Kawhi Leonard’s overnight bombshell has changed the outlook of the Western Conference; LAC now sit on top.
Most predicted Kawhi to join the Lakers. A small amount had him staying in Toronto, and an even smaller group had him at the Clippers. But I can tell you that no one, and I mean no one, had Kawhi not only choosing the Clippers, but in doing so bringing Paul George with him. Kawhi and PG join a Clippers team that won 48 games and took Golden State to 6 games, and now look favorites heading into 2019/20. The West, which was already fairly deep, as got significantly deeper, and next year is shaping up to be even more of a dog-fight than ever.
#1. LA Clippers
The defensive potential of these Clippers is quite frankly ridiculous. They were already tough, Beverley and Harrell made sure of that. But to add Paul George and Kawhi Leonard??? I’ve seen tweets comparing this new roster to the 96 Bulls, and yeah, this is a slight stretch, but I’m fine with Clippers fans thinking like this. Always in the shadows of their famous neighbours, LAC not only have the chance to be better than them (again), but to win a title ahead of the Lebron James led Lakers. Clippers fans can talk big for now; this is a championship roster. A starting 5 of Beverley, Shamet, PG, Kawhi and Zubac, with Lou Williams, Harrell coming off the bench?? That’s three huge scoring threats, solid shooting and incredible size and length. They could go bigger and start Moe Harkless, who isn’t a threat from outside but remains an elite defender. Kawhi can still be the man, and George as his #2 is an upgrade on Siakam at both ends of the floor. I see them finishing games with Williams and Harrell on the floor, and those 5 guys have the ability to torch teams on both ends of the floor. Health permitting, the Clippers are favorites. But only just. As this move put the Clippers at the 1 spot, but also restored balance. Next year is up for grabs.
#2. Denver Nuggets
Just. The Nuggets are marginally ahead of the Lakers because we all know Lebron won’t go 100% in the regular season, and LA may take a while to work things out. Denver are bringing back a similar roster, and their young guys are only going to get better. Being a Blazers fan, the Jokic/Murray tandem was tough to watch in the playoffs, as it was near impossible to stop. Maybe Enes Kanter’s defence made it look slightly better than it was, but we saw Jokic and Murray run the PnR all season, and it really is a thing of beauty. The Nuggets brought Paul Millsap back, should get more from young guards Malik Beasley and Monte Morris. The Nuggets will win a lot of games next year; they’re still very young and won’t take many games off. Gary Harris missed time last year, and he is a player I think has tremendous upside. And then, there’s the lottery of Michael Porter Jr. Picked at 14 in 2018, the SF missed the entire season through injury. The Nuggets are high on him, and if he can get healthy, he’ll give Denver even more scoring then they already have. I’ll take Denver as the #2 seed, and I see them doing a similar amount of damage in the postseason.
#3. LA Lakers
Lebron finally got his man. But did he get his roster? After missing out on Kawhi, the Lakers made a number of quick moves to fill out their roster, and it looks.. okay. Danny Green, Demarcus Cousins, Quinn Cook, Jared Dudley and Troy Daniels have been signed. Rondo, Caruso, McGee, Caldwell-Pope brought back. I expect a few more moves to be made, but Lebron has a decent roster to work with. AD is his new #2, and is a perfect fit for Lebron. Danny Green was an important pick-up; Green brings much needed shooting and defence. If we believe in Cook, KCP and Daniels, then the Lakers have a decent amount of shooting; Jared Dudley is also solid from outside. I really see the Lakers finishing games with Lebron at the point, and filling it out with Green, Kuzma, AD and Cousins. Which if they’re healthy, is a great team. If Cousins gets close to his former level. If the ‘shooters’, shoot well. If Lebron has enough left in the tank. Notice the pattern? The Lakers are going to be good, they’ll be in the playoffs, this will be the best season that the Lakers have had for quite some time. But a lot of if’s come with the question of if they’re title contenders. I think it’s going to work out. I think Lebron will have an MVP-like year, I think Cousins improves, I think Kyle Kuzma will be superb. But whatever happens, the Lakers are going to be extremely fun- as always.
#4. Utah Jazz
The Jazz have been ACTIVE, and I love the moves they’ve made. The Mike Conley capture was long overdue; that team has needed a quality point guard more than anyone, and although Conley is 31 now, he’s definitely got a few more years of quality in him. Bojan Bogdanovic gives them another fringe All-Star, who is a much bigger scoring threat than anything they had in his position last year. Jeff Green and Ed Davis were the other pieces added, both of whom can give valuable minutes off the bench. The Jazz were a tough team last year, but these moves make dreams of a WCF appearance a little more real. However, the most important thing that Conley and Bogdanovic bring, is the pressure that will be lifted off young Donovan Mitchell’s shoulders. Mitchell is a talent, but he shot wayyyyy too much last season. Granted, there was no one better to take those shots, but he doesn’t need that bright of a green light, and Conley is the perfect man to develop Mitchell. Utah will remain tough defensively, and their roster has superb balance, but they’re 4 for me right now simply because of the lack of a obvious star. Conley isn’t an All-Star anymore, Mitchell isn’t there yet, and although there’s few better defensively than Rudy Gobert, he’s not a franchise superstar. The Clippers have Kawhi. Lakers Lebron, Nuggets Jokic, Rockets Harden, Blazers Dame. The Jazz don’t have THAT guy. They’ll win 50 games again, and I think they’ll comfortably secure home-court advantage. But the playoffs? I don’t see them in the conference finals, simply because they don’t have a superstar in a superstar dominated league.
#5. Houston Rockets
I initially had the Rockets below Portland- Chris Paul isn’t getting any younger and I just had the feeling that the Rockets championship window was closing- 2018 really felt like their year. But then Russell Westbrook happened. OKC blew it up after Paul George jumped ship, and Houston managed to flip Paul and picks for a younger, more explosive guard in Westbrook.
Chris Paul 5 years ago is a much better fit, he’s a better shooter, smarter and an all-around better point guard. But now anymore. Paul is past it, his body cannot handle a full NBA season anymore, especially at the pace the Rockets play basketball. Westbrook, however, is the opposite of this fact. He’s fast, athletic, and can run the floor quicker than anyone in the league. Russ has also led the league in assists, and rebounds better than anyone. He also likes to handle the ball. A lot.
James Harden (rightful MVP) should and will handle the ball more than Westbrook next season. There’s no reason to suggest Westbrook should be primarily running Houston’s offense, this is Harden’s team and unless Lebron, KD or Kawhi signed on, nothing is going to change that. This doesn’t mean this new backcourt cannot work though. One thing we do know is that Harden and Westbrook are extremely close; Harden reportedly pushed this move to be made, so any idea that these two won’t gel off the court should be dismissed. And on the court? This move will be vindicated. I think it holds up better than the Paul/Harden duo, and I think it has a lot more durability. With Westbrook there’s less spacing, but Wade and Lebron in Miami showed that with elite players, this isn’t always completely necessary. Westbrook can get to the rim and finish, rebound, is an elite passer and can push the pace. He also doesn’t need time or help to get to the rim, something Chris Paul did need. As long as he understands he isn’t the man, I think this Houston team can be dangerous.
Tucker is still there, Capela and Gordon too. They’ve got time to add a couple more guys, and the bench is solid enough. Westbrook doesn’t shoot the three well like the Rockets do, but he has other qualities that are perhaps better. He can create his own shot. He attacks the rim with an aggression like no other, and passes too well for a defence too cheat. He doesn’t shoot the three well, but the looks he creates for others more than makes up for it. Russell Westbrook adds an unpredictable layer to an offense, something Houston didn’t really have before. He thrives in chaos, and if D’Antoni can control that chaos, this has the potential to be a really nice fit. 5 seed for the Rockets, with a ceiling much higher than that, especially in the postseason.
#6. Portland Trail Blazers
My Blazers finally made some noise! Dame putting 50 and the game-winner on the Thunder, CJ and Hood torching Denver, Meyers dropping 25 in a half in the WCF. Portland had some serious fun in the postseason, but their roster will look a little different come November. Free agents Aminu, Seth Curry and Jake Layman all moved on, while Evan Turner, Meyers Leonard and Moe Harkless were traded away. Continuity and chemistry were two of the Blazers biggest strengths, and whilst they have now lost a fair bit of that, they did in fact get slightly better. Turner, who offered very little, was swapped for Hawks guard Kent Bazemore, a great pick-up for the Blazers. Rodney Hood was re-signed, Anthony Tolliver and Mario Hezonja were plucked off the free agent market, and Hassan Whiteside arrived in place of Leonard and Harkless. The Tolliver signing was crucial, as Zach Collins was in need of some help at the 4 spot, with Aminu moving on. Tolliver is physical and can shoot from outside, and can act as a perfect mentor for Collins, who is prone to inexperienced errors. However, the Blazers are down in my rankings for two reasons. First, they will be putting a reasonable amount of trust in young players. Anfernee Simons and Gary Trent Jr were out of the rotation last year, but the two young guards will expect to see increased minutes next year. Collins, as mentioned earlier, is expected to start at PF; the Gonzaga draftee showed flashes of brilliance on the defensive end and showed he could score from outside, but he is also error-prone, and has shown to easily pick fouls up. The young guns will have to step up for Portland, or else their roster looks a little thin. The Jusuf Nurkic factor is my second reason. Nurkic was perhaps Portland’s best player behind Lillard last year, and many had the Blazers struggling in the playoffs when he went down. The Bosnian will be greatly missed until February, and Whiteside must buy into Portland’s system quickly. If not, they have very little at the 5 position.
#7. San Antonio Spurs
In an extremely deep conference, I like Greg Popovich to continue his playoff streak and pip the perhaps more exciting teams in Sacramento and Dallas. DeRozan and Aldridge are more than capable of finishing in the top 8, but they aren’t all the Spurs have this year. San Antonio have a few quiet young players who are only getting better, players who have flown slightly under the radar. Derrick White got some press last season, and is a perfect Popovich point guard. He is well-rounded, and showed last year he knows how to run an offence. His playoff poster vs Denver earned him a few highlights, and proved his athleticism as well. White is just the start. Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker both missed last season through injury, but both have tremendous upside. Walker recently displayed this upside at Summer League; the former Miami guard had 32 points against the Raptors last week, proving he still has the star potential he did before the knee injury. Murray is a long point guard who has value, as does Bryn Forbes. The Spurs have a good blend of youth and experience, a workman-like attitude, and are still be coached by Gregg Popovich. The starting 5 is very interchangeable, and it looks uncertain how Pop will play it. But guards in Murray, White, Patty Mills, Walker, Forbes and DeRozan, along with front-court players such as Aldridge, Rudy Gay, DeMarre Carroll, Trey Lyles, seems playoff worthy. I think this Spurs team will surprise a few this year, so I’ll take them as my #7 seed.
#8. Golden State Warriors
I for one am EXCITED to watch Steph Curry next season. Despite D’Angelo Russell’s unexpected arrival, Durant is long gone, and Klay Thompson is likely to miss all of next season with a torn ACL. Factoring in Iguodala’s departure and the waiving of Shaun Livingston, the Warriors dynasty is effectively over. But all of these events do mean another thing- Steph Curry is going to go nuclear next year. I’m talking 25+ shots a game, running the offense completely through himself. I was a little upset that the Warriors did manage to get Russell (I preferred him in Minnesota), as before they did, Steph would have literally needed to take 30 shots a game to keep Golden State afloat. Still though, Steph will be a sight to see. He’ll score enough points to be in MVP contention, but to the delight of the rest of America, I doubt the Warriors will win enough games for an MVP trophy. The rest of this roster, outside of Draymond, is concerning. Kevon Looney is a nice piece, but guys like Jacob Evans, Glenn Robinson and Eric Paschall? Alfonzo McKinnie? And these aren’t end of the bench guys, this is the second unit. It’s a thin looking roster, and I’m certain the Warriors will have their troubles this year. Even D’Angelo Russell, who was an All-Star last year and is a terrific player, doesn’t come without his flaws. A Curry/Russell backcourt is a horror-show defensively; guards around the league will be licking their lips at the thought of facing of against the Warriors. Steph will be brilliant, and he’ll do enough to sneak the Warriors into the playoffs, but I don’t think this season will bring anything more than that. Teams like the Pelicans and the Kings, and even the Mavericks and Timberwolves should be hot on Golden State’s heels- the playoff race will be even closer than last year.
Beyond The Perimeter 
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