*taps mic, horrific feedback noise

Yeah that’s about right.

Welcome friends, basketball cados and the sports curious among us. It is somehow time yet again for us to dive into the NBA season. It feels like it hasn’t been that long thanks to Olympic basketball being so good and keeping the biggest names in the sport front, center, and getting LeBron his Gatorade. This past season was an interesting one and proved again that the league is incredibly deep right now. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the Celtics finally got their ring in a quite frankly pretty low drama march through the playoffs. Honestly I don’t have much to say about it either. They had the best record all year and are an incredibly well built team that beat everyone in front of them.

Injuries ended up defining the playoffs in a disappointing end to the season in that regard and so here is the usual disclaimer that literally everything regarding every team is dependent on health. There are now rules in place to try to prevent resting players for prime time games but I can’t imagine the playoffs really went how they wanted as the overall response from fans and media at large was not great. When coupled with a slower free agency thanks to the dreaded second apron, the NBA wasn’t “popping” like it so often is through the summer. At least until the Olympics. Maybe that’s just me though.

All that being said I think last year was actually a lot of fun and there are a lot of interesting stories going into the year as well. We are pretty obviously in an era that has been less defined by dynasties as LeBron and Steph are in the twilight of their careers and multiple teams and players have been jockeying to fill that void. The last 6 championships have been won by different teams with no repeats. There are some extremely talented young teams and players all over the league right now. However, the second apron loomed huge over the off season with many teams clearly being scared off and trying to shed some costs. Time will tell if it ends up working as intended but my initial instinct is that it actually seems to be punishing teams that were very well developed with years of smart moves.

Even with the second apron rules kicking in there was still some significant movement across the league and possibly more to come. Let’s get into it all. As always opinions are my own and mostly just off the cuff. Assume I am wrong and know nothing and keep in mind this is all in good fun.

Boston Celtics

The Celtics finally got over the hump after Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown got their rings at the back end of their careers, 26 and 27 respectively. All jokes aside it is a credit to the organization that stayed the course when many were questioning if they could win a title together. The roster is about as well constructed as you can get in the modern NBA and well, likely won’t stay that way for long. They will again be contenders and likely the favorite to win the East this year but the cost of this team is about to balloon to half a billion dollars while they are up for sale. Kristaps is already missing time in the early part of the season so they won’t be at full strength for a bit.

Philadelphia 76ers

Obviously the biggest thing is that they now have Paul George who I still love more than most. Look until they actually stay healthy it’s hard to count on them. Embiid has supposedly dropped around 30 pounds and is focusing entirely on being available for the playoffs this year. Expect a lot of DNPs. If they are all healthy, Embiid, Maxey and George could be a lot of fun. I really like the other pieces that they have added too. I’d say they’re clearly still a notch below the Celtics but on paper should compete well.

Toronto Raptors

“Small dinosaurs that run real fast in packs.” – Power Pauper

Brooklyn Nets

I feel like we’ve been here before. Let Cam Thomas fire away I guess.

New York Villanova New York Knicks

They broke up the Nova Knicks before we even got to really see them at full power with a surprising trade for Karl-Anthony Towns. Though before that they added Mikal Bridges so technically they gained one and lost one. KAT went to Kentucky too so hey, Wildcat Knicks it is! On paper, KAT is a slight upgrade over Randle and the Knicks did need a center after losing Hartenstein. This team was so much fun last year y’all and I don’t say that about the Knicks of all teams lightly. Thibs will grind everyone into the dirt I’m sure. Brunson seems to have answered the questions about his viability as a number 1 option. I like the team a lot even if the KAT trade seemed odd to me. The Brunson extension is ridiculous as he left $113 million on the table for the team to continue paying other players and building the roster. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen someone take a pay cut like that. They’re good but they’ll likely need to find their interior defense again if they plan to have Towns at center. Preseason update: Why does Mikal have a hitch in his jumper now?

Milwaukee Bucks

Okay so that was about as weird a year as you can get. After hiring Adrian Griffin to be their new head coach he was fired after going 30-13. They replaced him with Doc Rivers, who went 17-19. The first year of the Dame and Giannis pairing didn’t exactly go as planned and things never really clicked into place. Injuries also derailed them a bit and the core of this team is the same aging group we’ve gotten used to. Now here’s a fun thing. They quietly had a really, really good off season. Adding Taurean Prince, Gary Trent Jr., and Delon Wright to bolster the depth to that aging and/or injury prone core. The hope for this team would be that last year’s chaos will be gone and the improved roster plus year 2 of Dame and Giannis will propel them back to top contender status. Update from media day! Giannis said that he and Dame didn’t work together at all in the offseason and Middleton will be working his way back from ankle surgery. Cool.

Chicago Bulls

They can’t seem to find a Zach Lavine trade to finalize the tear down but they have moved Caruso and DeRozan. Lonzo says he’s playing so we shall soon see what that looks like. Genuinely wishing him the best. Coby White is a lot of fun. Pretty sure anyone on the roster could be available besides him. A weird spot for the Bulls as it feels like they went halfway on blowing it up.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs overcame a lot of injuries to still grab the 4 seed last year. Mitchell, Mobley and Allen all signed extensions and they are going to continue to figure out how to best fit Mobley and Allen together. New coach Kenny Atkinson is a favorite of mine and I am looking forward to see what he comes up with. They added Isaac Okoro on a 3 year deal and they seem committed to this core for now. They are a part of the triumvirate of second tier East teams trying to find that next leap along with the Pacers and Magic.

Indiana Pacers

Raise your hand if you forget Indiana was in the conference finals. The Pacers were a fun surprise last year and were really cruising until Haliburton got hurt. He never quite made it back to his best self and hopefully he can find that form again this year. The Siakam trade worked better than I personally expected and another year together is always good. They defeated depleted Bucks and Knicks teams in the playoffs last year before getting swept by the Celtics in the conference finals. Their offense was electric last year so they’ll try to keep that going and even a small bump on defense will be nice for them.

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons came dangerously close to setting records in futility last season. There’s not a lot of reason to think they’ll be particularly good this year but they likely can’t be worse. They have a new coach who at least wants to be a coach in J.B. Bickerstaff. Cade Cunningham is still here doing his best and at least now they can’t play Killian Hayes over Jaden Ivey. Oh also Tobias Harris is here! That’s fun right? No?

Miami Heat

I won’t believe they’re dead until they’re dead and even then they’ll somehow grab an 8 seed and win 2 rounds. Jimmy and Bam are still the show here and Duncan Robinson had a nice bounce back year. The East got better last year and I really don’t know if Jimmy, Bam, Herro and parts is enough to keep them afloat against the top of the conference and the younger hungry teams now trying to prove themselves. Herro is going to have to find another gear entirely for them to have enough to be finals contenders. They’ll be in their usual 5-8 range most likely. I look forward to how wrong this will be. Update: Jimmy came to media day with no funny hair, we’re doomed.

Atlanta Hawks

They broke up the short lived Trae Young/Dejounte Murray backcourt and have the least hyped number 1 overall pick in my lifetime. They fall firmly in the shrug territory because well, someone in the East has to make the play in tournament.

Charlotte Hornets

You know who the Hornets are. LaMelo is going to do LaMelo things. Miles Bridges will violate a protection order and they’ll finish 11^th or 12^th. Their announcer will shred his vocal chords. Hey Taj Gibson is still in the league and is here now!

Washington Wizards

The Wizards are a team that plays in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. They added Saddiq Bey, Jonas Valanciunas, and Malcom Brogdon, because they are a team that plays basketball in the National Basketball Association.

Orlando Magic

Play the song! The Magic were fun and look to be another young team trying to make the leap. Banchero is looking like a number 1 option. Their offense had a tendency to just disappear late in games and they’ll need to find consistent execution and late scoring but they were a fun surprise last year and a team I’m looking forward to seeing more of. I wonder of Wagner will remember how to shoot?

Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz extended Lauri Markkanen as they continue their post Mitchell-Gobert rebuild. We pretty much know what to expect from them and they’ll be somewhat frisky and will win an annoying game against your favorite team.

Denver Nuggets

Until proven otherwise Jokic is still the best player in the league. Contract limitations are hitting the Nuggets hard though as KCP left in free agency. The hope is that players like Braun and Strawther can fill that role and add depth. Russell Westbrook continues his late era league tour in Denver this year. It has been a somewhat popular take to abandon the Nuggets this year on the back of an earlier than expected playoff exit and Murray not looking as dependable. There were some concerns about Jokic’s shooting through the end of the year and Olympics as well and losing Bruce Brown and KCP in back to back years hurts. I think that’s a bit premature considering they were still the 2 seed last year. Murray’s knee is acting up in preseason already though.

Minnesota Timberwolves

This was a different take before the Karl-Anthony Towns trade and then a different take again as I talked myself into and back out of it. I’ll just say that I don’t know. Randle is not some nothing player he was all NBA just 2 years ago but he is going to have to buy in to this being the Anthony Edwards show. DiVincenzo adds some depth, toughness and shooting and could step into a bigger role. ANT is still only 23 years old and knocking pretty hard at the door of true super stardom. It’s just weird that thanks to the trade I’m not talking about how they were a conference finals team in their first year all together and beat the defending champs with their best player being, again, only 23 years old! They’ll be good. They’ll be good but it’s still weird.

Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers had a bad year in their first of the post-Dame era. This is likely also going to be a bad year for them. Scoot Henderson had a rocky first year though he could hardly be blamed for that. They dealt with injuries in addition to it being a transition year and they’ll continue the youth movement by adding Deni Avdija and large rookie Donovan Clingan.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder are entering the year as the betting favorite and it’s hard to argue. They have MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a crazy deep roster and were the 1 seed last year. They also took that roster and added Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein to it. Update: Broken Hand for Hatenstein. Please let Chet stay healthy basketball gods I’m begging you. They’re going to be amazing there’s not really a question.

Phoenix Suns

This team makes me so sad. I loved that super deep fun Suns team so much and they broke it up to spend even more money on bigger names but playing worse. The team obviously starts and ends with the big 2 ½ of Durant, Booker, and Beal. I’m also not going to say they added nothing. Re-signing Royce O’Neale was an obvious move and they kept Damion Lee and Josh Okogie. Adding Tyus Jones and Mason Plumlee should give a bit more depth and a true point guard to work with. They’re going to run a lot of 3 guard lineups and maybe even a good bit of Durant at center. I’m super here for the potential coach Bud revenge year as this team may just rain 3s like crazy.

Golden State Warriors

*Pours one out for the splash brothers. Well the old era is well and truly gone as Klay moves on to the Mavericks. Look Steph is still good and Draymond is still present and Kuminga pulled a reverse Samson and cut his hair and gained super powers last year and twitter still loses their mind at Steve Kerr. Buddy Hield attempting to be the new splash bro will be funny. Podziemski is good.

Los Angeles Clippers

I think the Clippers are going to be bad. They lost Paul George and is there any world where anyone thinks Kawhi is staying healthy enough for long enough for this team to be true contenders? Update: Out indefinitely. The best player they added is actually Kevin Porter Jr who hasn’t been seen on an NBA floor since his domestic violence charge in 2023. Harden apparently watched the Mavs and thought he can do what Luka did at age 35. Enjoy the new arena.

Los Angeles Lakers

Congratulation to the inaugural in season tournament champions! I hope everyone is ready for Bronny watch. It’s gonna get exhausting and a little creepy. I just hope he carves out a decent career whatever that may look like. Anyway the Lakers likely find themselves in the same spot of mid to low tier Western conference team. I don’t think anyone sees them as true contenders without a lot of things breaking their way or additional moves happening. That being said I’m pretty sure LeBron has actual powers at this point so who knows?

Sacramento Kings

Hell yeah DeMar DeRozan! I think he’s gonna be an interesting fit with the team and hopefully finds his role. Typically a mid range sharpshooter he may have to shoot a lot more 3s than normal to play off Fox. The Kings are going to look to bounce back and get into the playoffs again after missing out last year. Want to know how crazy the West is? The Kings won 48 games in 2022 and were the 3 seed. Last year they won 46 and finished 9^th.

Memphis Grizzlies

A lost season for the Grizzlies last year as Ja Morant got hurt almost immediately after his return and then everyone got hurt after that. The widespread assumption is that his return will also signal the return of the Grizzlies as contenders in the West and maybe it will. I feel like there’s a lot of buzz around the Grizzlies as a trendy bounce back pick this year.

Dallas Mavericks

Franchise A since 2019: 227-164. 2 first round losses. 3 conference finals appearances. 2 finals appearances.

Franchise B since 2019: 225-168. 2 first round losses. 2 conference finals appearance. 1 finals appearance.

Franchise A- Miami Heat. Franchise B- Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs are Heat West.

I gave a lot of credit above to multiple teams that the Mavs beat in the playoffs last year and so I cannot justify leaving them without love. The Mavs had a tremendous run late in the season and when Kyrie is just playing basketball he is still magic. Luka is the active player with the best shot to eventually catch LeBron’s scoring record. Derrick Lively was a revelation and their role players carried just enough to bring them to the finals. They rotated some role players (Derrick Jones Jr and Hardaway gone, Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes in) and most importantly added the animated remains of Klay Thompson who can hopefully provide something closer to peak Klay. The questions going into this year are will they be able to replicate the success they had down the stretch and will they improve enough to keep up with the other top teams?

New Orleans Pelicans

My Pels added Dejounte Murray in a trade with the Hawks. Valanciunas and Nance are both gone and it is unclear who is actually going to play center. Also unclear is what is happening with Brandon Ingram as neither a trade or extension materialized in the offseason. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before but a late injury to Zion (and Ingram) derailed any chance or momentum they had going into the playoffs last year. They have some incredible pieces in Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III (who is already hurt) and when everyone is healthy they are always good, but well you know the rest.

San Antonio Spurs

Okay so Wemby might be good enough to start winning DPOYs and even MVPs as soon as this year. He lived up to the hype and now the Spurs have the task of finding who currently on the roster can play with him while they find the bigger future pieces. Adding Chris Paul could be interesting assuming he stays healthy. Even at this stage in his career he can still run an offense for you and raise a team’s floor and they didn’t really have a true point guard last year. They are incredibly young. Harrison Barnes and Chris Paul are the only players on the roster over 26 years old. Ironically they probably want to be bad to get another high draft pick but they can only go so low with a healthy Wembanyama.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets are weirdly fun and were better than expected last year. They are one of those teams that are going to try to find another level even if that doesn’t necessarily result in them being a playoff team. People are high on the Rockets going into this year. Sengun is great but Green was much better without him down the stretch of last season so they need to figure out how to get everyone at their best together. They have a shot to make some real noise in the middle of the West though.

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I actually want to use this space at the end here to touch on something a bit different than usual. The season is gonna shake out however it does and we are along for the ride. So rather than making any inevitably wrong predictions I want to recognize the changing media and coverage landscape that will be greatly affecting how we watch, read, and talk about the NBA going forward. Adrian Wojnarowski has dropped his final Woj bomb as he heads off to be the GM of St. Bonaventure. Kevin O’Connor has left The Ringer (who are bleeding writers in general). Finally, and for me most importantly, Zach Lowe was laid off by ESPN right before the season begins in a stunning move that signals what they are going to focus their content on moving forward. At the time of this writing Woj and KOC have jobs and there is no world where Zach Lowe doesn’t land on his feet but it is still a big shakeup for those of us that follow the NBA religiously. On top of all of that, the new NBA media rights deal, after lots of lawyers and lawsuits finish, will bring the NBA on TNT era to a close with this upcoming season. So with all of that and the ever changing media landscape in general it feels like a transition year and the end of an era as we move toward a new normal.

I think I speak for many of us when I say that we wish the best for all of the talented and dedicated crew and production staff. Additionally, that extends outside the NBA media landscape as well as we continue to grapple with a chaotic time in media and production.

Good luck to everyone’s teams this year. It will surely be a fun ride. The West is monstrously crowded and the East play in race is gonna get hilarious. Be good to each other as always and thank you for reading.