WHICH STARS WILL RISE?

CHET HOLMGREN gives the champion Thunder a chance to really improve. I think he’s got another step he can take and if he does, that’s going to be a big problem.

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Right now he’s an O.K. shooter and he can get some stuff done with the ball, but he’s not great at it. With some strength he can take the smaller guys on him and just beat ’em up.

The Nuggets made some smart moves this offseason. Bruce Brown was good for them in 2023, and he’s the kind of player who plays better on good teams. For Denver, it’s going to come down to who can be their third scorer in the playoffs. Michael Porter Jr. is a bit of a wack job but he could get a bucket. Can Cam Johnson? To me he’s a fifth starter, fourth starter, first-guy-off-the-bench kind of guy.

Kevin Durant gives the Rockets a real scorer for the postseason. But they’re an overinflated team. Dillon Brooks was really good for them and without him, they lose a little bit of their identity. Maybe Tari Eason can be that kind of guy. I think they’re going to be a top four or five team but it seems like a little bit of a stretch to say, “Oh my God, they’re going to be the team because they got Durant.”