There’s not much going on in the NBA these days. After all the massive deals that took place, the wildest offseason possibly of all-time has finally quieted down.
But there are still some things taking place such as Russell Westbrook’s introductory press conference with the Houston Rockets, and Anthony Davis and Jeremy Lin talking about their current state of their careers.
SBOBET has rounded those stories up for you to catch you up on the latest goings-on in the best basketball league in the world.
Russell Westbrook willing to “sacrifice” on Rockets for a title
Russell Westbrook has finally been introduced as a member of the Houston Rockets following his blockbuster trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder few weeks ago.
Westbrook will be reunited with former Thunder team-mate James Harden and indicated that they are both more than willing to sacrifice in order to win a championship.
“We’ve been friends for many, many years,” Westbrook said of Harden. “Since I was 10, actually. So we’ve played with each other in Oklahoma City, and to be able to win something, you’ve got to be willing to sacrifice some parts of your game, and we both understand that.
While Westbrook is saying the right things now, it will be easier said than done for him to alter his game at this stage of his career. He played basically the same ball-dominant way on the Thunder despite calls for more ball movement and off-ball action from him. He produced a number of NBA 2019 highlights but not that many wins.
He and Harden may have played together in the past, but they have changed significantly since then and will need to make significant adjustments in order for them to co-exist.
Former Rockets Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony have said similar things about making sacrifices in order to win, but neither was successful. Although in Paul’s case, his physical decline, as well as his apparent conflict with Harden, also contributed to his departure.
Westbrook can say all he wants now, but he will still need to prove his talk of sacrifice on the court.
Anthony Davis really wants to win a ring
Speaking of winning, Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis has also made it clear that he wants to add an NBA championship to his already impressive collection of an NCAA championship and an Olympic gold medal.
“I don’t think I have a failure that I’ve had yet,” Davis told ESPN as a guest on That’s What She Said with Sarah Spain. “Obviously, at the end of my career, if I don’t win a championship that would be, I would feel that’s one of my biggest failures. But right now, I still have a lot to do in this world on and off the court. So I don’t feel like I’ve failed in anything. I think I just continue to do it over until I succeed at it.”
Davis is entering his first season with the Lakers after arriving in a blockbuster trade earlier this offseason. The 26-year-old is set to team up with LeBron James to form what should be one of, if not the best duo in the NBA next season.
Davis hasn’t come particularly close to winning a championship. He won just one playoff series during his time with the New Orleans Pelicans, which was their first-round sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers back in 2018.
Still, Davis has produced in the playoffs, averaging 30.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in 13 career games. And with James by his side, the NBA 2019 odds of him achieving his goal this season with the Lakers are looking good.
Jeremy Lin fears his NBA career may be over
Jeremy Lin remains an unsigned free agent heading into August. And during a recent motivational speech he gave in Taiwan, the 30-year-old point guard is concerned that this is a sign that the league is no longer interested in him as a player.
“In English there’s a saying and it says once you hit rock bottom, the only way is up,” an emotional Lin said. “But rock bottom just seems to keep getting more and more rock bottom for me. So, free agency has been tough. Because I feel like in some ways the NBA’s kind of given up on me.”
“After the season I had to get ready for this Asia trip and it was the last thing I wanted to do,” Lin said. “Because I knew for six weeks I would have to just put on a smile. I would have to talk about a championship that I don’t feel like I really earned. I would have to talk about a [basketball] future I don’t know if I want to have. And honestly, it’s just embarrassing. It’s tough.”
Lin was part of the Toronto Raptors’ championship team after arriving in a midseason trade, but he was a bit-part player in their run to the title.
He averaged 9.6 points and 3.1 assists in 74 total regular-season games between the Atlanta Hawks and the Raptors last season. And before that, he suffered two injury-hit years with the Brooklyn Nets.
At this point in his career, the Lin that sparked “Linsanity” appears to be gone for good. But he believes he still has something to offer teams — if he can get another chance.
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