1,590 days have passed since the Golden State Warriors began their stranglehold on the NBA, winning three of the past four championships with a roster saturated with MVPs and All-Stars. Since then, the league has been wrought with a complete absence of parity and, consequently, total predictability.
Fans of the 29 other teams have been stuck in a nightmarish state for the past five seasons, praying for the day when their team could make a legitimate run for the championship. The same team had been to the finals five years in a row — the most since the Boston Celtics made 10 consecutive finals appearances in the 1950s. Something needed to change.
Thankfully, this summer, the basketball gods answered our prayers.
The 2019-20 NBA season will feature a level of league parity not seen in over a decade. With seven teams in legitimate contention to win it all, we can expect intense competition all season as multiple newly formed powerhouses try to seize their championship window.
Here are the true contenders, playoff locks and trends to keep an eye out for in each conference as the season progresses.
The Eastern Conference
The Milwaukee Bucks headline the list of contenders, coming fresh off a league-best 60-win season led by forward Giannis Antetokounmpo who, at the age of 24, won his first league MVP and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season. Milwaukee’s front office has surrounded Antetokounmpo with an arsenal of shooters, which forces opposing teams’ defenses to either guard Antetokounmpo with one sole defender, a futile strategy, or a double-team effort that leaves their shooters open. Milwaukee will likely boast a top-five offense and defense again this year and will likely secure the first seed come playoff time.
But the Bucks’ main concern is the departure of sharpshooting guard Malcolm Brogdon, who signed a hefty contract with the Indiana Pacers this summer. Regardless, this is the best time for Antetokounmpo and company to execute during the playoffs and win the conference.
Superstar forward Kawhi Leonard’s game seven buzzer-beating shot heard ‘round the world may have ended the Philadelphia 76ers’ aspirations for a title last year, but their starting five, which was arguably the league's best, somehow improved in the offseason, making the team a legitimate contender. Superstar center Joel Embiid will likely continue to perform at an MVP-caliber level, showing dominance at both ends of the floor while trying to stay healthy. Ben Simmons, who saw his first All-Star appearance last season at the age of 22, and who signed a five-year maximum contract extension this summer, continues to pose a major mismatch problem as a 6-foot-10-inch point guard. After making his first three-point shot in an NBA game, he appears to have gained confidence in his shot over the summer. The roster also gained an experienced center in Al Horford, who is versatile enough to play down low alongside Embiid or serve as an intimidating backup center when Embiid rests.
The 76ers will have to compensate for the departure of tough-nosed forward Jimmy Butler to the Miami Heat. Butler carried a heavy scoring load in the 2019 postseason and was the go-to closer when a game was on the line. The absence of three-point marksman J.J. Redick also raises concerns about whether a modern NBA team can succeed with a lack of perimeter shooting.
Among those who will certainly secure a playoff spot but fail to win more than one series, the new-look Boston Celtics simply don’t have the stars necessary for a deep playoff run. The team swapped point guards Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker this summer, maintaining their firepower at the position, but lost Horford to division rival Philadelphia. Expect Boston to rack up around 50 wins this year and secure home court advantage in the first round.
The defending champion Toronto Raptors will make it back to the playoffs, but the departure of Leonard killed their hopes of a repeat. The Raptors will hope to softly rebuild around their young wing, Pascal Siakam. If they get off on the wrong foot, Toronto could certainly trade away their veterans — namely big men Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka — and hit the full rebuild button.
The Brooklyn Nets will shine, but there is a clear ceiling on their abilities until forward Kevin Durant, who signed a max contract with them on June 30, returns from his Achilles injury. This is a lost season for Brooklyn, but their impressive depth likely guarantees them a playoff berth.
The Pacers have incredible depth with the acquisitions of Brogdon, guard Jeremy Lamb and forward T.J. Warren. Once star guard Victor Oladipo returns from injury, Indiana will be a serious threat to win a playoff matchup against most teams in the East. Still, this roster is one big acquisition away from being a serious contender.
Finally, the Heat will almost certainly slip into the postseason due to what should be a foreboding defense. Miami’s big offseason acquisition was Butler, who will bring some much-needed playmaking to South Beach. But Miami lacks the depth and offensive firepower to put up much of a fight come playoff time.
The Western Conference
The Western Conference landscape has shown consistently deep and fierce competition for well over a decade. But this year, the regular season battle over seeding will rise to a completely new level. With 10 teams in competition for playoff spots and five actual contenders, there is likely a good argument behind any combination of year-end standings predictions.
In perhaps the biggest offseason move, Leonard, fresh off his second championship, opted to join the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency and organized a last-minute trade to send forward Paul George to L.A. with him. When an up-and-coming playoff team with solid role players gain two superstars in one offseason, they are sure to wreak some havoc.
At first glance, the Clippers look like one of the league’s most intimidating teams at both ends of the floor. Leonard is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and George was twice voted on the NBA All-Defensive team, leading the league in steals this past year. Both are elite scorers, having averaged 27 points and 28 points per game last season, respectively. Combine these two with defensive guard Patrick Beverely, big man Montrezl Harrell, guard Lou Williams, the greatest sixth man of all time and Hall of Fame Coach Doc Rivers. It is no wonder that Vegas oddsmakers give them the best odds of any team to win it all.
The Los Angeles Lakers are a popular pick to win the championship, and for good reason. Forwards Lebron James and Anthony Davis, two of the NBA’s top five-to-seven players. If James and Davis play to their fullest potential and mesh well, it will be hard to stop this squad. But there are plenty of concerns about their depth and their ability to shoot at an efficient rate. Question marks surround this team in what will be a “boom or bust” type of year.
The Denver Nuggets are coming off a breakout season in which they finished the regular season second in the Western Conference. Led by graceful big man Nikola Jokic and his sidekick shooting guard Jamal Murray, the Nuggets will once again be formidable, at least during the regular season. Denver has banked on continuity, bringing back nearly their entire core from last year. But this young squad has yet to prove themselves in the playoffs. Still, this team has almost no flaws and, under the tutelage of Head Coach Mike Malone, should emerge an unquestioned contender out west.
The Utah Jazz shook it up this offseason after back-to-back second-round exits at the hands of the Houston Rockets. With the additions of guard Mike Conley and forward Bojan Bogdanovic, Utah now boasts one of the most well-rounded starting fives in the conference. Third-year two-guard Donovan Mitchell should thrive with these additions to the team, giving him newfound space to operate. This injection of shooting into the lineup leaves Utah with what should be a potent offense along with Rudy Gobert, the reigning two-time Defensive Player of the Year and one-man wrecking crew on the other end of the floor. But Utah still lacks a clear-cut top-10 player, and in this league, starpower is essential to win in the playoffs. Still, the Jazz’s offseason moves have launched them into contention for the first time since the guard-forward duo of John Stockton and Karl Malone represented the Deseret State.
The Rockets’ offseason acquisition of former MVP guard Russell Westbrook has made the team almost entirely unpredictable. The upside for this team is clear: the pure offensive talent between Westbrook and elite franchise guard James Harden is undeniable and could make for a devastating offense. Returning forwards P.J. Tucker and Eric Gordon bring much-needed perimeter shooting and defense. However, serious questions remain regarding how these two ball-dominant guards will work together. Bad chemistry between the two could lead to a total collapse, and possibly a failure to make the playoffs.
When the Golden State Warriors closed out the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Six of the 2015 NBA finals, the victory was the symbol for a changing league. The Warriors’ young roster and innovative style of play, which featured unprecedented use of the three-point shot and a fast-paced, small-ball lineup, would completely revolutionize the game. Little did we know that they would go on to ruin true competition for the next four years. But now the league has changed. The Warriors’ reign is over. The question now is who will take their place?
