Written by Mykail Mereau
With the upcoming 79th season of the NBA, we are covering three teams heading into the year. Lakers, Cavaliers, and Knicks. How each of these teams improved their rosters, coaching changes, and what we should except from these teams heading into the year.
Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers are coming off yet playoff exit to the Denver Nuggets. During the offseason the team let go of Darvin Ham including the rest of their assistant coaches as well as Phil Handy and hired JJ Reddick (former NBA player and ESPN NBA analysis) as the new head coach of the franchise. In the NBA 2024 Draft, the Lakers drafted small forward Dalton Knecht in the first round with 17th overall pick from Tennessee and in the second round they drafted point guard Bronny James (son of LeBron James) with the 55th overall pick from USC. The expectations of the team this year is make a deep run in the playoffs, getting over the hump against the Denver Nuggets who appears to be the team’s kryptonite as of recently, and seeing how JJ Reddick incorporates the development of Bronny James and where fits into his system.
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks have come along way from being the NBA’s joke of a franchise to now serious playoff contenders. The Knicks are coming off a heartbreak loss in the second round of the NBA playoffs to longtime rival the Indiana Pacers. New York made a blockbuster trade during the offseason when they traded for shooting guard/small forward Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for players and draft picks. Bojan Bogdanovic, Mamadi Diakite, and Shake Milton. Five first round picks, a first round pick swap, and a second round pick. During the draft, the Knicks made back to back picks in the first round with the 24th and 25th overall picks drafting both shooting guards Kyshawn George from the University of Miami and Pacome Dadiet from Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany. In the second round of the draft, they picked up point guard Ajay Mitchell from the University of California, Santa Barbara with the 38th overall pick and later in the round they drafted small forward Melvin Ajinca from Saint-Quentin BB in France. The expectations of the team this year is to make another run in the postseason, challenge the defending NBA Champions Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference, and staying healthy for the remainder of the course of the season.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers made the playoffs for the first time since they drafted LeBron James. They are coming off a playoff in the second round to the Boston Celtics where eventually they became the NBA Champions after that. Cleveland fired J.B. Bickerstaff and hired Kenny Atkinson as the team’s new head coach. The franchise only had one draft pick from this year’s draft with the 20th overall pick in the first round taking shooting guard Jaylon Tyson from University of California, Berkeley. The expectations of the team this year is taking the next step forward, having the duo of Donavon Mitchell and Darius Garland to improve the backcourt and see if Evan Mobley takes a big leap in his development in his fourth season in the league.
