Questions rise as NBA enters new ground

By David Mullen

What was setting up to be a normal NBA offseason suddenly spun out of control.  

Forwards Paul George and Kawhi Leonard joined the Los Angeles Clippers, and Kyrie Irving went to the Brooklyn Nets, as did Kevin Durant, who will miss the entire season with a ruptured Achilles tendon injury. Guard Russell Westbrook, who never saw a basketball he didn’t like to shoot, was traded to the Houston Rockets to join James Harden, who has the same fondness for the leather sphere. Anthony Davis came from NOLA to join LeBron James and his Lakers in “LaLaLand.”

 And then came the tweet heard around the world.

 Rockets GM Daryl Morey used Twitter to support the Hong Kong protesters. But there was only one problem. China is a huge financial provider to the NBA and their players. The Chinese government immediately banned televised NBA games. The Lakers were preparing to play exhibition games in China, and James chastised Morey in support of the communists. Funny that James can have an opinion and Morey can’t.

So the new season begins upside down. Aside from the Far East battle, the teams are as balanced as they have been all decade. There are no favorites anymore after the Golden State Warriors, winners of five consecutive Western Conference titles in the late 2010s, have been impacted by injuries, trades and free agent departures, a new home and a rise in talent by other teams.

Locally, the Dallas Mavericks end the Dirk Nowitzki era fronting two other European players in Luka Dončić and Kristaps Porzingis, hoping the team and their fans will move forward. The Mavs can compete if Porzingis stays healthy and Head Coach Rick Carlisle works his magic. Reigning Rookie of the Year Dončić is a star at 20, even though he isn’t legally old enough to have schnapps. Dallas has only two players with more than six years of NBA experience on the roster. But under Carlisle, they will play hard but face too much competition to make the playoffs this season. 

While there is a power logjam atop the Western Conference, the Eastern Conference is much more wide open, as evidenced by the Toronto Raptors coming from relative obscurity to shock the world and win the NBA Championship last season. There are a number of Eastern teams that can compete for a playoff berth.

The Milwaukee Bucks, led by league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, are ready to return the team to the glory days when they were NBA Champions with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, “The Big O” Oscar Robertson and Bob Dandridge. They will have to overcome the Philadelphia 76ers that added Al Horford and Josh Richardson to be with Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid. They have the right players; now they need to find the right attitude.

The Boston Celtics lost Irving but have Kemba Walker and will compete for a title. Without Leonard, Toronto won’t be elite, but will still have plenty of playoff talent. The Indiana Pacers await the return of Victor Oladipo and could make a late season run. The Nets are the new team to hate, with two players (Irving and Durant) making more than $30 million this season, and one won’t even play.

The Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks will fight for 40 wins, which may get a final playoff spot despite a less than .500 record. The Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks face another season telling stories about the past. The Washington Wizards are really bad, and the Charlotte Hornets are only one player away from being a contender. Unfortunately, that player, Michael Jordan, owns the Hornets and doesn’t play for them.

The best team in the Western Conference is in LA, and they are not the Lakers. The Clippers, led by Head Coach Doc Rivers and coming off a record season for wins, have great role players to surround George and Leonard. The Lakers can finally be taken seriously as viable contender for the NBA crown in the James era. But it is Davis that will make the difference.

Can you keep a secret? The Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets are really good. They stay out of the limelight and just get better without having to make major changes. They are done rebuilding and now are ready to roll.

This is probably where the Warriors fit in: middle of the best in the West. If Steph Curry stays healthy and Klay Thompson returns from a knee injury, the Warriors will still be a force. If Curry gets hurt, they have little chance of continued excellence. The Portland Trailblazers are always a factor ,and they added the underrated Hassan Whiteside (pictured).

Rockets Head Coach Mike D’Antoni will have to find a way to distribute one basketball between former NBA MVPs Harden and Westbrook. They will also have to play defense. This isn’t the ABA. The San Antonio Spurs have reached the playoffs an amazing 23 straight seasons and Head Coach Gregg Popovich is the best in the business. This season, due to a lack of star power, could be the end of the streak.

The surprise team (and the Mavs could claim that title) will be the Sacramento Kings. They are a nice blend of youth and veteran talent, and added Trevor Ariza and ex-Warriors and Mavs swing man Harrison Barnes. 

No player in recent memory has come into the league with more fanfare than New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, but can he stay injury free with the rigors of NBA play? With Williamson, the Pelicans will sell out all of their games on the road. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies are rudderless. The Phoenix Suns will remain in the dark until their young players shine.

The Mavs are a year away from the playoffs. I think the NBA Finals will be the Clippers against the Bucks, with the Clippers finally getting respect in LA. That will give James, from LA’s other team, time off to tweet and visit his partners in Beijing.