NBA: I am a master dealer

Fifth place is the Portland Trail Blazers.

Last season, despite being unanimously not favored, they finally forced their way to fifth place in the Western Conference and were shocked for a while.

Everyone was stunned by the Blazers' results.

After all, no one thought that the Trail Blazers, who had lost Aldridge, Matthews, Lopez Jr., and Batum, could break out of the Western Conference surrounded by powerful enemies.

But Lillard did it.

What's even more amazing is that they defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs.

Although they lost to the Golden State Warriors in the second round, the Blazers' performance was unanimously recognized by the public.

Therefore, in the new season, ESPN still gave Lillard enough face and fully believed in CJ McCollum's growth, ranking them fifth in the Western Conference.

It can be seen how much influence Lillard and CJ McCollum created last season.

of course.

The main thing is that they have retained the main lineup from last season. Plumlee, Crabbe, Harkless, Aminu, and Meyers Leonard are all still there.

In addition, Aaron Gordon has emerged at the end of last season, showing good athletic ability and explosive power, which has greatly strengthened their inside employment.

In addition, they added Evan Turner in the offseason, which greatly strengthened their forward offense and defense.

Many people believe that they can accomplish something in the new season.

Sixth place is the Houston Rockets.

Last season, the Rockets reached the playoffs at the buzzer. Overall, it was very disappointing.

You must know that in the 14-15 season, they entered the playoffs as the second seed in the Western Conference, and made great progress all the way, finally reaching the Western Conference Finals.

Although they lost to the Golden State Warriors, everyone praised this rising new force.

result.

They almost failed to make the playoffs last season. If the Jazz hadn't let down in the last few games, they would have overturned.

Therefore, in the new season, ESPN is not so optimistic about the Rockets, but after over and over again, no team has more prospects than the Rockets.

and so.

ESNP still placed the Rockets in the sixth position.

Mainly considering Harden's super personal scoring ability, which was once close to the MVP level. As long as Harden can continue to output steadily and others can provide support, they still have a chance.

In addition, they hired Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson from the Pelicans, which is enough to fill the gap left by Howard.

Another point.

With Howard gone, the modern team's conflicts last season have ended. Harden should be able to calm down and play well.

Harden, Ariza, Beverley, Capela, Harrell, Brewer, the overall lineup is barely enough.

With the addition of strong players like Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson, and Nene, there is still some future.

Seventh is the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Although they lost superstar Durant during the offseason, another superstar Westbrook is still there.

It goes without saying how strong a top star is who averages 23+10+7 per game.

In the new season, without Durant, it may be a huge loss for the Thunder, but it may not necessarily be a bad thing for Westbrook, at least he will break free from the shackles of the boss Durant.

Everyone is looking forward to how exciting Westbrook is when he lets go.

Besides.

The Thunder also retained big center Whiteside.

Adams, Soft, Robertson, Moreau and others are also available, while Mirajane Grant and Ablins are also added.

The overall strength is still there, and the final step depends entirely on Westbrook's performance.

Or to put it another way, with Durant, they reached the Western Conference Finals and almost killed the Golden State Warriors and rushed out of the Western Conference.

And without Durant, no matter how bad things are, there should still be playoff strength, right?

After all, in the 14-15 season, Westbrook led the team alone and almost made the playoffs.

At that time, the Pelicans and Thunder had the same number of wins, and everyone was on the same level. In the end, due to the difference in wins and losses, they regretted missing the playoffs.

In the current Western Conference environment, the Thunder do have a lot of opportunities.

The eighth is the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Wiggins and Towns, the pair of No. 20 picks, both scored + points last season, and Zach LaVine has also shown top-notch athletic talent. They will definitely reach a higher level in the new season.

This is the bright Timberwolves version of the third youngster, and his talent is almost overflowing.

In addition, they also have Rubio, Dieng, Muhammad, Bjelica, and this year's fifth pick Kris Dunn, all young talents, plus the reinforced Brandon Rush, Kobe Aldridge et al.

Their player lineup can be said to be greedy to see and change to listen to.

It’s just so rich.

Most of the main rotation is young, and there are two No. 1 picks in the core.

In the new season, it's time for them to realize their talent, and hitting the playoffs will be their only goal.

The ninth place is the New Orleans Pelicans.

This ranking is both unexpected and reasonable. Although the Pelicans didn't even make the playoffs last season, it's normal to rank ninth in the new season.

But Anthony Davis is currently the number one power forward in the league and is extremely influential on both offense and defense, but he can't even make the playoffs. It's really an insult to his title of number one power forward.

The explanation given by ESNP is that the reason why the Pelicans are ranked in this position is mainly because they were so disappointing last season.

Of course there are injuries as well.

Evans, the Pelicans' main scorer, only played 25 games last season.

The main point guard Jrue Holiday only played 65 games, always playing in and out, and his condition was very average.

Ryan Anderson is similar to Jrue Holiday. He seems to have played a lot of games, but he also plays in and out, which affects his condition.

Eric Gordon also only played 45 games, almost half a season.

Even Davis, the thick-browed brother, only played 61 games.

Therefore, last season's Pelicans seemed to be strong, but they were not sustainable at all. It was excusable that they failed to make the playoffs.

In the new season, although Evans has announced that he has recovered from injury, ESNP feels that it will be difficult for him to return to his peak moment.

Jrue Holiday is in good competitive shape, but he always feels that he is a bit lacking in taste. As the second-in-command, he seems to be a bit unqualified.

Although Davis is praised among thousands of people, ESPN said that so far, Davis still has not been able to completely prove his ability to lead the team.

The most important thing is the departure of Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon. These two are the mainstays of the team's offensive end. Their departure is definitely the Pelicans' biggest loss.

Although they have strengthened Terrence Jones, Moore, Galloway, Solomon Hill and others, as well as this year's sixth pick Hield, they seem to be lacking a lot of flavor.

of course.

ESPN is still superstitious about superstars.

The influence of Anthony Davis alone can surpass that of two ordinary stars.

This is why the Pelicans are ranked ninth.

Tenth is the Utah Jazz.

Last season, they were just one shot away from reaching the playoffs, and their lineup has been preserved in the new season.

Hayward, Frenchman Gobert, Favors, the grown-up Hood, newly joined George Hill, Shelvin Mark, Ingles, the talented guard Elsa who was the fifth pick in 14 Well, there's Burks, who used to be a great hitter. Overall, their lineup looks very competitive.

Whether they can reach the playoffs in the new season will depend on whether other teams fall behind.

No. 11 Dallas Mavericks.

As Nowitzki gets older year after year, the Mavericks' decline will gradually become apparent.

But for now, Nowitzki is still good, but as a core, he is obviously not qualified, because his pace is getting slower and slower, and his influence on both offense and defense has declined very much.

So in the offseason, they brought in Harrison Barnes.

As the top 3D of the Warriors, Barnes' defensive ability, three-point ability and air cutting ability are still very good.

But the ability to hold the ball?

It remains to be verified.

In the new season, Barnes will face his own test and an opportunity to change his destiny.

Obviously, the Mavericks signed Barnes to train him as a core. It depends on whether Barnes can withstand the pressure and catch this wave of wealth.

Therefore, it may be difficult to guarantee their record in the new season. Being ranked in this position is a sign of respect for Nowitzki.

The twelfth place is the Memphis Grizzlies.

This season, there will be no Bosh at all, because Bosh announced his retirement not long ago.

in this way.

Their overall strength will be weakened at an epic level.

Conley, who has been re-signed with a super-max salary, the aging Black Bear Randolph, Tony Allen, who has no three-pointers, veterans Vince Carter, JaMychal Green, Daniels, signed Ennis, and Harrison.

There are only so many people, it seems a bit difficult.

Fortunately, they signed handsome Parsons.

As everyone knows, this is the biggest pitfall.

The Mavericks and Grizzlies were both underestimated, which means that the era of Texas' top three is coming to an end.

No. 13 Denver Nuggets.

They are a very talented team.

The second-round pick, Jokic, has proven his strength last season, directly forcing Nurkic's starting position to be shaky.

Long-range guns Gallinari, Gary Harris, Wilson Chandler, Monster Faried, last year's No. 7 pick in the first round Mudiay, veteran Jameer Nelson, and this year's No. 7 pick Jamal Mu Ray, Darrell Arthur.

There are many warriors who are good at fighting.

But they have no backbone. Gallinari seems to be the core of the Nuggets, but he has not shown the responsibility and potential of a player as the core.

Therefore, the Nuggets are currently in a rebuilding period, and they still need time to discover the real core. Their young players need to grow.

As for the record in the new season, forget about it.

The fourteenth last vice president of the Sacramento Kings.

If it weren't for Cousins, they would undoubtedly be at the bottom.

They signed Rondo last season and gradually showed signs of recovery. However, after one season, they no longer wanted him.

This makes them look like they have no signs of turning around.

But in fact, the king can beat many people.

In addition to Cousins, Rudy Gay, Darren Collison, newly joined Ty Lawson, Avrero, Temple, Matt Barnes, Tolliver, and Koufos, Stann, the sixth pick in 15, Ben McLemore, the seventh pick in 13, etc. The overall lineup does not look weak.

But this place seems to be cursed, and it just can't be broken out.

The last-place leader is the Phoenix Suns.

Do you want to say that they are bad?

Their lineup is not bad, with promising star Brandon Knight, the once-explosive Bledsoe, and newcomer Devin Booker who emerged last year.

In addition to the three core defenders, there are also defensive champion TJ Warren, this year's No. 8 pick Chris, boxing champion Tyson Chandler, Alex Len, Ulis, and Dudley.

And Luol Deng, who finally chose to stay.

But their lineup, to be honest, is incomparable to any of the above.

There are no All-Star level players.

Except for Devin Booker, there are no supernovas with huge talents.

A long-established warrior?
You can only push Bledsoe out, but this is a notoriously inefficient player.

The even more inefficient Brandon Knight wiped out his reputation as a supernova last season.

As for Luol Deng, who is somewhat famous, he was already on the verge of death last season.

Do not……

When he left the Miami Heat, he was already on the verge of death.

The Suns saw no use for their forward line, so they reluctantly signed Luol Deng to a four-year, $4 million contract.

obviously.

Except for the Lakers who took advantage of him, everyone is not too cold about Luol Deng.

This is the strength analysis and prediction of each team given by ESPN in the new season, as well as their regular season rankings.

There is a lot of controversy and a lot of criticism.

Take the New Orleans Pelicans for example. Their stars, Davis, Evans, and Holiday all showed that they will surprise ESPN in the new season.

Another example is the Utah Jazz. Hayward said he felt offended.

Another example is the sun.

What the hell... am I ranked last?

ESPN is really blind and messed up.

Especially Devin Booker, said very fiercely: I will shut up all these guys who don’t know how to pretend to understand. Let’s wait and see in the new season.

Surprisingly, someone from the Trail Blazers also jumped out and said: ESPN is just a clown trying to please others. This ranking has no basis at all and is simply written randomly.

That's right.

The person who raised the objection was Lillard.

A lot of fans can't understand it. You're still not satisfied when you're ranked fifth?

So where do you want to be ranked?

What the hell, do you want to skip the Lakers and Spurs and directly compete with the Universe?
In this regard, Lillard said confidently: Why not? Don’t we have such strength?
This statement came out.

Fans around the world laughed.

Let’s not talk about the Lakers and Spurs. Let’s take another Los Angeles team, the Clippers. Although they were kicked out of the playoffs by the Trail Blazers last season, their results have been stable for four to five years. Paul + Griffin + DeAndre Jordan + Ray Dick, the guarantee is pretty much what the top half looks like.

What can the Trail Blazers do to surpass Paul Griffin?
Ok.

Taking a step back, you beat the Clippers in the playoffs last season and didn't take the Clippers seriously. What about the Lakers and Spurs?
The combination of Leonard + Aldridge, plus the coaching of Popovich, they have proven themselves last season, and their regular season record is absolutely the same.

As for the Lakers' Xue Liancheng + George combination, what do you compare it to?
Xue Liancheng is a superstar who has led the team to win the championship for two consecutive years! The face of today’s alliance.

What has Lillard proven?
Dare you touch Xue Liancheng?
(End of this chapter)