With the summer league now concluded, NBA fans shift their attention to training camp, which is just a few months away. There is a lot that can happen between then and now, but rosters are mostly set. Thus, the jockeying for position now begins. There will be some definite contenders out there for sure, but others will be just pretending. Let’s separate the two right now.
Definite Contenders
The basketball world did get quite a shock this past month with Tim Duncan announcing his retirement. The only people likely not surprised that much were the Spurs organization themselves. They have been planning for this day for quite some time, and very effectively I might add. Adding Lamarcus Aldridge last year solidified their presence down low. Kawhi Leonard began to blossom three seasons ago and only continues to get better. As one of the more prolific small forwards in the league, he appears to be ready to take on the mantle of leadership in the future. The list goes on, but is capped off by arguably the best coach since Auerback in Gregg Popovich. He is getting up there in years, but still has a lot of gas in the tank after just being announced as the new coach of the national team. Look for the Spurs to be right where they have been for more than a decade – contending come April.
Nobody can deny that the West may come down to two teams once again, with the other definite contender being Golden State. The real question is what’s going to be higher, they’re per game average or the price of Warriors tickets? The one question mark with them will be how all of the superstars will gel together. We learned from the Heat that it might take a year or two, but of course Steve Kerr is a seasoned veteran in his own right who likely already has a plan outlined. If the Warriors do not contend and win a championship, this will likely be viewed as a failure, so look for the pressure to be on big time. Yes, it appears that the definite contenders will come from the West in 2016. Aside from the Cavaliers, the East will likely continue to be a step behind.
The Pretenders
While the Los Angeles Clippers are obviously a much improved team from the decades previous, they are now relegated to the role of perpetual pretender. They have some talent, and they have a great coach, but they are always a step away from solidifying the deal. Their big signing to this point in the off season is Brandon Bass. Bass and his 7.2 points per game simply changes uniforms, but remains in the same team as he comes from the Lakers. Which is great, because outside of Los Angeles, few even know his name. The Clippers have tried and failed the last two seasons to get the missing piece of the puzzle to help Paul and Griffin bring home a championship. 2016 is shaping up to be more of the same, putting them into the pretender category.
Finally, one more pretender from the East must be the Charlotte Hornets. They appear to be poised to make the playoffs each season for the foreseeable future, but how hard is that in the East these days? The reality is that they are not going after the talent they need to really compete come April. They do not have a solid core, as they are losing out to free agency on an almost annual basis. They have made some good off season moves, and their ability to bring back Brian Roberts and Ramon Sessions is certainly promising. Reality, however, is that they are just pretending to contend with the Raptors and Cavaliers of the East. But hey, some think the Raptors are pretenders themselves, so it’s not all bad for the Hornets, or really any one from the east.
-Joe Messinio
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