Just over two months removed from the end of the long and rigorous 2019-2020 NBA season, the league is geared up to tip off once again on December 22. A season that is slated to last 72-games rather than the original 82-game season, everything will be pushed back a bit in an attempt to try to bring the schedule back to normal after the 4-month COVID delay. The NBA Finals will go into July instead of June this year and the goal will be to completely finish the season before the Summer Olympics are set to start in mid-July. Due to this the 2021 NBA Draft and NBA offseason next year will definitely be pushed off a bit again but hopefully by October 2021 we’ll get back to the old format of the NBA season. Rather than a bubble, all NBA teams will be playing in their home arenas, with fans only allowed for Texas teams, Florida teams (including the Raptors who will play in Tampa Bay), and the Jazz. Depending on when the vaccine will be released, hopefully we’ll be able to have some amount of limited fans in the arenas by the end of the season for every team. So here is my annual NBA season preview packed with standings, award, playoff, and lineup predictions as well as my thoughts on all 30 teams. Hope you enjoy!
Standings
ATLANTIC
3 – Brooklyn Nets 45-27
4 – Toronto Raptors 44-28
6 – Philadelphia 76ers 39-33
8 – Boston Celtics 35-37
New York Knicks 23-49
CENTRAL
1 – Milwaukee Bucks 50-22
5 – Indiana Pacers 41-31
9 – Chicago Bulls 34-38
Detroit Pistons 30-42
Cleveland Cavaliers 25-47
SOUTHEAST
2 – Miami Heat 47-25
7 – Atlanta Hawks 38-34
10 – Washington Wizards 33-39
Orlando Magic 32-40
Charlotte Hornets 22-50
NORTHWEST
3 – Denver Nuggets 49-23
4 – Portland Trail Blazers 47-25
6 – Utah Jazz 41-31
Minnesota Timberwolves 34-38
Oklahoma City Thunder 18-54
PACIFIC
1 – Los Angeles Lakers 53-19
2 – Los Angeles Clippers 50-22
7 – Phoenix Suns 40-32
9 – Golden State Warriors 37-35
Sacramento Kings 30-42
SOUTHWEST
5 – Dallas Mavericks 45-27
8 – New Orleans Pelicans 38-34
10 – Houston Rockets 37-35
Memphis Grizzlies 32-40
San Antonio Spurs 29-43
Playoff Predictions
East:
Play-In Tournament:
– 7 Atlanta over 8 Boston — Atlanta earns the 7-seed
– 10 Washington over 9 Chicago — Chicago is eliminated
– 10 Washington over 8 Boston — Washington earns the 8-seed, Boston is eliminated
| 1st Round | EC Semis | ECF | |
| 1 – Milwaukee vs. 8 – Washington | |||
| 4 – Toronto vs. 5 – Indiana | 1 – Milwaukee vs. 5 – Indiana | ||
| 1 – Milwaukee vs. 3 – Brooklyn | Milwaukee Bucks EAST CHAMPS | ||
| 3 – Brooklyn vs. 6 – Philadelphia | 3 – Brooklyn vs. 2 – Miami | ||
| 2 – Miami vs. 7 – Atlanta |
West:
Play-In Tournament:
7 Phoenix over 8 New Orleans — Phoenix earns the 7-seed
9 Golden State over 10 Houston — Houston is eliminated
9 Golden State over 8 New Orleans — Golden State earns the 8-seed, New Orleans is eliminated
| 1st Round | WC Semis | WCF | |
| 1 – LA Lakers vs. 8 – Golden State | |||
| 4 – Portland vs. 5 – Dallas | 1 – LA Lakers vs. 4 – Portland | ||
| 1 – LA Lakers vs. 2 – LA Clippers | Los Angeles Lakers WEST CHAMPS | ||
| 3 – Denver vs. 6 – Utah | 6 – Utah vs. 2 – LA Clippers | ||
| 2 – LA Clippers vs. 7 – Phoenix |
NBA Finals:
Los Angeles Lakers over Milwaukee Bucks in 7 games
Award Predictions
MVP: Luka Doncic, DAL
6th Man of the Year: Jordan clarkson, uta
Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony davis, lal
Most Improved Player: Michael Porter Jr., DEN
Rookie of the Year: Obi Toppin, NyK
Coach of the Year: Erik Spoelstra, MIA
Lineup Projections
(R) = Rookie
(I) = Injured for extended period
| POS. | NO. | PLAYER NAME | Height | Weight School | Age | 2019-2020 Season Stats |
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Boston Celtics
HC: Brad Stevens (8th year, Career/Team record: 318-246)
STARTERS:
| C | #13 | Tristan Thompson | 6’9 | 254 lbs Texas | Age: 29 | 12 pts | 10.1 reb | 2.1 ast 0.9 blk — CLE |
| SF | #0 | Jayson Tatum | 6’8 | 210 lbs Duke | Age: 22 | 23.4 pts | 7 reb | 3 ast 1.4 stl |
| SG/SF | #7 | Jaylen Brown | 6’6 | 223 lbs California | Age: 23 | 20.3 pts | 6.4 reb | 2.1 ast 1.1 stl |
| SG | #36 | Marcus Smart | 6’3 | 220 lbs Oklahoma St. | Age: 26 | 12.9 pts | 4.9 ast | 3.8 reb 1.7 stl |
| PG | #8 | Kemba Walker* | 6’0 | 184 lbs Connecticut | Age: 30 | 20.4 pts | 4.8 ast | 3.9 reb 0.9 stl |
BENCH:
| C | #27 | Daniel Theis | 6’8 | 245 lbs Age: 28 | 9.2 pts | 6.6 reb | 1.7 ast 1.3 blk |
| PG | #55 | Jeff Teague | 6’3 | 195 lbs Wake Forest | Age: 32 | 10.9 pts | 5.2 ast | 2.4 reb 0.7 stl — MIN/ATL |
| SF | #12 | Grant Williams | 6’6 | 236 lbs Tennessee | Age: 21 | 3.4 pts | 2.6 reb | 1 ast 0.5 blk |
| C | #44 | Robert Williams III | 6’8 | 237 lbs Texas A&M | Age: 23 | 5.2 pts | 4.4 reb | 1.2 blk 0.9 ast |
| SF | #37 | Semi Ojeleye | 6’6 | 240 lbs SMU | Age: 25 | 3.4 pts | 2.1 reb | 0.5 ast 0.3 stl |
| SF | #26 | Aaron Nesmith (R) | 6’6 | 213 lbs Vanderbilt | Age: 21 | NO STATS |
| PG | #4 | Carsen Edwards | 5’11 | 200 lbs Purdue | Age: 22 | 3.3 pts | 1.3 reb | 0.6 ast 0.3 stl |
| SG | #45 | Romeo Langford | 6’4 | 216 lbs Indiana | Age: 21 | 2.5 pts | 1.3 reb | 0.4 ast 0.3 stl |
| PG | #11 | Payton Pritchard (R) | 6’2 | 190 lbs Oregon | Age: 22 | NO STATS |
| SG | #43 | Javonte Green | 6’4 | 205 lbs Radford | Age: 27 | 3.4 pts | 1.9 reb | 0.5 ast 0.5 stl |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| C | #99 | Tacko Fall | 7’5 | 311 lbs UCF | Age: 24 | 3.3 pts | 2.1 reb | 0.6 blk 0.1 ast |
| PG | #51 | Tremont Waters | 5’10 | 175 lbs LSU | Age: 22 | 3.6 pts | 1.5 ast | 1.1 reb 0.9 stl |
*Kemba Walker will miss the first few weeks of the season due to a knee injury
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: SF Jayson Tatum
Breakout Player: SF Grant Williams
Grade: C+
The Celtics enter the ’20-’21 campaign in a very interesting situation after another let down in the playoffs. There is no doubt the team made some effective moves this offseason, signing Tatum long-term, adding center depth in Tristan Thompson, and a veteran guard presence for the bench in Jeff Teague. But the most shocking move was losing veteran wing Gordon Hayward, who opted for free agency and landed a tremendous contract in Charlotte. To fill the void, the Celtics are going to need improved wing depth from Grant Williams and Semi Ojeleye, a couple of youngsters who will get some big minutes moving forward. In a tough Atlantic division, the Celtics will stay competitive but might only be the fourth best team in their division.
Brooklyn Nets
HC: Steve Nash (1st year)
STARTERS:
| C | #31 | Jarrett Allen | 6’11 | 243 lbs Texas | Age: 22 | 11.1 pts | 9.6 reb | 1.6 ast 1.3 blk |
| F | #2 | Taurean Prince | 6’7 | 218 lbs Baylor | Age: 26 | 12.1 pts | 6 reb | 1.8 ast 0.9 stl |
| SF | #7 | Kevin Durant | 6’10 | 240 lbs Texas | Age: 32 | DNP – INJURED |
| SG | #22 | Caris LeVert | 6’6 | 205 lbs Michigan | Age: 26 | 18.7 pts | 4.4 ast | 4.2 reb 1.2 stl |
| PG | #11 | Kyrie Irving | 6’2 | 195 lbs Duke | Age: 28 | 27.4 pts | 6.4 ast | 5.2 reb 1.4 stl |
BENCH:
| G | #26 | Spencer Dinwiddie | 6’5 | 215 lbs Colorado | Age: 27 | 20.6 pts | 6.8 ast | 3.5 reb 0.6 stl |
| SF | #12 | Joe Harris | 6’6 | 220 lbs Virginia | Age: 29 | 14.5 pts | 4.3 reb | 2.1 ast 0.6 stl |
| C | #6 | DeAndre Jordan | 6’11 | 265 lbs Texas A&M | Age: 32 | 8.3 pts | 10 reb | 1.9 ast 0.9 blk |
| SG | #13 | Landry Shamet | 6’4 | 190 lbs Wichita St. | Age: 23 | 9.3 pts | 1.9 reb | 1.9 ast 0.4 stl — LAC |
| SG | #1 | Bruce Brown | 6’4 | 202 lbs Miami (FL) | Age: 24 | 8.9 pts | 4.7 reb | 4 ast 1.1 stl — DET |
| F | #32 | Jeff Green | 6’8 | 235 lbs Georgetown | Age: 34 | 9.4 pts | 2.8 reb | 1 ast 0.5 stl — UTA/HOU |
| PF/C | #33 | Nicolas Claxton | 6’11 | 215 lbs Georgia | Age: 21 | 4.4 pts | 2.9 reb | 1.1 ast 0.5 blk |
| SG | #9 | Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot | 6’7 | 210 lbs Age: 25 | 7.8 pts | 2.7 reb | 0.6 ast 0.4 stl |
| G | #10 | Tyler Johnson | 6’4 | 190 lbs Fresno St. | Age: 28 | 7 pts | 2 reb | 1.9 ast 0.4 stl — PHX/BKN |
| PF/C | #14 | Reggie Perry (R) | 6’9 | 250 lbs Mississippi St. | Age: 20 | NO STATS |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| PG | #0 | Jeremiah Martin | 6’2 | 185 lbs Memphis | Age: 24 | 7.1 pts | 2 ast | 1.1 reb 0.8 stl |
| PG | #4 | Chris Chiozza | 5’11 | 176 lbs Miami (FL) | Age: 24 | 5.1 pts | 3 ast | 1.9 reb 0.8 stl — WAS/BKN |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: SF Kevin Durant
Breakout Player: SG Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot
Grade: A-
It’s finally time for Nets nation, KD is healthy, Kyrie is healthy, NBA legend Steve Nash is running the show, and after 17 months removed from when the two signed with Brooklyn they will finally compete for an NBA title. There’s no doubt the Nets might be the most highly anticipated team in the East heading into the season. They definitely attacked this offseason, solidifying a solid core to go along with the two superstars. Sharp shooter Joe Harris was re-signed, 3-and-D guards Bruce Brown and Landry Shamet were also added, as well as veteran forward Jeff Green to man the bench. Along with the players, the coaching staff was improved to help ease the transition to Steve Nash’s first year running the show as Mike D’Antoni was added to his assistant coaching staff. There’s no doubt that all the success will be based around how Kyrie and KD mesh on the court, but the depth is something scary that will make this team even better. Dinwiddie, Harris, DeAndre Jordan, Caris LeVert, and Taurean Prince are all guys who will take supporting roles although they could easily be stars for other teams. If all goes right, the Nets will push hard with the Bucks for the Eastern Conference crown.
New York Knicks
HC: Tom Thibodeau (1st year in NY, Career record: 352-246)
STARTERS:
| C | #23 | Mitchell Robinson | 7’0 | 240 lbs Western Kentucky | Age: 22 | 9.7 pts | 7 reb | 2 blk 0.9 stl |
| PF | #30 | Julius Randle | 6’8 | 250 lbs Kentucky | Age: 25 | 19.5 pts | 9.7 reb | 3.1 ast 0.8 stl |
| F | #1 | Obi Toppin (R) | 6’9 | 220 lbs Dayton | Age: 22 | NO STATS |
| SG | #9 | R.J. Barrett | 6’6 | 214 lbs Duke | Age: 20 | 14.3 pts | 5 reb | 2.6 ast 1 stl |
| PG | #6 | Elfrid Payton | 6’3 | 195 lbs LA-Lafayette | Age: 26 | 10 pts | 7.2 ast | 4.7 reb 1.6 stl |
BENCH:
| SF | #25 | Reggie Bullock | 6’6 | 205 lbs North Carolina | Age: 29 | 8.1 pts | 2.3 reb | 1.4 ast 0.9 stl |
| G | #8 | Austin Rivers | 6’3 | 200 lbs Duke | Age: 28 | 8.8 pts | 2.6 reb | 1.7 ast 0.7 stl — HOU |
| PG | #11 | Frank Ntilikina | 6’4 | 200 lbs Age: 22 | 6.3 pts | 3 ast | 2.1 reb 0.9 stl |
| C | #3 | Nerlens Noel | 6’10 | 220 lbs Kentucky | Age: 26 | 7.4 pts | 4.9 reb | 1.5 blk 1 stl — OKC |
| SG | #18 | Alec Burks | 6’6 | 214 lbs Colorado | Age: 29 | 15 pts | 4.3 reb | 2.9 ast 0.9 stl — GSW/PHI |
| SF | #20 | Kevin Knox | 6’7 | 215 lbs Kentucky | Age: 21 | 6.4 pts | 2.8 reb | 0.9 ast 0.4 stl |
| PG | #4 | Dennis Smith Jr. | 6’2 | 205 lbs NC State | Age: 22 | 5.5 pts | 2.9 ast | 2.3 reb 0.8 stl |
| SG | #5 | Immanuel Quickley (R) | 6’3 | 188 lbs Kentucky | Age: 21 | NO STATS |
| PF/C | #2 | Omari Spellman | 6’8 | 245 lbs Villanova | Age: 23 | 7.6 pts | 4.5 reb | 1 ast 0.7 stl — GSW |
| SF | #17 | Iggy Brazdeikis | 6’6 | 221 lbs Michigan | Age: 21 | 1.9 pts | 0.6 reb | 0.4 ast 0.1 blk |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| PG | #0 | Jared Harper | 5’11 | 175 lbs Auburn | Age: 23 | 3 GP | 0.7 pts — PHX |
| SG | #21 | Theo Pinson | 6’5 | 212 lbs North Carolina | Age: 25 | 3.6 pts | 1.7 ast | 1.6 reb 0.5 stl — BKN |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: PF Julius Randle
Breakout Player: SG R.J. Barrett
Grade: C-
The Knicks head into the ’20-’21 campaign almost nine months removed from their last televised game and a lot has changed since. Tom Thibodeau has taken over as head coach, Leon Rose is now running the front office, and another big young prospect was added to the mix along with R.J. and Mitchell Robinson. The Knicks clearly won’t be much of a competitor this year, regardless I think they have had an extremely solid offseason. They are finally deciding to go through with a true rebuild and no dumb trades or long-term signings were made. Dayton stud and New York native Obi Toppin was added with the eighth pick and the team leveled out their bench with some new veterans in Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks, and Austin Rivers. I don’t know what it is but I feel confident with this Knicks squad for the first time in a while. I truly think R.J. Barrett is poised to have a breakout season and Obi Toppin is going to be one of the steals of the draft. All fans can hope for is that Dennis Smith Jr. and/or Frank Ntilikina can take that next step and improve into the lottery potential they once had in 2017.
Philadelphia 76ers
HC: Doc Rivers (1st year in PHI, Career record: 943-681)
STARTERS:
| C | #21 | Joel Embiid | 7’0 | 280 lbs Kansas | Age: 26 | 23 pts | 11.6 reb | 3 ast 1.3 blk |
| SF | #12 | Tobias Harris | 6’8 | 226 lbs Tennessee | Age: 28 | 19.6 pts | 6.9 reb | 3.2 ast 0.7 stl |
| SF | #30 | Furkan Korkmaz | 6’7 | 202 lbs Age: 23 | 9.8 pts | 2.3 reb | 1.1 ast 0.6 stl |
| SG | #31 | Seth Curry | 6’2 | 185 lbs Duke | Age: 30 | 12.4 pts | 2.3 reb | 1.9 ast 0.6 stl — DAL |
| PG | #25 | Ben Simmons | 6’10 | 240 lbs LSU | Age: 24 | 16.4 pts | 8 ast | 7.8 reb 2.1 stl |
BENCH:
| SG | #14 | Danny Green | 6’6 | 215 lbs North Carolina | Age: 33 | 8 pts | 3.3 reb | 1.3 ast 1.3 stl — LAL |
| PG | #18 | Shake Milton | 6’5 | 205 lbs SMU | Age: 24 | 9.4 pts | 2.6 ast | 2.2 reb 0.5 stl |
| SG | #22 | Matisse Thybulle | 6’5 | 201 lbs Washington | Age: 23 | 4.7 pts | 1.6 reb | 1.4 stl 1.2 ast |
| C | #39 | Dwight Howard | 6’10 | 265 lbs Age: 34 | 7.5 pts | 7.3 reb | 1.1 blk 0.7 ast — LAL |
| PF | #1 | Mike Scott | 6’7 | 237 lbs Virginia | Age: 32 | 6 pts | 3.6 reb | 0.8 ast 0.3 stl |
| SF | #23 | Terrance Ferguson | 6’6 | 190 lbs Age: 22 | 3.9 pts | 1.3 reb | 0.9 ast 0.5 stl — OKC |
| SG | #0 | Tyrese Maxey (R) | 6’3 | 198 lbs Kentucky | Age: 20 | NO STATS |
| C | #11 | Tony Bradley | 6’10 | 248 lbs North Carolina | Age: 22 | 4.9 pts | 4.6 reb | 0.6 blk 0.4 ast — UTA |
| SG | #7 | Isaiah Joe (R) | 6’5 | 180 lbs Arkansas | Age: 21 | NO STATS |
| SF | #9 | Justin Anderson | 6’5 | 231 lbs Virginia | Age: 27 | 2.8 pts | 2.1 reb | 0.8 ast 0.6 blk — BKN |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| SG | #33 | Dakota Mathias (R) | 6’4 | 200 lbs Purdue | Age: 25 | NO STATS |
| PF | #44 | Paul Reed (R) | 6’9 | 220 lbs DePaul | Age: 21 | NO STATS |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: C Joel Embiid
Breakout Player: PG Shake Milton
Grade: B
After another playoff let down the Sixers shook things up a ton this offseason, and in my eyes, improved a ton. Brett Brown was fired after a long tenure and Doc Rivers was brought on after he and the Clippers parted ways. A bunch of salaries were shed through trade as Al Horford and Josh Richardson were dealt at the expense of some draft picks. The Horford trade was extremely important as the dumb contract they gave him last summer proved to be a bust fairly quickly. Solid shooters in Seth Curry and Danny Green were added on to improve depth as well as Dwight Howard to lead the second unit in the paint. Now the Sixers look a lot more structurally sound heading into the ’20-’21 season and are much more well rounded to compete in the East. Along with the veteran core, Philly was able to add a couple of shooters through the draft as well with Tyrese Maxey and Isaiah Joe. There’s no doubt it’s going to be an extremely tough division with the Raptors and Nets sitting at the top but the Sixers are poised to make a run at both of them. With a much more accomplished coach and a team full of a better supporting cast, there’s good reason to believe the Sixers could be a step further along than they have been the last couple of years.
Toronto Raptors
HC: Nick Nurse (3rd year, Career/Team record: 111-43)
STARTERS:
| C | #46 | Aron Baynes | 6’10 | 260 lbs Washington St. | Age: 33 | 11.5 pts | 5.6 reb | 1.6 ast 0.5 blk — PHX |
| PF | #43 | Pascal Siakam | 6’9 | 230 lbs New Mexico St. | Age: 26 | 22.9 pts | 7.3 reb | 3.5 ast 1 stl |
| SF | #3 | OG Anunoby | 6’7 | 232 lbs Indiana | Age: 23 | 10.6 pts | 5.3 reb | 1.6 ast 1.4 stl |
| SG | #23 | Fred VanVleet | 6’1 | 197 lbs Wichita St. | Age: 26 | 17.6 pts | 6.6 ast | 3.8 reb 1.9 stl |
| PG | #7 | Kyle Lowry | 6’0 | 196 lbs Villanova | Age: 34 | 19.4 pts | 7.5 ast | 5 reb 1.4 stl |
BENCH:
| SG | #24 | Norman Powell | 6’3 | 215 lbs UCLA | Age: 27 | 16 pts | 3.7 reb | 1.8 ast 1.2 stl |
| PF/C | #25 | Chris Boucher | 6’9 | 200 lbs Oregon | Age: 27 | 6.6 pts | 4.5 reb | 1 blk 0.4 ast |
| SG | #0 | Terance Davis | 6’4 | 201 lbs Ole Miss | Age: 23 | 7.5 pts | 3.3 reb | 1.6 ast 0.5 stl |
| SF | #5 | Stanley Johnson | 6’6 | 242 lbs Arizona | Age: 24 | 2.4 pts | 1.5 reb | 0.8 ast 0.2 stl |
| C | #27 | Alex Len | 7’0 | 250 lbs Maryland | Age: 27 | 8 pts | 5.8 reb | 0.9 ast 0.9 blk — SAC |
| SG/SF | #95 | DeAndre’ Bembry | 6’5 | 210 lbs St. Joseph’s | Age: 26 | 5.8 pts | 3.5 reb | 1.9 ast 1.3 stl — ATL |
| PG | #8 | Malachi Flynn (R) | 6’1 | 185 lbs San Diego St. | Age: 22 | NO STATS |
| C | #44 | Henry Ellenson | 6’10 | 240 lbs Marquette | Age: 23 | 5 GP | 0.4 pts | 1.2 reb 0.2 ast — BKN |
| SG | #21 | Matt Thomas | 6’4 | 190 lbs Iowa State | Age: 26 | 4.9 pts | 1.5 reb | 0.5 ast 0.2 stl |
| PF | #12 | Alize Johnson | 6’7 | 212 lbs Missouri St. | Age: 24 | 2 pts | 2.8 reb | 0.4 ast 0.2 stl — IND |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| SG | #1 | Paul Watson | 6’6 | 210 lbs Fresno St. | Age: 26 | 3.1 pts | 1.7 reb | 0.8 ast 0.4 stl — ATL/TOR |
| SG | #2 | Jalen Harris (R) | 6’5 | 195 lbs Nevada | Age: 22 | NO STATS |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: PF Pascal Siakam
Breakout Player: SF OG Anunoby
Grade: B+
Rounding out the Atlantic division we have the Raptors who enter the season with a pretty similar squad as last year. Besides the losses of Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol, the champs from just two seasons ago have kept most of their depth together. In order to replace the big men, Aron Baynes and Alex Len were signed and Chris Boucher was extended to lead the center core. The key though was being able to re-sign Fred VanVleet who was looking like a highly likely option to sign elsewhere. Retaining the core of Lowry, Siakam, and VanVleet was the main goal this offseason and is what will keep Toronto at the top of the East. A couple of underrated pieces that can pay huge dividends are the additions of DeAndre’ Bembry and drafting Malachi Flynn. Bembry has been a solid rotational piece over the last few years in Atlanta and can provide good bench minutes as a 3-and-D option. Flynn was a steal for the squad in the late first round, as the San Diego State star has all the essentials to becoming a very solid NBA guard. With the ability to run the floor both playmaking and scoring, the Raptors could have their future point guard after Lowry’s tenure is over. Although they might be playing in Tampa Bay for the entire season (due to Canada’s strict travel regulations for COVID-19), the Raptors are going to light up the East once again into 2021.
Chicago Bulls
HC: Billy Donovan (1st year in CHI, Career record: 243-157)
STARTERS:
| C | #34 | Wendell Carter Jr. | 6’9 | 270 lbs Duke | Age: 21 | 11.3 pts | 9.4 reb | 1.2 ast 0.8 stl |
| PF | #24 | Lauri Markkanen | 7’0 | 240 lbs Arizona | Age: 23 | 14.7 pts | 6.3 reb | 1.5 ast 0.8 stl |
| SG | #17 | Garrett Temple | 6’5 | 195 lbs LSU | Age: 34 | 10.3 pts | 3.5 reb | 2.5 ast 0.8 stl — BKN |
| SG | #8 | Zach LaVine | 6’6 | 200 lbs UCLA | Age: 25 | 25.5 pts | 4.8 reb | 4.2 ast 1.5 stl |
| PG | #0 | Coby White | 6’4 | 195 lbs North Carolina | Age: 20 | 13.2 pts | 3.5 reb | 2.7 ast 0.8 stl |
BENCH:
| F | #21 | Thaddeus Young | 6’8 | 235 lbs Georgia Tech | Age: 32 | 10.3 pts | 4.9 reb | 1.8 ast 1.4 stl |
| SF | #22 | Otto Porter Jr. | 6’8 | 198 lbs Georgetown | Age: 27 | 11.9 pts | 3.4 reb | 1.8 ast 1.1 stl |
| PG | #31 | Tomas Satoransky | 6’7 | 210 lbs Age: 29 | 9.9 pts | 5.4 ast | 3.9 reb 1.2 stl |
| SF | #15 | Chandler Hutchison | 6’7 | 210 lbs Boise State | Age: 24 | 7.8 pts | 3.9 reb | 1 stl 0.9 ast |
| PG | #51 | Ryan Arcidiacano | 6’3 | 195 lbs Villanova | Age: 26 | 4.5 pts | 1.9 reb | 1.7 ast 0.5 stl |
| PF | #9 | Patrick Williams (R) | 6’8 | 225 lbs Florida St. | Age: 19 | NO STATS |
| SG | #45 | Denzel Valentine | 6’4 | 220 lbs Michigan St. | Age: 27 | 6.8 pts | 2.1 reb | 1.2 ast 0.7 stl |
| PF/C | #2 | Luke Kornet | 7’2 | 250 lbs Vanderbilt | Age: 25 | 6 pts | 2.3 reb | 0.9 ast 0.7 blk |
| PF | #12 | Daniel Gafford | 6’10 | 234 lbs Arkansas | Age: 22 | 5.1 pts | 2.5 reb | 1.3 blk 0.5 ast |
| PF/C | #6 | Cristiano Felicio | 6’10 | 270 lbs Age: 28 | 3.9 pts | 4.6 reb | 0.7 ast 0.5 stl |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| SG | #20 | Adam Mokoka | 6’5 | 190 lbs Age: 22 | 2.9 pts | 0.9 reb | 0.4 ast 0.4 stl |
| PG | #3 | Devon Dotson (R) | 6’2 | 185 lbs Kansas | Age: 21 | NO STATS |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: SG Zach LaVine
Breakout Player: PF Daniel Gafford
Grade: C
The Bulls didn’t have a relatively busy offseason although they made one major move with the head coach vacancy. After the Jim Boylen experiment proved to be a failure, Billy Donovan was brought on to lead the young core Chicago is creating. The future of Chicago keeps getting brighter and brighter as another top pick was added into the mix in Patrick Williams who was taken with the fourth selection. The only major loss this offseason was PG Kris Dunn who signed with Atlanta, a move that isn’t too shocking as the team will elect to move forward with Coby White as their PG. With a solid mixture of veterans in LaVine, Temple, Young, Satoransky, and Porter to go along with the youngsters Williams, Markkanen, Carter, and White, the Bulls will definitely look to take a big step forward and possibly even contend for a seventh or eight seed in the East. Although I think a playoff berth is unlikely, Chicago will be a threat soon and will look to hopefully get some development from Markkanen and Carter in ’20-’21.
Cleveland Cavaliers
HC: J.B. Bickerstaff (2nd year in CLE, Career record: 90-137, Team record: 5-6)
STARTERS:
| C | #3 | Andre Drummond | 6’10 | 279 lbs Connecticut | Age: 27 | 17.7 pts | 15.2 reb | 2.7 ast 1.9 stl — DET/CLE |
| PF | #0 | Kevin Love | 6’8 | 251 lbs UCLA | Age: 32 | 17.6 pts | 9.8 reb | 3.2 ast 0.6 stl |
| SF | #35 | Isaac Okoro (R) | 6’6 | 225 lbs Auburn | Age: 19 | NO STATS |
| SG | #2 | Collin Sexton | 6’1 | 190 lbs Alabama | Age: 21 | 20.8 pts | 3.1 reb | 3 ast 1 stl |
| PG | #10 | Darius Garland | 6’1 | 192 lbs Vanderbilt | Age: 20 | 12.3 pts | 3.9 ast | 1.9 reb 0.7 stl |
BENCH:
| SG | #14 | Kevin Porter Jr. | 6’4 | 203 lbs USC | Age: 20 | 10 pts | 3.2 reb | 2.2 ast 0.9 stl |
| SF | #16 | Cedi Osman | 6’7 | 230 lbs Age: 25 | 11 pts | 3.6 reb | 2.4 ast 0.8 stl |
| C | #6 | JaVale McGee | 7’0 | 270 lbs Nevada | Age: 32 | 6.6 pts | 5.7 reb | 1.4 blk 0.5 ast — LAL |
| F | #22 | Larry Nance Jr. | 6’7 | 245 lbs Wyoming | Age: 27 | 10.1 pts | 7.3 reb | 2.2 ast 1 stl |
| PG | #18 | Matthew Dellavedova | 6’3 | 200 lbs St. Mary’s | Age: 30 | 3.1 pts | 3.2 ast | 1.3 reb 0.4 stl |
| SG | #21 | Damyean Dotson | 6’5 | 210 lbs Houston | Age: 26 | 6.7 pts | 1.9 reb | 1.2 ast 0.5 stl — NYK |
| PG | #1 | Dante Exum | 6’5 | 214 lbs Age: 25 | 4.5 pts | 1.9 reb | 1.1 ast 0.4 stl — UTA/CLE |
| C | #14 | Thon Maker | 7’0 | 221 lbs Age: 23 | 4.7 pts | 2.8 reb | 0.7 blk 0.7 ast — DET |
| SG | #9 | Dylan Windler (R) | 6’6 | 196 lbs Belmont | Age: 24 | DNP – INJURED |
| F | #32 | Dean Wade | 6’9 | 228 lbs Kansas St. | Age: 24 | 1.7 pts | 1.6 reb | 0.3 blk 0.2 ast |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| SG | #31 | Matt Mooney | 6’3 | 200 lbs Texas Tech | Age: 23 | 4 GP | 0.5 pts | 0.5 stl 0.8 reb |
| SF | #11 | Lamar Stevens (R) | 6’8 | 225 lbs Penn State | Age: 23 | NO STATS |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: PF Kevin Love
Breakout Player: SG Kevin Porter Jr.
Grade: D+
Still a long ways away from being any bit competitive, the Cavs enter ’20-’21 with low expectations and a good amount of questions. First of all, the development of a few young players will be key after a disappointing season from Darius Garland and second year campaigns from Dylan Windler and Kevin Porter Jr. Porter seems like a budding star and has all the essentials to be a lethal scorer in the NBA. Only heading into his age-20 season Porter’s development will be interesting to see this season. Kevin Love, Andre Drummond, and Larry Nance Jr. all still remain on the team with very questionable futures on where they stand with the organization. There’s no doubt at least Love and Drummond will be used as trade bait at some point this year and could bring back a solid return. The Drummond trade last February still doesn’t make a ton of sense to me especially with his expiring contract unless they have intentions to extend him. J.B. Bickerstaff will also enter his first full season at the helm in Cleveland, a solid assistant who has had little to no success in his experience as a head coach around the league. I give them a D+ mainly because they won’t be competitive and at the same time don’t seem like they have a real set path they’re trying to follow to rebuild in the post-LeBron era.
Detroit Pistons
HC: Dwane Casey (3rd year in DET, Career record: 434-394, Team record: 61-87)
STARTERS:
| C | #24 | Mason Plumlee | 6’11 | 254 lbs Duke | Age: 30 | 7.2 pts | 5.2 reb | 2.5 ast 0.6 blk — DEN |
| PF | #23 | Blake Griffin | 6’9 | 250 lbs Oklahoma | Age: 31 | 15.5 pts | 4.7 reb | 3.3 ast 0.4 stl |
| F | #9 | Jerami Grant | 6’8 | 210 lbs Syracuse | Age: 26 | 12 pts | 3.5 reb | 1.2 ast 0.8 blk — DEN |
| G | #55 | Delon Wright | 6’5 | 185 lbs Utah | Age: 28 | 6.9 pts | 3.8 reb | 3.3 reb 1.2 stl — DAL |
| PG | #25 | Derrick Rose | 6’2 | 200 lbs Memphis | Age: 32 | 18.1 pts | 5.6 ast | 2.4 reb 0.8 stl |
BENCH:
| SG | #19 | Svi Mykhailiuk | 6’7 | 205 lbs Kansas | Age: 23 | 9 pts | 1.9 reb | 1.9 ast 0.7 stl |
| C | #13 | Jahlil Okafor | 6’10 | 270 lbs Duke | Age: 24 | 8.1 pts | 4.2 reb | 1.2 ast 0.7 blk — NOP |
| F | #45 | Sekou Doumbouya | 6’8 | 230 lbs Age: 19 | 6.4 pts | 3.1 reb | 0.5 ast 0.5 stl |
| PG | #7 | Killian Hayes (R) | 6’5 | 192 lbs Age: 19 | NO STATS |
| SF | #41 | Saddiq Bey (R) | 6’8 | 216 lbs Villanova | Age: 21 | NO STATS |
| SG/SF | #20 | Josh Jackson | 6’8 | 207 lbs Kansas | Age: 23 | 9 pts | 3 reb | 1.6 ast 0.8 stl — MEM |
| SF | #31 | Dzanan Musa | 6’9 | 217 lbs Age: 21 | 4.8 pts | 2.2 reb | 1.1 ast 0.4 stl — BKN |
| SG | #8 | Wayne Ellington | 6’4 | 207 lbs North Carolina | Age: 33 | 5.1 pts | 1.8 reb | 1.2 ast 0.4 stl — NYK |
| SG | #37 | Deividas Sirvydis (R) | 6’8 | 190 lbs Age: 20 | NO STATS |
| PF | #33 | Isaiah Stewart (R) | 6’9 | 250 lbs Washington | Age: 19 | NO STATS |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| SG | #38 | Saben Lee (R) | 6’2 | 183 lbs Vanderbilt | Age: 21 | NO STATS |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: PF Blake Griffin
Breakout Player: SF Josh Jackson
Grade: C-
One of the busier teams in the East this offseason have definitely been the Pistons who are coming off another season falling short of the playoffs. Seven new veterans were brought on via trades and signings as well as five new rookies, making this Detroit squad a complete revamp of what it was last year. Although I think it’s great that they shook up a team that was clearly not winning with their old format, I’m not sure these moves will put them over the edge. Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee were added on to 3-year deals for $84.7m total, an expensive price for career role players. Although I do think Grant is very good and was one of the key pieces to the Nuggets success over the last couple of years, I think $60m might be a bit too much for the wing. Regardless, lottery pick Killian Hayes was brought on to be groomed under Derrick Rose to become the teams future PG. But out of all the Pistons’ rookies Saddiq Bey might be the only one truly ready to make an impact in the ’20-’21 season. I think the Josh Jackson signing was great at 2-years and only $9m as the former fourth overall pick will look to finally fill out his potential in possibly his last chance in the league. If healthy, the Pistons will be a threat to make the playoffs as I always tend to have a lot of faith in any Dwane Casey run team.
Indiana Pacers
HC: Nate Bjorkgren (1st year)
STARTERS:
| C | #33 | Myles Turner | 6’11 | 250 lbs Texas | Age: 24 | 12.1 pts | 6.6 reb | 2.1 blk 1.2 ast |
| PF/C | #11 | Domantas Sabonis | 6’11 | 240 lbs Gonzaga | Age: 24 | 18.5 pts | 12.4 reb | 5 ast 0.8 stl |
| SF | #1 | T.J. Warren | 6’8 | 220 lbs NC State | Age: 27 | 19.8 pts | 4.2 reb | 1.5 ast 1.2 stl |
| SG | #4 | Victor Oladipo | 6’4 | 213 lbs Indiana | Age: 28 | 14.5 pts | 3.9 reb | 2.9 ast 0.9 stl |
| PG | #7 | Malcolm Brogdon | 6’5 | 229 lbs Virginia | Age: 27 | 16.5 pts | 7.1 ast | 4.9 reb 0.6 stl |
BENCH:
| SF | #8 | Justin Holiday | 6’6 | 180 lbs Washington | Age: 31 | 8.3 pts | 3.3 reb | 1.3 ast 1.2 stl |
| PG | #3 | Aaron Holiday | 6’0 | 185 lbs UCLA | Age: 24 | 9.5 pts | 3.4 ast | 2.4 reb 0.8 stl |
| SF | #20 | Doug McDermott | 6’7 | 225 lbs Creighton | Age: 28 | 10.3 pts | 2.5 reb | 1.1 ast 0.2 stl |
| PG | #9 | T.J. McConnell | 6’1 | 190 lbs Arizona | Age: 28 | 6.5 pts | 5 ast | 2.7 reb 0.8 stl |
| C | #88 | Goga Bitadze | 6’11 | 250 lbs Age: 21 | 3.2 pts | 2 reb | 0.7 blk 0.4 ast |
| G | #5 | Edmond Sumner | 6’4 | 196 lbs Xavier | Age: 24 | 4.9 pts | 1.8 ast | 1.5 reb 0.5 stl |
| SF | #14 | JaKarr Sampson | 6’7 | 214 lbs St. John’s | Age: 27 | 4.6 pts | 2.6 reb | 0.6 ast 0.5 stl |
| F | #21 | Kelan Martin | 6’6 | 230 lbs Butler | Age: 25 | 6.4 pts | 3.1 reb | 0.7 ast 0.3 blk — MIN |
| G | #0 | Jalen Lecque | 6’4 | 185 lbs Age: 20 | 5 GP | 2 pts | 0.4 ast 0.4 reb — PHX |
| SG | #26 | Jeremy Lamb* (I) | 6’5 | 180 lbs Connecticut | Age: 27 | 12.5 pts | 4.3 reb | 2.1 ast 1.2 stl |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| SF | #10 | Brian Bowen | 6’6 | 190 lbs Age: 22 | 6 GP | 1 pts | 1.2 reb 0.2 blk |
| SG | #2 | Cassius Stanley (R) | 6’6 | 193 lbs Duke | Age: 21 | NO STATS |
*Jeremy Lamb is still recovering from a torn ACL and may be back by late January
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: SG Victor Oladipo
Breakout Player: C Goga Bitadze
Grade: B+
The Pacers enter ’20-’21 with almost an identical squad to which they had last year, with the only exception being their star Victor Oladipo will be fully healthy. After adding Malcolm Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb last offseason, the Pacers had all-star performances from Domantas Sabonis and T.J. Warren that helped lead to their playoff run. Heading into this year, the emphasis is going to be to improve upon last year and try to sneak into the top 4 in the East. If this squad is fully healthy and firing on all cylinders I don’t see them being worse than the Sixers or Raptors. Indiana has a ton of talent and while Oladipo was down last year, many guys showed they can step up big if need be. Although they may not be the forces that Miami, Milwaukee, and Brooklyn seem to be, I think the Pacers can surprise a lot of people with first year head coach Nate Bjorkgren running the show.
Milwaukee Bucks
HC: Mike Budenholzer (3rd year in MIL, Career record: 329-236, Team record: 116-39)
STARTERS:
| C | #11 | Brook Lopez | 7’0 | 282 lbs Stanford | Age: 32 | 12 pts | 4.6 reb | 2.4 blk 1.5 ast |
| PF | #34 | Giannis Antetokoumpo | 6’11 | 242 lbs Age: 25 | 29.5 pts | 13.6 reb | 5.6 ast 1 stl |
| SF | #22 | Khris Middleton | 6’7 | 222 lbs Texas A&M | Age: 29 | 20.9 pts | 6.2 reb | 4.3 ast 0.9 stl |
| SG | #0 | Donte DiVincenzo | 6’4 | 203 lbs Villanova | Age: 23 | 9.2 pts | 4.8 reb | 2.3 ast 1.3 stl |
| PG | #21 | Jrue Holiday | 6’3 | 205 lbs UCLA | Age: 30 | 19.1 pts | 6.7 ast | 4.8 reb 1.6 stl — NOP |
BENCH:
| PF | #1 | Bobby Portis | 6’10 | 250 lbs Arkansas | Age: 25 | 10.1 pts | 5.1 reb | 1.5 ast 0.5 stl — NYK |
| SG | #24 | Pat Connaughton | 6’5 | 209 lbs Notre Dame | Age: 27 | 5.4 pts | 4.2 reb | 1.6 ast 0.5 blk |
| PG | #12 | D.J. Augustin | 5’11 | 183 lbs Texas | Age: 33 | 10.5 pts | 4.6 ast | 2.1 reb 0.6 stl — ORL |
| SG/SF | #3 | Torrey Craig | 6’7 | 221 lbs USC Upstate | Age: 29 | 5.4 pts | 3.3 reb | 0.8 ast 0.6 blk — DEN |
| G | #7 | Bryn Forbes | 6’2 | 205 lbs Michigan St. | Age: 27 | 11.2 pts | 2 reb | 1.7 ast 0.5 stl — SAS |
| PF/C | #5 | D.J. Wilson | 6’10 | 231 lbs Michigan | Age: 24 | 3.6 pts | 2.5 reb | 0.7 ast 0.1 blk |
| SF | #13 | Jordan Nwora (R) | 6’7 | 225 lbs Louisville | Age: 22 | NO STATS |
| SG | #20 | Nik Stauskas | 6’6 | 205 lbs Michigan | Age: 27 | DNP – OVERSEAS |
| SG | #15 | Sam Merrill (R) | 6’5 | 205 lbs Utah State | Age: 24 | NO STATS |
| SF | #43 | Thanasis Antetokounmpo | 6’6 | 219 lbs Age: 28 | 2.8 pts | 1.2 reb | 0.8 ast 0.4 stl |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| PG | #6 | Jaylen Adams | 6’0 | 225 lbs St. Bonaventure’s | Age: 24 | DNP – INJURED |
| PF | #25 | Mamadi Diakite (R) | 6’9 | 224 lbs Virginia | Age: 23 | NO STATS |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: PF Giannis Antetokounmpo
Breakout Player: C D.J. Wilson
Grade: A
The Bucks enter the campaign as the headliners of the East with the clock ticking on when Milwaukee will finally put it together. After a second straight MVP campaign in 2020 from Giannis, they were eliminated in the playoffs and shockingly failed to make it to the Finals. The Bucks entered free agency fierce and traded for two-way star Jrue Holiday to lead at PG. Veterans Bobby Portis, D.J. Augustin, Torrey Craig, and Bryn Forbes were all added to deepen the bench and provide a well rounded second unit. With the beginning of the KD and Kyrie era in Brooklyn and the young Miami Heat’s surge in the playoffs this past year, Milwaukee needed to make proving decisions that they still are the strongest team in the East. Whether you think these moves were smart or they were a desperate move to keep relevance in Milwaukee, you can’t blame the Bucks for having a heads up approach to the offseason. With Wesley Matthews leaving to join the Lakers and Eric Bledsoe traded to New Orleans, Donte DiVincenzo and re-signed Pat Connaughton will have to step up as key pieces in the rotation. D.J. Wilson can also play a big role off the bench as Brook Lopez’s main back up at center. I still believe the Bucks are the best team in the East, and with all the moves they made, I think they even improved from last year. With Giannis signing his super max extension, Bucks fans can sleep easy at night knowing he won’t leave town once the season ends. Regardless there will be no easy route to the Finals in the East this year.
Atlanta Hawks
HC: Lloyd Pierce (3rd year, Career/Team record: 49-100)
STARTERS:
| C | #15 | Clint Capela | 6’10 | 240 lbs Age: 26 | 13.9 pts | 13.8 reb | 1.8 blk 1.2 ast — HOU |
| PF | #20 | John Collins | 6’9 | 235 lbs Wake Forest | Age: 23 | 21.6 pts | 10.1 reb | 1.6 blk 1.5 ast |
| SF | #8 | Danilo Gallinari | 6’10 | 233 lbs Age: 32 | 18.7 pts | 5.2 reb | 1.9 ast 0.7 stl — OKC |
| SG | #13 | Bogdan Bogdanovic | 6’6 | 220 lbs Age: 28 | 15.1 pts | 3.4 reb | 3.4 ast 1 stl — SAC |
| PG | #11 | Trae Young | 6’1 | 180 lbs Oklahoma | Age: 22 | 29.6 pts | 9.3 ast | 4.3 reb 1.1 stl |
BENCH:
| PG | #7 | Rajon Rondo | 6’1 | 180 lbs Kentucky | Age: 34 | 7.1 pts | 5 ast | 3 reb 0.8 stl — LAL |
| SG | #3 | Kevin Huerter | 6’7 | 190 lbs Maryland | Age: 22 | 12.2 pts | 4.1 reb | 3.8 ast 0.9 stl |
| SF | #12 | De’Andre Hunter | 6’7 | 225 lbs Virginia | Age: 23 | 12.3 pts | 4.5 reb | 1.8 ast 0.7 stl |
| PG | #32 | Kris Dunn | 6’3 | 205 lbs Providence | Age: 26 | 7.3 pts | 3.6 reb | 3.4 ast 2 stl — CHI |
| C | #17 | Onyeka Okongwu (R) | 6’9 | 245 lbs USC | Age: 19 | NO STATS |
| SF | #22 | Cam Reddish | 6’8 | 218 lbs Duke | Age: 21 | 10.5 pts | 3.7 reb | 1.5 ast 1.1 stl |
| SG/SF | #19 | Tony Snell | 6’6 | 213 lbs New Mexico | Age: 29 | 8 pts | 2.2 ast | 1.9 reb 0.5 stl — DET |
| PF/C | #24 | Bruno Fernando | 6’9 | 240 lbs Maryland | Age: 22 | 4.3 pts | 3.5 reb | 0.9 ast 0.3 stl |
| G | #0 | Brandon Goodwin | 6’0 | 180 lbs Florida GC | Age: 25 | 6.1 pts | 2.1 reb | 1.5 ast 0.4 stl |
| F | #18 | Solomon Hill | 6’6 | 226 lbs Arizona | Age: 29 | 5.5 pts | 2.8 reb | 1.8 ast 0.7 stl — MEM/MIA |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| SG | #4 | Skylar Mays (R) | 6’4 | 205 lbs LSU | Age: 23 | NO STATS |
| C | #1 | Nathan Knight (R) | 6’10 | 253 lbs William & Mary’s | Age: 23 | NO STATS |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: PG Trae Young
Breakout Player: SF De’Andre Hunter
Grade: A
And the winner of the 2020 offseason goes to… the Atlanta Hawks. Sure they definitely didn’t sign the most players but they easily made the most impactful moves, changing the culture from a rebuilding organization into a true playoff threat all in the matter of two weeks. The youth movement had been going well for the Hawks prior to the offseason, as Trae Young and John Collins established themselves as true stars in the league, while sophomores De’Andre Hunter, Cam Reddish, and Kevin Huerter all look like solid NBA starters. The Hawks entered the 2020 free agency with the most salary cap available at $44m and splurged on veteran wing Danilo Gallinari and young sharp shooter Bogdan Bogdanovic. As well as those two stars, Atlanta added two-time champion Rajon Rondo and defensive guard Kris Dunn to aid the bench. With their lottery pick, the Hawks were blessed to land USC big man Onyeka Okongwu, an all-around talented center that can score, block shots, and stretch the floor. Going from one of the worst teams among the league, I have the Hawks finishing seventh in the East, as well as second in the Southeast division. Sure the team might have some growing pains but this Hawks squad will wreak havoc and put up huge numbers on the offensive end. With a variety of threats both offensively and defensively, Lloyd Pierce is going to have a good time winning some games in Atlanta.
Charlotte Hornets
HC: James Borrego (3rd year in CHA, Career record: 72-105, Team record: 62-85)
STARTERS:
| C | #40 | Cody Zeller | 7’0 | 240 lbs Indiana | Age: 28 | 11.1 pts | 7.1 reb | 1.5 ast 0.7 stl |
| PF | #25 | P.J. Washington | 6’7 | 230 lbs Kentucky | Age: 22 | 12.2 pts | 5.4 reb | 2.1 ast 0.9 stl |
| SF | #20 | Gordon Hayward | 6’7 | 225 lbs Butler | Age: 30 | 17.5 pts | 6.7 reb | 4.1 ast 0.7 stl — BOS |
| G | #3 | Terry Rozier | 6’1 | 190 lbs Louisville | Age: 26 | 18 pts | 4.4 reb | 4.1 ast 1 stl |
| PG | #2 | LaMelo Ball (R) | 6’8 | 180 lbs Age: 19 | NO STATS |
BENCH:
| PG | #4 | Devonte’ Graham | 6’1 | 195 lbs Kansas | Age: 25 | 18.2 pts | 7.5 ast | 3.4 reb 1 stl |
| SF | #0 | Miles Bridges | 6’6 | 225 lbs Michigan St. | Age: 22 | 13 pts | 5.6 reb | 1.8 ast 0.7 blk |
| C | #8 | Bismack Biyombo | 6’8 | 255 lbs Age: 28 | 7.4 pts | 5.8 reb | 0.9 ast 0.9 blk |
| SG | #1 | Malik Monk | 6’3 | 200 lbs Kentucky | Age: 22 | 10.3 pts | 2.9 reb | 2.1 ast 0.5 stl |
| PF | #22 | Vernon Carey Jr. (R) | 6’10 | 270 lbs Duke | Age: 19 | NO STATS |
| SF | #11 | Cody Martin | 6’5 | 205 lbs Nevada | Age: 25 | 5 pts | 3.3 reb | 2 ast 0.8 stl |
| PF/C | #14 | Nick Richards (R) | 6’11 | 247 lbs Kentucky | Age: 23 | NO STATS |
| SF | #10 | Caleb Martin | 6’5 | 205 lbs Nevada | Age: 25 | 6.2 pts | 2.1 reb | 1.3 ast 0.7 stl |
| PF | #6 | Jalen McDaniels | 6’10 | 205 lbs San Diego St. | Age: 22 | 5.6 pts | 4.1 reb | 0.8 ast 0.5 stl |
| SG | #31 | Keandre Cook (R) | 6’5 | 187 lbs Missouri St. | Age: 23 | NO STATS |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| PG | #7 | Grant Riller (R) | 6’3 | 190 lbs Charleston | Age: 23 | NO STATS |
| SG | #30 | Nate Darling (R) | 6’5 | 200 lbs Delaware | Age: 22 | NO STATS |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: SF Gordon Hayward
Breakout Player: PF Jalen McDaniels
Grade: D
The Hornets enter ’20-’21 well into a rebuild with two positives coming out of the offseason (well maybe one and a half). First off they were able to land LaMelo Ball with the third pick, a crafty scorer and playmaker who many perceived to be the best prospect in the draft. And second they also were able to bring in veteran wing Gordon Hayward on a quite lengthy contract. At $30m a year for the next four years, and just three years removed from a gruesome ankle injury, Hayward is convinced he’s still in his prime and seems to have persuaded the Hornets as well. Besides these two the team comes back relatively similar to the squad from last year that won only 23 games. Besides LaMelo, the Hornets also bring in five other rookies and are looking to keep the youth movement going. After very positive campaigns from both Miles Bridges and Devonte’ Graham a season ago, the two seem to be headed to bench roles behind the new additions. Charlotte is still a long ways away from being good, and a lot more development will need to be done to have a future winner with the Hornets.
Miami Heat
HC: Erik Spoelstra (13th year, Career/Team record: 567-392)
STARTERS:
| C | #13 | Bam Adebayo | 6’9 | 255 lbs Kentucky | Age: 23 | 15.9 pts | 10.2 reb | 5.1 ast 1.3 blk |
| SF | #55 | Duncan Robinson | 6’7 | 215 lbs Michigan | Age: 26 | 13.5 pts | 3.2 reb | 1.4 ast 0.5 stl |
| SF | #22 | Jimmy Butler | 6’7 | 230 lbs Marquette | Age: 31 | 19.9 pts | 6.7 reb | 6 ast 1.8 stl |
| SG | #14 | Tyler Herro | 6’5 | 195 lbs Kentucky | Age: 20 | 13.5 pts | 4.1 reb | 2.2 ast 0.6 stl |
| PG | #7 | Goran Dragic | 6’3 | 190 lbs Age: 34 | 16.2 pts | 5.1 ast | 3.2 reb 0.7 stl |
BENCH:
| C | #0 | Meyers Leonard | 7’0 | 260 lbs Illinois | Age: 28 | 6.1 pts | 5.1 reb | 1.1 ast 0.3 blk |
| G | #25 | Kendrick Nunn | 6’2 | 190 lbs Oakland | Age: 25 | 15.3 pts | 3.3 ast | 2.7 reb 0.8 stl |
| SF | #28 | Andre Iguodala | 6’6 | 215 lbs Arizona | Age: 36 | 4.6 pts | 3.7 reb | 2.4 ast 1 blk |
| PF/C | #9 | Kelly Olynyk | 6’11 | 240 lbs Gonzaga | Age: 29 | 8.2 pts | 4.6 reb | 1.7 ast 0.7 stl |
| SG | #11 | Avery Bradley | 6’3 | 180 lbs Texas | Age: 30 | 8.6 pts | 2.3 reb | 1.3 ast 0.9 stl — LAL |
| F | #5 | Precious Achiuwa (R) | 6’9 | 225 lbs Memphis | Age: 21 | NO STATS |
| SF | #8 | Moe Harkless | 6’7 | 220 lbs St. John’s | Age: 27 | 5.8 pts | 3.9 reb | 1.1 ast 0.9 stl — LAC/NYK |
| SF | #4 | KZ Okpala | 6’8 | 215 lbs Stanford | Age: 21 | 5 GP | 1.4 pts | 1 reb 0.4 stl |
| PF | #30 | Chris Silva | 6’8 | 234 lbs South Carolina | Age: 24 | 3 pts | 2.9 reb | 0.5 ast 0.5 blk |
| PF | #40 | Udonis Haslem | 6’8 | 235 lbs Florida | Age: 40 | 4 GP | 3 pts | 4 reb 0.3 ast |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS
| SG | #2 | Gabe Vincent | 6’3 | 200 lbs UC Santa Barbara | Age: 24 | 9 GP | 2.4 pts | 0.7 ast 0.6 reb |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: SF Jimmy Butler
Breakout Player: F Precious Achiuwa
Grade: A-
The shock of the East last year, the Heat are coming off their NBA championship run hungry to make it back and win it all this time. Everything clicked last year in Miami, new leader Jimmy Butler re-established himself as one of the best in the game, Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn both had amazing rookie seasons, Bam Adebayo became an all-star, and Duncan Robinson became one of the best sharp shooters in the game. Miami had a pretty successful offseason as well, being able to re-sign Goran Dragic and Meyers Leonard, as well as adding veterans Avery Bradley and Moe Harkless to bench roles. With their one draft pick, Miami also brought in Memphis big man Precious Achiuwa, a lengthy young prospect who has big potential on both sides of the court. I think the Heat are by far the favorites to win the Southeast division and will probably be a top three team in the East. With not only one of the best lineups in the conference but also potentially the most deep team as well, Miami will undoubtedly make a push to get to a second straight NBA Finals.
Orlando Magic
HC: Steve Clifford (3rd year in ORL, Career record: 271-294, Team record: 75-80)
STARTERS:
| C | #9 | Nikola Vucevic | 6’11 | 260 lbs USC | Age: 30 | 19.6 pts | 10.9 reb | 3.6 ast 0.9 stl |
| PF | #00 | Aaron Gordon | 6’8 | 235 lbs Arizona | Age: 25 | 14.4 pts | 7.7 reb | 3.7 ast 0.8 stl |
| SF | #11 | James Ennis III | 6’6 | 215 lbs Long Beach St. | Age: 30 | 6.6 pts | 3.6 reb | 0.9 ast 0.5 stl — PHI/ORL |
| SG | #10 | Evan Fournier | 6’7 | 205 lbs Age: 28 | 18.5 pts | 3.2 ast | 2.6 reb 1.1 stl |
| PG | #20 | Markelle Fultz | 6’3 | 209 lbs Washington | Age: 22 | 12.1 pts | 5.1 ast | 3.3 reb 1.3 stl |
BENCH:
| SG | #31 | Terrence Ross | 6’6 | 206 lbs Washington | Age: 29 | 14.7 pts | 3.2 reb | 1.2 ast 1.1 stl |
| C | #5 | Mo Bamba | 7’0 | 231 lbs Texas | Age: 22 | 5.4 pts | 4.9 reb | 1.4 blk 0.7 ast |
| F | #12 | Gary Clark | 6’6 | 225 lbs Cincinnati | Age: 26 | 3.7 pts | 2.6 reb | 0.5 blk 0.4 ast — HOU/ORL |
| PG | #50 | Cole Anthony (R) | 6’3 | 190 lbs North Carolina | Age: 20 | NO STATS |
| PG | #7 | Michael Carter-Williams | 6’5 | 190 lbs Syracuse | Age: 29 | 7.2 pts | 3.3 reb | 2.4 ast 1.1 stl |
| SG/SF | #8 | Dwayne Bacon | 6’6 | 221 lbs Florida St. | Age: 25 | 5.7 pts | 2.6 reb | 1.3 ast 0.6 stl — CHA |
| C | #24 | Khem Birch | 6’9 | 233 lbs UNLV | Age: 28 | 4.4 pts | 4.6 reb | 1 ast 0.5 blk |
| F | #3 | Chuma Okeke (R) | 6’8 | 230 lbs Auburn | Age: 22 | DNP – INJURED |
| F | #2 | Al-Farouq Aminu* (I) | 6’8 | 220 lbs Wake Forest | Age: 30 | 4.3 pts | 4.8 reb | 1.2 ast 1 stl |
| F | #1 | Jonathan Isaac** (I) | 6’11 | 230 lbs Florida St. | Age: 23 | 11.9 pts | 6.8 reb | 2.3 blk 1.6 stl |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| PG | #23 | Jordan Bone | 6’3 | 180 lbs Tennessee | Age: 23 | 1.2 pts | 0.8 ast | 0.4 reb 0.1 stl |
| G | #4 | Karim Mane (R) | 6’5 | 185 lbs Vanier College | Age: 20 | NO STATS |
*Al-Farouq Aminu will miss several months with a knee injury
**Jonathan Isaac will miss the entire season with a torn ACL
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: C Nikola Vucevic
Breakout Player: C Mo Bamba
Grade: C
After making the eighth spot in the East for two years in a row, Orlando enters ’20-’21 with a more competitive conference and a similar team. After re-signing Michael Carter-Williams, Gary Clark, and James Ennis, while adding Dwayne Bacon, the Magic look as similar to last year as you can get. They’re going to need a lot more production out of their young core if they want a chance to beat out the improved Wizards and Hawks for a spot in the playoffs. While wings Al-Farouq Aminu and Jonathan Isaac are slated to miss the entire season due to injuries, Clark and Ennis will have to play bigger roles for the squad. While adding first round pick Cole Anthony, they also will get wing Chuma Okeke, their first round pick in 2019 who missed all of his rookie season after an injury late in his final season at Auburn. Aaron Gordon will definitely need to have a bounce back year or he might see himself on the trade block, while Markelle Fultz can be a candidate to get leap frogged in the lineup by Cole Anthony if he doesn’t come out strong. I don’t think this Magic team is a playoff team, and with a couple of newly improved squads in the East, they’ll need to improve big time just to land an eight spot.
Washington Wizards
HC: Scott Brooks (5th year in WAS, Career record: 487-376, Team record: 149-169)
STARTERS:
| C | #13 | Thomas Bryant | 6’10 | 248 lbs Indiana | Age: 23 | 13.2 pts | 7.2 reb | 1.8 ast 1.1 blk |
| F | #8 | Rui Hachimura | 6’8 | 230 lbs Gonzaga | Age: 22 | 13.5 pts | 6.1 reb | 1.8 ast 0.8 stl |
| SG/SF | #6 | Troy Brown Jr. | 6’6 | 215 lbs Oregon | Age: 21 | 10.4 pts | 5.6 reb | 2.6 ast 1.2 stl |
| SG | #3 | Bradley Beal | 6’3 | 207 lbs Florida | Age: 27 | 30.5 pts | 6.1 ast | 4.2 reb 1.2 stl |
| PG | #4 | Russell Westbrook | 6’3 | 200 lbs UCLA | Age: 32 | 27.2 pts | 7.9 reb | 7 ast 1.6 stl — HOU |
BENCH:
| F | #42 | Davis Bertans | 6’10 | 225 lbs Age: 28 | 15.4 pts | 4.5 reb | 1.7 ast 0.7 stl |
| PF/C | #21 | Moe Wagner | 6’11 | 245 lbs Michigan | Age: 23 | 8.7 pts | 4.9 reb | 1.2 ast 0.6 stl |
| PG | #14 | Ish Smith | 6’0 | 175 lbs Wake Forest | Age: 32 | 10.9 pts | 4.9 ast | 3.2 reb 0.9 stl |
| SF | #9 | Deni Avdija (R) | 6’9 | 215 lbs Age: 19 | NO STATS |
| G | #17 | Isaac Bonga | 6’8 | 180 lbs Age: 21 | 5 pts | 3.4 reb | 1.2 ast 0.7 stl |
| C | #15 | Robin Lopez | 7’0 | 281 lbs Stanford | Age: 32 | 5.4 pts | 2.4 reb | 0.7 ast 0.7 blk — MIL |
| SG | #12 | Jerome Robinson | 6’4 | 190 lbs Boston College | Age: 23 | 5.1 pts | 2 reb | 1.4 ast 0.4 stl — LAC/WAS |
| PG | #19 | Raul Neto | 6’1 | 180 lbs Age: 28 | 5.1 pts | 1.8 ast | 1.1 reb 0.4 stl — PHI |
| C | #18 | Anzejs Pasecniks | 7’2 | 229 lbs Age: 24 | 5.8 pts | 4 reb | 0.7 ast 0.4 blk |
| PF | #22 | Yoeli Childs (R) | 6’8 | 225 lbs BYU | Age: 22 | NO STATS |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| SG | #24 | Garrison Mathews | 6’5 | 215 lbs Lipscomb | Age: 24 | 5.4 pts | 1.3 reb | 0.6 ast 0.4 stl |
| PG | #5 | Cassius Winston (R) | 6’1 | 185 lbs Michigan St. | Age: 22 | NO STATS |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: SG Bradley Beal
Breakout Player: F Rui Hachimura
Grade: B-
What seemed like a rather uneventful offseason for the Wizards was spiced up extremely out of nowhere a couple of weeks ago. After months and months of rumors, both John Wall and Russell Westbrook were swapped between the Wizards and Rockets. Now with his third team in just three years, Westbrook will join a backcourt with 30+ ppg scorer Bradley Beal, creating a force in the East. There’s no doubt some people think the trade was weird, but I see it as an upgrade for the Wizards, who land one of the best in the game for a star who has been injured for the past two seasons. The only other important matter of business this offseason was re-signing Davis Bertans, which Washington did for 5-years, $80m. After a couple of frustrating years in a row, the Wizards look ready to contend for an eight spot in the East and get back into the playoffs. Now this trade doesn’t make them a ton better, as they still seem like a team that will finish a few games under .500. But the leadership and winning energy Westbrook brings is one of the highest in the league and might be a better fit alongside Beal than James Harden. Russ has missed the playoffs only once since 2010, and will look to head back in his first year in the East.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Denver Nuggets
HC: Mike Malone (6th year in DEN, Career record: 258-249, Team record: 219-155)
STARTERS:
| C | #15 | Nikola Jokic | 7’0 | 284 lbs Age: 25 | 19.9 pts | 9.7 reb | 7 ast 1.2 stl |
| PF | #4 | Paul Millsap | 6’7 | 257 lbs Louisiana Tech | Age: 35 | 11.6 pts | 5.7 reb | 1.6 ast 0.9 stl |
| F | #1 | Michael Porter Jr. | 6’10 | 218 lbs Missouri | Age: 22 | 9.3 pts | 4.7 reb | 0.8 ast 0.5 stl |
| SG | #14 | Gary Harris | 6’4 | 205 lbs Michigan St. | Age: 26 | 10.4 pts | 2.9 reb | 2.1 ast 1.4 stl |
| PG | #27 | Jamal Murray | 6’4 | 215 lbs Kentucky | Age: 23 | 18.5 pts | 4.8 ast | 4 reb 1.1 stl |
BENCH:
| SG | #5 | Will Barton | 6’5 | 181 lbs Memphis | Age: 29 | 15.1 pts | 6.3 reb | 3.7 ast 1.1 stl |
| PG | #11 | Monte Morris | 6’2 | 183 lbs Iowa State | Age: 25 | 9 pts | 3.5 ast | 1.9 reb 0.8 stl |
| PF | #0 | JaMychal Green | 6’8 | 227 lbs Alabama | Age: 30 | 6.8 pts | 6.2 reb | 0.8 ast 0.5 stl — LAC |
| C | #10 | Bol Bol (R) | 7’2 | 209 lbs Oregon | Age: 21 | 7 GP | 5.7 pts | 2.7 reb 0.9 blk |
| G | #13 | R.J. Hampton (R) | 6’6 | 176 lbs Age: 19 | NO STATS |
| SG | #35 | P.J. Dozier | 6’6 | 205 lbs South Carolina | Age: 24 | 5.8 pts | 2.2 ast | 1.9 reb 0.5 stl |
| PF/C | #22 | Zeke Nnaji (R) | 6’11 | 240 lbs Arizona | Age: 19 | NO STATS |
| PG | #7 | Facundo Campazzo (R) | 5’11 | 195 lbs Age: 29 | NO STATS |
| C | #25 | Isaiah Hartenstein | 7’0 | 249 lbs Age: 22 | 4.7 pts | 3.9 reb | 0.8 ast 0.5 blk — HOU |
| F | #31 | Vlatko Cancar | 6’8 | 236 lbs Age: 23 | 1.2 pts | 0.7 reb | 0.2 ast 0.1 stl |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| PG | #00 | Markus Howard (R) | 5’11 | 180 lbs Marquette | Age: 21 | NO STATS |
| F | #3 | Greg Whittington (R) | 6’9 | 210 lbs Georgetown | Age: 27 | NO STATS |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: C Nikola Jokic
Breakout Player: F Michael Porter Jr.
Grade: B
First off in the West we have the Nuggets, who are looking to make a splash just one year removed from their run to the Western Conference Finals. After knocking off the Clippers in the West Semi-Finals this past year in the bubble, the Nuggets had a few break out performances leaving a lot of hope for this upcoming season. Jamal Murray established himself as a budding star and one of the best scoring guards in the league, finally creating a complimentary piece alongside Jokic. Michael Porter Jr. also slotted into the starting lineup and looks ready to become the elite player scouts thought he could be before injuries. Porter is a key candidate for Most Improved Player this upcoming year and I think he’s going to turn his 9+ ppg into close to 20. Bol Bol also shined in the seeding games and looks to be on his way to becoming an elite player himself after the Nuggets were able to snag the young star in the 2nd round of the 2019 draft. In an overpowering Western Conference filled with the Lakers, Clippers, Jazz, and the new look Rockets, Denver is looking at an uphill battle to make it back to the conference finals. If they can stay healthy, there’s no doubt Denver is in the same class as any of the top teams in the conference.
Minnesota Timberwolves
HC: Ryan Saunders (3rd year, Career/Team record: 36-70)
STARTERS:
| C | #32 | Karl-Anthony Towns | 6’11 | 248 lbs Kentucky | Age: 25 | 26.5 pts | 10.8 reb | 4.4 ast 1.2 blk |
| PF | #41 | Juan Hernangomez | 6’9 | 214 lbs Age: 25 | 6 pts | 4.1 reb | 0.8 ast 0.4 stl — DEN/MIN |
| SG/SF | #23 | Jarrett Culver | 6’6 | 195 lbs Texas Tech | Age: 21 | 9.2 pts | 3.4 reb | 1.7 ast 0.9 stl |
| SG | #1 | Anthony Edwards (R) | 6’5 | 225 lbs Georgia | Age: 19 | NO STATS |
| PG | #0 | D’Angelo Russell | 6’4 | 193 lbs Ohio State | Age: 24 | 23.1 pts | 6.3 ast | 3.9 reb 1.1 stl — GSW/MIN |
BENCH:
| SG | #5 | Malik Beasley | 6’4 | 187 lbs Florida St. | Age: 24 | 11.2 pts | 2.7 reb | 1.4 ast 0.7 stl — DEN/MIN |
| PG | #9 | Ricky Rubio | 6’3 | 190 lbs Age: 30 | 13 pts | 8.8 ast | 4.7 reb 1.4 stl — PHX |
| SG | #20 | Josh Okogie | 6’4 | 213 lbs Georgia Tech | Age: 22 | 8.6 pts | 4.3 reb | 1.6 ast 1.1 stl |
| SF | #10 | Jake Layman | 6’8 | 209 lbs Maryland | Age: 26 | 9.1 pts | 2.5 reb | 0.7 ast 0.7 stl |
| C | #11 | Naz Reid | 6’9 | 264 lbs LSU | Age: 21 | 9 pts | 4.1 reb | 1.2 ast 0.7 blk |
| PF/C | #17 | Ed Davis | 6’9 | 218 lbs North Carolina | Age: 31 | 1.8 pts | 3.8 reb | 0.4 ast 0.4 stl — UTA |
| SF | #24 | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | 6’7 | 211 lbs Arizona | Age: 25 | 7 pts | 4.7 reb | 1.8 ast 0.8 stl — TOR |
| SG | #4 | Jaylen Nowell | 6’4 | 201 lbs Washington | Age: 21 | 3.8 pts | 1.3 reb | 0.9 reb 0.2 stl |
| F | #8 | Jarred Vanderbilt | 6’9 | 214 lbs Kentucky | Age: 21 | 1.1 pts | 0.8 reb | 0.3 stl 0.2 ast — DEN/MIN |
| PF/C | #3 | Jaden McDaniels (R) | 6’9 | 200 lbs Washington | Age: 20 | NO STATS |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| PF | #25 | Tyler Cook | 6’8 | 255 lbs Iowa | Age: 23 | 1.8 pts | 1.1 reb | 0.2 stl 0.1 ast — CLE/DEN |
| PG | #22 | Ashton Hagans (R) | 6’3 | 198 lbs Kentucky | Age: 21 | NO STATS |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: C Karl-Anthony Towns
Breakout Player: PF Juan Hernangomez
Grade: C+
Coming off of a down year that landed them the first overall pick, the Wolves enter ’20-’21 still in a rebuild as things are beginning to look up. After getting D’Angelo Russell at this past years deadline from Golden State, Minnesota put together a solid dynamic duo with him alongside KAT. This offseason the team stayed fairly active especially on the trade scene where they landed veterans Ricky Rubio and Ed Davis. Anthony Edwards will also slot in as a potential big three with the first overall pick and both Malik Beasley and Juan Hernangomez were re-signed. With other former first round picks in Josh Okogie and Jarrett Culver on the roster, the youth movement is heading in a strong direction. The team currently only has two players on the roster that are over the age of 26 with Rubio and Davis. The key is going to be player development and health this year for Minnesota as a competitive team is still a few years away in the tough West. Towns and Russell will need to stay healthy, something they’ve struggled with throughout their careers. A breakout rookie year from first pick Anthony Edwards and a developmental year from Juan Hernangomez who will slot in as the starter again at the four could be big pluses for Minnesota to add in 2021.
Oklahoma City Thunder
HC: Mark Daigneault (1st year)
STARTERS:
| C | #42 | Al Horford | 6’9 | 240 lbs Florida | Age: 34 | 11.9 pts | 6.8 reb | 4 ast 0.9 blk — PHI |
| F | #7 | Darius Bazley | 6’8 | 208 lbs Age: 20 | 5.6 pts | 4 reb | 0.7 ast 0.7 blk |
| SF | #44 | Justin Jackson | 6’7 | 220 lbs North Carolina | Age: 25 | 5.5 pts | 2.4 reb | 0.8 ast 0.2 stl — DAL |
| SG | #5 | Luguentz Dort | 6’3 | 215 lbs Arizona St. | Age: 21 | 6.8 pts | 2.3 reb | 0.9 stl 0.8 stl |
| PG | #2 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 6’5 | 180 lbs Kentucky | Age: 22 | 19 pts | 5.9 reb | 3.3 ast 1.1 stl |
BENCH:
| SF | #8 | Trevor Ariza | 6’8 | 215 lbs UCLA | Age: 35 | 8 pts | 4.6 reb | 1.7 ast 1.3 stl — SAC/POR |
| PG | #3 | George Hill | 6’3 | 188 lbs IUPUI | Age: 34 | 9.4 pts | 3.1 ast | 3 reb 0.8 stl — MIL |
| C | #33 | Mike Muscala | 6’10 | 240 lbs Bucknell | Age: 29 | 4.8 pts | 2.3 reb | 0.9 ast 0.3 blk |
| SG | #6 | Hamidou Diallo | 6’5 | 202 lbs Kentucky | Age: 22 | 6.9 pts | 3.6 reb | 0.8 ast 0.8 stl |
| SG | #10 | Ty Jerome | 6’5 | 195 lbs Virginia | Age: 23 | 3.3 pts | 1.5 reb | 1.4 ast 0.5 stl — PHX |
| PG | #11 | Theo Maledon (R) | 6’5 | 174 lbs Age: 19 | NO STATS |
| SF | #1 | Admiral Schofield | 6’5 | 241 lbs Tennessee | Age: 23 | 3 pts | 1.4 reb | 0.5 ast 0.2 stl — WAS |
| PG | #13 | Frank Jackson | 6’3 | 205 lbs Duke | Age: 22 | 6.3 pts | 1.4 reb | 1 ast 0.3 stl — NOP |
| C | #17 | Aleksej Pokusevski (R) | 7’0 | 195 lbs Age: 18 | NO STATS |
| PF/C | #31 | T.J. Leaf | 6’10 | 222 lbs UCLA | Age: 23 | 3 pts | 2.5 reb | 0.4 stl 0.3 ast — IND |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| C | #4 | Moses Brown | 7’2 | 245 lbs UCLA | Age: 21 | 9 GP | 1.2 pts | 1.6 reb 0.1 blk — POR |
| SF | #15 | Josh Hall (R) | 6’9 | 190 lbs Age: 20 | NO STATS |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Breakout Player: F Darius Bazley
Grade: D+
It’s been quite a hectic offseason for the Thunder and not in necessarily a good way (depending on how you look at it). After sneaking into the playoffs in a shockingly successful season last year, the Thunder embraced the inevitable rebuild they needed to endure and traded the entire house in the offseason. That includes Chris Paul, Steven Adams, Terrance Ferguson and not re-signing Danilo Gallinari or Nerlens Noel. In doing so, they landed a plethora of first round picks over the next several years as well as some notable young talent in Ty Jerome and Admiral Schofield. In order to land all the picks, the Thunder had to take on some bad contracts with their excess in salary cap room, those being Al Horford’s, Trevor Ariza’s, and George Hill’s deals. Obviously all are mid-30’s veterans who want to contend so a potential buyout of all three could be on the rise soon. With the dump of all notable pieces, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will step in as the new leader and face of the franchise, with youngster Darius Bazley set to be his wingman. Let’s be clear, the Thunder are probably the worst team in the entire league heading into the season, but I didn’t give them an F because of how efficient they were in acquiring future assets. We all knew the success of last season had to be short-lived and the Thunder are well set for the rebuild that will begin this season and continue over the next few years. With all the random players they acquired via trades, a few will have to get cut and I projected that Kenrich Williams, Darius Miller, and Isaiah Roby would be the ones to get the boot. Obviously Ariza, Hill, and Horford are all taking up spots so if buyouts can be agreed on maybe some will stay. But the Thunder will surely not be the most fun team to watch in the ’20-’21 campaign.
Portland Trail Blazers
HC: Terry Stotts (9th year in POR, Career record: 475-456, Team record: 360-288)
STARTERS:
| C | #27 | Jusuf Nurkic | 7’0 | 290 lbs Age: 26 | 8 GP | 17.6 pts | 10.3 reb 4 ast |
| PF | #33 | Zach Collins | 6’11 | 250 lbs Gonzaga | Age: 23 | 7 pts | 6.3 reb | 1.5 ast 0.5 stl |
| SF | #23 | Robert Covington | 6’7 | 209 lbs Tennessee St. | Age: 29 | 12.4 pts | 6.6 reb | 1.6 stl 1.3 blk — HOU |
| SG | #3 | C.J. McCollum | 6’3 | 190 lbs Lehigh | Age: 29 | 22.2 pts | 4.4 ast | 4.2 reb 0.8 stl |
| PG | #0 | Damian Lillard | 6’2 | 195 lbs Weber State | Age: 30 | 30 pts | 8 ast | 4.3 reb 1.1 stl |
BENCH:
| SG/SF | #5 | Rodney Hood | 6’8 | 208 lbs Duke | Age: 28 | 11 pts | 3.4 reb | 1.5 ast 0.8 stl |
| SF | #00 | Carmelo Anthony | 6’8 | 238 lbs Syracuse | Age: 36 | 15.4 pts | 6.3 reb | 1.5 ast 0.8 stl |
| C | #11 | Enes Kanter | 6’10 | 250 lbs Kentucky | Age: 28 | 8.1 pts | 7.4 reb | 1 ast 0.7 blk — BOS |
| SF | #55 | Derrick Jones Jr. | 6’6 | 210 lbs UNLV | Age: 23 | 8.5 pts | 3.9 reb | 1.1 ast 1 stl — MIA |
| SG | #2 | Gary Trent Jr. | 6’5 | 209 lbs Duke | Age: 21 | 8.9 pts | 1.6 reb | 1 ast 0.8 stl |
| PG | #1 | Anfernee Simons | 6’3 | 181 lbs Age: 21 | 8.3 pts | 2.2 reb | 1.4 ast 0.4 stl |
| SF | #9 | Nassir Little | 6’5 | 220 lbs North Carolina | Age: 20 | 3.6 pts | 2.3 reb | 0.5 ast 0.3 stl |
| PF | #10 | Harry Giles | 6’11 | 240 lbs Duke | Age: 22 | 6.9 pts | 4.1 reb | 1.3 ast 0.5 stl — SAC |
| SF | #16 | C.J. Elleby (R) | 6’6 | 200 lbs Washington St. | Age: 20 | NO STATS |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| SG | #21 | Keljin Blevins (R) | 6’6 | 200 lbs Montana St. | Age: 25 | NO STATS |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: PG Damian Lillard
Breakout Player: PF Zach Collins
Grade: B+
After barely making the playoffs last year in an injury plagued season, the Blazers will look to bounce back and be a force in the West in ’20-’21. After having to play the majority of the season without Rodney Hood, Jusuf Nurkic, and Zach Collins, the Blazers struggled a bit this past year falling in and out of the playoff race in the tough Western Conference. But now the Blazers are fully healthy and ready to roll after re-signing Rodney Hood and Carmelo Anthony while adding depth in Robert Covington, Enes Kanter, and Derrick Jones Jr. I think this Blazers team is probably the deepest and most hungry we’ve seen them over these past several years. Both Lillard and McCollum have gotten better and better as the years go on and other draft picks like Zach Collins, Gary Trent Jr., and Anfernee Simons have become solid role players. Covington will provide a great 3-and-D option starting alongside Dame and C.J. while Melo will probably take a bench role and be the main scoring option on the second unit. Although the Nuggets will probably win the Northwest, the Blazers are close behind and will be a top seed.
Utah Jazz
HC: Quin Snyder (7th year, Career/Team record: 271-211)
STARTERS:
| C | #27 | Rudy Gobert | 7’1 | 258 lbs Age: 28 | 15.1 pts | 13.5 reb | 2 blk 1.5 ast |
| F | #44 | Bojan Bogdanovic | 6’8 | 226 lbs Age: 31 | 20.2 pts | 4.1 reb | 2.1 ast 0.5 stl |
| SF | #23 | Royce O’Neale | 6’4 | 226 lbs Baylor | Age: 27 | 6.3 pts | 5.5 reb | 2.5 ast 0.8 stl |
| SG | #45 | Donovan Mitchell | 6’1 | 215 lbs Louisville | Age: 24 | 24 pts | 4.4 reb | 4.3 ast 1 stl |
| PG | #10 | Mike Conley | 6’1 | 175 lbs Ohio State | Age: 33 | 14.4 pts | 4.4 ast | 3.2 reb 0.8 stl |
BENCH:
| SG | #00 | Jordan Clarkson | 6’4 | 194 lbs Missouri | Age: 28 | 15.2 pts | 2.6 reb | 1.9 ast 0.6 stl |
| SF | #2 | Joe Ingles | 6’7 | 220 lbs Age: 33 | 9.8 pts | 5.2 ast | 3.9 reb 0.9 stl |
| PF | #15 | Derrick Favors | 6’9 | 265 lbs Georgia Tech | Age: 29 | 9 pts | 9.8 reb | 1.6 ast 0.9 blk — NOP |
| SF | #31 | Georges Niang | 6’7 | 230 lbs Iowa State | Age: 27 | 5.9 pts | 1.9 reb | 0.7 ast 0.3 stl |
| C | #20 | Udoka Azubuike (R) | 7’0 | 270 lbs Kansas | Age: 21 | NO STATS |
| SG | #8 | Shaquille Harrison | 6’7 | 190 lbs Tulsa | Age: 27 | 4.9 pts | 2 reb | 1.1 ast 0.8 stl — CHI |
| SG | #33 | Elijah Hughes (R) | 6’6 | 215 lbs Syracuse | Age: 22 | NO STATS |
| PF | #16 | Juwan Morgan | 6’7 | 232 lbs Indiana | Age: 23 | 1.7 pts | 1.4 reb | 0.3 ast 0.1 blk |
| SG | #81 | Miye Oni | 6’5 | 206 lbs Yale | Age: 23 | 3.5 pts | 1.7 reb | 0.4 ast 0.4 stl |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| SF | #5 | Jarrell Brantley | 6’5 | 250 lbs Charleston | Age: 24 | 9 GP | 2.7 pts | 2.2 reb 1.2 ast |
| G | #3 | Trent Forrest (R) | 6’4 | 210 lbs Florida St. | Age: 22 | NO STATS |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: SG Donovan Mitchell
Breakout Player: SF Royce O’Neale
Grade: B
The Jazz enter ’20-’21 coming off of a crushing defeat in the playoffs with a squad looking nearly identical to last year. Besides the additions of rookies Udoka Azubuike and Elijah Hughes, as well as signing former Jazz Derrick Favors and Shaq Harrison, the team brings back all the notable guys they succeeded with last year. Sharp shooting guard Jordan Clarkson got a nice 4-year extension while the franchise star Donovan Mitchell signed a 5-year maximum contract extension. As many predict, the Jazz will be at the top of the West again this year with their elite depth of scoring and perimeter/post defending. They’ll have to duke it out in a tough Northwest division with the Blazers and Nuggets again, although standings only matter for the conference in general. I do think the Jazz are poised to make a possibly even deeper run in the playoffs this year and could be a dark horse to make it to the Conference Finals. Also watch out for Elijah Hughes this season as a potential breakout rookie that takes the league by storm.
Golden State Warriors
HC: Steve Kerr (7th year, Career/Team record: 337-138)
STARTERS:
| C | #33 | James Wiseman (R) | 7’1 | 240 lbs Memphis | Age: 19 | NO STATS |
| PF | #23 | Draymond Green | 6’6 | 230 lbs Michigan St. | Age: 30 | 8 pts | 6.2 reb | 6.2 ast 1.4 stl |
| SF | #22 | Andrew Wiggins | 6’7 | 194 lbs Kansas | Age: 25 | 21.8 pts | 5.1 reb | 3.7 ast 1 blk — MIN/GSW |
| SG | #26 | Kent Bazemore | 6’4 | 195 lbs Old Dominion | Age: 31 | 8.8 pts | 4.3 reb | 1.4 ast 1.1 stl — POR/SAC |
| PG | #30 | Stephen Curry | 6’3 | 190 lbs Davidson | Age: 32 | 5 GP | 20.8 pts | 6.6 ast 5.2 reb |
BENCH:
| SF | #12 | Kelly Oubre Jr. | 6’7 | 205 lbs Kansas | Age: 24 | 18.7 pts | 6.4 reb | 1.5 ast 1.3 stl — PHX |
| F | #7 | Eric Paschall | 6’6 | 255 lbs Villanova | Age: 24 | 14 pts | 4.6 reb | 2.1 ast 0.5 stl |
| PF/C | #5 | Kevon Looney | 6’9 | 220 lbs UCLA | Age: 24 | 3.4 pts | 3.3 reb | 1 ast 0.6 stl |
| SG | #3 | Jordan Poole | 6’4 | 195 lbs Michigan | Age: 21 | 8.8 pts | 2.4 ast | 2.1 reb 0.6 stl |
| PF | #32 | Marquese Chriss | 6’9 | 240 lbs Washington | Age: 23 | 9.3 pts | 6.2 reb | 1.9 ast 1.1 blk |
| PG | #10 | Brad Wanamaker | 6’3 | 210 lbs Pittsburgh | Age: 31 | 6.9 pts | 2.5 ast | 2 reb 0.9 stl — BOS |
| C | #6 | Alen Smailagic | 6’10 | 215 lbs Age: 20 | 4.2 pts | 1.9 reb | 0.9 ast 0.3 blk |
| SG | #1 | Damion Lee | 6’5 | 210 lbs Louisville | Age: 28 | 12.7 pts | 4.9 reb | 2.7 ast 1 stl |
| F | #95 | Juan Toscano-Anderson | 6’6 | 209 lbs Marquette | Age: 27 | 5.3 pts | 4 reb | 2 ast 1 stl |
| SG | #11 | Klay Thompson* (I) | 6’6 | 215 lbs Washington St. | Age: 30 | DNP – INJURED |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| PG | #2 | Nico Mannion (R) | 6’3 | 190 lbs Arizona | Age: 19 | NO STATS |
*Klay Thompson will miss the entire season after suffering a torn achilles in practice
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: PG Stephen Curry
Breakout Player: SG Jordan Poole
Grade: B-
It’s been a crazy past year and a half for the Warriors as the dominant dynasty faced a lot of adversity in 2019 and 2020. After making their fifth straight NBA Championship appearance in 2019, both Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant went down with injuries as the Raptors won their first title. Durant soon decided to depart to Brooklyn and Golden State entered last season without Klay and Steph would soon follow when he got injured five games into the season. The Warriors embraced a down year without their stars, completely tanking and deciding to package newly signed D’Angelo Russell for a better fit in Andrew Wiggins. After landing the number two pick in this years draft, the Warriors brought in top big man prospect James Wiseman, a force in the paint that Golden State has lacked all through their dynasty. Thompson sadly tore his achilles during training camp and will miss his second straight season. Besides Klay, Steph will be back and healthy as well as Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, and newly acquired Wiseman. Kelly Oubre, Kent Bazemore, and Brad Wanamaker were all signed to add depth along with breakout rookies from last year Eric Paschall and Jordan Poole. Although this Warriors team is not the powerhouse we have grown accustomed to over the past few years in the Bay Area, they’ll still be a playoff contender and can never be counted out of making a run with all their playoff experience. It’ll be an uphill battle in a division with the Lakers and Clippers, but the Warriors should be primed to be a 6 or 7 seed.
Los Angeles Clippers
HC: Tyronn Lue (1st year in LAC, Career record: 128-83)
STARTERS:
| PF/C | #9 | Serge Ibaka | 7’0 | 235 lbs Age: 31 | 15.4 pts | 8.2 reb | 1.4 ast 0.8 blk — TOR |
| SF | #8 | Marcus Morris Sr. | 6’8 | 218 lbs Kansas | Age: 31 | 16.7 pts | 5 reb | 1.4 ast 0.8 stl — NYK/LAC |
| SF | #2 | Kawhi Leonard | 6’7 | 225 lbs San Diego St. | Age: 29 | 27.1 pts | 7.1 reb | 4.9 ast 1.8 stl |
| SG/SF | #13 | Paul George | 6’8 | 220 lbs Fresno St. | Age: 30 | 21.5 pts | 5.7 reb | 3.9 ast 1.4 stl |
| PG | #21 | Patrick Beverley | 6’1 | 180 lbs Arkansas | Age: 32 | 7.9 pts | 5.2 reb | 3.6 ast 1.1 stl |
BENCH:
| SG | #23 | Lou Williams | 6’1 | 175 lbs Age: 34 | 18.2 pts | 5.6 ast | 3.1 reb 0.7 stl |
| SG | #5 | Luke Kennard | 6’5 | 206 lbs Duke | Age: 24 | 15.8 pts | 4.1 ast | 3.5 reb 0.4 stl — DET |
| C | #40 | Ivica Zubac | 7’0 | 240 lbs Age: 23 | 8.3 pts | 7.5 reb | 1.1 ast 0.9 blk |
| G | #1 | Reggie Jackson | 6’3 | 208 lbs Boston College | Age: 30 | 11.9 pts | 4.1 ast | 3 reb 0.4 stl — DET/LAC |
| PF | #54 | Patrick Patterson | 6’8 | 235 lbs Kentucky | Age: 31 | 4.9 pts | 2.6 reb | 0.7 ast 0.1 blk |
| SF | #33 | Nicolas Batum | 6’9 | 230 lbs Age: 31 | 3.6 pts | 4.5 reb | 3 ast 0.8 stl — CHA |
| PF | #25 | Mfiondu Kabengele | 6’9 | 250 lbs Florida St. | Age: 23 | 3.5 pts | 0.9 reb | 0.2 ast 0.2 blk |
| C | #10 | Daniel Oturu (R) | 6’10 | 240 lbs Minnesota | Age: 21 | NO STATS |
| PG | #0 | Ky Bowman | 6’1 | 187 lbs Boston College | Age: 23 | 7.4 pts | 2.9 ast | 2.7 reb 1 stl — GSW |
| SG | #14 | Terance Mann | 6’5 | 215 lbs Florida St. | Age: 24 | 2.4 pts | 1.3 reb | 1.3 ast 0.3 stl |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| SG | #7 | Amir Coffey | 6’7 | 210 lbs Minnesota | Age: 23 | 3.2 pts | 0.9 reb | 0.8 ast 0.3 stl |
| SG | #19 | Jay Scrubb (R) | 6’6 | 210 lbs John A. Logan | Age: 20 | NO STATS |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: SF Kawhi Leonard
Breakout Player: PF Mfiondu Kabengele
Grade: A
After creating one of the most hyped squads in the league by acquiring Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers imploded in the bubble and were eliminated in the semi-finals. Rumors began to circulate about the team chemistry and the anger around the leeway given to George and Kawhi over load management. Doc Rivers left after seven seasons at the helm in Los Angeles and was replaced by former Cavs coach and NBA Champion Tyronn Lue. The only big loss suffered in free agency was Montrezl Harrell who opted to switch LA teams with the Lakers. They were able to re-sign Marcus Morris, Reggie Jackson, and Patrick Patterson, while adding Serge Ibaka to replace Harrell. I definitely don’t think the Clippers downgraded at all and actually possibly look even more deeper than they did a year ago. Instead of Zubac starting at the five they can start one of the best shot blockers of this generation. Paul George was also extended for another five years and the only looming expiring contracts that remain with the core are Kawhi Leonard and Lou Williams. With Kawhi it wouldn’t seem like he’d be in a rush to leave, due to his desire to play in his hometown of SoCal. But then again no one ever really knows when it comes to Kawhi. This year is going to be huge for redemption with the Clippers, and with PG’s nonstop let downs throughout his playoff career, he has to be eager and on a verge to make an impact in 2021.
Los Angeles Lakers
HC: Frank Vogel (2nd year in LAL, Career record: 356-310, Team record: 52-19)
STARTERS:
| C | #14 | Marc Gasol | 6’11 | 255 lbs Age: 35 | 7.5 pts | 6.3 reb | 3.3 ast 0.9 blk — TOR |
| PF | #3 | Anthony Davis | 6’10 | 253 lbs Kentucky | Age: 27 | 26.1 pts | 9.3 reb | 3.2 ast 2.3 blk |
| SF | #23 | LeBron James | 6’9 | 250 lbs Age: 35 | 25.3 pts | 10.2 ast | 7.8 reb 1.2 stl |
| SG | #9 | Wesley Matthews | 6’4 | 220 lbs Marquette | Age: 34 | 7.4 pts | 2.5 reb | 1.4 ast 0.6 stl — MIL |
| PG | #17 | Dennis Schroder | 6’1 | 172 lbs Age: 27 | 18.9 pts | 4 ast | 3.6 reb 0.7 stl — OKC |
BENCH:
| PF/C | #15 | Montrezl Harrell | 6’7 | 240 lbs Louisville | Age: 26 | 18.6 pts | 7.1 reb | 1.7 ast 1.1 blk — LAC |
| F | #0 | Kyle Kuzma | 6’8 | 221 lbs Utah | Age: 25 | 12.8 pts | 4.5 reb | 1.3 ast 0.5 stl |
| SG | #1 | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | 6’5 | 204 lbs Georgia | Age: 27 | 9.3 pts | 2.1 reb | 1.6 ast 0.8 stl |
| PF | #88 | Markieff Morris | 6’8 | 245 lbs Kansas | Age: 31 | 9.7 pts | 3.8 reb | 1.3 ast 0.5 stl — DET/LAL |
| SG | #4 | Alex Caruso | 6’5 | 186 lbs Texas A&M | Age: 26 | 5.5 pts | 1.9 reb | 1.9 ast 1.1 stl |
| SG | #5 | Talen Horton-Tucker | 6’4 | 234 lbs Iowa State | Age: 20 | 6 GP | 5.7 pts | 1.3 stl 1.2 reb |
| PG | #2 | Quinn Cook | 6’1 | 180 lbs Duke | Age: 27 | 5.1 pts | 1.2 reb | 1.1 ast 0.3 stl |
| SF | #10 | Jared Dudley | 6’6 | 237 lbs Boston College | Age: 35 | 1.5 pts | 1.2 reb | 0.6 ast 0.3 stl |
| SG/SF | #28 | Alfonzo McKinnie | 6’7 | 215 lbs Green Bay | Age: 28 | 4.6 pts | 2.8 reb | 0.6 stl 0.4 ast — CLE |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| F | #37 | Kostas Antetokounmpo | 6’10 | 200 lbs Dayton | Age: 23 | 5 GP | 1.4 pts | 0.6 reb 0.4 ast |
| PF/C | #12 | Devontae Cacok | 6’8 | 240 lbs UNC-Wilmington | Age: 24 | 1 GP | 6 pts | 5 reb 1 ast |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: PF Anthony Davis
Breakout Player: SG Talen Horton-Tucker
Grade: A+
The reigning champs the Los Angeles Lakers will jump into ’20-’21 as the clear favorites to repeat. After winning the bubble just two months ago, LeBron walked away with his fourth ring and the Lakers were able to hoist their first title in ten years. This offseason the team did nothing but improve their roster, after trading for Sixth Man of the Year candidate Dennis Schroder to solidify their backcourt, and adding Sixth Man of the Year winner Montrezl Harrell. They also added veterans Marc Gasol and Wesley Matthews while re-signing Markieff Morris, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jared Dudley, and Quinn Cook. Along with these great moves, they also extended LeBron James and Anthony Davis, basically asserting their dominance across the league. There’s no doubt this Lakers squad is unbelievably deep along with their two stars AD and LeBron. I truly thought that last years Lakers was probably James’ deepest team he has ever had in his career but this one takes the cake. Heading into his age-36 season, LeBron is poised to make a solid run at matching Kobe’s five rings or even MJ’s six rings as long as he can stay healthy. We all know how dominant LBJ has been through his career but if you have read my NBA Top 50 of all-time, you know where I stand on the matter. Several teams in the West will have to take big steps forward if they want to stop the Lakers.
Phoenix Suns
HC: Monty Williams (2nd year in PHX, Career record: 207-260, Team record: 34-39)
STARTERS:
| C | #22 | Deandre Ayton | 6’11 | 250 lbs Arizona | Age: 22 | 18.2 pts | 11.5 reb | 1.9 ast 1.5 blk |
| PF | #20 | Dario Saric | 6’10 | 225 lbs Age: 26 | 10.7 pts | 6.2 reb | 1.9 ast 0.6 stl |
| SF | #25 | Mikal Bridges | 6’6 | 209 lbs Villanova | Age: 24 | 9.1 pts | 4 reb | 1.8 ast 1.4 stl |
| SG | #1 | Devin Booker | 6’5 | 206 lbs Kentucky | Age: 24 | 26.6 pts | 6.5 ast | 4.2 reb 0.7 stl |
| PG | #3 | Chris Paul | 6’1 | 175 lbs Wake Forest | Age: 35 | 17.6 pts | 6.7 ast | 5 reb 1.6 stl — OKC |
BENCH:
| SF | #99 | Jae Crowder | 6’6 | 235 lbs Marquette | Age: 30 | 10.5 pts | 5.9 reb | 2.5 ast 1.1 stl — MEM/MIA |
| F | #23 | Cameron Johnson | 6’8 | 210 lbs North Carolina | Age: 24 | 8.8 pts | 3.3 reb | 1.2 ast 0.6 stl |
| PG | #15 | Cameron Payne | 6’3 | 190 lbs Murray State | Age: 26 | 8 GP | 10.9 pts | 3.9 reb 3 ast |
| PG | #4 | Jevon Carter | 6’1 | 200 lbs West Virginia | Age: 25 | 4.9 pts | 2 reb | 1.4 ast 0.8 stl |
| C | #10 | Jalen Smith (R) | 6’10 | 225 lbs Maryland | Age: 20 | NO STATS |
| SG | #2 | Langston Galloway | 6’1 | 200 lbs St. Joseph’s | Age: 29 | 10.3 pts | 2.3 reb | 1.5 ast 0.7 stl — DET |
| C | #30 | Damian Jones | 6’11 | 245 lbs Vanderbilt | Age: 25 | 5.6 pts | 3.7 reb | 0.7 blk 0.6 ast — ATL |
| SG | #55 | E’Twaun Moore | 6’3 | 191 lbs Purdue | Age: 31 | 8.3 pts | 2.3 reb | 1.4 ast 0.6 stl — NOP |
| SF | #11 | Abdel Nader | 6’5 | 225 lbs Iowa State | Age: 27 | 6.3 pts | 1.8 reb | 0.7 ast 0.4 stl — OKC |
| F | #12 | Johnathan Motley | 6’8 | 230 lbs Baylor | Age: 25 | 2.2 pts | 0.8 reb | 0.6 ast 0.2 stl — LAC |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| SG | #0 | Ty-Shon Alexander (R) | 6’4 | 200 lbs Creighton | Age: 22 | NO STATS |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: SG Devin Booker
Breakout Player: SF Mikal Bridges
Grade: B+
After making a tough late run that inevitably fell short of a playoff spot in last years bubble, Phoenix made a splash this offseason to help create themselves as a real contender in the West. They first acquired Chris Paul from the Thunder in exchange for draft picks and a haul headlined by Kelly Oubre. When free agency opened Phoenix also landed Jae Crowder, Damian Jones, sharp shooter E’Twaun Moore, and Langston Galloway to help solidify their bench with new faces. They also added Maryland big man Jalen Smith with the 10th pick, and re-signed Jevon Carter and Dario Saric. Now ready to roll with a clearly better team than they had a year ago, the Suns will look to stay competitive in a tough division while fighting for one of the last playoff spots. A backcourt of Booker and CP3 is going to be a dynamic one and a huge part of this season that I’m looking forward to. Also with Deandre Ayton entering his third year in the league, the former first overall pick will look to become the star they knew he could be and create a big three in the Valley. I like the Suns new look team a lot and for the first time in a while we might have a good team competing in Phoenix. Although the West is still an all out dog fight and the Suns probably won’t be title contenders, this season will be a huge building block for a young squad that can make a deep run for years to come.
Sacramento Kings
HC: Luke Walton (2nd year in SAC, Career record: 129-189, Team record: 31-41)
STARTERS:
| C | #20 | Hassan Whiteside | 7’0 | 265 lbs Marshall | Age: 31 | 15.5 pts | 13.5 reb | 2.9 blk 1.2 ast — POR |
| PF | #35 | Marvin Bagley III | 6’11 | 235 lbs Duke | Age: 21 | 14.2 pts | 7.5 reb | 0.9 blk 0.8 ast |
| SF | #40 | Harrison Barnes | 6’8 | 225 lbs North Carolina | Age: 28 | 14.5 pts | 4.9 reb | 2.2 ast 0.6 stl |
| SG | #24 | Buddy Hield | 6’4 | 220 lbs Oklahoma | Age: 27 | 19.2 pts | 4.6 reb | 3 ast 0.9 stl |
| PG | #5 | De’Aaron Fox | 6’3 | 185 lbs Kentucky | Age: 22 | 21.1 pts | 6.8 ast | 3.8 reb 1.5 stl |
BENCH:
| F | #88 | Nemanja Bjelica | 6’10 | 234 lbs Age: 32 | 11.5 pts | 6.4 reb | 2.8 ast 0.9 stl |
| PF/C | #22 | Richaun Holmes | 6’10 | 235 lbs Bowling Green | Age: 27 | 12.3 pts | 8.1 reb | 1.3 blk 1 ast |
| PG | #0 | Tyrese Haliburton (R) | 6’5 | 175 lbs Iowa State | Age: 20 | NO STATS |
| SG/SF | #19 | DaQuan Jeffries | 6’5 | 230 lbs Tulsa | Age: 23 | 3.8 pts | 1.4 reb | 0.5 ast 0.3 stl |
| G | #9 | Cory Joseph | 6’3 | 200 lbs Texas | Age: 29 | 6.4 pts | 3.5 ast | 2.6 reb 0.7 stl |
| PF/C | #41 | Frank Kaminsky | 7’0 | 240 lbs Wisconsin | Age: 27 | 9.7 pts | 4.5 reb | 1.9 ast 0.4 stl — PHX |
| SG | #12 | Robert Woodard II (R) | 6’7 | 235 lbs Mississippi St. | Age: 21 | NO STATS |
| SG | #10 | Justin James | 6’7 | 190 lbs Wyoming | Age: 23 | 2.5 pts | 0.9 reb | 0.5 ast 0.3 blk |
| F | #33 | Jabari Parker | 6’8 | 245 lbs Duke | Age: 25 | 14 pts | 5.6 reb | 1.8 ast 1.2 stl — ATL/SAC |
| SG | #3 | Jahmi’us Ramsey (R) | 6’4 | 195 lbs Texas Tech | Age: 19 | NO STATS |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| PG | #7 | Kyle Guy | 6’1 | 167 lbs Virginia | Age: 23 | 3 GP | 1.3 pts | 0.3 reb 0.3 ast |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: PG De’Aaron Fox
Breakout Player: SG/SF DaQuan Jeffries
Grade: C+
Entering ’20-’21 in the toughest division in all of basketball, the Kings have definitely improved a bit although that might not really say much. After another losing season last year that fell short of the playoffs, Sacramento added some decent talent to an already youth filled lineup. Hassan Whiteside was signed for the veteran minimum, a move that I think was an absolute steal and one that really shocked me. Veterans Chimezie Metu, Glenn Robinson III, and Frank Kaminsky were all also added on non-guaranteed contracts with only one realistic roster spot available. The Kings also added three very solid backcourt prospects in lottery pick Tyrese Haliburton and 2nd-rounders Jahmi’us Ramsey and Robert Woodard II. They were all immediately signed to multi-year contracts and Haliburton will probably be the future backcourt mate alongside recently extended De’Aaron Fox. Drama still looms though in Sac Town as Buddy Hield demanded a traded and looks to be dealt out soon with the addition of Haliburton. Although I think this Kings team will be solid and at least a little fun to watch, I don’t see them as a real playoff threat in the West. Luke Walton has not impressed me in the slightest even while he was in Los Angeles and I think another bad year could spell trouble for his job. With the new play-in tournament for the playoffs, the Kings could have a shot at a 10-seed but shouldn’t make any real impact.
Dallas Mavericks
HC: Rick Carlisle (13th year in DAL, Career record: 794-659, Team record: 513-448)
STARTERS:
| C | #7 | Dwight Powell | 6’10 | 240 lbs Stanford | Age: 29 | 9.4 pts | 5.7 reb | 1.5 ast 0.9 stl |
| PF | #6 | Kristaps Porzingis* | 7’3 | 240 lbs Age: 25 | 20.4 pts | 9.5 reb | 2 blk 1.8 ast |
| SG/SF | #11 | Tim Hardaway Jr. | 6’5 | 205 lbs Michigan | Age: 28 | 15.8 pts | 3.3 reb | 1.9 ast 0.6 stl |
| SG | #0 | Josh Richardson | 6’5 | 200 lbs Tennessee | Age: 27 | 13.7 pts | 3.2 reb | 2.9 ast 0.9 stl — PHI |
| G/SF | #77 | Luka Doncic | 6’7 | 230 lbs Age: 21 | 28.8 pts | 9.4 reb | 8.8 ast 1 stl |
BENCH:
| PG | #13 | Jalen Brunson | 6’1 | 190 lbs Villanova | Age: 24 | 8.2 pts | 3.3 ast | 2.4 reb 0.4 stl |
| F | #42 | Maxi Kleber | 6’10 | 240 lbs Age: 28 | 9.1 pts | 5.2 reb | 1.2 ast 1.1 blk |
| SF | #10 | Dorian Finney-Smith | 6’7 | 220 lbs Florida | Age: 27 | 9.5 pts | 5.7 reb | 1.6 ast 0.6 stl |
| PF | #16 | James Johnson | 6’7 | 240 lbs Wake Forest | Age: 33 | 8.4 pts | 3.7 reb | 2.3 ast 1 blk — MIA/MIN |
| PG | #3 | Trey Burke | 6’0 | 185 lbs Michigan | Age: 28 | 7.4 pts | 2.5 ast | 1.5 reb 0.5 stl — DAL/PHI |
| C | #33 | Willie Cauley-Stein | 7’0 | 240 lbs Kentucky | Age: 27 | 7.2 pts | 5.8 reb | 1.3 ast 1.1 blk — GSW/DAL |
| SG | #8 | Josh Green (R) | 6’6 | 210 lbs Arizona | Age: 20 | NO STATS |
| C | #51 | Boban Marjanovic | 7’4 | 290 lbs Age: 32 | 6.6 pts | 4.5 reb | 0.5 ast 0.2 blk |
| SF | #25 | Wesley Iwundu | 6’6 | 195 lbs Kansas St. | Age: 25 | 5.8 pts | 2.5 reb | 1.2 ast 0.5 stl — ORL |
| G | #1 | Tyrell Terry (R) | 6’2 | 175 lbs Stanford | Age: 20 | NO STATS |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| SF | #2 | Tyler Bey (R) | 6’7 | 216 lbs Colorado | Age: 22 | NO STATS |
| SG | #14 | Nate Hinton (R) | 6’5 | 210 lbs Houston | Age: 21 | NO STATS |
*Kristaps Porzingis could miss the first month of the season with a torn meniscus
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: G/SF Luka Doncic
Breakout Player: C Dwight Powell
Grade: B
After a ’19-’20 campaign that propelled Dallas back into the limelight of the West, the Mavs enter this season as one of the real contenders of the conference. Luka implemented himself as a star from the second he took the court in his first game, but the pure dominance from the 21-year-old was not what anyone was expecting this soon. Bringing Dwight Powell back from injury and adding veterans James Johnson, Trey Burke, and Wesley Iwundu will make this squad set to go. Sure KP will definitely miss time due to injury as usual but Luka will be able to carry this squad with a solid supporting cast of scorers and defenders. I don’t think Dallas is really a legitimate title contender especially with several more dominant teams in the West, but I do think they could be capable of picking someone off in the playoffs. What I’m most excited about is seeing how Doncic will follow up such a dominant year this past season. Personally I think he is one of the most polarizing players to watch in the entire league and could be a dark house to win the MVP in his third NBA season.
Houston Rockets
HC: Stephen Silas (1st year)
STARTERS:
| C | #15 | DeMarcus Cousins | 6’10 | 270 lbs Kentucky | Age: 30 | DNP – INJURED |
| PF | #35 | Christian Wood | 6’10 | 214 lbs UNLV | Age: 25 | 13.1 pts | 6.3 reb | 1 ast 0.9 blk — DET |
| F | #17 | P.J. Tucker | 6’5 | 245 lbs Texas | Age: 35 | 6.9 pts | 6.6 reb | 1.6 ast 1.1 stl |
| SG | #13 | James Harden | 6’5 | 220 lbs Arizona St. | Age: 31 | 34.3 pts | 7.5 ast | 6.6 reb 1.8 stl |
| PG | #1 | John Wall | 6’4 | 210 lbs Kentucky | Age: 30 | DNP – INJURED |
BENCH:
| SG | #10 | Eric Gordon | 6’3 | 215 lbs Indiana | Age: 31 | 14.4 pts | 2 reb | 1.5 ast 0.6 stl |
| SF | #4 | Danuel House Jr. | 6’6 | 220 lbs Texas A&M | Age: 27 | 10.5 pts | 4.2 reb | 1.3 ast 1.1 stl |
| SG/SF | #16 | Ben McLemore | 6’3 | 195 lbs Kansas | Age: 27 | 10.1 pts | 2.2 reb | 0.8 ast 0.6 stl |
| SF | #8 | Jae’Sean Tate (R) | 6’4 | 230 lbs Ohio State | Age: 25 | DNP – OVERSEAS |
| F | #5 | Bruno Caboclo | 6’9 | 218 lbs Age: 25 | 3 pts | 2 reb | 0.6 blk 0.5 stl — MEM/HOU |
| SF | #0 | Sterling Brown | 6’5 | 219 lbs SMU | Age: 25 | 5.1 pts | 3.5 reb | 1 ast 0.6 stl — MIL |
| F | #6 | Kenyon Martin Jr. (R) | 6’7 | 215 lbs Age: 19 | NO STATS |
| SG | #2 | David Nwaba | 6’5 | 219 lbs Cal Poly | Age: 27 | 5.2 pts | 2.3 reb | 0.6 stl 0.6 blk — BKN |
| PG | #3 | Chris Clemons* (I) | 5’9 | 180 lbs Campbell | Age: 23 | 4.9 pts | 0.9 reb | 0.8 ast 0.3 stl |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| SG | #15 | Mason Jones (R) | 6’5 | 200 lbs Arkansas | Age: 22 | NO STATS |
*Chris Clemons will miss the entire season with a torn achilles
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: SG James Harden
Breakout Players: F Bruno Caboclo
Grade: C+
The Rockets made one big splash this offseason and not necessarily in a good way, as they looked to shake up the team big time after another 2nd round exit. First things first Mike D’Antoni was fired after five seasons of falling short every year. After abandoning all of their big men in 2020 in an attempt to run a small ball lineup centered around Harden and Westbrook, the idea soon showed to be ineffective as most NBA fans expected. Entering the offseason under new management the Rockets signed big men Christian Wood and DeMarcus Cousins to man the paint. As well as this they added Kenyon Martin Jr. in the draft and parted ways with 3-and-D wing Robert Covington while swapping star Russell Westbrook for John Wall. After rumors began to circulate that Westbrook was being shopped and James Harden wanted out, Russ was quickly let go and drama still remains around their MVP Harden. After sitting out for most of training camp, Harden returned to practice as Houston looks to try to stay relevant with a new big three in Harden, Wall, and Cousins. I give the Rockets a solid C+ because I think they downgraded from last year. Most of their quality depth is gone while the team is banking on big production from two stars who are coming back from a couple of years missed due to injuries. Although I’m glad they got rid of D’Antoni, who clearly was not working out well, I don’t think there’s much optimism for this team to be able to compete with the powerhouses in the West. A lot of people think they’ll still be in the mix but I don’t see them landing much better than 37-35 and probably having to compete in the play-in tournament to get into the playoffs.
Memphis Grizzlies
HC: Taylor Jenkins (2nd year, Career/Team record: 34-39)
STARTERS:
| C | #17 | Jonas Valanciunas | 6’11 | 265 lbs Age: 28 | 14.9 pts | 11.3 reb | 1.9 ast 1.1 blk |
| F | #15 | Brandon Clarke | 6’8 | 215 lbs Gonzaga | Age: 24 | 12.1 pts | 5.9 reb | 1.4 ast 0.8 blk |
| SF | #1 | Kyle Anderson | 6’9 | 230 lbs UCLA | Age: 27 | 5.8 pts | 4.3 reb | 2.4 ast 0.8 stl |
| SG | #24 | Dillon Brooks | 6’7 | 225 lbs Oregon | Age: 24 | 16.2 pts | 3.3 reb | 2.1 ast 0.9 stl |
| PG | #12 | Ja Morant | 6’3 | 174 lbs Murray St. | Age: 21 | 17.8 pts | 7.3 ast | 3.9 reb 0.9 stl |
BENCH:
| SF | #7 | Justise Winslow* | 6’6 | 222 lbs Duke | Age: 24 | 11.3 pts | 6.6 reb | 4 ast 0.6 stl — MIA |
| C | #14 | Gorgui Dieng | 6’10 | 252 lbs Louisville | Age: 30 | 7.4 pts | 5.6 reb | 1.2 ast 0.9 blk — MIN/MEM |
| PG | #21 | Tyus Jones | 6’0 | 196 lbs Duke | Age: 24 | 7.4 pts | 4.4 ast | 1.6 reb 0.9 stl |
| SG | #3 | Grayson Allen | 6’4 | 198 lbs Duke | Age: 25 | 8.7 pts | 2.2 reb | 1.4 ast 0.3 stl |
| G | #0 | De’Anthony Melton | 6’2 | 200 lbs USC | Age: 22 | 7.6 pts | 3.7 reb | 2.9 ast 1.3 stl |
| SG | #22 | Desmond Bane (R) | 6’6 | 215 lbs TCU | Age: 22 | NO STATS |
| PF/C | #2 | Xavier Tillman Sr. (R) | 6’8 | 250 lbs Michigan St. | Age: 21 | NO STATS |
| PF | #4 | Jontay Porter (R) | 6’10 | 236 lbs Missouri | Age: 21 | DNP – INJURED |
| SG | #46 | John Konchar | 6’5 | 210 lbs Purdue-FW | Age: 24 | 2.8 pts | 2.5 reb | 1.2 ast 0.4 stl |
| PF | #13 | Jaren Jackson Jr.** (I) | 6’11 | 242 lbs Michigan St. | Age: 21 | 17.4 pts | 4.6 reb | 1.6 blk 1.4 ast |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| PF/C | #35 | Killian Tillie (R) | 6’10 | 220 lbs Gonzaga | Age: 22 | NO STATS |
| SF | #30 | Sean McDermott (R) | 6’6 | 195 lbs Butler | Age: 24 | NO STATS |
*Justise Winslow could miss the start of the season with a hip injury
**Jaren Jackson Jr. could miss the first few months of the season with a torn meniscus
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: PG Ja Morant
Breakout Player: PF Brandon Clarke
Grade: B
After a shockingly competitive year that saw Ja Morant blossom into a franchise player in his Rookie year, the Grizzlies will look to add on to their success in ’20-’21. After keeping their entire core in tact from last year while adding rookies Desmond Bane and Xavier Tillman Sr., the Grizz should be just as much of a force as last year. Sure a sophomore slump could always hit Ja and JJJ’s injury will cost him the majority of the season, but the rest of the core is capable of holding down a competitive run. Jonas Valanciunas has excelled since his days in Toronto, while Brandon Clarke had an All-Rookie season last year and could break out in the starting role this year. Justise Winslow was added from Miami at the deadline last year and did not suit up once for Memphis due to injury, but he should be good to go after possibly a few weeks. Gorgui Dieng, Tyus Jones, and Grayson Allen will man a tough second unit while De’Anthony Melton was re-signed as bench depth after a solid last season. With all the competition in the West, Memphis will definitely have an uphill battle even if they do click on all cylinders. Regardless it’ll be fun to watch another season of the young core the Grizzlies are building and I think rookies Bane and Tillman were tremendous picks that can make impacts immediately.
New Orleans Pelicans
HC: Stan Van Gundy (1st year in NOP, Career record: 524-384)
STARTERS:
| C | #12 | Steven Adams | 7’0 | 265 lbs Pittsburgh | Age: 27 | 10.9 pts | 9.3 reb | 2.3 ast 1.1 blk — OKC |
| F | #1 | Zion Williamson | 6’7 | 285 lbs Duke | Age: 20 | 22.5 pts | 6.3 reb | 2.1 ast 0.7 stl |
| SF | #14 | Brandon Ingram | 6’9 | 190 lbs Duke | Age: 23 | 23.8 pts | 6.1 reb | 4.2 ast 1 stl |
| G | #5 | Eric Bledsoe | 6’1 | 205 lbs Kentucky | Age: 31 | 14.9 pts | 5.4 ast | 4.6 reb 0.9 stl — MIL |
| PG | #2 | Lonzo Ball | 6’6 | 190 lbs UCLA | Age: 23 | 11.8 pts | 7 ast | 6.1 reb 1.4 stl |
BENCH:
| SG | #3 | Josh Hart | 6’5 | 215 lbs Villanova | Age: 25 | 10.1 pts | 6.5 reb | 1.7 ast 1 stl |
| SG | #4 | J.J. Redick | 6’4 | 200 lbs Duke | Age: 36 | 15.3 pts | 2.5 reb | 2 ast 0.3 stl |
| C | #10 | Jaxson Hayes | 6’11 | 220 lbs Texas | Age: 20 | 7.4 pts | 4 reb | 0.9 ast 0.9 blk |
| PF | #20 | Nicolo Melli | 6’9 | 235 lbs Age: 29 | 6.6 pts | 3 reb | 1.4 ast 0.6 stl |
| SG | #6 | Nickeil Alexander-Walker | 6’5 | 205 lbs Virginia Tech | Age: 22 | 5.7 pts | 1.9 ast | 1.8 reb 0.4 stl |
| PG | #13 | Kira Lewis Jr. (R) | 6’3 | 165 lbs Alabama | Age: 19 | NO STATS |
| C | #9 | Willy Hernangomez | 6’11 | 250 lbs Age: 26 | 6.1 pts | 4.3 reb | 0.9 ast 0.3 stl — CHA |
| F | #32 | Wenyen Gabriel | 6’9 | 205 lbs Kentucky | Age: 23 | 2.1 pts | 1.7 reb | 0.4 stl 0.3 ast — SAC/POR |
| SG | #15 | Sindarius Thornwell | 6’4 | 215 lbs South Carolina | Age: 26 | 2 GP | 8 pts | 2 reb 2 ast |
| C | #0 | Ike Anigbogu | 6’9 | 252 lbs UCLA | Age: 22 | DNP – G-LEAGUE |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| SF | #8 | Naji Marshall (R) | 6’7 | 220 lbs Xavier | Age: 22 | NO STATS |
| PF/C | #25 | Will Magnay (R) | 6’10 | 234 lbs Tulsa | Age: 22 | DNP – OVERSEAS |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: SF Brandon Ingram
Breakout Player: SG Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Grade: B
After a year that saw a lot of progress in the beginning of the post-Anthony Davis era, the Pelicans will be a hard competitor for one of the last playoff spots in ’20-’21. Both Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson proved to be huge forces for New Orleans last season after Ingram made the all-star team and the highly anticipated rookie broke out in his limited season. Zion will reportedly have no minutes restrictions this season after coming off of an injury that plagued his entire rookie year. The Pelicans added on to their already solid young core by trading for big man Steven Adams and guard Eric Bledsoe, while signing Willy Hernangomez and Wenyen Gabriel as bench pieces. They also added speedy young point guard Kira Lewis Jr. in the draft, an insurance option for Lonzo Ball who has fallen short of his star potential thus far. I think New Orleans is going to be a solid and quite competitive team, especially after bringing in long-time Magic coach Stan Van Gundy. I like their lineup a lot with a solid mix of depth in dynamic scorers J.J. Redick, Brandon Ingram, and Zion, while having defensive minded players in Lonzo Ball, Steven Adams, and Eric Bledsoe. As I’ve said with the majority of other teams in the West, it will be an uphill battle to be a real contender but the Pelicans are well equipped to potentially make a spark soon. The most exciting thing this season will be to see a full year of Zion and fourth quarters that consist of him and B.I. together.
San Antonio Spurs
HC: Gregg Popovich (25th year, Career/Team record: 1,277-614)
STARTERS:
| C | #25 | Jakob Poeltl | 7’0 | 240 lbs Utah | Age: 25 | 5.6 pts | 5.7 reb | 1.8 ast 1.4 blk |
| PF/C | #12 | LaMarcus Aldridge | 6’11 | 250 lbs Texas | Age: 35 | 18.9 pts | 7.4 reb | 2.4 ast 1.6 blk |
| SG/SF | #10 | DeMar DeRozan | 6’7 | 220 lbs USC | Age: 31 | 22.1 pts | 5.6 ast | 5.5 reb 1 stl |
| SG | #24 | Devin Vassell (R) | 6’7 | 195 lbs Florida St. | Age: 20 | NO STATS |
| PG | #5 | Dejounte Murray | 6’5 | 180 lbs Washington | Age: 24 | 10.9 pts | 5.8 reb | 4.1 ast 1.7 stl |
BENCH:
| G | #4 | Derrick White | 6’4 | 195 lbs Colorado | Age: 26 | 11.3 pts | 3.5 ast | 3.3 reb 0.9 blk |
| PF | #41 | Trey Lyles | 6’10 | 235 lbs Kentucky | Age: 25 | 6.4 pts | 5.7 reb | 1.1 ast 0.4 blk |
| SF | #22 | Rudy Gay | 6’8 | 240 lbs Connecticut | Age: 34 | 10.8 pts | 5.4 reb | 1.7 ast 0.5 stl |
| SG | #1 | Lonnie Walker IV | 6’5 | 205 lbs Miami (FL) | Age: 22 | 6.4 pts | 2.3 reb | 1.1 ast 0.5 stl |
| PG | #8 | Patty Mills | 6’0 | 180 lbs St. Mary’s | Age: 32 | 11.6 pts | 1.8 ast | 1.6 reb 0.8 stl |
| SG | #3 | Keldon Johnson | 6’6 | 210 lbs Kentucky | Age: 21 | 9.1 pts | 3.4 reb | 0.9 ast 0.8 stl |
| PF/C | #14 | Drew Eubanks | 6’10 | 245 lbs Oregon St. | Age: 23 | 4.9 pts | 3.9 reb | 0.8 blk 0.7 ast |
| PF | #19 | Luka Samanic | 6’11 | 235 lbs Age: 20 | 3 GP | 5.3 pts | 3.3 reb 2 ast |
| PG | #33 | Tre Jones (R) | 6’3 | 185 lbs Duke | Age: 20 | NO STATS |
| C | #40 | Tyler Zeller | 7’0 | 250 lbs North Carolina | Age: 30 | 2 GP | 1 pts | 2 reb |
TWO WAY CONTRACTS:
| SG | #15 | Quinndary Weatherspoon | 6’4 | 205 lbs Mississippi St. | Age: 24 | 1.1 pts | 1 ast | 0.6 reb 0.3 stl |
| SF | #31 | Keita Bates-Diop | 6’8 | 229 lbs Ohio State | Age: 24 | 6.5 pts | 2.9 reb | 0.7 ast 0.5 blk — MIN/DEN |
PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: SG DeMar DeRozan
Breakout Player: SG Lonnie Walker IV
Grade: C
Rounding out the reviews we have the Spurs who we’ve grown accustomed to watching dominate the West but don’t seem poised to keep their competitive streak going. After not making the playoffs for the first time in Gregg Popovich’s 24-year tenure at the helm, San Antonio took a huge step backwards last year and look to be in need of a rebuild. It’s not shocking as the franchise has dominated the NBA over the past 20 years, winning five championships and producing four Hall-of-Fame caliber talents (Duncan, Robinson, Parker, and Ginobili). With stars DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge entering the final year of their contracts, the Spurs will probably look to tank again this year and let the veterans walk after the season, embracing a youth movement. Although the Spurs will need to reproduce a winning club that can take some time, they do have some solid young talent already in the mix. Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, and Lonnie Walker will be good pieces to build around, along with their 2020 lottery pick Devin Vassell and 2nd rounder Tre Jones. The Spurs will definitely be at the bottom of the West and might even be able to tank enough to land a top 5 pick in this upcoming and highly anticipated 2021 draft class. Who knows how long Gregg Popovich will remain in San Antonio, but the dynasty we once knew are several years away from legitimate production again.
The Sports World According To Paul 