So another NBA season is upon us, after one of the most league-altering off-seasons ever. Superstars swapped teams all over the place, some to team up with other stars for new-found team success (Kawhi/PG; LeBron/AD; Kyrie/KD), some to ditch team success in exchange for personal alpha-dog glory (we’re looking at you, Jimmy Butler).
Having successfully picked every single round of the 2018 playoffs, I sat out last year’s NBA preview and farmed it out to my esteemed colleague Dash Rabbit. His Western Conference picks included such stellar playoff squads as Phoenix, Minnesota, and New Orleans, while leaving the Blazers, Nuggets, Jazz, and Clippers on the outside looking in. As such, I’ll be stepping back into the prognosticator’s chair this year, to tell you once and for all exactly what will happen in the NBA this season.
Western Conference:
1 – Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets are young and loaded with talent, and should pick up right where they left off last season. I’m picking them to finish first in the west because I think it will take most of the other good teams some time to gel with their shiny new parts. Nikola Jokic is the best doughy center we’ve seen in some time.
2 – Los Angeles Clippers: It’s going to take some time for Paul George to get back to full speed once he returns from shoulder surgery in November. By playoff time, though, this should be a defensive beast of a team, with Kawhi, PG, and Patrick Beverley anchoring a historically stingy unit. Oh, and Kawhi and PG are pretty good offensively, too.
3 – Houston Rockets: Maybe this whole thing will fall apart under the strain of the competing ball-hogging of James Harden and Russell Westbrook. I kind of think it will work out just fine, though. Westbrook is insane, but not so insane that he won’t relish playing with another guy who pulls the defense in every direction. Their style seems best suited to regular season runs, though.
4 – Utah Jazz: The addition of Mike Conley pushes the Jazz into the top rank of NBA squads, and gives them a legit shot at the title. Rudy Gobert will continue to dominate in the middle, and fans everywhere will continue to sleep on them. Because, you know, they’re from Utah.
5 – Los Angeles Lakers: While everyone was clamoring to lift the Lakers back to the top of the league last year, I was quietly skeptical that they’d even make the playoffs. (Spoiler: They didn’t.) With the addition of Anthony Davis, they should take care of that pretty easily, but any lengthy injury spells for AD or LeBron will spell doom for this team. They’re not deep and they’re pretty old. An underwhelming season with long LeBron-less spells might just lead to Laker fans’ biggest fear: another AD one-and-done.
6 – San Antonio Spurs: Getting Dejounte Murray back from a season-long injury will be a huge boost for the Spurs. They’ll continue to ride Lamarcus Aldridge and Demar DeRozen, but it’s their quick young backcourt that will allow them to keep pace in the lightning-fast west.
7 – Golden State Warriors: Don’t count out the Dubs just yet. They’ve still got plenty of talent, most notably a certain HOF point guard who’s rewritten every three-point record and fundamentally changed how the game is played all the way down to the high school level. Steph Curry alone will make sure that the Warriors are around come playoff time.
8 – Dallas Mavericks: Second-year phenom Luka Doncic is the real deal. He looked every inch the superstar in his rookie season, and I expect him to be even better this year. He’s also got an uber-talented sidekick along for the ride, and as long as Kristaps Porzingis is at all healthy, this squad has the good to make an unexpected playoff nod.
Eastern Conference:
1 – Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis is back, as are almost everyone else from last year’s dominant squad, so I can’t really see this bunch doing anything but getting better. Don’t kid yourself, losing Malcolm Brogdon isn’t really that big a deal. The Bucks seem to be the class of the east, and I expect them to make a serious title run.
2 – Philadelphia 76ers: The Sixers are the only other Eastern team that has a chance at winning the title. Losing Jimmy Butler and J.J. Redick stings, but adding Al Horford and Josh Richardson should go some ways toward making up for it. Their whole season will rise and fall with Joel Embiid’s health; if he goes down for any amount of time, they’re in trouble.
3 – Boston Celtics: Kemba Walker is going to fit perfectly into coach Brad Stevens’ offense, running pick and rolls to perfection with his youthful running mates. He’s also a killer in the clutch, and will hit more than his share of game-winning shots. Kemba’s going to be a big hit in Beantown.
4 – Indiana Pacers: The Pacers are never anyone’s sexy pick for anything, but they’ll turn in another solid season full of hard-nosed play and gritty whatever. They’re the Pacers, though, so I just can’t spend any more time thinking about them.
5 – Brooklyn Nets: Kyrie’s ready to lead another group of youthful go-getters down the primrose path to glory, impressing them with his ability to share the ball and really inspire the best in his teammates. Just kidding, he’ll probably alienate them within a couple of months and they’ll spend the rest of the year waiting for KD to show up. Still, they’re in the east, so they’ll make the playoffs.
6 – Toronto Raptors: Losing Kawhi hurts a ton, but the Raptors still have enough talent to make some noise in the east. Pascal Siakam is sure to make another giant leap forward, and Kyle Lowry should play with the confidence of a true winner. Sixth place!
7 – Atlanta Hawks: Look, in the west, the Hawks would be bottom-feeder material. But this is the east, so I think Trae Young and the rest of this hard-playing young team will be just good enough to qualify for a first-round sweep by the Bucks or Sixers.
8 – Another Team: I don’t have the heart to wade through the dregs of the east to figure out who’s coming in eighth place. Whoever it is, they won’t last long in the playoffs and they’d probably be better off tanking. Pencil in the Magic or the Pistons or some other crap.
As for the playoffs, I think the Clips will end taking on the Bucks in the finals. Which the Clippers will win. Yes, I think the Clippers will win the NBA title this season, and for once it has nothing to do with the amount of medication I’m taking.
Giannis will walk off with another MVP, Ja Morant will push past a frequently-injured Zion for Rookie of the Year, and Mike Malone of the Nuggets will win Coach of the Year.
Book it.
Suns look pretty good this year. Perhaps the esteemed Mr. Rabbit was just ahead of his time.
Kristaps Porzingis is a type of exotic crisp in England. I read it on the internet.
Solid picks… I might gently pushback at Denver and Utah being so high (in the minority – especially re Denver, I know – but until one of them actually WINS a big/tough series in the playoffs – I don’t buy either for legitimately competing for a championship). I also don’t think Clips gonna win Ring this year. Ultimately, too small… But we shall see! Again, niiice picks.