254. Xia Village finally has newcomers!

From a strength perspective, championship-contending teams didn't regard the Bobcats as the strongest competitors for the upcoming season's championship.

The summer buzz universally suggested that the Chicago Bulls and the Lakers were on the rise and would become the strongest in their respective conferences.

The Pistons, having retained their main lineup and drafted two older, instantly impactful rookies in Noah and Dudley, were viewed as the second strongest in the East.

In the West, the competition for second place involved more teams, with the Jazz, Mavericks, Spurs, and Suns all vying for that spot.

Among them, the Jazz were the most favored, having snagged Korver, kept Matt Haplin in competition with the Bobcats, and with Deron, Kirilenko, Boozer, and Okur having all grown another year.

The only real loss of strength for the Jazz this summer—was being played by Fisher.