As the chaotic offseason comes to an end, let’s reflect on what positive changes have been made in the NBA since last year.
The NBA will look different this season, especially for Blazer fans. Specifically, the league was shocked by the Portland Trailblazers trading their point guard (PG) Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks and center (C) Jusuf Nurkic to the Phoenix Suns.
TuHS sophomore Jack Baxter weighed in on this trade.
“[The Blazers made a] trade for All-Star PG Damian Lillard, adding another superstar alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo,” Baxter said.
The Bucks have distinguished themselves as a top team in the Eastern Conference and overall league, with a dangerous arsenal of weapons.
As far as the Western Conference goes, no other team has made any huge trades; however, many teams did add role players to increase depth. As LeBron James’s last few seasons tick away, the Los Angeles Lakers have certainly made some moves to build a stronger team.
“You can’t talk about this offseason without the Lakers,” Baxter said.
The Lakers have re-signed many players who proved themselves last season, including power forward (PF) Jarred Vanderbilt, power and small forward (SF/PF) Rui Hachimura, and point and shooting guard (PG/SG) D’Angelo Russell. Their new moves include signing new role players like Guard Gabe Vincent, PF/SF Taurean Prince, and PF/C Christian Wood. These are all great signings that look to improve this Lakers team.
The Lakers and Bucks will have many eyes on them this season, but not nearly as many as the first pick in the NBA Draft: Victor Wembanyama (Wemby) was picked by the San Antonio Spurs. The 7’4”, 210-pound 19-year-old from France has had all the buzz this offseason. Many are eager to see if he lives up to the hype, while others are concerned about injury. Wemby seems to be taking preventative action so far. His trainers help strengthen certain muscles and joints, to lessen the chance of injury. He even has a schedule that limits screen time and promotes lots of healthy sleep and food.
As the NBA season inches closer, players and fans await an anticipated battle for the NBA championship. The offseason can make or break a team’s chance. We’ll see what teams’ efforts paid off and those that did not. In this new season to come, records may be shattered, teams and players will stand out above the rest, and a team may even go undefeated. Anything is possible, and fans will just have to watch along to find out.
