After giving the totally unknown Ariel Hukporti a shoutout in the inaugural edition of this series, not only did he start the Sixers' first preseason game but ended up suffering a season-ending injury and having that misfortune splashed all over national headlines. Wow. That wasn't the type of inception I was envisioning.
CHICAGO BULLS: TRE JONES
For the first time in years, the Bulls' roster appears to be progressive, but it definitely isn't deep. Giddey is going to start at the 1, and behind him, behind all of the starters basically, the only other PG of note is Tre Jones. Wait a minute I accidentally mistook dude for Tre Mann. But looking at his stats, even though Jones is an unknown, he's actually better than Mann and apparently one of the longer-tenured current members of the Bulls.
Meanwhile, Josh is known to semi-regularly end up on the injured list. This team appears to have more depth in the backcourt than in the front. There's other guys, like maybe Buddy Hield, who can play backup PG as a last resort, if you will. And oh shit, is Jaden Ivey's career really over?
But in this case, I'm going with Jones. Out of all the unpredictables or unknowns on this roster, he's slated to be the one whose impact and progression will matter most. Chicago doesn't have the type of bigs per se that can really take over games.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: THOMAS BRYANT
Wow. The Cavs have a stellar starting lineup, but as for the bench, man oh man. There's really only two names I recognize, Thomas Bryant and Mario Hezonja, and oh yeah, that dude Sam Merrill.
I'm tempted to dub Sam the x-factor, as he's a tenured member of the Cavs who had a career year last season. But the backup big rotation doesn't look promising at all, and there appears to be a more pressing need upfront. So as much as it hurts, I'm gonna have to go with Bryant for now.
I have nothing against dude and even remember him being underrated in the not too distant past (i.e. with the Lakers). But he's been in similar types of situations recently, getting a golden opportunity to represent on the Pacers for instance but failing to do so. Maybe he's suffering from being bounced around too much.
DETROIT PISTONS: UGONNA ONYENSO
Imagine if Jalen Duren did leave, and the Pistons didn't get a starter-worthy big in return? That wouldn't have been pretty at all.
This is yet another team, as is common in today's NBA, where the backcourt is a lot deeper than the front. Yes, Paul Reed made a name for himself this past postseason playing the 5, but he isn't an actual C. And of course, Collins can also serve as C, but none of those dudes are wembyproof, like playing them against some bigger lineups may not be ideal.
The only other pure C currently on the roster is a two-wayer named Ugonna Onyenso(?). And notice, by the way, how many centers these days, especially the obscure ones, seem to be from Africa.
As the NBA now appears to be prioritizing height again, as made necessary by the presence of Wembanyama, yes, Detroit obviously needs someone like Onyenso. He's taller than everyone else on the team, including Duren. But all things considered, don't expect him to get much run. The Pistons, like many of their competitors, are more likely to continue going small, not so much out of choice as it is necessity.
INDIANA PACERS: TYRESE HALIBURTON
The Pacers, man. At least they've more or less kept their deep G corps intact. And as for C, outside of Zubac, who may or may not be overrated, there are a couple of backups who aren't exceptional but are at least respectable. So the bigger depth issue appears to be in the 3 area.
By the looks of things, with Haliburton back, Indiana is going to continue along the lines of running three-guard lineups. That isn't ideal, because most of their Gs are undersized more or less. Or let's just say, more simply, that their F rotation leaves something to be desired.
So I'm just going to go with Tyrese in this case because, like it or not, he may end up having to serve as a de facto 3. And if he ends up getting injured again, despite their other talents, the Pacers may wind up becoming more obscure than even the Nets.
I'm sorely disappointed in this braintrust, after their fairytale showing in 2025. That's the kind of luck that most teams never experience.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS: KYLE KUZMA
I recently came across this headline arguing something like the Bucks being in an enviable position, due to having two coveted Cs on their roster. Reading in between the lines, what's being implied is that Ware and Turner shouldn't even make an effort type shit, like everyone is just expecting this squad to be garbage and accordingly for them to be eventually traded.
But okay, let's say that for now, Milwaukee is set at C, and their wing corps is even deeper. So then, the 4 becomes a problem.
What's to logically be expected is that Ware will start at the 5 and Turner at the 4. They can more or less interchange positions. But then, who's the backup at either spot?
Holy sh*t, Kyle Kuzma(!), who can at least play respectable 4 in the modern NBA. If Milwaukee ever needed you, buddy, it's now. If only he was as aggressive on the court as he is on social media.
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