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05-03-2019, 05:38 PM
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#201 |
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Pro
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All Star City
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05-03-2019, 07:26 PM
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#202 |
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Pro
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2K Hoops Summit
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05-15-2019, 02:07 AM
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#203 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2019-20 NBA Season Preview
NBA Preparing for a New Season The NBA is looking like it is at the start of a new era in 2019. The Golden State Warriors dynasty made it back to the NBA Finals in June, but lost to someone other than LeBron James as the Brooklyn Nets took home the NBA title. After a most interesting offseason, that dynasty may be over, and we may see some new blood deep in the playoffs this year. How do we think that will happen? Well, you'll have to read our division-by-division NBA.com Season Preview to find out. The Atlantic Division comes with a lot of change this season. The defending champion Brooklyn Nets only got better, adding Jimmy Butler to an already high-performing lineup that includes D'Angelo Russell, Caris LeVert, and 2019 All Star Jarrett Allen. The Celtics may be the most stable team in the division, returning nine significant players from last year. Boston lost star point guard Kyrie Irving in free agency, but were able to land the number one pick in the draft lottery to replace Irving with Ja Morant out of Murray State. After finishing sixth in the conference last season, Boston looks to make another strong showing in the playoffs this year. On the other side of the spectrum, the 76ers are one of the most changed teams in the entire league, returning just five players from last year's roster. All-Stars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid look to get the Sixers back into the playoffs for the third year in a row, and they will have the help of several new additions such as Khris Middleton, Thaddeus Young, Kevon Looney, and Lance Stephenson. After missing the playoffs last year for the sixth straight year, the New York Knicks are still in full rebuild mode. The team is building around Latvian star power forward Kristaps Porzingis, who just signed a new deal to play for the Knicks through 2023. The Knicks traded the 9th pick in the draft to get Rui Hachimura from the Bulls, who had been taken with the 4th pick. Hachimura and 17th pick Daniel Gafford look to add a new infusion of energy next to Porzingis that can get the Knicks back on track. The Toronto Raptors have one of the most dangerous rosters in the NBA this year, returning four of the starters that got them to the 2nd seed in the Eastern Conference last year. Terrence Ross returns to the Raptors and has a good chance to start alongside Kyle Lowry, Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam and Jonas Valanciunas. NBA.com Atlantic Division Predictions 1. Toronto Raptors 2. Brooklyn Nets 3. Boston Celtics 4. Philadelphia 76ers 5. New York Knicks The Central Division sent three teams to the playoffs last season, but the Pistons and Pacers were seen as teams that shouldn't have been there and all three teams were done away with quickly in the first round. The division will once again be seen as the NBA's worst coming into 2019-20. The Chicago Bulls may have had the best single addition of any Central team this offseason, bringing in free agent Tobias Harris on a new four-year contract. Harris will suit up next to Zach Lavine and 9th overall pick Nassir Little as Chicago looks to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. The Cleveland Cavaliers are still looking like a team in disarray coming into the season. Despite a high draft pick, Kevin Love remains the only player on the roster that has a proven positive NBA track record. Sekou Doumbouya could be a wild card coming out of France, as the 6th overall pick hasn't been seen by much of the NBA. The Cavs also went out and signed former Hornet Jeremy Lamb. The Milwaukee Bucks started last season strong, holding the number one seed midway through the season, but the Bucks faltered down the stretch and fell to the 4th seed in the East before falling to the Sixers in the first round. The Bucks do still have reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo as well as Eric Bledsoe and Malcolm Brogdon, but Khris Middleton left town for Philadelphia in the offseason. In order for Milwaukee to get to where they want to be, they will need another MVP season from Giannis, as well as significant contributions from a bench that includes new signing Terry Rozier and first-rounder Romeo Langford from Indiana. The Indiana Pacers have an interesting look this year, with DeAndre Jordan being the likely starting center and both Myles Turner and Enes Kanter coming off the bench. Needless to say, stellar guard play is going to be a must to beat the Pacers this year. Victor Oladipo comes back, as does Domantas Sabonis, which should help the Pacers make the playoffs for the fifth straight season. The Pistons barely snuck into the playoffs last year as the 8th seed, but they did seem to get better this offseason. Of note is the addition of Rudy Gay, on which the jury is out as Gay is 33 but still contributed well for a Spurs team that made the playoffs last season. The frontcourt duo of Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond returns, but other than that, there doesn't seem to be much on this team. NBA.com Central Division Predictions 1. Milwaukee Bucks 2. Indiana Pacers 3. Chicago Bulls 4. Detroit Pistons 5. Cleveland Cavaliers The Southeast Division was clearly the weakest last season in the Eastern Conference, but there is reason for hope here. The Wizards will still be good this year, returning John Wall and Bradley Beal while not losing much from last year's team. The only losses that look significant are Trevor Ariza heading to Indiana, and Thomas Bryant leaving for Philly, which leaves Dwight Howard exposed without much of a backup situation. The Hawks are probably the most improved team in the division having signed Klay Thompson away from the Warriors. Thompson will be in the lineup with Trae Young, Taurean Prince, John Collins and first-rounder Bol Bol, son of Manute Bol. This is a lineup that is tied for being the youngest in the division, but has some experience and may have enough to get to the playoffs this year. The Orlando Magic are a difficult team to figure out. Orlando has an above-average player in Aaron Gordon down low, and the signings of Derrick Favors, Pau Gasol and Greg Monroe should only help in the post. The main problem is the lack of guards. Terrence Ross left for Toronto in the offseason, leaving lottery pick Jarrett Culver as the best guard on the team. The Miami Heat are much easier to figure out, as they had almost nothing last year and with the departure of Dwyane Wade, they have even less this year. This is clearly going to be a rebuilding year for the Heat, who also see themselves having a decision to make regarding Hassan Whiteside, who is in his contract year and is going to cost quite a bit to re-sign. Much like the Heat, the Charlotte Hornets look to be in a rebuild this season. Unlike the Heat, Charlotte's star is already under contract, and 5th overall pick Keldon Johnson has a chance to turn into a star in this league alongside Kemba Walker. While the Hornets won't compete this year, there is hope for the future in the Queen City. NBA.com Southeast Division Predictions 1. Washington Wizards 2. Atlanta Hawks 3. Charlotte Hornets 4. Orlando Magic 5. Miami Heat The Southwest Division looks to collectively rebound from a putrid 2018-19 in which three of its teams finished with fewer than 30 wins. The Memphis Grizzlies may have the worst chance of anyone to do this, as there is not a single star player in their rotation this year. The two best players on the team are a 20-year-old Jaren Jackson and a 34-year-old Marc Gasol, neither one of whom is going to stand much of a chance against the league's giants. The New Orleans Pelicans were known league wide for their 3-21 start last year, but they were able to rebound a bit to get out of the league's cellar. The situation isn't all bad on the bayou, as first-round pick Darius Garland has the chance to complement Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis in making a run at the playoffs. The Houston Rockets were anything but putrid last year, earning the 2nd seed in the conference and losing in the 2nd round to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets return their big three of Chris Paul, James Harden, and Clint Capela, while also adding Taj Gibson, Kenneth Faried, and Zaza Pachulia. Houston should be the easy favorites to win this division again, as it is not going to be easy to beat the stars on this team. Dallas has a team that may have a chance to be the most improved this year, with a steadily-progressing rebuild. The Mavericks traded for Mike Conley last year, getting him out of a rough situation in Memphis, and the Mavs added RJ Barrett in the draft and Jabari Parker in free agency. Dallas also brings several veterans off the bench, with Dennis Smith, Harrison Barnes, and JJ Barea all back for another season in the Lone Star State. The Spurs round out the division, and this is a team that will likely see a decline this season. San Antonio lost key contributor Rudy Gay to Detroit in free agency, and his replacement is rookie Admiral Schofield, who wasn't signed by the Sixers after they picked him in the second round of the draft. DeMar DeRozan holds a player option after this year, and the Spurs have a team option for LaMarcus Aldridge after this year, but both are on the wrong side of 30. San Antonio hasn't missed the playoffs in this millenium, but their time could be coming soon, if not this year. NBA.com Southwest Division Predictions 1. Houston Rockets 2. Dallas Mavericks 3. New Orleans Pelicans 4. San Antonio Spurs 5. Memphis Grizzlies It seems as though the Northwest Division is always wide open in terms of who makes the playoffs, and this year will be no different. Last year, the Blazers and T-Wolves fought for the last spot until the last month of the season. This year, the Wolves get the benefit of lottery pick Cam Reddish and the returning big man Karl-Anthony Towns. As a vet-heavy team, the Wolves will be relying on guys such as Robert Covington and Nikola Mirotic for significant contributions. The Utah Jazz made a splash this offseason, signing former Cavaliers and Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving. Utah also brought in Derrick Rose to be Irving's backup, and former All Star Carmelo Anthony will also be in SLC this year. 2018 Rookie of the Year runner up Donovan Mitchell is back and better than ever and the Jazz will look to work Simisola Shintu in as the West's 2019 4th-seed got much better coming into this year. Not to be outdone, the Denver Nuggets boast a starting lineup consisting of five guys that all played well in Denver last year. Michael Porter Jr. is a player that has a real chance to become something special in this league, and it will be interesting to see whether he can break out alongside All Star Nikola Jokic. The reigning division winners from Oklahoma City will once again be led by Russell Westbrook and Paul George. Westbrook and George were on the All-NBA 1st and 2nd teams, respectively, in 2018-19, and the Thunder will likely need similar seasons from these two if they have designs on a return to the Western Conference Finals or beyond. Last but certainly not least, the Portland Trail Blazers bring back both Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, who are knockdown shooters that can change a game from deep. There's no hiding in this division, and it is a division that could send four teams to the playoffs again if it lives up to the hype. NBA.com Northwest Division Predictions 1. Utah Jazz 2. Oklahoma City Thunder 3. Portland Trail Blazers 4. Denver Nuggets 5. Minnesota Timberwolves The Pacific Division takes a step back this season, but that may be simply because of the beginning of the end of the Warriors. The Sacramento Kings signed DeMarcus Cousins from the aforementioned Warriors, and they will start three former top-10 picks in De'Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, and Marvin Bagley III this season. While the Kings have been somewhat of a laughingstock in recent years, look for this to be a surprise team this season. The Los Angeles Clippers are going in the opposite direction despite drafting DeAndre Hunter with the 10th pick this offseason. The Clippers will start two solid big men in Montrezl Harrell and Willie Cauley-Stein, but there is no depth on this squad. The bench includes the washed up squad of Dwyane Wade and Joe Johnson as guys that are not even end of the bench players. It could be an ugly year in this part of LA. Los Angeles' other team, the Lakers, is in a much better position, though this could probably be said about any team that features LeBron James. The Lakers were swept out of the first round by the Houston Rockets last year, and responded by bringing in Nikola Vucevic from the Magic and JJ Redick and TJ McConnell from the Sixers in free agency. LeBron's gang got better this offseason and should be poised for a playoff run. Phoenix saw their Suns finish last season with the worst record in the NBA before landing the 3rd overall pick in the draft. The Suns used this pick on Zion Williamson, who many analysts say is the best prospect in the entire draft. Williamson pairs with reigning Rookie of the Year DeAndre Ayton in the frontcourt, while Devin Booker is still the team's star. The Golden State Warriors were in the midst of a dynasty, winning three titles in four years before losing to the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA Finals last year. Now, the Warriors will move forward without Klay Thompson, who left for Atlanta, and DeMarcus Cousins, who left to go back to Sacramento. The bench is still mostly nonexistent, and it is clear that this team got worse. Any team with Steph, KD and Draymond Green is likely to make the playoffs, but we are likely to see someone else make the finals out of the West for the first time since 2014 this year. NBA.com Pacific Division Predictions 1. Golden State Warriors 2. Los Angeles Lakers 3. Sacramento Kings 4. Phoenix Suns 5. Los Angeles Clippers Eastern Conference Predictions Definitely Playoff Bound Brooklyn Nets Washington Wizards Boston Celtics Milwaukee Bucks Toronto Raptors Could Make the Playoffs Chicago Bulls Philadelphia 76ers Atlanta Hawks Indiana Pacers Detroit Pistons Wait Til Next Year Cleveland Cavaliers New York Knicks Orlando Magic Miami Heat Charlotte Hornets Western Conference Predictions Definitely Playoff Bound Houston Rockets Utah Jazz Los Angeles Lakers Oklahoma City Thunder Golden State Warriors Might Make the Playoffs New Orleans Pelicans Dallas Mavericks Denver Nuggets Portland Trail Blazers Sacramento Kings Wait Til Next Year Minnesota Timberwolves Memphis Grizzlies Los Angeles Clippers Phoenix Suns San Antonio Spurs NBA.com Award Predictions Most Valuable Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks Rookie of the Year: Ja Morant, Celtics Sixth Man of the Year: Serge Ibaka, Raptors Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Davis, Pelicans The NBA.com Preseason Power Rankings have been released, and the immediate surprise is the defending champion Brooklyn Nets all the way down at 15.
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Toronto Raptors
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Boston Celtics
Oklahoma City Thunder
Philadelphia 76ers
Indiana Pacers
San Antonio Spurs
Washington Wizards
Utah Jazz
Milwaukee Bucks
New Orleans Pelicans
Detroit Pistons
Denver Nuggets
Brooklyn Nets
Minnesota Timberwolves
Portland Trailblazers
Atlanta Hawks
Los Angeles Lakers
Miami Heat
Dallas Mavericks
Cleveland Cavaliers
Chicago Bulls
Orlando Magic
Los Angeles Clippers
Charlotte Hornets
Sacramento Kings
New York Knicks
Phoenix Suns
Memphis Grizzlies|
05-15-2019, 02:55 AM
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#204 |
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Pro
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Nets 2019-20 Season Preview
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05-15-2019, 04:24 AM
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#205 |
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Pro
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S2G1 vs Hornets
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05-15-2019, 01:09 PM
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#206 |
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Pro
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S2G2 @ Raptors
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05-15-2019, 01:24 PM
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#207 |
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MVP
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Re: S2G2 @ Raptors
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My Dynasties |
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05-15-2019, 05:03 PM
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#208 |
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Pro
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S2G3 vs Celtics
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