The Clackamas print., October 23, 2019, Page 7, Image 7

7
SPORTS
Jg
■ r ?
BY RILEY BUERK
STAPF W RITER
BY JACOB THOMPSON
-
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Z.
c^t^les Clippers
Clippers
t is offse aso n , stealing N B A Finals M V P Kawhi
The e C
lip pers pulled o ff a h e eist
ist th
Leonard fro m th e Toronto Raptors and So m e h o w convincin g th e O k laho m a C ity
Thunder to trade a ll-sta r Paul George to th em . The C lip p e rs are th e m o st w ell
rounded team in th e league, w ith defensive ace Patrick Beverley, u p -an d rco m e r
Landry Sh am et and all-arou n d center JaM ychal G reen,surrou nd in g George and
Leonard. O f f th e b en ch , th ey have scoring specialist Lou W illiam s, 20 points a
gam e last season, along w ith veterans M aurice H arkless, M ontrezl Harrell, Patrick
Patterson and Ivica Zubac. These Clippers have the p otential to lead th e entire
league in w ins this season and w ill have the opportunity to h o ist the first Larry
O ’ Brien troph y for L A ’ s “ other te a m .”
,
‘
j
2. <philadelpMii76ers
Z
*
in V
1 HOUSTON ROCKETS
A fte r b a c k - t o - b a c k g re a t re g u la r se a so n s , th e R o c k e ts w ere o n e « again ;'k n o ck ed
o u t o f th e p la y o ffs b y th e G o ld e n S ta te W arriors; T he fa ilu r e s ad d ed to an alre ad y
so u rin g r e la tio n s h ip b etw een C h r is P a u l arid Ja m e s H a rd e n an d led to P a u l b e in g
tra d e d fo r R u ss e ll W e stb ro o k . T he re u n io n o f H a rd e n an d W e stb ro o k sh o u ld b e th e
m o s t e x c itin g b a s k e tb a ll to w a tc h th is se a so n as G o ld e n S ta te lo o k s to 'r e b o u n d
a fte r lo s in g K e v in D u ra n t (n o w w ith th e B ro o k ly n N e ts) a n d K lay T h o m p s o n (A C L
te a r.) W ith E ric G o r d o n , P J T ucker an d C lin t C a p e la ro u n d in g o u t th e s ta r tin g
lin e u p , H o u s to n co u ld h a v e th e h ig h e s t-s c o r in g o ffe n s e in th e N B A tfiis y e a r, b u t
th e q u e stio n lin g e rs : is th e re e n o u g h b a ll to go a ro u n d ? H o u sto n av eraged 102
o ffe n s iv e p o s s e s s io n s p er g a m e la s t se a so n . T o g e th e r, H a rd e n an d W e stb ro o k to o k
s h o ts o n a lm o s t h a lf o f th o se p o s s e s s io n s . W ith b o th p lay ers fa v o rin g a n iso la tio n
style o f p la y , it fe e ls lik e th in g s w ill go e ith e r w o n d e r fu lly or te rrib ly in S o u th T ex as
th is se a so n .
,
The 76ers ate gettin g bigger w hile th e rest o f the league is goingtri^rardS sm all Ball
W ith B en S im m o n s, Jo sh R ichardson, Tobias Harris,IToel Embiid and offse aso n /> > r« r i i n pM A T A T F W A P P in P H
> addition A1 H orford, the Sixers w ill be able to m atch up at an y position. The signing X “ « * •* « * * » ■ ^ w 1 m 1 1» v v n r v n i u i v t j
E ven w ith o u t D u ra n t, th e W arrio rs seem ed lik e th e y w ere g o in g to be fin e . S te p h
o f Horford w as sneakily very good, stealin g h im fro m a conference rival, seeing
C u rry is o n e o f th e m o st c o n s is te n t s h o o te r s in N B A h is to r y s h o o tin g 47.7% fr o m
as h e ’ s one o f th e only players w ho can guard E m biid. Losin g Jim m y Butler an d JJ
th e fie ld . W ith C u rry ’ s u n c a n n y a b ility to sc o re , D ra y m o n d G r e e n ’ s a b ility to step
R edick hurt, b ut gettin g R ichardson fro m th e M iam i H eat in th e Butler trade w ill
up w h erev er th e te am n eed s h im an d th e a d d itio n o f D ’A n g e lo R u ss e ll, th e W arriors
b en efit S im m o n s, H arris, and Em biid as th ey w ill get m ore touches. The Sixers have
lo o k ed lik e th e y w o u ld c o n tin u e to b e on e o f th e b e s t te a m s in th e N B A . E v en
a chance to lead th e E astern Conference in victories th is season, arid if Sim m o n s
i f G o ld e n S ta te g o t o f f to a ro ck y s ta r t, T h o m p so n w as g o in g to c o m e b a c k fr o m
can add a 3 -p o in t sh o t, he could be in th e M V P conversation.
th e A C L te a r an d h e lp th e W arrio rs re tu rn to c h a m p io n s h ip fo r m . T h a t c h a n g e d
3. '"
I ..... I
T u esd ay m o r n in g w h e n H e a d C o a c h S te v e Kerr a n n o u n c e d h e d o e s n ’ t th in k h is
s te lla r s h o o tin g gu a rd w ill re tu rn th is se a so n ac c o rd in g to rep o rts p er N B C Sp o rts
G ia n n is A n teto kou n m p o , th e rergning M V P, and co -stà r Khris M iddleton w ill
p a y A r e a . G o ld e n S ta te s t ill h a s a lo t o f ta le n t, b u t N o . 2 n ow se e m s o u t o f re a ch .
look to take M ilw aukee past th e Eastern Conference Finals, w here th e y lost to
th e eventual cham p ions in Six gam es after blow ing a 2 -0 lead. T h e B ucks a d d O
lig i
iíbíi
vétérans Kyle Kofvër and R obin Lopez td a te am th at did n o t have a lo t o f dep th
B
efo
re
la
s
t
s
e
a
s
o
n
,
th
e
B
u
ck
s
h
a
d
n
’t
m
a d e it o u t o f th e fir s t ro u n d o f th e N B A
last year. They lo st their starting sho oting guard M alco lm B togdon, arguably th e a P
p la y o ffs s in c e 2 0 0 0 , b u t n o w th e re r e a lly is a re a so n to “ fe a r th e d e e r .” G ia n n is
second b est player in the p layoffs, to Indiana, b u t th at is their only p o sitio n th atgs
A n te to k o u n m p o is c o m in g o f f an M V P se a so n w h e re h e led th e B u cks in p o in ts p er
cu rren tlyn o t as strong. If A nteto kou nm p o develops a ju m p shot, there isn ’t"anyone
g a m e , reb o u n d s p er g a m e an d a s s is ts p e r g a m e . D u r in g th e o ffs e a s o n M ilw a u k ee
in th e league th at cap stop h im , arid he could lead M ilw aukee to new
w as ab le to r e s ig n K h ris M id d le to n , w h o w a s th e te a m ’ s seco n d le a d in g scorer
a v e r a g in g 18.3 p p g , an d ad d ed R o b in L o p e z, W e sle y M a tth e w s an d K yle K orv er.
T h e G re e k F re a k an d th e B u c k s sh o u ld ru n th e E a ste rn C o n fe r e n c e th is se a so n ,
The N uggets retain their entire starting lineup from the team th at advanced to
e s p e c ia lly w ith th e d ep artu re o f K aw h i Leo n ard fr o m th e T o ro n to R a p to fs .
the W estern Conference sem ifinals last season before losin g in seven gam es.
The N u ggets have one of th e deepest team s in th e N B A , w ith scorer M alik Beasley
com in g o ff th e b ench along w ith three solid veterans in center M ason Plurrilee,
N e v e r c o u n t o u t K in g Ja m e s , e s p e c ia lly w h e n h e h a s th e m o s t ta le n te d b ig m a n ,
forward Je ra m i G ra n t, and guard M on teM o rris. The key factor for th e N uggets w ill
A n th o n y D a v is , in th e g a m e o n h is te a m . L a s t y e a r w a s th e fir s t tim e in 14 years
be th e p la y o f M ichael Porter Jr ., w ho was once seen as th e consensus num ber one
th a t Ja m e s d id n ’ t m a k e th e p o s ts e a s o n a n d p e o p le w ere s ta r tin g to w o n d er i f th e
player in his draft class o n ly to get injured and have to sit ou t his rookie season.
K in g h a d lo s t a step in h is old ag e ( h e ’ s 34.) Ja m e s m is se d 27 g a m e s in th e 2 01 8-
If Porter plays as'w ell as h e used to, th e N uggets are goin g to be scary w ith h im
19 s e a s o n , (th e m o s t h e ’ s ev er m is se d in a s in g le s e a s o n ,) b u t la s t s e a s o n ’ s lig h t
alongside M V P candidate N ikola Jokic and rising star Jam al Murray.
w o rk lo a d w ill le a d to L eB ro n lo o k in g fr e s h a n d rea d y to m a k e a ru n a t a n o th e r title .
^.MILWAUKEE BUCKS
4.
4. LOS ANGELES LAKERS
LeBron Jam es and Anthony Davis are the two stars o f Hollywood this season. Davis was
acquired in an offseason trade that sent the majority o f the Lakers depth to New Orleans
in exchange for a franchise-altering player. The Lakers do not have a lot o f depth after
this trade, however w hen you have two stars like Lebron and Davis, you m ight not need
too m uch depth. Their best offseason pick up was sharp-shooter D anny Green w ho’s
shot 40% from three for his career and has two N BA cham pionships to his nam e. The
X -facto r for the Lakers will be young star Kyle Kuzm a, who will be backing up Davis at
the forward spot. If the Lakers w ant a chance to compete for a cham pionship, Kuzm a will
have to improve his 3-point stroke from 30.3% last season. The more spacing the Lakers
have around Jam es and Davis, the better their odds at shooting for a cham pionship.
Clackamas Print - -------- ------------- 5---------------------------------------------
S p e a k in g o f so m e o n e w h o ’ s rea d y to m a k e a ru n a t a c h a m p io n s h ip , “ T h e B ro w ”
h a s h a d a lo t o f su c c e ss in th e N B A re g u la r s e a s o n , b u t in h is s e v e n -y e a r caree r h a s
o n ly p lay ed in th e p o stse a so n tw ice . S o o n , th a t w ill c h a n g e — D a v is an d Ja m e s w ill
b e d e a d ly in th e p ic k an d ro ll so p rep are y o u r s e lf fo r th e re tu rn o f S h o w T im e .
5. PHILADELPHIA 7EERS
“ T h e P ro ce ss” b r o u g h t th e 76ers b a c k fr o m th e d ead an d th e y sh o u ld co n tin u e
th e ir ru n as o n e o f th e m o s t d o m in a tin g te a m s in th e E a ste rn C o n fe r e n c e . I f
Jo e l E m b iid c a n s ta y h e a lth y , h e h a s p ro v e n h e h a s a ll th e s k ills to b e a n M V P -
ca lib e r p la y e r. A d d B e n S im m o n s ’ c o n s ta n t d e v e lo p m e n t o f s k ills a n d A1 H o r fo r d ’s
ve te r a n le a d e r s h ip an d P h ila d e lp h ia is p rim e d fo r a to p fin is h in a w e a k E a ste rn
I
£
Zi'
th eclackam asprint.com ----------------- -------------- ----------------------------- October 2 3 ‘ 2019