Sacramento Kings: Rookie sensation Keegan Murray
In the official interview after being drafted No. 4 overall by the Sacramento Kings — the very Kings franchise that has not been to the playoffs in an NBA record 16 years — Keegan Murray said, “I’m excited. The first thing that I feel like I bring the Kings is a winning culture and a winning mindset.”
That’s exactly what you want to hear if you’re a Kings fan. And that’s exactly what he did in Summer League and the preseason. Murray plays like an experienced veteran. He moves so fluidly around the court and his shot is so smooth. He has tons of confidence without making a big deal about it.
Los Angeles Lakers: The King in Year 20
Come for the drama, stay for LeBron James in Year 20 of his illustrious career. LeBron was the Chosen One coming out of high school, and 20 years later, he’s still playing near the top of his game.
What happens with Westbrook will get all of the attention and spotlight, but the level of basketball that LeBron is playing at 37 years old is remarkable. He will pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the NBA’s all-time scoring list this season as the new leader with the most points scored in NBA history. A pass-first guy, LeBron has always played the game looking to make the right play, and living with the results. The results have been pretty, pretty good.
Phoenix Suns: Old-school mastery
Chris Paul and Devin Booker take an old-school approach to the game, filled with a full-on arsenal from the mid-range. It’s been forgotten, but the Suns were two games away from winning the Finals two years ago. A lot has happened since then, but none of it will change CP3 and Book from dissecting defenses and pulling up from 18 feet.
When the Suns are firing on all cylinders, they have been one of the NBA’s best team machines. It’s worth noting they have prospered in the face of adversity before.
Los Angeles Clippers: Robot Kawhi
With a methodical and emotionless approach, Kawhi Leonard has drawn comparisons to being an actual robot. It’s all fun and games until he goes terminator mode on your favorite team, ripping their hearts out with that detached expression on his face. Robots are not designed to destroy, but when it comes to basketball, that’s all this one knows how to do.
Golden State Warriors: The Champs’ quest for back-to-back
Before Kevin Durant’s arrival in 2016, the Warriors had won a championship. But they haven’t won back-to-back Finals without him. Yet.
That’s precisely what the Dubs are setting out to do this season amidst their internal Draymond-fueled drama. As we saw during a stretch of the second quarter of the Warriors’ last preseason game against the Nuggets, this team is still very much capable of playing the beautiful game. Pristine ball movement with a cascade of splashtastic 3s raining down from above. The patented Warriors’ third-quarter landslides can still happen at any moment.