Predicting the 2020 NBA champions

[Uncle Drew]

Says the dude that thought they were getting Zion Williamson.

I have no clue as to why and how those posts hurt you as much as they have, but I'm glad they did.

[Naero]

I don't see how the Lakers will have more than a fighting chance (if that) this year, even if the Anthony Davis trade materializes. The roster would be beatably top-heavy, compounded by how injury-prone their two-best players are (at least in LeBron's dotage); and even at full strength, the team's underequipped to compete in the three-point-happy paradigm of the modern league.

For the Bucks to knock on the door of another championship, Giannis has much off-season self-development on his plate. Regardless of their likely off-season retool (with several vital role-players bound to tap the free-agency pool), the team will be exploitable unless Giannis diversifies his repertoire, because the Raptors have already blueprinted the ideal defensive scheme against him for the rest of the league to follow. The right off-season decisions may palliate the problem, but the team will always be handicapped in the title-contention picture if their best player is containable simply by mobbing the paint as the Raptors did.

Although the Warriors will likely no longer be an Olympian-level colossus between Durant's injury and the likelihood that either he or Klay defects this season, they'll still field a veritable title-contender; all that'll change is their drop-off from prohibitive favorites to the same betting-odds bracket as the rest of the pack.

I wouldn't outrule the 76ers, either, who were one buzzer-beater away from possibly ousting the eventual champions. Whether or not they'd have advanced past the Bucks is a toss-up, but I couldn't see them encountering too many speed-bumps against the injury-ravaged Warriors in the Finals.

All in all, I'll vote for the Bucks, because I do trust Giannis to refine his game further (even if his jumpshot isn't as improvable as most demand out of him) and for our front office to continue making the appropriate roster-construction moves. We already have a championship culture, considering we were just several possessions away from defeating the eventual champions; we just need to get over the hump, which should only take some marginal off-season improvements unless a new unthinkable superteam emerges this off-season.

Obviously, I'm bound to revise much of this after this potentially revelative off-season, but these are my outlooks based on all conservative expectations and extrapolations.

[Draz]

I don't think Toronto can do it again. Aren't they a little too old? That and against a healthy Warriors they definitely can't beat them.. Healthy Klay and KD.. Na..

They might have a shot next year again but I can't see it being a sure shot thing unless KD and Klay are recovered

[SamuraiSWISH]

If the Lakers get the unibrow, I

[Mr.GOAT2408]

It looks so wide open for next season

Think Bucks will win it all next season but again wide open league

[Bimbo Coles]

Kawhi and co. should be an option.

[Shogon]

O_o

(Made this thread before Kawhi to LAC, obviously)

[Hamtaro CP3KDKG]

Lakers

their only competition is Bucks, Sixers and Clips. No one else has a chance

[Duncan21formvp]

How are Clippers not an option?

[Shogon]

Wellllllll we're a quarter into the season and, bump.

How are Clippers not an option?

O_o

(Made this thread before Kawhi to LAC, obviously)

That's how.

[Manny98]

7 people said the Craptors

[elementally morale]

Voted 76ers.

As the Lakers at this point are not a realistic choice, I'd love to see a Nuggets-76ers Finals.

Well-well-well. There was no Davis at the point I cast my vote. But even before the season started and the roster complete I didn't expect the team being this good this soon.

Both my original choices for Finals participants are playing worse than I thought. I wanted to see an Embiid-Jokic showdown... now I'm not so sure.

[Shogon]

Coming down to the wire!

[Shogon]

[Wally450]

Celtics assuming they resign Kyrie and trade for AD.

Eww, what a disgusting way of thinking I had a year ago.