My Boldest Predictions For The 2021-22 Season!
It’s about that time of year. With the NBA season coming right around the corner, it’s time for some bold predictions. Now, I have made a lot of predictions about teams and players already this offseason. But today, it’s time to throw some logic out the door and wing it.
I’m not usually someone who does this, however, doing it once in a while isn’t some sort of crime. There may or may not be a Blazers hot-take in here somewhere.
The Blazers Are Going To Win A Playoff Series
Before you get mad, I didn’t say my Blazers were going to win the championship or anything like that. I may be biased but I am not delusional. Yet.
The Blazers made some minor moves this offseason. A new head coach, some new bench pieces, and most people still think we didn’t do anything. I am hesitant on whether we are truly better or not, however, I do think that if things fall into place, we’re going to be good, good enough to at least win 4 games in the playoffs.
It’s hard to mess up the starting 5. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum score the ball better than most other backcourts. Norman Powell is the best 3rd option the Blazers have had with Dame…ever. Robert Covington provides defense and Jusuf Nurkic is very good when healthy.
This unit posted a +14.9 net rating during the regular season and a +19.5 net rating in the playoffs. They played well last year and I don’t think there are any problems with those 5 guys. I just need Jusuf Nurkic to stay healthy. Is that too much to ask for?
The bench and coaching are where I have my concerns. The defense remains a problem, as our team just doesn’t have good defenders. I’m not blaming Chauncey for the bad defense, I don’t think any coach could make this defense above average. But I am hoping for improvement.
Our first preseason game against the Warriors wasn’t great. The players are trying to learn a new system, but for us to succeed, we need a defense that isn’t historically bad like it has been the past two years.
The bench unit is also interesting. Anfernee Simons and Larry Nance Jr. are all but guaranteed minutes, but who else will play? Cody Zeller broke his nose during the first preseason game so he’ll have to miss the start of the season. Maybe second-round pick Greg Brown Jr. can fill in his place.
I need to see some flashes of decency from Nassir Little, who hasn’t done anything that impactful as a Portland Trail Blazer. Guys like Tony Snell, Ben McLemore, and even Dennis Smith Jr. might get minutes, but I’m not that thrilled with the bench depth as of right now.
If we can’t rely on the bench, like we did last year, then that makes it a lot tougher to win in the West.
But I think this team can do some damage. When healthy, the starting lineup is excellent. The bench depth is spotty, but I think the most important thing that Chauncey Billups has to focus on is defense. I need it to be below average at worst, but it can’t be near the bottom of the league again.
The Western Conference is very tough, but we should have beaten Denver pretty easily last season. I think that we can win a playoff series if things fall in the right place, for once.
Scottie Barnes Is Going To Win Rookie of the Year
Rookie of the Year is a pretty easy award to predict. There are always rookies that have good years, but the formula for rookie of the year is really simple. If you score the ball a lot and do it somewhat efficiently, here’s the trophy. The other way to win is to have great all-around numbers.
I think a great example is, believe it or not, Ben Simmons back in 2017. He averaged 16 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals per game. Those are the only two ways to win Rookie of the Year: score or do everything.
The frontrunners for ROTY this year are guys like Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green, the two top picks in the draft this year. But I think that Scottie Barnes, the 4th overall pick, is in a real dark horse position to win the race. And there are a few (good) reasons for that.
Great Coaching Staff
Where rookies end up is huge for their development. Their talent matters, but their development is mainly due to the coaching staff. The Raptors have the best coaching staff in the NBA and have developed the likes of Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Chris Boucher, and OG Anunoby from being unknowns to legit players.
Barnes is a very talented player, but the Raptors drafted him because of that potential. The Raptors believe in Barnes and he is going to be getting the best coaching in the NBA. This is a blessing that not too many high drafts picks get to feel, so Barnes will be able to develop a lot better than other prospects in this class.
Raw Talent
To get drafted #4 overall in the NBA draft, you kind of have to be good at basketball, and Barnes is. He’s a supersized point guard at 6’7″, but he plays like a guard offensively.
He already displayed some great passes in his first preseason game and he’s going to be a good playmaker throughout his career. The shooting isn’t there yet and I doubt he can break people off the dribble that well yet, but I do think that his playmaking will be his biggest strength as a rookie.
The defense? Now that’s why Barnes was drafted so highly. While the Raptors already have Siakam and Anunoby, Barnes has the potential to give them a third, excellent defensive stopper on the wing. Barnes’ size and lateral quickness allow him to be so versatile defensively.
He’s likely going to guard a lot of different positions this year and have various amounts of success. Defense is going to be Barnes’ namesake, at least for his rookie season.
Production
I think that what we saw from Barnes during his first preseason game was a great showing of what we can expect during his rookie season;
Scottie Barnes Debut;
13 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks – 25 MIN
If he does something like that for the whole season? A little more scoring and he could win rookie of the year. Barnes has a really good chance to win the award. He has a great coaching staff around him, he’s very talented, and the Raptors are going to need him to contribute to winning.
Barnes might be in the best situation out of all the lottery picks and he is going to be able to do stuff like this on a nightly basis. Barnes should be in the running for ROTY throughout the entire season barring anything unforeseen and I think that he has a real shot of winning it.
Russell Westbrook Is Going To Struggle With The Lakers
Ok, this isn’t a hot take. This is going to happen. Cry Lakers fans.
I don’t know how this would ever work. Westbrook has been the worst volume shooter over the past 5 seasons. He can’t shoot and he’s not an ideal fit next to Lebron and AD. Westbrook isn’t going to be able to change enough to make this work and he will maybe be a slight upgrade over Dennis Schroder.
Unless Westbrook makes some drastic changes to his game, I don’t see this trio working. Westbrook needs the ball to be impactful, he doesn’t play defense, he can’t shoot, he’s inefficient, and I don’t think he’s a winning player. Is that enough for you?
But the thing is, the Lakers need this Westbrook experiment to work because the roster isn’t that good.
Anthony Davis is still injury-prone, Lebron is getting older, and a lot of the roster isn’t that good, in my opinion. Trevor Ariza is already going to miss two months after an ankle injury he sustained recently. Guys like Kendrick Nunn and THT have to prove to be more consistent. A lot of the veterans like Carmelo Anthony and Wayne Ellington might not be the most reliable options in the world.
I already don’t view the Lakers as the best team in the league, behind the Bucks and the Nets (if Kyrie plays). But if the Westbrook isn’t functioning well (likely), then there is no way the Lakers can win a title. The Western Conference has so many great teams and the Lakers aren’t going to get another easy path to the title like they did in the bubble.
I don’t mean to be a “hater” or anything, but please don’t be surprised when this Westbrook thing doesn’t work out.
The Bucks Are Winning Back-to-Back Titles
Now, I would love to be on the Nets bandwagon. I think the Nets are easily the best team in the league. But if Kyrie Irving is unable to play due to his vaccination status? Well, then I think the Bucks stand a much better chance and I do believe that they win a 2nd straight title.
The Big Three
The Bucks Big 3 is an excellent trio, a great blend of defense, versatility, and solid offense. The trio of Giannis – Jrue Holiday – and Khris Middleton does not get the respect that they deserve, but they showed how good they were last year in the playoffs.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the path to greatness. He’s a 2x MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year, an All-Star, All-NBA Member, All-Defensive Member, an NBA Champion, and a Finals MVP. Not the worst of resumes for someone who is just 25 years old.
Giannis can do it all. He is a freak of nature and he was so dominant in the playoffs, especially against the Phoenix Suns in the Finals. While his offense isn’t exactly pretty or anything, nobody can stop him. When the Bucks use him as a center instead of a guard in the playoffs, he becomes impossible to stop.
And you don’t become a DPOY if you’re not good at defense. Giannis might be the best all-around defender in the NBA. He’s excellent down low and is quick enough to stay with guys on the perimeter. He has incredible length and he is probably the best overhang defender in the NBA.
Jrue Holiday is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. While he wasted his prime in New Orleans with the Pelicans, he finally got to be on a contending team and he showed the world his amazing talent. On offense, Holiday is a solid shooter. But his main goal isn’t usually to score, it’s to facilitate. He’s a great player in the pick-and-roll and helps the offense operate smoothly.
But Holiday’s main calling is defense. He is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA and shuts down All-NBA level guards all the time. He did a superb job in the Finals against Devin Booker and he is going to be able to hold his own against the best that the NBA has to offer.
Khris Middleton was usually the person to get the most blame when the Bucks were having disappointing playoff exits. Middleton is a talented player, but he always seemed to fall short in the playoffs, when the Bucks needed Middleton to step up and support Giannis.
But now that Middleton had less of a role offensively? He was excellent during the 2021 NBA playoffs and made big shots that helped the Bucks win the title.
Offensively, he can score all three levels. He is a great ball-handler, a solid passer, and he’s a great scorer. He can make tough shots and he made some huge shots in the playoffs.
I think that stat is very telling.
Like the other two members of the Bucks big three, Middleton is also a really good defender. He is good at guarding wings and he’s been a pretty good defender over the past few seasons.
This trio is a great blend of offense, defense, and a lot of versatility. I think that they’re easily the second-best trio in the NBA, behind the Brooklyn Nets big 3. But if Kyrie Irving doesn’t play in half of the games this season, then the Bucks’ big three are the best in basketball and they should lead the Bucks to another Finals run.
Supporting Cast
The supporting cast behind the Big 3 is also very good and that supporting cast got better this offseason with some more depth.
Donte DiVincenzo was the starting SG for the Bucks before he got injured in the first round and missed the rest of the postseason. Getting him back will be great for the Bucks.
Brook Lopez is a solid stretch big, although newly re-signed Bobby Portis might play more than him this season. Both are similar players and I’ve never seen a fanbase embrace a player as they have with Bobby Portis. They love him and he brings a lot of energy.
Losing PJ Tucker does hurt them defensively, but they made some good moves. Veterans like George Hill and Rodney Hood can score well. Pat Connaughton is a good shooter. I loved the addition of Grayson Allen, giving them even more depth and shooting off the bench.
This supporting cast is very good, very versatile, and they compliment the big three very well. The other guys were a big reason for the Bucks winning it all last season and that’ll have to be the case again if they want to repeat.
Mike Budenholzer
Mike Budenholzer and I have a history. It’s more one-sided, but I have been one of the biggest Mike Budenholzer critics when the Bucks underperformed in the playoffs for back-to-back seasons. But I have to give him credit, he pushed all the right buttons in 2021 and the Bucks won a title largely in part due to his great coaching.
Budenholzer has a lot of options at his disposal and if he does some of these things, the Bucks will be fine;
- Put Giannis at center more, or at the very least in the post. It becomes so much harder to guard him from the post
- Use Giannis as a screener, preferably with Jrue Holiday. That pick-and-roll combo is lethal
- Play Bobby Portis more at center. Brook Lopez is good, but Portis is better in a lot of ways
- Put Giannis and Jrue Holiday on the opposing teams best defenders more, they can handle it
- Get Jrue Holiday some more isolations offensively. He doesn’t get many and doing this can take some pressure off of Middleton + Giannis.
I know that’s a pretty hefty wish list, but Budenholzer did a lot of those things in the playoffs last year. If he does most of these things next season as well? Then the Bucks have a really good chance of hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy once again.
The Bucks have the talent and the coaching to win a title. They looked dominant last year and assuming that the Nets are out of the picture, I think they’re easily the best team in the NBA. I don’t think anybody in the West can beat them when they’re rolling, so back-to-back titles for Giannis and co. isn’t out of the realm of possibilities.
The Denver Nuggets Are Making The Western Conference Finals
Again, this isn’t that much of a hot take, if you know how good Denver is. They’ve quietly built an incredibly deep team with so much talent around their franchise cornerstone in Nikola Jokic. I know that Jamal Murray will miss significant time with that ACL injury, but I do think that the Nuggets are going to have a great 2022.
Star Power
The star power, that thing you need to go the extra mile in the NBA, is there.
While most people in the NBA don’t view Nikola Jokic as highly as he deserves to be, he’s the real deal. He didn’t win MVP last season because of a fluke, he was historically good offensively down low. He can score from all three levels, in the post, but his passing is exquisite. He creates so many opportunities for his teammates and he’s the engine for the offense.
When healthy, Jamal Murray is his perfect running mate. The Jokic + Murray duo is excellent and Murray can get things going from the perimeter if he gets going. Unfortunately for Denver, this duo won’t see too much playing time together during the regular season. But if they are back for the playoffs, lookout.
The third option for this team is the rising star in Michael Porter Jr. MPJ signed a 5-year, max extension this offseason and is one of the best young scorers in the NBA. The defense is still a work in progress and he can certainly get better off the dribble, however, he’s already one of the better scorers in the NBA.
Those 3 guys, when healthy, run things for the Nuggets. With Murray out, MPJ needs to be that 2nd option behind Jokic. That in turn means that other guys have to step up behind those two guys.
Supporting Cast
The Nuggets supporting cast is one of the most underrated in all of the NBA. They have crazy depth with multiple talented role players at each position. Don’t believe me?
Guard
- Monte Morris – Low turnover guy, good shooter, steady hand
- Facundo Campazzo – Veteran, solid playmaker, pest on defense
- PJ Dozier – One of their better perimeter defenders
- Will Barton – Solid scoring option
- Nay’Shon “Bones” Hyland (R) – Can really score the ball, has upside as a playmaker
- Austin Rivers – Yet another spark on offense
That guard core features a lot of different skill sets. Lots of scorers, some solid defenders like PJ Dozier, and an all-around really good unit. Some of these guys will struggle to get minutes even though they are good. That’s just how stacked the Nuggets are.
Forward/Center
- Aaron Gordon – Signed 4-year extension this offseason, good defender and plays really well with Jokic on offense
- Jeff Green – decent defender, great shooter, one of the better free agent acquisitions this offseason
- JaMychal Green – small-ball center with some floor spacing, re-signed this offseason for two years
- Bol Bol – literally GOD
The Nuggets don’t have a true backup center since Mason Plumlee left before last season. JaMychal Green is good but undersized. There aren’t a lot of good centers in free agency right now, but not having size does hurt them if they want to beat down teams like the Lakers and Suns, who have AD and Deandre Ayton respectively.
But Denver is a very good team. They are very deep, Nikola Jokic is excellent, Michael Malone is a great coach, you get the point here. I get that some people don’t like this team as much due to the Jamal Murray injury, but I’m here to tell you, they’re going to be just fine and they are a playoff lock in the Western Conference.
What Are Some Of Your Bold Predictions For This Season? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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