2020-2021 NBA Playoff Bracket and Analysis

This is giving me a ridiculously frustrating time right now, so I'll come back to this and format it later when I have some use of my eyes...good luck trying to read it...Tried 6 different times to format it, and nothing worked, so I'll just come back to it East Philly 4-2 over Washington Brooklyn 4-2 over Boston Heat 4-2 over Milwaukee Atlanta 4-2 over Knicks Philly 4-2 over Atlanta Heat 4-2 over Brooklyn Philly 4-3 over Heat West Utah 4-3 over Memphis Phoenix 4-2 over Lakers Denver 4-3 over Portland Clippers 4-3 over Dallas Utah 4-2 over Clippers Phoenix 4-2 over Denver Phoenix 4-3 over Utah NBA FINALS Phoenix over Philly 4-2 2020-2021 NBA CHAMPIONS Phoenix Suns Kind of a short synopsis for now, and maybe I'll go back and adjust it when I have more ability to use my eyes. A lot of this stuff is from earlier assessment, and I haven’t had the chance to go over any changes recently, but I still pretty much have an idea of the thought process behind these picks, assuming health, and assuming whatever rotatioo decisions are made aren’t too much of a surprise... Starting with this Heat- Milwaukee rematch, I think both teams kind of got a little better in certain areas, and also got a little worse in other areas, so that should be interesting to look out for. I felt like last year, while I did think the Heat would win, Milwaukee was hurt by the lack of any adjustment to their rotation, with certain players sitting that I felt would have a potential impact on the series. It should be interesting to see what Budenholzer does this year, with arguably a higher leverage situation for him. I think Milwaukee could get big offensive contributions from Bobby Portis, making jumpshots, as well as Bryn Forbes, and I could see someone like Donte Divincenzo or Pat Connaughton causing some problems at the guard spot, away from certain attention. Jrue Holiday is also an upgrade from what they had last year, with his size potentially being difficult to deal with on both ends. I also am still a little worried about the matchup with Brook Lopez, as I was last year, so those are things to watch out for. I also am not sure about what Trevor Ariza's contributions guarding Giannis might look like in comparison to Jae Crowder, and when factoring Crowder's big time shooting last year, that could be a big deal. I still think the Heat have enough to throw at Giannis defensively, and he is going to have to either make more jumpshots, or become more of a facilitator in certain moments, which are areas he hasn’t been able to overcome previously. For the Heat, their guards are going to have to come up big, and they need to knock down shots, and rebound. I feel like if they do those things, they should be fine, although I think this will be a lot closer than last year, even factoring the multiple close games in what was a short series last time. I am curious to see how the Heat decide to go with their rotation, as that has been unclear throughout this season. If things don’t go well, turning to young guys like KZ Okpala and Precious Achiuwa to give them length, and another defensive look at Giannis might be the move, but it might be hard to do that, unless one of them gives them something offensively. Nemanja Bjelica feels like he should matter in this series, with the Heat losing the element of a floor spacing big when they moved Kelly Olynyk. He can also potentially help mitigate some of the matchup problems I outlined earlier. I wouldn’t mind seeing him in a situation where maybe Portis is at the 5, and he might be able to put the ball on the floor, and make plays for the Heat in those scenarios, with Portis not being a great defender. Obviously, another factor to consider in this series is Giannis did tweak his ankle last year, and the Heat were also banged up. Those first 2 games are probably going to be extremely important in the outcome of this series, and I'm curious to see how Milwaukee responds to what happened last year, as well as how focused the Heat will be to get back to where they were, and finish unsettled business. The Heat are still playing with that chip on their shoulder, after being overlooked, and a little disrespected recently. If Butler and Bam come out aggressive, and they get something from any of their guards, I think they hold off, outside of a potential back breaking performance by Khris Middleton

After Trade Deadline/Buyouts 2020-2021 NBA Predictions (1st week of April, 2021)

East	West
1. Philadelphia 76ers	1. Utah Jazz
2. Brooklyn Nets	2. Phoenix Suns
3. Milwaukee Bucks	3. Denver Nuggets
4. Boston Celtics	4. Los Angeles Clippers
5. Atlanta Hawks	5. Portland Trail Blazers
6. Miami Heat	6. Dallas Mavericks
7. New York Knickss	7. Los Angeles Lakers
8. Washington Wizards	8. Memphis Grizzlies
9. Indiana Pacers	9. Golden State Warriors
10. Charlotte Hornets	10. San Antonio Spurs
11. Chicago Bulls	11. New Orleans Pelicans
12. Toronto Raptors	12. Sacramento Kings
13. Cleveland Cavaliers	13. Oklahoma City Thunder
14. Orlando Magic	14. Houston Rockets
15. Detroit Pistons	15. Minnesota Timberwolves

Eastern Finals  

Philly over Heat

West Finals

 Phoenix/Denver/Lakers over Utah

NBA Finals

I'm going with Phoenix. I feel like they have strong versatility, and if healthy, can matchup with anyone. Its very close between them, Denver, and Utah, and I can throw the Lakers in there, and I think they edge those teams out, although its obviously hard to pick againsst Lebron and Anthony Davis carrying them, but I also think they made themselves worse by signing Andre Drummond

2020-2021 NBA Champions

Phoenix Suns

After All Star Break/Pre Trade Deadline 2020/2021 NBA predictions

East	West
1. Philadelphia 76ers	1. Utah Jazz
2. Brooklyn Nets	2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. Milwaukee Bucks	3. Phoenix Suns
4. Miami Heat	4. Los Angeles Clippers
5. Charlotte Hornets	5. Portland Trail Blazers
6. Boston Celtics	6. Denver Nuggets
7. Indiana Pacers	7. San Antonio Spurs
8. Toronto Raptors	8. Dallas Mavericks
9. Atlanta Hawks	9. Golden State Warriors
10. New York Knicks	10. Memphis Grizzlies
11. Chicago Bulls	11. Oklahoma City Thunder
12. Washington Wizards	12. New Orleans Pelicans
13. Cleveland Cavaliers	13. Sacramento Kings
14. Orlando Magic	14. Houston Rockets
15. Detroit Pistons	15. Minnesota Timberwolves

Eastern Finals  

Philly over Milwaukee

West Finals

 Lakers over Utah/Clippers

NBA Finals

I'm going to have to stick with LeBron again, for now. Multiple possibilities still there.

2020-2021 NBA Champions

LeBron James and Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)

2020/2021 End of Preseason NBA Predictions

East	West
1. Boston Celtics	1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Philadelphia 76ers	2. Dallas Mavericks
3. Milwaukee Bucks	3. Los Angeles Clippers
4. Miami Heat	4. Denver Nuggets
5. Toronto Raptors	5. Portland Trail Blazers
6. Brooklyn Nets	6. Utah Jazz
7. Detroit Pistons	7. Phoenix Suns
8. Indiana Pacers	8. Houston Rockets
9. Washington Wizards	9. Memphis Grizzlies
10. Charlotte Hornets	10. New Orleans Pelicans
11. Orlando Magic	11. Golden State Warriors
12. Atlanta Hawks	12. San Antonio Spurs
13. Cleveland Cavaliers	13. Sacramento Kings
14. Chicago Bulls	14. Oklahoma City Thunder
15. New York Knicks	15. Minnesota Timberwolves

Eastern Finals  

Boston over Heat/Bucks

West Finals

 Lakers over Dallas/Clippers/Denver

NBA Finals

I'm going to have to stick with LeBron again after that preseason, for now. Multiple possibilities still there.

2020-2021 NBA Champions

LeBron James and Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)

Top 50 NBA players heading into 2020-2021?

Every year, I generally follow some others in putting together my list of top players heading into that season, usually with what they did the previous season, and projecting production for that upcoming year. It started as a top 25, ended up as a top 32 last year, and kind of evolved into a top 50. I'll post my list heading into last year, which had some misses, as a barometer for my list for this year, and you see where changes were made to accommodate young players, or the improvement of others, as well as veteran players declining. There are numerous valuable rotation players that didnt make this list, but that doesnt mean they arent valuable pieces....

2019-2020 list	2020-2021 list
1. LeBron James	1. LeBron James
2. Kawhi Leonard	2. Kevin Durant*
3. Anthony Davis	3. Kawhi Leonard
4. Joel Embiid	4. Anthony Davis
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo	5. Joel Embiid
6. Paul George	6. Giannis Antetokounmpo
7. Stephen Curry	7. Jimmy Butler
8. Bradley Beal	8. Luka Doncic
9. Nikola Jokic	9. Stephen Curry
10. Jimmy Butler	10. Bradley Beal
11. Karl Anthony-Towns	11. Nikola Jokic
12. Chris Paul	12. Chris Paul
13. Damian Lillard	13. Karl Anthony-Towns
14. Russel Westbrook	14. Damian Lillard
15. Kyle Lowry	15. Khris Middleton
16. Kyrie Irving	16. Paul George
17. James Harden	17. Russell Westbrook
18. Rudy Gobert	18. Kyle Lowry
19. Marc Gasol	19. Jaylen Brown
20. Al Horford	20. Jayson Tatum
21. Pascal Siakam	21. Kyrie Irving
22. Mike Conley	22. James Harden
23. Blake Griffin	23. Rudy Gobert
24. Draymond Green	24. Bam Adebayo
25. Nic Vucevic	25. Devin Booker
26. Jrue Holiday	26. Pascal Siakam
27. Ben Simmons	27. Nic Vucevic
28. Donovan Mitchell	28. Jrue Holiday
29. Luka Doncic	29. Ben Simmons
30. De'Aaron Fox	30. Donovan Mitchell
31. CJ McCollum	31. Marc Gasol
	32. Al Horford
	33. Ja Morant
	34. John Wall
	35. Victor Oladipo
	36. Kristaps Porzingis
	37. Blake Griffin
	38. De'Aaron Fox
	39. CJ McCollum
	40. Brandon Ingram
	41. Gordon Hayward
	42. Draymond Green
	43. Myles Turner
	44. Goran Dragic
	45. Jamal Murray
	46. Mike Conley
	47. Trae Young
	48. Jonas Valanciunas
	49. Jusuf Nurkic
	50. Domantas Sabonis

Will Atlanta's Free Agent spending get them to the Playoffs?

Last season saw Atlanta add more versatile youth to their roster, and the continued development of Trae Young as a lead guard. As the season went on, we saw Cam Reddish continue to get more comfortable offensively, while giving them much needed defense at multiple positions at times, as well as DeAndre Hunter showing flashes of what allowed him to be a starting wing for his entire first full season. Kevin Huerter had some injuries, but showed more playmaking ability, while continuing to space the floor at a high level for them, and giving them some of the better defense on their roster. John Collins has shown to be a really good offensive player, but I personally think he should probably play the 5 on a team with good defense around him, or next to a really strong defensive 5 that can defend the perimeter, and lengthy, disruptive wings. There are ways to put lineups around him on this roster, but it isnt the perfect fit, as constructed. I see him as a really good option for them as a scorer off the bench. It should be interesting to see if they decide to keep him, especially after some of the moves they made in the offseason.

Heading into the offseason, it was clear Atlanta needed to do something to improve their defense significantly, as well as their league worst 33.3% 3 point shooting percentage. Outside of continued development from within, they needed a playmaker that can defend, and play next to Trae Young in certain lineups, and they needed defense, and some added shooting from the 3/4 spots. They had a lot of money to spend in Free Agency, and they're super young, so it was probably time to add some veterans, and not necessarily try to develop too many people at the same time, but I think there were ways for them to continue to upgrade intelligently in free agency, while also allowing their young players to get better.

With Kris Dunn and Solomon Hill, as well as drafting Onyeka Okongwu, they did exactly what they needed to do, grabbing 2 of the top available options for them on my personal list, and by adding Rajon Rondo, they improved their team's basketball IQ significantly. Kris Dunn gives them that playmaker that can defend multiple positions, and play next to Trae Young. He could potentially be a really significant piece for them, and could be a perfect fit next to Young to allow him to play off the ball, and maximize their shooters, while also allowing them to hide him on defense. Solomon Hill used his time with the Miami Heat well, and should give them strong minutes defensively, and space the floor well enough to be a good fit around the rest of their wing rotation. I thought they could use another player like him, someone along the lines of a Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Sterling Brown, Shaq Harrison type, with the more expensive options ending up elsewhere.

Instead, they decided to spend their money on Danilo Gallinari and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Offensively, they should make them a potentially high scoring team, with lineups that could put a lot of shooters on the floor, although with arguably multiple players that need the ball in their hands. Defensively, I question this team's ability to make them competitive enough to make the playoffs. I think they have the ability to be one of the teams fighting for a playoff race, but I think they still need to make a move or 2 for that to happen this season, which is entirely possible, as they have a lot of assets to use, as well as young players they can potentially trade, with some redundancy on their roster.

Trae Young
Kris Dunn
DeAndre Hunter
Danilo Gallinari
Clint Capela

John Collins, Cam Reddish, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kevin Huerter, Onyeka Okongwu, Solomon Hill, Rajon Rondo, Tony Snell

I feel like this gives them the most balance in their rotation, and gives them some really dangerous second units. If they have enough development from within, they could be a really tough matchup every night, and should play some exciting, close games that could potentially decide their entire season. With them spending the way they did, the playoffs are likely becoming more of a hopeful reality for them, sooner than later, so they should be a team to watch in making moves, because they will need to do something to add another defender, if they want to make that reality true this season.

NBA Team Wins Over/Unders 2020-2021 and interesting MVP odds?

I have a pretty good overall record in terms of daily betting lines, but I'm not saying you would take all of these. I'm not someone that regularly personally does it, but I sometimes keep up with some things, just out of curiosity. I'll probably go back soon after the season starts to actually calculate what my record was overall last season. I usually get a decent amount of these, with some surprising ones, although injuries and bad coaching can still play into it with others...I', actually not aware of favorites on these lines, but I'm sure there are some good bets in there, not that I'm saying anyone should listen to me overall...again, just a barometer for myself

East

Milwaukee Bucks over 49.5

Boston Celtics over 45.5

Brooklyn Nets under 45.5

Philadelphia 76ers over 45.5

Miami Heat over 44.5

Toronto Raptors over 41.5

Indiana Pacers under 39.5

Atlanta Hawks under 36.5

Washington Wizards over 32.5

Orlando Magic over 31.5

Chicago Bulls under 30.5

Charlotte Hornets over 25.5

Detroit Pistons over 23.5

New York Knicks under 22.5

Cleveland Cavaliers over 22.5

West

Los Angeles Lakers over 46.5

Los Angeles Clippers over 45.5

Denver Nuggets over 44.5

Dallas Mavericks over 42.5

Utah Jazz over  42.5

Portland Trail Blazers over 41.5

Phoenix Suns over 38.5 

Golden State Warriors under 36.5

New Orleans Pelicans over 36.5

Houston Rockets over 34.5

Memphis Grizzlies over 30.5

San Antonio Spurs over 29.5

Sacramento Kings over 27.5

Minnesota Timberwolves under 28.5

Oklahoma City Thunder under 22.5

NBA MVP interesting odds: Luka +400, LeBron +700, Damian Lillard +1500, Joel Embiid +2500, Jayson Tatum +2500, Kawhi Leonard +900

Interesting playoff odds: Detroit Yes +610, GS No +155, New Orleans No +145, Indiana No +145, Memphis Yes +185, Spurs Yes +360 

Can this roster bring the HEAT back to the NBA Finals?

After the Heat made a run to the NBA Finals, losing to the Lakers after losing Goran Dragic for the series, Bam Adebayo for a couple of games, and with Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder playing on injuries, they come into this 2020-2021 NBA season with questions on if they can make it back. They lost Jae Crowder and Derrick Jones Jr in free agency, not having been willing to offer either more than 1 guaranteed season. They were able to grab one of the better available options for them, of those that were doable financially, grabbing Moe Harkless. They also kept Meyers Leonard, and signed Avery Bradley to give them help defending the guard positions. Bradley has struggled for most of the last 3+ seasons, with exception of one half season a couple of years ago, but we do know that he brings disruptiveness defensively, and that should still fit in the right lineups, as that was an issue at times last season. 

I think the biggest questions are the front court rotations, and how they decide to use their wing players, and it could be argued that they're relying even more on younger pieces than they did even last season. It should be interesting to see how that effects them, with other teams improving, and the Heat still potentially having issues with size in certain matchups. That being said, those younger players should theoretically show their own improvement, with Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, and Duncan Robinson entering their 2nd full seasons, all of them continuing to improve their playmaking, and looking to be more consistent defensively; essentially first year player KZ Okpala, having changed his body and improved his skills offensively, around star big Bam Adebayo, who should continue to show his playmaking skills, as well as an improved jump shot, and the addition of rookie big Precious Achiuwa to go with them.. 

Bradley, Robinson, Butler, Harkless, Bam

Dragic, Iguodala, Olynyk, Herro, Achiuwa/Okpala, Nunn primary bench rotation

Okpala, Leonard/Silva depending on matchups

Achiuwa reminds me of a currently lesser version of James Johnson, so if they can help him develop some of his raw areas, that would help them in what has been an area of need, with size at the 4, for the last couple of years, and if Okpala can show what he is theoretically capable of, that would also be a huge boost at that spot.

Chris Silva is actually really good. He can do a little bit of everything, not necessarily like Bam, but he has some similarities to UD as well. He just has to cut down on the bad fouls, and make slightly better decisions a little more consistently. I think there should be minutes for him because he works hard.

Having kept Meyers Leonard, and signing Avery Bradley, as well as drafting Precious Achiuwa makes me wonder if Kelly Olynyk and Kendrick Nunn might be the most obvious potential trade pieces, or potentially, all of them could be, if it comes after February 6. Not sure if the Heat will want to disrupt their roster at that point of the season, but that is always on the table, especially when you have a team that is close to a potential championship. I would keep an eye on the addition of Max Strus as a 2 way player, and the potential the Heat could have to include a shooter in some type of trade. I could see Duncan Robinson making significant money next season, especially with some of the deals we saw this offseason, so that could end up being an unfortunate factor to consider, depending on what might be on the table at some point during this season; obviously you would think he would only be included in very extreme circumstances that likely wont actually happen.

I think the Heat will likely fight for those 2-5 spots in the East, and that gives them a chance to make another run towards the NBA Finals in the East, depending on their matchups in the playoffs. I think their matchup with the Celtics probably isnt as good as it was previously, and Philly's size still worries me. I do think they probably can still beat Milwaukee though. Will they be able to stay healthy enough to make another run?

Can Detroit make the playoffs in the East?

With Detroit selecting 3 players in the first round of the draft this season, last year's pick Sekou Doumbouya coming in at 19 years old, trading Luke Kennard, and Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose coming off injuries, you would probably think a playoff spot would be out of reach this season, and they would be better off focusing on developing Killian Hayes (the 7th overall pick in this year's draft), with the aforementioned Doumbouya, wing Saddiq Bey, and big Isaiah Stewart. I actually think that if they can stay healthy, they may be able to develop those players while also making the playoffs, as I think their rookies can complement what they have on their roster, and be rotation players. 

Detroit put together an interesting roster, adding multiple versatile defenders and wing shooters, if they can stay healthy…which is potentially an issue when 2 of your better players are Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose

Josh Jackson
Wayne Ellington
Saddiq Bey
Jerami Grant
Blake Griffin

Derrick Rose, Delon Wright, Sekou Doumbouya, Svi Mykhailiuk, Isaiah Stewart/Okafor/Mason Plumlee, Killian Hayes

There have been conflicting reports on if they’re keeping McGruder, but if they do, he should obviously be in that rotation, giving them another multi-positional defender that can be disruptive, and make plays on that end of the floor

Josh Jackson is on the verge of a breakout, once he is finally used correctly. I thought several teams should have been in on him as a defender/2nd or 3rd playmaking guard/combo forward. Detroit has grabbed a few guys that fit some of those teams that badly need defense at those positions, and surrounding them with shooters should be interesting to see. I think Jackson could end up playing several different spots, and I'm interested to see how he fits with Jerami Grant and Delon Wright, with all of them being really strong, to potentially elite defenders. I think Jackson should start at the PG spot, allowing Derrick Rose to be a scorer off the bench. Jackson wouldnt be the primary playmaker in that lineup, but he would play well off Blake Griffin as a secondary playmaker, and I think Ellington and Bey would be great fits next to them and Grant as shooters on the wing. Ellington would be great coming off handoffs from Griffin, and screens from Jackson and Grant, and I think Bey could contribute on both ends of the floor, even early on, in a lineup like this. He gives them much needed spacing at those spots. Jackson should also move around the 1-4 spots in different lineups, allowing them to potentially use multiple variations of 3 guard lineups.

Delon Wright is a big addition defensively next to Derrick Rose, or their other guards, and I think he should be valuable in his minutes, if he starts, or they go to a rotation more like this, which I think would give them more balance and spacing on the floor. Mykhailiuk could end up being a big shot maker for them this year, and they dont have to necessarily worry about him defensively as much, with what should be around him. I think they probably should rotate the big spot, depending on matchups, which should allow for all of them to see viable minutes, including their rookie, Isaiah Stewart, who plays hard, and can help them win games now. All of these guys takes pressure off Killian Hayes, who should see minutes off the bench, likely in multi-guard lineups. Having veterans around, as well as just being a good fit on the floor with the guys around you, is a big deal in developing young players, and giving them the best chance to succeed. I think being thrown into a situation where there isnt a fit on the floor can put players in position to fail their draft position or fall out of the league, so it was really important that Detroit made the moves they made in the offseason. 

Can they make the backend of the playoffs in the East? If they play the way I think they should, and they stay healthy, I have them in those 6-9 spots, and I could see them getting a 7th seed.

Is this the best team Damian Lillard has played on?

I'm not just saying it because they started the preseason destroying Sacramento by 25, before losing to them a couple of nights later, but besides Dallas, I think Portland might be one of the most improved teams, and might be more of a true contender than they've been previously, although there are a lot of really good teams. I think they should be bunched up with Denver, Dallas, and the Clippers, possibly Utah; they should fight for those 2-5 seeds, and have a chance to get home court advantage in the West. This is the first time they've had this level of more consistent 2 way talent on the wings, and though I think they could use someone at the guard spot that can defend guards, I think they should be significantly improved defensively as well. They also should arguably be a dangerous playoff team because they should be much improved in the half court offense, with multiple options to get them easier baskets, playing through their bigs or Melo in post up situations (in different spots), as well as the ability to throw out multiple pick and roll combinations with their guards, who might have more space than ever this season, and I think this could be Damian Lillard's chance to potentially be an MVP candidate, if LeBron, Luka, or Joel Embiid dont win it. I'm interested to see if they can use the correct rotations, and play the way they need to, but I think it should work itself out. 

Lillard, CJ, Covington, Melo, Collins

Derrick Jones jr, Trent, Nurkic, Hood, Little, Simons, Giles

With Collins missing the start of the season, Giles might make sense as a starter, so Nurkic gets used to what should be his role off the bench behind Collins once he comes back. Ideally, I also like the idea of splitting Melo and Nurkic. There is no need to start DJJ and Covington together, when they can go to those lineups for their runs, and you arguably want at least one of them on the floor for you in general. They might prefer Nurkic starts, but they should consider rotating bigs for specific matchups, like Toronto did a couple of years ago with Gasol and Ibaka, and Valanciunas and Ibaka before their Gasol trade

This is Derrick Jones' chance to be a big contributor to a winning team, and bring some of that Heat culture with him, and show how good he actually is on both ends of the floor. He should also help them with their rebounding issue. Robert Covington is obviously a massive pickup, and I think both will work well together, and as defensive anchors on the floor at all times. Harry Giles is also a great fit, as a big that can defend pick and roll, besides Zach Collins, and he can also shoot, playmake, and rebound, as well as defend multiple positions, so I'm interested to see if he comes out of the rotation, if he gets a chance early.  

This could be the best team Damian Lillard has played on, and that could give Portland a chance as a contender in the West, possibly with home court advantage. It could just come down to if they can stay healthy.

2020/2021 Pre-Training Camp NBA Predictions

East	West
1. Boston Celtics	1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Philadelphia 76ers	2. Dallas Mavericks
3. Milwaukee Bucks	3. Los Angeles Clippers
4. Miami Heat	4. Denver Nuggets
5. Toronto Raptors	5. Portland Trail Blazers
6. Brooklyn Nets	6. Utah Jazz
7. Detroit Pistons	7. Phoenix Suns
8. Indiana Pacers	8. San Antonio Spurs
9. Charlotte Hornets	9. Houston Rockets
10. Orlando Magic	10. Memphis Grizzlies
11. Atlanta Hawks	11. New Orleans Pelicans
12. Washington Wizards	12. Golden State Warriors
13. Cleveland Cavaliers	13. Minnesota Timberwolves
14. Chicago Bulls	14. Sacramento Kings
15. New York Knicks	15. Oklahoma City Thunder

Eastern Finals  

Boston over Heat/Bucks

West Finals

 Lakers over Dallas/Clippers/Denver

NBA Finals

I'll just go with LeBron again for now. Multiple possibilities still there. Let's see how the preseason goes.

2020-2021 NBA Champions

LeBron James and Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)

Will this be Luka's true breakout season?

The uniquely brief 2020 NBA offseason has seen significant changes throughout the league, but in my opinion, no team stands out, in terms of significant improvement, more than the Dallas Mavericks. In the 2019 - 2020 season, Dallas weaponized one of the most efficient offensive seasons of all time, but as great as they were on that end, they were equally terrible on defense. 

Now, they have taken significant steps to change that. 

They added several lengthy, athletic, versatile options on the wing, and at the 4 positions, which was an area of significant need for them, especially next to Luka Doncic, as well as their other more undersized scoring guards, and shooters. 

• Josh Richardson is the most prominent addition, and should be expected to start, and guard multiple positions, as a do-it-all complementary piece to Luka. He provides elite defense on the wing, and at the guard spots, and as well as being a great catch and shoot option for Luka on the perimeter, he can also handle playmaking situations with, or without, Luka on the floor. 
• They also added his former Miami Heat teammate, James Johnson, by moving another versatile, defensive guard, that was more redundant on their roster, Delon Wright. Johnson should provide toughness in the front court, alongside Richardson, and the still remaining Dorian Finney-Smith, which was severely lacking the last couple of seasons, and especially in the bubble. 
• Another lowkey addition, Wesley Iwundu, should also provide them with length, athleticism, and disruptiveness at those wing positions. 
• The return of Dwight Powell, who gave Luka Doncic an historical pick and roll efficiency partner, should also help them on both sides of the floor. Powell gives them much needed pick and roll defense out of the big position that they're lacking, especially with Kristaps Porzingis slated to miss the start of the regular season.
• They also added multiple players in the draft that should give them help at those wing positions: Josh Green felt like the perfect fit, in my opinion, as someone that can score on the wing at multiple levels of the offense, and still provide value guarding well enough, and Tyler Bey, who surprisingly is only signed to a two way deal, should also provide them with exciting defensive playmaking, as well as above the rim athleticism, and that toughness that was previously mentioned. 

I personally feel that all of this should lead to Luka Doncic potentially being an MVP candidate as early as this season, and Dallas may find themselves in position to secure home court in the Western Conference Playoffs....

Reaction to Phil Jackson's Troll Tweet at Steve Kerr

Have to feel for Knicks fans. Phil Jackson obviously doesnt know anything about today's NBA. If he really thinks that 3 point shots are bad, and doesnt see the importance of spacing the floor, I can now 100% believe the reports of them being interested in players that play essentially the same position as Melo (such as Greg Monroe). Now, players at the combine have mentioned being asked about their knowledge of the triangle in interviews with the Knicks. That means they really are committed to running that as their primary offense, in a league that is dominated by athletes, pace, and spacing the floor. You have to play with pace unless you have an elite defensive team, and even then, you still want to get out and run.

By the way Phil, the Knicks led the league in 3 point attempts the year they won 54 games a couple of years ago. They dropped to 21st in attempts this past season, and Oh, look at that! Worst record in franchise history....And to answer his question, teams that shoot a lot of 3s have won more than 60% of their games in the playoffs so far

Quick Reaction to end of Wizards-Hawks series

Even more incredible finish to this Hawks-Wizards game, after a crazy end to Game 5. I dont think I can remember ever seeing a team get eliminated on something like that, but thats just off the top of my head. I think that not having Sefolosha will hurt Atlanta in their series with the Cavs. I'm curious to see if Mike Scott can finally see more time, now that he is back from injury. I think he gives them some defensive versatility at the 3/4 spots. I have no doubt that Atlanta can beat the Cavs, and I think they would definitely beat them with Sefolosha. I think LeBron can still win this series though. Atlanta needs to use their depth, and if they can stay in the rebounding battle, they'll have every chance to win the series. If LeBron makes the type of effort to get the ball in better spots, like he did in the last couple of games of the Bulls series, he'll give himself a chance to get back to the Finals

Quick Reaction After Game 6 of Rockets-Clippers

Just saying, thats the 2nd time Houston has won by coming back from down a lot without James Harden. There is a reason for that. They use their athletes to be disruptive, and are better defensively, and they move the ball better, and utilize Dwight a little more. So they get out in transition more, and they score better in the half court. Even without Patrick Beverly, Pablo Prigioni is still a very good defender. They have a good matchup against the Clippers.

Huge opportunity missed by the Clippers to let Houston get back in this series, and now they have to go to Houston for Game 7, and they are in serious trouble. Have to feel for Chris Paul. It would be cool to see him finally break through and shut some people up. You have to think that he'll come out with everything in Game 7

Should be interesting to see who moves on. If its Houston, I feel like they have a somewhat decent matchup with Golden State, assuming they play the correct rotations, and play more inside out/through Dwight Howard. They can match them with their length and athleticism, and versatility in some ways. That being said, I dont see either of these teams beating Golden State, as they're on route to winning a Championship, barring injury

Mini Synopsis of end of Bulls-Cavs series

Honestly, the Bulls have no business going home right now. This series should have arguably been over already, with them heading to the Eastern Conference Finals. So much had to happen for them to lose Games 4 and 5. Just poor luck, and some poor execution in big moments.


Cavs luck out once again with Kyrie Irving going down, helping their defense and allowing them to move the ball and space better offensively. Aaron Brooks is also complete garbage defensively. Not difficult for Matthew Dellavadova to knock down shots when nobody is guarding him. For all of his short comings defensively, Tristan Thompson's unbelievable effort on the offensive boards was a huge part of them moving on, as the Bulls couldnt finish off defensive possessions with a rebound.

Otherwise, LeBron totally carried them once again, and somehow willed them to winning a series they had no right to win. With Atlanta still beat up with injuries, LeBron may luck into a 5th consecutive Finals appearance...Seriously though...how much luck can 1 organization possibly have?

Golden State May Actually Be In Trouble

Right now, Golden State isnt playing anywhere near the way they did all season. They are feeding directly into what Memphis wants. This looked like it would be a really tough matchup for GS heading in, but there is no reason that they should lose this series. Memphis is using their postseason experience to overwhelm them right now.

Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes need to get in the post more. Klay Thompson needs to back Tony Allen down b/c right now, he is letting him destroy him on the perimeter. They should feature Harrison Barnes a little more as well. The Warriors arent moving the ball the way they have all season either. Too many times have they taken poor shots, pulling up for 3s, or isolating on the perimeter. You cant do that against a defensive team like Memphis. Also, way too many bad turnovers. That was a problem for GS in the past, but this year it hasnt been there. They need to fix that. There is zero reason for Memphis to have 21 fast break points in any game. If GS can do those things better, and stay in the rebounding battle, they should win. Right now, they have an unfortunate injury to deal with, as Marreese Speights went down. This probably means that its time for David Lee to give them such huge minutes. He has been on the bench all year, and obviously hasnt been much of a fan of that. Now is his opportunity to show why he is still currently their highest paid player, in the biggest minutes he has ever played in his life. Otherwise, GS may actually be in some big trouble in this series

Mini Game 2 Preview Cavs-Bulls

I didnt get a chance to type up a full synopsis of the 1st round, nor have I had the chance to post my 2nd round predictions. Hopefully, I'll get that chance in the next day or so. For now, here is a mini preview for Game 2 of the Cavs-Bulls series

As I mentioned, if the Cavs continue to play the way they did against the Celtics, and really for the entirety of the regular season, they will be swept by the Bulls. They have failed to use LeBron James correctly all season. Now, they need to change that. LeBron needs to be at the 4, and Mike Miller and Shawn Marion need to play more. Surrounding LeBron with shooters will help them space the floor, and they may have some issues rebounding the ball, but playing smaller lineups will also allow them to switch pick and rolls defensively. As for their issues scoring in the half court, they need to get LeBron in the post. They need to get him (or Kyrie) the ball on the move. They need to run actions for him at the elbow. This will allow him to get to the free throw line more, as well as get easier opportunities. Having LeBron (or Kyrie) try to run the offense off the dribble on every single play, while they get the ball 35 feet from the basket, and their teammates stand and watch, isnt going to be very consistent. Sometimes it may work, as we saw against Boston, but that is just b/c LeBron and Kyrie are such great scorers.

LeBron knows that he has to do everything for them if they are going to advance. That has to start tonight. Otherwise, dont be surprised if they get swept or lose in 5 games, and you cant blame the loss of Kevin Love on that

That being said, the Bulls had some stretches of stagnant offense themselves in Game 1. They were able to get by with some perimeter shots, but they cant rely on that in Game 2. Derrick Rose didnt take a single free throw in Game 1. He made some jump shots. He definitely needs to be more aggressive in Game , and they cant allow themselves to be flat on the perimeter. I felt that they missed some mismatch opportunities. Any time James Jones is guarding Pau Gasol in the post, you obviously need to feed Gasol

Mini Synopsis of the 1st round of the NBA Playoffs

Since I'm dealing with an issue with my eye, I wasn't able to post my full analysis on the 1st round match-ups. With that being the case, here is a poorly formatted mini synopsis ahead of today's games.

I have GS in 5 or 6 (the match-up is actually somewhat decent for NO if they get certain contributions, and they do have the best player in the series). Then I have Houston in 6 (I personally would have gone with 5, but I don't like Houston's offensive style in the playoffs. I don't think they can score in the half court. Obviously, it can also be argued that Dallas isn't exactly the team they were before making a bad trade for Rajon Rondo). I have Memphis in 5 or 6 b/c of Portland's injuries, though if Portland can get anything from their bench, they have a shot to win the series). I have the Spurs in 5 or 6 as well. I just think the Clippers are missing another 3 and D wing player, a backup PG, and a rim protecting big off the bench (which they have, but don't play him). If they win the rebounding battle (both teams are poor rebounding teams), that gives them a shot, but they're going to need a big series out of Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan to knock down some foul shots, and obviously, they need CP3 to be CP3. In the East, I would say I don't like the fact that Atlanta lost Sefolosha, and I think they have an issue rebounding the ball, similarly to GS issue. That being said, they should beat Brooklyn in either a sweep or in 5 games, but if Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson go off, it could become interesting, at least if GS doesn't knock down shots. That Toronto-Washington series isn't the kind of series I would have thought it would be before the season. These are 2 very bad teams right now. Its a toss up, but I'm going with Washington in 6, as they are deeper. I've got the Cavs in 6 or 7 actually. I liked the Bucks or Heat match-up better, but Boston matches up well with them. I'm interested to see how the Celtics perimeter defenders effect Kyrie Irving. The Cavs are going to need to play through LeBron in the post A LOT, and they're going to have to take care of the ball. I'm really looking forward to that series to be honest. Finally, I have Chicago in 6 games, assuming they are healthy. I really like Milwaukee's length and athleticism, and they could end up being very disruptive, but I think that Chicago's bigs, and MCW being a poor shooter are going to be the difference in the series

Quick View: GS (5 or 6)
                      Houston (5)
                      Memphis (6)
                      Spurs (5)
                      Hawks (5)
                      Wizards (6)
                      Cavs (6 or 7)
                      Chicago  (6)

Despite the fact that some of the match-ups that I wanted to see wont be happening, it still looks like a potentially exciting 1st round. Definitely cant wait



Full analysis will be up at some point in the next couple of days, provided my eye recovering from removing the loose stitch I had in there for a couple of weeks, and unfortunately causing an infection

Revised win totals after trade pre opening day:

Revised win totals after trade pre opening day:

Atlanta Braves (78-84)
San Diego Padres (87-75)