Ty's NBA Preview: Spurs, Knicks, Thunder
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Welcome to the final day of my preseason NBA countdown. This is it, my top three teams going into the season. After some injury news the other night I thought I might make some changes, but after looking into it, this is still the way I see these three teams going into the year. And I know that two of these teams have started slower than most would like, but it is only three games into the year, and I'm almost certain they will figure it all out soon. Let's get to it.
At number 3 I have the San Antonio Spurs. I fully thought they were going to win the Finals last year. After they beat the Thunder it felt like a done deal to me. But my number 2 team proved me wrong. The Spurs have who I believe to be the best current player in the NBA in Victor Webanyama. He can pretty much do it all. I still feel like he drifts out to the three point line a bit too much, but he is still very young and seems to figure out something new to add to his game and become even more dominant. Wemby is a true freak of an athlete, and he is so much fun to watch play basketball. Stephon Castle may be my favorite young player to watch. Sure, he needs to figure the turnover issue out, but he is a beast going to the rim and he plays super hard on both ends of the floor. Devin Vassell got way better last season and has become a very solid offensive player. He also loves to attack the basket, but his jump shot is coming along quite nicely. Dylan Harper is amazing. He seems like a veteran guard, but this is only his second season. There were moments in the Finals that he was the Spurs best and most reliable player. I also love his attitude and his trash talking is up there with some of the best. Keldon Johnson is coming off a sixth man of the year win, and he has become the best bench player in the league. He does it all, and he does it all very well. The guy loves to feast on second units. Luke Kornet is one of the better backup big men in the league. I wish he wouldn't have griped about the Magic City stuff last season, and he was played off the floor during the Finals. But as a regular season backup, he's as solid as they come. Carter Bryant is starting to assert himself more and he is going to have to see the floor more and more. He is becoming too good to keep on the bench. Harrison Barnes is a perfect vet who can still shoot the three ball. Julian Champangie has turned himself into a reliable 3 and d guy. He might have to start as the season continues because they need his shot. De'Aaron Fox may be a trade asset, but while they have him he is a great fast break starter and he can slash and get to the hoop when he isn't running the offense. And the Tarris Reed pick was classic Spurs. They got another big man, who's a bit more old school, who will only get better the longer he is on the team. The Spurs are young and ferocious. They are coming, and if they can keep this core together for the most part, they will be a problem for a long time in the West.
At 2 I have the defending champs, the New York Knicks. I saw that they are doing typical Knicks stuff, what with the rings and starting slow, but this team is way too good to stay down for too long. Jalen Brunson is a top three player in the league. He is a true offensive killer. He runs this offense to perfection. He gets his three off, but can also get into the lane and hit his floater. He is a bit of a ball stopper, but I believe that that is the way this offense wants to run. Brunson rules. Mikail Bridges is one of the better 3 and d guys in the league. He is always on the court too. He is a true ironman. I don't understand the hate he gets either. He is a very, very good NBA player. Karl Anthony-Towns deserves a new contract with this team. He more than proved his worth to them in the playoffs, and the fact that he is a very good defender is icing on the cake. OG Anunoby is probably the second best player on this team. He does it all for the Knicks. He can guard all five positions, he has become a very good and reliable offensive player and he has a motor that never stops. Josh Hart is one of my favorite players. He is the vet that does all the dirty work for this team, and sometimes he goes on these wild heaters where he cannot miss a three pointer. I do think swapping Mitchell Robinson for Andre Drummond is going to be an issue. Drummond used to be a decent big man, but his production has dropped the past few seasons. He isn't the rebounder he used to be either. And having to take a chance on James Wiseman as another backup big is very risky. Jose Alvarado is more than just a viral stealer of the basketball. His shot has come along, he is a key piece to this team and he fits like a glove. Jordan Clarkson's minutes come and go, but when he gets on the floor, he is liable to go off and score tons of points. Mile McBride needs more minutes. He may not be long for this team because he is too good to not play 20 plus minutes a night. The Knicks have a great system, and they are too good to be down for too long. They are also coming off a championship run, so they may be a little tired to start the season, but that won't last too long. The Knicks are the favorites in the East, and they might be the favorites to repeat this year.
Finally, at number 1 I have the Oklahoma City Thunder. I know, Jalen Williams and Cason Walace are out for the year and that stinks. J-Dub is a key cog to this team. They needed him last year and it showed. His injury was horrendous to watch too. Wallace was becoming a great defensive player and he just got paid. His presence off the bench was undeniable. They will miss him. But the Thunder still have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He is a two time MVP and one of the best offensive players in the NBA. He is shifty and crafty. I never bought into the foul baiting stuff. He is a wizard with the ball and may be in line for a third MVP. Chet Holmgren is a solid big man, but he is soft as Charmin and kind of disappears when he has to face Wemby. He can play against everyone else, but Wemby has his number. Alex Caruso is a great defensive player and his three has gotten so much better. Caruso is one of the better bench players in the league. Isaiah Hartenstein has a great floater, he is a nice menacing figure on the team and he plays hard defense when on the floor. The Thunder look like they may have found another gem in the draft in Aday Mara. He has looked very good to start the year and he fits this team to perfection. Jared McCain has found himself with this team. He is such a good bench scorer and he is a great backup to SGA. Jaylin Williams really showed out last season and he seems like a better fit next to Hartenstein for the most part when the Thunder need rebounding and defense. Kenrich Williams can score and he has the look of being the new Lu Dort on this team. Ajay Mitchell is a solid backup guard who will get more and more minutes with the injuries the Thunder are now dealing with for the rest of the year. Not having Wallace or J-Dub will hurt, but the Thunder won without them last year, moreso J-Dub than Wallace, and it happened early enough in the season that they will have time to figure it all out. It is going to be tougher for them to win it all without these guys, but I still think they're the favorites and I may still pick them to win it all this year.
That's it for my countdown. Come back tomorrow for my playoff and awards predictions for the season.
Ty
Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.
