NBA: What did the preseason leave?

The new additions

As we mentioned before, in a race against time some teams rushed to sign players and incorporate them into their squad. Such is the case of the Toronto Raptors, whivh reached an agreement with the player Pascal Siakam, who has a US $ 176 million contract for five years, as reported by NBA Addicts.

In addition, the Washington Wizards managed to renew the contract with Bradley Beal, although there was no talk of the possibility of Beal leaving the team, because according to ESPN, the new contract will go for two more years with a maximum of US $ 72 million.

However, teams like Los Angeles Clippers were the winners in terms of hiring because their staff managed to include important players like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. It should be remembered that Leonard was crowned champion of the 2018/2019 NBA season with the Toronto Raptors.

Following that same line, another team that decided to hire the best players were the Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. While the first one may be lost all next season due to an injury to his Achilles tendon, which has already been operated on, he still has a recovery period of between six months and one year. Even so, the Nets can continue uphill and try to overcome the 42 victories they had last year, when Durant arrives the story will be another.

Unbeaten in preseason

After 80 exciting games in the preseason phase, the Miami Heat held the unbeaten team title, until the Houston Rockets ended the Heat's dream. Still, and according to the New Herald, the Heats had a winning streak of 4-0,, and one of the team's stars, Jimmy Butler, was able to score 23 points in one of the last preseason games, when the Miami Heats clashed against the Orlando Magic.

In addition, and according to the NBA, it seems that the originals of Miami have concentrated on redoubling the bet on the defense of the team, "the decision of the Heat seems to be clear: prioritize defense and athletic players, over technical talent." A strategy that can work for next season.

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The Future Stars

Probably one of the most exciting things of the preseason is to observe the new talents that are gradually being highlighted. One of them is Zion Williamson, who currently plays for New Orleans Pelicans, and who was number 1 in the Draft. Remember that the Draft is the method by which NBA teams choose players who are under 23 years old. Williamson has come to be compared to Lebron James for his great physique and his quality when playing.

On the other hand, the Memphis Grizzlies can boast the talent of Ja Morant since he has left a very good impression on the fans thanks to his leadership capacity and “a talent that has rarely been seen on such a young basis,” as Basket Blog refers.

We cannot ignore RJ Barrett, belonging to the New York Knicks. For Carlos Herrera, collaborator of the NBA portal in Spanish, "Barrett could become the new face of the New York."

The favorites

We are very close to the beginning of a new season and it is the perfect time to profile the favorite teams. According to the official NBA site, the undisputed favorite Los Angeles Lakers, is headed by star Lebron James and Anthony Davis.

In addition, there is the Los Angeles Clippers belonging to the same conference as the Lakers, so we could see a final of the West Coast teams for the first time. Among the favorites are also the Milwaukee Bucks and the Houston Rockets.

However, the current champions, the Toronto Raptors, and the finalists in the last five editions, Golden State Warriors, appear among the favorites to win the 2019/2020 season.