NBA 2017 Team Additions And Season Predictions
October 25, 2017
Offseason for any sport is always filled with trades, new contracts and new draft picks, and the NBA is no exception.
The Oklahoma City Thunder has added two big names to their roster this offseason: Small forwards Paul George, who is a Fresno State alumnus and former player of the Indiana Pacers, and small forward Carmelo Anthony, formerly of the New York Knicks.
Kevin Durant, small forward who now plays for the Golden State Warriors, was a big help to the Thunder during his time on the team. After Durant’s decision to leave was announced in 2016, fans of the Thunder wondered if their guard Russell Westbrook was going to be able to show his full potential without his trustee teammate.
Despite the absence of Durant, Westbrook received the NBA 2017 Kia Most Valuable Player award and broke records during the following season.
With the help of George and Anthony, the Thunder went 3-1 this preseason. Last year, the Thunder ended with an overall record of 47-35. Having these two big names thrown in with Westbrooks could lead the team to a possible 60 plus wins.
Former Cleveland Cavalier point guard Kyrie Irving, now of the Boston Celtics, had eyes on him during this off season.
The former Cav player pleaded a trade request to head to Boston in order to “fill his own potential,” according to NBA.com.
In return for Irving’s departure, the Cavaliers got point guard Isaiah Thomas, small forward Jae Crowder and center Ante Zizic, as well as two draft picks to Cleveland.
The Golden State Warriors added previous Los Angeles Lakers small forward Nick Young as he was a free agent. Young is known for his high scoring abilities.
For this upcoming season’s finals, The Cavaliers and Warriors seem to both be heading toward another matchup against each other.
Both teams are the best of their divisions, with the Warriors being the best in the west and the Cavaliers the best of the east. Both teams have strong leaders and teammates. This matchup has been done before and will not be a surprise if it happens again.
Regular season kicks off on Oct. 17 in a matchup of games that include a couple of interesting ones between the Celtics and Cavaliers and the Rockets and Warriors.