By Sports Desk
With the NBA season tipping off tonight, the sports desk decided to collaborate once again and give our rankings for the top five teams in each conference.
Eastern Conference
5. Chicago Bulls: With one of the most talked about offseasons this summer, the Bulls are ready to take the league by storm. The addition of DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball to go with All-Stars Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic is an eye opener. Adding Alex Caruso and Derrick Jones Jr. to their bench gives the Bulls a solid roster that will look to outrun any team they go up against.
4. Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young and the Hawks will be out to prove that last season’s Eastern Conference Final run wasn’t a fluke. Young’s style of play has constantly been doubted and criticized throughout his few seasons in the league, but his performances in the postseason last year proved his haters wrong. While the Hawks may be a lot younger than the other teams on this list, they arguably have just as much talent and will be competitive in the East.
3. Miami Heat: Adding Kyle Lowry to the duo of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo was huge for Miami. The chemistry off the court is already clear and Lowry seems like a perfect fit for the “Heat Culture.” Combine that with the sharpshooting pair of Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro along with the added defense of P. J. Tucker and Markieff Morris, the Heat looks like a team that could shake things up come playoff time. Oh, and did we mention Victor Oladipo is still on the roster? If Oladipo rediscovers anything close to his All-Star form from a few seasons ago, Miami could be extremely dangerous.
2. Milwaukee Bucks: The reigning NBA Champions look poised to be a top team in the league once again. Giannis Antetokounmpo seems to have developed a jump shot and if that holds true, the rest of the league will be in trouble. While the loss of P. J. Tucker may hurt the Bucks defensively, they will still be a strong contender for the NBA title. However, a healthy Nets squad out for revenge may make a back-to-back run more of a dream than a reality for Milwaukee.
1. Brooklyn Nets: Even without Kyrie Irving, the Nets with a healthy Kevin Durant and James Harden are likely to be among the East’s highest seeds. Even if the team’s defense is average, their offensive power will be too much for most teams to handle.
*Philadelphia 76ers: The Sixers are a wild card for the East. One of the most talked about situations this offseason has been the drama between Ben Simmons and the Sixers’ front office. After his poor playoff performance, their relationship became sour from harsh criticism of Simmons. He said he wants out and they were looking to trade him, but as of right now he has returned to Philly and was seen practicing with the team. It is unclear if he will stay, be traded—and for who—or potentially sit out. If he stays and plays, or is traded for a good player, the Sixers will likely be a top-three team in the East. Worst case scenario, he sits out and they get nothing from the situation and Joel Embiid plays the season without the help of a player on Simmons’ level.
Western Conference
5. Utah Jazz: Let’s not forget the Jazz had the best record in the league last season at 52-20 and kept their core together. They have the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Rudy Gobert and a superstar-caliber player in Donovan Mitchell. However, their recent years of playoff struggles keep them from being higher on our list. While all experience is good experience, the fact that their core stayed intact keeps them in our top five for the upcoming season.
4. Golden State Warriors: The Warriors are a “Dark Horse” contender this season. With the return of the other Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, and development of their young core, Golden State has a lot of things going for them. Not to mention, they still have the greatest shooter of all time in Stephen Curry, who led the league in scoring last season and played at an insane level. Thompson’s return will take pressure off of Curry and help bring some consistency to the offense. We saw how lethal the Warriors can be with the Splash Brothers several years back. We expect to see a big jump from them in the standings.
3. Denver Nuggets: Last season, the Nuggets lost their point guard and second-best player in Jamal Murray and still finished third in the West and made it to the second round of the playoffs. Another year for Aaron Gordon and Austin Rivers under head coach Michael Malone will be huge for them as they find their roles within the team. With Murray likely to return this season, the Nuggets, led by reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, should have similar success to last year, if not more.
2. Phoenix Suns: After a finals appearance and bringing back their core, the Suns’ only issue is trying to make amends with a disgruntled Deandre Ayton. We expect another solid run from the Valley Boys as Devin Booker and Chris Paul look to capture that elusive first NBA Championship.
1. Los Angeles Lakers: The championship and playoff experience combined with the immense star power of the LeBron James-led Lakers, makes them the favorites in the West, especially with so many questions for the other Western Conference contenders. Don’t listen to the memes about age, this team has scary potential to go all the way.
*Los Angeles Clippers: When healthy, the Clippers are easily a top-five team in the West and maybe in the league. Kawhi Leonard is a top-five player in the league and Paul George is a superstar despite the jokes you see on social media. They get an asterisk because there is too big of a question mark on Leonard’s return. Being their best player, his absence will have a huge impact on the team if he doesn’t return in the near future.
