The 2019-19 NBA Season ended with the Toronto Raptors aka #WeTheNorth walking tall & capturing their 1st ever NBA title on the strength of Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.
Then the offseason brought about wild changes. The Lakers mortgaged the farm & got Anthony Davis from the Pelicans. The Celtics were able to get Kemba Walker out of Charlotte. The Warriors, knowing they would be without Klay Thompson for most of the season, got D’Angelo Russell from Brooklyn. Jimmy Butler left Philly & took his talents to South Beach. Russell Westbrook joined the Rockets & the black hole known as James Harden while Chris Paul got shipped off to OKC as some sort of punishment. Perhaps the biggest seismic shift occurred when Kyrie Irving & Kevin Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets while Kawhi Leonard & Paul George both signed with the Clippers.
With no team appearing to be a juggernaut, this season promises to be one where true parity exists. With that said… here are the predictions:
Eastern Conference
- Milwaukee Bucks – The Bucks will benefit most from Kawhi’s departure from the East. Though they lost Malcolm Brogdon the Bucks will be bolstered with bench depth. The 1-2 punch of Giannis & Khris Middleton along with veterans Eric Bledsoe, Wesley Matthews & Robin Lopez should have fans of Milwaukee dreaming of championship celebrations in June.
- Philadelphia 76ers – The Sixers are looking for retribution this after how their previous season ended. They’ll have to do without Jimmy Butler who’s in Miami. They’ll also lean heavily on Tobias Harris to step up this season. The biggest concern is the development of Ben Simmons’ jumper. If it’s improved then sky’s the limit for the Sixers.
- Boston Celtics – Just because the C’s parted ways with Kyrie Irving doesn’t mean their title aspirations went up in flames. They went out & got Kemba Walker from Charlotte. Adding his game to an already balanced lineup will only benefit Boston in the long run. Don’t count them out just yet…
- Brooklyn Nets – Without Kevin Durant, the Nets will find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to the title picture. They’ll still be good enough to be one of the top 4 teams in the East though. The key will be whether Kyrie Irving can mesh with his new teammates and if his new teammates will be able to deal with Irving’s personality.
The Rest of the Eastern Conference:
- 5. Indiana Pacers
- 6. Toronto Raptors
- 7. Miami Heat
- 8. Orlando Magic
- 9. Detroit Pistons
- 10. Atlanta Hawks
- 11. Chicago Bulls
- 12. Washington Wizards
- 13. New York Knicks
- 14. Charlotte Hornets
- 15. Cleveland Cavaliers
Western Conference
- Los Angeles Clippers – The Clippers landed two of the league’s best 2-way players in Kawhi Leonard & Paul George. This instantly elevated the Clippers to the top of the class. If George can stay healthy the Clippers’ chances of winning it all would appear to be very strong.
- Utah Jazz – The addition of veteran Mike Conley should take the Jazz from just being a playoff team to being a real player in the West. Adding Bojan Bodjanovic also aided in that cause.
- Los Angeles Lakers – LeBron James is once again playing with a legit top 5 player in the league in the form of Anthony Davis. Should both players remain health this could be a devastating 1-2 punch. The question will be the depth of the team and if all the changing parts can mesh.
- Denver Nuggets – The Nuggets will figure into the West picture just by holding serve with their roster. If they can match their league-best home record from a season ago they should have no problem staying in the top 4 in the West.
The Rest of the Western Conference:
- 5. Houston Rockets
- 6. Golden St. Warriors
- 7. Portland Trailblazers
- 8. Dallas Mavericks
- 9. San Antonio Spurs
- 10. New Orleans Pelicans
- 11. Sacramento Kings
- 12. Minnesota Timberwolves
- 13. Oklahoma City Thunder
- 14. Memphis Grizzlies
- 15. Phoenix Suns
Postseason Predictions:
- Eastern Conference Finals: Bucks over Sixers
- Western Conference Finals: Clippers over Jazz
- NBA Finals: Clippers over Bucks
- NBA MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
- All-NBA Team: Steph Curry, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard
- NBA Rookie of the Year: Zion Williamson, Pelicans
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