As the saying goes, “absence makes the heart grow fonder!” In this case, the NBA 2019-20 season is back after a break of seventeen weeks. A lot will be going down, and many teams will be competing in the coming month in Orlando for the 2020 NBA championship.
The break might have felt like years, but hopefully, you did not forget the central teams to look out for: the leading team Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference, the LA Lakers top the West, the Memphis Grizzlies clinging to the West’s 8-seed. And the Toronto Raptors who have been NBA defending champions for over a year.
In the NBA restart, 22 teams will participate at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida, and it will be a fantastic place to get storylines. The return to play was signed by the board of governors featuring eight regular-season games and potential tournaments. Here is a guide on what to expect.
The NBA Eastern Conference
1. Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis dunks
Giannis Antetokounmpo might be the best player in the world, and he is getting better by the day. Besides taking the crown of the best player but also the best dunker on earth! Before the game was shut down, he had 174 dunks in 54 games seconded by John Collins with 117.
2. Defending Champions Toronto Raptors: Nick Nurse’s creativity
With his team being at the top for a whole year, the Nurse deserves to be currently the best coach in the NBA. He might not have Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr, or Erik Spoelstra’s resume, but he has the most achievements in the two previous seasons.
Teamwork by Raptors and their coach has won them 70% of their games with a few losses. The team’s solid defense deserves a standing ovation with Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry holding the game together.
3. Boston Celtics: The Jayson Tatum leap
The Celtics are back with a replacement for Kyrie Irving with Kemba Walker, who is a better fit alongside Jayson Tatum. Tatum’s development seemed to stall a year back, but now he is again looking like one of the best young wings.
4. Miami Heat: A scorching five-person lineup
Under the leadership of Jimmy Butler with support from the young talent Bam Adebayo, Kendrick Nunn, and Duncan Robinson. Miami has the best 3-point shooters in its first five lin-up: Adebayo, Robinson, Nunn, and Meyers Leonard. The team is the most efficient, and they were ahead of the Bucks and the Raptors before the break.
5. Indiana Pacers: The most impressive development
Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, and T.J. Warren are now the core of the Pacers after struggling for three years to find their identities.
The transition from old Paul George to an all young star by Pacers’ leadership GM Kevin Pritchard and the head coach Nate McMillan deserves to shine with Oladipo and Sabonis.
The Western Conference
1. Los Angeles Lakers: Another LeBron title push
LeBron James joined the NBA seventeen years ago, and he is still at the top of his game. He has captivated NBA audiences as he became the biggest star in the league. He finds new winning tactics, leads in assists in the NBA, and a valid case with MVP.
The fans who bet on LeBron are almost certain to win their bets because he is the golden NBA player who rarely goes down. If you are interested in betting and don’t know how to go about it learn from howtobet.com and you will never watch your favorite team without placing a bet.
2. LA Clippers: Beverley’s edge
When the name Clippers is mentioned, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George come to mind, not forgetting Patrick Beverley. He is a defensive force that saves his trolling for playoffs and is among the Clippers’ best strengths.
3. Denver Nuggets: The weird offense
The Denver Nuggets are a unique team and play like no other. The teams’ uniqueness comes from Nikola Jokic, whose strange tactics make the Nuggets unique. He solely leads his team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Currently, in the NBA, centers are becoming an endangered species, but Jokic is an all-around dominant player.
4. Utah Jazz: Gobert’s commanding defense
Losing Bojan Bogdanovic was a big blow to the team, although they still have Rudy Gobert as one of the stingiest NBA defenses, and he is a beautiful player to watch. He is smart, tall, and impacts anyone in the NBA. Keeping him on the court against smaller teams will keep the team playing for a long time, thanks to his defense.
5. Oklahoma City Thunder: The crunch-time lineup
When the OKC traded their best players, no one expected them to get better. Perhaps their line-up carries the secret. Before the NBA stop, the OKC’s had played 88 different five-person lists in at least 100 minutes dominantly. The top-group included Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dennis Schroder, and Steven Adams.
Conclusion
There you have it, the top 5 teams from each conference, East, and West in the NBA championship with their strengths. It is not to say that the other groups are not worth your cup of tea, but this is a glimpse of what to expect this season.