Northwest Conference Preview: Thunder and Trail Blazers

from injury. But Chet Holmgren is now there, Vasilly Machich, Davis Bertons comes in through trade, Victor Oladipo leaves now right the second I think now right the second caseon Wallace through the draft, key subtractions, there were none that were significant. We saw the Thunder explode on the scene last year. They've seemed to be on the verge of something really, really fun, playing team that was even better than probably the record suggested. Why, Well, you got a

first team All in guy in Shay Gilgess Alexander. You got a guard whose first team All NBA and is not a great three point shooter. He is the best player in the NBA with the most mediocre gym shot in the last decade. He belongs in the nineteen seventy so, honestly like he would have been awesome on the Lakers in nineteen eighty one, but listen. He's near the bottom in high volume three point shooters, but it doesn't even matter.

It doesn't matter. He does everything else so great. He made an All Star team and he hasn't even reached his ceiling yet. He is valuable beyond belief. His defense is very underrated. He adds so much value to a team that already has a ton of value, starting with Chet Holmgren, who looks really really good in preseason. He looks really good. Josh Giddy, I don't know how he fits on this team, but he is maturing into a really great point guard. Jalen Williams was the best rookie

in the NBA the final third of last season. Lou Dort continues to be a person that you don't even realize is a person because they are so huge. I've never seen a non football player look as big as lou Dort does in real life. He is a lockdown defender, shoots pretty good threes. He's it's just an exceptional starting five. But where Oklahoma City excels is their bench because they've just had first rounders on first rounders on first rounders

for like I don't even know how long. Uzman Jang Jalen Williams with a y Alexi Pokoshewsky Akaa Poku Isaiah Joe. They end up getting Cason Wallace and Mike Chitch, who brings over a EuroLeague MVP alongside of him, So it is loaded. This team fun twelve deep. I have no idea how many games they're gonna win, but I tell you what, they could be a top six team in the West. They play off ball defense better than almost anyone.

Chet fills the biggest hole that they had last year, which was rim protection, and listen, I think check could be very impactful, very very impactful. So watch these Thunder. Watch these thunder because Sam Presty, despite what he said, he thinks that we need to pump the brakes on the hype. And guess what, though hype is here, the hype is here for the Okay see Thunder. Stop downpulling shit, Sam,

I know what you're up to. Let's move forward, oh man, Okay, So we know the Portland trel Lasers lost Damian Liller. That's the key subtraction. They lose use of Nurkic. Sure they lose this here little and Keon Johnson, but they add they add a plethora of young, fun talent DeAndre Aight, and he doesn't want to talk about his time in Phoenix. No, he doesn't. Don't ask him, Do not ask him what

it was like. It's very clear that he was he was essentially being held hostage there because he doesn't even want to say at all what his time was like when he played for the Suns. They end up getting Toumani kamar Aka too many buckets and guess what Suns fans on Reddit are despondent about losing too many buckets. Malcolm Brogden, They add Rob Williams, They add Scoot Henderson in the draft, add Chris Murray, ad loaded, loaded, loaded loaded.

No team has changed their roster up more than the Trailblazers. We cover all the drama all the off season. We won't get into a year, but it is safe to say it is. Papa's got a brand new bag in Portland, baby, and it is called It is called no shooting and more defense, more athleticism, and more length. So this should be fun. I don't know a team like this. I've never seen a team like this. The change, obviously, all

belongs and begins with Scoot Henderson. And Shaden Sharp, who, by the way, Shaden Sharp was voted number six by anonymous GMS to have a breakout season this year, and Scoot was voted I think top three in terms of sneaky draft picks, which as a third spot, that's pretty insane. This is the pair that caused Portland to say, Dame, you can't come back, can't come back home. You gotta move on. So you gotta spread your wings and learn to fly, fly away. That's that's what they said to him.

Because of those two, right, they are now the nucleus of this team. Do not forget Anthony Simons. In five years, will Anthony Simons be on this team? I don't know, but those two I think will be all stars. Aside from those two, a lot is in flux. The Drew Holiday trade netted them a pair of Celtics Malcolm Brogden Rob Williams. Are those two players healthy? I don't know. Haven't seen Rob Williams in even one minute of preseason myself. Is he has he played? I don't know, have not

seen him. Jeremy Grant gets five years, one hundred and sixty million dollars. That's a lot of money to pay a guy that's on a team that's rebuilding. I like him very good. Can you afford him? Sure? Do you want them on that team? Not sure? A Matista Stiebel, Latisse Steibel is an Aaron Goodwin guy. So Aaron Goodwin agent of Dame Lueller. Does he stay? Does he go? I don't know. Feels like there's a little bad blood there. I like Matisse, very high character guy, good perimeter defense,

three years, three to three million dollar contract. I feel he might get traded. He is an asset that the Blazers could very easily move. There's even talk of Anthony Simons getting moved. Seems that no one is safe except for Scoot, Shaden and Aiden Aton Aton. Seems no one is safe. Why and what this team is going to do is build around At and Scoot and Shadon. That is a core that you can feel good about. Add

In Anthony Simons is the lead point guard. There are four players twenty five and unders that you can build a team around. Add In Chris Murray, who already looks very good. Twin brother of King Starr, Keegan Murray too, Moni Kamara, like I said, too many buckets, very impressive, A lot of players, A lot of people in the league that are fans of the league love him. Is this team gonna win a lot of games? No, we know that they're gonna win a lot of games. Are

they gonna be fun? Are they gonna get up and down? Are they gonna shoot a lot? Are they gonna play defense? Yes, They're gonna be probably one of the most athletic teams in the league. Bright future. Although I am sad that we do not get to see Dame shoot logo shot after logo shot and then play zero defense and be

the greatest player in Blazer's history. I am sad about that, but I do take solace in the fact that Dame said today he thinks he'll be playing at thirty eight at an elite level, which is where and when he'll be a free agent again. So do I think Dame Bullard might come back to the Womb, might come back to the Nest when we're a better team. Yes, when Dame comes back to Portland, I think we're gonna be a wagon, Baby, Wagon Wagon. That's when we contend. When

Dame's thirty eight, Let's move forward. Utah jazz Key additions Omar Yer at seven Miami Heat legend. They get John Collins from the Atlanta Hawks, and the trade they get Taylor Hendricks in the draft, Kyante Joe in the draft, bright sense of ball in the draft. My lord. Then they lose Damien Jones and Rudy Gaye. But does anybody care? No, they don't. It's a strange feeling to see a Utah Jazz team that you're like, h kind of excited. See Janny Ainge on the sidelines with his little jazz polo

and his little jazz hat. He's ready to probably tee it up right after he watches these young guns play in a preseason game. This is a team that I am excited about. Even when they were undeniably good under Quinn Snyder, that was not a team that you enjoyed playing basketball. They were not very likable. They didn't the vibes were low. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, yikes. They were not exciting even when they were the league's best offense. How could it be? How sway? How could they be

the league's best offense and not be fun? I don't know, but they weren't. They weren't even her winning team. They were a paper Tiger. Now this team with Danny Ainge, who everyone hated in his days in Boston, has joined this team and just like a Mormon in Utah, it is a match made in heaven. I can fuck with this Jazz team. I tell you what, Osha ak Baji I love love John Collins, who was badly misused and

abused in Atlanta. As with Walker Kessler, they turned into a serious defensive presence two point three blocks per game. Lowry Lowry Markenen comes off a twenty six point per game season, wins Most Improved Player of the Year. This is a no joke. Front. Three. You add Jordan Clarkson, who his hair is getting long, boy, I tell you what, those braids are, down to his teeth, down to his chin. Anyway, he's bawling. Three years, fifty five million dollars detention, averaging

twenty one a game. Last year filling in for Donovan Mitchell Colin Sexton. I don't know what's going on with him, but he's there. He averaged fifth Tina game Still Taylor Horton Tucker average eleven three and four off the bench. Oh shayok Boji, who I absolutely love, is a young player ball to the tune of fifteen points per game after coming over in that big trade. What am I excited about the draft? Kyante Keyante Kyante, Oh my goodness, he is so fun. Also, Bryce Sensible, haven't seen enough

of him and Taylor Hendrix. That is a haul three players that could help immediately. I think Kante George could win Rookie of the Year. I really do. If they give him the minutes and that team is top six, I think he could win it. Hendrix went ninth due to this pre draft workouts, Sensible has been called the best peer shooter in the draft. I think this team is going to be fun. Are they going to blow

people out of the water. No, No, this is a team that's gonna be kind of like they were last year, where they just kind of in the first four weeks of the season, they're at the top of the standings and you're like, is this real? Is this real? Because they're like the best offense in basketball and they're number one in the West, but you kind of know that it's not gonna happen long term. That's them again, folks.

Trader Danny, though, has stalked the cupboard with so many picks he can make a serious addition as the deadline if he wants to. This is a team that I think is a year away from being a year away. But I bet you though, this might be the most talented team in the West in terms of young talent from top to bottom. Think of OKC and who they were last year or the year before that, and that

is the Jazz This year. They will be fun And that is not something I ever thought I'd be saying about the Utah Jazz.