48 bold predictions for the 2020-21 NBA season

The 2020-21 season is finally here and in a weird, condensed season, we’re likely to see some unpredictable outcomes from player performances to team results to trades and other unexpected occurrences. If you are going to try and predict them, you might as well go bold. Here are 48 bold predictions for the upcoming season:

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1. Zach LaVine makes an All-Star team.
   • The actual All-Star game is canceled but which players who would have made the team will be recognized and LaVine will get his first All-Star nob under new coach Billy Donovan.
2. Lauri Markkanen averages a double-double. 
   • Back in the 2018-19 campaign, which was his best season, the former No. 7 overall pick averaged 18.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
3. The Bulls will make the play-in tournament.
   • Remember, the NBA implemented a play-in tournament for 2020-21 season, in which seeds 7-10 in each conference will participate.
4. The Cavaliers trade Andre Drummond to the Hornets.
   • Our own Sam Amico reported that a Drummond trade could be on the horizon. The Hornets have had eyes for the big man in the past. Who says no to Drummond and Dante Exum for Terry Rozier, Cody Zeller, and a protected first-round pick?
5. The Cavaliers trade Kevin Love to the Knicks.
   • No inside information here but with Julius Randle is in the last year of his contract and a candidate to be traded himself, the Knicks could easily facilitate a Love-for-Randle swap as New York has over $18 million left in cap space. The Love-Obi Toppin frontcourt pairing is intriguing.
6. The Knicks will be a serious contender for a play-in tournament bid.
   • Tom Thibodeau is going to get this team to defend, which should help them exceed some expectations. Ultimately, I don’t believe they get there but surpassing their 21.5 O/U win total (PointsBet) seems likely.
7. The Sixers earn a top-2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
   • As I mentioned in our latest Media Roundtable, it wouldn’t be shocking if Philadelphia ended up with one of the two best records in the conference. The team has the right complementary pieces to support its stars.
8. Tyrese Maxey earns a spot on the All-Rookie team.
   • Maxey is ready for a decent role on the Sixers and it’ll come down to him and Shake Milton for the first guard off the bench. I love Shake’s game; he’ll also produce but Maxey should be leading the charge by the end of the season.
9. The Rockets miss the postseason, completely, including the play-in tournament. 
   • What a difference a year makes. Houston goes from having so much hope with the Russell Westbrook–James Harden duo to staring down a roster without either nor a clear path to winning another playoff series anytime soon.
10. Christian Wood leads the Rockets in scoring.
    • Related: the Rockets are feeling a sense of urgency to trade James Harden.
11. James Harden misses significant time.
    • Harden isn’t happy with the situation in Houston and the franchise holding onto him is only going to fuel that discontent. Would some time away make him happier and benefit the Rockets in the long-term by either not pressure trading him and/or falling in the standings and generating a top draft pick.
12. The Rockets don’t trade Harden until February.
    • Houston tries to ride out the storm with Harden, lasting months into the regular season.
13. John Wall doesn’t finish the season with the Rockets.
    • Just a hunch but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Wall and Harden traded at the same time. Who says no to Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and a pick for Harden and Wall?
14. The Clippers earn the No. 1 overall seed.
    • Many pundits are bearish on the Clippers after an implosion but it’s easy to see a scenario where the other Los Angeles team comes into the season fully motivated from start—where they’ll have to watch the Lakers get their rings in person—to finish.
15. Kawhi Leonard plays at least 64 (of 72 games), becomes a serious MVP contender.
    • Four of the Clippers’ six back-to-backs in the first half of the season are in the same city. For example, L.A. will travel to Memphis in February to play two games and with that sort of arrangement, Leonard could suit up more than expected. Last year, Kawhi didn’t play enough games (only 57) to be a serious MVP; that could change this season.
16. Paul George averages over 5.0 assists per game.
    • Last year, Doc Rivers designed a lot of sets that got George catch-and-shoot opportunities and while it was successful from a numbers standpoint (career-high 41.2% from three), the former Pacer doesn’t simply want to be used like J.J. Redick. George’s career-high is 4.1 assists per game (3x) and in Tyronn Lue’s offense, he should have the ability to shoulder more playmaking responsibilities.
17. Karl-Anthony Towns comes close to averaging 30 points per game.
    • The Timberwolves play fast. Minnesota led the league in pace last season and their defense was woeful. The addition of Ricky Rubio will help slightly on the defensive end but he’ll also help to get KAT more favorable looks. Expect an outburst of points in Minnesota led by Towns.
18. Malik Beasley will be among the top contenders for the Most Improved Player award.
    • Beasley has had an eventful offseason but his biggest event for his production was the trade to the Timberwolves at last year’s trade deadline. In his 14 starts with Minnesota last season, the wing averaged 20.7 points and 5.1 rebounds. I doubt the majority of media will vote him for the award, however, he’ll be in the conversation.
19. LaMelo Ball doesn’t win the Rookie of the Year award.
    • Ball still finishes First-Team All-Rookie, though.
20. Lonzo Ball doesn’t finish the season with the Pelicans.
    • Ball and the Pellies failed to reach an agreement on an extension prior the regular season’s start and while he and Zion Williamson have played well together, his lack of consistent outside shooting makes for a difficult fit in Stan Van Gundy’s system. The Suns have had interest in the past, though that was prior to the arrival of Chris Paul.
21. The Pelicans struggle but make the play-in tournament.
    • New Orleans has a deep team with a mix of young players and grizzled vets, though it will take some time for everything to come together.
22. The Grizzlies are the worst team in the Western Conference.
    • Darlings last season, Memphis takes a huge step back. Jaren Jackson Jr. will miss the first part of the season and the club won’t catch opponents off guard again this year. I expect a long season for the Grizzlies.
23. Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook both make the All-Star team. 
    • Again, there’s likely no actual All-Star game but the district’s new duo will each be recognized as top performers in the Eastern Conference.
24. The Wizards finish in the top 15 of the league on defense. 
    • This may be the biggest shock to some but Thomas Bryant has taken steps and the additions of Robin Lopez should add more stability in the frontcourt on the defensive end. Washington was actually 11th in defensive efficiency for a stretch last season after trading Isaiah Thomas (through the shutdown), as Zach Lowe of ESPN.com explained.
25. Deni Avdija wins the Rookie of the Year award.
    • The No. 9 overall pick has continuously preached patience in talks with the media, though on the court, he appears ready to contribute. Likely to begin the season as the Wizards’ starting small forward, he’s in a spot where he can shine.
26. The Wizards end up with a top-5 seed.
    • Russell is going to push the Wizards to compete every night. I expect a slow start to the season followed by this team going on a run.
27. The Magic finish bottom-4 in the Eastern Conference.
    • While I’m bullish on Markelle Fultz making major strides, I don’t expect it to translate to the win column in Orlando.
28. Orlando trades Nikola Vucevic.
    • Vucevic is making $26 million this season and his contract decreases in each of the next two seasons. He’ll be a hot commodity if the Magic make him available. The Mavericks had previous interest. Dallas and Chicago both linger as intriguing fits.
29. The Magic also trade away Aaron Gordon.
    • Gordon has been on the block for some time now and with just two seasons, including this one, left on his deal, Orlando unloads him. The Clippers had eyes for him at last year’s deadline, though that was before they brought in Marcus Morris. Gordon has value around the league with Cleveland (assuming they trade Love or Drummond), Minnesota, Boston, and Detroit (in a bigger deal for Blake Griffin) among fits.
30. The Celtics trade Kemba Walker to the Magic.
    • Orlando’s front office had interest in Kemba when the point guard hit the market back in 2019. If the Magic sputter, I could envision them taking a chance on Walker (along with a first-rounder), even if he’s not fully healthy, with an eye on competing in 2021. Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier would give Boston incredible depth again.
31. Tristan Thompson has his best season in the NBA.
    • The 29-year-old has the potential to thrive in Brad Stevens’ system.
32. Jayson Tatum doesn’t make an All-NBA team.
    • One year after making his Third-Team All-NBA, Tatum fails to improve and loses out on the spot.
33. The Hawks will be a top-7 seed.
    • The arrival of Danilo Gallinari and Bogdan Bogdanovic, along with Clint Capela returning to health, gives Trae Young & Co. a real chance to make some noise in the Eastern Conference.
34. The Heat fail to win 40 games.
    • Miami’s Over/Under is 43.5 games (PointsBet) so it wouldn’t be a huge shock to see them fail to hit this benchmark. The Heat surpassed expectations in the bubble and I expect them to come crashing back down to earth.
35. The Raptors don’t land a top-6 seed.
    • Toronto  Tampa Bay finds itself in the play-in tournament after losing depth during the offseason.
36. The Pacers end up in the play-in tournament.
    • If you are keeping track, I have the Hawks (as the No. 7 seed), Pacers, Raptors, and Bulls competing in the play-in tournament.
37. Victor Oladipo doesn’t finish the season with the Pacers.
    • The Pacers trade Oladipo, knowing that he already has one foot out the door. The Pelicans (say, for J.J. Redick and Lonzo Ball) make for an intriguing suitor.
38. Kevin Durant wins his fifth scoring championship.
    • He’s back. OK, maybe this prediction is not so bold.
39. Kevin Durant wins the MVP.
    • Still not bold enough? I don’t know what to tell you, though if I was ranking MVP contenders right now, it would go: Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Kevin Durant.
40. The Warriors earn a top-5 seed in the Western Conference.
    • No Klay Thompson drastically hinders the Warriors’ title chances, though with Stephen Curry back, this team will continue to roll. Golden State has quietly built a deep team around their stars.
41. Andrew Wiggins has a breakout season, making over 47% of his shots, including 37% from three.
    • Maple Jordan, Junior Jordan, The Prospect, Mr. Fantastic, Wiggs: the former No. 1 pick goes by those nicknames, per Basketball-Reference.  Andrew will begin to live up to some of his nicknames this year.
42. James Wiseman does not make First-Team All-Rookie.
    • Wiseman gets off to an extremely slow start before showcasing the skills that made him the No. 2 overall pick late in the season.
43. Devin Booker finishes Third-Team All-NBA.
    • The arrival of Chris Paul will further elevate Booker’s game as well as the Suns’ place in the standings.
44. The Blazers land a top-3 seed.
    • Portland had a lot of injuries last season but we saw what they can do at full strength.
45. The Spurs trade LaMarcus Aldridge
    • With one year left on his deal and San Antonio lingering in the lottery, the organization makes a rare in-season major move.
46. Oklahoma City is not as bad as most expect.
    • The Thunder slightly surpass their 21.5 over/under win total (PointsBet), fueled by SGA taking the next step in his progression to stardom.
47. Josh Jackson proves to be one of the Pistons’ best players.
    • Jackson has looked spry this preseason and it’s a trend that will continue into the 2020-21 campaign.
48. Jahlil Okafor begins to turnaround his career in Detroit.
    • Okafor was in the running for the Rookie of the Year award through the first 50 games of the 2015-16 season before getting injured and he’s never fully returned to form. That was a long time ago, yes, but this is the first time Okafor will have a real chance to earn a sizable role with only Mason Plumlee in front of him.