NBA: I am the card dealer

Fifth place is the Portland Trail Blazers.

Last season, despite being unanimously not favored, they finally forced their way to fifth place in the Western Conference and were shocked for a while.

Everyone was stunned by the Blazers' results.

After all, no one thought that the Trail Blazers, who had lost Aldridge, Matthews, Lopez Jr., and Batum, could break out of the Western Conference surrounded by powerful enemies.

But Lillard did it.

What's even more amazing is that they defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs.

Although they lost to the Golden State Warriors in the second round, the Blazers' performance was unanimously recognized by the public.

Therefore, in the new season, ESPN still gave Lillard enough face and fully believed in CJ McCollum's growth, ranking them fifth in the Western Conference.

It can be seen how much influence Lillard and CJ McCollum created last season.

of course.

The main thing is that they have retained the main lineup from last season. Plumlee, Crabbe, Harkless, Aminu, and Meyers Leonard are all still there.

In addition, Aaron Gordon has emerged at the end of last season, showing good athletic ability and explosive power, which has greatly strengthened their inside employment.

In addition, they added Evan Turner in the offseason, which greatly strengthened their forward offense and defense.

Many people believe that they can accomplish something in the new season.

Sixth place is the Houston Rockets.

Last season, the Rockets reached the playoffs at the buzzer. Overall, it was very disappointing.

You must know that in the 14-15 season, they entered the playoffs as the second seed in the Western Conference, and made great progress all the way, finally reaching the Western Conference Finals.

Although they lost to the Golden State Warriors, everyone praised this rising new force.

result.

They almost failed to make the playoffs last season. If the Jazz hadn't let down in the last few games, they would have overturned.

Therefore, in the new season, ESPN is not so optimistic about the Rockets, but after over and over again, no team has more prospects than the Rockets.

and so.

ESNP still placed the Rockets in the sixth position.

Mainly considering Harden's super personal scoring ability, which was once close to the MVP level. As long as Harden can continue to output steadily and others can provide support, they still have a chance.

In addition, they hired Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson from the Pelicans, which is enough to fill the gap left by Howard.

Another point.

With Howard gone, the modern team's conflicts last season have ended. Harden should be able to calm down and play well.

Harden, Ariza, Beverley, Capela, Harrell, Brewer, the overall lineup is barely enough.

With the addition of strong players like Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson, and Nene, there is still some future.

Seventh is the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Although they lost superstar Durant during the offseason, another superstar Westbrook is still there.

It goes without saying how strong a top star is who averages 23+10+7 per game.

In the new season, without Durant, it may be a huge loss for the Thunder, but it may not necessarily be a bad thing for Westbrook, at least he will break free from the shackles of the boss Durant.

Everyone is looking forward to how exciting Westbrook is when he lets go.

Besides.

The Thunder also retained big center Whiteside.

Adams, Soft, Robertson, Moreau and others are also available, while Mirajane Grant and Ablins are also added.

The overall strength is still there, and the final step depends entirely on Westbrook's performance.

Or to put it another way, with Durant, they reached the Western Conference Finals and almost killed the Golden State Warriors and rushed out of the Western Conference.

And without Durant, no matter how bad things are, there should still be playoff strength, right?

After all, in the 14-15 season, Westbrook led the team alone and almost made the playoffs.

At that time, the Pelicans and Thunder had the same number of wins, and everyone was on the same level. In the end, due to the difference in wins and losses, they regretted missing the playoffs.

In the current Western Conference environment, the Thunder do have a lot of opportunities.

The eighth is the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Wiggins and Towns, the pair of No. 20 picks, both scored + points last season, and Zach LaVine has also shown top-notch athletic talent. They will definitely reach a higher level in the new season.

This is the bright Timberwolves version of the third youngster, and his talent is almost overflowing.

In addition, they also have Rubio, Dieng, Muhammad, Bjelica, and this year's fifth pick Kris Dunn, all young talents, plus the reinforced Brandon Rush, Kobe Aldridge et al.

Their player lineup can be said to be greedy to see and change to listen to.

It’s just so rich.

Most of the main rotation is young, and there are two No. 1 picks in the core.

In the new season, it's time for them to realize their talent, and hitting the playoffs will be their only goal.

The ninth place is the New Orleans Pelicans.

This ranking is both unexpected and reasonable. Although the Pelicans didn't even make the playoffs last season, it's normal to rank ninth in the new season.

But Anthony Davis is currently the number one power forward in the league and is extremely influential on both offense and defense, but he can't even make the playoffs. It's really an insult to his title of number one power forward.

The explanation given by ESNP is that the reason why the Pelicans are ranked in this position is mainly because they were so disappointing last season.

Of course there are injuries as well.

Evans, the Pelicans' main scorer, only played 25 games last season.

The main point guard Jrue Holiday only played 65 games, always playing in and out, and his condition was very average.

Ryan Anderson is similar to Jrue Holiday. He seems to have played a lot of games, but he also plays in and out, which affects his condition.

Eric Gordon also only played 45 games, almost half a season.

Even Davis, the thick-browed brother, only played 61 games.

Therefore, last season's Pelicans seemed to be strong, but they were not sustainable at all. It was excusable that they failed to make the playoffs.

In the new season, although Evans has announced that he has recovered from injury, ESNP feels that it will be difficult for him to return to his peak moment.

Jrue Holiday is in good competitive shape, but he always feels that he is a bit lacking in taste. As the second-in-command, he seems to be a bit unqualified.

Although Davis is praised among thousands of people, ESPN said that so far, Davis still has not been able to completely prove his ability to lead the team.

The most important thing is the departure of Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon. These two are the mainstays of the team's offensive end. Their departure is definitely the Pelicans' biggest loss.

Although they have strengthened Terrence Jones, Moore, Galloway, Solomon Hill and others, as well as this year's sixth pick Hield, they seem to be lacking a lot of flavor.

of course.

ESPN is still superstitious about superstars.

The influence of Anthony Davis alone can surpass that of two ordinary stars.