Teams move to challenge Denver Nuggets in the NBA – 10/23/2023 – Sports

The 2023/24 NBA season begins on Tuesday night (24). The North American basketball league presents new rules for the game and the format of the dispute. What doesn’t seem to have changed is the fear caused by the Denver Nuggets.

After a dominant performance in the playoffs of the last championship, driven by the exceptional performance of Nikola Jokic, several teams made moves in an attempt to face the current champion. The summer market was busy, with aggressive movements by some of the teams that placed themselves as challengers.

In the most notable transaction, the Milwaukee Bucks acquired Damian Lillard, one of the greatest offensive forces in the sport. The point guard announced that his time at the Portland Trail Blazers had come to an end and asked to be traded. His declared desire was to play for the Miami Heat, which did not stop the Bucks from taking action.

Pressured by star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee management went after the 33-year-old star – included in the list drawn up by the NBA of the 75 best players of its first 75 years. And, to take it, he didn’t have to give up Khris Middleton or Brook Lopez.

Only point guard Jrue Holiday, an excellent defender, left and the Boston Celtics wasted no time in joining him with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The Massachusetts team also negotiated the arrival of big man Kristaps Porzingis.

On the other side of the league, the Western Conference, where Denver reigns, the most aggressive team on the market was the Phoenix Suns, who had already united Kevin Durant with Devin Booker in the final part of last season. Now, prolific scorer Bradley Neal has arrived, and the promise is of a potent attack.

The Golden State Warriors bet on the experience of Chris Paul, 38, a star still looking for his first trophy, now teammates with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. The veteran cast does not lack intelligence, although the average age of the four key players (almost 35 years old) is a concern.

Other teams have thrown their chips into internal growth, like the young Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans. The Los Angeles Clippers, who are still working on a trade that would give them James Harden, hope that veterans Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are finally healthy and available at the same time.

In the case of the Los Angeles Lakers, who reached the West final against the Nuggets in May, the idea was to continue a group that took shape in the final part of the last tournament. LeBron James, 38, is heading into his 21st season, counting on the help of Anthony Davis, 30, and talented young people, such as Austin Reaves, 25, and Rui Hachimura, 25.

Each team, in its own way, acted to contain Denver, which had few problems on its way to the 2022/2023 trophy. In the knockouts with Jamal Murray as Jokic’s great assistant, there were 16 wins and four losses.

The team, it is true, lost an impactful supporting player, Bruce Brown, who could not be kept due to the salary limits established by the league. Even so, Colorado’s formation, better established than its rivals under construction, kicks off the competition with favoritism.

“We talked about achieving something no one has achieved since the Golden State Warriors [em 2017 e 2018]: win consecutive titles. How do we do it? Working, not skipping steps. We have to realize that last year is over and we can’t live in the past”, said coach Michael Malone, in an interview alongside the cup.

Before anyone raises the traditional Larry O’Brien trophy again, there will be another up for grabs. The NBA established a mini-tournament, the NBA Cup, to be held during the regular season, between November and December.

The teams were divided into six groups, whose clashes are also valid for the general classification table. The winners of each group and the runners-up with the best performance so far in the entire championship will go to the quarterfinals. The decision will be in Las Vegas, with cash prizes for the winning athletes.

The league’s management hopes that this will liven up the often tiring first phase of the championship, with 82 matches for each team. The slogan “it’s a marathon, not a sprint” has often been used by coaches to spare the stars.

From now on, there are rules that limit rest for players who are not injured. A stricter punishment was also established for defenders caught simulating a foul attack by throwing themselves on the ground.

But, regardless of the new rules and the trophy in December, lifting the cup in June is what matters. For that, at least in the view of 29 teams, the person who needs to be on the floor is Nikola Jokic.