Something positive about every NBA team, Pt. III

Vibes, super sophomores, and the deepest guard room in the league

You know the drill; we’re finishing up the alphabet today. Click in the appropriate spot for Parts I and II. Vámonos!

Golden State Warriors

Reason for optimism: Yackety-yack, Yax attack

Golden State’s Yaxel Lendeborg made quite a splash during the Warriors’ numerous Summer Leagues, bombing 47% from deep on solid volume while showcasing the all-around game that had the draftniks so excited:

We’ll see how well the shooting and perimeter defense hold up in the NBA, but it’s hard to ask for much more from a guy drafted at the back of the lottery.

It’s unclear whether Steve Kerr will start Lendeborg at the three-spot ahead of Gui Santos or use him as a tweener super-sub. I’d bet on the latter to begin, but Lendeborg will get opportunities throughout the season to prove he’s worthy of a big role.

If he can make an immediate impact, the Warriors could become the proverbial Team No One Wants To Play in the spring. Although Stephen Curry didn’t get to run with Kristaps Porzingis much last year, the duo sported a +17.9 net rating in the paltry 106 possessions they logged together. Add in advanced stats star De’Anthony Melton, Draymond Green’s still-elite defense, the underrated Brandin Podziemski, and the eventual return of Jimmy Butler, and Golden State could have the ingredients to be a feisty Round 1 underdog. They just have to get there first.

Detroit Pistons

Reason for optimism: A slightly bigger phone booth

The Pistons made a lot of noise this offseason about adding shooting, and technically, they did. I’ve already talked about how they can build a potentially awesome scoring lineup with three deadeye snipers surrounding the Cade Cunningham/Jalen Duren pick-and-roll (and yes, I’m still assuming Duren plays for Detroit next year).

The shooting additions may be slightly overblown: John Collins was a more accurate shooter than Tobias Harris last year, but he actually attempted fewer threes on a per-possession basis. Isaiah Joe, Taurean Prince, and Gary Harris are all middle- or end-bench guys.

Still, last season’s Pistons couldn’t roll out a shooting-heavy lineup even when they wanted to; that’s why Duncan Robinson led the team in on/off rating. Being able to toggle between offense- and defense-oriented groups will be a huge boon for coach JB Bickerstaff.

The key, as always, is figuring out how to get both at the same time, but this team won 60 games last year. They conquered the regular season; it’s time to aim higher.

And hey! They signed Ausar Thompson to a pretty reasonable extension, so that’s cool, too.

Denver Nuggets