Five Bold Predictions for the NBA Restart
After 139 grueling days without live NBA basketball (where the stats count), the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans will resume the season at 6 PM ET.
Gosh, it feels good to be back.
With the revival of the 2020 NBA season, anything is possible in Orlando. The new atmosphere makes predicting the eight seeding games plus the playoffs that much more difficult. In the DisneyWorld “bubble”, expect the unexpected.
Enough introductory nonsense. Let’s make some bold predictions.
The Heat make the Conference Finals
And don’t be surprised to see them in the NBA Finals if they make it there.
Miami possesses a plethora of tools that could help them make a deep playoff run. Jimmy Butler is a proven scorer who can take the reins of the offense in crunch time. Bam Adebayo (my MIP pick) has leapt from a role player in 2018-19 to an ultra-reliable starting big man in 2019-20. His 16-10 stat line is no fluke, and I believe he will continue his impressive junior year down in Orlando.
The rookies and sophomores on the Heat have also propelled them to success in South Beach this year. Tyler Herro plays like he’s been in the league for several years and wants the ball in crunch time (see: December 28 vs. Philadelphia). Kendrick Nunn has probably been the biggest rookie surprise this season, as the undrafted guard out of Oakland averaged 16 points a game this season, trailing only Zion Williamson and Ja Morant in that category. Duncan Robinson has been torching nets this year, shooting a ridiculous 44.8% from downtown. I believe he can play a 2013 Shane Battier-type role for the Heat (with more minutes, obviously)
The veterans on this squad should also help Miami make a deep playoff run. Goran Dragic, Jae Crowder, and Kelly Olynyk all have playoff experience. If Andre Igoudala can show flashes of his Golden State days, that would be extremely helpful to a Miami squad that lacks the playoff experience a team like Milwaukee or Toronto has.
Miami has a deadly weapon that some other playoff teams don’t have: The Heat know who they are. Everyone seems to know their roles. No one tries to be someone they’re not. You can see by the way they play that they’re only focused on winning a championship and nothing else, and all the players seem willing to do whatever they need to do in order to reach the promised land, even if it means compromising time with the ball in their hands.
Miami has what it takes to conquer their Eastern Conference foes. If they defeat their first round opponent and draw Milwaukee in the second round, I’m taking the Heat. Miami took the season series 2-0, and they match up well with the Bucks in terms of size and skill.
The Heat shouldn’t be overlooked. If a contender makes that grave mistake, their title dreams could be ended at the hands of Jimmy Butler and Co.
Portland vaults Memphis for the eighth seed in the West, defeats the Lakers in the First Round
When I first heard Charles Barkley say this on live television, I thought it was utter nonsense.
Then I did some research. After a little while, I’d gone from thinking that this statement was preposterous to 100% believing it.
While Portland currently sits at the ninth spot in the Western Conference, they’re actually a top five seed in disguise. Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins are finally healthy, which gives the Blazers some much needed size that will help them match up with bigger teams, especially the Lakers. Pair them with Hassan Whiteside (16 PPG, 14 RPG, 3 BLK), and Portland’s now got a formidable front court capable of matching up with anyone.
Oh, and did I mention Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum yet? In case I haven’t, one of the most lethal backcourts in the NBA is healthy and ready to go. In a first round series against the Lakers, who’s guarding them?
Alex Caruso? Please. Quinn Cook? Come on now. Avery Bradley? Ooh, mayb- oh wait. Never mind.
If I’m the Los Angeles Lakes, the Blazers are the last team I’d want to face in the first round. They’re able to counter the Lakers’ size and have a huge skill advantage in the backcourt. The absence of Avery Bradley will really hurt the Lakers, as he was their only proven lockdown defender on the perimeter.
The only caveat is Portland’s schedule. Saying that their eight seeding games are tough would be quite the understatement. After their opener against the Grizzlies, the Blazers draw the Celtics, Rockets, Nuggets, Clippers, 76ers, Mavericks, and finish the season against the Nets. I persperated just looking at that schedule.
NBA fans have seen this potential scenario happen before. The 1998-99 Knicks capitalized on a shortened season by getting hot at the right time and making an improbable run to the NBA Finals as an eight seed. While I’m not quite sold on an NBA Finals run from Portland, I do believe they have a chance of shocking the basketball world with a deep playoff run, starting with an upset of the top seeded Lakers.
This bubble atmosphere makes the unlikely likely. If Lillard and McCollum get rolling at the right time, don’t be shocked if you see the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round and maybe even beyond.
Devin Booker will average 40 PPG
Look, the Suns aren’t going to make the playoffs. I know it’s still mathematically possible, but the competition is just too difficult for the Suns to make a push for the eight seed.
However, if one star shines bright for Phoenix, it’ll be Devin Booker.
The Orlando atmosphere is perfect for players like Booker who can score 40 at the drop of a hat. The scrimmages have replicated sort of a Summer League vibe, like a really intense pickup game. If you’ve ever watched Devin Booker in pickup games on the “Ballislife” Youtube page, or “private runs” as hoopers call it, you know that he has the ability to go bonkers and single handedly win games.
The Suns draw Washington in their first seeding game, which will most likely be Booker’s best chance to erupt. The Wizards are essentially fielding a G League team in Orlando, as Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans (45.9 combined PPG) opted out of the season. It also helps that the Wizards were the worst defensive team in the league, ranking dead last in team defensive rating and giving up a whopping 119.7 PPG, which is tied for last with Atlanta.
While the Suns will most likely be a subpar team in Orlando, Devin Booker should put on a scoring clinic and give basketball fans a reason to watch the Phoenix Suns.
Matisse Thybulle’s YouTube channel will hit 500K subscribers by the end of the season
If you haven’t gotten the chance to watch the Sixers rookie’s “vlogs”, you’re missing out on some premium NBA bubble content.
Thybulle takes viewers inside the bubble and details what life is like in Orlando through a video lens. From the meals to the hotel rooms to the various activities around DisneyWorld, Thybulle does an amazing job of making the viewer feel like they’re in the bubble with the players.
Not only are Thybulle’s filming skills top-notch, his editing skills are equally as good. His transitions from his room to team meetings are as smooth as silk, and he only puts the most important and interesting moments of his filming journeys in his vlogs. He also does a great job of keeping his videos within the 10-15 minute range, which is good for people who don’t want to sit through an hour of a Sixers practice or a team get together.
As of this publication, Thybulle has 330K subscribers to his Youtube channel with only six videos. By the end of October (and hopefully with many more videos), I fully expect Thybulle to become a YouTube superstar.
The Clippers will defeat the Raptors in six games to claim the franchise’s first championship
How awesome of a storyline would this be? Kawhi Leonard, the cornerstone of Toronto’s 2019 Finals run, leaves after a year and then beats them in the Finals.
With all of the unpredictable variables surrounding the restart, the Clippers seem like the safest bet to win the Finals. Prior to the season suspension, the Clips had won 7 of 8 games, their only loss coming at the hands of the Lakers. They have a plethora of lockdown perimeter defenders in Leonard, George, and Patrick Beverley, as well as an enforcer inside in Montrezl Harrell (my 6MOTY pick). Most importantly, everyone is healthy and ready to go for the Clips.
Now, the question you might be asking is, why Toronto in the Finals? One word: Chemistry. Other than the departure of Leonard this past offseason, the Raptors returned a near identical roster for the 2019-20 season. Despite injuries plaguing Toronto throughout the season, Nick Nurse brilliantly utilized role players such Chris Boucher and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and kept on adding wins to the win column. In a situation like the bubble where so many variables have changed since March, continuity will play a crucial role in wins and losses in Orlando.
One more reason why I have the Raps back in the Finals is because of their defense. They’re second in defensive rating behind only Milwaukee, and they’re also second in steals per game as well as opponent points in the paint. The Raptors have several solid defenders at their disposal and, as I said earlier, have great chemistry. Everyone knows their roles. Most importantly, Toronto takes pride in playing defense. You can see by the way they play that they generally enjoy playing defense, something most NBA teams can’t attest to. Serge Ibaka, Pascal Siakam and Marc Gasol can anchor Toronto’s defense and let their presence be known inside.
On offense, the Raps can also turn to several different players when a bucket is needed. Pascal Siakam (23.5 PPG) has emerged as a consistent offensive threat this year. Kyle Lowry can run the offense with ease. Fred VanVleet is about as good of a backup PG as a team can have (see: Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals). Gasol and Ibaka provide experience in the paint, and role players such as Boucher, Hollis-Jefferson and even rookie Terence Davis can spark Toronto off the bench. Don’t be surprised when they topple Milwaukee in the playoffs for the second straight year.
Now, let’s take everything I said about Toronto being amazing and completely destroy it. Plain and simply, the Clippers are the better team. Yes, they haven’t been together as long as Toronto has. However, I’m taking Kawhi and Paul George over Siakam and Lowry all seven days of the week. The Clips can also counter the Raptors perimeter weapons with their own in Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and Reggie Jackson (don’t forget about Landry Shamet, either). Harrell can match up with Ibaka, and Ivica Zubac can counter Gasol.
When it’s all said and done, the Clippers will be the last team standing in Orlando.
