The NBA is still in its offseason and our fans here at SBOBET can’t wait for the new season to start.
There isn’t any much movement going on for now as most of them were already done earlier in the summer, which is why we’ve been hearing several pundits voice out their opinions more often.
With the training camp just around the corner, various media outfits have been busy in making their pre-season predictions on a variety of topics – from who’s winning the next title, the MVP award, among others.
But before we delve into those, allow us to update you with some of the NBA 2019 news over this past week.
Charles Barkley and Stephen A. Smith send love to Philly
With Kawhi Leonard joining the Clippers, it is almost guaranteed that we will have a new team that would reign supreme in the Eastern Conference next year. The Bucks, Celtics, and Sixers quickly come into mind when looking at the current landscape.
The Bucks may have the reigning MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo, but TV analysts such as Stephen A. Smith and Charles Barkley curiously picked the Sixers to win the Eastern Conference next season. They both believe that the current core composing of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Al Horford, Tobias Harris, and Josh Richardson will be one of the best starting lineups in the NBA.
However, there are two things to factor in when dubbing Philly as the surefire pick and it all boils down to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
For Embiid, he has to maintain his ideal playing weight while keeping himself healthy for the grind of a long season. It can be remembered that the Cameroonian big had problems with his feet and knees that hampered his development. Health issues aside, however, Embiid is one of the best centers in the NBA with his combination of size and offencive capability.
As for Simmons, critics are quick to point out his inconsistent jumpshot even if he manages to put up decent numbers. He is the Sixers’ main facilitator and his height poses problems against his smaller counterparts. The Australian can do everything on the court except hitting outside shots consistently. But once he finds his stroke, look out.
Doc Rivers talks about Kawhi Leonard
In a recent interview with LA Times’ Arash Markazi, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers revealed the whole story on how the team got the services of Kawhi Leonard.
He shared that he knew that the Oklahoma City Thunder ‘wanted to break their team up’ and they provided Leonard a list of players to choose from.
“We showed him everybody else and he didn’t want to hear it. He just stayed on Paul George. So after the meeting we sat down and I said [to Steve Ballmer], ‘We got to get Paul George. I don’t know how we are going to do it, but we have to do it,’” detailed Rivers.
From there, the Clippers pulled off a coup that would form one of the league’s top duos. They completed the blockbuster trade that included four future unprotected first-round picks, one protected first-round pick and two pick swaps.
The future is bright for the ‘other’ Los Angeles team. And with a roster filled with exceptional two-way players and specialists, the Clippers’ NBA 2019 odds of winning the title next season are at a high.
Steph Curry bares intent to join Team USA
After having their worst finish ever in international competition, Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo shared his displeasure to certain players that ‘didn’t show up’.
Which is why as early as now, Team USA are looking to fill up their roster in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics next year and it’s a good thing that they have some volunteers already.
Steph Curry is one of them as he expressed his desire to don the national colors in a recent report from ESPN. The Warriors point guard has yet to play in the Olympics, but he has already won in the FIBA World Cup twice back in 2010 and 2014.
“That is the plan, for sure. I’ve never been on the Olympic team. I’ve been on two World Cup championship gold-medal teams. But the Olympics is the experience that I want. And next year will hopefully be it,” bared Curry.
Curry’s inclusion will be a welcome addition to the team on offence – particularly since they’ve struggled on that facet during the World Cup. He is a knockdown shooter that can space the floor and he can dish off to his teammates when they’re open.
He would join his head coach, Steve Kerr, on the national team. Kerr is an assistant to Gregg Popovich’s coaching staff.
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