Yet another NBA season has arrived, with this year marking 74 years since the Toronto Huskies faced the New York Knickerbockers at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto in the league's first ever contest.
Installment number 74 has a different feel to it than a few year's past, with the trend of juggernaut super teams replaced with rosters more reminiscent of the 1990s - with dynamic duos surrounded by solid, reliable role players. Kawhi Leonard headed west, Kevin Durant - though he'll more than likely miss this season because of the Achilles tear suffered in the Finals - went East, and Russell Westbrook has a new home in the southwest. There's also the LeBron James/Anthony Davis pairing with the Lakers, too.
All of the changes made this summer make for the most intriguing and wide open NBA season there has been in a while, and here are my predictions for what no doubt will be a very entertaining year in the NBA.
Standing Predictions
Eastern Conference
1. Philadelphia 76ers
The Milwaukee Bucks have the reigning MVP and the conference's top player, but I think that the 76ers have the best lineup in all of the conference. Ben Simmons is bound to improve on his 17/9/8 from last season, and, with Jimmy Butler in Miami, I think that Joel Embiid will be in the hunt for the scoring title. If Embiid were to capture it, it would be the first by a center in twenty years, when Shaquille O'Neal led the league with a 29.7 average. The addition of 5-time all star Al Horford to pair with Embiid also gives them the East's most formidable interior defensive combo, with both also being able to stretch the floor.
2. Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo is coming off of his first MVP award, and will look to build on that for an even better season this year, as difficult as it will be to top his 28/13/6/1/2 (blocks) from a season ago. The Bucks lost 2015 Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon to the Pacers in free agency, but will welcome the addition of former longtime Portland Trail Blazer Wes Matthews, who is a very good three point shooter and the ideal two guard to play with Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo will play the Power Forward spot in a lineup that is tailor made for the small ball style that was popularized by the Golden State Warriors. I expect the 76ers and Bucks to be there at the end vying for a chance to make the NBA Finals.
3. Boston Celtics
The most notable difference for the Celtics this year is Kemba Walker - who signed a 4 year, $141 million deal - taking the place of Kyrie Irving, who left Boston for Brooklyn for the same price. Al Horford, their leader and defensive anchor, is also gone. Replacing him in the middle is Enes Kanter, a skilled offensive player who lacks on the defensive end. Marcus Smart is a dog defensively, and Jayson Tatum is due to take a big leap, as is Jaylen Brown. This team has plenty of talent, with Gordon Hayward coming off of the bench too, and while not as complete as the top two teams in the conference, they should be right there as the season progresses.
4. Toronto Raptors
Had he returned to Toronto following his dominant postseason run, Kawhi Leonard would have the Raptors poised for a repeat. Even without him though, this team is very talented. Defensively, they are great on the interior with Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka, and will have OJ Anunoby healthy who can defend opposing wings. Pascal Siakam is going to have a surge in production, building on his Most Improved season a year ago. Look for him to be in the all-star conversation as he becomes the Raptors' unquestioned go-to guy. Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet form a tough back court that fills out a starting unit that can hang with the best in the conference.
5. Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn will have to wait to see how Kevin Durant looks in a Nets uniform, but, in the meantime, they'll be led by the dynamic Kyrie Irving, who is an upgrade from the departed D'Angelo Russell. Their interior should be solid with DeAndre Jordan, and they have very good supporting talent in Joe Harris - one of the league's top shooters - swingman Caris Levert, Taurean Prince and young big man Jarrett Allen. Spencer Dinwiddie - who averaged 17 points and 5 assists in 28 minutes per game last season, provides great bench punch. A first round match up against the Raptors would provide for a top-notch series.
6. Indiana Pacers
Not having 2-time all star Victor Oladipo for the start of the season as he recovers from a torn right quadriceps suffered in January knocks their seeding down, but the Pacers are still very capable. Domantas Sabonis - who just signed a 4 year, $77 million extension - and Myles Turner are a solid interior tandem, and former Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon will lead the back court in Oladipo's absence. Jeremy Lamb gives them scoring punch off the bench, as does Doug McDermott with his shooting ability. In his last seven full-time coaching seasons, Nate McMillan's teams have finished over .500, with the exception being 2011-12 when he was fired after a 20-23 start in Portland. He is one of the league's overlooked and underrated coaches, and will have his team ready come playoff time.
7. Miami Heat
As a new era dawns in Miami - Dwyane Wade announced his retirement after last season - Jimmy Butler, who comes over from Philadelphia, takes the reigns as the franchise face. For the first time in his career, he gets to prove how good he can be, and how good his team can be, with him as the lead. Erik Spoelstra remains a top coach in the league, and the team has good bench scorers in Goran Dragic and Justise Winslow. Bam Adebayo takes the spot in the paint of Hassan Whiteside, who is now in Portland, and Tyler Herro is a very good three point shooter as the starting two guard. Starting power forward Kelly Olynyk can also stretch the floor. Just missing out on the playoffs last year, the Heat should get in as a lower seed this year.
8. Detroit Pistons
The 8 seed last year that was swept swiftly in the first round by the Bucks, the Pistons added Derrick Rose in the off-season to compliment Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond on the inside, and should make the playoffs once again. Their sternest competition, in my opinion, for the 8th spot will be Chicago, but 30-year-old Blake Griffin is the best player out of those two teams, and he and Drummond are as formidable as power forward-center combos get.
East Playoffs
1 Philadelphia over 8 Detroit
2 Milwaukee over 7 Miami
3 Boston over 6 Indiana
4 Toronto over 5 Brooklyn
1 Philadelphia over 4 Toronto
2 Milwaukee over 3 Boston
1 Philadelphia over 2 Milwaukee
Western Conference
1. Los Angeles Clippers
The Lakers have the more talented roster top to bottom, but the Clippers defensively will be a juggernaut with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George (once he gets back from his shoulder injury), and point guard Patrick Beverley. Leonard and George will be the league's best wing tamdem we have seen since Wade and LeBron James, and the team also has a very good, high energy interior player in Montrezl Harrell. Reigning Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams is the scoring jolt off of the bench, and Landry Shamet can also shoot from the outside. Kawhi Leonard says he has two healthy legs now - something that he clearly didn't have during Toronto's playoff run - which leads me to believe that he won't be resting as much this season as he did last. I think that James will play fewer games than Leonard, which is why I give the Clippers the top seed.
2. Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James is 35 in December, but you wouldn't know it based off of last year's averages of 27/9/8. He only played 55 games due to a groin injury, and night off for rest could be the norm this year. He and Anthony Davis are a scary combination, which is a throwback to the old perimeter player/big man combinations of the past, and the Lakers are deep, with role players including former all-stars Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard, as well as all-defense caliber players in Avery Bradley and Danny Green. They also have plenty of experience too, which bodes well for late in the season and the playoffs.
3.Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jokic is in the "best center in the game" argument, and he leads a team that is one of the more complete in the league. Jamal Murray and Gary Harris are very good young players, and Paul Millsap is a needed veteran presence who can stretch the floor and rebound. Winning 54 games a season ago, Mike Malone has his team in position to do the same this season. They will be one of the top teams in the league throughout the season and a very tough out in the playoffs.
4. Houston Rockets
Just days after Leonard and George joined in Los Angeles, and close to a month after the Lakers traded for Davis, Daryl Morey made a splash of his own, acquiring Russell Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder to pair with old OKC teammate James Harden. Since then, there has been much debate about whether the duo will succeed together, as they are two of the most ball dominant players in the league. At some point though, you have to surmise that, as two of the top players in the league and friends and former teammates who basically came into the league together, that they will figure it out. If all things click, they will be dangerous for the rest of the NBA.
5. Portland Trail Blazers
Swept by the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Semi-Finals, the Blazers return improved on the interior with Hassan Whiteside, who is an intimidating defensive and rebounding presence. Damian Lillard continues to prove his worth as a top player in the league, and CJ McMollum is a clutch, big shot maker who is great from beyond the arc. They could get the 4 seed, but I give Houston the edge.
6. Golden State Warriors
They lost Kevin Durant, but gained D'Angelo Russell from the Nets, and Draymond Green - who is one of the league's ultimate swiss army knives - returns as their constant. I think we will see Stephen Curry at over 30 points per game, as he won't have Durant to his right or Klay Thompson to his left to share shots with. This is a team with championship mettle and a great coach, and Curry and Russell are as dynamic a back court as there is in the league.
7. Utah Jazz
Mike Conley, coming over from Memphis, is the veteran presence that the Jazz needed. He will help Donovan Mitchell immensely, and the team made an underrated off-season move in bringing in Bojan Bogdanovic from Indiana, a 3 and D type that takes some scoring pressure off of Mitchell. Rudy Gobert is a top interior defender and the 2018 and 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, who secures the rim for them. In a normal year, I would have had the Jazz higher, but the West projects to be as competitive as it has been in years, since the early to mid 2000s in my view. They would give the Lakers a good test in the first round.
8. San Antonio Spurs
I toyed with the idea of putting the Pelicans in the 8th spot, but I think that Zion Williamson's injury and the 6 to 8 weeks of action that he will miss will puts a damper on their playoff chances. Gregg Popovich, one of the greatest coaches ever, and the Spurs will make the playoffs for an unbelievale 23rd straight season. Starting point guard Dejounte Murray is one of the league's up and coming players, and Demar Derozan and LaMarcus Aldridge are among the best in the league at their positions. DeMarre Carrol and Rudy Gay are solid veterans to come off of the bench, and Bryn Forbes, Derrick White and Patty Mills will prove valuable. True to form, they will give their first round opponent a challenge.
West Playoffs
1 Los Angeles Clippers over 8 San Antonio Spurs
2 Los Angeles Lakers over 7 Utah Jazz
6 Golden State Warriors over 3 Denver Nuggets
4 Houston Rockets over 5 Portland Trail Blazers
1 Los Angeles Clippers over 4 Houston Rockets
2 Los Angeles Lakers over 6 Golden State Warriors
1 Los Angeles Clippers over 2 Los Angeles Lakers
NBA Finals: Los Angeles Clippers over Philadelphia 76ers
Finals MVP: Kawhi Leonard
Season Awards
Most Valuable Player: Kawhi Leonard
Coach of the Year: Brett Brown
Sixth Man of the Year: Spencer Dinwiddie
Most Improved Player: Jayson Tatum
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