Game Over

Adam Janicki, Sports Editor

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, oh wait, it’s just Kevin Durant posterizing the entire league off a lob pass from Stephen Curry. Yep, that’s right. The 2015 record-breaking Golden State Warriors now have one of the best players in the NBA, Kevin Durant. With four superb players including Curry, Klay Thompson, Durant and Draymond Green, all stars, the Warriors are the best team in the NBA. Destined to win their second title in three years, few teams will be able to stop their relentless pursuit.

The 2016-2017 NBA season is under way and this season is going to be one worth watching. After a year of high-salary trades and an incredible rookie class, this year will be interesting.

However, there are a couple of other teams that can compete against Golden State and possibly even win the championship. Despite the fact that almost all NBA fans know that the New York Knicks are struggling to win games year after year, maybe with the acquisitions of some risky but great players they might win a few games. And with the addition of past Chicago icons, Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, and crafty guards, Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings, the Knicks look like a decent team. Furthermore, they have their franchise superstars returning, Kristaps Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony.

Is this another powerhouse? Provided that they don’t have a deep bench and their chemistry is poor, we’ll see if they can win more than 32 games without hiring a new coach, unlike last year.

As NBA fans across the nation hop on the Warriors and Knicks bandwagons, there lies a King on sitting on his thrown in Cleveland. Wait, who won the championship last year? The Cavaliers, with Lebron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Of course King James and the Cavs could be a formidable opponent and a top team in the East, but they are not good enough to beat the best. The Warriors will have no problem outscoring them and their defense is shaky. In order to go back-to-back they will have to play perfect, balance their defense and hope for some star injuries in the league.

What about the Chicago Bulls? Well…to start, our two icons, Rose and Noah, were sent to the New York Knicks. Likewise, Bulls fans suffered the loss of their star big-man, Pau Gasol, to the San Antonio Spurs. In return, the Bulls were able to draft Michigan State star Denzel Valentine and sign 3 over-the-hill stars, Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade and Robin Lopez. The Bull’s new “stars”, Wade and Rondo, have been in the league too long and each player has already reached their peak. Another weakness that came with the new package of players is the awful shooting and chemistry. Both players came from a past of keeping the ball to themselves and never taking three-point shots. This is a problem for them and the team. Now the only true leader I see on this team is Jimmy Butler. Last year when Rose and Noah were out for various injuries, Butler stepped up his game and became the Bulls leading scorer. If Chi-town wants to see its team in the playoffs Butler will have to act as the floor general while the others provide crucial points and share the ball.

There have been many over-powered teams in NBA history and few stuck together for more than a couple years. When too much talent is put on one team, players get upset over who gets the ball and stardom, which ultimately leads to collapse. No doubt this will be an awesome season, but hopefully not a predictable one.