As has become the norm in recent years, the 2018 NBA off-season was pure madness.
MVP candidates switched teams, superstars demanded trades and the Golden State Warriors somehow became even scarier.
With the 2018-19 regular season inching closer, here are five bold predictions for the new campaign.
Kawhi will fall in love with Toronto
Minutes after Kawhi Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors in a blockbuster that sent DeMar DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs, reports surfaced that Leonard had no interest in playing north of the border. The 27-year-old’s silence following the trade was deafening, only furthering speculation that he plans on leaving Toronto when his contract expires at the end of the coming season.
Paul George was in the same boat prior to last season when was traded from Indiana to Oklahoma City despite the belief he would sign in Los Angeles in free agency. When push came to shove, George ended up inking a four-year, $137-million deal to stay in Oklahoma City.
All the pieces are in place for Leonard to follow in George’s footsteps and stick with the Raptors for the long haul:
1) He’s playing for a contending team.
2) He’s already become an Internet sensation thanks to “the laugh.”
3) Toronto added Leonard’s close friend to its coaching staff.
4) There will be plenty of sponsorship opportunities to help boost Leonard’s image on the global stage, something he reportedly desires. Those same opportunities will let the 2014 NBA Finals MVP showcase his acting skills on the regular.
5) Teammate Norman Powell’s mother is friends with Leonard’s mother.
LeBron and the Lakers will miss the playoffs
LeBron James will find it to be tough sledding in his first career season in the Western Conference. Not only will he see his streak of eight straight NBA Finals appearances snapped, he will be watching the post-season from the couch for the first time since 2004-05.
The West is loaded up top with the Houston Rockets and Warriors remaining a tier above the rest of the competition. The Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder have joined the San Antonio Spurs as playoff fixtures and the Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans and Denver Nuggets all look like teams on the rise. The Minnesota Timberwolves are a bit of a question mark with the disgruntled Jimmy Butler’s status up in the air but they also figure to contend for a spot in the top eight.
There simply isn’t much margin for error for James and his supporting cast of “misfit” Los Angeles Lakers. If they stumble out of the gate as they try to build chemistry, the King will find out the hard way that a poor stretch will sink you in the Western Conference in ways it probably wouldn’t back East.
The LeBron-less Cavs will make the playoffs
To add salt to the wound, James will have to watch his former team compete for a title without him. In the weaker Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers will find a way to scrape their way back to the post-season.
After four years of playing second- or third-fiddle to James and Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love will revert back to his beast-mode days with the Timberwolves. The 30-year-old will once again be a legitimate threat to erupt for 20 points and 20 rebounds on any given night and will cruise to his sixth all-star appearance. The supporting cast of Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., George Hill, Rodney Hood and others will be enough to earn a playoff spot.
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A new face will win MVP
The NBA will crown a first-time MVP for the third consecutive season. Anthony Davis has elevated his game with each passing season, and he’s ready to back up his claim that he’s the best player in the league. Taking home MVP honours would certainly bolster that argument. Davis is an absolute force on both sides of the ball, and finished third in the 2017-18 voting. If he can somehow improve upon his averages of 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game while leading the Pelicans to the playoffs, ‘The Brow’ will be handsomely rewarded for his efforts.
Other contenders to earn their first MVP award are Leonard, Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Karl-Anthony Towns could join the conversation if he can carry the Timberwolves on his back through the Butler drama.
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No team will win 60 games
For the first time since 2000-01 (excluding the lockout-shortened 2011-12 campaign) no team will hit the 60-win mark this season. Only the Rockets accomplished the feat last year and the league will be devoid of 60-game winners this time around.
In the Eastern Conference, the three best teams on paper (Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia) all play in the same division. Those three squads will beat up on each other enough to prevent any single one from going 60-22 or better. Aside from the Atlantic Division titans, no other Eastern Conference team figures to be in the mix to eclipse 60 victories.
Out West, the Rockets and mighty Warriors are the biggest threats to make it happen. However, with LeBron’s move to the Lakers and the young Jazz and Nuggets figuring to take more steps forward this season, there looks like enough parity to keep everyone under 60 wins.
