THE GUIDE 2017-18 - Double Clutch UK
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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 American-
English 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.
DARREN ABATE
ASSOCIATED PRESS
GAMEPLAN
01 25 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Super Teams Assemble EASTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW Matthew Wellington
Movements this summer showed us
one thing, the super team is here to
stay.
27 Atlanta Hawks Lead Writers
31 Boston Celtics
35 Brooklyn Nets Joe Hulbert
39 Charlotte Hornets Matt Soto
05 43 Chicago Bulls Mike Miller
47 Cleveland Cavaliers Sean Guest
The End of Grit and Grind 51 Detroit Pistons
Grit and Grind was a style that always 55 Indiana Pacers Writers
earned respect, but it was definitely 59 Miami Heat
time for a change. 63 Milwaukee Bucks Alexander Cole
67 New York Knicks Jaime Oppenheim
71 Orlando Magic Josh Coyne
09 75 Philadelphia 76ers Karl Moon
Nick Whitfield
79 Toronto Raptors Tom Atkinson
Showtime 2.0 83 Washington Wizards Timi Awotesu
38 years after drafting Magic Tom Hyland
Johnson, the Lakers look to 87 Thomas Rowberry
‘Showtime’ once more. Ross MacLeod
WESTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW
13 89 Dallas Mavericks For more on the guide writers and our
expanded team visit:
93 Denver Nuggets
The Wizard of Oz
97 Golden State Warriors doubleclutch.uk/roster/
Kyrie Irving takes his talents to 101 Houston Rockets
Boston, as he continues his quest 105 Los Angeles Clippers
along the yellow brick road. 109 Los Angeles Lakers Copyright © 2017 Double Clutch.
113 Memphis Grizzlies
117 Minnesota Timberwolves Double Clutch is not affiliated with the
19 121 New Orleans Pelicans NBA and does not claim ownership
125 Oklahoma City Thunder over any images used.
A Tale of Two Cities 129 Phoenix Suns
New York and Los Angeles, the NBA’s
133 Portland Trail Blazers All photos, unless stated otherwise,
137 Sacramento Kings are copyright of NBA Entertainment
two biggest markets couldn’t be more and respected parties.
different. 141 San Antonio Spurs
145 Utah Jazz
page 1 page 2
LAYNE MURDOCH
GETTY IMAGES
The era of the NBA “super team” is officially This may seem like bad news for the rest of the
super teams upon us. If you had any doubt prior to this
offseason, both the free agency period and the
trades/buyouts that followed confirmed exactly
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,
that. And it’s down to the recent dominance after acquiring Steve Nash and Dwight Howard,
of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State went on to win just 45 games, before losing in
Warriors, as opposing teams have realized that the first round of the playoffs. Or the 1996-97
the only way to beat a super team is by forming Houston Rockets, who finished third in the West
a super team. And, frankly, one or two stars is before also losing in the first round, despite
no longer enough to beat a team whose roster having a team that featured Hakeem Olajuwon,
features three of even four of the NBA’s most Clyde Drexler and Charles Barkley.
talented players.
Still, even as recently as 2013, superteams were
As of now, you can find super teams not only in rare in the NBA. Now they’re commonplace,
Cleveland and Golden State, but also in Houston, largely due to the fact that players have realized
Oklahoma City, Boston (kind of) and there’s also they need to gang up in order to compete for a
one in the making in Minnesota. title.
page 3 page 4
We saw it with the 2007-08 Boston Celtics, who by ditching the solo act in Cleveland to join the Just look at Kevin Durant, who did exactly the
had Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. affectionately named ‘Heatles’. same thing by walking away from OKC, albeit
We saw it with the 2010-11 Miami Heat team, to a comparatively muted response. Most fans
Now it’s important to note that his decision to do
who had Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron were ultimately torn on the matter, as while it
so was, in reality, a response to the fact that the
James. And we’ve seen it again more recently in was fun watching KD in OKC, the prospect of
Celtics “big three” had joined forces a couple of
Cleveland and Golden State. But this is different, him playing in Oakland was positively mouth-
years earlier, thus robbing him of the opportunity
as the movement’s gone league-wide, forcing watering. And it all but guaranteed him a ring (or
to reign in the East with role players like an aging
those outside the super team mini league to seven!).
Shaq and Wally Szczerbiak in tow. But LeBron
rethink their rebuilding plans.
was a perennial MVP candidate – one whose The NBA has now introduced a measure to
Whether this is good or bad for basketball very pride and desire to “go it alone” should have encourage players to stay with the team that
much depends on whether you’re a fan of one of convinced him that this was a terrible idea. But drafted them, but it’s merely financial and
the league’s elite teams or not. If you are, you’re LeBron’s far smarter than that, and he realized wasn’t enough to tempt either Paul George or
probably delighted by the prospect of a 60-win that playing with other star players gave him the Gordon Hayward, both of whom walked away
regular season, followed by an extremely deep best possible chance of achieving his ultimate from (in one form or another) their respective
postseason run that has a decent chance of goal – winning an NBA Championship. first franchises this summer, choosing the
resulting in serious contention. If you’re not, you prospect of gold rings over the guarantee of
should probably think about switching allegiance additional gold coins.
pretty soon, especially if your team (as mine
is) happens to be a basement dweller in the Fast forward seven And who can blame them? Top NBA players
like George and Hayward make money by the
doldrums of the Eastern Conference!
Obviously I’m not really encouraging you to give
years and “The bucket load, but only a handful of players from
every generation ever get to say they won a
up on your team in order to support another. But,
if there’s one thing that’s clear right now, it’s that
Decision”, the ring championship. And the bottom line is that it
doesn’t matter if they do it as part of a super
stars attract stars. Sometimes this happens in
the NBA’s most desirable basketball locations counting, the jersey team or not, which probably means that we’ll
see even more stars collaborating in even more
(Boston, Golden State, Houston), but, ultimately,
players are now willing to embrace cities that burning is largely cities over the coming seasons, at least until the
league comes up with a way to discourage it
don’t exactly tick that box (Oklahoma City, that is.
Cleveland) if doing so gives them a chance to forgotten. But This is, after all, the era of the super team, so
team up with other stars.
This is good news if your team has a bonafide LeBron’s decision you’d better hope your team’s next.
to swap Cleveland
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, for Miami has left a
Indiana, Orlando etc.).
Notice that all these teams are based in the East lasting legacy – one
– the home of mediocre basketball for some
years now, whichever franchise LeBron James that current NBA
happens to be playing for notwithstanding.
And most of this super team malarkey comes players are not
back to LeBron anyway, as he singlehandedly
(well, with the help of Dwyane Wade and Chris
Bosh, actually) broke the mold back in 2010
afraid to emulate.
LAYNE MURDOCH
GETTY IMAGES
page 5 page 6
THE END
‘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 Post-
season 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
OF GRIT
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
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
GRIND
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
by Joe Hulbert it was under Lionel Hollins and Dave Joerger.
JEFFREY BECKER
USA TODAY SPORTS
page 7 page 8
Hollins and Joerger were about as old school 3.6 per game after Fizdale arrived from Miami.
as you could get; tough disciplinarians who Gasol’s ability as a pick-and-pop threat, and as a
favoured veterans over rookies and ran the passing big, opens so many things up in the half- Grit and Grind was
majority of their offense through the post. Their court, and it is disappointing that his previous
new Head Coach David Fizdale is the opposite;
a calm collected man who has no problems
coaches never allowed him such freedom.
Fizdale often uses Gasol off fake screens,
a style that always
throwing rookies into the fire – just ask Wayne
Selden, who became a huge player for the
and such half court creativity is a reason that
multiple rookies have entered the Grizzlies
earned respect,
Grizzlies down the stretch. Fizdale’s offense is
much more advanced and encompassing than
locker room and become such productive
players. The likes of JaMychal Green and Andrew
but it was definitely
the one ran by his predecessors, and he uses a
lot more off screen action and creativity in his
Harrison have benefitted from David Fizdale’s
approach, and it is clear that he is the right man time for a change,
half court sets than the majority of coaches.
There is no doubt that he wants them to get
to lead them into the future.
To some extent, one does wonder how useful
and Grizzlies fans
out and run more, as they have been practicing
this throughout pre-season. The offense they
Fizdale’s creativity would have been in the Lionel
Hollins era. It could have been the sort of thing
should be excited
are running in the half court has been vanilla
because that’s simply the way things work in
that could have pushed them over the edge
just before the Golden State Warriors rose to about their current
pre-season, but they have been running more
than they have in the past. Memphis still runs a
stardom. Regardless, an era ended in Memphis,
and they may not be as formidable as they core. Many want
slow offense, but there is more action, and less were, but they are going to be good in a wholly
reliance on simply trying to bully their way to the different way. them to blow it
basket.
One man who is going to be essential in this
transition, is Chandler Parsons. The former up, but there is
Fizdale’s fit with
Houston Rocket has become somewhat of a
joke on social media due to his injury history, something exciting
combined with a horrendous contract, but
Memphis is a good people must not forget what a good player he about being a good
can be on his day. Parsons will be the power
one, purely because forward for Memphis when he is healthy, and
SERGIO ESTRADA
team and selling out
his style could not really be more different than
he is not going to Zach Randolph’s. Z-Bo lived on the low block and
was reliant on post moves, whereas Parsons
USA TODAY SPORTS
every night, they
force a pace style
does more of his work off-the-ball, and he
can become a reliable hybrid-forward in David Memphis were everyone’s ‘second’ team, but should embrace
this.
Fizdale’s system. now they appear to be flying under the radar,
on this Grizzlies Parsons is essentially the man who this
with many predicting them to miss out on a
playoff spot. I personally think this is mightily
team. transition hinges on, as he is the player who
can help maintain the defensive solidity, whilst
disrespectful as they have two top 35 players,
and a decent supporting cast including Tyreke
also expanding the offense, and allowing David Evans, Wayne Selden and Chandler Parsons.
Fizdale to run a completely open offense. Many I currently have Memphis as the six seed in
One major beneficiary of this has been Marc
will disagree, but Parsons is not a bad player, the West, and if Chandler Parsons is healthy,
Gasol, who has developed into the NBA’s best
he is just overpaid, which is not something we they could easily become the five seed in
stretch big. He has always had three-point range,
should hold against him. the West ahead of the Nuggets, Clippers and
but his attempts shot up from 0.1 per game, to
Timberwolves.
page 9 page 10
SHOWTIME 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
2.0
known as ‘Showtime’.
38 years later, and with Magic as President of
Basketball Operations, they look poised to do
by Matthew Wellington
it all again.
In the 1979 NBA Draft, Los Angeles selected became the biggest thing in Los Angeles and
6-foot, 9-inch point guard Magic Johnson from eventually, sports. Easily making the Lakers
ROBERT CASILLAS
Michigan State with the first overall pick. With and indeed the Lakers vs Celtics rivalry, which
SCNG
Magic’s arrival, his unmatched passing ability and dominated the era, a must watch spectacle. Fast-
unrelenting marketing appeal, the NBA as the forward to present day and a new young Lakers
world knew it became must-watch television. point guard, Lonzo Ball, looks set to ignite the
league’s most popular franchise once again.
The 1980s were a time of great expanse for the
NBA, as the popularity of the league rose in the In February this year Magic became the Lakers
United States and across the globe. It was a rise new President of Basketball Operations and with
which ran in parallel with its two biggest stars, it the Lakers ushered in a new era of optimism
Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Two superstars and hope. It’s a hope which not only stems from
who would not only go on to win championships, Magic’s past but his vision of the future.
but revolutionise the game in their own individual
For months before this past June’s draft,
ways.
Magic knew instinctively who he wanted to
During the 1970s, after the retirement of Bill lead his Lakers, a college player who shared
Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, the league fell into all the characteristics of his younger self. The
the doldrums, failing to land a good television 6-foot, 6-inch Ball shared a stylish, unselfish
contract and playing to half-full arenas. In approach to the game of basketball and it was
the 1980s Magic and Larry changed all that, this characteristic which inevitably brought the
introducing a new more action-packed, more player and the franchise together.
intense era of basketball which mesmerised the
With the decision to take Ball with the second
sports world.
overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Magic has
For the Lakers, the 1980s meant five thrown his own reputation into the ring and the
championships in nine years, led by a new look Lakers’ hope of a quick rebuild along with it.
fast-break and powered by a certain player
called Magic and his chorus of stars. ‘Showtime’
page 11 page 12
Ball’s talents, as defined as they may be, develop in Golden State. And before the season someone who could shoulder more of an
represent a risk, not a guarantee. However has even begun his effect on the Lakers young offensive burden, leaving Ball and his unorthodox
when you break Ball down, into the intangible roster physically has already been felt. shot open, just the way he likes it.
abilities he brings to a basketball court, this
Recently Walton claimed that 6 or more players Whether he’s a superstar or just a very solid
new face of the Lakers has all the pieces to
now regularly turn up for extra off-season rotation player, he’s as good a bet as anyone to
level and even surpass the man who drafted
coaching and conditioning, something he have a long, substantial NBA career and with
him. His self confidence is evident, drilled
called “incredible” and something which was his long-awaited arrival the Lakers are back to
into him by an overly-confident father, LaVar
largely down to Ball’s own work ethic. A work dreaming big again, about Lonzo’s future, and
Ball. A man who quite literally said he could
ethic similar to the man he has been destined about that of their franchise.
beat Michael Jordan on national television.
to replace, Kobe Bryant. Unlike Kobe however,
But confidence is just one part to the Ball
Ball isn’t designed to carry the load, he’s the
package. His marketing appeal in the United
representation of everything basketball fans SCOTT VARLEY
States alone made him a worthy second
have come to respect in the modern NBA, SCNG
overall pick, but if Ball can become a truly
moulded in the shape of Magic, gifted with the
transcendent player - as the Lakers foresee
talents of Jason Kidd and powered by an appeal
him becoming - then his global appeal is
as significant as Lebron James. Questions do
endless.
however remain.
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 Ball possesses a rather unique and
somewhat unorthodox shooting motion, the
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 mechanics of which may not be suitable for
opening his Summer League account in style,
connecting with fellow Lakers stud Brandon
Ingram on the very first play. This unselfish
the NBA.
nature, combined with a Magic-esque passing
ability, has rubbed off and will continue to rub
off on teammates.
The way in which Ball releases the ball in his
Ball, the first Laker to be named NBA Summer shooting motion will undeniably make it difficult
League MVP, averaged 16.3 points and a for him to pull up while attacking off the dribble.
league-leading 9.3 assists to go with 7.7 Problems also emerge when Ball is forced to
rebounds and 2.5 steals. He even managed pull up to the right, something which we saw on
to add to the Ball hysteria by wearing multiple more than one occasion during Summer League.
brands’ sneakers, creating a media frenzy His natural shooting motion results in him
which directly highlighted the limitations of bringing the ball back across to his left, making
being tied to a single brand. The end result it easier for a defender to block. Experienced
of Summer League, a Lakers trophy, proved defenders in the NBA, especially those who
that Ball will be the key to their future offense, study their opponent, will surely utilise this to
possessing an innate ability to run a fast- their advantage. This stand-out weakness,
paced, modern NBA offense, the likes of would suggest that Ball is in fact suited to being
ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN
which Lakers head coach Luke Walton, helped the second-best player on the court behind
GETTY IMAGES
page 13 page 14
the
wonderful
wizard
of oz
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.
by Mike Miller 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.
MADDIE MEYER
GETTY IMAGESpage 15 page 16
You’re not in Kansas a 28-point explosion in the team’s exit from the
NCAA Tournament. And with that, Irving’s time
at college was done.
Adjusting to the NBA game is tough. It’s quicker,
anymore
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
To understand our protagonist’s decision (to ease season, an All-Star in his second, the All-Star
the comparison to Dorothy, let’s focus on the ruby MVP in his third; the youngster was undeniably in
slippers – the wine and gold colourways of his the ascendency.
signature Nikes), we need to at first understand
where he came from. Irving’s father, Drederick However, his individual success was not
played college ball at Boston University before translating into immediate team success, with
embarking on a professional career in Australia. In the Cavs earning just 21, 24 and 33 wins across
March 1992, Kyrie was born in Melbourne, where those seasons. Irving hardly had the tools around
he lived until he was two. him to succeed though, with two coaches in
that time; playing for a franchise which stalwart
The family then uprooted and moved to New professional, Luol Deng, called “a mess”
Jersey, and Irving set upon his path (his yellow
brick road, if you will) to hoops stardom. Somewhat unfairly, the bulk of the blame and
Basketball was in his blood - he grew up watching
his dad play and attending camps at BU. His
criticism fell at Kyrie’s feet. He’s one dimensional.
How can you have a point guard who doesn’t
Kyrie, already
high school and junior/amateur career is jaw-
droppingly impressive. State Titles. All American
pass? Kyrie was evolving though. His scoring was
never in question and his assists rose each of the disgruntled, was
now cast aside. His
GARY A. VASQUEZ
honours. Team USA Gold medals. first three years. Yes, so did his minutes, but bear
US PRESSWIRE
in mind that his turnovers came down too.
What is now being understood to be Kyrie’s
general demeanour was treated as aloofness
star eclipsed by
By the fifth grade (10-11-years-old) BU and mental lapses were seized upon as examples
of this guy just not getting it. Unsurprisingly, the overwhelming
had already offered the youngster a rumours were abundant that Kyrie wanted out.
In a time when a franchise should be nurturing shadow of the
scholarship and it was clear that this (note – not pandering to) its star, having learnt
from its previous mistakes, instead Uncle Drew greatest player of this
was being surrounded by instability and chaos.
kid was a star in the making. Hardly the environment to let a hoops head era.
evolve.
In 2010 he embarked on his brief college career at If I only had a brain The Tin Man needs a witness. The city’s heart, which he had been
promised, belonged to another.
the hallowed Duke University, under the guidance
heart
But Kyrie didn’t despair, he kept his nose to the
of basketball deity, Mike Krzyzewski. Irving arrived Coming into the league, it was clear that this guy
grindstone and continued to produce. Playing
with a bang – averaging 17.4 points per game on was a stud. But let’s face it, most players drafted
second fiddle to LeBron, the Cavs steamrolled
53.2% shooting, 5.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds and in the first round have been the alpha their entire And then, in the summer 2014, the unthinkable themselves in the Finals to face the otherworldly
1.5 steals across his first eight games – but in career. Despite the season derailing injury at happened. The King returned. Burnt jerseys were Warriors. In game one, facing off against freshly
his ninth, a toe injury put the young star out of Duke, Irving was still the consensus number resurrected. The streets spilled over with adoring anointed MVP, Steph Curry, Irving matched him
action indefinitely. Irving would make just two one pick, landing in a desolate Cleveland still (if not slightly hypocritical) fandom, Cleveland toe-to-toe. 23 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 4
more appearances for the Blue Devils, including mourning the departure of LeBron. became Beliveland and the world becamepage 17 page 18
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.
The Lion’s courage 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
changing winds of the league.
In the book (spoiler alert), the Wizard was an
Individually, Irving has achieved just about all ordinary man empowered by the faith others
wing Jae Crowder and, the man who cemented put in him. Right now, Danny Ainge is that man.
Then, in overtime, disaster strikes; a drive right there is to in the league. But LeBron played a
his place in the hearts of the Boston faithful with Behind his curtain, pushing the Celtics into one
against Klay Thompson. An awkward fall and an huge role in Kyrie’s overall success and in turn
his incredible performance in the Playoffs, Isaiah of the most remarkable rebuilds in memory, (still)
immediate grab of the left knee. Dreams, hearts perhaps took some of the credit due to his co-
Thomas. with an abundance of assets at his disposal.
and knees broken in an instant. star. Clearly, having been the lead all his life, he
was not comfortable playing the supporting role. For the franchise to give up so much is a With such a great set-up and potential to reign
Of course Kyrie’s redemption would come the supreme, don’t expect Kyrie to click his heels
testament to their faith in Kyrie. It also means
following June, when he showed the heart (and Despite being irked by the beta status, and by together anytime soon.
that expectations will be incredibly high, not just
some) to step up and nail the go-ahead bucket James’s constant babying of him, Kyrie knew
from management and fans, but also from Kyrie
in a Finals game seven. Proving that he could he had a good thing going on. That is until the
himself. Having joined a team that had already
handle the pressure and belonged on the game’s latest iteration of the decision raised its head.
improved upon being the number one seed in
biggest stage. With LeBron clearly not seeing eye-to-eye
the East, Kyrie has challenged himself with being
with management and the threat of his second
the guy on a contender.
EZRA SHAW
departure growing more and more imminent by
GETTY IMAGE 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 You don’t switch allegiances away
2011-14.
Two; have the courage to take control of his own from the King, unless you’re going
destiny and try to forge his own path as a leader
of his own team. to make a claim on the throne.
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 Kyrie needs to have an MVP-calibre season.
was sent to Boston. It’s certainly possible, but odds of 12/1 have
the guard as an outside chance. Key to this
The deal between the teamswas unexpected will be quickly developing a chemistry and
to say the least, not since the Phoenix Suns understanding with the Celtics other haul this
and Seattle SuperSonics (RIP) swapped Paul summer, Gordon Hayward.
Westphal for Dennis Johnson in 1980, had the
NBA witnessed a trade between the previous This shouldn’t be too difficult a transition, both
season’s conference finalists. players possess skill-sets that should perfectly
complement and play off each other’s.
The Emerald City The Wizard
Now Kyrie has arrived in a green land, glimmering
with the sparkle of 17 championship trophies. He For this season, at least, the Celtics and Kyrie
joins a team in the midst of an impressive rebuild will likely continue to play second fiddle to the
and with enough assets and picks to be a title Cavs and LeBron. But Boston are geared up
contender – maybe not instantly, but soon and to dominate the East for a number of years
for a long time to come. to come, primed to endure and survive the CHARLES KRUPA
ASSOCIATED PRESSpage 19 page 20
KELVIN KUO
USA TODAY SPORTS
New York and Los Angeles, the NBA’s two
biggest markets, couldn’t be more different
With the Carmelo Anthony era in New York the way up to the Knicks themselves. New York
having now officially come to an unsuccessful lives and breathes basketball. For its incredible
end in a trade saga that overtook much of last history, Madison Square Garden is even referred
season, the Garden is far from Eden. It’s telling to as the “Mecca of basketball”. So in one of the
that there are no whispers of any elite talent world’s major media hubs, with an owner willing
from around the league lining up to take on the to spend and a culture that demands winning,
mantle. In Kristaps Porzingis the Knicks have a what’s gone wrong?
potential All-NBA talent that could seemingly be
The NBA has changed. This generation of
paired with anyone, and yet still nothing.
players has proven that they have more agency
Compare this to the Lakers. There is a badly in where they play than any that have come
(read not at all) kept secret that over a year on before them. We’ve seen LeBron James up and
from the retirement of Kobe Bryant, several leave the Cavs to play for Miami, until he decided
of the very best players in the league are now to return home and it was (of course) on his
looking to Los Angeles as a potential destination timing. We’ve seen Kevin Durant elect to leave
for them to ply their trade. LeBron James, Paul Oklahoma City and play in the location and with
George and Kevin Love have all been rumoured the players he saw fit. I could go on. But I won’t,
in one way or another to have L.A. on their because the message is clear: the best players
respective radars. With this upcoming season to in the league now have more leverage to pick up
observe how the young roster that the Lakers and play wherever they want, with the players
have constructed develops, next season we they think give them the best chance of winning.
could see L.A. fast-tracked back into contention.
At the same time, the growth of technology,
As a Knicks fan I can’t help looking enviously online culture and digital platforms means that
A TALE OF
out West and asking why the bright lights of the necessity of playing in a major market in
New York haven’t attracted any star talent order to maximise your endorsement and media
since Carmelo Anthony joined the team in opportunities is simply no longer true to the
2010. Historically, NBA franchises in the ‘major same extent. This is played out in the top selling
markets’ have been able to rely on their status jerseys, shoes and the size of endorsement
and relative wealth to attract some of the deals. The money follows the talent far more
league’s best talent like a magnet. The potential than the market in which they play. NBA junkies
for lucrative endorsements that comes with the and international fans can watch any game they
TWO CITIES
level of exposure that being a star in a major want with League Pass - a huge shift from the
media centre brings also represents the tangible days when fans were reliant on the TV schedule
benefits of playing in the big cities. to govern which games they could watch and the
players they’d get the chance to see.
New York doesn’t just have earning power, it
also has a proud basketball history - from it’s Demonstrative of the power of even “small
playgrounds, high schools and universities, all market” teams to pull together contending
by Nick Whitfieldpage 21 page 22
rosters, we’ve seen Paul George and Carmelo the Knicks were simply no match for a Tim a trade. Rather than try and simply placate their
Anthony team up with Russell Westbrook in Duncan-led Spurs team. franchise cornerstone for his one remaining
Oklahoma City - one of the smallest markets season and have his $18 million salary come off
in the NBA. The Bucks are building around the payroll, they gambled.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Cavs have maxed
As part of a four-team trade, the Knicks received
out around LeBron James and San Antonio has
Luc Longley and a broken down version of Glen
built an unmatched consistency and culture of
Rice, along with their bad contracts. Once it was
excellence over the past couple of decades.
clear a trade was going to happen, rather than
In a similar vein, Dallas has been able to build
try to take on expiring deals and shed salary that
a player-first culture around Dirk Nowitzki, Pat
way, those expensive courtside seats and the
Riley is able to point at the beach and tap his CHRISTIAN PETERSEN
always-on media culture demanded that the GETTY IMAGES
rings on the table down in Miami, and Boston
team attempt a quick-fire rebuild that ended in
has those banners hanging from the ceiling.
compromise. Since this time it’s been largely
Whether it’s market size, culture or winning, the
the same story over and over. Similar moves
landscape has become incredibly competitive to
lure the best players.
either saw the team trade for or hand large
(unmovable) contracts to Antonio McDyess,
And back to the
If New York was assessed just by the glitz and
the glamour, the ‘city that never sleeps’ would be
Steve Francis, Eddy Curry, Jerome James, Andrea
Bargnani, Joakim Noah and Stephon Marbury. present, the Knicks
high on any player’s radar. But that’s not where
we are now. Accepting that the best talent can
The Knicks have incessantly (and unsuccessfully)
gambled on the health and / or form of former have alienated
yet another of
more or less choose where they want to play NBA stars and compromised themselves down
– market size is obviously a factor still, but it’s the standings. Superstitious NBA fans might
not as important as front office competence, even view how these moves worked out as
commitment to winning, culture and how an somehow karmic for the Knicks treatment of their superstars in
organisation treats its stars. It’s these metrics arguably their greatest ever player in Ewing.
where the Knicks start to fall apart, when you
compare this franchise to others. Sure there will
The brief glimpses of success the Knicks have Carmelo Anthony
seen since their 90s success (I would argue)
still be an attraction for young players wanting to
make a name for themselves (Porzingis allegedly
have only gone to serve as mini 1999 playoff - a well-respected
runs in that they built false hope and pushed the
withheld his medical records from Philadelphia
to engineer New York as his draft destination),
team to go ‘all in’ when conservatism would have character among
been better placed. In what looked like another
but it all changes for established stars.
So where did it all go wrong? I’m going to go way
NATHANIEL S. BUTLER
gamble of a move, the Knicks acquired Amar’e
Stoudemire (and his uninsurable knees) in 2010
his peers - and
demonstrated a
GETTY IMAGES
(way!) back to the last period of real consistency. but were actually rewarded with half a season of
In 1994 the Knicks fell to the Houston Rockets MVP-level performance. The Knicks proceeded
In the Summer of 2000 the Knicks traded
in the NBA Finals and an inspired Hakeem
Olajuwon, but as a perennial contender at that
Patrick Ewing to Seattle, believing Latrell
to trade most of the productive roster, barring
Stoudemire, to acquire Carmelo Anthony. To
fundamental lack
Sprewell to be the future of the franchise.
time, it felt like the Knicks would surely get
another chance. It didn’t quite happen for the
But why am I looking back this far? This trade
marked the end of contention for the Knicks
many, this was a sure sign the Knicks were back
– one of the greatest scorers in the league, in of understanding
franchise until an improbable run to the Finals
as an 8th seed in the lockout-shortened 1999
and, looking back, is actually representative
of the approach the Knicks have largely taken
his prime and actively wanting to join the Knicks.
The pairing never truly worked on the floor - a of the importance
season gave the team false hope. This was a true mismatch of playstyles. But, regardless, a
season characterised by unpredictability due
since. Having been the face of the franchise
since 1985, Ewing took exception to what he
team led by savvy veterans overachieved their of building a culture
to the sheer number of back-to-back games, way to 54 wins in 2013-14. When these veterans
poor player conditioning and severely hampered
training camps. Whilst an exciting playoff run,
viewed as the disrespect shown to him in his
twilight years once the franchise believed they
left the following season, so did many of the
wins.
that players want to
had their next star in Sprewell and agitated for
be a part of.page 23 RONALD MARTINEZ page 24
GETTY IMAGES
Ewing isn’t the only legendary Knick to feel hard also played elsewhere. While the Lakers aren’t gamble and fast-track a rebuilding process
done by. That same Sprewell that the Knicks likely to be competing for the top spots in the that has proven unsuccessful over and over
saw as their post-Ewing future eventually left West this year, that hasn’t been the objective. again. As someone who’s followed New York
the franchise in a cloud of ill-feeling. Just this And what of the Knicks? One of the key themes basketball closely for years, the desecration of
past season the team attempted to embarrass of Charles Dicken’s novel of the same name past and present stars, PR gaffes and personnel
Charles Oakley, a fan favourite from the of this article (A Tale of Two Cities) is the ever- mismanagement has become tiresome. There
perennial contending Knicks teams of the 90s. present possibility of resurrection and this is are shoots of recovery however, and while this is
where New York finds itself. Amidst all the doom unlikely to be a standout season for the Knicks –
With Phil Jackson also running Carmelo’s
and gloom, the Knicks have now parted ways it could be the beginning of the revival.
name through the mud all season (ironically
with Phil Jackson, which means Jeff Hornacek
killing his trade value), and later even publicly For now, only one thing is certain. If the Lakers
will be free to push the tempo and run his own
discussing listening to trade offers for Kristaps are able to lure LeBron James, Paul George or
system. As well as Carmelo played in the Big
Porzingis, it’s hard to see why an All-NBA type any of the other elite players rumoured to be
Apple, his presence and the unrelenting media
talent would choose the Knicks over any of the circling L.A. next summer, New York fans will be
speculation surrounding his inevitable and
myriad options they have. It’s hard to imagine looking at their West Coast counterparts, asking
eventual departure had become an exhausting
they would genuinely believe the Knicks to be what might have been had they really committed
burden. With Carmelo gone, Porzingis becomes
equipped to help build a team around them that to rebuilding years ago.
the young focal point and there’s a chance for a
will really contend.
more positive locker room and morale.
So let’s turn to Los Angeles during this same
The Knicks find themselves at a crossroads.
period. Following their relative down period post-
They can use this opportunity to take the baby
Magic Johnson, the Lakers utilised the prime
of Shaquille O’Neal. The team was also savvy
enough to acquire a young Kobe Bryant, blend
With Bryant gone, steps required to restoring the franchise’s
reputation and start to build the kind of culture
his talents with O’Neal and then build a team
entirely around him following Shaq’s departure
the franchise shed and environment that people actually want to
to play in. Or they can continue to attempt to
payroll, picked
COREY SIPKIN
– all to the tune of five championships (and GETTY IMAGES
another two unsuccessful Finals appearances).
Some may look at this comparison and simply
see the Lakers as having had the superior
up favourable
talent over this time period – and that’s
certainly true. But the key for me, taking this
contracts and
long-term view, is that even in the team’s down
seasons (immediately post-Shaq and in the
draft picks and
last few seasons of Bryant’s career) the Lakers
unreservedly stood by their star - something put themselves in
the Knicks have consistently not done. When
players in the NBA look at the Lakers and talk to the best position
their peers that have played for the organisation,
it makes a real difference. for next summer,
Even beyond the two all-time talents, the
Lakers were able to draw championship level where the real
performances from Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher,
Rick Fox, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom etc. action and prize
And all of these players talk fondly of their time
with the franchise and many of whom think of hauls can be made.
themselves of ‘Lakers’ first, even when theypage 25 page 26
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
EASTERN
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.
CONFERENCE
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 2017-
18 season.page 27 page 28
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 exceeded expectations but the team will still be
a season to enjoy for Hawks fans. After ten in the lower rungs of the NBA.
straight years of postseason basketball, Atlanta
Comparing the talent Atlanta has with most
is rebuilding and they have certainly committed
other NBA rosters reveals a pretty obvious
to it. The team traded Dwight Howard to
mismatch and the Hawks have no particular
Charlotte and let Paul Millsap walk without even
strength. They have shooters in Babbitt,
trying to re-sign him. To put the weakness of
Muscala and Belinelli and rebounders in
Atlanta’s roster in perspective, ESPN has the
Dewayne Dedmon and John Collins. They have
Hawks finishing with 27 wins, bottom of the
a penetrator and playmaker in Dennis Schröder
Eastern Conference and the entire league.
and he could potentially take a significant step
Many fans would say this rebuild has been forward with a bigger role this year.
coming, with the team peaking, declining and
However, the positives are badly outnumbered
disbanding since the 60-win season in 2014/15.
by the negatives. Many of these key players
Horford and Teague departed in 2016 and now
are either unproven in bigger roles, like Prince
the Hawks are barely recognisable.
or Bembry, or struggling with their roles, like
Any hopes they have of success this year Bazemore. And while players like Ilyasova
depend firmly on Dennis Schröder to run what and Dedmon have their strengths, they are
promises to be a mediocre offense, because significantly inferior to last year’s frontcourt
beyond him, the roster is bare. Schröder will of Dwight Howard and Paul Millsap. In fact the
be leading a starting unit with Kent Bazemore, duo are inferior even to many of the weakest
Taurean Prince, Ersan Ilyasova and Dewayne frontcourts in the league.
Dedmon.
But that is by design. The Hawks brought in
Even the depth chart doesn’t look great, Travis Schenk, formerly of the Golden State
although there are a number of young prospects Warriors, as their new general manager and
that the Hawks fans will be happy to see more Schenk has quickly set about reshaping the
of, namely DeAndre’ Bembry, Taurean Prince and Hawks roster.
dunk king John ‘the Baptist’ Collins.
A rebuild is indeed the best idea for the
Of course, Atlanta does boast one of the best franchise. The core around Horford, Millsap and
coaches in the league in Mike Budenholzer. With Teague had peaked and the addition of Howard
CHRIS SCHWEGLER
that in mind, it would be no surprise if the Hawks did nothing to elevate that ceiling; if anything,
GETTY IMAGESpage 29 page 30
it brought that ceiling down. Things had started recent years that had begun to change. The
deteriorating immediately after that 2014/15 team, led by fan-favourite Al Horford, was
season and it became clear that the Hawks core putting up wins and delving into the playoffs.
just couldn’t become a true contender. The marketing departmnet was making smart
moves with great promotions; like Tinder Night
to bring in more people - and even paying for
The mediocrity the wedding of a couple who met on that night!
The Hawks social media team was innovative
and forward-thinking, adding to the appeal
DeAndre Dennis Dewayne Ersan Jeremy
had gone on long with funny gifs and top-notch emoji usage. The
fanbase was being revived and crowds were
enough and it was
Bembry Schroder Dedmon Ilyasova Evans
getting bigger because they knew they could go
and see their Hawks and have a good chance at
time to retool, to seeing a big old W.
But now they are rebuilding. A new, amazing-
look to the future. looking arena might be coming but if the team on
the hardwood can’t put up wins, then the crowds
We’ve seen many will undoubtedly drop, even with immediate-
favourite John ‘the Baptist’ Collins destroying
John
Collins
Jordan
Mathews
Josh
Magette
Kent
Bazemore
Luke
Babbitt
successful rebuilds rims night after night. All of that good work
over recent years will start to reverse and the
recently. The regression will get worse with every L they put
up and every year they finish with a losing record.
Philadelphia 76ers Aside from the hardcore, the already limited
fanbase will lose its devotion and shrink; so the
are threatening to rebuild threatens to do real damage. And yet
it is the best idea. It is the only way the Hawks
become elite (with can become relevant and competitive again.
It is also the Hawks best chance of acquiring a
Malcolm
Delaney
Marco
Belinelli
Mike
Muscala
Miles
Plumlee
Nicolas
Brussino
time). 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.
The Philadelphia 76ers are threatening to
become elite (with time). The Minnesota Either way, the 2017-18 season is setting up
Timberwolves are already there after adding to be a tough one for the Hawks team and the
Jimmy Butler to a core of Karl-Anthony Towns Hawks fans. The roster is straight-up bad but
and Andrew Wiggins. After a few years at the Budenholzer’s coaching acumen might actually
bottom, the Atlanta Hawks will hope to be in a lift Atlanta away from the very top picks and
similar position, having drafted high-end talent that’s not what the fans want to see.
Quinn Taurean Tyler Tyler
Cook Prince Cavanaugh Dorsey that might be able to take them to the top. All in all, there are very few matchups in which
Perhaps they’ll draft a superstar and those are Atlanta seems to have a good chance at victory.
very much a rarity in Georgia; perhaps the last As a result, it seems like Hawks fans will have to
one seen there was Dominique Wilkins. get ready to see their team put up more L’s than
And yet, the rebuild comes at a bad time and the name of a Welsh town. Being a Hawks fan
will undoubtedly hurt Atlanta. The franchise’s isn’t fun at the best of times. This year will be
fanbase has been a consistent concern but in even worse.page 31 page 32
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 on the offensive end of the floor exponentially.
Boston’s swift, accelerated rebuild, team owner With the move clearing cap space for the team
Wyc Grousbeck pledged that ‘fireworks’ were and creating further opportunity to improve
on their way. Similarly to almost every bonfire the roster, a sentence that would be uttered all
night event that I’ve ever attended, the display summer in Boston was ‘it is a business after all’.
was delayed and fans were left underwhelmed,
The cold-hearted, business driven theme
hoping for something much more explosive.
continued in August, when wantaway All-Star
This summer, with the team already way point guard Kyrie Irving was moved to Beantown,
ahead of schedule, GM Danny Ainge and his in exchange for Jae Crowder, Croatian big
staff set off the pyrotechnics with a series of man Ante Zizic, the 2018 Brooklyn Nets pick,
bold transactions that overhauled a squad of a second round pick and most notably, Isaiah
overachievers and acquired a collective that Thomas. Miscommunication and uncertainty
includes two All-Stars. For every guy the Celtics clouded the deal, which became a prolonged
lost, they received an arguably superior player debacle, eventually resulting in Boston now
in return and may now be closer to presenting a able to avoid awkward Isaiah Thomas contract
significant challenge in the race to the Finals. discussions and welcome an elite offensive
talent at the tender age of 25, with two years left
For Celtics fans it has been a summer of
on his contract.
confusion and heartbreak, in which they were
expected to disconnect their heart from their There are several factors that will affect the way
head. Each move carried logic and increased the deal looks when we look back at it in years
the amount of talent on the team, but the fans to come. Thomas’s health is an obvious one, but
experienced plenty of emotional turbulence. Irving’s ability to lead, Zizic’s contribution and
whether or not Brooklyn can improve will mould
The first difficult decision made by the front
the long-term perception of the deal.
office saw their longest tenured player and
defensive ace, Avery Bradley, along with a The fact that the Celtics waved goodbye to
second round pick, traded to the Detroit Pistons almost all of last year’s squad is remarkable,
in exchange for 27-year-old forward Marcus considering their 53 win season, number
Morris. Some within the organisation found it one seeding and Eastern Conference Finals
difficult to let go of Bradley, who served as a appearance. It’s rare for a relatively young team,
leader in the locker room and had improved faintly knocking on the door of the NBA Finals
BRIAN BABINEAU
GETTY IMAGESpage 33 page 34
to let so many guys walk. But Ainge and his more space for the above mentioned go-to stars
colleagues believed that they could strengthen to create their own shots.
the team with sufficient replacements.
An underrated aspect of the team is the way
Kelly Olynyk, Amir Johnson, Gerald Green, Jonas in which Horford can help those around him.
Jerebko, James Young, Demetrius Jackson, Al is able to consistently create space and
Jordan Mickey and Tyler Zeller all became free opportunity for teammates, as seen with the
agents, leaving the roster dauntingly thin. The improved numbers of wings, such as Bradley,
front office then began to look at how to reload. last year.
Following a pick swap with the Philadelphia Perimeter defence hasn’t been an issue in recent
Abdel
Nader
Al
Horford
Andrew
White
Aron
Baynes
Daniel
Theis
76ers, Boston selected multi-faceted Duke years for Boston, which shouldn’t change with
forward Jayson Tatum, powerful SMU standout Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown potentially
Semi Ojeleye, Kadeem Allen and Jabari Bird on taking on increased roles in the team. In the
draft night. They then bolstered the team with interior, Baynes and Morris should add some
last year’s draft stash Guerschon Yabusele, much needed steel.
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 To his credit, Stevens
faced - rebounding and depth.
Gordon
Hayward
Guerschon
Yabusele
Jaylen
Brown
Jayson
Tatum
Kadeem
Allen Boston’s biggest free agency coup came in
has a history of
the form of swingman Gordon Hayward. The
former Butler Bulldog reunited with his college making the most out
head coach Brad Stevens, after leaving the
Utah Jazz and politely declining the chance to of limited resources.
join the Miami Heat. Together, the duo will try
to redeem their NCAA Championship Game
disappointment, leading the team alongside He previously helped flawed journeyman
Irving and last year’s major signing Al Horford. Jordan Crawford earn the title of Player of the
Week and has overachieved during each of his
Kyrie L.J. Marcus Semi Shane Stevens now has a considerable amount of
Irving Peak Smart Ojeleye Larkin seasons at the helm. Irving, despite playing with
offensive weapons at his disposal with the roster
LeBron James, has never fully benefited from
that has been assembled. Last year’s addition
the services of a widely revered head coach
of Jaylen Brown and Horford spoke for how
for an extended period of time. If the stars on
much the organisation values adaptability. This
the roster are willing to fully buy into Boston’s
summer’s flood of versatile athletes further
system, the results may speak for themselves.
states the team’s intention to prosper among the
The onus is now on Stevens to help convert the
age of positionless, fluid basketball.
wealth of talent into success.
Schematically, options have broadened
The litmus test when it comes to progress for
substantially. Last year’s team relied far too
Terry Marcus modern playoff teams is plainly unfair. Following
Rozier Morris* heavily on the scoring of Thomas, who pulled the
almost every move, the basketball world
team to the finish line late in games on a regular
speculates on whether it will be enough to push
basis. The coaching staff will now hope that
them past LeBron or the Western Conference
Hayward, Irving and eventually Tatum will allow
juggernaut that is the Golden State Warriors.
them to dump the ball in a number of hands
Whilst no move made by Boston this summer
when a bucket is required.
instantly pushes them past Cleveland, the
The spacing on the floor should improve also, ambition to do exactly that is there for all to see.
with more capable shooters in Morris, Ojeleye
and an improved Brown. This in hand allows
*
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.You can also read
