3 Things for Pinoy Fans to Look Forward to in the New NBA Season
In the Philippines, there’s no such thing as basketball offseason. Filipinos will always find a way to satisfy their craving for the sport, whether by watching games of the Philippine Basketball Association, or joining a local barangay league. Suffice to say, basketball is a year-round affair for this country.
However, there’s no denying that the National Basketball Association (NBA) leaves an empty space in our hoop-loving hearts that no other league can fill whenever it’s the offseason. And why wouldn’t it? The NBA is where the best of the best play. It’s the biggest stage in basketball where players like LeBron James and Steph Curry compete like gods among mortals. So hell yes, we’re glad the long wait is over. The new NBA season is here, and here are some of the things to look forward to:
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers
Probably the biggest news in the offseason was LeBron James leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers and signing with the Los Angeles Lakers. King James is already 33 years old, but he still looks like he has plenty left in the tank. With a young and talented core that includes Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Kyle Kuzma, just how far can LeBron take his team now that he’s in the Western Conference? The West still boasts some stacked teams, not to mention the biggest hurdle that would prevent King James from reaching his ninth straight NBA Finals appearances: the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State Warriors’ Quest for a Threepeat
Since the addition of Kevin Durant in 2016, Golden State has won back-to-back championships. It’s now year three for KD, Steph, and the rest of the crew. They have a chance to make history this season by winning a third straight championship. A feat only a handful of teams have ever accomplished. Are they favored to threepeat? The short answer? Yes. Right now, there’s no team in the NBA who can win against this Warriors team in seven games. The long answer? Things might look different at the end of the regular season. Top players might be traded to bolster other contenders, injuries can happen, etc. It’s a long NBA season. So, who knows?
Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors
When healthy, Kawhi Leonard is easily a top five player in the NBA. The last time people saw him play in the playoffs, he was leading the San Antonio Spurs in dismantling the Golden State Warriors in the first game of the 2017 Western Conference Finals. But then the Zaza Pachulia incident happened in the same game, and the rest as they say is history. Fast forward to 2018, Kawhi Leonard is now a Raptor. With LeBron James out of the picture in the Eastern Conference and a deep Toronto Raptors team that features Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka, and fellow former Spur Danny Green, is this the best chance for Kawhi to return to the NBA Finals? It’s interesting to see if he can take his new team to greater heights especially since he’s missing Gregg Popovich in the sidelines.
What are you looking forward to in the new NBA season?
