By Alex Speir
With just over 40 days left until the tip-off of the 2017-18 season, the past NBA offseason has had quite a few surprises.
One of the most shocking offseason trades in recent NBA history occurred last summer with Kevin Durant leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder and joining its Western Conference rivals: the Golden State Warriors. This summer has also had its share of surprising trades. Perhaps the biggest shocker was the recent trade between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics. The two teams finished in first and second place respectively last season in the Eastern Conference last season. On Aug. 22, the Celtics traded guard Isaiah Thomas, forward Jae Crowder and center Ante Zizic for Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving. Irving and the Cavaliers have appeared in the past three NBA Finals—winning one of them. According to rumors, Irving seems to be trying to escape the shadow of Cavaliers star forward LeBron James.
With the acquisition of another great point guard in Isaiah Thomas, the Cavaliers may not skip a beat coming into the 2017-18 season, specifically due to Thomas’ astounding 2016-17 season with the Celtics.
In the Western Conference, forward Paul George has joined the Oklahoma City Thunder alongside reigning MVP Russell Westbrook. The duo hopes to become a strong competitor in the Western Conference, and ultimately challenge the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors have appeared in the past three NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers and have won two of them. With Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry (both former MVPs) as their main source of scoring, the average fan will say that the Warriors will be next to impossible to overcome in the Western Conference. Former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy says that “The Warriors are gonna win forever…this season is over. We’re gonna play it out, and the Warriors are gonna win. And then the next year it’s gonna be the same thing.” The Golden State Warriors have transformed the modern game of professional basketball. They have made three straight NBA Finals appearances and won more games in the 2015-16 NBA season than any other team in history. With the acquisition of Kevin Durant last season, the Warriors added yet another of the NBA’s best players to their roster.
All these offseason trades and roster upgrades seem to just be attempts at throwing down the Golden State Warriors. I can’t see any team beating the Warriors come playoff time; however, you can never quite count out LeBron James.
