Sacramento Kings: Buddy Hield willing to help the team win in any role needed
Originally thought to have been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on draft night, Buddy Hield still remains a member of the Sacramento Kings in what many believed to be an “awkward situation,” but Hield seems to think the opposite.
The sharpshooting wing is happy to be back in Sacramento for another season, at least that’s what he told reporters on Monday, and that it is his job to play at a high level for this franchise. In terms of being in or out of the starting lineup, Hield stated again that his job is to play basketball and that he is willing to do what the team needs him to do.
Heading into his sixth season in the NBA, trade rumors still linger over Buddy Hield’s head and he could realistically be moved at some point during the regular season, but he is preparing to begin the 2021-22 season on a young Kings team looking to snap a 15-year playoff drought.
San Antonio Spurs: Spurs to use athleticism to their advantage
With DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills, and Rudy Gay departing in the offseason, the San Antonio Spurs are entering a new era in which their young talents are going to play a big role in the progression of this franchise. Keldon Johnson, Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, and Lonnie Walker IV are four of the main young talents now leading this roster and all four guys will hold big roles in the Spurs 2021-22 attack.
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“We want a lot of activity, a lot of pace, just play fast,” head coach Gregg Popovich stated on Monday in regards to how the Spurs will play offensively. “Hopefully smart, but the pace should really be enjoyable to watch.”
Player development and getting the most out of young guys is nothing new for the Spurs as an organization and Derrick White knows this as well. “We’ve got a bunch of guys that are trying to make a name for themselves and prove themselves,” White stated. “Every day we’ve been in here just working, trying to push each other to get better. We’re looking forward to this season to start and put it all together.
The Spurs have missed the playoffs for back-to-back years for the first time in franchise history and they are looking to avoid missing the postseason for three consecutive years during the 2021-22 season.
Toronto Raptors: Pascal Siakam is still not healthy from offseason shoulder surgery
Coming off their worst season since the 2011-12 season, the Toronto Raptors are going to have a new look to them since Kyle Lowry is no longer leading their backcourt. After nine seasons with the Raptors, Lowry is set to begin the next year of his NBA career in South Beach with the Miami Heat, leaving the Raptors in the hands of Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet.
However, the Raptors are going to be without Siakam to begin the year, as he continues to rehab from offseason shoulder surgery. On Monday, Raptors acting General Manager Bobby Webster gave some updates on Pascal Siakam and stated that the All-Star has not been cleared for contact, but he has been doing a lot of 1-on-0 work at the team’s facility.
“He looks good,” Webster stated. “He’s in a really positive headspace. I think he’s happy and ready to go.” Nick Nurse also gave his take on Siakam’s injury progression and said that he looks as if he was not recovering from offseason surgery, which is really good news for the Raptors.
Siakam is recovering nicely from this injury, but he is still doubtful to be ready to go on Opening Night. Anything can change over these next three weeks, but it is more than likely that Pascal Siakam will make his season debut sometime in November.
Utah Jazz: Championship or Bust in Utah?
Last season, the Utah Jazz were not just the best team in the Western Conference during the regular season, but they also finished with the best record league-wide. Utah’s 52-20 season last year was historic for them and marked their most wins in a season since they won 53 games during the 2009-10 season, a year in which the Jazz made the Western Conference Semifinals.
History tends to repeat itself, as the Jazz fell victim to the Los Angeles Clippers last season in the Western Conference Finals, but they did learn a lot about themselves and the needs of their team. As a result, they not only added Hassan Whiteside to compliment Rudy Gobert in the frontcourt, but they added Rudy Gay and Eric Paschall as well for some more offensive production off-the-bench.
“We really have an opportunity to do something special here over the next few years,” Rudy Gobert told reporters. “You don’t get many of those windows in your career.” Gobert is right and if the Jazz want to do something special, they will have to do so starting this season.
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Utah is a small-market team and the chances of winning a title are already slim for them. Seeing as they have a contending team now, the 2021-22 season really is “Championship or Bust” for the Jazz. With Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Bojan Bogdanovic, Joe Ingles, Jordan Clarkson and others, the Jazz definitely have a chance to contend for a title, but they will have to elevate their play this season in order to capitalize on their opportunities.
Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal excited for new season; in no rush to sign an extension
Like Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal found himself as a superstar player involved in trade rumors all offseason long, but he has remained committed to the Washington Wizards and is excited for a new season to begin.
Beal and Westbrook were the only contributors on the Wizards roster last season, but now, Beal has Spencer Dinwiddie, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, Rui Hachimura, Daniel Gafford and others next to him as key contributors.
“It feels good to have the pieces we need to compete on a nighty basis and win games,” the Wizards’ All-Star told reports in regards to his team’s offseason additions. In terms of depth, the Wizards definitely have more of it and are heading in the right direction as a franchise, but Beal seems content with waiting on signing a new contract.
“I”ve got all year to sign it, so I’m not in a rush,” Beal said. He also went on to talk about how his agent, GM Tommy Sheppard and chairman Ted Leonsis will handle the negotiations, as the All-Star does his job on the court this year.
With Bradley Beal excited for the new season and already thinking about a possible extension, we could very well see the Wizards’ superstar remain in Washington D.C. for the foreseeable future, even though there are rumors about teams around the league being interested in trading for him. Beal is in no rush to sign a new contract, but he is also in no rush to leave, which is why the Washington Wizards are Bradley Beal’s team for the foreseeable future.
