So I'm late to the party. I've been very focused on football (sorry not sorry) that I am just now getting to this. I know there's already been about 10 games, but I'm still going to predict who I think will come out of each side and be champions this year in the NBA.
There's been a lot of huge stories. Kawhi and Paul George going to the Clippers. AD joining LeBron in LA. Kemba going to the Celtics, and many more that I'll get into later. This might be the most anticipated season in a long time because we don't have one certain team that will for sure make it to the finals. The Warriors have finally fallen (and are doing pretty horribly not going to lie) but that has finally left the door open. I'm going to go through each conference, say who my top 8 and who will make the postseason and who I think will make the finals and win it.
In the East, I see the 76ers controlling. Ben Simmons finally made a three in a game so that means his game is improving. Joel Embiid not has another big man in Al Horford. This team is just too dominant on defense and will be hard to beat. The Celtics have been surprisingly good so far. It's hard not to tell it how it is because I put this off ha ha. Even so though, Kemba is a good player and they have pretty good players behind him. The Bucks have the MVP and about the same team they had last year, so they will still be pretty good. These are the top 3 teams, I'm now going to go through the top 8 for this year so who will make the postseason.
1. 76ers (already explained)
2. Bucks (already explained)
3. Celtics (already explained)
4. Heat: They have a lot of very good young guys and the East isn't the most competitive so I could see them making some noise.
5. Raptors: The defending champs have a lot to prove without Kawhi, but still have Siakim and Lowry so they will still for sure be a playoff team.
6. Pacers: They picked up some solid guys in the offseason and this is a team that could quietly make some noise.
7. Nets: Even though they won't be as good as they will be with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and company will get this team far enough to get into the postseason.
8. Hawks: Trae Young has started to emerge as a young superstar and will get this team to the playoffs. This also could be a team that could pull off some upsets come playoff team. But we'll see.
The West will be a battle of LA. The Clippers with Kawhi and Paul George (coming back tomorrow) will battle the Lakers with LeBron and AD. I can't wait to see these two teams compete and one of these two teams will make the finals. I will tell you who I think in the next paragraph. The Rockets will also be very good. Harden and Russ are going to be a show. They've struggled a bit out the gate, but will find their chemistry and be a team to reckon with. The West is much more competitive than the East so my mind will definitely change throughout the season because of how many good teams there are. Now the top 8 for the West:
1. Lakers: They will be the best team in the regular season (notice how I said regular)
2. Clippers: With some of the injuries and Kawhi getting less of a "work load" they will be the number 2 seed.
3. Rockets (explained already)
4. Jazz: They have one of the best big men, two great guards in Mitchell and Conley, and maybe have some of the best depth in the league this year with some of their pickups. They could definitely be a team that could sneak into the finals.
5. Nuggets: With Jokic and Porter, this is a very good team defensively and be a team to reckon with.
6. Suns: Also a very good, young team, and they have pulled off some upsets already this year so they will probably be in the playoffs.
7. Minnesota Timber-wolves: Wiggins and Towns are just too good not to make the playoffs. I have a lot of questions about their depth though. They last three seeds will definitely be a good competition between the T-Wolves, Suns, Spurs, and Trail Blazers.
8. San Antonio Spurs: I have a hard time betting against Popovich just because of how good a coach he is. These last 3 seeds though will be very competitive and it could be anyone's game.
So I'm not going to go through every single team in the playoffs. I'm just going to say who is coming out of each conference and who I think will win it all. Do keep in mind, just like football, my mind is subject to change many times so this is not my definite answer, but it is who I think right now. The Clippers will come out of the West. Kawhi is just too dominant in the postseason and with good depth and Paul George, it will be hard to stop him. The West is much more competitive though so that is for sure subject to change. The 76ers will come out of the East because one, the East isn't very good, and two the 76ers are really good defensively and have too many play makers on offense. Since the West is the best, I do in fact think the Clippers will win the title this year. It is all subject to change though! Leave a comment if you disagree with anything and what you think will happen this year!
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