11-22-2020, 07:49 PM
(11-22-2020, 07:22 PM)Jason Terry Wrote: Expecting a 4-5 seed
Taking from here.
Top of West. LAC, LAL and Denver are powerhouses. First two improved, Denver core is young so a certain level of improvement can be expected. However, they were unable to improve at a SG position (Harris), where they had the biggest hole. Portland improved greatly on the paper. They look terrific. These four will be difficult to beat.
Solid playoff teams. I would put Utah, GSW and Dallas here.
Playoff hopefulls. Houston, Memphis and Phoenix in this tier. Houston is just a little worse, but a ticking bomb. Tucker, Westbrook, Harden are reportedly unhappy. Phoenix made that huge CP3 deal, but followed by meh draft. They covered some holes in FA. I don't think they improved enough to be a tier higher. Can Memphis repeat the very successful season?
Think they are a playoff team but not likely. San Antonio, New Orleans, Minnesota. San Antonio drafted well and mostly kept the group, so they will remain a fringe playoff team. They might start a firesale at TDL if they feel they don't make it. New Orleans built somehow strange team with pieces that don't really fit the idea of modern basketball, but defense will be better than last year. Minnesota put together a very straneg roster. Most of main guys don't play defense, but have big offensive talent. Rubio is very strange decision for this group. They don't have wings and overpaid Beasley.
Rebuilding: Sacramento. Unless they match Bogi offer from Atlanta, they will be worse. But seems like FO has given new management time to build a team that makes sense.
G-league: OKC. They might be historically bad. Horford and SGA (I expect Hill gone) are the only serious players on the roster, the rest is a group of guys that barely played up to now. They might be fighting hard, but will just lack quality for something more.