NBA Season Preview: Expectations for All 30 NBA Teams and Players to Watch Out For
The 2020–21 NBA Season is shaping-up to be one of the most compelling and competitive seasons in a long time. Both conferences are deeper than seasons past and there seems to be more young stars in the league than ever before.
During the regular season, all the teams will be playing in their respective stadiums (except for the Toronto Raptors who will be playing in Tampa Bay) with no plan for a bubble, but as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, most teams will most likely not have any fans in attendance. If last season’s bubble proved anything though, it’s that the players will play and play well through any kind of adversity. While the incoming rookie class might be a little underwhelming, there are definitely some diamonds in the rough and the NBA has more than enough young talent to pick up the slack.
The Lakers and Bucks both improved their rosters and will most likely be at the top of their respective conferences. Steph Curry is coming back healthy for the Warriors and Kevin Durant will play his first season for the Nets coming off an achilles injury, meaning two more playoff spots are already probably filled. The Suns, Pelicans, Hawks and Wizards all had impressive off seasons and will make the push for the rest of the playoff spots highly competitive in compacted 72 game stretch.
*NBA League Pass is the add on service the NBA provides so fans can watch out of market games that are not nationally televised, so a “League Pass Player” is a player someone would go out of their way to watch because that player is so entertaining.
Atlanta Hawks
Rotation Projections:
PG: Trae Young, Rajon Rondo, Kris Dunn
SG: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kevin Huerter, Solomon Hill
SF: Danilo Gallinari, Cam Reddish, Tony Snell
PF: John Collins, De’Andre Hunter
C: Clint Capela, Onyeka Okongwu
League Pass Player: Trae Young, please and thank you
This Hawks team has potential to be the most fun team in the league. Trae Young’s second year leap was probably more dramatic than what most people were expecting, and the combo with him and John Collins created one of the best young 1–2 punches in the league. During the hyper-shortened offseason, the Hawks’ front office quietly put together Darly Morey’s dream team. They traded for Clint Capela to be the roll man to Trae Young’s dynamic play making and signed two of the best shooting wings on the market in Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari. In the first round of the draft, they took Onyeka Okongwu, a 6’10, forward/center from USC, that seems to fit the role coming off the bench for either John Collins or Clint Capela. If the young backups like Cam Reddish or De’Andre Hunter make the leap playing with Rajon Rondo in the second unit, Lloyd Pierce might have the makings of a top five seed in the Eastern Conference.
Boston Celtics
Rotation Projections:
PG: Kemba Walker, Jeff Teague, Carsen Edwards, Payton Pritchard
SG: Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown
SF: Jaylen Brown, Aaron Nesmith
PF: Jayson Tatum, Grant Williams, Semi Ojeleye
C: Daniel Theis, Tristan Thompson, Robert Williams
League Pass Player: Jayson Tatum
The Boston Celtics will hop on the backs of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and ride them to a top three seed in the East. Kemba Walker is still more than capable of getting to his spots and creating shots for his wings and their front court has good depth and solid rebounders. Danny Ainge did not have the splashiest offseason and that was probably the right call. In the first round of the draft, they took a wing in Aaron Nesmith out of Vanderbilt, who could fit perfectly in today’s NBA. Their signings included a couple of experienced veterans, Jeff Teague, who has had a rough last couple of years but he’s a serviceable backup, same goes for the Celtics’ other offseason acquisition, Tristan Thompson. Losing Gordon Hayward and his monster contract does not hurt them much at all, but are those two offseason signings enough to make them a championship team? Probably not. The East seems to be just slightly weaker than the West this upcoming year and signing Jayson Tatum long term was huge because he’s turning into an MVP caliber player sooner rather than later, but having only one superstar may not be enough to bring home the Larry O.
Brooklyn Nets
Rotation Projections:
PG: Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, Tyler Johnson
SG: Caris LeVert, Landry Shamet, Bruce Brown
SF: Joe Harris, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot
PF: Kevin Durant, Taurean Prince, Jeff Green
C: Jarrett Allen, DeAndre Jordan
League Pass Player: Kevin Durant, forever and always
This might and probably will sound stupid, but the Brooklyn Nets would be smart to not trade for James Harden. Getting into all the players and picks the Nets would have to give up would be one thing but chemistry and fit is another thing as well. On paper, the Nets look like one of the most complete teams in the East and Kyrie and KD want to play together. Throwing James Harden into the mix gets rid of some of their depth and takes shots away from Kyrie, if he’s not a part of the package to get Harden. So far, they’ve had a quiet offseason, not adding anyone in the draft and trading for Landry Shamet in a strange three team trade and the Nets would be smart to keep it quiet. Caris LaVert really broke out in the bubble and will look to continue his breakout playing next to a superstar in Kevin Durant. They have a deep rotation and KD can provide championship experience, if he stays healthy. An achilles injury is scary to come back from for an explosive wing, but even if it takes a little time for Durant to get back to 100%, he’ll still be top 5 in the league.
Charlotte Hornets
Rotation Projections:
PG: LaMelo Ball, Devonte’ Graham
SG: Terry Rozier, Malik Monk, Caleb Martin
SF: Gordon Hayward, Miles Bridges, Cody Martin
PF: PJ Washington, Jalen McDaniels
C: Cody Zeller, Bismack Biyombo, Vernon Carey
League Pass Player: Next year’s lotto pick
This will be short and probably not so sweet. The Hornets will probably be the worst team in the NBA. Terry Rozier can score in bunches, Devonte’ Graham had a baby breakout season, PJ Washington showed flashes of becoming a regular starter, and Miles Bridges is a hyper athletic 3 and D guy, but boy oh boy, those are some tough sells. The Hornets had to spend their money somewhere so I guess that’s where scammer of the year, Gordon Hayward, comes in to take $30 million a year. They took LaMelo Ball third overall this past draft and while he has unbelievable vision and smooth handles, he still has to learn how to shoot from the outside consistently. In the modern NBA landscape, if your team does not have shooting out of it’s point guard position, your team might have some offensive problems, regardless of how many highlight fast breaks they may have. With Lavar Ball and his Big Baller Brand quietly drifting into the shadows, he probably won’t cause any off the court problems so the Hornets’ problems will be exclusively on the court.
Chicago Bulls
Rotation Projections:
PG: Coby White, Tomas Satoransky, Ryan Arcidiacono
SG: Zach Lavine, Denzel Valentine
SF: Otto Porter Jr., Chandler Hutchinson, Garrett Temple
PF: Lauri Markkanen, Patrick Williams, Thaddeus Young
C: Wendell Carter Jr., Daniel Gafford, Cristiano Felicio
League Pass Player: Zach Lavine for now, but hopefully Wendell Carter soon
The Chicago Bulls are a young team, whether they’ll be any good is yet to be seen. On paper, they have plenty of guys with potential to break out. They should already know what they’re going to get out of Zach Lavine and Lauri Markkanen, but guys like Coby White, Wendell Carter Jr. and Patrick Williams could provide a boost to their lineup. Williams, taken out of Florida State, was definitely a reach in the draft, but in a weak draft, they took a chance on a guy who drew comparisons to Kawhi Leonard. Now those are near-impossible shoes to fill, but he’s got great size and could provide some valuable minutes for a bench that lacks in a ton of different areas. With how impressive next year’s draft is shaping up to be, it would be smart for the Bulls to let their young guys ride this season out and hope for a top tier lottery pick.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Rotation Projections:
PG: Darius Garland, Matthew Dellavedova, Dante Exum
SG: Collin Sexton, Kevin Porter Jr., Damyean Dotson
SF: Isaac Okoro, Cedi Osman, Dylan Windler
PF: Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr.
C: Andre Drummond, JaVale McGee, Thon Maker
League Pass Player: This is tough actually, hm… Collin Sexton if he plays 3v5
The Cleveland Cavaliers live in the lottery and they’ll reside there again next year, but they might be fun! Collin Sexton is turning into a commendable combo guard and Darius Garland compliments him well. Kevin Love will be this team’s rock if he stays healthy, Andre Drummond will stuff the stat sheets and Javale will provide decent depth down low. What’s most intriguing about this Cavs’ team is their wings. Isaac Okoro, taken in this year’s draft after just one year at Auburn, seems to be the ideal wing in the modern NBA if he shooting comes around and Kevin Porter Jr. and Larry Nance Jr. will provide top tier athleticism. This team will not stop anyone on defense but their run and gun offense could provide some fun highlights. 2021’s draft class is full of game changers and Cleveland’s goal should be to snag one of them, with Evan Mobley out of USC being the number one target.
Dallas Mavericks
Rotation Projections:
PG: Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson
SG: Tim Hardaway Jr., Tyrell Terry, Trey Burke
SF: Josh Richardson, Josh Green
PF: Maxi Kleber, Dorian Finney-Smith, James Johnson
C: Kristaps Porzingis, Dwight Powell, Willie Cauley-Stein
League Pass Player: Luka, and only Luka (But pay-per-view player is James Johnson if he’s the next NBA player to fight a Paul brother)
The Dallas Mavericks have Luka Doncic and that’s all that matters. Well not really, but it’s nice to think so. Luka is the odds on favorite to be the MVP favorite this year and rightfully so. He seemingly played on a different level than almost any other 21 year old in history and there’s no reason to think he can’t build off that. The Mavs did a nice job in the draft taking Josh Green and Tyrell Terry, from University of Arizona and Stanford respectively. Both of these guys should be contributors from day one on. Draft night was also kind for Dallas when they stole Josh Richardson from the Sixers. He had a down year in Philadelphia but playing next to Luka should bring out the Miami Heat version of Josh Richardson. Early on in the season might be tough sledding without Kristaps, and in the west, it can be tough to gain that ground back if they do end up sliding. Don’t count on it though with Luka running the show.
Denver Nuggets
Rotation Projections:
PG: Jamal Murray, Facundo Campazzo, PJ Dozier
SG: Gary Harris, Monte Morris, RJ Hampton
SF: Michael Porter Jr., Will Barton, Vlatko Cancar
PF: Paul Millsap, JaMychal Green
C: Nikola Jokic, Bol Bol
League Pass Player(s): Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic
This Denver Nuggets team is going to be so electric to watch. Jamal Murray is flamethrower, Jokic probably has the best claim to the big man throne, and Micheal Porter Jr. is on his way to becoming a star if he passes the vaccinations check. Their depth is no joke either. Bol Bol looks to be way more than a hoopmixtape player, with real ability to stretch the floor and the potential to be able to create for himself. RJ Hampton is a good dark horse for steal of the draft and the Nuggets might have signed the Argentinian “White Chocolate”, Facundo Campazzo. Denver made it to the Western Conference Finals last year, but with how loaded the West is and presumably no bubble, it may actually be a tougher task getting back there, no matter how deep this team is on paper.
Detroit Pistons
Rotation Projections:
PG: Killian Hayes, Derrick Rose
SG: Delon Wright, Svi Mykhailiuk, Wayne Ellington
SF: Jerami Grant, Sekou Doumbouya, Saddiq Bey
PF: Blake Griffin, Dzanan Musa, Josh Jackson
C: Mason Plumlee, Isaiah Stewart, Jahlil Okafor
League Pass Player: Killian Hayes, if he has a long leash
The Detroit Pistons… might be a fun team??? They probably won’t be a good team but they will have their moments. French product Killian Hayes had some buzz to be the best player coming into the draft and the Pistons should be ecstatic that he fell to them at seven. Sekou Doumbouya is a really active and athletic wing who will hopefully get more playing time this year. He didn’t finish the season as strongly as some would have hoped but he’s only 19 years old and showed some good scoring prowess. They have some awkward fits in their rotation, especially at the center position and Blake Griffin isn’t getting any younger but they made some intriguing signings in Jerami Grant and Josh Jackson. The Pistons are another team that will probably be fighting for the top of the lottery but that might be better than fighting for the eight seed.
Golden State Warriors
Rotation Projections:
PG: Steph Curry, Brad Wanamaker, Jordan Poole
SG: Andrew Wiggins, Damion Lee
SF: Kelly Oubre, Kent Bazemore, Juan Toscano-Anderson
PF: Draymond Green, Eric Paschall, Alen Smailagic
C: James Wiseman, Kevon Looney, Marquese Chriss
League Pass Player: Steph Curry, easily
The Warriors are the team with the most questions that need answering going into the season. Yes, Steph Curry is back and should be healthy. Yes, Steve Kerr is still the head coach. Yes, the lottery gave them the second overall pick, but those are the only definitives they have. The typical Warriors depth looks to be running thin with a devastating injury to Klay Thompson for the second year in a row. Andrew Wiggins still cannot defend and maybe he’ll become a more efficient scorer next to Steph but don’t count your blessings. Kelly Oubre Jr. is a nice stop gap for Klay but he’s not even close to the same player as him. Even more questions lie within the James Wiseman selection at second overall. He only played three games in college at Memphis where he was very efficient but does his style fit the modern NBA style? It’s hard to say but it’s nice that the Warriors seem to have the utmost confidence in him and he could be a good rim roller for Steph and Draymond. The Warriors will still compete but to what level is an unknown.
Houston Rockets
Rotation Projections:
PG: John Wall, Chris Clemons
SG: James Harden, Ben McLemore, Sterling Brown
SF: Eric Gordon, David Nwaba, Gerald Green
PF: PJ Tucker, Kenyon Martin Jr.
C: Christian Wood, DeMarcus Cousins, Kenny Wooten
League Pass Player: *checks twitter* Oh man, I guess John Wall now
No one’s offseason has been more bizarre than the Houston Rockets. John Wall looks to be back and healthy but did the Rockets really get better by trading away Russell Westbrook? It’s hard to say yes whenever you trade away a former MVP. Fit wise, Wall doesn’t make much more sense than Westbrook next to James Harden on either end of the floor. PJ Tucker is going to have his hands full on the defensive end but offensively, the emergence of Christian Wood and a healthy Boogie Cousins may actually take a small load off of Wall and Harden. The biggest question mark the Rockets have though, is whether or not James Harden plays this season on the team. The management has not done James any favors over the last couple of seasons and Tilman Fertitta has no right to own the team so the frustration is understandable. But what has to be frustrating to his teammates and first year head coach, Stephen Silas, is Harden skipping practices and a game while a video showed him at a birthday party in Atlanta with no regard to the league’s COVID protocols. James Harden is still arguably a top five player in the league but there’s real concern with the Rockets and not a whole lot of time to figure it out.
Indiana Pacers
Rotation Projections:
PG: Malcolm Brogdan, Aaron Holiday, TJ McConnell
SG: Victor Oladipo, Jeremy Lamb
SF: TJ Warren, Justin Holiday, Edmond Sumner
PF: Domantas Sabonis, Doug McDermott, JaKarr Sampson
C: Myles Turner, Goga Bitadze
League Pass Players: Domantas Sabonis
There’s not much to say about the Indiana Pacers, truthfully. They’re a well coached team, with good depth and not much turn over from last year. The Pacers are probably the best team that no one, outside of Indiana, wants to watch. TJ Warren is a microwave scorer, Oladipo is a good two-way player when healthy and Malcolm Brogdan does a great job running the point. The Pacers also have one of the league’s best kept secret on their team in Domantas Sabonis. He’s the best passing big man not named Jokic and he’s an excellent post scorer who can stretch the floor to the midrange. The Pacers probably won’t contend for a championship this year but no team wants to play them when they’re at full strength.
Los Angeles Clippers
Rotation Projections:
PG: Patrick Beverly, Lou Williams, Reggie Jackson
SG: Paul George, Luke Kennard
SF: Kawhi Leonard, Nicholas Batum
PF: Marcus Morris Sr., Patrick Patterson
C: Serge Ibaka, Ivica Zubac
League Pass Player: Kawhi Leonard, maybe Regular Season P
The Los Angeles Clippers will be contenders, as long as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are playing. Kawhi is a top 5 player and George is a top 15 player and no matter what PG’s playoff resume says, Kawhi Leonard’s own playoff resume can counteract it. Last year, those two were definitely the butts of the joke after blowing a 3–1 lead to the Denver Nuggets but after letting go of Doc Rivers, they’ll look to bury those demons early in the seasons. The Clippers had a little bit of an awkward offseason, even after letting go of their longtime head coach. Their reigning sixth man of the year, Montrezl Harrell, signed with the team that plays in the same building as them and had some questionable things to say about his former team. While they replaced him with a still capable Serge Ibaka, there still might be a dramatic drop off in their bench scoring. Stealing Luke Kennard from the Pistons should help bolster their bench but if they want to right their wrongs from last year, they’re not going to look to their bench. PG and Kawhi need to play at their best during the team’s biggest moments.
Los Angeles Lakers
Rotation Projections:
PG: Dennis Schroder, Alex Caruso, Talen Horton-Tucker
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Wesley Matthews, Quinn Cook
SF: Lebron James, Kyle Kuzma, Alfonzo McKinnie
PF: Anthony Davis, Markieff Morris
C: Marc Gasol, Montrezl Harrell
League Pass Player: Every game might be nationally televised so no need to choose one (The real answer is THT)
The Los Angeles Lakers’ last two offseasons could not have been more polar opposite. Last offseason, after trading for Anthony Davis, one could argue that they swung and missed on quite a few other acquisitions that would have fit better with Lebron and AD. It didn’t seem to matter though because they ended the long and grueling season as NBA Champions. The front office did not take much time off to celebrate (mostly because Covid shortened the offseason) and went out and did everything Laker Nation wanted them to do. Rob Pelinka signed reigning sixth man of the year in Montrezl Harrell and his runner up Dennis Schroder. The Lakers also addressed their big man depth by signing veteran and former Laker Marc Gasol. The fit there isn’t perfect, especially after seeing what AD can do at the 5, but Gasol is still more than serviceable and his passing will open the offense more. Second year player Talen Horton-Tucker has taken the NBA world by storm with how well he’s played during the preseason and surprisingly threw a wrench into how Frank Vogel will handle his minutes. While that may be a good problem, the Lakers will still have questions with their chemistry and rest but they should still have a great chance for bringing home back to back titles.
Memphis Grizzlies
Rotation Projections:
PG: Ja Morant, Tyus Jones, Desmond Bane
SG: Dillon Brooks, De’Anthony Melton, Grayson Allen
SF: Kyle Anderson, Justise Winslow, Robert Woodard II
PF: Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke
C: Jonas Valanciunas, Xavier Tillman
League Pass Player: The whole team. Every. Single. Player… besides Grayson Allen, fuck him
The Memphis Grizzlies have absolutely nailed the last three drafts. Well… last two but Grizzlies fans should be excited for their incoming draft class. First round pick out of TCU Desmond Bane and second round pick Xavier Tillman, who will be paired with his old teammate from Michigan State Jaren Jackson Jr., are both viewed as potential steals already. The Grizzlies are drifting farther and farther away from their old “grit n grind” era and it could not be going any better. They have an electric point guard, Ja Morant, who seems poised for stardom, Jackson who defends at a top tier level and is a great shooting big man and plenty of young talent to help with their depth. They unfortunately might be a year away from competing at a high level though because Jaren is going to be out for the beginning of the season and Justise Winslow is still coming back from his own injuries. Brandon Clarke is pretty good filler to have for Jaren but their depth upfront is going to suffer. The West is too deep and too tough to fall into a hole early and climb out of, but there is much to be excited about in Memphis.
Miami Heat
Rotation Projections:
PG: Goran Dragic, Kendrick Nunn
SG: Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro, Avery Bradley
SF: Jimmy Butler, Andre Iguodala, Maurice Harkless
PF: Meyers Leonard, Precious Achiuwa
C: Bam Adebayo, Kelly Olynyk
League Pass Player: Bam, Bam and Bam
The Miami Heat were the darlings of the NBA playoffs last season. After a dominating series win over the mostly Giannis-less Bucks, they seemed destined to continue shocking the NBA world and bring a title back to Miami. Then they ran into Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Even with a grueling Finals loss, Miami should be excited about this upcoming year. Jimmy Butler proved he can be a leader and score in the big moments, Tyler Herro looks to be a legit contender for sixth man of the year, if he doesn’t get moved into the starting lineup, and Bam Adebayo has the makings of a top 10–15 player in the league. A super athletic big with great vision and can switch onto every player defensively, Adebayo’s ready to join the upper echelon of big men in today’s NBA. Also, his block on Jayson Tatum might be the best play from the bubble. In the draft, they took Bam’s new understudy in Precious Achiuwa out of Memphis and added Avery Bradley in the offseason, two guys who will fit in perfectly with the Heat’s culture. As more and more rumors swirl around a trade for James Harden, they may have to break up some of this young core. Whether it be Tyler Herro or Duncan Robinson, either way, another title run is definitely in the mix for this young Heat team whether or not they end up with Harden.
Milwaukee Bucks
Rotation Projections:
PG: Jrue Holiday, DJ Augustin
SG: Donte DiVincenzo, Bryn Forbes
SF: Khris Middleton, Pat Connaughton, Torrey Craig
PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo, DJ Wilson, Jordan Nwora
C: Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis
League Pass Player: Giannis
The Milwaukee Bucks will never not be a championship contender while Giannis is in town. The Greek Freak (still a lame nickname) ended up signing a supermax contract worth north of $228 million to stay in Milwaukee for at least another four years. His injury last season in the Eastern Conference Semifinals cost them a run to the finals and started some speculation around whether or not he would resign with the Bucks. That fear and speculation is probably what led to the trade for Jrue Holiday. While Giannis has since quieted those fears, the Bucks still made the right move bringing in Jrue. He will provide an immediate boost on the offensive end and their team defense, which was first in the NBA last season, got even better. Their length is unmatched in the league and Holliday shutting down Damian Lillard a few playoffs ago showed how much he can bring to the table defensively. Khris Middleton may have become a slight after thought during this past offseason, but he’s no slouch on either end and he’ll look to improve off an already impressive 2019–20 season. With a solid bench, the starters won’t need to play huge minutes, just like last season and in a compacted 72 game schedule, look for the Bucks to be the top contender coming out of the East.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Rotation Projections:
PG: Ricky Rubio, Jarrett Culver
SG: D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jaylen Nowell
SF: Anthony Edwards, Josh Okogie
PF: Jake Layman, Juan Hernangomez, Jaden McDaniels
C: Karl Anthony-Towns, Ed Davis, Naz Reid
League Pass Player: KAT, he should put monstrous numbers this year
D’Angelo Russell may have finally found his home in Minnesota. Him and his good friend Karl Anthony-Towns make up a good, young core that the Wolves have and they could be an exciting team to watch throughout the year. Anthony Edwards, the first overall pick from Georgia, is an uber-athletic wing who probably won’t defend much in his first year but should provide at least one highlight play a game. Ricky Rubio should fit nicely in a mentorship role to Russell and their bench depth is a bit shallow but their youth is intriguing. Malik Beasley, Jarrett Culver, and Josh Okogie will play the bulk of the bench minutes at the guard positions and any of the three taking a leap will be a good sign for the Timberwolves. They’re going to have a tough time competing for a playoff spot this season but they might just be one piece away from being a perennial playoff team.
New Orleans Pelicans
Rotation Projections:
PG: Lonzo Ball, Kira Lewis Jr.
SG: Eric Bledsoe, JJ Reddick, Nickeil Alexander-Walker
SF: Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart
PF: Zion Williams, Wenyen Gabriel, Naji Marshall
C: Steven Adams, Jaxon Hayes, Willy Hernangomez
League Pass Player: This whole team will be a blast to watch, but Zion is a different animal
The Pelicans will be the most intriguing team in the league this upcoming year. They have seemingly done everything right the last couple of years to build a young contender with more than capable veterans to help bring them along. This team should defend at a high level at every position, Steven Adams and Zion will make up the strongest front court in the league and there should be plenty of scoring to go around with the leap Brandon Ingram made last year. The AD trade they made with the Lakers may actually end up being the rare win for both teams after the Pelicans were able to sign Ingram to a long term deal. Their first round draft pick out of the University of Alabama, Kira Lewis Jr., should be a serviceable rookie backup for Lonzo and while losing Jrue Holiday will sting for a little bit, Eric Bledsoe is still a solid player for the time being. While their three point shooting, outside of JJ Reddick, won’t scare anyone away, nobody in the West will want to see this team in the playoffs, if they can stay healthy.
New York Knicks
Rotation Projections:
PG: Elfrid Payton, Immanuel Quickley, Frank Ntilinkina
SG: RJ Barrett, Alec Burks, Dennis Smith Jr.
SF: Obi Tobbin, Kevin Knox, Reggie Bullock
PF: Julius Randle, Omar Spellman
C: Mitchell Robinson, Nerlens Noel
League Pass Player: Mitchell Robinson, just because I feel bad for him
The NBA should start feeling bad for the Knicks soon. There are very few intriguing players for this team and while RJ Barrett might put up some good scoring numbers, it’s only because nobody else will be able to put the ball in the basket. Former Dayton Flyer, Obi Toppin, should be the favorite to win Rookie of the Year with the offense seemingly only running through him and Barrett. Unfortunately for Knicks fans, Toppin is already 22 years old so whatever his production is this year may already be close to his peak. Immanuel Quickley, the rookie out of Kentucky, has been a little bit of a spark off the bench during the preseason, so look out for him to take over the reigns of the point guard job early in the season. Mitchell Robinson had an underrated year last year and he will be the only one defending on this Knicks team. Now in a starting role, he’s capable of putting up some eye popping numbers from time to time. With that said, the Knicks’ depth is nearly nonexistent, their three point shooting is going to be rough and even in the weaker East, the New York Knicks should probably be playing for Cade Cunningham.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Rotation Projections:
PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Frank Jackson, Ty Jerome
SG: Hamidou Diallo, George Hill
SF: Luguentz Dort, Justin Jackson
PF: Darius Bazley, Trevor Ariza, Aleksej Pokusevski
C: Al Horford, Mike Muscala, Vincent Poirier
League Pass Player: Shai, because it will probably look like he’s playing 1v5
This will be another short one… the Thunder are absolutely going to struggle this year. That’s playing right into general manager Sam Presti’s hand though, since he owns every single draft pick for the next millennium. Shai will take full control of this team, deservedly so, but this is still very much a rebuilding year and they will probably be rebuilding for the near future. After Presti’s very impressive run in the late 2000s, in which he selected three future MVPs, he had few bright spots in the 2010s. So hopefully with his plethora of draft picks, he can turn this rebuild and his draft luck around quickly.
Orlando Magic
Rotation Projections:
PG: Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony
SG: Evan Fournier, Michael Carter-Williams
SF: James Ennis III, Terrence Ross, Dwayne Bacon
PF: Aaron Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Chuma Okeke
C: Nikola Vucevic, Mo Bamba, Khem Birch
League Pass Player: Riding the Markelle Fultz bandwagon all year long
Well… the Orlando Magic will definitely play some basketball this year! Um, Markelle Fultz is trending in the right direction and looks like a serviceable point guard. Aaron Gordon can still be fun and provide some highlight plays throughout the year. Other than that, this just might be a season where the Magic play hard, lose a ton of games, wait for Jonathan Isaac to get healthy and snag the top draft pick along the way. Their young core of Bamba, Isaac and Fultz all have injury history and the Magic’s most recent draft pick, Cole Anthony was a consensus top player coming into college, but struggled with injuries himself at UNC. There is potential lying within the Magic’s rotation, and hopefully it will be fully realized soon.
Philadelphia 76ers
Rotation Projections:
PG: Ben Simmons, Shake Milton, Tyrese Maxey
SG: Danny Green, Seth Curry, Furkan Korkmaz
SF: Matisse Thybulle, Terrance Ferguson
PF: Tobias Harris, Mike Scott, Justin Anderson
C: Joel Embiid, Dwight Howard, Tony Bradley
League Pass Player: Joel Embiid (specifically his postgame interviews)
The 76ers should be in contention to win the East this year, even though they hired a coach, Doc Rivers, that’s blown the most 3–1 leads in history. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are top 15 players, their team defense will be absolutely ridiculous and adding Seth Curry and Danny Green give them some great shooters to surround Simmons. The trade rumors that have been swirling around Ben Simmons and James Harden are borderline ridiculous and this team now has all the pieces it needs to succeed this year. Thybulle is already one of the best wing defenders in the league and their whole starting lineup has unreal length. Dwight Howard proved last year on the Lakers that he can still provide meaningful minutes and their rookie Tyrese Maxey should prove to people that the backend of the draft will probably be stronger than the front end. After getting bounced out of Disneyworld by the Boston Celtics early last postseason, the 76ers are now looking poised to make their first finals run since Iverson in 2000–01.
Phoenix Suns
Rotation Projections:
PG: Chris Paul, Cameron Payne, Langston Galloway
SG: Devin Booker, E’Twaun Moore, Javon Carter
SF: Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Abdel Nader
PF: Jae Crowder, Dario Saric
C: Deandre Ayton, Jalen Smith
League Pass Player: Devin Booker is a dark horse MVP candidate
The Phoenix Suns went 8–0 in the bubble, Devin Booker proved to everyone that he’s a blossoming superstar and they added one of the best regular season winners still playing, Chris Paul. There should be real excitement around the Suns and they’ll be more than just competitive this upcoming year. Deandre Ayton is a highly skilled, offensive big man, Mikal Bridges is a prototypical 3 and D guy and they have some decent young depth. Cam Johnson had a sneaky good rookie season after being a surprising draft pick and adding Jae Crowder gives them another stronger defender. Taking Jalen Smith out of Maryland so high in this year’s draft was confusing on a couple different levels, but the Suns’ front office proved people wrong with the Cam Johnson pick so there shouldn’t be reason to doubt them. Phoenix’s playoff run is going to solely rely on Chris Paul and Devin Booker but those are two pretty good people to rely on.
Portland Trailblazers
Rotation Projections:
PG: Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simmons
SG: CJ McCollum, Gary Trent Jr.
SF: Derrick Jones Jr., Rodney Hood, Nassir Little
PF: Robert Covington, Carmelo Anthony, Zach Collins
C: Jusuf Nurkic, Enes Kanter, Harry Giles III
League Pass Player: Give me Dame over everybody in the league
Man oh man, the West is so, so deep. The Trailblazers added much needed wing depth and shooters in Robert Covington and Derrick Jones Jr. and center Jusuf Nurkic is seemingly back to full strength. Combining that with Dame and CJ McCollum, the Blazers will be a very scary team. The only problem is, most of the west will be scary too. Portland has enough firepower to compete with anyone and they definitely improved their defense, the only thing that might be lacking is their depth. Enes Kanter is a solid backup big man on the offensive side, Anfernee Simmons and Rodney Hood can provide some guard depth, but then the rest of the rotation kind of tails off. There’s still time to believe in Harry Giles, former number one highschool recruit and braided Melo will get himself trending on Twitter a few times. The Blazers improved where they needed to most and maybe that will finally help push Dame Lillard over the hump.
Sacramento Kings
Rotation Projections:
PG: De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, Cory Joseph
SG: Buddy Hield, Jahmi’us Ramsey
SF: Harrison Barnes, Glenn Robinson III, Jabari Parker
PF: Marvin Bagley III, Nemanja Bjelica
C: Hassan Whiteside, Richaun Holmes
League Pass Player: De’Aaron Fox
The Kings have only a few good things going for them, but one of those things might be the most important. De’Aaron Fox looks like a star that is ready for his big break and they selected Tyrese Haliburton from Iowa State in this year’s draft and he’ll look to contribute big minutes right away. Those two should provide pretty efficient offensive numbers, if Fox’s three point shot comes back, and they’ll be a nightmare defensively for other guards. Buddy Hield is still one of the best shooters in the league and if Marvin Bagley stays healthy, he can cause some front court mismatches. Their depth is a problem and lack of starpower won’t let them compete in the West but they might be closer than some people think.
San Antonio Spurs
Rotation Projections:
PG: Dejounte Murray, Tre Jones
SG: Derrick White, Patty Mills, Lonnie Walker
SF: DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, Keldon Johnson
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge, Trey Lyles, Devin Vassell
C: Jakob Poeltl, Drew Eubanks
League Pass Player: Dejounte Murray
The San Antonio Spurs have not been legit contenders since Kawhi left after the 2018 season but people will still hold the Spurs to much higher expectations than they might deserve. Gregg Popovich is still their head coach, which is a big deal, but this roster does not have what it takes to compete for a title in the modern NBA. Dejounte Murray is young and very talented at the point and Derrick White is a good backcourt mate, but neither have made the leap yet to push this team ahead. DeMar DeRozan puts up great numbers every year but his lack of three point range hurts his ability to take over games. The Spurs front court might be where their biggest problems lie. Aldridge is not getting any younger and their other bigs are not difference makers. Devin Vassell, their lottery pick out of Florida State, has a great shooting stroke and could bolster their bench, but Popovich’s championship window is closing so they might need to make some major changes if they want to contend soon.
Toronto Raptors
Rotation Projections:
PG: Kyle Lowry, Malachi Flynn
SG: Fred VanVleet, Terence Davis II, Patrick McCaw
SF: OG Anunoby, Norman Powell, DeAndre’ Bembry
PF: Pascal Siakam, Stanley Johnson
C: Aron Baynes, Chris Boucher, Alex Len
League Pass Player: Pascal Siakam
The Toronto Raptors have been the model of consistency over the last few years. They were contenders with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, then they shipped off DeMar for Kawhi and won a world title. Kawhi left to join the Clippers and people expected the Raptors to drop off. Nope. They finished second in the East and Pascal Siakam took another leap forward in leading this team. The Raptors biggest strength is their defense and after trading out Marc Gasol for Aron Baynes, they might get even better. They have solid backups at every position and hopefully OG Anunoby is the next in line to take a step forward on the offensive end. Taking San Diego State product, Malachi Flynn at the end of the first round is looking like it could be a steal, with him possibly being the first guard off the bench for a championship caliber team.
Utah Jazz
Rotation Projections:
PG: Mike Conley, Nigel Williams-Goss
SG: Donovan Mitchell, Jordan Clarkson
SF: Bojan Bogdanovic, Joe Ingles
PF: Royce O’Neale, Georges Niang, Juwan Morgan
C: Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors, Udoka Azubuike
League Pass Player: Donovan Mitchell putting the team on his back
Donovan Mitchell had one of the best bubble performances that likely no one outside of Utah will remember. He scored 50+ points in the series against Denver twice and put himself right on the cusp of superstardom. Unfortunately for him and the rest of the Jazz, Utah blew a 3–1 lead to Denver and will most likely only be remembered for that. Mitchell signed a max contract extension with Utah, which will keep them in contention for years to come, but they still need another piece to pair with him. Rudy Gobert is probably the best defensive center in the league but he’s not the offensive weapon the Jazz need to take some stress off of Mitchell’s shoulders. They have great shooting wings in Ingles and Bogdanovic, who both play solid defense. Mike Conley had a down year but he should be able to rebound and pair nicely with Mitchell. In the draft, Utah took Kansas University’s uber-efficient big man, Udoka Azubuike, which caused some head tilts. Even in a weaker draft, Azubuike’s play style is outdated and might not serve a ton of NBA value. The Jazz team will go as far as Donovan Mitchell takes them but without a second star, Mitchell has a tough road ahead of him.
Washington Wizards
Rotation Projections:
PG: Russell Westbrook, Ish Smith, Cassius Winston
SG: Bradley Beal, Jerome Robinson, Raul Neto
SF: David Bertans, Troy Brown Jr., Isaac Bonga
PF: Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdija, Moritz Wagner
C: Thomas Bryant, Robin Lopez
League Pass Player: Russ on a warpath
The Washington Wizards will not be a boring team, by any stretch of the imagination. Westbrook’s contract is not team friendly, but he might think the Rockets gave up on him and the rest of the league should be careful to not piss him off. Bradley Beal might benefit from Russ’ frequent drive and kicks but Beal is too talented to not have the ball in his hands so he and Westbrook are going to have to work in tandem, unlike how Russ and Harden played. The Wizards surrounded their two guards with a great shooter on the wing, in David Bertans and a big man who has the touch to stretch the floor, Thomas Bryant. Rui Hachimura will look to build off his rookie campaign, where he understandably had his ups and downs. With their two draft picks, the Wizards took Deni Avdija from Maccabi Tel Aviv and Michigan State product Cassius Winston, who are both proven winners from their respective leagues. The Wizards are a sleeper team to compete in the East, and nobody should ever count out Russell Westbrook.
