Miami has a very high-level backbone and Spoelstra is one of the most enlightened and capable coaches of his generation. Atlanta with the Young-Murray duo, Charlotte all about LaMelo Ball. Playoffs within reach for Washington, while in Orlando the eyes are on blue
& commat; david_piase
Miami and then all the others. On paper, the Heat are the only Southeast Division team to have title ambitions. Atlanta and Washington aim for a place in the playoffs, a goal within reach. Transitional season for Charlotte and especially Orlando, with Banchero who wants to surprise.
Objective: Playoffs.
Why believe in the Hawks: The brand new backcourt formed by Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, net of what will be the inevitable process of mutual adaptation of the two stars, fascinates not a little for pure talent and versatility. Young will also play away from the ball (and will likely be balanced defensively by Murray), he will try to reach the next step of his maturation, and therefore on an offensive level the team of coach McMillan could develop new contents. And then there is all the athletic and physical potential of the various Collins (will it finally explode?), Capela and Okongwu who demand the respect of the whole league.
Why not trust the Hawks: In the east the competitive level is quite high and it will be essential to seek continuity in performance and, above all, to find a defensive consistency that allows the Hawks to build something solid and not, as has often happened in recent history, impromptu. Responsibilities that fall in particular on coach McMillan, called to give a clear identity to a group of strong players and, at least on paper, compatible with each other.
Quintet: Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, Clint Capela.
Main reserves: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Justin Holiday, Aaron Holiday, Onyeka Okongwu, Frank Kaminsky.
Coach: Nate McMillan.
Objective: Play-in.
Why believe in the Hornets: There is LaMelo Ball and this is enough to color the imagination of Charlotte fans. A player who knows how to create something from nothing in any situation and knows how to raise the quality of the team’s basketball. The supporting cast is absolutely respectable, with PJ Washington shining on everyone, but the full recovery of Gordon Hayward, an indispensable facilitator on whom every little or big ambition of the Hornets depends, will be fundamental.
Why not believe in the Hornets: The roster is quite light in terms of depth, basketball thickness and versatility. A mix of moody talents and humble tradesmen to whom the key to producing good basketball in a credible and continuous way has yet to be transferred. The media bomb exploded with the accusation of domestic violence against Miles Bridges, the player along with LaMelo most exciting and identifying the roster, has certainly left a deep scar on the technical project of the Michael Jordan franchise.
Quintet: LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, PJ Washington, Mason Plumlee.
Main reserves: Kelly Oubre Jr., Jalen McDaniels, James Bouknight, Cody Martin, Dennis Smith Jr.
Coach: Steve Clifford.
Objective: Title.
Why believe in the Heat: Miami has a precise identity, a technical, ethical and philosophical creed that all players fully embrace. Erik Spoelstra is one of the most enlightened and capable coaches of his generation and his boys share the same vision of basketball with him. The Heat are a real team, match after match and they proved it even in the last season, which ended with just one win from the NBA Finals. Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry leader and cornerstones of the quintet, Tyler Herro the scorer designated by the franchise: Miami remains competitive.
Why not trust the Heat: Losing a key player like PJ Tucker and not replacing him is an undeniable problem for coach Spo rotations. Furthermore, in the latest free agency, Miami aspired to a great player to add to the roster (Durant and Mitchell above all) but remained with the match in hand. Two gaps in the script in the programming that could drastically reduce the chances of the title of Butler and his companions, on paper behind at least five contenders. Playoffs not up for debate. Quintet: Kyle Lowry, Max Strus, Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin, Bam Adebayo.
Main reserves: Tyler Herro, Gabe Vincent, Victor Oladipo, Duncan Robinson, Haywood Highsmith, Omer Yurtseven, Dewayne Dedmon.
Coach: Erik Spoelstra.
Objective: Play-in.
Why believe in the Magic: Young, ambitious and dripping with personality and individual talent. In this team there is not only the blue Paolo Banchero, first absolute choice in the last Draft, but many other fresh and very strong players including Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs (just injured his knee), Moritz Wagner, Chuma Okeke and the returning Jonathan Isaac, who is almost ready and awaits the green light after two seasons of inactivity. The roster is incredibly young but the potential is all there to be seen. Magic are now probably the team every NBA coach would like to coach to build something really important for years to come.
Why not trust the Magic: In recent history, but not only, Orlando has always been an intriguing team, which may even start the regular season well but which deflates too soon, almost without realizing it. Talent must be contextualized, empowered and, above all, shaped to try to find a technical identity. It will certainly not be easy to do all this for coach Mosley, measuring himself against the rhythms of the calendar and the adaptation process of the young people. In NBA, experience counts a lot and no one takes prisoners. You have to be mentally ready and forget all forms of vanity. The victories count, not the highlights.
Quintet: Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs, Paolo Banchero, Moritz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr.
Main reserves: RJ Hampton, Chuma Okeke, Mo Bamba, Terrence Ross, Gary Harris, Jonathan Isaac.
Coach: Jamahl Mosley.
Objective: Playoffs.
Why believe in the Wizards: After having armored the champion and symbol of the franchise Bradley Beal, Washington has the duty to seriously build a season that is in line with the value of the roster, which is very good especially in the possible starting quintet. Two good summer holds, those of Monte Morris and Will Barton, and many expectations on Kristaps Porzingis, who could really positively alter the balance of the team. The Latvian unicorn has important qualities but it has to get right mentally and physically. In Washington they believe in him and if the sentiment is reciprocated, translating into the field with those improvements that everyone thinks he should make, a place in the playoffs should represent a widely achievable goal.
Why not trust the Wizards: The Wizards have been missing for too long at high levels and the technical / human material available in recent years, of all respect, has always failed in the moments of the season when a bit of continuity was needed. Not just injuries, flaws in technical management and a defensive identity that never really existed. What is missing is a shared idea, a cohesion of intentions, which can never come second to the overall individual talent.
Quintet: Mount Morris, Bradley Beal, Kyle Kuzma, Rui Hachimura, Kristaps Porzingis.
Main reserves: Will Barton, Deni Avdija, Corey Kispert, Delon Wright, Daniel Gafford, Johnny Davis, Taj Gibson.
Coach: Wes Unseld Jr.
October 10, 2022 (change October 10, 2022 | 19:55)
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