RE: NBA Analyze - Same Faces New Places and What is going to happen next!
Love the insight and post! I'm glad you took up my offer of posting some NBA content :p
I think two teams have significantly improved their status: OKC and Minnesota. I would put in Houston and Boston in there also, but there are still some question marks.
OKC has a bonafide Starting 5 now with their recent transactions: Russ, Roberson, Paul George, Patrick Patterson, Steven Adams
I think OKC can make some serious noise and compete with the best of them! I'm not sure about their bench, but I think getting PG for Oladipo and Sabonis straight up is highway robbery! As is the contract and term of Patrick Patterson! 2Patt is an amazing stretch-4. As a Raptor that watched him play the last 4 years, he is a highly-skilled, high IQ basketball player that is a threat from 3, and can also go off the dribble from time to time. He's a versatile big man that can switch SF-PF-C, and can be a big asset for small ball lineups.
Minnesota on the other hand has a very very intriguing Starting 5, which is still very young! Teague-Wiggins-Butler-Gibson-KAT as your starting 5 is going to be scary good. Bench is going to be somewhat of a question, but I'm not sure Minny's done either; plus, Coach Thibs does not really place role players anyways, so I don't expect anything different in the coming season.
Houston's my sleeper for a championship run next season. I'm not sure how their lineup is going to look, but they can surely matchup with Golden State!
Boston looks good, but they need to shed off some cap space/assets in order to stay financially stable after absorbing Hayward's big contract!
I am really glad as well that you suggest me to post about NBA and i have few more ideas so more blogs about the game we love will follow.
Glad as well to see what happen in Minnesota. I am a huge fan of Kevin Garnett and since he played most of his carrier there my heart somehow was always with them. It will be really fun to watch them that is for sure!
But there is one thing that i notice... the West is getting stronger and stronger and the East weaker and weaker. It's great to see so many competitive team in the West as this is a big plus for the game but what is happening in the East. In the last years East was anyway weaker but the way it's looking with the trades so far i think this year we are going to see the weakest East ever witch is not no great. Don't get me wrong i like Cavs a lot and i like to see them in the Finals but i like as well to see them really fighting to reach there as from what i sow so far i can bet from now that they will reach the Finals without any major problems.
What do you think?