2018-2019 Midwest Division Preview
Aug 27, 2018 16:14:38 GMT -5
Kots (Colorado GM), fernans (MIAMI HEAT), and 1 more like this
Post by Miege22 on Aug 27, 2018 16:14:38 GMT -5
We start in the Midwest, where the Western Conference's top-2 teams reside (though Portland may have something to say about that). Why start here? Well, convenience, mostly. The East feels totally wide open, and pinning down any kind of order will take a few more days of research (and even then, it's very unlikely to actually turn out the way it's predicted). The West is a little easier to sift through, as there is a clear line of demarcation between the top-3 and everyone else. It's entirely possible this statement blows up in my face, but the West seems to be a race for 4th. Without further ado, let's start the predictions...
1. Memphis Grizzlies
2018 record: 16-0
Playoff finish: WCF
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Dirk Nowitzki, Marvin Williams, PJ Tucker, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Taurean Prince
PLAYERS LOST: Joel Embiid, Nic Batum, Julius Randle, Serge Ibaka, Ricky Rubio, Avery Bradley
We've talked about the 2017-2018 Memphis Grizzlies quite a bit over the last few months, so I don't think we need to rehash what happened. The Grizzlies went into the off-season needing to make a lot of moves given their salary cap issues, and it resulted in the loss of Joel Embiid, among others. And yet, despite that loss, the Grizzlies are still loaded. Victor Oladipo turned into a star last season, and Memphis used a re-sign to keep him. He, along with Paul George, Bradley Beal, KAT, Horford, Jeff Teague and Otto Porter still make up the best top-7 in the division. Where Memphis will feel beatable is their bench. The Grizzlies lost some solid contributors, but they replaced them with boom or bust prospects. Taurean Prince and Bogdan Bogdanovic had solid seasons last year, and could improve... or they could stagnate with their real life roles shrinking ever so slightly. PJ Tucker, Dirk Nowitzki and Marvin Williams are proven vets, but they are what they are. The key player here is Markelle Fultz. He barely played last season for reasons that have yet to be fully explained, but in the limited time he saw, he showed enormous potential to fill the stat sheet. If he can shoot, and he gets minutes, Memphis will solidify themselves at the top again.
PROJECTED RECORD: 15-1 (1st in West)
2. Houston Rockets
2018 record: 13-3
Playoff finish: 1st round
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Eric Gordon, DeMar DeRozan, Emmanuel Mudiay, Rudy Gay, Dante Exum
PLAYERS LOST: Khris Middleton, Ryan Anderson, Caris LeVert, Norman Powell, Ish Smith, JaMychael Green
The Houston Rockets were a Kawhi Leonard injury away from potentially going back-to-back. That statement isn't 100% true, but it's also not out of the realm of reality. Now, Kawhi is back, and the Rockets have also added both Eric Gordon and DeMar DeRozan to the backcourt. Steph Curry, Gordon, DeRozan, Kawhi, Nikola Jokic, and Jrue Holiday are more than capable of matching up with the Grizzlies' top-6. The issue starts with that seventh spot. Can Jabari Parker finally take advantage of what should be a bigger role? Will Rondae Hollis-Jefferson blossom into more than a role player? Does Rudy Gay have a throwback season in him? What does Jakob Poeltl's new situation look like? As you can see, there are more than a few question marks here. Are there more questions here than in Memphis? It's hard to say. The Rockets probably have more end of bench depth, and if Kawhi is back healthy, and DeMar continues to play the way he has the last two years, and Parker puts it together... the Rockets could easily win this division. But as it stands, we'll stick with Memphis
PROJECTED RECORD: 14-2 (2nd in West)
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
2018 record: 1-15
Playoff finish: N/A
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Paul Millsap, Luka Doncic, Robert Williams, Jahlil Okafor, Kevon Looney
PLAYERS LOST: Zach LaVine, TJ Warren, Greg Monroe, Ante Zizic, Ben McLemore
Here's where it gets fuzzy. The Thunder are highly unlikely to make the playoffs, but there are a lot of interesting pieces here. This could just as easily be Kansas City or Minnesota, but I'm going to gamble on the young guys. Jimmy Butler and Paul Millsap are proven stars, but both Minnesota and Kansas City also have two proven stars. The Thunder have a lot of intriguing youth. Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Dejounte Murray, OG Anunoby and Harry Giles are all at various stages of promising, and I, for one, am bullish on all of their fantasy prospects. Assuming it all comes together, the Thunder will be markedly better than they were last year. It won't be enough to make the playoffs this season, but this is a budding monster.
PROJECTED RECORD: 6-10 (7th in West)
4. Kansas City Kings
2018 record: 6-10
Playoff finish: N/A
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Andrew Wiggins, Lou Williams, Reggie Jackson, Marvin Bagley, Miles Bridges, George Hill, Ed Davis, Mason Plumlee, Tomas Satoransky
PLAYERS LOST: Kevon Looney, Randy Foye, Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks, Domantas Sabonis, Tony Snell, Brook Lopez
It's entirely possible that the Kansas City Kings improved more this past off-season than any other team in the Western Conference. They dropped a lot of dead weight, and replaced them with some serious contributors. Lou Williams and Reggie Jackson are proven point guards in this league that should see major roles this coming season. Ed Davis and Mason Plumlee aren't heavy minutes players, but they both make the most of their time on the floor. They managed to do this while keeping their two best players, Kemba Walker and Kevin Durant. It's also possible that both Larry Nance and George Hill will see bigger roles, and there is some unknown potential here in Bagley and Bridges. Of course, despite all of that, I don't see the Kings improving on last year's record. There are more teams competing this year, and there are a ton of match-ups that can go either way. Everything could go right, and the Kings could make the playoffs. Or they could lose a number of close contests and fall off the map. I'll split the difference here.
PROJECTED RECORD: 5-11 (9th in West)
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
2018 record: 7-9
Playoff finish: N/A
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Zach LaVine, Nerlens Noel, Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart, James Ennis, Trey Lyles
PLAYERS LOST: Deron Williams, Dirk Nowitzki, Jordan Clarkson, Joakim Noah, Matthew Dellavedova, Terrance Ferguson, CJ Miles, Taj Gibson
At first glance, this seems too low. After all, the Timberwolves "lost" guys like Deron Williams and Joakim Noah. Two guys that didn't even play last year. Dropping that dead weight has to be considered a win. They managed to do this while holding on to Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. The problem here is that both Paul and Griffin saw a slight drop-off in numbers, and their #3, Tyreke Evans, is also going into a more volatile fantasy situation. There's quite a bit of young talent here. Like the Thunder, Zach LaVine, Josh Hart, Tyus Jones, Mitchell Robinson, and Trey Lyles are each at varyious stages of "promising," but it's hard to see how all of them burst onto the fantasy scene this year. If Griffin and Paul miss as many games as they did last year, this team will be hard-pressed to stay near .500. With every team in the West improving, Minnesota will have to wait another year to put it all together.
PROJECTED RECORD: 3-13 (10th in West)
1. Memphis Grizzlies
2018 record: 16-0
Playoff finish: WCF
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Dirk Nowitzki, Marvin Williams, PJ Tucker, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Taurean Prince
PLAYERS LOST: Joel Embiid, Nic Batum, Julius Randle, Serge Ibaka, Ricky Rubio, Avery Bradley
We've talked about the 2017-2018 Memphis Grizzlies quite a bit over the last few months, so I don't think we need to rehash what happened. The Grizzlies went into the off-season needing to make a lot of moves given their salary cap issues, and it resulted in the loss of Joel Embiid, among others. And yet, despite that loss, the Grizzlies are still loaded. Victor Oladipo turned into a star last season, and Memphis used a re-sign to keep him. He, along with Paul George, Bradley Beal, KAT, Horford, Jeff Teague and Otto Porter still make up the best top-7 in the division. Where Memphis will feel beatable is their bench. The Grizzlies lost some solid contributors, but they replaced them with boom or bust prospects. Taurean Prince and Bogdan Bogdanovic had solid seasons last year, and could improve... or they could stagnate with their real life roles shrinking ever so slightly. PJ Tucker, Dirk Nowitzki and Marvin Williams are proven vets, but they are what they are. The key player here is Markelle Fultz. He barely played last season for reasons that have yet to be fully explained, but in the limited time he saw, he showed enormous potential to fill the stat sheet. If he can shoot, and he gets minutes, Memphis will solidify themselves at the top again.
PROJECTED RECORD: 15-1 (1st in West)
2. Houston Rockets
2018 record: 13-3
Playoff finish: 1st round
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Eric Gordon, DeMar DeRozan, Emmanuel Mudiay, Rudy Gay, Dante Exum
PLAYERS LOST: Khris Middleton, Ryan Anderson, Caris LeVert, Norman Powell, Ish Smith, JaMychael Green
The Houston Rockets were a Kawhi Leonard injury away from potentially going back-to-back. That statement isn't 100% true, but it's also not out of the realm of reality. Now, Kawhi is back, and the Rockets have also added both Eric Gordon and DeMar DeRozan to the backcourt. Steph Curry, Gordon, DeRozan, Kawhi, Nikola Jokic, and Jrue Holiday are more than capable of matching up with the Grizzlies' top-6. The issue starts with that seventh spot. Can Jabari Parker finally take advantage of what should be a bigger role? Will Rondae Hollis-Jefferson blossom into more than a role player? Does Rudy Gay have a throwback season in him? What does Jakob Poeltl's new situation look like? As you can see, there are more than a few question marks here. Are there more questions here than in Memphis? It's hard to say. The Rockets probably have more end of bench depth, and if Kawhi is back healthy, and DeMar continues to play the way he has the last two years, and Parker puts it together... the Rockets could easily win this division. But as it stands, we'll stick with Memphis
PROJECTED RECORD: 14-2 (2nd in West)
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
2018 record: 1-15
Playoff finish: N/A
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Paul Millsap, Luka Doncic, Robert Williams, Jahlil Okafor, Kevon Looney
PLAYERS LOST: Zach LaVine, TJ Warren, Greg Monroe, Ante Zizic, Ben McLemore
Here's where it gets fuzzy. The Thunder are highly unlikely to make the playoffs, but there are a lot of interesting pieces here. This could just as easily be Kansas City or Minnesota, but I'm going to gamble on the young guys. Jimmy Butler and Paul Millsap are proven stars, but both Minnesota and Kansas City also have two proven stars. The Thunder have a lot of intriguing youth. Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Dejounte Murray, OG Anunoby and Harry Giles are all at various stages of promising, and I, for one, am bullish on all of their fantasy prospects. Assuming it all comes together, the Thunder will be markedly better than they were last year. It won't be enough to make the playoffs this season, but this is a budding monster.
PROJECTED RECORD: 6-10 (7th in West)
4. Kansas City Kings
2018 record: 6-10
Playoff finish: N/A
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Andrew Wiggins, Lou Williams, Reggie Jackson, Marvin Bagley, Miles Bridges, George Hill, Ed Davis, Mason Plumlee, Tomas Satoransky
PLAYERS LOST: Kevon Looney, Randy Foye, Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks, Domantas Sabonis, Tony Snell, Brook Lopez
It's entirely possible that the Kansas City Kings improved more this past off-season than any other team in the Western Conference. They dropped a lot of dead weight, and replaced them with some serious contributors. Lou Williams and Reggie Jackson are proven point guards in this league that should see major roles this coming season. Ed Davis and Mason Plumlee aren't heavy minutes players, but they both make the most of their time on the floor. They managed to do this while keeping their two best players, Kemba Walker and Kevin Durant. It's also possible that both Larry Nance and George Hill will see bigger roles, and there is some unknown potential here in Bagley and Bridges. Of course, despite all of that, I don't see the Kings improving on last year's record. There are more teams competing this year, and there are a ton of match-ups that can go either way. Everything could go right, and the Kings could make the playoffs. Or they could lose a number of close contests and fall off the map. I'll split the difference here.
PROJECTED RECORD: 5-11 (9th in West)
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
2018 record: 7-9
Playoff finish: N/A
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Zach LaVine, Nerlens Noel, Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart, James Ennis, Trey Lyles
PLAYERS LOST: Deron Williams, Dirk Nowitzki, Jordan Clarkson, Joakim Noah, Matthew Dellavedova, Terrance Ferguson, CJ Miles, Taj Gibson
At first glance, this seems too low. After all, the Timberwolves "lost" guys like Deron Williams and Joakim Noah. Two guys that didn't even play last year. Dropping that dead weight has to be considered a win. They managed to do this while holding on to Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. The problem here is that both Paul and Griffin saw a slight drop-off in numbers, and their #3, Tyreke Evans, is also going into a more volatile fantasy situation. There's quite a bit of young talent here. Like the Thunder, Zach LaVine, Josh Hart, Tyus Jones, Mitchell Robinson, and Trey Lyles are each at varyious stages of "promising," but it's hard to see how all of them burst onto the fantasy scene this year. If Griffin and Paul miss as many games as they did last year, this team will be hard-pressed to stay near .500. With every team in the West improving, Minnesota will have to wait another year to put it all together.
PROJECTED RECORD: 3-13 (10th in West)