For the first time in perhaps since Lebron first made the finals, it will be difficult to pick the two teams who will go to the NBA Finals this year. The new NBA thanks to massive FREE AGENCY. This thread is to talk about all the moves and which teams really benefitted and who has a shot at the title GSW vacated thanks to injuries. This thread is not to bitch about the free agency movement to form super teams and I hate this FA because he whored out blah blah. it is what it is....
Before discussing the teams that loaded up and have all the pressure to win it all I want to look at NO Pelicans who were forced to jettison AD but end up looking pretty good. No one is saying they will win the title in the next 3 years but look at this new lineup and depth chart: Jrue and JJ are good spread the floor shooters and Jrue was putting up good numbers. Ingram is a really good floor spreader. Zion for now is best within 10 feet of the basket but teams cannot double down on him thanks to 1-3. Okafor is a place holder and he just has to protect the rim and rebound and kick it out to the other 4. Ball and Hart will be really good running second shift and Jaxson Hayes might be biggest surprise for them in Summer. The depth left off Nikeil who was draftd high and put up 31 last night I think. This team will take a year to gel but should be vastly improved and grow in the next 3 years. They finished 15 games out of 8th place but Minnesota and Memphis above them are going to be younger and weaker and so I expect NO to finish 9th or 10th and just miss the playoffs (West is way too deep, in East they would be an easy 8th seed).