The five teams who can challenge the Warriors this season

The Golden State Warriors are definitely the team to beat in this upcoming season. After having an unbelievable season last year and capping it off by winning the NBA finals, many teams this off-season are doing everything they can to build a super team. Each player on the Warriors has a role and they follow that role perfectly which has created a great overall chemistry in the team’s locker room. They not only have great chemistry but they have great talent as well and that is why people enjoy watching them. This team is possibly one of the greatest teams ever and that is why many organizations are doing everything they can to stop them.

5. Houston Rockets

James Harden is a great all-around player and is capable of leading the Rockets to challenge the Warriors. The Rockets have acquired Chris Paul over this off season who is one of the great all-around point guards in the league. Having CP3, Eric Gordon, and of course James Harden the Rockets have a great group of guys who can compete with the Warriors. This team may not have a lineup full of all stars, but they definitely do have a lineup capable of doing great things. This team has a solid player at all positions which is a great step towards winning a championship.

4. Boston Celtics

The Celtics have had a great offseason acquiring Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving. They did give up a great defensive player in Jae Crowder as well as a great offensive point guard in Isaiah Thomas. They definitely made up for the point guard spot by acquiring Kyrie. Since they did give up a few key players, they will need to get past it, in order to compete with the Cavaliers and get to the finals. The Celtics however, matchup great with LeBron James, and Kyrie’s offensive weapons can be crucial in a series vs the Cavaliers, before meeting up with the Golden State Warriors. It surely will be interesting.

3. San Antonio Spurs

Kawhi Leonard is the best defensive player in the league, over the course of the past seasons, however, he as has also become an all-around great player, and is now considered by many as one of the top-3 players in the world. Kawhi’s attitude is something his teammates love, which also greatly helps the team’s chemistry. The Spurs have gotten Rudy Gay over this offseason and it will be great to watch him play under Greg Popovich. Rudy Gay is a player, who can score the basketball in many ways, affect the offense in a positive way and also help Leonard on the defensive side of the court.

Having Tony Parker (coming back this November), Rudy Gay, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Kawhi Leonard, together with Pau Gasol, Manu Ginobili and Patty Mills off the bench gives coach Popovich things to work on. be great to see this team play. This team has a great chance at beating the Warriors, as they showed last year in the Western Conference Finals until Leonard’s injury in Game 1.

Westbrook signs 5-year deal on Durant's birthday

Russell Westbrook signed a $205 M contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder. As reported by Adrian Wojnarowski, 'The Brodie' earlier today signed the contract with OKC, by making it the richest contract in NBA history.

Russell Westbrook has agreed to a five-year, $205M contract extension with OKC, league sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 29, 2017

Westbrook's agent Thad Foucher and GM Sam Presti finalized it today. The extension has been signed and delivered to the league office. What's interesting about the contract is the date. Kevin Durant's 29th birthday; Russell Westbrook signs richest deal in the history. Westbrook will also be 34 in 2022-2023, the last year of the deal, the same age Dwayne Wade was in 2015-2016 when his contract expired with Miami.

The 2017 MVP capped off an incredible season last year, as he was the second player to average a triple-double. After the Carmelo Anthony and Paul George trades, the Thunder this year will try to compete and challenge the Warriors in the Western Conference.

By MorningNBA / morningnbadaily@gmail.com

Luke Walton praises Lonzo Ball during first days of training camp

After the Las Vegas Summer League, President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and GM Rob Penilka were really happy and excited with the young Lakers, the talent and the potential they have, but they were especially happy with Lonzo Ball.

Since Tuesday (start of the training camp), Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma, three of the top young Laker prospects have shown really good signs of their talent and what they can offer to this Laker team starting on October 19th. Luke Walton was asked about the Lakers, and especially Lonzo Ball and he said the following:

"Lonzo has been great... he's talking. He's leading. He's coachable." 

Luke Walton on @ZO2_ : Lonzo has been great, he's talking, he's leading. He's coachable. #lakers

— Dionysis Aravantinos (@dionaravantinos) September 28, 2017

Lonzo Ball's mentality to pass the basketball and make everyone around him better, is what Luke Walton really admires and likes about him and plans to use it this season. While the West is stacked, everyone on the Lakers including 'Zo is talking about the playoffs and how they really believe it is a legit goal for this season.

By MorningNBA / morningnbadaily@gmail.com

Dwayne Wade is LeBron James' best ever teammate

Throughout the years, D-Wade and LeBron have had a great relationship, which has also resulted in two titles with the Miami Heat back in 2012 and 2013. The duo is also really good friends outside of the courts, together with Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony. This offseason Dwayne Wade was bought out by Chicago, and so he finally signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers a $ 2.3M contract to reunite with LeBron James and make another run at an NBA championship.

LeBron with Dwayne has been effective over the years, when they played together, have offered the fans real highlight plays, alley-oop dunks, powerful dunks, assists, clutch shots and titles, and 'The Flash' has actually shared the court with the 'King' for 2,754 playoff minutes, the most by any of James' teammates.

Most minutes on the floor with LeBron.

Player	Minutes
Dwayne Wade	2,754
Chris Bosh	2,396
Mario Chalmers	2,235

LeBron James and Dwayne Wade will play as teammates for the fifth year, after the four years, they led Miami to the NBA Finals. Dwayne Wade's main reason for joining the Cavs was the run at the championship for perhaps the last time in his career, the starting spot they promised to give him, and one of his best friends, and teammates LeBron James.

Dwayne Wade will also become the sixth player to appear in a game as a teammate of LeBron James with both the Cavaliers and the Heat after, Chris Andersen, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, James Jones, DeAndre Liggins and Mike Miller.



By Dionysis Aravantinos / dionysis.aravantinos@gmail.com

Dwayne Wade's interesting stat

Dwayne Wade played for the Chicago Bulls last season, and together with Jimmy Butler led the team to the playoffs where they were eliminated by the Boston Celtics. D-Wade averaged 18.3 points per game. Over the last season, Wade was effective from the field, but the injuries he had the past years have slowed him down. This summer, he was bought out by Chicago, and he finally joined the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James for $ 2.3M. A natural born scorer, a champion, a clutch player, who has a winning mentality, experience and talent combined are the things he can provide and give to this Cleveland team.

D-Wade also made history last year, by doing the following:

Since his second year in the NBA, D-Wade has scored 22 points per 36 minutes in every season but one. He’s the 8^th player to do that 12 times.

Rk	Player	From	To	Count
1	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	1970	1986	16
2	Karl Malone	1987	2001	15
3	Kobe Bryant	2001	2016	14
4	LeBron James	2005	2017	13
5	Shaquille O’Neal	1993	2006	12
6	Michael Jordan	1985	2002	12
7	Dwayne Wade	2005	2017	12
8	Jerry West	1962	1973	12

By Dionysis Aravantinos / dionysis.aravantinos@gmail.com