OKC has three of the top nine isolation scorers from last season

Oklahoma's interesting and crazy stats that could play a huge role this new season.

Oklahoma City Thunder have got yet another NBA star in Carmelo Anthony. Sam Presti this summer has been really effective for his team, and has turned Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a second-round pick into Paul George and Carmelo Anthony.

New York has agreed to a deal to send Carmelo Anthony to OKC for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a draft pick, league sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 23, 2017

This team dreams big, dreams championships for the upcoming years, and MorningNBA brings you all of the information and the stats that are interesting to note before the start of the new season.

Firstly, with the addition of Carmelo Anthony the Oklahoma City Thunder will have three of the top nine isolation scorers from last season.

Player	Points
1. James Harden	537
2. Russell Westbrook	486
3. Kyrie Irving	412
4. Carmelo Anthony	386
5. LeBron James	367
6. DeMar DeRozan	351
7. Harrison Barnes	344
8. Damian Lillard	317
9. Paul George	282

Moreover, secondly, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George could help shoulder some of the load when ‘The Brodie’ needs a breather next season, because this was an issue last season. When Russell Westbrook was off the floor last season, Enes Kanter was scoring, Victor Oladipo had the more drives to the basket and Semaj Christon the most minutes.

Finally, Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook and Paul George, have 20 combined All-Star appearances which is more than some other notable NBA trios.

By Dionysis Aravantinos / dionysis.aravantinos@gmail.com

How many games will the New Orleans Pelicans win in 2017-2018?

The New Orleans Pelicans had an interesting summer/off-season. They were able to sign Rajon Rondo to a 1-year/ 3.3 million deal and re-sign Jrue Holiday. Together with DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis they could make some noise in the Western Conference this year. 

Last year, Cousins was traded to the Pelicans after the all-star break but he could not find his rhythm next to Anthony Davis and the team could not compete for a spot in the playoffs. This year, however, is different. Cousins and Davis have been training all summer long together, trying to find ways to be successful on the court, while both of them are playing. Holiday will be starting the training camp together with Rondo, and so the Pelicans have a legit chance of making the stacked Western Conference playoffs. 

Rondo’s addition is huge, as he can come off the bench, manipulate the offense, make the players around him better, and bring the winning mentality to New Orleans. In the two games he played in the 2017 playoffs with the Bulls, the Bulls won both games away from home at Boston and were up 0-2 on the Celtics. Rondo then was injured and the Celtics won four straight. This shows how Rondo can actually be a problem for the other teams in the league, mostly in games that matter and especially if he finds ways to make Cousins and Davis even better, while also helping them in pick & roll situations, spreading the floor and the spacing they should have on the court. So this is why Rondo’s addition can play a huge role in the team’s success this upcoming season. 

Moreover, Alvin Gentry will have to find a way to make Cousins and Davis an unstoppable duo, one of the best frontcourt duos the league has ever seen. The talent from both of them is there, but the coaching staff will have to find ways to how to utilize them properly together on the court and make each other better defensively and offensively. The Western Conference is stacked, with many different teams trying to make the playoffs this year, but this team will find the way to be at least in the contention. Rondo’s addition, his leadership, and experience (31 years old) will make this team better, will make Cousins and Davis an unstoppable duo together and role players will step up, hustle on defense, knock down open shots, while also having the winning mentality on their mind. 

The weakness the Pelicans have is the lack of depth at the shooting guard / small forward spots and the lack of depth they have on the bench. If they had a player like a Jordan Clarkson, Jamal Crawford, J.J Redick, Lou Williams to start or even come off the bench, they would be a lot better on both sides of the court and would have someone to help Cousins/Davis and Holiday/Rondo. The Pelicans’ front office will start looking for ways to become even better this season by trying to get someone, who can score the basketball while Cousins and Davis are on the bench and who can cover up some spots on the bench. So the Pelicans will be all around trade rumors for this season also. 

Finally, to conclude the Pelicans will have to find the rhythm as a team from the beginning of the season, if they really want to contend for a spot in the Western Conference playoffs, in what could be the most stacked Western Conference of all-time. So, can they actually make the playoffs this year, would you consider them as a contender or a pretender for the playoffs?

By MorningNBA team / morningnbadaily@gmail.com

Bulls’ fans should be excited about Lauri Markkanen

Lauri Markkanen was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, drafted by the Chicago Bulls. Moments before Adam Silver announced his name, the No. 7 overall pick had been traded to Chicago in a trade that eventually sent Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lauri Markkanen to the Chicago Bulls.

Arizona Wildcats days

The 20-year old power forward had a great season in Arizona with the Wildcats as he averaged 15.6 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game, on 49.2% FG and 42.3% from the three-point line. With the Wildcats, Markkanen was the centerpiece of this team. His teammates and coaches were trusting his shot, his abilities on both sides of the court, his athletic skills and high basketball IQ and he turned into the leader of the team. Sean Miller and his coaching staff helped him a lot with his style of play in the NCAA. In various interviews, Miller has stated how he was pleasantly surprised with this young man, by how ‘hard’ he played, and how he gave the Arizona Wildcats his heart and soul. Coach Miller also commented on how he thinks the Bulls are a great fit for Markkanen, who according to him will take on this challenge with the Bulls and succeed to the next level, the NBA. 

Chicago Bulls + Summer League

The Chicago Bulls drafted and finally signed Markkanen to a multi-year contract on July 5th, with the hope, and the plan of building around him in the future. Now that Butler is gone and Wade’s future is uncertain in Chicago, the Bulls are looking to find ways to build around the Finish star, make him the centerpiece of this historic team and help him succeed in the NBA. By putting experienced players around him that will help the young prospect ‘grow’ in the NBA and also having other real power forwards for the competition will be something interesting to watch this upcoming season. The next couple of seasons will be rebuilding seasons for the Bulls. If they manage to take another great player in next year’s NBA Draft, like a Michael Porter Jr., or even perhaps Luka Doncic who could be the best NBA prospect or another player who has the talent and the potential to become great, then the Bulls with their new duo and young players (Zach Lavine, Chris Dunn) will start re-building effectively and will bring Chicago back to where it belongs. Las Vegas is predicting that the Chicago Bulls will only win 21 – 22 games this season; last in the NBA. This shows, that this season will be a test for Markkanen and the other rookies, sophomores, getting used to the NBA, the tempo, the different style of play and the speed of the game. 

In the 2017 NBA Las Vegas Summer League, Markkanen introduced himself to the NBA. With the Bulls’ Las Vegas squad, in the three games he participated in, Markkanen managed to average 14.0 points per game and 9.0 rebounds per game on a ‘poor’ 29% FG. Even though his shot was not falling, Markkanen showed signs of his talent and his unique skills by handling the ball in the low/high post, shooting deep three-pointers, finishing at the rim and showcasing his athletic skills, with highlight plays on both sides of the court. The way he uses the ball on the offensive side of the court, with his back to the basket as he fadeaways is like watching a young Dirk Nowitzki/Kristaps Porzingis and this is what the Bulls are looking for in this young prospect. The Chicago Bulls’ fans however, were not so happy with the Butler trade and the selection of Markkanen at the No. 7 pick, but after the Summer League and most importantly the Eurobasket, most of the fans have instantly changed their mind on this young man. 

Eurobasket 2017

Markkanen was phenomenal in the 2017 Eurobasket, with his national team, Finland. He led his team to the top-16 in Group A against a solid contender in France and Poland while averaging 24.3 (!) points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game in the three, first games. He finished the competition with 19.5 points per game and 5.7 rebounds. He made some huge clutch shots down the stretch of a game, grabbed important rebounds and played stellar defense when needed. In Europe, everyone is talking about the ‘phenomenon,' Lauri Markkanen who led Finland through to the second round of the Eurobasket. Even Dirk Nowitzki's shooting coach, weighed in on his game and gave his thoughts on how successful he can be in the NBA. Following Markkanen’s 27-point performance, which led Finland to a crucial 2OT victory over Poland, Dettman was asked about the similarities the two shooting power forwards have and also how ‘special’ the Bulls’ young prospect is.

              “I don’t need to say how special he is. You all see it when he plays. There’s something I’ve been saying for some time: It’s unfair to compare human beings with each other. And we are talking about players from different areas. But there are many similar things in the game that Dirk and Lauri play”. 

What if Kyrie Irving does not get traded, and stays with the Cavaliers?

Kyrie Irving demanded a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers last month, as he wants to be the franchise player and the focal point somewhere else and play away from LeBron’s shadow, but until now the Cavaliers have not made a move. LeBron James is still blindsided and frustrated with the news, posting different tweets about the trade scenarios on Twitter. The Cavaliers, however, have not found the perfect scenario to trade for Kyrie and so he might remain a Cavalier this season. How will he and LeBron co-exist in the same team after the trade scenarios this summer? Will they solve their differences, still be a dynamic duo and reach the NBA Finals once again? 

As we all know, LeBron will not waive his no-trade clause and so his future will be decided in next year’s free agency. Sources close to the superstar claim that he will make the decision after the end of next season. This is really interesting and exciting for the other potential spots for LeBron James that include the Spurs, the Lakers, the Clippers and other teams around the league, who have shown interest in signing LeBron James. According to multiple reports, the Cavs’ main objective is to make LeBron happy, but will not rush to trade for Kyrie, as they want to receive ‘a king’s ransom’ for the 25-year old point guard that will make James happy, and will keep him in a Cavalier uniform after next season. 

If the Cavaliers cannot find the package for him and do not trade Kyrie Irving to another team, they will have to solve the players’ differences inside the locker room, during the training camp and the pre-season. But because they are professionals, both Kyrie and LeBron will solve their differences on and off the court and be one of the most lethal NBA duos for yet another NBA season, reaching the Finals for the fourth straight year. The Cavaliers front office will have to focus however on the next year’s free agency as both Kyrie Irving and LeBron James could possibly want to leave the team, especially if they lose to the Warriors in the 2018 Finals for the third time in four years. So, if he does not get traded, Kyrie Irving will remain a professional, solve his differences with LeBron and respect the situation he’s in. 

Finally, can this situation, drama in Cleveland be compared to the Lakers drama with Shaq and Kobe, or is this situation different? What will happen in Cleveland? Will Kyrie Irving get traded before the start of the 2017-2018 NBA season? What would you do if you were Cleveland?

Can the Warriors build a dynasty that will last years in the NBA?

The Golden State Warriors have won their second title in three years. But can they built a dynasty that will last years in the NBA, like the Jordan Bulls, the Showtime Lakers, or the Celtics? 

After an incredible season last year, going 73-9 and losing to the Cavaliers in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, the Warriors signed free agent superstar Kevin Durant, and early on this team showed, how unstoppable they can be on both sides of the court. With 67 wins in the regular season, the Warriors had already begun to show the world how they were ready to dominate the playoffs. And that's what they did. Going 16-1 in the playoffs is an all-time achievement, one that's never been done before. LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers gave it everything they got, tried to slow down the firepower of the Warriors but they could not hold on and won only just one game. LeBron James was incredible in the series averaged a triple-double, but in the end, even himself acknowledged this super-team, their talent, their firepower and also stated that they have been the best team for the last three years, and could be the best for more years to come.

Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant were both incredible in the Finals, showcasing their talent, on and off the court and respecting the greatness of their opponents, especially this of James. As LeBron James said in the postgame press conference, the Warriors core are all in their 20s which means they will be coming to the NBA Finals for many more years to come. And this could not have been more right. The Warriors can build an all-time dynasty which could last in the NBA for another four years. They have already gone to three straight NBA Finals, and could very possibly be going to the NBA Finals for the next three to four years. The question is, can they surpass all the talent there is in the Western Conference? The Spurs with Kawhi, the Rockets with Harden and Chris Paul, as well as the Thunder with George and Westbrook. It sure will be an exciting upcoming season in the NBA, as the competition will rise and continue to get better. 

This year, however, the Warriors, one can argue, were a bit lucky; faced the Spurs with no Leonard, the Jazz with no Hill, the Blazers with no Nurkic. The Warriors, however, have the nucleus and the talent to be in the NBA Finals every year for the next four years if they continue to play like they did in the NBA Finals this year. Now, with Chris Paul going to the Rockets, Kawhi emerging as a global superstar and Paul George and Russell Westbrook combining forces at Oklahoma, shows how these teams are doing everything they can to keep up with the Warriors. Despite that, I don't actually believe we've seen the Warriors at their absolute best, with their 'Big 4' simultaneously being all-time great. What if Klay Thompson makes all his shots, together with Steph and Durant? What if Draymond and Klay are locked in defensively, while Durant is unstoppable offensively? In these Finals, the Big 4 was great, but in portions, not together simultaneously in full games. This is why even though there is competition in the West, as the Spurs, the Clippers, the Rockets, the Thunder can be a threat; they don't have the superpower and talent the Warriors have. These four guys were really good in these Finals and showed how they are ready to take on another huge step, and come back and repeat next year. And quite possibly this is exactly what is going to happen. This will turn into one of the all-time great dynasties, that people will talk about in fifty years.

With Kevin Durant, the world's greatest scorer, Steph Curry (top 3 point guard), best shooter on the planet, Klay Thompson, one of the best shooters, Draymond Green, top-2 defensive player in the league, the Warriors' fans have every right to be excited for their nearest future, and hope for more championships to come. This is a team that is writing history and will continue to write history for the years to come. Even after this small run, a time of intense debating will begin, on which team is the greatest team ever. 

By Dionysis Aravantinos / dionysis.aravantinos@gmail.com