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The league that never takes a break, even in the summer – especially in the summer – is back on the hardwoods. This is the 73rd season of the NBA, and after a season in which the exchanges and the signatures of independent agents have allowed the Association to remain at the top of the world sports rankings, day after day, week after week, we are back to square one – Golden State is the best team in the league, its last dynasty, and the gap between the Warriors and the rest of the league seems to be widening only since DeMarcus Cousins is on board in the bay.
But we all saw how vulnerable the Warriors were when Andre Iguodala crashed during the playoffs, and the Rockets were at a Dubs destruction match before Chris Paul crashed. You would certainly be prohibitive favorites of the Warriors to win a fourth title in five years. Yet there are all kinds of new alliances, inter-conference movements, led by LeBron James leaving Cleveland a second time – this time for the West Coast, and the Lakers – and coaching changes that should give the season 2018-19 a little spicy. .
It is time for this annual ritual to signal another year ahead: 24 deep questions.
1) Is this really the last rally for this iteration of warriors?
Just like the NBA Twitter has totally ignored the chances of any team to compete seriously against Golden State last season – Chris Paul would like a world, NBAT – he publishes in advance and often this year, the Dubs might leave, at the Enron way, after the 2018-19 campaign. For his part, Kevin Durant seems determined to return to the free agency next summer, after signing another 1 + 1 contract last July. (KD says he could well sign a long-term contract with Golden State in 1919). And with Durant being 30 last week, Golden State now has five players in his base group aged 30 or older. And even if the Warriors sign Durant again, Klay Thompson will be unrestricted and could be more in demand than KD, with more teams believing they have a realistic shot and the money to get it back. Yet all that has been said about a Beatles breakup seems premature.
Joe Lacob and Peter Guber are not building a $ 2 billion arena that is expected to open in downtown San Francisco in a year. As with all the warriors have accomplished in the last four years, there is probably a well thought out game plan that will ensure the hegemony of Golden State for at least a year or two.
2) So who gets the ball for the Lakers and who can get noticed?
Teams LeBron James Heat and Cavaliers have won eight consecutive NBA finals since the Eastern Conference since 2010. In these eight seasons – four in Miami and four in Cleveland – the best goalie he played with was Kyrie Irving. And when Irving was healthy with James in 2016, the Cavs won everything. But aside from Uncle Drew, LeBron spent a good part of those eight years mounting the ball himself or catching it just after the game and launching the offense. That will not be the case in his first season in Los Angeles – or, at least, that should not be the case, as Lonzo Ball and Rajon Rondo vie for victory.
But there is a huge difference, of course, between Irving and Ball / Rondo: Irving has scored more than 40% out of 3 in three of his last four professional seasons. Ball shot 30.5% behind the bow as a rookie; Rondo has never been close to 40% of the 3, but rose to 37% in 2016-17 in Chicago.
The fact is that James has long understood that he was not at his best in a static position, waiting; his game is kinetic, creating havoc for the opposing defenses. If this is the case, a Rondo or Ball player will have to be much, much better caught and shot than what they have shown. As James has said, the Lakers may not have a position and will be able to use the ball skills of James, Rondo and Ball to create shots for themselves and for others. And Ball did a lot of work in the lab this summer on his rider. But at some point, the defenses will get on foot and go under screens. Then we will see.
3) What does Donovan Mitchell do for a recall?
The budding superstar from Utah spent the summer in the lab, as all great players do, trying to add more to his game. He will have to come back even stronger this year because he has to get to the line of faults. Someone who shoots 81% on free throws should take more than 3.8 per game. This is part of the delicate dance that Utah has to play this season. The clash between Mitchell and Rudy Gobert on the offensive is not really a problem, but it is a challenge. Having a gap of five on the ground instead of Gobert would give Mitchell more space to drive and shoot, but Gobert also helps Utah tremendously in offense and is the backbone of Utah's stifling defense. How will Quin Snyder maintain the selfless concept of his team while ensuring that Mitchell becomes all that he can be individually?
4) Trevor Ariza, Luc Mbah at Moute, Assistant Coach Jeff Bzdelik … Who brings the defense now to Houston?
The Rockets did not play a single game last season because they kept raining for 3 seconds on the players; they got there because their defense has improved considerably – from 18th in the defensive classification in 2016-17 (106.4) to eighth (103.8) last season. And the troika above, including Bzdelik, one of the best defensemen in the league, has contributed greatly to this success. With Ariza and Mbah on the wings to complete P.J. Tucker, Houston could do everything with a big effect. The Rockets erased the Warriors attack for long periods in the Western Conference finals.
But Ariza is now in Phoenix and Mbah has Moute in LA, while Bzdelik has retired after more than three decades as a university and professional coach. Mike D'Antoni bravely talks about the fact that the remaining guys remain a quality defensive unit, but that's one reason the Rockets are trying to get Minnesota's Jimmy Butler (see below).
5) Speaking of which, where does Butler go?
Best guess: Riles loves the stars. Miami ends up finding something with the Wolves that makes Thibs content enough to pull the trigger.
6) Is there enough playing time in Boston this season for 10 players?
Let's be clear: 26 or 27 other teams would like to have Brad Stevens' "problem" in this area: trying to find enough minutes to go for Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Marcus Morris, Marcus Morris . Smart, Terry Rozier, Semi Ojeleye and Aron Baynes. (That does not even count Robert Williams, first player of the C). And with Hayward and Irving on their return to the starting lineup, the wave effect is real.
How does Stevens use Terry Rozier, who was electrifying in the playoffs in the absence of Irving? What about Smart, who already makes Boston a good defense elite? Everyone says what to do to make sacrifices and need depth in case of injury – and it's true that not everyone has the same fitness at this stage of the season, it's therefore likely that there is a separation. But you have to watch.
7) What is Victor Oladipo doing for a reminder?
The first star player did not rest on his laurels after his decisive season for Indiana. He spent most of the summer in Miami, work like a demon and continue to carve physically. The main charge of the Pacers' confidence this year: to be ready for the double. They arrive. The Cavaliers attacked aggressively in the final stages of the first-round teams' series last spring, and while Oladipo adjusted – a double-double in match 6, with 28, 13 and 10 points – he will probably a regular staple this year. (Among the specific objectives of the season: a support ratio of at least 1.5: 1). If Oladipo manages to find the best fencers in the pocket and make the right decisions in transition, the Pacers think they can make a new offensive start. season.
Oladipo already has the problem of the team leader. "The most positive person in my life," said team president Kevin Pritchard.
8) Does Kawhi Leonard rent or buy in Toronto?
"It's not my place to talk," Leonard told Steve Smith of Turner last week after the media day. "It's up to you to talk about television. But for me, my family and I, we all want to be in Toronto and this season. I can not look beyond that, or I will not play well. "
For the moment, everyone is behaving better and better, and Leonard, apart from the rust work accumulated after only nine games played last season, looks more or less like the All-Star All-Star that the Raptors have achieved. Spurs for DeMar DeRozan. GM Masai Ujiri, of Toronto, swears that Leonard's recruitment by the franchise has not caused any insult. Leonard will likely be available and professional in Canada all season. I still think he'll be clipper in 12 months. We will see.
9) Should Pelicans be very afraid that Anthony Davis has hired Rich Paul as an agent?
9a) Rich Paul is LeBron James' agent and one of the most powerful players in the game.
9b) LeBron is now with the Lakers.
9c) The Lakers will have room next summer, and for some time, to add another reputable freelance agent to play alongside James – engaged in LA for four seasons.
9d) Davis can withdraw from his contract in two years, after the 2019-2020 season.
9th) The Pelicans should have enough free space after this season – Nikola Mirotic ($ 12.5 million this season) is exhausted, as well as an additional $ 11 million from Alexis Ajinca, Elfrid Payton, Darius Miller and Ian Clark agent free high level in the summer of 2019 to play alongside Davis and Jrue Holiday.
9f) Davis is, for the moment, open to the idea of possibly staying. But obviously, next summer is crucial. Pelicans will have to add another difference factor, or the clock that is already spinning will begin to sound like a gong in the Big Easy.
10) Why is Jamal Crawford not yet on a list?
It seemed that the 18 (!) Years veterinarian was on his way to Philadelphia late in the off season. But the 76ers were not able to replace veteran Jerryd Bayless, which would have opened a spot for the 38-year-old Crawford roster. It is likely that Crawford – who remains in a ridiculous form – will have to wait somewhere for a long-term injury to a guard before being signed again. You know what you get with JCrossover: a guy who can still have his job, and who can always be as sexy as everyone else.
11) Does the Head Coach / President of Basketball Operations model die in the NBA, once and for all?
What was all the rage a few years ago, within the Association – giving all the power of an organization to the head coach – crashed on the coast. Tom Thibodeau of Minnesota is also the last coach to speak at the finals. In recent years, Mike Budenholzer (Atlanta), Doc Rivers (Clippers) and Stan Van Gundy (Detroit) have all lost the title of president of basketball operations. Only Rivers is still employed as a coach. (Jason Kidd of Milwaukee did not have the official title, but his staff was nominative, he also lost both jobs.) Brett Brown could have found him in Philly after the death of former CEO Bryan Colangelo, but after being a team executive this summer.
12) Is the information about the disappearance of the Spurs greatly exaggerated?
No, it's fair to think that there will be a regression. This season marks the first in two decades that Gregg Popovich has not received any of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili – his next triumvirate of the Hall of Fame – on the floor to keep things calm and moving. The Spurs must now create new memories and rely on different people. Thus, if they have two All-Stars at LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan, as well as promising young talents, such as Dejounte Murray and the first player Lonnie Walker, it will take time for everyone. Popovich is too good a coach to lose everything, and San Antonio will still play in the playoffs, but the championship race days are probably over.
13) What can we reasonably expect from DeAndre Ayton, first pick in the 2018 draft, as a rookie?
The Suns want first, Ayton, to anchor their sieve defense (DFL in league last season in the defensive classification, to 110.6, allocated points allocated (113.3), 26th for a 3-point opponent (.373) and 22nd in League points allowed in the paint / game (47.1) .It will have the task to cut at least the traps of the opponent at the front of the rim. "C & # 39 is a smart player, so he quickly assimilated our defensive concepts, "said GM Ryan McDonough said this weekend:" Offensively, his shot is very skillful, but we use it more as screen and roll at the beginning of his career. "Finally, Phoenix expects Ayton to be a Clint Capela monster in Rim races, both in midfield and in transition, but a weak Double-double average (12 points, 10 rebounds) per night would be quite good at the moment.
14) Cleveland: fallow land or nah?
Some of us like Collin Sexton in full, so take the opportunity to watch the first round pick of the Cavs. And Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and others have too much institutional memory for Cleveland to collapse completely. But most of all, just enjoy Sexton better and better.
15) Will Kemba Walker be with the Hornets at the end of the season?
I think he's more likely to stay in Charlotte than others think. The main reason is simply volume: just about every team in the league has a confirmed and experienced leader already in place, or a young man who expects to be the best player in a timely manner.
Of the other 29 teams in the league, I would say that 16 already have in this role someone who is either a star player, or a very starred guy, or a high-priced guy that the Hornets probably would not want in back – – Boston (Kyrie Irving), Detroit (Reggie Jackson), Miami (Goran Dragic), Milwaukee (Eric Bledsoe), Philadelphia (Ben Simmons), Toronto (Kyle Lowry), Washington (John Wall), Denver (Gary Harris), Golden State (Steph Curry), Houston (Chris Paul), Memphis (Mike Conley, Jr.), Minnesota (Jeff Teague), New Orleans (Jrue Holiday), Oklahoma City (Russell Westbrook), Portland (Damian Lillard) and Utah (Ricky Rubio). Nine teams have been recruited or exchanged against their playmaker in recent years: Atlanta (Trae Young), Chicago (Kris Dunn), Cleveland (Collin Sexton), New York (Frank Ntilikina), Dallas (Dennis Smith). , Jr.), Lakers (Lonzo Ball), Phoenix (Devin Booker), Sacramento (From & Aaron Fox) and San Antonio (Dejounte Murray).
That leaves Brooklyn, Indiana, the Clippers and Orlando among the possible long-term goals for a goaltender next summer. Brooklyn and the Clippers will certainly have the desire and the potential to attack a player of the Walker caliber. But he will not be a free agent in the void; The Nets and Clips plan to be major players for all other major free agents as well as for Walker. That does not mean that he will not be able to go either, and the Hornets will surely have their antennas lifted all season long. But Michael Jordan knows how difficult it will be to bring free agents to Charlotte – and of course how difficult it would be without a top player like Walker at his side. Just have the impression that things could be settled there.
16) Does Otto Porter have permission to hit Scott Brooks in the eye if he does not receive more than 3 this year?
Otto Porter shot 43 and 44% over the past two seasons on three points for Washington. The Wizards were tied for third in the league with a 3-point percentage point last season, 37.5% of their shots back. Washington, however, was only 23rd in the league in 3 attempts, with 26.5 points per game. In contrast, Houston took more than 42 3 per night last season. Porter shot 50% overall last season, after shooting 51% in 2016-17. This is a shooter. Yet he only managed 4.1 attempts at 3 points last season and only 11.5 shots in total. Sorcerers have the best chance of being the offensive player that most elite teams in the league have come up with: Brooks has his third 25-year-old, who earns $ 27 million a year, the rock a lot more. Much more.
17) Doncic or Young?
Luka Doncic and Trae Young will be tied for all of their respective careers in the NBA after being traded against each other on the night of the draw. Doncic has advantages in playing Dallas that Young does not have in Atlanta; He will play with an emerging leader at Dennis Smith, Jr., while Young East the leader of Atlanta, who must convince others before starting to look for his own shot. And the Mavericks have many more pieces proven to surround him than the Hawks with Young. So, it is very likely that the first year figures of Doncic will be much better.
18) Did Denver finally qualify for the playoffs this season?
Yes, assuming Paul Millsap is in good health most of the season. There's too much talent here and too much bad taste from the last game of last year's lost season to keep the Nuggets out and not come back in the playoffs for the first time in six years . (Not to mention that the wolves, depending on how Butler's situation is resolved, might well take a big step back in the West.)
19) How will Stan Van Gundy act as a TV analyst?
He will be great. Not good – great. And if ESPN / ABC makes sense, he will team up with Stan in one of the broadcast teams and put Mark Jackson, who has been teaming up with Jeff Van Gundy on the network's senior team in recent years, in another team. Please note that this does not represent to me a demotion of any kind for Jackson, who is a renowned analyst since his arrival on television. But putting together Jeff and Stan Van Gundy for shows is simply obvious. Having spoken with both of them over the years, I think their vocal inflections are different enough to let you know which of the two spoke or shouted during games. They are both intelligent, sarcastic and know how to push themselves, like all brothers. It would be Must See TV every week.
20) Which first-year head coach – Igor Kokoskov of Phoenix, Nick Nurse of Toronto, Lloyd Pierce of Atlanta or James Borrego * of Charlotte – has the best chance of success in the long run?
Borrego has * the asterisk by name because, technically, he missed his acting coaching position (30 games) in Orlando in 2015 after Jacque Vaughn's dismissal by the Magic. For our purposes, however, he will be considered a rookie head coach. But of these four, Kokoskov has the resume that points to be outstanding as the best guy. He has a lot of experience both as an international head coach and as an assistant to the NBA as a six-team assistant. He is great with people and will put the Suns in good offensives and creative series. Phoenix understood it well.
21) Will the Western Conference Finals be coming back to Oklahoma City in 2019?
Yes. Yes, he will.
22) But does not that mean that the Rockets will not be …
No, they will not be.
23) So who will be in the playoffs this year?
East: Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto, Indiana, Milwaukee, Washington, Detroit, Miami.
Where is: Golden State, Houston, Oklahoma City, Utah, Denver, Memphis, L.A. Lakers, San Antonio.
First round: Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto, Indiana; Golden State, Houston, OKC, Utah.
Half conference: Boston, Philly; State Gold, Oklahoma City
Final of the conference: Boston on Philly; Golden State on Oklahoma City
NBA Finals: Golden State on Boston, seven games.
24) And again: why 24 questions?
At the owners' meetings that year, Biasone did the math. The NBA games lasted 48 minutes. In a normal game without slowing down, Biasone discovered that about 120 shots – 60 per team – had been taken. So, if you divide the number of seconds in a game – 2880 – by the number of shots, 120, you can arrive at a time limit per possession for each team. And 2,880 divided by 120 is 24.
The 24-second clock saved the league. The scores increased the next season with the clock set, as the teams began to accelerate the game to keep up. Shortly after, the Celtics, with Bob Cousy leading the show, introduced the quick break as a weapon and started winning championships. The 24-second clock made the NBA a fast league and made great athletes indispensable. And that made the NBA a league that would appeal to younger fans. That's always.
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