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The NBA offseason is a time of great optimism for fans. Most free agency periods have some movement, but this summer brought us a reshuffling that is rare. The fans of these teams are all optimistic about their teams and are sure this is ”their year”. However, that's where I come in as the bearer of bad news to point out how these ”perfect” unions might end badly.
Brooklyn Nets - Temperamental Stars
Sporting News
The first major dominoe to fall this free agency period was the announcement that the Nets signed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. While many will say that Durant’s Achilles injury could spell doom for the Nets, I think the cracks will come from their often-moody superstars.
Kyrie wanted out of Boston despite seemingly having everything he asked for in terms of the situation. He got the chance to be the best player on a team that had a chance to go deep in the playoffs, and he still was seemingly unhappy. Durant leaving the Warriors showed that winning isn't something that can keep him happy. With these two in Brooklyn, it will certainly be interesting.
Los Angeles Clippers - Where are the playmakers?
Sporting News
The Clippers pulled off the heist of the century when they signed Kawhi Lenard and traded for Paul George. While everyone is excited about how the defense will dominate teams, I'm concerned about the offense.
Kawhi and PG will be able to coexist on the court together, I'm wondering who on this roster will be able to generate easy shots for others. Both players left point guards who, for all their faults, we're able to be the playmakers which allowed the wing players to just be scorers. Kawhi and PG will be joined by Lou Williams who is a solid passer but is as score-first as the other two, and Pat Beverly, who also isn't much of a passer. When the playoffs come and the game slows down, what will stop the Clippers from turning into an iso-heavy team?
Los Angeles Lakers - An old LeBron and injury-prone roster
Newsweek
The Lakers probably have the best superstar pairing in the league, LeBron James and Anthony Davis fit together better than almost any other pairing. However, the potential downfall of this team will come from the fact that the margin for error on this team is small.
Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, and others struggle with injuries, even LeBron, who's rarely hurt, wasn't immune last season. With LeBron being 34, he won't be the Superman he normally is until the playoffs. If the Lakers can stay healthy, this team, and it's veterans, will be poised to make a deep run into June.