NBA Media Day: Top Takeaways and Storylines For All 30 Teams

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Philadelphia 76ers
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Oklahoma City Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is motivated coming off his injury

The Oklahoma City Thunder finished the 2020-21 regular season 22-50, their worst record since the 2007-08 season when they were still the Seattle SuperSonics. Things may not be getting better for the Thunder either in terms of record, as they are a very young team that is growing in this league, but this is not going to stop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from being the best player he can be. 

SGA told reporters that he felt like he was 100% back and healthy in the middle of the Summer and is ready to take on the task of leading this young team. Oklahoma City has one of the youngest rosters in the league and while they are building for the future with over 30 total draft picks over the next several years, Gilgeous-Alexander wants to be great right now. 

“Over the summer I tried to focus on getting better at everything,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated. “I will be better this year.” One of the early front-runners for Most Improved Player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander definitely has some high expectations that he has set for himself, which is why the 2021-22 season could wind up being his best in the league yet. 

Orlando Magic: Jamahl Mosley ready to change the culture in Orlando

After parting ways with Steve Clifford after just three seasons, the Magic hired long-time Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley as their new head coach. Taking on a roster that consists of a lot of young players with a lot of potential, Mosley seems to be ready for the challenge of bringing the Magic back to relevance in the Eastern Conference. 

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“I think our veterans are going to play a huge role and not just necessarily on the court, but off the court as well,” Mosley stated during his press conference on Monday. The Magic are a very young team in this league, hence why guys like Robin Lopez, Terrence Ross, and Gary Harris will be vital pieces to the Magic’s overall development. 

With a ton of young backcourt talents in Cole Anthony, Markelle Fultz, R.J. Hampton, and now rookie Jalen Suggs, Mosley will have a lot of options to play around with not only to figure out who will start but figure out who will play when. “You have to look at different combinations that are unique…. there’ll be different lineups,” Jamahl Mosley stated. 

Orlando has had just one winning season since the start of the 2012-13 season, so as long as they are competitive during this upcoming year, that will be a big win for the Magic as they go through yet another rebuilding process. 

Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons holdout

We have our first action taken in the Ben Simmons vs. Philadelphia 76ers management standoff as Ben Simmons did not report to Media Day on Monday. Simmons has made his intentions clear to the 76ers that he not only wants out, but he is not showing up to anything. 

There have been ongoing discussions all offseason long on whether or not the Ben Simmons rumors were true and team President Daryl Morey confirmed on Monday that the 3x All-Star has formerly requested a trade and that they are “disappointed” that he has not reported to any team activities yet. 

Ben Simmons wants to be traded, but the 76ers still do not have any intentions of trading him right now, as Morey and head coach Doc Rivers envision him playing a “pivotal” role on this team this season. Maybe they are living in a different universe, but Simmons has made his intentions clear and he does not seem to want anything to do with the Sixers, so it should be interesting to see moving forward if the young All-Star gives in at all.

Phoenix Suns: Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges extensions not imminent

Coming off a disappointing ending to the 2020-21 season that resulted in the Suns losing the NBA Finals after holding a 2-0 series lead, Phoenix has turned the page and they are ready for the 2021-22 season. Adding some much-needed depth to their bench in Landry Shamet and JaVale McGee, the Suns will once again be a real contender in the Western Conference. 

However, there are some contract situations that Phoenix will need to sort out at some point this season. Both Mikal Bridges and Deandre Ayton are two young talents on the Suns’ roster who played a huge role in them reaching the NBA Finals last season. Both guys are also entering the final year of their rookie deals. 

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“We’ll address that when the time comes,” GM James Jones stated on the possible contract extensions of both Bridges and Ayton. As of right now, the Suns’ focus is on training camp and preparing for a season in which they will try to defend their Western Conference Championship. Keeping both Bridges and Ayton long-term is something Phoenix intends on doing, but these two deals do not seem like something we will see right away when the season begins. 

Portland Trail Blazers: GM Neil Olshey excited about the 2021-22 season

The Portland Trail Blazers went on a roller-coaster ride this offseason between Damian Lillard trade rumors and their coaching search, but the regular season is finally here, much to the delight of GM Neil Olshey. Not having enough talent on their roster has been a weakness of Portland through the years, but now, they actually have a solid amount of depth. 

Norman Powell re-signed with the Blazers this offseason and while they lost Carmelo Anthony, they brought in Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller, Ben McLemore, Tony Snell and could possibly sign Dennis Smith Jr., Patrick Patterson, or Marquese Chriss to a real deal instead of their current training camp deals. 

Olshey believes that this is the deepest Blazers team the organization has ever had since he began building around Damian Lillard in 2015 and he may actually not be wrong for once. Their backcourt depth is still a question mark with Anfernee Simons being the only reliable backup, but they do seem to have the pieces in place to be a solid playoff threat in the Western Conference. 

Damian Lillard trade rumors still remain a key talking point and will be all season long, but Lillard is committed to this team, as of right now, and the Portland Trail Blazers seem like they are ready to contend against the likes of the Suns, Lakers, and others. 

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