Looking Forward to Another NBA Season
The bright lights. The smell of fresh popcorn. The squeaky shoes running up and down the floor. Basketball is on the horizon.
Day by day, we edge closer and closer to tipping off another year of NBA basketball. As we get closer to that day, fans around the world anticipate seeing their favorite athletes do what they do best. However, this year is different for many fans.
For the last three years, we have came into the NBA season with a pretty good idea on who was winning the NBA Finals come July. It was Golden State and there was never any question. We’ve seemingly moved on from the super-team era and have a newfound balance league wide. Fans worldwide sit in anxiousness as we near what could be one of the most competitive seasons of basketball in the last decade.
As the super-team mindset fades away, we have recently seen the dawn of duos. A captivating offseason put several developing stories into motion. What’s next for the Warriors dynasty? Can KD truly save his legacy? Will Russ and Harden be able to coexist? These questions will only be answered with time and people are becoming restless.
Has there been a season of basketball in which fans were this excited? Every team has something to look forward to. From the top of the standings to the very bottom, fan bases everywhere look forward to certain aspects of their respected teams. Whether it be youth or the possibility of having a chance to compete for a championship in this wide open league, everyone is excited.
With many attention grabbing stories that took place this offseason, perhaps none were as intriguing as the wild west. When I say the league is wide open, I mean the league is WIDE OPEN. This season, there are around ten teams that could realistically compete for an NBA championship. Of those ten teams, seven of them are in the Western Conference and that isn’t counting the unpredictable San Antonio Spurs.
The 2020 NBA season will not only be exciting, but will be an eye opening experience. It’s safe to say that, as viewers, we are spoiled with some of the greatest athletes in the world. We have the opportunity to watch top tier athletes do what they do best, but this year, a lot of those great athletes will be sidelined.
From Trail Blazers center, Jusuf Nurkić, to Warriors guard, Klay Thompson, teams will have to being the season with a piece missing from their rotations. I get it, injuries are that dark cloud that loom over the world of sports. With that being said, you can’t help but feel awful for the pain that DeMarcus Cousins has had to withstand over the last 19 months. Once seen as the best center in the world, Boogie has suffered several injuries and now is having legal issues after threatening his ex-wife’s life. While these three are just a few of the names who are set to miss time or the whole season, perhaps there is no name bigger than Kevin Durant.
In Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, Kevin Durant suffered a ruptured Achilles that has him sidelined for the entire 2019–2020 NBA season. Kevin Durant is arguably the best basketball player in the world and him not playing at all this season will be difficult for many fans. With that being said, he was still able to secure a max deal with the Brooklyn Nets. Joining KD in Brooklyn is 6x All-Star, Kyrie Irving.
After the 2018–2019, many are beginning to question Kyrie Irving and his ability to lead a team. After telling Celtics fans that he planned on returning to Boston in the offseason, it became more and more clear that Irving’s plans began to change. From his “ask me on July 1st” quote to his “I don’t owe anybody s**t”, Irving was always giving the media something to cover. After an abysmal second round performance, Irving’s departure was bound to take place. He and KD both received max contracts from the Brooklyn Nets and kicked off what would end up being a historic offseason. With Kyrie on his way out of Boston, it freed up room for the Charlotte Hornets All-Time Leading Scorer, Kemba Walker.
While the departure of Kemba Walker was devastating for many Hornets fans, it’s what’s best for both parties. Kemba is in the prime of his career and he deserves an opportunity to compete for a championship. Charlotte on the other hand is in dire need of a new beginning. Miles Bridges, Malik Monk, and P.J. Washington are key parts of the Hornets future and with Kemba gone, they now have the opportunity to come into their own and make a name for themselves. While this upcoming season may be a struggle, the Hornets can finally look towards building a solid foundation for the future of their franchise.
While teams like the Hornets took a major step-back, the Dallas Mavericks look to emerge as a dark horse in the Western Conference. After a historic rookie season from Luka Dončić, it is safe to say that the Mavericks are all in on Wonder Boy. With Luka Dončić and Kristaps Porziņģis, the Mavericks seem to be on the cusp of having a win now mentality. With the perfect mix of talented youth and solid veterans, there is no doubt that the Mavs can make a playoff push. The big question with the Mavericks is, what kind of Kristaps are the Mavericks getting exactly? A torn ACL is a tough injury to comeback from, but for a 7-foot 3 big man, it could be a long road ahead. Kristaps is a big guy with a lot of height and weight that his knee is going to have to support. Nonetheless, the emergence of Luka and Kristaps alone is enough to captivate my attention and I’m expecting big things from this Mavericks team this year.
Remember the Knicks? The same team that moved Kristaps on a random Friday afternoon? Those Knicks were ALL IN on the 2019 offseason and it’s safe to say that it didn’t go as planned. No Kyrie, no KD, and not even a second tier star like Jimmy Butler. With that being said, I still think the Knicks offseason was a quiet W. Sure, no big name free agents but they spent their money and they spent it wisely. Picking up Julius Randle was one of my favorite signings of the summer. A 24-year old forward who can give you 20 and 10 on any given night and is only getting better. He fits in really well with that Knicks core and the crazy thing is that come 2021, the Knicks will have enough money to back up the brink trucks and get their max player and possibly players. Not to mention they drafted R.J Barrett who, in my opinion, will have a lengthy and successful career. After seeing R.J. in the Summer League showed there is room for improvement, Knicks fans should all be excited to see that young core grow together in the Big Apple!
While R.J. was certainly a highly anticipated talent, perhaps there is none bigger than his college roommate, Zion Williamson. A 6-foot-7 forward, weighing in at 280+ pounds, Zion is physically dominant. A bonafide athlete, Zion may be the most talked about draftee since LeBron James in 2003. While some thought that Zion Williamson would sway Anthony Davis into staying put in New Orleans, AD was still sent to LA. In return, the Pelicans surrounded Zion with young talent and put together one of the best young cores in basketball. So, what does this mean for New Orleans? Of course they hit rebuild mode but this Pelicans is interesting. Personally, I’m keeping my eye on them for many reasons but I’m really watching the development of Brandon Ingram. It goes unnoticed, but Brandon Ingram was a 20+ point per game scorer from January to March. Watch out because this Pelicans squad is coming.
New Orleans went through a lot of roster changes over the last few months. If pay attention to the NBA world, then it’s a guarantee you’ve heard about the Anthony Davis story. After becoming unhappy with his situation in New Orleans, AD made it known he was ready to move on. With another year left on his contract, his camp and New Orleans both worked together and found a trade that worked for both parties. There it was, June 15th 2019, Anthony Davis is a Laker. For many, it was hard to comprehend. For weeks, months even, there were reports that the Pelicans had no intentions on striking a deal with the Lakers. Suddenly, Lakers players are sent to packing for AD in a blockbuster trade that broke the internet. Fast forward to today and LeBron and AD are set to compete for a championship in the upcoming season. Two top-10 players are certainly enough to win a championship but as we all know, nothing is guaranteed in the world of sports.
On the other side of the Staples Center are the Los Angeles Clippers. No longer are they the little step brothers of Los Angeles. With the addition of both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers are poised to make a run for their franchise’s first NBA Championship. Out side of their two stars, their roster possess a ton of depth. From Lou Will to Montrezl Harrell, the Clippers possess threats in every aspect of the game. Possibly the two best perimeter defenders that are surrounded by veterans and shooters, I see no reason why the Clippers are not seen as the favorites in the Western Conference, let alone the entire NBA.
With PG pushing himself out of Oklahoma City, the Thunder made the ultimate decision to hit the rebuild button. Every Thunder fan’s worst nightmare came to a reality. Eleven years, 18,859 points, 6,897 assists, 5,760 rebounds, and 1 of the greatest guards to ever step onto an NBA court. Russell Westbrook and the Thunder sat down and found that it was in both parties best interest to move on. So, there he was. Russell Westbrook was on his way to Houston and Chris Paul was heading to Oklahoma City. A crazy offseason ended with a trade that sets up what will be one of the most talented backcourt tandems in NBA history. Westbrook and Harden will reunite in H-Town and there is already a ton of speculation on if this duo will work. Two players with extremely high usage rates who aren’t off ball players, it leaves a ton of questions as to if this tandem can work. Only time will tell.
While the world is watching that Houston backcourt, there are still so many captivating backcourts in the league to look out for. Golden State lost KD and Klay Thompson is set to miss the first half of the season but by no means should we count them out. They still have Curry and they have Draymond and they traded for D’Angelo Russell. Although a Curry and Russell backcourt may struggle defensively, they will be an enormous threat offensively. Draymond said that nobody wants to see this Golden State team in the playoffs. Will the West still run through Golden State?
While Golden State dominated the Western Conference last year, it was the Milwaukee Bucks coming out of nowhere to dominate the East. Led by the reining MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks look to continue their journey towards an NBA Championship. Over the course of the 2019 offseason, the Bucks had some roster turnover. Losing Malcolm Brogdon is not being talked about enough in my opinion. Being one of the most efficient players in basketball for the last few years, it seemed obvious that the Bucks were going to pay Brogdon but they just weren’t willing to pay him $85 million over the next 4-years. The story for this Bucks team is seeing if they can remain atop the Eastern Conference despite losing a key rotational player.
As Brogodon starts a new chapter of his career in Indiana, the Pacers are hoping to get back to their competitive ways. On paper, there isn’t anyone who stands out, outside of Victor Oladipo. The Pacers made a lot of moves this summer and really addressed their depth. Adding players like Brogdon, T.J. Warren, and Jeremy Lamb may not seem big to a casual fan but these are guys that can give you 15+ points on any given night. As we approach the NBA season, Oladipo continues his rehab and is working towards getting back to his former self. Coming off a year where he played 36 games and put up a 19/6/5, Pacers fans and players are all optimistic about his return. If Oladipo has a successful rehab and returns to the court as his former self, I see no reason why the Pacers cannot realistically some out of the East. Indy has a perfect blend of offensive and defensive talent and looks to be one of the most balanced teams in the league.
With newfound balance in the league, practically ever competing team has a star player or two. After a 5-year hiatus of being “star-less”, the Miami Heat finally got their star. Jimmy butler just seems like a Miami kind of guy, right? He gives off these South Beach vibes and now he can finally play under Erik Spoelstra and the Miami heat. It took a four team trade for Miami to land Jimmy in which they lost 26-year old guard, Josh Richardson. Gaining Jimmy came at Philadelphia’s expense however.
I am worried about the 76ers this year. Although they signed Al Horford in the 2019 offseason, I don’t know how to feel about this team. Do not get me wrong, there is SO MUCH talent on this roster but the problem is that it all lies in the starting 5. Losing J.J. Reddick is a serious problem for this 76ers team, especially in this era of basketball. In a league where the three point line holds so much weight on teams success, the lack of shooting can be a cause of concern in Philly. The lack of depth on this roster can also be a bit concerning. I expect this team to be very active in the buy out market this year as the address the holes in their roster.
Despite my concerns, Philly is expected by many to be atop the East over the course of the 2019–2020 NBA season. It’s safe to say that a vast majority view them as legit contenders for a championship. While this can be true to a certain degree, there are these second tier teams who could shock the world.
Every year we count them out when we all know we shouldn’t and this year is no different. Is this the year the Spurs drop out of the playoff race? Personally, I say absolutely not. They’re healthy and they have an identity. Led by arguably the greatest coach in the history of the NBA, Gregg Popovich, I find this Spurs team very intriguing. They have two All-Star players in Demar Derozan and LaMarcus Aldridge and possibly one of the better supporting casts around them. After tearing his ACL in the summer of 2018, DeJounte Murray would miss the entirety of the 2019–2020 season. Now he’s back and he’s healthy, but most importantly, he’s hungry to win. A former All-Defensive Team member, there is no doubt that Murray is pivotal in this Spurs system. With his return and the system already set in tact, I think this Spurs team can, and will, impress a lot of fans this year.
In the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs were eliminated by the second seeded Denver Nuggets. The young yet exciting Nuggets shocked the world last year. Going from a 9th seed and jumping to being a 54 win team was something no fan could have predicted. Led by Nikola Jokic, I won’t be surprised if the Nuggets land in the top three in the Western Conference. I wouldn’t even be surprised if the Nuggets managed to capture a top seed in the West. Sounds crazy but they’ve got something that many teams in the West don’t. They’ve got continuity and a system in which players have bought into. The Nuggets are a dangerous team and soon, the league will be put on notice.
After an eventful run in the playoffs, the Nuggets run came to an end on Mothers Day as they lost to the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals. The Blazers had a terrific offseason. Drafted well and did some salary dumps while getting valuable players in return. The front office addressed holes in their roster that have held them back for years. With Nurk coming back sometime in February, the Blazers have a huge contract in Hassan Whiteside to package in a deal for a big time trade at the deadline. Players like Kevin Love and Danillio Gallinari should be on the Blazers radar at the deadline. Outside of the players they brought in, the Blazers locked up their backcourt for the foreseeable future. With a backcourt that possesses as much talent as they do and a rebooted supporting cast, the Blazers look to take the next step in competing for a championship.
The Blazers made a sudden emergence in the second half of the season and established themselves as a serious threat in the playoffs. During the 2019–2020 season, we may see something similar in Salt Lake City. The Jazz made moves this summer and their roster is revamped and poses some serious threats for opposing teams. A backcourt composed of Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell holds a solid combination of offensive and defensive skills. With that being said, I’m more focused on how this partnership will impact Mitchell. For the last two seasons he has been used as a play-maker. While there were moments where he certainly excelled, I’ve always viewed Mitchell as a scorer. With Conley’s arrival, I’m hoping Coach Snyder uses Mitchell has a scorer more than as a play maker. Other than the Conley trade, Utah used their remaining cap space to bring in guys like Emmauel Mudiay, Bojan Bogdanović, and Ed Davis. A defensive minded team with the perfect blend of offensive weapons, I don’t think any team wants to see this Jazz squad come April.
