Time moves into early October, with each team’s training camp wrapping up, and the League’s media day kicking off on this particular day.
The most watched team for the new season is naturally the Cavaliers.
With the Cavaliers’ consecutive championships now a reality, as unbelievable as it may seem, people have no choice but to start discussing the possibility of a Cavaliers dynasty.
Bear in mind this is Cleveland; if they really manage to achieve this, it would be the greatest feat in basketball history.
And Hansen would truly surpass Jordan, becoming the undisputed greatest in history.
"Yes, that is our only goal."
Hansen once again confirmed that goal at the press conference.
Although the team’s training camp situations appear somewhat concerning, that goal will not change.
Besides Hansen’s remarks, there are other noteworthy events at this year’s Cavaliers media day.
Jokic looks noticeably bulkier than last season, making him especially eye-catching during the photoshoot.
Also grabbing attention is Ross; previously traded to the New York Knicks and switching to No. 25, he’ll be returning to his No. 1 jersey for the new season.
And then there’s Kuzma, the Cavaliers’ late first-round rookie whose team status isn’t high, but his looks rank second within the Cavaliers.
However, when media day concluded, the most reported issue wasn’t the Cavaliers’ situation, but rather a piece of news from the Pelicans.
"I’m confident because I’m the best player in the world, just that simple."
This was James’ response when interviewed by reporters on media day about his performance for the new season.
His words immediately triggered huge controversy.
Remember, since being traded from the Heat, he’s basically changed teams annually.
Especially now, with Hansen on the brink of becoming the greatest in history, are you sure this isn’t an attempt to jump on the bandwagon?
But then Kuzma posted a tweet that successfully clarified everything for everyone.
"The King may not have a ring, but he can’t be without the spotlight."
With this reminder, everyone finally understood.
Speaking of New Orleans, it’s neither a big city nor a traditional powerhouse, and after James’ decision, summer media coverage about them was sparse.
If they don’t stir things up, they’d be forgotten.
Indeed, those who understand James best aren’t his fans but those who dislike him.
After media day ended, preseason games also began.
The problems the Cavaliers faced during training camp quickly emerged in their games.
Despite Lue’s stern admonishment to JR and TT during training camp, their condition is truly concerning.
Especially JR, who gets winded after running on the court for only a short while, looking completely exhausted, and who knows how many girls he discussed life with over the summer.
Throughout the preseason, his shooting percentage disastrously plunged to just above 30%.
TT’s situation is somewhat better, but there are very noticeable declines in his positioning and help defense speed on the court, adding defensive pressure to Jokic inside.
These are not good news for the Cavaliers.
Of course, with bad news typically comes good news.
The good news is that Jokic’s dominance inside has noticeably increased.
Against the Pistons, in just 25 minutes of play against Drummond, he secured 20+10 data, impressing everyone.
Furthermore, Ross’ performance is quite surprising too; wearing his No. 1 jersey again, his breakthrough looks as sharp as ever.
After the preseason ended, the League announced the first team power rankings for the new season.
The Cavaliers are ranked first on this list.
Though the preseason revealed some issues with the Cavaliers’ form, after so many seasons, no one can ignore Hansen’s dominance.
Unless Hansen is hit by an injury, the Cavaliers will remain first on the ranking. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⟡𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⟡𝓷𝓮𝓽
Following closely behind are the Celtics.
On paper, the Celtics are the strongest of all teams for the new season, but no one knows if Irving will continue causing issues.
The Warriors are ranked third.
Cousins’ preseason integration with the Warriors went very well.
Or rather, his abilities have been underestimated by many.
Cousins began developing his three-point shot two years ago, with a hit rate of 35.6% last season with the Kings, and upon joining the Pelicans, this percentage increased to 37.5%.
Moreover, this is while making an average of 5 three-point attempts per game.
As an inside player, this is already quite an exceptional statistic.
Additionally, he’s not the type who heavily relies on low-post plays; his ability in high-position pick-and-roll and secondary ball distribution is sufficiently outstanding.
Even the fans’ biggest concern, his mobility, Cousins has performed much better than most imagined.
"Historically," Cousins also joined the Warriors, but it’s obvious, the Cousins who hasn’t suffered a major injury is a player totally different in tier from the Cousins after the injury.
The Pelicans are ranked fourth.
The Pelicans’ preseason integration also seems very good.
Davis’ abilities are still underestimated; this son of the United States may not have tasted playoff glory yet, but his raw strength is genuine.
His excellent rolling ability makes his pick-and-roll with James look exceptionally harmonious.
Moreover, the critical factor is Huoledi and Davis, this powerful defense both inside and out, combined with James’ fast-break ability, making the Pelicans’ defense counterattack flourish.