The goal of just about every NBA teams’ offseason is to improve. Teams here and there will blow it up and rebuild, but that’s all geared towards improving in the future. A decent number of squads got better this summer, so take a look at the three most improved NBA teams.
Three Most Improved NBA Teams this Offseason
The Los Angeles Lakers
A LeBron James-lead team is always a contender, and the Lakers won the championship just two seasons ago. Last season, of course, was plagued with injury. They didn’t make it past the first round of the playoffs, which was obviously a major failure in their eyes. The Lakers, along with James and Anthony Davis, made it a major mission to get better.
First and foremost, the move for Russell Westbrook was huge. His fit is yet to be determined, but the talent is clearly there. Westbrook will surely do whatever it takes to mesh and perform well with two other superstars. If he prioritizes attacking the basket while letting James make plays, then the offensive potential here is tantalizing.
Outside of Westbrook, the Lakers made a ton of moves geared towards creating depth and winning right now. Former stars Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard have joined. Howard, of course, returns for his third time.
A few other veterans, specialized in “three-and-d,” have also joined the ranks. This includes Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington, and Kent Bazemore. Stellar youth was added too in Kendrick Nunn and Malik Monk. And, of course, Talen Horton-Tucker is back.
The Lakers could’ve stood relatively pat and still have been good, but now they’re even better.
The Charlotte Hornets
LaMelo Ball turned out to be an immediate hit in the NBA, so the Charlotte Hornets have their building block. They were young last season, and definitely will be this season as well, but have added a number of exciting players. The Hornets won’t be competing for a championship, but they should make the playoffs and be one of the most fun teams to watch.
Ball returns alongside other great young players like Miles Bridges and PJ Washington. Veterans Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier are still on the roster.
They’ve struggled at the center position, but got a boost this offseason. Mason Plumlee is a nice gap-fill for now, and he can potentially average a double-double. Behind him is rookie Kai Jones, who will be the recipient of countless lobs from Ball all season long.
In the backcourt, Ish Smith and James Bouknight arrive. Smith is a great backup point guard, whereas the rookie Bouknight is going to be a bucket-getter early on. He’s a great fit in Charlotte.
Lastly, Kelly Oubre joins the party as well. He’s another athletic scoring wing who’s going to add to the offense and excitement of this team.
Charlotte’s been bad for a while, there’s no going around that. They made it their mission, however, to get better while also getting younger and more exciting.
The Chicago Bulls – the Most Improved NBA Team
The Chicago Bulls spent plenty of money with a mission to become better. They did just that.
First off, pulling off the Lonzo Ball sign-and-trade was huge. He’s a dream fit next to Zach LaVine and is showing real glimpses of All-Star potential. Ball’s going to defend a multitude of positions, rack up assists, and use his much-improved shot to drain threes. The Ball and LaVine backcourt is going to be special.
Backing up ball is the high-energy Alex Caruso. His defense and burst will be welcomed off the bench at both guard positions, and he’s a solid fit next to Coby White as well.
Another major move made by the Bulls was acquiring DeMar DeRozan. Sure, this move is a little iffy. The Bulls paid a hefty price to the San Antonio Spurs and for DeRozan’s contract, and is fit is up in the air, but they added talent. DeRozan will score 20+ points on any given night, and although he’s not a major defensive factor, he’ll add to the onslaught of offense this team will have.
Last trade deadline the Bulls acquired Nikola Vucevic. He and LaVine didn’t have much time to mesh, but that will improve as well. Chicago is looking more and more like an Eastern Conference threat.
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