Three threats to Golden State's eight-year window of excellence in the NBA
- Post Authorby Sports director
- Post DateFri Oct 14 2022
By: Mike Hall
- The Milwaukee Bucks
If not for Khris Middleton's MCL tear during the 2022 playoffs, three championship banners would adorn Fiserv Forum's rafters. Without his Robin, the Bucks' Batman, better known as Giannis Antetokounmpo, carried Milwaukee to a game-seven showdown in the conference semifinals against the eventual runner-up Boston Celtics. Middleton will remain sidelined for a few weeks to open the season, but with defensive workhorse Jrue Holiday running point, sharpshooters Pat Connaughton and Grayson Allen on the wing and the NBA's best player approaching his physical peak, the Bucks should terrify fellow contenders, including the all-mighty Warriors.
- The Los Angeles Clippers
Fun fact: The last time John Wall appeared in a regular season contest, he posted a 27-point, 13-assist double-double for the Houston Rockets on April 23, 2021. Ironically, his late-season explosion came against Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers, Wall's future running mate and franchise. The 5-time All-Star opted to watch the entire 2021-2022 campaign from a spot on the Rocket bench to recover from heel surgery and a torn Achilles tendon, but on July 8, Wall officially inked a two-year commitment to play for Steve Ballmer's squad. With the former Wizard at the helm, Los Angeles now boasts its first true point guard and playmaker since Chris Paul. Not to mention, Robert Covington, Marcus Morris, PG-13 and the Kawhi Leonard can guard multiple positions, drill perimeter jumpers and agitate their opponents. If you built a roster personifying the modern NBA, it would appear similarly to what Jerry West and Michael Winger constructed in southern California. Yes, Steph Curry and the Warriors can knock down three-point bombs from the parking lot, but if L.A. can avoid injury, it poses the most significant threat to Golden State in the Western Conference.
- Victor Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyama, the sure-fire first pick of the 2023 draft, is arguably the most gifted prospect in NBA history. That's right. His skills on both offense and defense propel him into the LeBron James, Lew Alcindor and Shaquille O'Neal stratosphere. Sure, he does not possess the collegiate resume of an Alcindor, Bill Russell or Bill Walton, but his eye-popping artistry as a teenager solidifies his status as a once-in-a-generation type of player. At a staggering 7-foot-4, the 18-year-old French phenom mimics Kevin Durant's handle and perimeter shot-creation and demonstrates an Hakeem Olajuwon-esque defensive dexterity near the rim. Despite his size, the big man exhibits exceptional quickness and ability to play off-ball. In a matchup against the highly touted Scoot Henderson and the G League Ignite on Tuesday, Oct. 4, Wembanyama canned seven three-pointers off screens, step backs and isolation dribbles. Barring any significant injury, he could individually transform a franchise, like the Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs or Houston Rockets, into a viable contender for the next decade. As Curry, Green and Thompson inevitably dwindle with age, the Eiffel Power appears poised to showcase his Hall-of-Fame ceiling next season.
Sources:
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2022/10/7/23392450/victor-wembanyama-nba-draft-scouting-report
https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/202104230HOU.html
