Building off of last season's play-in tournament, the NBA has brought the tournament back and expanded the number of teams with a shot at the playoffs to 10. At the conclusion of the regular season, there will be play-in games between the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th seeds.
In what will be a shortened, 72-game season come off of an unprecedented year that concluded in a bubble at Disney, the new format gives teams on the fringe both hope and an opportunity to taste playoff success. Young teams like New Orleans and Sacramento, and retooled teams with a good mix of veteran and youth - like Atlanta and Phoenix - have renewed opportunity and excitement for this year. Here are my predictions for the top ten seeds in each conference for the 2020-21 season.
Eastern Conference
Milwaukee Bucks
Brooklyn Nets
Philadelphia 76ers
Washington Wizards
Boston Celtics
Miami Heat
Toronto Raptors
Indiana Pacers
Atlanta Hawks
Detroit Pistons
I could see the Nets running away with the East, as I feel like they have the best player in the conference and perhaps the most depth of any team in the NBA. But injury concerns and the potential for many nights of rest for their stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are reasons why I have them slotted at 2 despite the wealth of talent on the roster. The Bucks, with the addition of Jrue Holiday, instantly become better defensively but also gain a guy who can get 30 points if need be. The signings of Bobby Portis, Bryn Forbes, and Torrey Craig also helped fortify their bench and depth. The Sixers, under new direction with Doc Rivers, have a veteran, champion coach who I believe will light a fire under Joel Embiid. He and Ben Simmons will be out to prove just how good they are and how good they can be together. Washington, with the duo of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal, will be one of the most dynamic teams in the league. Davis Bertans can shoot the lights out, and rookie Deni Avdija has proven in the pre-season to be a very adept shooter as well. Rui Hachimura is a good young player, and Thomas Bryant is a solid interior presence as well. Unless Jayson Tatum takes that leap to superstar status, I feel like Boston will struggle. Tristan Thompson will help them with rebounding, something they very much needed, and Jeff Teague is a steady floor general to have as a backup. But with Kemba Walker's knee bothering him, they will lack that additional scoring punch. I feel like the Heat got fortunate last year in not having to face a fully healthy Brooklyn team, and were a bit of an anomaly. Jimmy Butler is a full fledged star, and they retained most of their depth (despite losing Jae Crowder, they added Avery Bradley and Mo Harkless), but I don't think they have as much umph as those other teams. The Raptors are a team that I feel like will take a step back. Losing Serge Ibaka was big, and veteran Marc Gasol is gone as a locker room presence. They will have to rely more on their younger guys like Norman Powell and Chris Boucher, and while they are a very good team as a whole, they don't have the top end talent like the teams listed above them. Pascal Siakam still needs to show that he can be a number one option. Like Toronto, Indiana is a very good team without a star. I feel like they, along with the seven other teams listed, are the clear cut eight best in the conference. The Hawks could be even better than 9th, with the additions of Danilo Gallinari, Rajon Rondo, Kris Dunn and Bogdan Bogdanovic making this team very deep and talented. Trae Young is one of the best offensive players in the conference, and Clint Capela gives them rim protection and rebounding on the inside. They could end up better than number 9, but we'll have to see how they mesh. If healthy, I feel like the Pistons could get the 10th spot. The last healthy version of Blake Griffin that we saw was a 24/8/5 player, and he remains one of the more talented forwards in the game despite his injuries. If he and Derrick Rose can stay healthy, they should be able to finish 10th in the conference. The Knicks are talented and have decent depth, but they might still be two years away from the playoffs.
Western Conference
Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Clippers
Denver Nuggets
Golden State Warriors
Dallas Mavericks
Houston Rockets
Portland Trail Blazers
Utah Jazz
Phoenix Suns
New Orleans Pelicans
The Lakers are the deepest team in the conference, and LeBron James will be on a mission to repeat and get title number five. The Clippers could get the one seed, but I feel like rest will prevent them from that. I think that they will be better than last year, though. Denver rounds out what I feel like are the top three teams in the West. Depth, possibly the best center in the league in Nikola Jokic and an emerging star in Jamal Murray should have them third. I really feel like the Warriors will surprise a lot of people. Despite not having a ton of depth, Steph Curry will be motivated coming off his injury, as we get to see him in a role unlike any he has had in his career. He could set the league on fire. Andrew Wiggins is very talented, and if his outside shot has improved, look out. The Warriors will be one of the best teams in transition in my view, with Kelly Oubre strong from the outside, the passing ability of Draymond Green and the running and finishing ability of number two pick James Wiseman, who I think will be a star. Luka Doncic could be in the MVP conversation, a supremely talented player who can do it all offensively. They should elevate from their seventh seeded finish from a season ago. Houston could I feel like grab a top five seed or even four, but, like Brooklyn, injury and rest concerns, as well as the drama surrounding James Harden have me put them at six. A healthy Demarcus Cousins may be the best center in the league, John Wall looks like he hasn't lost a step, and Harden is Harden offensively. The Trail Blazers will make it again, and they should be even better adding the versatility of Robert Covington and athleticism of Derrick Jones Jr. Enes Kanter also returns to the team for depth. Utah could finish higher than 8th, but I just think that they will dip this year. Just a feeling. Phoenix could crack the top 8. Chris Paul gives them much valued leadership and will make talented young center Deandre Ayton even better, and Devin Booker is a star. Adding Jae Crowder gives them additional veteran leadership, and Dario Saric and the shooting of E'Twaunn Moore will be good off the bench. The Pelicans, who traded Jrue Holiday but received Steven Adams, will benefit from Adams' toughness and rebounding. Zion Williamson is an unbelievable talent who is dominant at his best, but health is the question with him still. Brandon Ingram, fresh off a max contract, is a smooth scorer, and Lonzo Ball is a great passer. Eric Bledsoe gives them toughness and athleticism, while JJ Redick is a lights out shooter. Sacramento will vie for a top ten spot, but I feel like the loss of Bogdanovic will hurt them.
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