Every Team's X-Factor (Pacific Division)

I did more or less tune out of the preseason after the first few days.  And yes, for some teams, such as the Spurs for instance, I would say that it doesn't really matter.  But for some of those older squads, it most definitely does.  Within the next decade, I'm predicting that all contenders are going to have cores that are like younger than 25 on average.

But in the meantime, we still have to deal with the likes of the aged Dubs trying to make noise in the game.  And as the "Every Team's X-Factor" series plods on, we will continue to try to identify the player that most needs to represent in the name of pushing his current team over the edge.

In most of these cases, I'm not talking about a franchise player, a star or even a respected role player per se.  I'm talking more about that guy who most fills an easily-recognizable deficiency in the current makeup of the roster, regardless if he's known or not.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: KRISTAPS PORZINGIS

After saying all that, I have to backpedal a bit and start off with Porzingis, who would be an A-list player, if only his body allowed.  Is this braintrust so committed to (over)developed players that they don't respect the future and to some extent even the present?  Yes.  But that doesn't mean they're stupid per se.  For instance when Butler was playable, they looked formidable, despite lacking size.

Kristaps is, on paper, perhaps the ultimate x-factor, like on any team you plug him in.  He may not be as agile was Wemby, but he is a really-tall dude who plays like a G.  The thing is, it's already been proven, time and time again, that you can't rely on his health, to the point that by now, yeah, it is kinda stupid or at least questionable to bank on it.

A few years back, the Celtics were able to win a championship while load managing Porzingis, one of their key starters, during the playoffs(!).  The current Dubs roster doesn't have that type of luxury, as proven last postseason, in a way.  But here's to hoping that dude is available at least play like a third of the season, all games included, and thus is able to vault this team ahead a bit.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS; YANIC NIEDERHAUSER

So the Clippers have no backup C or even a hands-down PF, at all, to speak of, unless you consider Ingram or Hachimura as one, which I don't.  To me, those guys are more like tall 3s.  This isn't ideal in a conference led by Wemby and the Thunder.

Wait a minute - they do have a backup C, some guy named Yanic Niederhäuser, a rookie last season who got hurt in March and has yet to return.  He was getting some burn but not necessarily putting up inspiring numbers.

According to Google, he will be back in November.  After him and Lopez, the next tier of tallest dudes on this roster are 6'8", i.e. Ingram and Hachimura.  And as for Brook, he looked pretty sharp in the preseason, but we can't realistically expect that to last.  So like it or not, Niederhäuser is currently the one of the most important players on this roster and indeed the most important as far as the bench is concerned.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS: BRONNY JAMES

Let me just get this off my chest sooner rather than later.  Yes, I do believe there are at least some analysts in the mainstream media who are getting paid or being commanded by their superiors to speak of the Lakers as if they have a chance.

Luka is an exceptional talent, and I'm not biased against him.  Back when he was a rookie, I was saying something like he had more promise than Lebron (by default of age).  But he really, really, really needs the right type of roster around him, and that isn't a B-list 2guard, an overrated center and a slew of journeymen wings.

It's hard to overstate just how bad this braintrust has become.  Selecting Bronny wasn't such a big deal, in that you don't really expect anything from a late second-rounder anyway.  But don't forget that earlier in that draft, they picked Dalton Knecht who now, according to headlines, they're about to cut or some shit.  They don't know what they're doing, besides having developed a preference for white players for some reason.

Things are so bad that the coach even called out Bronny for bad play - during the preseason.  When have we ever seen something like this?  Does Reddick still have beef  with Lebron(?)?

I think it's generally understood that these young, 'developing' guys need encouragement, not vice versa.  But yeah, I did watch him play a couple of times this October, and it wasn't inspiring at all, tho I feel sorry for dude sometimes, like the (unrealistic?) pressure he's under.

NBC sorta intimated that he my be cut, you know, which would be no-brainer, if he weren't the second-most popular player on the team(!).  So it doesn't look like he's going anywhere anytime soon.  And with that, with the spotlight on him and with it now being more firmly established that he doesn't belong, dude needs to step up or step down.

LAL already has three backup smallish Gs more proven than James, so the greater roster need is in the  frontcourt.  But based on the above argument, he's still earned x-factor status.

PHOENIX SUNS: COLLIN GILLESPIE

The Suns could definitely use more respectable size.  They're obviously going smallball this season, i.e. four wings and a C, despite lacking a Wemby.

But I'd like to focus more on the 1, because lack of a floor general is something this team has suffered from since the departure of Chris Paul.  And they actually have a number of tall dudes who, if someone steps up - which presumably will happen given the sheer number of options(?) - could prove a viable backup for Williams.

Yes, Phoenix epitomizes positionless basketball, but that doesn't mean they should.  When you have a team full of chucks, ideally there'd be someone to run the show.

I'm not saying that Gillespie is that someone, but he may be.  He had a career year last season, including averaging nearly 5asts, second only to Booker.  Also, whereas I don't really know his style, I have noticed that he is white and therefore probably more level-headed than the average 3pt-chucking PG.

I don't think anyone in their right mind is actually putting the onus on dude.  But in any event, hopefully Phoenix will find someone to temper their, let's say erratic personalities.

SACRAMENTO KINGS: BEN SIMMONS

Holy crap, this dude again?

The Kings' upper-frontcourt definitely leaves something to be desired in terms of depth, but that's the good thing about having someone like Simmons, who can play the 1 through 4.  You'll also notice that now that the season has started if you will, we've been hearing less and less about Acuff Jr.  And you'll also notice that for better or worse, this is a veteran, not rebuilding, team.

"Ben", all things considered, has been their biggest acquisition this offseason.  On a win-now squad by default, it's more logical to put the onus on someone with proven potential that someone with potential potential, lol.

The one thing that has me kinda concerned is that he doesn't look particularly strong, though in his case, it's hard to tell if that's mental or physical.  Either way, it may be best if they let Darius play off the ball, sorta like Edgecombe, like let opponents forget he's even out there type shit.  For a player like Simmons who's such a head case, being sort of a throwaway on the last couple of teams he was on, it's funny how those same rosters, almost any team in the league really, could use his skillset, even though he doesn't shoot threes.

Every Team's X-Factor (Northwest Division)

I recently came across this article on Yahoo! where the author vehemently argued that the NBA preseason doesn't matter, at all.  I don't feel that way, and if you can read in between the lines, there's already a lot being revealed about the upcoming season.

But I'd be lying if I said that up until this point, I've been intimately following the preseason.  That won't really be necessary for some teams until it comes time to make the actual predictions for next season.

Also, that's not what the Every Team's X-Factor series is about.  Rather, I'm trying to identify the biggest deficiency on each roster and therefore point out the player, no matter how obscure, who most needs to perform to mitigate that gap, based on each organization's current setup, according to Wikipedia.

DENVER NUGGETS: ZEKE NNAJI

In all of these years of the Nuggets' Jokic era, one thing they've never been able to do is get a backup C to mitigate Nikola's defensive deficiencies, and so it appears to be entering this season also.  Their wing rotation is pretty solid, and depth at the 4 also seems to be more or less straight.  But when it comes to interior defense, I don't think Denver is intimidating anybody.

Like let's say Wemby is killing them.  Who are they going to put in specifically to defend him?  I guess we're in for another round of 'the best defense is a good offense'.

That said, if Jokic goes down, then there's really going to be a problem, because you wouldn't want Gordon or Bagley trying to hold down the post against a bigger team.  So, enter Zeke Nnaji.  I can't confidently say I ever heard of dude before, but get this - he's already been on the Nuggets for six seasons(!).  And last time around, he had a career year of sorts, averaging roughly 4pts and 3rbs.

Nnaji is tied for second-tallest person on the roster with Coleman Hawkins and Trevon Brazile.  The latter is a (second-round) rookie and apparently is going to get a chance to prove himself this season.  So he's a honorable mention as the x-factor.  But either way, it doesn't appear that Nnaji is going anywhere any time soon.  And since he's the vet, the onus has to be more on him.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: JOAN BERINGER

Beringer has already been singled out by the mainstream as the player the Wolves are banking on making a sophomore leap, so I'm not going to deviate from that.  He's a tall, yellow dude from France, which are like in high demand these days.

Minnesota's G rotation appears to be straight, especially once DiVincenzo comes back.  But the frontcourt depth leaves something to be desired.

Kuminga, as athletic and lengthy as he may be, has already proven that he's not an actual big.  So by the looks of things, there are currently none of particular note behind Gobert . The T-wolves just drafted a couple of dudes, but neither one of them can play C.

OKC THUNDER: JAYLEN WILLIAMS

Even after losing two or three rotation players this summer, including a starter, while not really getting anyone of note in return, OKC remains one of the deepest squads.  Both of their starting bigs are two-positional, besides Jaylin Williams and rookie Aday Mara (who I'm kinda high on) backing them up.  And as for their G rotation, if healthy there doesn't appear to be any lack there.  Dort is a celebrated defender, but I would argue that Caruso is even more effective on that end.

One thing about their plethora of 2s tho is that they aren't that tall, thus not making ideal 3s, even in the increasingly-positionless age.  And considering that the Thunder's main nemesis is Wemby, size does matter.  Even Holmgren and Hartenstein, with an average height of 7'1"(!), couldn't stop him.

So I'm gonna go with Jaylen (not to be confused with Jaylin) Williams.  He's a big, versatile body who would definitely make a difference against bigger teams if he regains allstar form.

He played sparingly last postseason, and things all considered, it may have been better if he didn't.  A healthy Jaylen has to be x-factor, as it's possible that OKC would have made to the Finals two years in a row if he wasn't hobbled.

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS: MICAH POTTER

Speaking of shorts Gs, the Blazers have four who may be starter worthy, but height-wise you wouldn't want to move any of them to the 3.  I would imagine that maybe Sharpe would end up starting at SF, and Avidja would be slotted over to the 4(?).

This roster has depth, even at the 5, which is rare in today's NBA.  But only a couple of bigs on that list have name recognition, and none are stars.  So one of them is going to have to fill the void.

And I'm gonna go with Micah Potter because, besides Williams III, he's the only other player listed as both a forward and center.  I'm not going to go with Robert himself because even though he is more or less a highlight machine, we pretty much already know his limitations and what he's going to bring to the table.

Potter meanwhile had sort of a career year last season.  He averaged 10pts, 5rbs, 20mins and 47 games, all highs.

The implication, if he could actually remain on the court, is that he could excel, especially on a roster like this, where so much defensive attention is going to focused on smaller players.  And unlike Williams III, Potter appears to have a three-point shot that demands respect.  Man, could the Blazers use this dude, which is likely why they picked him up.

UTAH JAZZ: JOSH OKOGIE

The Jazz has been 'one of the most promising teams' in the NBA for years now ,only to inevitably end up bottom feeding.  Some of that was tanking, which has now been disincentivized or whatever.  And unlike previous iterations, for the first time ever Utah appears to be mostly young and speedy(?).

That said, their depth isn't really anything to write home about.  But the good news is, in terms of bigs, they appear to be pretty straight, even after the departure of Kessler.

On the smaller side, they have, excuse me to say, promising guys who have yet to definitively prove themselves.  Man, could they use a veteran amongst the wings.  And on that note, I'm going to go with Josh Okogie.

Besides being a 2, he's one of the older players on this team.  All things considered,  he probably ain't gonna get a lot of run.  His stats don't jump off the page, but he has carved out a permanent place in the league, being about to enter his tenth season.  And I think he's also known as somewhat of a defensive specialist(?), which is going to be needed amongst a bunch of young scorers.

Either way, whenever his number is called, he needs to make an impact.  28 year olds are like old-timers in today's NBA.  And in the backcourt/wings, he's going to be surrounded by a bunch of dudes with a lot less experience than he has. 

Every Team's X-Factor (Southeast Division)

ATLANTA HAWKS: JOCK LANDALE

The Hawks have gotten arguably deeper but failed to address their biggest issue, which is lack of size.  There's only one pure C - Jock Landale - on the entire roster.  Behind him is a rookie named Henri Veesaar, who's already out for the season basically.

Okongwu is slated to once again start, and whereas he may be a promising player, he can't stand alone against a frontline like the Knicks' for instance.  So the onus has fallen on Landale, who isn't the worst C in the world but obviously has injury issues.

After showing progress last season, it's hard to get excited about Atlanta, considering that a number of competitors have gotten bigger, while they continue to play musical chairs.

CHARLOTTE HORNETS: COBY WHITE

The Hornets have done pretty good for themselves, in that four of their expected five starters (Reid, Knueppel, Miller and Diabaté) are two-positional. But I don't think any of those guys would ideally play point.

Schröder has the prettiest game in professional basketball.  When he cuts down a defense, it's almost like watching ballet.  But he's too good to be a role player and in a way, too good to be a starter also.  He deserves to have a team built around him, but at the same time he doesn't.  So we know what we're going to get out of Schröder and can't realistically expect him to change now, as one of the greatest international players in history.  So it'd be better to just give him the keys to the second unit, though again, he can start also.

So the next man in question is Coby White. His role is also unpredictable in that, you can't rationalize putting the onus on hi, with the same kind of liberty he enjoyed in Chicago.  So he's gonna have to focus more on distribution than scoring.  He's going to have to play more like a traditional, level-headed PG, instead of a product of the 2020s, to maximize this roster.

MIAMI HEAT: PELLE LARSSON

The Heat's frontcourt is set, and yes, it does appear wembyproof - at least as big, on average, as what the Knicks rolled out last season.  Both Giannis and Bam are basically really-tall wings.

The backcourt, however... and it's funny how this team sorta mimics the Heat from the 1990s.  They too, at least for a time, were focused upfront though reliant on a formidable backcourt.  And that's the key word - formidability, because nobody back there is a takeover-a-game type of player, unless you're banking on a resurgence of Klay, which I'm not.

The G who is slated or most needed to step up is Pelle Larsson.  I know that yeah, everyone needs to step  up, but I mean like the one who can catch defenses most off guard, sorta like Jacquez did.  We already know what Mitchell and Thompson and Hardaway - the latter of whom also needs to have a really good season - are bringing to the table.  So that makes Larsson, out of the lot of them, the x-factor.

The said, it appears that Mitchell is the only actual PG on this squad, meaning that he's going to have to shoulder a lot also and should prolly be dubbed the x-factor.  Oh well.  Like I said, there's a lot of pressure on Miami's backcourt, unless they intend to rollout lineups with like four bigs.

ORLANDO MAGIC: FRANZ WAGNER

It's been a long time since the Magic, at least imo, rolled out an enviable roster - and when I say long time, I mean 30 years type shit.  Yet they did make the Finals in the late-aughts.  And if given the right pieces, these guys like outplay their talent.

In other words, they can use help across the board.  Neither the frontcourt nor backcourt are anything to write home about in terms of depth (though the back is even thinner).

So the x-factor has to be Franz Wagner.  Again, if he were around versus the Pistons, I doubt Detroit would have won.

I don't want these posts to be about expecting established vets to suddenly move up a class, you know, go from a B-list statline to A-list.  It's more realistic to be like 'okay, we already have the pieces, now let's keep them healthy'.  That's more of the issue with the Magic.  We can't know if the Bane experiment was truly a good move if the core players can't even make it through a series together.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS: TRE MANN

Not many shortcomings here, folks.  Even if some key dude does get hurt, like they literally have a backup for everybody.  This team is half-vet/half-youngster like no other in the NBA, and no individual player should be under any tremendous amount of pressure.

If this were 20 years ago, maybe we could say that too much talent is concentrated at the 5.  But presently, in the small ball era, if you have a big C (of which Washington has three!), virtually any other tall dude on the roster can play the 4.

Where things are a little more shaky is in terms of pure point.  We already know what Tre can do -Young, not to be mistaken with Mann - so the latter is more of the x-factor.  He probably isn't going to be called upon to shoot at lot, but when he does needs to make his shots.

If the scouting report says something like 'oh sh*t, we have to keep an eye out for Tre Mann', then by that point, it'd be hard for any team to take advantage of the Wizards.  The NBA truly is becoming positionless, in that there's a number of teams now when a 1 would be better served acting as a 2.  Someone like Coby White may need to focus more on passing, but the same is not true if he were on a roster like this.