God, it feels good to have NBA Basketball back. In fact, I’m currently watching the New Orleans Pelicans play the Toronto Raptors while writing this. With this being my first full NBA Season as a writer, I thought it may be a good idea to document some of my bolder 2019-20 NBA predictions, AKA hot takes.
The San Antonio Spurs Will Miss the Playoffs
This is one that may shock some. Let me preface my “hot take” with this: I fully respect everything about the Spurs. Gregg Popovich is a first-ballot Hall of Fame coach, but that 20+ year playoff streak will stop this year.
In my Western Conference Seeding Predictions on the NoLimitPodcast, I went super in-depth on why the Spurs will miss the Playoffs. Let’s just start off with their roster. Based on talent alone, the Spurs rank in the bottom half of the NBA. In a league dominated by shooting, their three best players (DeMar DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Dejounte Murray) are below-average 3PT shooters at best. Plus, they have the oldest roster in the NBA. Most of the roster are guys on the last leg of their careers. They’ll struggle to keep up with the quick, young players that are in abundance in the Western Conference. Also, most of their core players are coming off of season-ending injuries.
We’ve seen that Gregg Popovich’s system may be slowly fazing out of the league. Pop’s system struggled against teams in this year’s FIBA World Cup. His stubbornness to stick with the same brand of basketball was evidently team U.S.A.’s demise. Teams are slowly learning how to stop the Spurs. With the combination of injury concerns, aging key players, and teams learning how to stop San Antonio will push them OUT of the playoff picture.
Zion Williamson Will Finish Top-3 in DPOY Voting
In our Per Sources Awards Predictions I stated that Zion Williamson will win DPOY. Considering that he’ll miss 6-8 weeks with a Torn Meniscus, he’s no longer a shoo-in for the award. However, Zion is such a dynamic defender that, regardless of missed time, he’ll be one of the top defensive players in the league.
At Duke, Zion was top-10 in every defensive category in the ACC – blocks, rebounds, steals, defensive rating, defensive box plus-minus, the list goes on and on. His versatility on defense will allow him to rack up defensive numbers. He’s uber-athletic and can block any shot at any time. Plus, his defensive instincts will allow him to rack up a ton of steals.
Zion’s ability to guard 1-5 at an elite level, block shots, steal the ball at a consistent level, and have great defensive instincts will solidify him as one of the league’s best defensive players. Plus, voters will enjoy the “hype factor” behind Zion, as well as the fact that he’s a rookie.
The Boston Celtics Will Win the Eastern Conference
Here’s a take the Great TPR can get behind…
As the legend, GRD would say, “WE OUT HERE”. Celtics fans, we’re really out here. So many people have already written off this Celtics team, and I simply don’t understand. Boston is the lone team in the Eastern Conference who are complete. Philadelphia lacks depth and shooting, Milwaukee lost Malcolm Brogdon, and those two are basically Boston’s only competition.
Boston’s main issue they got rid of was Kyrie Irving. Without Irving the last two seasons, Boston was one of the best teams in the NBA. The ball flowed and the defense was crisp. It was how Brad Stevens basketball should be played. Kyrie is a ball stopper, he simply wouldn’t buy into the Celtics’ system.
Now, Boston has Kemba Walker, a guy who’s stated that he wants to win and buy into the Celtics’ system. With their young core being a year ahead in progression, an influx of new veteran and young talent, and Boston finally being free of a cancerous “leader”, they’ll elevate back to the top of the East.
The Denver Nuggets Will Win the Western Conference
How’s this for a hot take???
Not only do I think the Nuggets will win the West, I think they’re the first seed and win 60+ games. This team is legit. Everyone slept on them last year, but I didn’t. One of the first articles I ever wrote (which was never published) was about how the Denver Nuggets will shock the NBA and win 50+ games. Well, now that I have a publication to due, I’m going to double-down on my take.
The Denver Nuggets are the only team in the Western Conference that didn’t lose a single player from their 10-man rotation from the previous season. Essentially, they’re the only team in the West that doesn’t need to learn how to to gel. The only player they added was arguably the most talented high school prospect ever, Michael Porter Jr. Porter is a 6’11” sharpshooting forward who missed all of last season due to injury. He essentially pulled a Ben Simmons.
For Denver, adding Porter fills in their only position of question. He adds versatility both offensively and defensively. They’re also an extremely young team that have shown progression year after year. Last year, they won 55 games without Porter, making it to the Western Conference Semifinals. This team gained tons of much-needed experience, and once again, they’ll shock the world.
The Chicago Bulls Will be a Top 5 Team in the East
I’m extremely high on the Chicago Bulls. I’ve written a deep dive on their off-season moves. However, a lot has changed since the publishing of that article. I’ve actually been able to see how this Bulls team plays, granted it’s preseason, but still. This team is for real.
Zach LaVine has shown that he’s an elite scorer in this league. He’s dominated this preseason. In fact, he was top-five in preseason scoring. Coby White has also looked electric. The man can hoop.
They’ll be one of the toughest offensive teams in the league. With a line-up of Coby White, Zach LaVine, Otto Porter, Lauri Markkanen, and Wendell Carter Jr., the Bulls will be able to run the floor fast and efficiently. Yeah, they’ll struggle defensively. But, they’re going to outscore any team they play against.
Based on talent alone, this Bulls team can finish in the top half of the East. They may not be able to overtake the 76ers, Bucks, or Celtics, but they can take any other team in the conference.
If I wrote about every “Hot take” for this upcoming NBA season, I’d be writing for hours. However, I gave some of the “better” hot takes I have for this season.
Look out for more of “Hawkins Hot Takes” throughout the year!
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