LaMelo Ball, Paul George and the NBA trades that will bring the biggest vibe shifts

One of the things that I love about the NBA is that each team has their own distinct vibe. It could be based on their playstyle or their personalities, but every team has a unique identity.

However, unlike college, the NBA is more of a player-driven league. You don't have identities that carry over from year-to-year. Your vibe shapeshifts based on the player's on your team. With this in mind, let's take a look at four guys who completely changed their team's vibe this offseason.

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LaMelo Ball

Let's start with the guy who was the genesis of this post. Head coach Chris Finch went out of his way to talk about the drastic change the Minnesota Timberwolves have undergone this offseason.

While this is probably a direct shot at Julius Randle (and maybe, Naz Reid, as well), this is also a testament to LaMelo Ball's upbeat nature.

But more than this, Ball (along with Ayo Dosunmu) also transforms the Timberwolves into a high-octane, up-tempo offense that could be capble of masquerading as the Seven Seconds or Less Phoenix Suns from time-to-time.

Paul George

For years, the Boston Celtics have been defined by two things: 1) their heavy reliance on analytics, and 2) their two-man tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

The issue is that Brown's statistical footprint and overall views often clashed with the Celtics' pro-analytics agenda. This created a clear disconnect between the team's goals and one of its marquee players.

Now, the team has swapped Brown for Paul George (and some draft capital) -- a beloved companion of advanced metrics (particularly plus-minus data). The Celtics are no longer straddled by the burden that Brown was becoming, and they are now free to fully immerse themselves in the databall revolution.

LeBron James

LeBron James is not only (probably) the greatest player to ever play this game, but he also may have the single greatest impact on his team's vibes of anyone who has ever stepped foot on an NBA floor. So, naturally, James is going to change the complexion of this Philadelphia 76ers team.

This little snippet offers a glimspe of how James can reshape a locker room:

The 76ers have gone from a team with seemingly no direction to the one that everyone will be tuning in to watch every single night. They will have a segment on every episode of First Take. Every win will be met with skepticism. Every loss will be scrutinized. The 76ers went from being happy about upsetting the Celtics in the first round to a team that won't rest until they go the distance.

Kawhi Leonard

The Toronto Raptors went from a punchy young team that plays hard but never posed a serious threat to the heavy-hitters to now rostering a top seven player in the planet and boasting their own championship aspirations with Kawhi Leonard.

But Leonard is more than just an elite player. Like Brown, he has his own cross to bear. He hasn't successfully been able to survive a deep postseason run since The Bubble, and even then, Leonard and his Los Angeles Clippers ran out of gas.

More recently, Leonard has come under siege for his involvement in cap circumvention. A lot of people hold a lot of ill will toward him, as he basically made it out scot-free, while the Clippers are left to deal with the rubble he left behind.

Everyone is going to have a target on the Raptors back. Let's see if they are ready for all the smoke.

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