Matthew Adams
Assistant Editor
The NBA preseason is over and the regular season is coming with a full head of steam. Teams have made alterations to their respective lineups and look to put their best foot forward to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy come late June.
This offseason was the most heartbreaking one for me. My Chicago Bulls decided to part ways with one of our top scorers, DeMar DeRozan.
As a long-time Bulls fan, this hurt me. I was not expecting the Bulls to make such a huge move to their roster. What surprised me about this was that we were so indecisive about making the trade and then out of nowhere I got a notification from ESPN that exclaimed, “Breaking News: The Chicago Bulls have traded Demar DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings.”
The trade wasn’t even good. We didn’t get anything of value that could help prepare us for the upcoming season. We obtained Chris Duarte whose production has faltered every year.
Granted, we still have Zach Lavine and Nikola Vucevic, but that just isn’t enough. I believe our record will tank to at least 39-43. One sports publication was giving out projections and they said that we would be lower than 39-43.
Another thing is that we have Lonzo Ball, who, defensively, will bring some spark to the Bulls. We also have a more improved Coby White, who can score with the best of them. He could be the second option and gain a starting position this season.
A team that has caught my attention is the Sacramento Kings. They are in an interesting situation. With a “Big 3” in Demar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis, and De’Aaron Fox, three scorers who can produce at any given point.
The addition of DeRozan is good because he can score at a high clip, especially at the elbow which is his spot. DeRozan can elevate an offense that previously had six double-digit scorers and four that were over 15 points.
The only downside of this DeRozan trade is that the 2nd option will have to take a slight hit on their scoring.
Now with this current team, the Kings can make a deep playoff run. I have them going at least to the Western Conference Finals simply off the fact that they can do it They are a team that isn’t far from that feat, especially under Mike Brown who has done wonders for this team since his hiring in 2022.
I believe that the Kings will have a record of 50-32 with the added production of DeRozan.
Another team that I am looking forward to this season is the Dallas Mavericks. Their deep run to the Finals was a run that I did not expect. It was great seeing the talent that the Mavericks front office was able to assemble.
The Mavericks acquired Klay Thompson in the first-ever six-team trade which included the Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Golden State Warriors.
With this trade, I am not sure what will be the outcome for the Dallas Mavericks. They are a very unpredictable team that can be bad and then flourish into a team that can make the finals.
These teams are the ones to watch out for. I don’t think any of them will be in the Finals. My prediction is that the Boston Celtics will tear up the East and make another Finals appearance. It’s tough to say if they will win the Finals at the moment but they have the team and coaching staff to do so.
The Western Conference has a large variety of talent as well but the team that will come out victorious and make it to the Finals is the Los Angeles Lakers. I just have a feeling that in his 22nd year, Lebron James and the Lakers are going to make this season special.
The NBA season starts on Oct, 22. Who do you have winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy?
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