a variety of skills to the mix.
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Bogdan Bogdanovic
Buddy Hield
De’Aaron Fox
Frank Mason III
Garrett Temple
George Hill
Georgios Papagiannis
Harry Giles
Jack Cooley
JaKarr Sampson
Justin Jackson
Kosta Koufos
Malachi Richardson
Matt Jones
Skal Labissiere
Vince Carter
Willie Cauley-Stein
Zach Randolph
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Scoring wings? Sharpshooter Buddy Hield, the undoubted centerpiece of the Kings return in the Cousins trade, averaged over 15 points per game in 25 appearances with the team last year. While rookie Bogdan Bogdanovic was perhaps the best pure-scorer in all of Europe.
Joerger will have to find a way to balance the minutes between the veterans and younger players, which won’t be easy. And then he’ll have to find a way to meld their disparate playing styles.
Versatile bigs? Skal Labissiere has legitimate potential as both a three-point threat and a valuable rim protector. He even showed a few flashes during the second half of his rookie season, averaging close to 11 points and six rebounds after the All-Star break. Willie CauleyStein, meanwhile, has perhaps the best lateral agility of any big man in the league, allowing him to switch defensively onto any permieter player. We haven’t seen the best of him yet, but with Cousins out of the picture he can probably expect a few more minutes per night when the new season gets underway.
But if the veterans are able to take the youngsters under their wings (imagine the impact a player like Carter could have on a sophomore like Hield, or that the level-headed Hill could have on rookie Fox) then this experiment could actually yield some early results.
What about size? Perimeter defense? Georgios Papagiannis is a brute inside, and rookie Justin Jackson has credible “3-and-D” upside on the wing. And we haven’t even mentioned Sacramento’s third first round pick, Duke’s Harry Giles. He’s a 6’11” springy big man who was once considered a potential top overall pick before two knee injuries set him back. The Kings will hold him out of action until January in the hope of giving him enough time to recuperate. But, if he’s able to recapture some semblance of the magic that we saw during his time as Blue Devil, he could actually turn out to be one of the steals of the draft. No matter what your flavor, there will always be something notable and interesting to watch when the Kings play – something we haven’t been able to say for a long, long time now. And yet the downside to all this upside, of course, is that it’s nothing more than unrealized potential for now. Joerger is a strong-willed coach who, thanks to his time in Memphis, should be able to instil toughness in his young charges. But it takes two or three years to catch up to the NBA game, and the Kings could be in for a tough time while this group experiences the inevitable growing pains every rebuilding franchise experiences.
That said, it seems highly likely that the Kings will be bad again, perhaps even every bit as bad as they’ve been for the previous 11 seasons – wasted years during which they missed out on the playoffs time and again. But, for now, things at least feel different for the first time in a long time. And instead of wondering when things will turn sour around their moody superstar, the Kings can look forward to a time when things will go right for their talented young core.
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MARK SOBHANI GETTY IMAGES
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In San Antonio winning never gets old, so what can we expect this season from one of the world’s best-run sports franchises by Sean Guest
It’s easy to forget just how close the San Antonio Spurs came to beating the Golden State Warriors in game one of the Western Conference Finals, especially given all that’s happened since. But, had Kawhi Leonard not gone down with an ankle injury part way through the third quarter of that one, the Spurs could have made life very difficult for the reigning Western Conference champs. They did, after all, hold their opponents to just 42 first half points, forcing the Warriors to rely on an 18-0 run to get past the Spurs in the aftermath of Leonard’s injury. Still, all that’s but a distant memory now. Without their star player the Spurs fought admirably but had little to no chance of avoiding the sweep, as the Warriors went on to win the NBA title, leaving Gregg Popovich’s outfit to lick their wounds. And yet regrouping hasn’t proved easy for the Spurs, who had a surprisingly quiet offseason, largely standing pat while the Western Conference improved quite dramatically around them. They did clear a fair amount of cap space ahead of the offseason, and were able to sign potent scorer Rudy Gay to a two-year, $17 million deal. But they missed out on the summer’s top prizes (Chris Paul, Gordon Hayward, Paul George etc.), which speaks volumes about where the Spurs are right now.
That said, they will be bringing back the majority of the team that won 61 regular season games last year, and will be buoyed by the fact that they were in such a good spot against the Warriors before Leonard went down. And yet, the fate of this group is particularly hard to determine, as a number of its key protagonists (Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge) are yet another year older, while others (Dejounte Murray, Davis Bertrans, Bryn Forbes, Derrick White etc.) are still very much at the opposite ends of their careers. Plus, the Spurs opted not to re-sign one of last season’s key protagonists, Jonathan Simmons, who had a huge impact on the team’s second unit in 2016/17, especially in the postseason. And yet, if there’s one thing we’ve learned about the Spurs over the past 20 years, it’s that we should never count them out. Even when they’ve undertaken developmental phases in the past, coach Pop has found a way of getting the best out of his players. Provided Leonard isn’t kept out too long by the quad injury that's seen him miss preseason, they will, once again, be sporting the league’s best two-way player pretty soon. And word on the street is that he’s spent a large portion of the summer working on his three-point shot, while also thinking about how he can be a more effective leader on the floor.
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Amida Brimah
Brandon Paul
Bryn Forbes
Danny Green
Darrun Hilliard
Davis Bertans
Dejounte Murray
Derrick White
Joffrey Lauvergne
Kawhi Leonard
Kyle Anderson
LaMarcus Aldridge
London Perrantes
Manu Ginobili
Matt Costello
Patty Mills
Pau Gasol
Rudy Gay
Tony Parker
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The latter seems especially important, as, with Tim Duncan long gone, and Parker and Ginobili playing fewer minutes each year, there’s no question that this is now Leonard’s team. But proving himself franchise-cornerstone-material has been difficult, given his reputation for being something of a wallflower, personality-wise. Still, if he wants to learn how to lead more effectively, he just needs to drop Duncan a call, as The Big Fundamental always chose to let his game do the talking, while others around the league relied on more ostentatious means. Based on what we’ve seen so far, it seems unlikely that Leonard’s going to transform into Kevin Garnett any time soon. But maybe he doesn’t need to either. Last year he averaged a career-best 25.5 points per game during the regular season, while delivering the kind of lockdown defense that can make LeBron James and Kevin Durant look average at times. He then raised that number to 27.7 points during the postseason, and himself a spot on the All-NBA Defensive Team, proving that his already high ceiling could be even higher than anticipated on that end of the floor. And with Gay picking up some of the offensive workload this year, Leonard may be able to focus a little more on getting the best out of his teammates. Speaking of which, this feels like a particularly important year for the frontcourt pairing of Aldridge and Gasol, as both players had fairly average campaigns in 16/17. Aldridge was, after all, constantly linked to trade rumors while he averaged just 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds – his worst numbers since his rookie year. And as for Gasol, he put up just 12.4 points and 7.8 rebounds, which hardly seemed to warrant the three-year, $48 million extension he signed back in July. Still, the good news for Spurs fans is that their ever reliable supporting cast – guys like Danny Green, Patty Mills and the ageless Parker and Ginobili will be on hand to help pull off the occasional miracle. What will be more intriguing though is how much playing time Pop is willing
to give the youngsters on this roster. The Spurs have nine players in total who have played three or fewer seasons going into the new campaign, including four rookies. This isn’t something we’re used to with San Antonio, but given the age of most of their counterparts it’s highly likely that these young guns will see some serious playing time. Keep an eye on Kyle Anderson and Joffrey Lauvergne in particular, as both are promising talents who seem to be at a crucial point in their respective careers. While it seems likely that Murray will start the season at point guard, as Parker’s likely to sit until around November at least.
While this may make for a less familiar looking Spurs starting five, there’s plenty of talent on this roster, even if most of it is another step slower. And provided Leonard stays healthy, he and Pop should have just enough to take this team to the postseason once again. Don’t expect them to compete for a title this year in a stacked Western Conference, but count the Spurs out at your peril.
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MELISSA MAJCHRZAK GETTY IMAGES
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The Jazz may have lost Gordon Hayward, but this team still has talent. Will it be enough in the tough Western Conference? by Joe Hulbert
The Utah Jazz were a personal favourite of many last year, as their amazingly constructed roster finally pushed into the playoffs as they finished as the fifth seed in a competitive Western Conference. The Jazz were well drilled on both sides of the ball, and had it not been for a historic campaign from the Houston Rockets, Quin Snyder would likely have been coach of the year. His offense was built around the skill of Gordon Hayward, and the surrounding pieces all offered perimeter shooting and effective screening, which led to an extremely attractive brand of team basketball being produced. Sadly for the Jazz, Gordon Hayward opted to join up with Brad Stevens in Boston, and the player they did everything to surround with good pieces, is now gone. Hayward is undoubtedly a top 20 player, and you could honestly convince most that he is a top 15 player, so his departure is quite obviously huge. Utah did everything right by surrounding him with a mix of veterans and players with high ceilings, but he obviously felt (probably rightly) that he has a better chance of winning in the Eastern Conference alongside Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford. Before Hayward left, the Utah Jazz added Ricky Rubio who is a player that I am very familiar with. Rubio is chastised for not having a good jump shot, but he is a great passer and probably the best defensive one-guard in the NBA. Rubio will not do what Gordon Hayward did, but he should
be able to take advantage of Utah's spread offense, and the likes of Rudy Gobert will be grateful for his pinpoint passing in the half-court. Utah were never going to be able to replace Hayward, but they did fill out their roster with some nice players. They did make a small run at Otto Porter, but the new rules meant that Washington could offer him a max without going over the tax threshold, meaning a move to Utah was very unlikely. They signed Jonas Jerebko from the Boston Celtics who gives some much needed stretch shooting for their bench unit, and they also added Thabo Sefolosha and Ekpe Udoh, who revitalised his career in the EuroLeague. The most exciting part of this Utah team is going to be Donovan Mitchell who they selected in the last draft, as he looks to be the real deal. Myself and fellow draft correspondent Jordan Self both had him as a top ten prospect, and he hasn't let us down, looking good in pre-season and throughout training camp. Mitchell might not be a great outside shooter, but he should be able to fill some of the ‘alpha’ void that Hayward left behind. Defensively, the Jazz should be fine, purely because Rubio is an amazing defender, and they have guys such as Sefolosha and Joe Ingles who can switch onto guards and power forwards. In addition, they have the best defensive player in
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Alec Burks
Dante Exum
Derrick Favors
Donovan Mitchell
Ekpe Udoh
Eric Griffin
Joe Ingles
Joe Johnson
Joel Bolomboy
Jonas Jerebko
Nate Wolters
Nazareth Mitrou-Long
Raul Neto
Ricky Rubio
Rodney Hood
Royce O’Neale
Rudy Gobert
Thabo Sefolosha
Tony Bradley
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the NBA in Rudy Gobert, and he simply scares opposing guards into taking bad jump shots, because they don’t want to get clattered at the rim. In my efficiency projections, the Jazz will finish number 2 in defensive efficiency, behind only the Golden State Warriors. The other side of the ball looks bleak for the Jazz, as they lost the player who was the center piece of their offense. The Jazz did not use Hayward as an isolation or high usage player, but his ability to score well on nearly every play type was what made the Jazz offense click for the most part. No one on the roster will come close to the offensive output that Hayward put out for the Jazz, and they could be relatively miserable to watch as a result of this. Quin Snyder can of course re-design his offense, but I question whether they have a player who is worth building a system around. Their staple play will likely be the Ricky RubioRudy Gobert pick and roll, and as someone who has watched Minnesota intensely throughout the Rubio era, this concerns me greatly. Rubio is not a great pick and roll guy because he cannot finish at the rim, and defenders should always know that his only effective option is to pull up from mid-range. Not only are mid-range jumpers bad, but with Rubio, they are predictable. Something being predictable and bad at the same time is not a good combination, and it is for this reason that I believe their core offensive principles will struggle, especially at the beginning of the season.
The Jazz are a definite outsider this year, purely because they lost a top 20 player and didn’t replace him, but they should not be ruled out. They might be the best coached team in the West outside of Golden State, and they will be hard to beat on any given night which gives them half of a chance of making the postseason. I predict that they will miss out, but it would not be too surprising if they sneaked into one of the bottom two playoff spots, purely because they have a great structure in place, and players who could feasibly break out in the 2018 season.
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In late 2012 we began our affiliates scheme, where we would work together with some of the UK’s best basketball sites to increase the popularity and passion behind the game in the UK. The first of these affiliates was The Undersized Basketball Podcast (TUB) who we first discovered in 2012, shortly after our founding. Since that year, our scheme has expanded to include Hardwood Ventures, a retail store based in Newcastle who joined in 2013, as well as The Drop and HoopAsylum, who we joined forces with in 2016. Together we are #NBAintheUK and a true expression of our dream. Our affiliates scheme has allowed us to share our content with even more NBA fans and attract new members to our fanbase. The scheme is built upon solid foundations, underlined by real-world relationships. In 2017 at NBA London, all 5 members of the affiliates scheme united to cover the Indiana Pacers vs Denver Nuggets. It was a memorable occasion and one which we will never forget. We do not know what our future may hold, but together we are stronger and more passionate than ever.
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