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Keystone
The NBA season starts on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday – for the first time with three Swiss players. Oklahoma City is once again the favorite to win the title.
The NBA defending champion has the lowest odds on the betting portals. The bookmakers are not taking a big risk if they see “OKC” as the team to beat. Because even if the NBA is as open as it is rare, Oklahoma City has the team core it needs to go far.
Manager Sam Presti has understood how to build a balanced team through smart signings and a strong draft strategy. The team’s star is called Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, “SGA” for short. The top scorer from last season can decide games without neglecting the team spirit. The champions are well positioned with Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.
The biggest threat to the Thunder probably also comes from the West. On the one hand with the Denver Nuggets around Nikola Jokic, on the other hand with the Los Angeles Lakers around Luka Doncic and LeBron James. The Golden State Warriors with Stephen Curry also remain serious opponents.
Capela the veteran, Niederhäuser the rookie
And then there are the Houston Rockets, who secured Kevin Durant in addition to Clint Capela – now an experienced player – to support young talents like Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith. After receiving less and less playing time in Atlanta, Capela is now returning to familiar surroundings in Houston. There, where he became the father of a son named Cayne in March, the Geneva center wants to restart an ambitious franchise.
The other club from Los Angeles is similarly ambitious. The Clippers have strong players in Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Bradley Beal. In addition, owner Steve Ballmer brought back the experienced Chris Paul to stabilize the game structure.
In this ambitious environment, rookie Yanic Konan Niederhäuser will take his first NBA steps. The center from Freiburg should be given time and space to develop with the Clippers, as his position is not occupied by an undisputed regular player – even though the Bosnian center Ivica Zubac averaged over 16 points and 12.6 rebounds last season.
George with further development potential
In the east the level seems to be somewhat lower overall. The injured Jayson Tatum has to be patient before he can play for the Boston Celtics again. A torn Achilles tendon usually takes nine to twelve months to heal, and Boston doesn’t want to rush its star’s return.
That’s why Cleveland and New York are considered favorites. In Ohio, the backcourt duo Darius Garland/Donovan Mitchell impresses with great stability, while in New York Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns together guarantee almost 50 points per game.
Kyshawn George, from French-speaking Switzerland, is about to enter his second season in Washington – and most likely take another step forward. The player, who chose Canada over Switzerland at international level, is considered a top-class defender and plays for the rebuilding Wizards.
But the two players that you should pay particular attention to this season can be found in the West: on the one hand, the Frenchman Victor Wembanyama with the San Antonio Spurs, and on the other hand, Cooper Flagg, who was selected number 1 in the draft by the Dallas Mavericks in June.
