Cleveland Cavaliers: Consistency will be key for the Cavaliers
Cleveland has not been able to get away from rumors all offseason long pertaining to Collin Sexton, Kevin Love, Darius Garland and others, but at Media Day, Cavaliers management assured everyone that the team they currently have is the team that they are going to look to develop further.
Outside of Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, this year’s Cavs team is still very young and they are all still growing as young players. Both Collin Sexton and Darius Garland are young leaders of this team and both of these backcourt pieces intend on having big years. In recent comments, Garland even stated that he not only wants to be better, but that the goal for the 2021-22 season for the Cavaliers is to make the playoffs.
This is definitely wishful thinking for the Cavaliers’ young core, as this team has won a total of 60 games the last three seasons combined, but in terms of athleticism and potential, this team definitely ranks near the top of the league.
Dallas Mavericks: Jason Kidd wants Kristaps Porzingis to be a “basketball player”
Luka Doncic is definitely a favorite to win the MVP award during the 2021-22 season, but he obviously wants to have the Mavericks as a true championship contender in the Western Conference before he receives any personal recognition. “Winning a championship,” was Luka’s response Monday when asked about his goals for this season.
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Dallas definitely has a solid-looking team heading into the new year, but there are going to be a lot of questions surrounding Kristaps Porzingis and what he can bring to the table still. However, new head coach Jason Kidd sees nothing but greatness in Porzingis and believes that he can be a real difference-maker for them.
Kidd had some very high praise for Doncic, but he focused a lot on talking about Kristaps Porzingis as well, stating that he wants the Latvian big man to be a “basketball player” compared to “just shooting 3s and crashing from the corner.” We should expect to see Porzingis utilized in a lot more pick-and-roll situations with Doncic this season, as well as Porzingis being put in low-post scoring scenarios on offense.
“There is no bad shot for him,” Kidd stated when talking about Kristaps Porzingis this upcoming year. Given his height and his length, Porzingis can absolutely be the difference-maker the Dallas Mavericks need him to be and for Jason Kidd, all he wants from his big man is for him to be a “basketball player.”
Denver Nuggets: No rush for Jamal Murray to return from injury
Nikola Jokic won the league-MVP last season and the Denver Nuggets claimed the 3-seed in the Western Conference, but their chances of winning a title took a massive hit last season when Jamal Murray suffered a torn ACL in April.
There has been now a timetable listed for Murray’s return yet and the young guard himself told reporters on Monday that he is not going to rush himself back onto the court. Jamal Murray said that he wants to be 100% healthy before returning, as playing at 85% will limit his abilities on the court.
Without him, guys like Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., and Will Barton will have to step into much larger roles next to reigning league-MVP Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets should once again be one of the better teams in the Western Conference, but until Murray is back at 100%, this team is limited to what they can achieve.
Detroit Pistons: Dwane Casey likes the chances of growing into a strong team quickly
They finished in last place in the Eastern Conference last season and have not had a winning record over .500 since the 2015-16 season, but Pistons head coach Dwane Casey believes this young group in Detroit can be special.
“We have some special, young talent. I make sure to use the word young,” Casey stated during Pistons’ Media Day. “We’re going into this season to compete to win while being realistic.”
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With No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham and last year’s breakout star Jerami Grant, the Pistons definitely have a chance to rise from the bottom of the league rather quickly, but they will also need a lot of luck on their side. This team ranked 26th in the league last year in offensive rating and if they are going to take a big leap like Dwane Casey thinks they can, then things will need to be fixed on the offensive end of the floor.
Golden State Warriors: Klay Thompson’s return is still “up-in-the-air”
After missing the 2019-20 season with a torn left ACL and then missing the 2020-21 season with a torn right Achilles, Klay Thompson is ready to make a thunderous comeback in the NBA, but he is still in the process of getting his legs back under him. Thompson is not close to returning to action yet, even though he has been making great progress.
The 5x All-Star has been seen working out on the court in the Warriors’ training facility and he has been present for most of the Warriors’ offseason workouts, but he has yet to do a full workout consisting of contact and five-on-five play.
Bob Myers spoke to the media on Monday and he did state that Thompson could be on track to return “in January,” but no date has been decided on yet because Klay’s return really depends on how he does over the next few months. Myers also mentioned that there will be a patient ramp-up in workouts and that Thompson will see a whole lot of scrimmaging and intense G-League practices before he makes his return for Golden State.
