5 teams to watch in NBA this season – including LeBron James’ LA Lakers

The start of the new NBA season is upon us – and what a season 2018/19 could prove to be.

Golden State Warriors will be looking to retain their crown with Steph Curry hoping to lead the NBA champions to their fifth straight finals, in what would be a first in the sport’s history.

But could Curry and the Warriors have a new rival in the Los Angeles Lakers, now they have a certain LeBron James on their roster?

In what was the biggest move of the summer, LeBron switched from Cleveland Cavaliers to make the move to LA where expectations instantly increased.

Here, we’ve teamed up with the NBA to provide the lowdown on five teams who are predicted to be in the mix for glory…

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

Two-time reigning NBA champion Golden State is seeking to become only the second team in league history to appear in five straight NBA Finals. The only franchise to do it is Boston, which reached 10 straight Finals from 1957-66.

The Warriors are also looking to become the fourth franchise to win at least three straight NBA titles, joining the Celtics (1959-66), Bulls (1991-93 and 1996-98) and Lakers (1952-54 and 2000-02).

Reigning two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant turned 30 on Sept. 29. Only three players in NBA history have scored more points than Durant before celebrating their 30 birthday: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Wilt Chamberlain. For all his offensive exploits, Durant has quietly developed into an excellent defender, ranking fifth in the league in blocks in 2017-18 and earning seven first-place votes for the NBA All-Defensive Team.

As the Warriors await DeMarcus Cousins’ return from an Achilles injury, it’s possible that Jordan Bell could begin the season as the starting center. As a rookie second-round pick last season, Bell received regular playing time during the Western Conference Finals and the NBA Finals.

A Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year at Oregon, Bell wants to win the NBA version of the award. He is one of several supporting players assembled through the NBA Draft or NBA G League by President Bob Myers over the last three seasons, joining Kevin Looney, Patrick McCaw, Quinn Cook and this year’s first-round pick, Jacob Evans.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

The Lakers have a bit of a team of rivals feel to them in that LeBron James is now teaming up with two of his more prominent foils, Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson. During a press conference at the 2018 NBA Finals, James name-checked Rondo for his high basketball IQ and preparedness while discussing the challenge of facing Rondo’s old Celtics teams in the playoffs. James and Stephenson, of course, have a well-documented history from their playoff match-ups when Stephenson was with the Pacers.

LeBron James has tended to be the centerpiece of veteran-laden rosters stocked with post-season experience (for instance, his Cavaliers had the NBA’s oldest opening-night roster in each of the last two seasons). While the Lakers signed several veterans this summer, they also have four 23-and-under players who are seen as critical to their future: 2017-18 NBA All-Rookie team selections Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball; 2018 NBA Summer League MVP Josh Hart; and Brandon Ingram, who averaged 16.1 points as a 20-year-old second-year player last season. The quartet’s development could go a long way in determining the Lakers’ success in James’ first season with the team.

German forward Moritz Wagner, the 25th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, describes Dirk Nowitzki as “my MJ” and the player who “made me believe that this was all possible.” Wagner, who grew up with a Nowitzki poster on his wall, met his idol after the Mavericks played a game in Detroit in 2017. Wagner won’t have to wait long for a potential first regular-season match-up vs. Dirk: The Lakers host the Mavericks on October 31.

BOSTON CELTICS

The Celtics are only scratching the surface of how good they can be. With veteran All-Stars (Kyrie Irving, Al Horford and Gordon Hayward), up-and-coming stars (Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum), quality bench players of all ages (Marcus Smart, Marcus Morris, Terry Rozier and Aron Baynes) and one of the league’s top coaches (Brad Stevens), Boston is well positioned to contend for a championship.

Gordon Hayward’s comeback from a dislocated ankle is much anticipated and well earned. He sustained the devastating injury less than six minutes into his debut with the Celtics last season, depriving Boston of a versatile wing who can defend multiple positions, score and make plays for teammates. Hayward has improved his scoring average in every full season of his career, going from 5.4 points as a rookie in 2010-11 to 21.9 points in his All-Star season of 2016-17 for Utah. With his and Kyrie Irving’s return, the Celtics could roll out a terrific starting line-up of Hayward, Irving, Al Horford, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

Jayson Tatum, 20, plays a mature and polished game that belies his age, drawing comparisons to Celtics great Paul Pierce. The 6-8 forward led the Celtics in scoring during the 2018 NBA Playoffs. Most impressive, Tatum was not afraid of the moment as a rookie, stepping into the starting lineup on opening night and thriving in that role from start to finish. LeBron James described Tatum as being “built for stardom.” Tatum worked out with his favorite NBA player, Kobe Bryant, this summer.

NEW YORK KNICKS

The New York Knicks will be one of two teams coming to London in January for the ninth regular season edition of the NBA London Game. The UK crowd should look out for rookie Kevin Knox who turned heads with a strong performance at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Knox, who turned 19 in August, could play a big role immediately as the Knicks open the season without the injured Kristaps Porzingis. Knox’s father, Kevin, was a national championship-winning wide receiver at Florida State who played one NFL season. The younger Kevin is motivated in part by an uncle who died while serving in Afghanistan – one of several family members to serve in the military and inspire Kevin to represent USA Basketball (which he has done multiple times in international competition).

Trey Burke, the ninth pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, was one of the last players waived by the Knicks during the 2017 preseason. He then dominated for the Knicks’ NBA G League affiliate and earned a call-up in January. His stint with the Knicks included a 42-point game and a 15-assist game as he played the best basketball of his five-year career. The 25-year-old is now in the mix to start at point guard on opening night this season.

New head coach David Fizdale was raised in South Central Los Angeles. His neighbor was WNBA legend Tina Thompson; the two played pickup basketball together along with Thompson’s brother. Fizdale grew up in a rough neighborhood where many friends and family members were the victims of gun violence, including his grandfather, who was murdered. Fizdale’s challenging upbringing has shaped his willingness to speak out on social issues and led him to use his platform to help underprivileged young minorities.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS

With four-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan’s move to the Western Conference, Washington’s Bradley Beal could be viewed as the best shooting guard in the Eastern Conference (Indiana’s Victor Oladipo and perhaps a few others could stake a claim as well). Last season, Beal made the All-Star team for the first time, appeared in all 82 games and kept the Wizards afloat despite the half-season absence of his All-Star backcourt mate, John Wall. At 25-years-old, Beal is just entering his prime and will be looking to put on a show when he and his team come play at the O2 on January 17.

Owner Ted Leonsis is bullish about the Wizards’ prospects this season, in part because of the additions of Dwight Howard and Austin Rivers. Howard, the new starting center, was one of only two NBA players to average at least 16.0 points and 12.0 rebounds in 50 or more games last season (joining Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns). Rivers averaged a career-high 15.1 points with the Clippers. With Howard and Rivers joining a core of John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter Jr, Markieff Morris and Kelly Oubre Jr., the Wizards are hoping to emerge as a contender in the Eastern Conference.

The Wizards’ NBA G League affiliate will debut this season as the Capital City Go-Go, becoming the league’s 27 team. Capital City’s general manager is former NBA veteran and British basketball legend Pops Mensah-Bonsu.

Tickets for the NBA London Game 2019 will go on general sale Friday, Oct. 19 at 9am (BST) at www.axs.com/nbalondon .

Fans can register their details at NBA.com/London to gain early access to a limited number of tickets via a presale to be held on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 9 a.m. BST.

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