8C z MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019 z USA TODAY E2 SPORTS
With a new season upon us, the USA
TODAY Sports’ NBA team has made its
predictions for awards and champion-
ship winners. Now it’s time to take a
deeper dive and plant our flags for the
upcoming year.
Who will emerge as a surprise title
contender?
Which rising young star is primed for
a big breakout?
What blockbuster trade can we ex-
pect at the deadline?
To celebrate the start of a new cam-
paign, Jeff Zillgitt, Mark Medina, A.J.
Neuharth-Keusch and Matt Eppers offer
10 bold predictions for the 2019-20 NBA
season:
- Denver will win the
Western Conference
The Nuggets have improved record-
wise in each of coach Mike Malone’s
four seasons from 33 victories to 40 to
46 to 54. Can they take the next step?
They have an MVP candidate in Nikola
Jokic and a talented, deep roster that in-
cludes Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Paul
Millsap, Will Barton, Malik Beasley,
Monte Morris, Juan Hernangomez, Je-
rami Grant and Michael Porter Jr.
- Jeff Zillgitt
- The Spurs’ incredible
playoff streak will end
It’s getting repetitive at this point,
but the Western Conference is loaded.
Really loaded. Again. As many as 12 or 13
teams could be legitimate playoff con-
tenders. Some good teams are going to
be left out. The Spurs have made count-
less predictions look foolish during their
22 consecutive postseason appear-
ances, but a lack of offensive firepower
catches up to them this season.
- Matt Eppers
- Boston will be better
without Kyrie Irving
Think addition by subtraction. Bos-
ton will no longer have to worry about
Irving’s drama. The Celtics’ young play-
ers will also feel more empowered to
navigate through their development.
After all, the Celtics managed just fine
during Irving’s injury-plagued first sea-
son.
- Mark Medina
- New Orleans will make playoffs
Yes, they looked great in preseason.Yes, they’re super young and super in-
experienced. And yes, in the East, this
prediction wouldn’t be all that bold. But
this is the West, where essentially 12
teams are fighting for eight spots. With
the Anthony Davis distraction gone, top
pick Zion Williamson in the fold, Lonzo
Ball and Brandon Ingram out of the
bright lights of Laker Land and sea-
soned veterans poised to take on leader-
ship roles, the Pelicans could be playing
basketball until late April.- A.J. Neuharth-Keusch
5. Raptors will trade Kyle Lowry
Coming off his first championship,
Lowry recently signed a one-year,
$31 million extension through 2020-21,
which makes his contract valuable for
the Raptors and a team trying to acquire
him. If the Raptors are struggling come
trade deadline, don’t be surprised to see
contenders in need of a quality point
guard make a run at Lowry. It also gives
the Raptors a chance to get something
(maybe a young player and draft picks)
in return. – Jeff Zillgitt- Steve Kerr will win
Coach of the Year
Without four All-Stars, Kerr will fi-
nally receive his due as someone who
can also develop players. Beyond rely-
ing on Stephen Curry and Draymond
Green, Kerr and his Warriors coaching
staff will maximize developing his
team’s role players and putting them in
positions to succeed. – Mark Medina- Trae Young will lead
the league in assists
Young is already a terrific passer with
stellar court vision and the ability to cre-
ate shots for others. He was fourth in the
NBA last season as a rookie with 8.1 as-
sists per game, and then Atlanta added
young talent around him in the draft. If
he and the Hawks make the progress
they’re expected to, Young should easily
boost his assist numbers above double
figures per game. – Matt Eppers- Tobias Harris will be
a first-time All-Star
The Sixers’ forward has been on the
cusp of making the All-Star Game, and
one could argue he should have made it
last season. He averaged 20 points and
7.9 rebounds and shot 48.7% from the
field, 39.7% on 3-pointers and 86.6% on
free throws. Harris isn’t far from a 50-
40-90 player, putting him in All-Star
territory on a talented team.- Jeff Zillgitt
- No more tanking
for ping-pong balls
With increased league-wide parity,
the last month of the regular season will
actually center on playoff positioning as
opposed to teams worrying about the
NBA lottery. The league will be so com-
petitive that the No. 4 seed will only
have a two-game cushion over the No. 8
seed. – Mark Medina- Gordon Hayward will
average 18 points
For a former All-Star, this might not
seem like much, but Hayward only put
up 11.5 points per game last season, nev-
er returning to form following his devas-
tating leg injury. But he’s now two years
removed from that, and the early re-
ports out of Boston have been encourag-
ing. Danny Ainge says Hayward is
“back” and Enes Kanter says he’s going
to “shock the world.” Preseason hype
should always be taken with a grain of
salt, of course, but maybe not in this
case. – A.J. Neuharth-KeuschBOLD PREDICTIONS
Staff weighs in on what to expect
Matt Eppers, Mark Medina,
Jeff Zillgitt and AJ Neuharth-Keusch
USA TODAY
- L.A. Clippers:Talent-wise, they’re
arguably the best and deepest team in
the NBA. The most regular-season wins
in franchise history (58 or more) – and
perhaps the first championship – is cer-
tainly in the cards. - Milwaukee:Led by MVP Giannis
Antetokounmpo, All-Star Khris Middle-
ton and Coach of the Year Mike Buden-
holzer, the Bucks are poised to take an-
other step forward and represent the
East in the NBA Finals. - Philadelphia: Yes, losing Jimmy
Butler and JJ Redick hurts, but the Six-
ers added difference-makers in Al Hor-
ford and Josh Richardson to the al-
ready-elite group.They very well could
end up being the best team in the East. - L.A. Lakers:For the first time in a
long time, they have their sights set on a
championship. They have arguably the
best duo in the league with LeBron
James and Anthony Davis, and any-
thing less than a title will be a disap-
pointment. The problem? They might
not even be the best team in their own
building. - Utah: The Lakers and Clippers
might be viewed as more legitimate title
contenders than the Jazz. That
shouldn’t necessarily be the case. The
Jazz are the real deal, and the time for
them to make a run is now. - Denver: It was a quiet summer
from an acquisition standpoint, and
that’s a good thing. The Nuggets took
care of business internally and enter as
one of the league’s most dangerous
groups, led by MVP candidate Nikola
Jokic.- Houston:Sure, there are questions
about the James Harden-Russell West-
brook fit, but Rockets are the only team
in the league with two of the past three
league MVPs. - Golden State: The Warriors’ dy-
nasty changed forever the moment Kev-
in Durant announced his decision to
head East. That doesn’t mean this group
isn’t going to be competitive. Cue the
Stephen Curry MVP chatter. - Portland: Jusuf Nurkic is expected
to be out for a good portion of the sea-
son, but the addition of Hassan White-
side should help mitigate his absence. - Boston:Kemba Walker might not
be Kyrie Irving in terms of pure talent,
but he’s close, and Irving’s departure
might be just what the Celtics need to
turn things around. - San Antonio:The Spurs aren’t ti-
tle contenders, but don’t be surprised if
they make the postseason for the 23rd
consecutive year. - Indiana: The bad news: The Pac-
ers enter the season without their best
player, Victor Oladipo, and there’s still
no timetable for his return. The good
news: The Pacers stayed afloat without
him for the second half of last season,
and they made plenty of moves over the
summer to help fill the void. - Brooklyn:The Nets struck gold
this summer, landing Durant, Irving and
DeAndre Jordan to accompany Jarrett
Allen, Caris LeVert, Joe Harris and
Spencer Dinwiddie. Expectations for
this season should be tempered with
Durant expected to miss the whole year,
but the future is bright as can be.- Toronto: It’s not every year you
see the reigning NBA champions this
low in the preseason power rankings.
Behold, the power of Kawhi Leonard. - Miami: The Heat landed a star by
bringing in Butler, and that addition
alone should be enough to get them to
the playoffs. - Sacramento: The Kings finally
have a young and talented core to build
around, and this group looks poised for
yet another step in the right direction. - New Orleans: All eyes will be on
Zion Williamson and the Pelicans.They
might not have enough for a playoff
push in the ultra-competitive West, but
they have a lot of talent. - Orlando:Don’t forget: The Magic
won the division last season, and not
much changed this summer. - Dallas: Pressure is on Luka Don-
cic and Kristaps Porzingis to fill the Dirk
Nowitzki void. - Detroit: The Pistons won’t be
great. They won’t be terrible. Again. - Atlanta: A core of Trae Young,
John Collins, Cam Reddish, De’Andre
Hunter and Kevin Huerter is one to be
excited about. - Minnesota: Despite being led by
one of the top young big men in the
league in Karl-Anthony Towns, the Tim-
berwolves remain in basketball limbo. - Oklahoma City: Westbrook’s exit
wasn’t sour like Durant’s, but it leaves
the Thunder without an identity or a su-
perstar to rally around.- Chicago:This group is headed in
the right direction – albeit slowly. - Memphis:Ja Morant and Jaren
Jackson Jr. have the potential to be one
of the best and most exciting young du-
os in the league. - Washington: Bradley Beal will
continue to put up monstrous numbers
while John Wall is out, but don’t expect
anything more than 30 or so wins. - Phoenix: The front office made
some questionable moves on draft
night, but the hiring of head coach Mon-
ty Williams was huge. This Suns’ season
will be all about development. - Cleveland: The Cavs’ biggest ad-
dition was the hiring of John Beilein, the
longtime college hoops coach who two
years ago led Michigan to the title game.
While he might not have NBA experi-
ence, he knows a thing or two about
helping develop young players. - New York: Believe it or not, the
Knicks have a few players on the roster
with star potential. This season – and
how those players develop – will have a
significant impact on the future of the
franchise. Keep an eye on Mitchell Rob-
inson, Julius Randle and rookie RJ Bar-
rett. - Charlotte: While the departure of
Walker opens the door for a lot of losing,
it also opens the door for a lot of internal
development and draft picks. No longer
will the franchise be mired in mediocri-
ty.
POWER RANKINGS
Clippers, Bucks top teams to start year
AJ Neuharth-Keusch
USA TODAY
NBA