Dear Friends,

Here is another sports article for you all. I'm really into basketball right now so I figured I'd type up another quick article on the NBA. It seems as though the hype of free agency has finally come to an end as Kawhi Leonard signs with the LA Clippers this past week. Personally, I am happy with this because if he went to the Lakers there would be no stopping that team. I mean, they already have LeBron and AD, and I respect that Leonard chose a team to a have a co-star to play with (PG13).

Now let's look at some powerhouse duos for next year's season:

Nets: Irving and Durant

Lakers: Lebron and Davis

76ers: Embiid and Simmons

Clippers: Leonard and Paul George

Rockets: Chris Paul and Harden

Warriors: Curry and Thompson

Mavericks: Doncic and Porzingis

Bucks: Giannis and Bledsoe/Middleton

I can't think of any other teams with a huge duo right now. The Bucks are kind of a stretch, but I wanted to put Giannis in there.

So let's think about this. The Nets probably will do well next year, but not well enough to take it all as Durant is out all season due to his recent injury in the championship. Not that Kyrie Irving isn't a profound player, but I don't think he can carry the team. Maybe with the help of their new center, DeAndre Jordan, they can go even farther than this previous season, but who knows.

The Lakers have a nice starting five coming up this year. I truly think the dynamic between Lebron and AD will be a tough one to beat. Two All-Star athletes playing in one of the most famous cities in the country, they are bound to make a run for the playoffs this year. Especially with Cousins at center and Danny Green playing shooting guard. You can't really go wrong with this duo.

76ers are NICE this upcoming season. All big men in the starting five, Simmons most likely signing a 5-year contract with the team, and Embiid in it at the 5 spot. Even though I am a huge fan of the Sixers, I don't think Embiid and Simmons are the best duo out there next year. I do believe that they will play huge roles once again this upcoming season, but if Simmons doesn't learn how to shoot sooner or later, I'm just going to lay off on hyping up these two together.

What everyone is talking about now: Kawhi and PG13. How can you not love these two together in LA? They were almost together on the Pacers, but Kawhi was sent to the Spurs instead. Nothing like a dream finally coming true. Kawhi is coming off of a great season and is definitely in his prime. PG13 is going to obviously kill it from beyond the arc and in the paint. We will see how these two start off their new journey together this season coming up.

Chris Paul and Harden? Not sure what to say honestly. I don't think they are necessarily a great duo just because that Harden gets half of the team's baskets all the time. Both are phenomenal players, but I don't know what to think of them together next year. When I'm typing this, I read about rumors of Westbrook joining the team, so we will see how that plays out.

Warriors do not have Klay for a bit next season due to his recent injury, but they did pick up DeAngelo Russel. So he and Curry are definitely going to make some 3 pointers next season. I don't understand why they got him or why the Nets gave him up, but quite frankly I don't really care. Regardless, I am excited to see these two join up on the Dubs.

Okay, I don't know anything about Doncic and Porzingis, but I have been playing as them recently on 2k19 and they are amazing. I am definitely going to be watching some Mavericks games to see how those two play together. I predict that the Mavericks will make it to the playoffs this upcoming season. Mark my words.

Giannis just won MVP this year, and that is huge for the Bucks. They are keeping Middleton which is great, and Bledsoe is a very great player as well. This is the only other team in the East besides the 76ers that really stand out. I think this Duo/Trio and the 76ers will definitely be this year's Eastern Conference Finals. How it will end, I do not know. Again, mark my words.

If you have any different thoughts or opinions let me know! I'm always down to talk about sports and upcoming seasons/games. Hope you all enjoyed, and I will see you guys next week with a new article.

Your Friend,

Al