As NBA fans have come to know and love, the beginning of the NBA season brings great joy and high expectations for their favorite team. With the likes of Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant retiring, however, brings a new season to San Antonio and Los Angeles. So besides these two, who should you be watching out for in the next coming weeks? Here’s a look at our Teams to Watch: Preseason Preview.
San Antonio Spurs: With no-doubt, first ballot Hall of Famer Tim Duncan retiring this past year, you’ve got to think that the Spurs will be one to watch. Just think, Tim Duncan, who made every single postseason since joining the league in 1997, will no longer suit up on game nights, so it’ll be weird not seeing the familiar face of Tim Duncan in the lineup this coming season. Some hope for Spurs’ fans: Kawhi Leonard (who many are picking as their preseason favorite for MVP), LaMarcus Aldridge, Danny Green and Tony Parker (along with Manu Ginobli) are all returning to the team, as well as Pau Gasol who was added in the offseason.
Los Angeles Lakers: Tim Duncan waited until the end of the season to announce his retirement, whereas Kobe Bryant did the exact opposite, treating this past season as his “going away tour”. Now with Kobe gone, what does the Lakers’ season hold? A legend retiring along with the teammate drama between D’Angelo Russell and Nick Young may have the Lakers’ fans scared, however, this team may be better than most expect. With young talent like Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell, the team has some promise, to say the least. Add in the newly acquired Timofey Mozgov and the team has a decent foundation with a huge amount of upside.
Minnesota Timberwolves: The Timberwolves are, without a doubt, one of the most talented rosters in the NBA: star-studded, young and very promising. Most would say that this is where the team falls as well. Lead by Karl-Anthony Towns, the 20 year old superstar that is looking to make an even bigger impact on the league this coming year, this Minnesota team is solid. Besides Towns, Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, and Ricky Rubio highlight a very talented squad. Experts are predicting this team to make a late round playoff push within the next two years, and it’s not hard to see why. Yes, they are very young and they have some work to do, but you cannot deny that the Minnesota Timberwolves are a very solid and sound team.
Dallas Mavericks: As a Dallas native and long-time supporter of the Mavs, I have to be thinking about Dirk Nowitzki making his retirement announcement very, very soon. Last season, we saw the rise of a young player in Justin Anderson, someone that the fans of the Dallas Mavericks had a great liking to. Pair this rising star with the new acquisitions of Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut from Golden State, the team doesn’t look too shabby. On the other hand, Bogut is prone to injuries and Harrison Barnes just seemed to disappear during the playoffs last year, so we can’t say much in regards to these two.
As the NBA season inches closer, just 49 days away (but who’s counting), your team, whoever it may be, may make a huge splash or just fall flat on their face. What are your teams to watch, what teams do you think will make a splash, and what teams to do you think will fall short?
