Wanting a key harm – the lack of Fred VanVleet is a killer for the Rockets – and limitless hypothesis – no, Jayson Tatum isn’t “super-human,” as one nationwide broadcaster recommended the opposite night time – it takes Caitlin Clark-type imaginative and prescient to glean a lot of something from the NBA preseason.
Fortuitously, with these new binoculars, I can see the court docket with one of the best of them.
And what I’ve seen this preseason – in small doses, thoughts you – is three groups who’re going to shock lots of people this 12 months.
That’s not essentially excellent news for mainstream basketball followers, who’ve come to despise two of those franchises in recent times and who suppose the third group resides in Maine.
Let’s study …
Boston Celtics
It took the new-look membership all of about 11 minutes to reply one of many largest questions of the preseason: Will the Celtics be demoralized by the absence of Tatum?
When Jaylen Brown commanded the basketball – beforehand unallowed with Tatum on the ground – and poured in 15 factors in a 33-22 season-opening flurry, the reply was clear: Are you joking? These guys might be impressed by it.
Particularly Brown, who has lived uncomfortably in Tatum’s enormous shadow for the final eight seasons.
Brown clearly loved his first expertise with the shackles off. He was the driving pressure in a pass-happy, quick-striking Celtics assault that can – for some time anyway – substitute the dribble-dominated Tatum snooze-fest.
It’s already clear the Celtics might be extra of a group this season. Certain, one with out Jrue Vacation, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis, however in addition they have retained a high-scoring complement to Brown in Derrick White and an actual level guard in Payton Pritchard. And get this: They really will station huge males close to the ring and make use of a difference-making defensive stopper now that Jordan Walsh will get a shot.
Boston is tabbed to be barely a .500 group this season, however that’s clearly the projection of somebody caught up within the Tatum headlines and pondering he may return by Thanksgiving.
The longer he’s out, the extra doubtless a 50-win season turns into.
Golden State Warriors
Might 8, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Golden State Warriors ahead Jonathan Kuminga (00) seems to be to go the ball over Minnesota Timberwolves middle Rudy Gobert (27) within the first half throughout sport two of the second spherical for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Goal Middle. Necessary Credit score: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Photographs When the Warriors took the court docket for the primary time this month, it was in opposition to a Lakers group that had LeBron James and Luka Doncic on the sidelines. Impressed by merely seeing “Lakers” on the jersey, Golden State responded with an early 24-15 message.
You see, whereas the Warriors have been being ridiculed for his or her dealing with of the Jonathan Kuminga debacle and the Lakers have been being applauded for not forcing Dodger Canine upon Doncic, Golden State quietly went out and made one of many low season’s largest additions in Horford, a glue piece within the Celtics’ current success.
In San Francisco, he’ll be part of Draymond Inexperienced and Jimmy Butler III to offer the Warriors – get this – the most effective front-court defenses within the NBA. Certainly, James and Doncic observed from their front-row seats.
The speak within the West this low season has centered on the Thunder’s probability of repeating, the Nuggets’ improved depth that places Nikola Jokic again within the championship hunt, the addition of Kevin Durant to the ready-for-prime-time Rockets and, after all, the subtraction of Doncic on the scale.
Dallas has a difference-making rookie, San Antonio is able to unleash arguably one of the best participant within the league, the Clippers have Kawhi Leonard (or do they?) … and let’s not overlook concerning the Timberwolves.
So the place do the Stephen Curry-led Warriors fall? With Butler able to sort out Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Horford and Inexperienced ready to double-team Jokic, suffice it to say: The aim in Oklahoma Metropolis and Denver this season must be to keep away from the Warriors within the Western semifinals.
As a result of the Warriors, a Curry harm away from the Western Closing 4 with a lesser group a 12 months in the past, are going to be there.
Portland Path Blazers
Apr 1, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Portland Path Blazers forwards Deni Avdija (8) and Toumani Camara (33) react late within the sport in opposition to the Atlanta Hawks throughout the second half at State Farm Enviornment. Necessary Credit score: Dale Zanine-Imagn Photographs A humorous factor occurred when the Path Blazers debuted final week … 4 Chauncey Billups clones have been launched with the beginning lineup. Such is the athleticism of Vacation, Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara and Jerami Grant, all who clearly have completed their homework on the type of play that made their coach a five-time All-Star who rode protection to his Corridor of Fame enshrinement.
Whereas no one observed, the Path Blazers have been one of many NBA’s most improved groups final season, going from 21 to 36 wins in Billups’ fourth season on the helm.
Throw in Scoot Henderson, now mentored by Damian Lillard, and Deni Avdija and you’ve got the makings of 48 minutes of one of the best perimeter protection within the NBA. And behind that, few groups supply larger rim-protecting obstacles than Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen.
Keep watch over Sharpe, who the Path Blazers shrewdly retained within the Vacation commerce (dealing Anfernee Simons as an alternative). Having improved from 9.9 factors per sport to fifteen.9 after which 18.5 in his three seasons, he’s the NBA’s subsequent 20-point guard and a probable first-time All-Star.
Sadly, this Portland is in Oregon, not Maine, the place the Path Blazers would qualify to be a top-six group within the East. Even within the West, the place they have been twelfth final season, it could be no shock in the event that they handed the Suns and Kings and bought a play-in reward this April.
