2020–21 NBA Preview: Part 7
Today’s installment of my NBA preview features the last two non playoff teams (maybe). With the 16 playoff teams, I will be changing up the format a bit to do a bit more detailed look at how they are constructed and what gives them the chance to be great. Hopefully, I’ll have the 8 teams tomorrow.
Enjoy and leave your thoughts in the comments.
East
9. Charlotte Hornets
When I first did these rankings, I actually had the Hornets in the 8th seed. Last year felt like a year to figure some new pieces out and this year, with the addition of the guy many people believe was the best player available in the draft and an all star in Gordon Hayward, it felt like this could be a team to make a mini run out of the lottery in the East. But after looking deeper at the rosters, I had to slow my roll a bit. This team could be good, but as I said earlier, I may have put Orlando too low and I am coming around to the idea that there are at least 8 Eastern conference teams better. That said this should be an interesting team to watch.
First round pick LaMello Ball’s basketball career to date has been so strange, different high schools, different low tier pro leagues, etc., that I don’t trust anyone who says they know what Ball is. He could be a star and he could be a bust. Either way it will be interesting to watch. When I’ve watched him play he never looks like he’s going all out. It looks like everything is easy for him. That likely means that he is on another level and has the potential to be great. OR, he hasn’t had to learn to really push himself and is in for a rude awakening when he goes up against Rozier in practice with Bismack waiting at the rim. And then imagine how that’s going to look against a good team? We will see.
If the season started today I think the starters would be:
LaMelo Ball
Devonte’ “Insta” Graham
Gordon Hayward
PJ Washington
Bismack Biyombo
Players like Terry Rozier, Miles Bridges, Malik Monk, Willy Hernangomez, Vernon Carey Jr. and Cody Zeller will also get some serious run and any of them could start depending on how they want to divide up the talent. It could be they think Washington is better off the bench with Hayward in the lineup for example and start Bridges. Graham could have won MIP and was incredible last year. Washington also exceeded expectations. Question is will those guys still be that good when they don’t have as many shots and have to share with more talented players? Sometimes you get fooled by guys who gun it up on terrible teams. I like Graham and Washington so I don’t think that’s the case but we don’t know.
The x fact on how good this team is will not be either of those guys or even Ball as important as he is. It will really come down to Hayward. Can he stay healthy and can he be the go to scorer night after night? He raised eyebrows when he turned down 30+ million from the Celtics for this coming year and then cashed in huge with the Hornets. It’s hard to think they didn’t grossly overpay. He is a really good player, but I don’t think he’s a franchise guy and the rest of this roster isn’t ready to win now. I hope he can stay healthy finally but I’m skeptical.
Still, in the East this team can win some games, especially if they can push pace and use Ball to his full potential. I bet they get blown out some nights, but will also push some good teams on other nights. But consider this. The last team out in the East is probably the second to worst team in the West.
Last random note, now that they waived Batum, I’m kinda hoping the Blazers pick him up as a backup PG and emergency/Covid relief wing.
Sneaker Note: LaMello’s older brother Lonzo Ball came out super hyped as the next Magic. The Lakers had his jersey retired before he even played a game. Shoe companies were drooling. Lonzo’s insane father pushed the hype machine to 11 and then demanded ownership to sign his son to a shoe deal. Then all the shoe brands pumped the brakes very hard. But just as he is convinced he could beat Jordan 1 on 1, the senior Ball believed he could also outdo Nike and Adidas and started his own shoe brand. The formula was simple. Create a cheaply made shoe that looked like a payless knock off of other popular shoes, charge a small fortune for them waaaaaay outside the price range of your entire target audience (4 or 5 times the amount you would pay for other signature shoes), do nothing to create a reliable supply chain or customer service system and then talk it up like it’s the best thing ever while shunning the millions that other brands were trying to hand your child so he would wear their far superior product. And it worked out just like you would think. So, I had to laugh when younger brother becomes a pro and immediately signs with Puma. Thanks but no thanks Dad. And speaking of Puma, they are back in the game. They dove back into basketball with some big cultural connections and then created some really good shoes. Their first was ok, but their most recent offerings are quite good. With a good lifestyle brand already established, Puma looks like a legit force to take some basketball market share away from the big boys. In particular check out the Puma RS Dreamer collab with the great J Cole.
9. Houston Rockets
This might be crazy. I acknowledge that. The Rockets could be better than last year and could reasonably be a 3 seed in the West. They don’t just have two all stars, they have two MVPs one of whom is still very much in his prime. And after having no size last year by weird design, they signed the best FA center on the market this off season. They were a tier 2 contender last year in the best conference and have the talent to beat everyone badly. So, what complete lapse in sanity could explain me ranking them this low?
A few things. First, both of their MVPs, Harden and Westbrook, are unhappy with the franchise. I don’t know if they are mad the team fired their coach or if they hate playing together or if they just didn’t like the strange small ball they were forced to play. Or maybe Harden just saw an opportunity to go to NY and play with KD again. But whatever it is, both Harden and Westbrook appear like they want to bolt.
So, that’s not great. Even if they stay, you have to wonder what that does to team chemistry and no matter how good they are, it is still 5 on 5 and how you play together really matters. Second, this team was built around Mike D’Antoni’s mad scientist small ball obsession and he’s gone so they have a new coach inheriting a roster than only fits one system. Third, there is a good chance both Harden and Westbrook get traded during the season. Fourth, Westbrook is a year older and likely a year worse. But he doesn’t know that. Fifth, they lost their best power forward in free agency.
So, how will any of that play out for the Rockets? I don’t know. But starting now,…or maybe even with the Grizz, the final order in the West is pretty much a toss up, especially when you factor in Covid. But if I had to guess right now, I’m guessing either trades or dissatisfaction or both submarine this team and keep them out of the playoffs. If the season started today, the starting lineup would probably be:
Russell Westbrook
James Harden
DeMarre Carroll
PJ Tucker
Christian Wood
Luc Mbah a Moute could also start at the 4 and you are going to see plenty of minutes with Russ, Harden and Eric Gordon (their third best player) in finishing lineups. I already talked about the Wood signing in the Detroit Pistons article, but as bad as it was for Detroit, it may have been even better for Houston. Houston actually played most of last season without a true center and ran a forward rotation that was all small forwards and shooting guards. The idea was to just space teams out and kill you with the 3. It actually kinda worked, but it had a ceiling. In the regular season it was so different that teams struggled against it especially when Harden was running things. But in the playoffs when teams had a chance to really game plan, the weaknesses were immediately exposed. No rebounding. No rim protection. No post defense. No chance. So, they ditched microball and went out and got the best FA center available at a reasonable price. Now if the stars stay, he gives them a legit lob catcher, rebounder, goalie. Oh and he can shoot. And if the stars bolt, he’s young and becomes an important piece of a rebuild. Either way great pick up.
The other thing it does is that it may make it slightly less likely that Russ and Westbrook take their weird fashion choices and go elsewhere. Maybe getting a good young big makes them think this year could be different and they eventually give it another shot when it becomes clear they aren’t just going to force their way to their ideal playing situation.
Carroll was a great signing. Fits this roster perfectly and makes up for the loss of Covington. They still lack size at the 4 but can fill the floor with shooters. This team actually stands a pretty good chance of being better than last year…if their stars want it to be.
A few other odds and ends. Harden is my least favorite player to watch in the NBA. He does all of my least favorite things to watch. He plays to get fouled rather than to score. He plays no defense at all. He flops and flails constantly on offense and defense. He relies heavily on the pump fake and jump into the defender play which should be outlawed immediately. And I just generally find his style of play boring. This is not a criticism. He is a tremendous player and all of the things I listed are within the rules and operate to his benefit. I just don’t like watching it. My least favorite player in the league overall though is his running mate Westbrook. His feud with Dame and his instance on playing every minute mad at the world when he is a pampered millionaire who gets to play a game for a living are both super tiresome. He is a ridiculous ball hog who works his butt off on the floor but apparently off it he refuses to actually improve his 3 point shot which is what he needs. I will never get over how his shot selection ran the best scorer in basketball out of town in his prime or how his ridiculous parade of “emperor has no clothes” outfits is both arrogant and clueless. And he’s oversensitive. And he’s not nearly as good as he thinks he is. And his shameless stat chasing won him an MVP with the most overrated stat ever (the triple double) from lazy sports writers. This only adds to why Dame stealing his soul and waving him off the floor in that playoff game two years ago will always be one of my favorite sports moments of all time.
Sneaker Note: James Harden is one of the most marketable athletes out there. He’s flashy, he’s got that beard, he loves the spotlight and plays in a big market. And he is the face of Adidas Basketball. And yet, his shoes all suck so hard. He has yet to have even one model I would let someone see me try on, much less purchase and wear, even if I didn’t dislike Harden. They are too different to be classic and not different enough to be interesting. They don’t really look like a basketball shoe at all. I wish Dame had signed with Nike because I am checks over stripes all the way. (can a 48 year dude say that? I don’t have to pretend I don’t know who Drake is just because I’m old right?). And Dame’s signature Adidas shoes have been hit and miss. I’ll save the rest of that discussion for my Blazers post. But at least Dame has some good shoes. Harden’s are all garbage. Westbrook, on the other hand, as much as I dislike him, has had some cool shoes that were both fun looking and good to play in. Once he started barking constantly at Dame, I got rid of all my Westbrooks, but they are still good shoes. Much like UA is doing with Curry, Adidas is wasting Harden.
Finally, I couldn’t not mention PJ Tucker here. If you are just a basketball fan, you may not know that PJ Tucker is the biggest sneakerhead in the NBA. He regularly wears at least 2 different pairs of collector worthy holy grail type shoes per game. While other stars are wearing shoes you could by for $110 — $200, Tucker regularly wears shoes that, if you could find them (and you can’t) would sell for $5,000-$10,000 and up. Big props to him for all the heat and for wearing his shoes. Sometime look up PJ Tucker and Sneakers and for anyone out there who thinks I have a sneaker obsession, it will provide some context.
Next up….the Playoff teams!
