TAKES FOR EVERY TEAM: PART ONE
Welcome back to another season of NBA basketball. It’s been a long and eventful off-season, so long that you might not remember things like the Royce O’Neal trade that ended up being the first domino to fall in Utah. Thankfully for you, I’ve been keeping notes of where everyone scattered once the season ended and contracts became more ideas than they did employment obligations.
This is the first of three parts previewing the upcoming 2022-23 NBA season, and a guide for what you can expect from every team this year. In last season’s version of this preview, only 10 teams were featured, which was a lot easier, and positive and negative takes were put forward.
This year, I’m taking a global view of each franchise and the likely outcomes of their season to form a take for each and all of them. These aren’t necessarily power rankings, those will come later, but they should give you an idea of how excited or depressed you should feel about your favourite team this year.
This first part features the Brooklyn Nets, Denver Nuggets, Charlotte Hornets, New Orleans Pelicans, Cleveland Cavaliers, Memphis Grizzlies, Orlando Magic, Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks.
Brooklyn Nets
IN: Markieff Morris, Royce O’Neal, T.J Warren & Yuta Watanabe (and the Japanese market)
OUT: Bruce Brown, LaMarcus Aldridge, Goran Dragic, Andre Drummond & Blake Griffin
16-foot floor to ceiling windows
Picture this: you’re walking down Flatbush Avenue, which Google tells me is the most famous in Brooklyn, and you notice a haggard Sean Marks leaning against a light post, chain vaping, distressed. He’s wrapped in a cherry-flavoured cloud of smoke and a grey hoodie with a beanie pulled all the way down to his eyes. He approaches you and holds out a hotel keycard.
“Hey, can I just ask you to do me a favour? I need you to go upstairs to my apartment and tell me what it looks like. It’s nothing weird, I just need to know.” His hand is outstretched, shaking. He’s pushing the keycard onto you.
“Look, I’ve got this place up there – it’s the penthouse. And I kind of rented it out to these two best friends who swore it was their life’s ambition to live together in my penthouse. I took them in as tenants and things were ok for a year, then they wanted their other friend to come in on the lease too. That was fine, three guys is no problem. Suddenly, they hate this third guy and want him out, and they want me to find a new third tenant. I’m a nice guy you know, so I found this Australian guy and swapped the tenants around. Should be fine, right? Well suddenly, the Australian guy isn’t paying any fucking rent and the two best friends realise they might not be best friends anymore. So they’re calling me and telling me they want to break the lease, and I’m supposed to find them another penthouse.”
Marks’ eyes are widening as he repeats his trauma. His phone starts ringing and you see the contact is named “Shams DO NOT ANSWER”. He ignores the call and forces your hand open, pushing the keycard in.
“Look, I don’t know, things got pretty wild between those guys. I think they might have trashed the place. One of them made some pretty big threats to me.
You try and hand it back to him, tell him like your kidneys right where you are, thank you very much.
“If you go up I’ll give you, I dunno… a veteran’s minimum contract” Marks pleads.
So there’s you, $1.8 million richer, heading up the elevator to inspect an apartment worth hundreds of millions of dollars, which could either be in completely pristine condition, or have the chandeliers ripped out of the ceiling. It’s either the penthouse or the outhouse, there’s no in-between.
And that’s the 2022-23 Brooklyn Nets – who the fuck knows what this team is going to be?
I challenge you to make one prediction about this team that doesn’t involve a hypothetical. Sure, Ben Simmons and Kryie Irving could be one the best backcourt pairings in the league; a mix of elite playmaking and elite defense. Sure, Kevin Durant could resile from his dispute with the front office and resume being the single greatest individual scorer of all time without protest.
Outside of the big 3 question marks, Brooklyn looks to be a better team now than they did at the end of last season. Royce O’Neale is a nice piece who can definitely play a role to help the team – and was somehow the first domino to fall in Utah. T.J Warren could recapture some of his previous buble form, after spending most of his time since being injured or riding the pine in Indiana. Patty Mills, Nick Claxton and Kessler Edwards have all signed on for another ride. Seth Curry will find ways of being effective around the periphery of the offense. They’ve cleaned out that old decaying smell that emanated from the back half of the bench – or was that just Blake Griffin’s knees?
I lean towards tragedy for this team, but I’m aware that things could suddenly trend positive. Teams tend to start getting along when they’re beating everyone by 40 points, and if everything breaks right for Brooklyn, they’ll be putting up triple digits in three quarters again and everyone will be best friends.
In the time between publication and tip-off, there’s bound to be 15 different rumours about who said what to whom and different players loving or hating Steve Nash. So please, forgive me if this take is a little broad.
Denver Nuggets
IN: Bruce Brown, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Ish Smith & DeAndre Jordan
OUT: Will Barton, Monte Morris & Jamychal Green
EXTENSIONS: Nikola Jokic (5 years, $264m)
A considered choice for the sophisticated bandwagoner
The stars are aligning in Denver. We might finally see this team at its best after spending the last two seasons rueing what could have been (for reasons beyond their control). Nikola Jokic, now a two-time MVP and with a fresh quarter-bil contract, is finally going to have a capable supporting task.
Last season, the Nuggets fell to the Warriors in the first round, Jokic being pushed beyond the point of exhaustion by relentless drives by Stephen Curry. There’s very little blame to place on anyone’s shoulders for the Nuggets’ shortcomings last season. Jamal Murray was out for the entire season while he recovered from an ACL injury and Michael Porter Junior had his third back surgery in his 24 years of being alive.
The Nuggets withheld both Murray and Porter from the playoffs, despite rumours that both players might have been available against the Warriors. With only one of their three best players available, the Nuggets had a brave ‘21-‘22 season and Jokic deservedly won his second consecutive MVP. By all accounts, Murray and Porter are completely healthy and ready for opening night. Temper your excitement with the knowledge that, so long as his eyes are open, Michael Porter Jr is an injury risk.
Otherwise, it will be more of the same from Mike Malone’s coaching menu: delicious Nikola Jokic-centric offense and a middle of the road defense. I am perfectly happy to sit and eat at that table all night, having Jokic serve up whatever slices of basketball genius come to mind throughout 48 minutes. Bounce-pass me that dinner roll baby, let’s eat!
Bruce Brown adds a nice wrinkle to this team. Getting out of Brooklyn as fast as he could, Brown becomes another physical outlier in a team led by the greatest physical outlier to play professional sport. Brown is a 6-foot-4 point guard, who can genuinely defend positions one through five, who played center at times for the Nets and was the only Nets player to put any effort into the last season. Brown isn’t going to be a huge player for Denver (he’s never averaged more than 10 points a season), but he feels like the kind of guy that impacts games more than his statistical output. He’ll make smart cuts beneath the basket that only Jokic can see, and find plenty of easy points in his time coming off the bench.
If you’re in the market for an NBA team to follow and don’t want to pick a team whose jersey you see sported by guys who wear jeans to the gym, then the Nuggets are for you. This is the sweet spot for an NBA hipster pick: a team with one of the best players in the world, who play a unique and funky style, and which doesn’t come from a huge market and might not be known to everyone. Beware though, this might be your last chance to jump onto the Nuggets bandwagon, they’re a genuine championship contender this year and if they win it all you’re too late. So get on now, pretend like you can stand the sight of Facundo Campazzo and let Big Honey take you to glory.
Charlotte Hornets
IN: Mark Williams
OUT: Montrezl Harrell, Isaiah Thomas, Miles Bridges (to jail)
Just make it through the season in one piece
Well, the Charlotte Hornets just had the off-season from hell.
It started when Montrezl Harrell was arrested for drug trafficking, later downgraded to misdemeanor, then he jumped to Philly (more on him later). It got a whole lot worse when Miles Bridges, who was due for a massive extension after the best season of his career, was charged as the perpetrator of domestic violence, for which he should never be allowed to return to the league. The details of his alleged offending are distressing and won’t be repeated here.
That being the mood surrounding the franchise, everything feels down around a club which felt so exciting and new only 12 months ago. Suddenly, LaMelo looks to have fallen off the Trae Young path and onto a route more Victor Oladipo-ish, Gordon Hayward is constantly injuring new parts of his feet, ankles and hands, and the young talent doesn’t seem to be developing as intended. Bouknight, P.J Washington and Kai Jones have their moments, but none of them look like they’ll be taking up the reins as the number-2 guy anytime soon.
Terry Rozier shines as a bright ray of hope on this team: a moderately accomplished veteran who is usually healthy, a willing passer and a great scorer. Rozier left a better situation in Boston to join the Hornets because Boston wouldn’t commit to him as their number 1 point guard. Now LaMelo has ascended to the face of the franchise, is Rozier happy to sit back? A Rozier trade is unlikely this season, as his $96m contract extension kicks in this year, but anything is possible in this NBA – there’s been a few whispers he might be available.
Maybe the most entertaining subplot of this Charlotte season is Kelly Oubre Jr.’s contract year. Oubre is 26 and will be looking for the biggest contract of his career next off-season. Even under normal circumstances, nobody loves the bright lights more than Kelly Oubre Jr. Now he’s playing on a team that no one really expects will make the playoffs, with an opening for top scorer and absolutely no desire to pass to his teammates.
Otherwise, Mark Williams is an interesting player just on the basis of his physical properties. He’s 7-foot-2 and has a 9-foot-9 wingspan. Without having ever seen him play, I’m going to take a wild guess that he can dunk, is probably a pretty decent lob threat and rim defender.
Sorry Charlotte fans, maybe watch a few Denver games this season and claim that you’re allowed to have a Western Conference team too.
New Orleans Pelicans
IN: Dyson Daniels
OUT: Gary Glark, Jared Harper & Tony Snell (aka three shrug emojis)
EXTENSIONS: Zion (5 years, $193m), C.J McCollum (2 years, $64m)
Pray at the Altar of Zion
Everything ended up pretty much alright for the Pelicans last season. After a horrid start to the season, New Orleans ended up qualifying as the 8th seed and sticking it to the Suns for a few games during a series that most predicted would be a whitewash. They struck gold in the depths of the draft twice, taking Herb Jones and Trey Murphy late, then picked up the undrafted steals king Jose Alverado, all of whom will be regular rotation players this season, or in Jones’ case, starting.
Let’s get the Australian bias out of the way – is Dyson Daniels any good? Maybe. He’s a super athletic guy who seems to have a good feel for the game but he can’t exactly shoot. Daniels’ shooting form isn’t horrific, his limbs tend to all go in the directions they’re supposed to, they’re just completely out of time with each other. It’s less a task of fixing his shot as it is teaching him how to shoot.
That’s no problem though, because the Pelicans have Fred Vinson on staff. Vinson is the shooting coach responsible for fixing Lonzo Ball’s shooting form, remember the one where his right arm would completely obscure his face? If Vinson can fix Lonzo, he can teach Daniels.
Brandon Ingram is beginning to reach the peak of his powers at age 25 this season, averaging over 20 points per game throughout his three years in New Orleans. Ingram is a fantastic offensive player and borderline all-star: it’s not unreasonable to expect him to bump that scoring average north of 25.
Down low, Jonas Valanciunas has shown there’s still a place for him in this league with his physical style of play, as well as improving his outside shooting, averaging 36% from deep last season. C.J McCollum is the perfect veteran for this team, an experienced guy who’s still trying to win it all who still has a year or two left of his prime. At worst, he’s a knockdown corner shooter and on-court coach, letting the kids run the show.
I say all that to make the point that the Pelicans are, at their base level, a good Western Conference team well equipped with quality players, who tasted some success last season and will be back for more. But a shadow hangs over New Orleans. That shadow happens to be 6-foot-6 and weighs as much as a small car.
This publication lamented Zion’s absence many times last season as his return date was pushed further and further back after suffering a mysterious foot injury that no one knew about until training camp. Initially he would recover by opening night, then he needed surgery and would be back after Christmas, then March, then he was out for the season.
Throughout the year, we saw all kinds of different photos of Zion looking out of shape in a hoodie one day, then jacked in a t-shirt the next. Reports that his comeback was delayed would be followed by videos of him throwing down windmill dunks in an empty gym. Rumours that he hadn’t spoken to his teammates in months would be responded to by players saying he’s their best friend. Everything to do with Zion last year was hazy.
Zion returns jacked out of his mind and looking well within the alleged weight limit contained in his new $193m contract. There’s been plenty of videos of him showing off his effortless athleticism – the man could kiss the top of the backboard if he wanted to. By all reports, Zion is as healthy as he’s been since before he blew out his shoe at Duke, when he was destroying young men’s hopes and dreams as he scrambled from the free throw line to the corner to block their shot into oblivion.
Zion’s game is easy to describe: no one can stop this dude from scoring. At age 22, he’s bigger and stronger than everyone in the league save maybe Giannis. He makes other elite athletes look like children, throwing guys like Rudy Gobert off their feet and into the second row of the stands.
This isn’t a case of ‘what could Zion do for this team’ – we already know. Zion’s talents are more than theoretical, he’s a top 15 player in the league when healthy. At his best in 2021, Zion was the leading paint scorer in the league, at a mark of 19.6 points per game.Over a 25 game stretch when he was allowed to play point guard, he averaged 29.5 points on 63% shooting with 7 boards and 4 assists. That’s a bunch of numbers to tell you that he is an absolute freak. The Pelicans have 30 insanely efficient points per game coming back to them this season.
Zion just needs to take the court and the Pelicans are one of the best teams in the West. Zion has never played in the playoffs and New Orleans are looking to head back there. The only problem is, nearly everyone else in the West got better too If he’s with them, they’re a playoff team, maybe even a 4 seed. Pelicans fans, get on your hands and knees, tithe away your entire salary and pray that he stays healthy.
Cleveland Cavaliers
IN: Donovan Mitchell, Robin Lopez, Isaiah Mobley, Raul Neto & Ricky Rubio
OUT: Colin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen & Rajon Rondo
Believe-land is back!
It took me some time to peel back some of the hatred and 2016-based pain that I harbored for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but Evan Mobley and Darius Garland made me fall in love with this team. Add Donovan Mitchell, for whom I will freely admit I massively overrate, and I’m positively smitten with these Cavs.
Spare a thought for the end of the SIZE MONSTER lineup of Mobley, Lauri Markannen and Jarrett Allen, the most entertaining rejection of small ball we’ve seen in a while. However, I’m prepared for Evan’s older brother Isaiah Mobley taking Lauri’s place in that lineup – just make it happen Bickerstaff. I’m a fan of the Mobley pick purely for the sake of keeping a potential franchise player happy. Is he any good? Who cares, just do whatever Evan Mobley wants until you can sign him to a $700m supermax.
Outside of Mitchell, it’s more of the same goodness for the Cavs, which is exactly what’s needed. Before being struck by a horrible string of injuries, losing Mobley and Garland for extended periods at the end of the year, Cleveland were a top 4 seed in the East, and deserved to be there.
Last season was not an outlier; the Cavs are capable of replicating what made them successful. They are legitimate giant killers capable of beating any team in the league, falling into step behind Darius Garland, who is afraid of absolutely no one. Building on the foundations of last season, the Cavs are on their way to dominating the East for the first time without LeBron. Don’t be surprised when Cleveland leads the East in February. Mark that down.
Mitchell is such a welcome and unexpected addition to this team. At the cost of one sometimes starter, the Cavs have locked down a backcourt partner for Darius Garland. The fit with Sexton worked well enough, but it was an uncomfortable marriage of two guys who were at their best with the ball in their hands.
Donovan as a creator is … fine, but he’s best used as a strike weapon. Make everyone else move, then find Donny and let him exploit whatever mismatch presented to him. In Utah, Mitchell did most of his work off the dribble, sharing ball-handling duties equally with Mike Conley. Mitchell hasn’t been a catch-and-shoot guy for a long time: they made up only 17.5% of his possessions last season, but Cleveland will find plenty of shots for him in the corner and behind the arc, after the entire defense collapses in on a Mobley-Garland ‘oh no’ pick and roll.
Unfortunately, the ‘Donovan Mitchell is better than Jayson Tatum’ club, of which I am President, is on the brink of collapse, its membership abandoning the club after Tatum’s recent trip to the Finals. At this stage, I’m stripping the copper out of the walls and trying to figure out a way to burn the place down without the insurance figuring out I did it.
All that aside, it’s going to be fun believing in Cleveland this season as they take it to the top of the East. I might even have to get myself one of their sweet new ketchup and mustard jerseys.
Memphis Grizzlies
IN: Danny Green & Big Boy Kenny Lofton JR
OUT: DeAnthony Melton & Kyle Anderson
EXTENSIONS: Ja Morant (5 years, $193m)
Why can’t Ja Morant be MVP?
During a turbulent off-season elsewhere, the most that anyone in Memphis has done since they were eliminated in May is engage in some medium-spice Twitter beef with Draymond Green. While it’s hard to find objectivity in the face of a team publicly fighting with the unofficial devil placed on the shoulder of this publication (as always, this is a pro-Draymond rag), every logical part of me knows that this team is going to sprint through the regular season.
Memphis made it to the second round of the playoffs after beating up the Timberwolves so badly that they decided to trade for Rudy Gobert – a successful season for a young team making their second trip to the playoffs, but less than is traditionally expected of a 2-seed.
The only issue that Memphis might face to start the year is the absence of Jaren Jackson Jr. Jackson suffered a stress fracture in his foot over the summer which will keep him out until about Christmas. Except the Grizz won 20 of their 22 games without Ja Morant last season, so this team can probably handle it.
Ja took the leap to superstardom last season, becoming one of the most prolific scorers in the league. He’s improved every year of his career and he’s still only 23. Ja led the league in points in the paint last season, becoming the first guard and shortest player ever to do so. There’s no defender in the league that is going to consistently stop Ja from getting to the rim; he’s too fast, too strong and too determined to dunk all over his man.
The only thing that will reduce Ja’s inside scoring is if he chooses to increase his 3-point shooting. Ja shot 34% from 3 on 4.5 attempts per game last season: a decent clip but still low enough that his defender can gamble by slipping behind the screen and hoping that Ja misses. Even then, Ja hit constant dagger 3’s last season and especially against Minnesota in the playoffs. There’s nothing mechanically wrong with his jumpshot so, if Ja takes two more 3’s a game – everyone’s fucked.
Outside of Ja, Memphis run a creative offense which utilises the skills of its under-appreciated supporting cast. Desmond Bane entered the league as a dead-eye corner shooter who has improved to become an increasingly dangerous off-ball threat, Steven Adams is a brick wall that Ja places like an obstacle course between him and his defender and the bench is full of reliable guys like Tyus Jones and Xavier Tillman. Melton and Anderson are replaceable losses from the back end of the bench, otherwise the Grizz are running it back for another year.
If the Grizzlies manage to make it through Jackson’s absence, starting Brandon Clarke, the guy who leads the league in ‘wait, how did he get the ball?’ buckets under the hoop, then home court advantage, and maybe even an MVP award for Morant, are well in sight.
As tempting as it is to zag on the Grizzlies in retaliation for Dillon Brooks’ attempted murder of Gary Payton II, there’s no getting past it, this is a really good team stacked with great players that hasn’t put a foot wrong yet.
The cursed first seed of the West is open this season; the Warriors aren’t particularly interested in winning 60+ games and the Suns have already drank from that poisoned chalice and failed to win a title. Why can’t Memphis take it?
Orlando Magic
IN: Paolo Banchero & hope
OUT: Robin Lopez
Keep repeating those positive affirmations
It’s been a difficult decade for the Orlando Magic, only featuring two playoff appearances, being bounced in the first round on both occasions (despite DJ Augustine winning game 1 in both series, one of the great anomalies), countless lottery picks and keeping Nikola Vucevic in basketball jail.
But here’s a list of current Orlando Magic players: Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr, Cole Anthony – those guys can actually play basketball! Add to that the potential improvement of Markelle Fultz and the apparent return of Jonathan Isaac and that’s seven players! That’s a full starting lineup plus a two man bench, that’s all you need in the playoffs! Aaand Fultz is injured again.
Magic fans can close their eyes and repeat a few positive affirmations as they replay Franz Wagner’s Eurobasket highlights projected against their eyelids. It’s a far better viewing experience than what the Amway Center offers.
This is where the take for every team concept starts to take on water. Outside of falling asleep on the couch or hoping Cole Anthony will give a memeworthy post-game interview, the only reason to watch the Magic this year is Paolo Banchero. This year’s number 1 draft pick is an absolute stud, a 19 year old big who has already tapped into his man strength. Paolo is a lock for Rookie of the Year now that Chet Holgrem is out for the season, but there’s no joy to be found in watching a guy score 25 a game whose teammates drop every single one of his passes.
Dallas Mavericks
IN: Christian Wood & JaVale McGee
OUT: Jalen Brunson & Boban Marjanovic
The West’s worst nightmare
Luka Doncic is about to tear the heart out of every single franchise in the next few years, and stomp on it for good measure. Luka conducted an on-court autopsy of the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs, slowly removing every vein and artery, and now he’s got a taste for blood.
By all accounts, this will be the first season that Luka rocks up in shape, fresh from Eurobasket. By other accounts, the Slovenian national team were partying and drinking until 5am the night before they were eliminated by Poland, a team whose players are known only to google. Luka was the betting favourite for MVP in each of the last 3 seasons and in all of those seasons used October to December to get back into shape. For your own sanity, do bet on Luka for MVP until January 2023. Do not fall victim to thirst-trap photos of Luka where he looks to be in shape, get help.
Returning to the court, the Mavs managed to wrangle Christian Wood from the Rockets for cents on the dollar. Without any evidence, it’s suspicious that both Detroit and Houston have been willing to part with Wood despite his status as leading scorer for both teams. One thing needs to be made clear to Christian very quickly: this is not your team.
The prevailing theory is that Luka needs some kind of running mate, Wood being the latest attempt to find a partner. That theory is wrong. Luka doesn’t need an accomplice, he needs a bunch of street thugs who are good at doing what they’re told. Set a screen, find your way behind the 3-point line and consider yourself lucky to get your hands on the ball.
Look at Spencer Dinwiddie, aka Spencer Winwiddie. Spencer was given primary control of the offense in Washington and the team fell backwards as he struggled to procure points between himself, Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma, as their playoff hopes became invisible. The Wizards threw their hands up and decided it was all too hard to manage Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans, so they may as well take on Kristaps Porzingis. Upon arriving in Dallas, Dinwiddie had the ball only when Luka let him, and flourished in a supporting role whenever Luka was doubled.
The sooner that Wood falls into line, the more effective the Mavs will be. Luka is about to embark on a tour around the continental United States crushing hopes and dreams, and every now and then, Wood might be required to step up and score 30 points.
There’s only so much room at the top of the West, but Dallas look to have a place with the best of them. Just like their leader, the Mavs get better every year and in an absolutely stacked Western Conference, the Mavs will be going into battle every night knowing they’ve got the best warrior on the court in the form of their Slovenian hero.
Oklahoma City Thunder
IN: Chet Holmgren, Ousmane Dieng, Jalen Williams & Jaylin Williams
OUT: None.
Balancing the scales between SGA and Wembanyama
Winning hasn’t been a priority in OKC for a while now; Thunder GM Sam Presti is far more interested in the cultivation of assets. Eventually, OKC will have the draft rights to the entire 2028 first round, or they’ll cash in all their chips for the right prospect.
It just so happens that the right prospect is out there this year, by the name of Victor Wembanyama. Wemby is a 7-foot-3 center with an 8 foot wingspan about to play his second season in the Euroleague. The French prospect can handle the ball like a guard, shoots exceptionally well from deep and has impeccable timing on defense, deleting shots at the rim. He travels to America in October to face his likely battle for the number 1 pick, Scoot Henderson (he’s really good too, but not enough to go number 1).
There’s a lot to indicate that Wembanyama is the real deal and the kind of player to build an entire franchise around. Every highlight of his floods through twitter, quickly followed by doubts about his stretchy frame and the risk he’ll succumb to the same kind of injuries that have taken down stronger rookies.
Despite his skeletal physique, Wembanyama can hold his own against the much older and stronger players in the Euroleague, and will spend the year making them shake their heads as he rains 3’s on one end and blocks them on the other.
OKC are in an odd position this season. By all accounts, this was going to be the season they turned the wagon around and started trying to win again. Josh Giddey even played a couple of Summer League games that were completely unnecessary for his own development, just to build chemistry with rookie and number 2 draft pick, Chet Holmgren.
Giddey was a revelation last year for the Thunder, joining 8th pick, amongst criticism that Aussie Josh wasn’t ready for the league. Giddey proved everyone wrong almost immediately, showing off his elite playmaking and keeping pace with a league that many thought was beyond him and his NBL experience. Year 2 for Giddey and there’s quiet optimism that he can build on his rookie year and potentially take the reins of the offense.
Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing Chet this season after he suffered a Lisfranc injury in the summer, joining the long list of 7-footers to miss their rookie season through injury. It’s a great sadness that changes the Thunder’s approach to this season.
The Thunder’s primary goal will be the number 1 pick, but they don’t need to lose every game to get their man. Come draft day, what’s to stop Sam Presti from knocking on the door of whomever has the number 1 pick and offering them 25 of the Thunder’s 38 upcoming picks for Wembanyama? They can use the season as development for their young players; the two Williams’ and Dieng are all handy and add to the long list of great Thunder picks.
One guy who may not be happy with another season of losing is Thunder pointguard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Since landing in OKC after he was traded for Paul George, Shai had one playoff season beside Chris Paul and has been chained to the kitchen table since, having to beg for scraps of victory. Shai is the best young pointguard in the league behind Luka and Trae Young and, if a team is willing to pay a hefty price, he would be more than happy to make it back into the playoffs.
There are no teams that wouldn’t want a pointguard as young and talented as Shai, and the price is obviously paid in picks. New York, fresh off their failure to acquire Donovan Mitchell, have 8 picks to use, and there’s already chatter the Knicks are willing to furnish an offer.
Unfortunately, a team that looked as if they would be competing for a play-in spot will spend another year in the back half of the league, but there’s plenty to like for the Thunder in years to come.
New York Knicks
IN: Jalen Brunson & Isaiah Hartenstein
OUT: Alec Burks, Taj Gibson, Nerlens Noel & Kemba Walker
EXTENSIONS: RJ Barrett (4 year, $120m) & Mitchell Robinson (4 years, $60m)
Please welcome, the Mid-3!
Based on price tag alone, with Brunson, Barrett, Randle and Robertson all on big money, you’d expect this team to achieve something this season. You would be wrong.
For posterity, I should put it on the record as early as possible that I absolutely love Jalen Brunson and Knicks fans should be happy to have added their first notable free agent since 2019. This is despite the empty feeling of missing out on Donovan Mitchell.
I can respect the fact that the Knicks stuck to their guns in negotiations with Utah and refused to give up more than the RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley/Quentin Grimes and 3 picks package, allowing the Cavs to swoop in for Donovan Mitchell while the Knicks squabbled with the Jazz over pick protections.
By insisting that New York send them an unprotected first round pick, Utah essentially said to the Knicks “hey, we’re going suck for a while and rebuild, but we know you guys are going to suck forever”.
Are the Knicks going to suck again this year? Most likely, but at least they’re going to suck with the only two guys they’ve given a rookie extension to since Y2K. Surely it comes with a certain sense of pride when you’re failing with your own cattle.
It’s been a long and dark tunnel for the Knicks over the last few decades. Sure, there were some highlights along the way but these were just skylights in the tunnel. Despite this, I still want positive things to happen for this team. The Knicks are just annoyingly important to the league. They’re one of the establishing clubs, they play in one of the most iconic arenas, they have some of the best jerseys. On the other hand, it’s funny how often and how badly they fail and, with Robert Sarver selling up and skipping town, James Dolan now receives the title of worst owner in the league.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is back for another year of screaming at Julius Randle and Randle is back for another year of not listening to those screams. Elsewhere on the bench we’ve got pretty much the same staff that Thibs brought with him in 2020, plus Jalen Brunsons’s dad! Hopefully the Brunson’s can pump some life into the offense this season. The Brunson-Randle pick-and-roll will be fascinating, since Randle seems to prefer being the ball handler more than he does the roll man, and I’d love to watch a compilation of Jalen Brunson begrudgingly setting screens.
As much as I’d like to be proven wrong, the Knicks don’t feel like anything more than a play-in team. If the league is as rigged as it’s supposed to be, maybe there’s a particularly heavy blue and orange ping pong ball in the draft lottery machine come June.
Stay tuned for part two, another 10 teams and another 10 takes.