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Division Winner & Surprises

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With the NBA season underway last night here are my division winners, losers and surprises for this up-and-coming season that will be exciting to watch unfold, I will begin in the west with the Pacific division.

Pacific Division

  1. Los Angeles Lakers: The defending champs reloaded this offseason with Dennis Schroder, Wesley Matthews, Marc Gasol and Montrez Harrell to repeat as champions and should win this division easily even with LeBron James and Anthony Davis taking turns resting this season.
  2. Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers have back themselves into a title or bust corner this season and must perform this season with comes down to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to lead the way to some form of legitimate success for this to mean something for the Clipps.
  3. Phoenix Suns: One of the sleeper teams to watch especially in the west is the Phoenix Suns who are given a big boost with adding Point “God” (No Typo) Chris Paul to this young talented team led by Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton where this Suns team can and will sneak up teams in the conference as well as the Clippers possibly here if things fall apart.
  1. Golden State Warriors: Yes, I know one of the league’s most popular players is returning in Stephen Curry, so the excitement and expectation are running high for, but reality needs to set in! The Warriors this season are simply seeing what they have going forward and are NOT going to jump back into contention which is fine so expect to see what rookie James Wiseman is made of and the rest of the roster but not a complete turnaround to 2016-2018.
  2. Sacramento Kings:

Northwest Division

  1. Denver Nuggets:  The conference final runner-up Nuggets come up with the same core group and are looking to break through that ceiling they keep hitting these past few years and may do so this season. With the Nikola Jokic/Jamal Murray duo evolving to its elite level and the potential of Michael Porter Jr hitting the level, the Nuggets may be a dangerous threat to the Lakers this season.
  2. Portland Trailblazers:  If their performance in the Bubble did not rise your interest the Portland Trailblazers are a sleeper team that need to be taken more seriously especially elite star guard Damian Lillard only entering more of his prime this season.
  3. Utah Jazz
  4. Oklahoma City Thunder
  5. Minnesota Timberwolves

Southwest Division

  1. Dallas Mavericks
  2. Memphis Grizzlies:  The Memphis Grizzlies could be the biggest surprise in the NBA, with rookie of the year Ja Morant leading the way the possibilities are endless for this exciting young team that is returning intact with major confidence.
  3. New Orleans Pelicans: New Orleans can be neck and neck with the Grizzlies with being a big surprise, but it comes down to Stan van Gundy’s coaching, the shooting of Lonzo Ball and Eric Bledsoe and Zion Williamson’s conditioning to truly grade this Pelicans team that has so much potential we hope is not wasted in the end.
  4. San Antonio Spurs
  5. Houston Rockets: James Harden and the disaster on this roster is only setting this team and new head coach Stephen Silas back seasons before they even know it! The only bright spot hopefully is they do not rush Kenyon Martin Jr into this dumpster fire well with the west covered up now let us hit the rather competitive eastern conference.

Atlantic Division

  1. Boston Celtics: Most of you and those who write probably have Brooklyn here I do not, not that foolish the Celtics are still a legitimate threat as well as my finals favorite so I feel the Celts will win this division safely.
  2. Brooklyn Nets: I went against my better judgement here and said the Nets will finish 2nd but with major, MAJOR caution!
  3. Philadelphia 76ers: No one better can handle chaotic rosters like Doc Rivers, and this is a special kind of chaotic group he is inheriting but if he can get the most out of Simmons & Embiid then things will look sunnier in Philadelphia.
  4. Toronto Raptors
  5. New York Knicks

Central Division

  1. Milwaukee Bucks:
  2. Indiana Pacers
  3. Chicago Bulls:  The Bulls will be the X factor of this division because they can easily be the 2nd best team with Pacers in crisis, Pistons and Cavs in major rebuild why can’t the Bulls resurge in 2020-21? It must start somewhere so why not here by surprise.
  4. Detroit Pistons
  5. Cleveland Cavaliers

Southeast Division

  1. Miami Heat
  2. Orlando Magic
  3. Atlanta Hawks: If Trae Young and this young talented Hawks teams learns to play respectable defense this season there is absolutely no reason why they cannot be involved in the play-in segment to make the playoff with that promising roster.
  4. Washington Wizards
  5. Charlotte Hornets

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