As a basketball fan I love this time of year. There is so much hope in the air as players return to their respective clubs, fans start drafting their fantasy teams and the entire NBA season ahead is up in the air.
The concept that only half the teams in each conference will make the playoffs is just absurd and everyone is dreaming of having a winning season.
Hindsight has not cast its judging gaze over the season yet, previous seasons performances are easily forgotten behind a thick cloud of new signings, ambitious statements from GMs/coaches/players and the energy surrounding all the what ifs that come with preparing for a new season.
To celebrate this magical time in the calendar I have prepared an optimist’s guide to every team in the league with a few reasons why you can get excited about each of them before they eventually break your heart and start looking ahead to the 2015 NBA draft.
Put your rose tinted glasses on, sit back and have a pinch of salt at arm’s length.
Dallas Mavericks
Draft Picks – None – Our first round pick was always headed elsewhere after being in the hands of the Lakers andamp; Rockets before finally heading to OKC as part of the Harden trade. The same can be said for our second round pick. Who needs young punks around anyway?
Did We Add Anyone?
Chandler Parsons, Tyson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Al Fariq Aminu, Richard Jefferson, Charlie Villanueva and Jameer Nelson. The now famous Chandler nightclub signing may turn out to be a reach but we have Dirk on a discount, many capable veterans on small scale deals and a real chance at doing damage in the playoffs.
Reason to Get Excited
Did you see us in the playoffs last season? We almost blew away the NBA Champs in the first round. With an upgraded roster the sky is the limit.
Denver Nuggets
Draft Picks – Jusuf Nurkic (16th) and Gary Harris (19th) – By swapping our 11th overall pick for two of Chicago’s picks we nabbed two promising players in a loaded draft. Nurkic is a tall Bosnian who has played well in pre-season and Harris is a Michigan State shooting guard that should develop nicely under Arron Afflalo.
Did We Add Anyone?
Arron Afflalo and Alonzo Gee – Afflalo provides a big upgrade at the SG position from last season and will be an even bigger upgrade defensively. Gee can be a lights out scorer off the bench and will fit nicely with the pace of this team.
Reason to Get Excited
Gallo is back and we still have Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried. The potential is there to be a fun team so let’s pray that the injuries of years past don’t get us down.
Golden State Warriors
Draft Picks – None – Who needs draft picks when you have the best shooting back court in the NBA?
Did We Add Anyone?
Shaun Livingston, Leondro Barbosa and Steve Kerr – Livingston is highly regarded by some and for our sake let’s hope they are right. Barbosa can score quickly, something we need off the bench. Kerr adds three point shooting and championship experience but unfortunately wearing a suit each game means only one of those things is useful.
Reason to Get Excited
Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, David Lee and Andrew Bogut. That is one good looking starting line-up and with a new coach that boasts a very high basketball IQ I expect big things from the Warriors.
Houston Rockets
Draft Picks – Clint Capela (25th) and Nick Johnson (42nd) – We aren’t going to set the world on fire with these two picks but being Swiss, Capela might be the next Thabo Sefolosha. Eins, zwei, drei…
Did We Add Anyone?
Kosta Papanikolaou, Trevor Ariza and Jason Terry – Ariza is handy two way wing that will replace Chandler Parsons, Terry can score off the bench and you know Kosta is going to be good for the Rockets just because of the ease with which the commentators are pronouncing his name in pre-season.
Reason to get Excited
Nobody panic, we have James Harden and Dwight Howard! Everyone else is interchangeable so we can plug the other spots with Looney Tunes and AAU kids and still be fine.
Los Angeles Clippers
Draft Picks – C.J Wilcox (28th) – Yay, we get another SG to fill a cheap roster spot at the end of the bench. I hope he makes good friends with Reggie Bullock.
Did We Add Anyone?
Spencer Hawes, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Epke Udoh, Joe Ingles and Steve Ballmer – Hawes loves shooting 3s, Udoh can be an energy guy off the bench and Douglas-Roberts is determined to bring short shorts and bad hair back to the NBA.
On the plus side we are finally rid of Donald Sterling, replaced by the good kind of crazy guy as owner in Steve Ballmer and there is an Australian on the team. Junk time for the Clippers just became a little more fun.
Reason to Get Excited?
Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and Doc Rivers – Big names, big expectations. I won’t go into the horrible refereeing against the Thunder that cost us a title last season but this season will be different. You are looking at the 2015 NBA Champions (let’s ignore the pre-season record, that stuff doesn’t count).
Los Angeles Lakers
Draft Picks – Julius Randle (7th) and Jordan Clarkson (46th) – Randle is our prize for the horrible injury plagued 2013-14 NBA season and our first foray into the lottery since Andrew Bynum. Clarkson is backup just in case Steve Nash’s body betrays again and Jeremy Lin is murdered by Kobe after pitching they both star in Rush Hour 4.
Did We Add Anyone?
Jeremy Lin, Carlos Boozer, Ed Davis, Wayne Ellington and Byron Scott – Brought in as defensive specialists (jokes), Lin and Boozer can at least score the basketball if they are given permission by Kobe. That’s a big if. Scott is an upgrade at head coach only because he isn’t Mike D’Antoni. Not sure how he will go if things turn sour.
Reason to Get Excited
It’s Kobe nostalgia season as he throws back to the good old days before advanced metrics told everyone your star player didn’t need to shoot 30 times a game. It’s just going to be one giant F you to the record books, efficiency, his teammates and all those analytics nerds preaching the benefits of ‘team basketball’. If Kobe gets injured then it’s time to think ahead to keeping our 2015 first round pick. Either way it will be entertaining as all hell.
Memphis Grizzlies
Draft Picks – Jordan Adams (22nd) – Having the name Jordan is a good start but unless this guy starts off averaging 30ppg in November the average fan will quickly forget he exists.
Did We Add Anyone?
Vince Carter and Earl Clark – Vinsanity is walking in Memphis! He might be past his prime but he showed in Dallas that there is still a place for his skills and that place is Memphis.
Reason to Get Excited
Z-Bo is in a contract year, your front court duo can still be nicknamed Ga-Z-Bo and you saved a lot of pain by recently waiving Michael Beasley. Other than that it isn’t a very exciting roster or city so let’s be thankful we are still competitive.
Are you an overly optimistic NBA fan and think I missed anything?
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