47 days left! Don’t look at the offseason being crazy! In fact, only 6 teams can compete for the championship in the new season!

It is September 5th today. In recent days, some free market news has been heard. Since September, the league has signed 5 contracts. In order to leave Antetokounmpo, the Bucks signed Antetokounmpo with a one-year, $290,000 contract. Liddle and Prosper signed two-way contracts with the Nets and the Grizzlies respectively. PJ Washington renewed the Mavericks for 4 years, $9,000, and Cameron Thomas signed a one-year, $600,000 qualification quote with the Nets! In the free market, Westbrook and Simmons are still unattended, which is a pity. Moreover, the contract dispute between Kumingga and the Warriors, Gidey and the Bulls is about to enter the countdown. If they cannot reach a consensus in the next week, then these two restricted players will have to sign qualification quotation contracts in the end, and there is not much time left for them! From the NBA official, we can learn that the opening game of the new season will officially start on October 22, with only 47 days left. But looking back at the entire offseason, although there are constant renewal of big deals and contracts, which seems crazy, in fact, there are only 5 teams that can compete for the championship in the new season!

First: Oklahoma City Thunder!

The core lineup of the new season: SGA, Jaylen Williams, Homegren, Harten, Caruso, Dort, Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Wallace, Jaylin Williams, Kenway!

Reason for selection: Last season, the Thunder played one of the best regular season performances in NBA history, with a dazzling record of 68 wins and 14 losses. It not only set a new record in team history, but also became the seventh team in NBA history to achieve 68+ wins in a single season. It stood side by side with legendary teams such as the Warriors who won 73 wins in 2015-16 and the Bulls who won 72 wins in 1995-96. It led the West with the second 16 wins, creating the largest difference in history! Not only that, the regular season Thunder averaged 12.87 points per game, surpassing the Lakers' 12.28 points in the 71-72 season and becoming the first in NBA history. They also swept 21 teams and surpassed the Warriors' 20 teams in the 15-16 season and became the first in history. They even scored a super record of 29 wins and 1 loss against the Eastern Conference. When they came to the playoffs, the Thunder's shortcomings of not being good at playing key balls were infinitely amplified. This is also the main reason why they were forced into the tiebreak twice against the Nuggets and the Pacers. Fortunately, they won the victory without any danger in the end. The three young masters renewed their contracts and retained 14 of the 15-man rosters to win the championship. There is no doubt that the Thunder, whose lineup is stable and healthy, is still the biggest favorite to compete for the championship in the new season.

The second team: New York Knicks!

The core lineup of the new season: Brunson, Towns, Bridges, Anunobi, Hart, Yabussele, Clarkson, Robin, Payne, McBride, Achuwa, Shamet!

Reason for selection: If the Knicks did not fire Thibodeau in the offseason, they would never be included in this list. Although their overly conservative coaching style can guarantee the Knicks' record lower limit, they cannot really win the championship. Letting Mike Brown replace Thibodeau is the most correct decision for the Knicks' management this offseason. Even if the players are not moved at all, the Knicks will have a high probability of rushing out of the East in the new season! What's more, they got two immediate combat powers in the player market, Yabussele and Clarkson, and greatly improved the depth of the lineup. Last season, the Knicks only had pure blue-collar player Robin, except Towns. Yabussele may be slightly inferior to Robin on the defensive end, but his offensive end is ten levels higher than Robin. Clarkson's scoring stability beat Payne, and the team finally found a player who could score stably on the bench. Mike Brown, who has a more open-minded coaching style, has experienced a great upgrade in the bench lineup. The Knicks are the first choice to break out of the East in the new season!

The third team: Denver Nuggets!

The core lineup of the new season: Jokic, Murray, Gordon, Cameron Johnson, Braun, Valan, Watson, Strauser, Bruce Brown, Hardaway Jr.!

Reason for selection: During two consecutive offseasons, the Nuggets management has become more and more biased under the leadership of general manager Booth. The lineup depth has been repeatedly reduced, wasting Jokic's two-year peak period. Starting from Booth, the team boss personally came out to complete the major change of the team. The exchange of Porter Jr. for Cameron John and Sharic for Valan one-on-one are one of the best deals in the offseason. Not only has he upgraded the team's lineup, but he also revitalized the salary space. The European Cup is underway. We can see what Valany can do on the court. After Cameron Johnson, Valany, Brown and Hardaway Jr. joined, Jokic ushered in the best lineup depth in his career. There is at least one top substitute player in each position of the team. Perhaps the Nuggets are expected to perform best in team history under the leadership of Jokic in the new season, so it is natural to compete for the championship!

The fourth team: Cleveland Cavaliers!

The core lineup of the new season: Mobri Jr., Mitchell, Garland, Allen, Hunter, Struz, Baller, Nance, Merrill!

Reason for selection: The four All-Star players, Mobley Jr., Mitchell, Garland and Allen, did not move basically. Although Garland's trading information was exposed many times during the offseason, they were eventually proved to be the wishful thinking of the whistleblower. In the offseason, the Cavaliers retained almost all of their core lineups, and lost Jerome in the players' market and got Ball Brother and Nance. The core lineup of the new season has been formed. Last season, the Cavaliers beat the Eastern Conference's powerful players to the top, and are the only team in the league that can compete with the Thunder. However, in the playoffs, the team's lineup defects were infinitely amplified, and the outside combination of Mitchell and Garland was at a disadvantage in the defensive end, and even Dopy's little Mobley could not help. The team bet on Ball during the offseason. The Cavaliers need his defense and height and size on the outside! The arrival of Nance can also alleviate the pressure between Mobley Jr. and Allen, giving the team a foundation to set up the double tower for a long time. The lineup is optimized in a targeted manner, and the Cavaliers are still a team that can win the championship in the new season!

The fifth team: Los Angeles Clippers!

The core lineup of the new season: Harden, Leonard, Zubac, Bill, Collins, Paul, Daluo, Batum, Bogdan, Jones Jr., Dunn!

Reason for selection: Who would have thought before the start of last season that Harden could lead Zubac, Powell, Kofi, Dunn, and Jones Jr. to maintain the record of the top six in the Western Conference for a long time before Cards came back, but they did it. In fact, on the last dozen regular season games last season, the Clippers played the offensive and defensive efficiency of Leonard slowly recovering to normal state, on the basis of Leonard's slow recovery to normal, and if it weren't for the excessive consumption of the regular season to maintain the record of the top six in the Western Conference, and the Nuggets' Luck Goddess of Long-Term stand on the side of the Nuggets again and again in the playoffs, the Clippers are definitely not a team that has only the strength of the first round of the playoffs.

has last season as a reference. What reason do we have not expected the Clippers in the new season more? The arrival of Collins allowed Xiaoka to lose weight and return to the No. 3 position with confidence, greatly reducing the risk of injury, and the team finally had a qualified No. 4 position. The arrival of Daluo and Paul allowed Zubac and Harden to have about 20 minutes of rest time every game, laying the foundation for energy accumulation in the playoffs. These are conditions that the Clippers did not have last season. The lineup structure has been optimized, with at least two top substitutes in each position, and the super long lineup rotation is not a big problem. The new season will be the best moment for Harden to win the championship!

Sixth: Atlanta Hawks!

The core lineup of the new season: Trae Young, Jaylen Johnson, Gayer, Porzingis, Walker, Okonggu, Daniels, Rissache, Kennard.

Reason for selection: Last season's Hawks played smooth offensive performance under the leadership of Nick Young, but defense is an urgent problem that this team needs to solve. When I learned during the offseason that the Celtics had to disband the lineup in order to avoid taxes, I immediately traded Porzingis into the lineup, greatly improving the team's offensive and defense level in the inside. Not only that, he also signed the Timberwolves' top substitute Alexander Walker, and his outside offense and defense level has been greatly improved. The team will have two top outside defenders, Daniels and Walker, and Porzingis and Jaylen Johnson, in the interior. The defensive strength has improved several levels compared to last season. Not only that, the team also signed the sharpshooter Kennard to fill the team's three-pointer ability.

What is gratifying is that the Hawks, like the Rockets, have completed major upgrades without shaking the team's foundation. Of course, another reason for the Hawks to be put in this position is that the overall competitive level in the East in the new season has declined. Apart from the Cavaliers and the Knicks, there is really no team that stabilizes the Hawks, and the Cavaliers and the Knicks have their own potential risks. The Hawks have a chance to become the next Pacers! The new season is about to start in one and a half months. Regarding the championship pattern, if you have any questions, please feel free to discuss and leave a message in the comment area!