Boston Celtics
Kyrie Irving has a lot to prove this season to the people who claim that he is not a superstar or capable of being a leader for a good team. He is going to have a big year for the Celtics. I am also looking forward to all the passive agressive comments this season between him and Lebron. Irving is a shot first point guard, but he did not have to be much of a playmaker for the Cavs. In this Celtics offense, he is going to shoulder some of that burden and I feel that he is going to have his best season. It will be interesting to see the narrative for Irving as the season progresses. If he struggles, he is going to take a beating in the media, but if he shines, he could get MVP love. No matter what happens, I think the trade was a homerun for the Celtics.
Houston Rockets
Ryan Anderson spent the summer being traded to the New York Knicks by people too eager to get Carmelo Anthony to the Rockets. However, that quickly shifted to the narrative that Anderson has a bad contract and nobody wants to trade for him. Make no mistake, Ryan Anderson has some warts on his game, but he is a very valuable player. He is going to have a big year. Chris Paul has never played with a big man that can shoot the way that Anderson can. Paul and James Harden are going to get Anderson so many open looks. He is not a franchise altering player by any stretch, but Anderson is going to make an impact of the Rockets' success this season.
San Antonio Spurs
LaMarcus Aldridge is still a member of the Spurs, but that is not because of a lack of effort. The Spurs wanted to move him, but they couldn't. Aldridge is a good player and is still productive, but after his disastrous Western Conference Finals, the feeling seems to be that he is a moody player that is not going to help you win big. I agree to an extent, but this season will be huge for this argument. Aldridge is going to have to have a big year if San Antonio has any aspirations to challenge the Warriors. Kawhi Leonard is really really good at basketball, but no one can win by themselves and Aldridge has to be able to provide that scoring. If he has a big year, all this talk about the Spurs being not great is going to be what is usually is, premature.
Golden State Warriors
What do you give the team that has everything? Omri Casspi somehow landed on the Warriors for the veteran's minimum and as a Casspi fan, I am excited for him to get to play on a good team. Casspi is a great shooter and a smart player. All summer, there has been a lot of talk about Nick Young, but I feel that Casspi can be an important player off the bench for the Warriors. Players like Casspi are wasted on bad teams. They bring so much to the table that helps you win games and I am looking forward to a good year for Casspi and the opportunity to win. The Warriors had a great summer and Casspi was part of it.