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Tuesday 16 OcTOber 2018
NBA Preview: It’s the Warriors, and then everyone else

By TIM REYNOLDS keep hearing the same
AP Basketball Writer story over and over until I’m
NBA Commissioner Adam not here no more. We’ve
Silver will be at Oracle Are- got to win a ‘chip. We’ve
na on Tuesday night, hand- all got the same goal. We
ing the Golden State War- kind of, a little bit, we kind
riors what will be their third of know what it takes to
set of championship rings almost get there. But we
from the last four seasons. haven’t gotten there yet.”
A banner will be displayed. The Warriors are the best
Highlights will be shown. team and the Rockets had
And then the Warriors will the best record, but the
have to start all over again. best player is now in L.A.
The NBA’s 73rd season starts After 15 seasons in the East-
Tuesday night, beginning a ern Conference, James —
year where LeBron James who has played in each of
will play for the Los Angeles the last eight NBA Finals —
Lakers, where Carmelo An- has moved West. He signed
thony will aim to push the a four-year deal in July with
Houston Rockets over the the Lakers, one that makes
top, where Dwyane Wade In this Sept. 30, 2018, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) grabs a rebound him the biggest star on the
will take his 16th and final over Denver Nuggets forward Paul Millsap (4) during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball league’s glitziest franchise.
lap around the league. A game in San Diego. He’s teamed up with tal-
new arena is opening in Associated Press ented young players like
Milwaukee, eight teams will possibly can. And that’s my coach. last season, has the reign- Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and
have new coaches, and mindset always entering “If they don’t win, it’s a fail- ing MVP in James Harden, Brandon Ingram, and for-
everyone will be looking to the season.” ure,” Memphis guard Mike an elite point guard in Chris mer rivals like Rajon Rondo
see if the Warriors can win a They will be the overwhelm- Conley Jr. said. “I know Paul who re-signed for $160 and Lance Stephenson.
third straight title. ing favorites, with good that’s how they feel as million this summer, a deep- “I’m a basketball player,”
“None of us are ready reason. well. For us, for the other pocketed owner in Tilman James said. “I play ball.
for this run to come to an The Warriors still have Ste- 29 teams, we’re the under- Fertitta and an always-tin- That’s what I do and that’s
end,” said Golden State’s phen Curry, Kevin Durant, dog. We’re trying to take kering GM in Daryl Morey. what I live by. And when I
Draymond Green, part of Klay Thompson and Green, what they have. It’s a lot The Rockets had the War- do it at the level I do it at,
all three Warriors’ titles in plus added All-Star big easier playing from the un- riors against the ropes in everything else takes care
this four-year run of domi- man DeMarcus Cousins — derdog perspective than last season’s Western Con- of itself.”
nance. “So we’ve got to coming off an injury — on coming in with a lot of ex- ference finals, leading that The only certainty in the
continue to approach it like a bargain $5.3 million deal. pectation.” series 3-2 yet falling after NBA this season is that
we’ve got zero. And that’s And calling all the shots In this NBA, everybody else Paul was lost to a hamstring James won’t win the East
cliche and impossible to is coach Steve Kerr, who is an underdog. injury. — ending an eight-year run
do, but you want to try to won five rings as a player That even applies to Hous- “We’ve all got one goal, of that, four in Miami and
get as close to that as you and now three more as a ton — which won 65 games man,” Harden said. “You’ll four in Cleveland.q

Knicks waive Joakim Noah

after just 2 seasons

the team since clashing win two NCAA champion- sion that carried into the
with former coach Jeff Hor- ships. 2017-18 season.
nacek last season, when The Chicago Bulls selected He was unable to regain his
he appeared in just seven him with the ninth overall rotation spot once he was
games. pick in the 2007 draft. He eligible to return and didn’t
The Knicks had already had great years with the play again following his ar-
decided he wouldn’t re- Bulls, highlighted by being gument with Hornacek af-
join the club under new voted Defensive Player of ter playing 4½ minutes in
coach David Fizdale but the Year and first-team All- a loss at Golden State on
were hoping they could NBA in 2014. Jan. 23.
find a long shot trade to But Noah had begun bat- Noah finished with an av-
get something back for him tling injuries and already erage of 4.6 points and 7.9
without having to cut him. was in decline by the time rebounds with New York.
The New York native signed former Knicks President Phil His $18.6 million salary for
In this Jan. 25, 2017, file photo, New York Knicks’ Joakim Noah
(13) walks to the bench during a time out in the second half of with his hometown team Jackson gave him a $72 this season will count fully
an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas. in 2016 and drew a loud million, four-year contract, against the salary cap and
Associated Press ovation in his first appear- and Noah could never re- the Knicks can stretch out
By BRIAN MAHONEY Unable to find a trade, the ance at Madison Square gain his old form. the remainder of his salary
AP Basketball Writer Knicks waived the 33-year- Garden, where he was in- His first season in New York over multiple seasons.
NEW YORK (AP) — Joa- old center Saturday with troduced as being from the ended early when he was The Knicks also waived Ka-
kim Noah’s disappointing two years and $37.8 million Hell’s Kitchen section of the suspended 20 games by deem Allen and Jeff Coby,
Knicks career is over after remaining on his contract. city, rather than from Flori- the NBA in March 2017 for getting their roster down to
just two seasons. Noah had been away from da, the team he helped a failed drug test, a suspen- 17 players.q