Thirty Teams, One Dream
David Andrews
David Andrews
The NBA season is only a couple away and it is already gaining some traction with viewers around the world. Even though the last few seasons have been pretty disappointing because of the Cavaliers and the Warriors repeatedly steamrolling their way through the finals, with LeBron now in the west and with young and hungry teams like the Celtics and the Sixers ready to make their mark this season is destined to be a great one.
We have seen stars like Demarcus Cousins create some well needed buzz around the league by joining the star studded Golden State Warriors in hopes of winning a championship. We saw blockbuster trades changing the entire landscape of the league such as the Spurs parting ways with superstar small forward Kawhi Leonard in exchange for the The Raptors’ Demar Derozan, the franchise’s best player of all-time, shocking the entire league. We even get a chance to witness the resurgence of the Celtics and Lakers rivalry, with the league’s very own best player, LeBron James, joining forces with Magic Johnson and the young Lakers in hopes that one day they can face the top heavy Celtics, led by Kyrie Irving, LeBron’s very own former teammate, in what should be the match up of a lifetime.
On the other hand people are still convinced that the season is just a waste because of how stacked teams like the Warriors are and how inferior the other competition is. Students like Chris Richardson even said that they might as well just hand them the trophy now and get it over with, but after this pre-season we got to see how much potential some of the other teams actually have. Teams like the Celtics who were built entirely in hopes of defeating the Warriors, but also teams like the 76ers who have two of the league's most talented players, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Two guys who are not just ready to establish themselves as some of the best players in the league, but as two of the best players of all time, and with LeBron gone they feel like the Eastern Conference is wide open and theirs for the taking.
We also have teams like the Rockets and the Raptors who think they have as much of a chance to win the championship as anyone. Some can even make the argument that, if Chris Paul did not get hurt in Game Six of the Western Conference Finals, the championship would’ve been theirs, and this off-season they only got better. Although, in some people’s eyes, like Hillgrove’s Wade Richardson, by losing Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute, they lose a lot of their versatility on the defense end and adding Carmelo Anthony does not really help that cause, but some would argue otherwise. Yes it is true, Carmelo may be know for not being that great of a defender, but, in Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals, defense was not the problem. The Rockets shot 16% from the three point line in that game and most of those misses took place in the fourth quarter, when it mattered most. So, in times when they could not even buy a bucket, Carmelo could get them one with ease. Now as for the Raptors, after adding one of the top three players in the league today, Kawhi Leonard, and after coming off the franchise’s best season yet, they feel like they can win it all as well. Not only are these teams equipped with tons of talent, but they feel like they have something to prove, especially after adding players like Carmelo and Kawhi, who parted ways with their teams in such dramatic fashion, you can guarantee that they will give a hundred percent effort in every game in order to prove they belong.
During the pre-season, we also saw a lot of the young guys from this year’s stacked rookie class take flight and even players from last year take that next step to superstardom. On the other hand, even though many of the NBA’s young guys have already taken that step and already have the team to back them up, like Donovan Mitchell for example, a lot of today’s young guys have yet to see their teams take that extra step. Teams like the Knicks, led by Kristaps Porzingis, or the Suns, led by, three-point marksman, Devin Booker, or even the Nuggets, led my Nikola Jokic, came so close and still fell short. After coming off a huge injury, Porzingis said, “we’re trying to win every game” and that anything less than the playoffs is a disappointment for this season. These young guys are ready to give each team that gets in their way a run for their money.
Not only are teams at the top and at the bottom eager to prove that they got better, but so are a lot of the middle of the pack teams. Teams like the Wizards, the Trail Blazers, and the Pacers, who all got bounced out the playoffs in the first round, are ready to show they should not be underestimated. With so many teams ready to give their all this season and prove they belong, this season should be something spectacular.
We have seen stars like Demarcus Cousins create some well needed buzz around the league by joining the star studded Golden State Warriors in hopes of winning a championship. We saw blockbuster trades changing the entire landscape of the league such as the Spurs parting ways with superstar small forward Kawhi Leonard in exchange for the The Raptors’ Demar Derozan, the franchise’s best player of all-time, shocking the entire league. We even get a chance to witness the resurgence of the Celtics and Lakers rivalry, with the league’s very own best player, LeBron James, joining forces with Magic Johnson and the young Lakers in hopes that one day they can face the top heavy Celtics, led by Kyrie Irving, LeBron’s very own former teammate, in what should be the match up of a lifetime.
On the other hand people are still convinced that the season is just a waste because of how stacked teams like the Warriors are and how inferior the other competition is. Students like Chris Richardson even said that they might as well just hand them the trophy now and get it over with, but after this pre-season we got to see how much potential some of the other teams actually have. Teams like the Celtics who were built entirely in hopes of defeating the Warriors, but also teams like the 76ers who have two of the league's most talented players, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Two guys who are not just ready to establish themselves as some of the best players in the league, but as two of the best players of all time, and with LeBron gone they feel like the Eastern Conference is wide open and theirs for the taking.
We also have teams like the Rockets and the Raptors who think they have as much of a chance to win the championship as anyone. Some can even make the argument that, if Chris Paul did not get hurt in Game Six of the Western Conference Finals, the championship would’ve been theirs, and this off-season they only got better. Although, in some people’s eyes, like Hillgrove’s Wade Richardson, by losing Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute, they lose a lot of their versatility on the defense end and adding Carmelo Anthony does not really help that cause, but some would argue otherwise. Yes it is true, Carmelo may be know for not being that great of a defender, but, in Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals, defense was not the problem. The Rockets shot 16% from the three point line in that game and most of those misses took place in the fourth quarter, when it mattered most. So, in times when they could not even buy a bucket, Carmelo could get them one with ease. Now as for the Raptors, after adding one of the top three players in the league today, Kawhi Leonard, and after coming off the franchise’s best season yet, they feel like they can win it all as well. Not only are these teams equipped with tons of talent, but they feel like they have something to prove, especially after adding players like Carmelo and Kawhi, who parted ways with their teams in such dramatic fashion, you can guarantee that they will give a hundred percent effort in every game in order to prove they belong.
During the pre-season, we also saw a lot of the young guys from this year’s stacked rookie class take flight and even players from last year take that next step to superstardom. On the other hand, even though many of the NBA’s young guys have already taken that step and already have the team to back them up, like Donovan Mitchell for example, a lot of today’s young guys have yet to see their teams take that extra step. Teams like the Knicks, led by Kristaps Porzingis, or the Suns, led by, three-point marksman, Devin Booker, or even the Nuggets, led my Nikola Jokic, came so close and still fell short. After coming off a huge injury, Porzingis said, “we’re trying to win every game” and that anything less than the playoffs is a disappointment for this season. These young guys are ready to give each team that gets in their way a run for their money.
Not only are teams at the top and at the bottom eager to prove that they got better, but so are a lot of the middle of the pack teams. Teams like the Wizards, the Trail Blazers, and the Pacers, who all got bounced out the playoffs in the first round, are ready to show they should not be underestimated. With so many teams ready to give their all this season and prove they belong, this season should be something spectacular.