2019-20 NBA Predictions

Rookie of the Year -- Michael Porter Jr (Nuggets)
We haven't seen him since high school, so his skills and dynamism may be totally overrated. But if he can play (I suspect he can), he'll be starting out in the perfect place: a veteran team with a clear style and a great home court advantage. I think he's primed to be a contributor right away for a good team and he'll look good doing it and I think voters will be split on ROY by season's end.

Other candidates: Obviously Zion Williamson (Pelicans) is the easy choice here and I get that my pick has a good chance of looking real stupid by the end of the year. I think Zion is gonna be really good on an improving team and he'll be fun as hell to watch, but I think he'll have restricted minutes/usage and now the report is that he's already out for 6 weeks to start the season, which throws off what I thought his season would be: I suspect by season's end he won't be quite the dynamo we're expecting. Tyler Herro (Heat) tore it up in pre-season and, like Porter, looks to slide nicely into a ready made rotation but I just don't think the Heat are going to be exciting enough to carry him to the head of the vote.  Ja Morant (Grizzlies) is gonna be great on a terrible team. Coby White (Bulls) could be the guy that propels the Bulls up the standings, but I'm not yet convinced. I can see Rui Hachimura (Wizards) and PJ Washington (Hornets) impressing the chattering classes by persevering through awful situations (but I don't see either of them actually winning). And don't forget about Nikaell Alexander-Walker (Pelicans), who looks like he might be the pleasant surprise of the season.

I think this year's rookie class is gonna be a good one and with the grand shift that took place last summer, the rooks look to play a big role throughout this topsy turvy season.


MVP -- Anthony Davis (Lakers)
Yeah, I took him last year but the only thing that held him back was his incredible lack of interest in playing for anyone other than the Lakers. Well...now he plays for the Lakers...problem solved, right? I think it is. I think he's ready to explode, I think Lebron is looking forward to finally have a teammate that can take over, I think the Laker faithful will take to him right away and I think Coach Vogel is a good fit to craft a supporting cast for him. Everything is set up for AD to have a big big big year and if so, I think the voters will have to give him the big prize (and as a fan I really want to see him play to his potential).

Other candidates: Giannis Antetokounpo (Bucks) is the reigning champ and might be even better this year, so I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him claim this award right away and put his fingerprints all over it. James Harden (Rockets) has been in my top 3 for MVP five straight seasons and he'll be there again, right? Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) and Joel Embiid (Sixers) will have their fans and both look set to have monster seasons but I think both are on teams too deep to rely solely on them. Steph Curry (Warriors) has the team completely on his shoulders and I think the Warriors will still be pretty good which could earn some votes but he probably won't get a lot of #1 votes.


Defensive Player of the Year -- Rudy Gobert (Jazz)
I actually kinda thought he wasn't that great last year but I think this season he'll be anchoring a really good team and he looks to be more of an offensive threat, too, and that should boost his already mighty efforts on the other end.

Other candidates: I can see Ben Simmons (Sixers) really shining out on the defensive end this season as he tries harder (and then recedes) on the offensive end. Patrick Beverley (Clippers) will get plenty of eyeballs and if he shines out, he'll get some votes. Draymond Green (Warriors) will lead the new-look Warriors and if they make the playoffs, he'll get votes (also seeing how he shepherds Willie Cauley-Stein and Omari Spellman into the defensive unit could be notable, as well).


6th Man -- Spencer Dinwiddie (Nets)
I dunno, man, this category seems harder than usual this year because with so much roster turnover this summer, it's hard to tell who will be starting and who will be shoring up the 2nd string. So though Dinwiddie has been a boon off the bench for the Nets in recent years--and may well be again coming in behind Kyrie Irving--he also could be in the starting lineup this year as the roster turnover necessitates putting experienced players out there first. We'll see.

Other candidates: Delon Wright (Mavs) looks to be the perfect fit to keep the Mavs' offense going while Luke and Porzingis rest up. Jaylen Brown (Celtics) got his big contract so maybe he'll be taking it easy, but I suspect he's coming into the season with a chip on his shoulder and if he does come off the bench, he might be in full monster mode on both ends. Jakob Poetl (Spurs) is kinda overlooked and he didn't get his extension, so he's got a lot more to play for and could have a really solid season in San Anton. Tyler Herro (Heat) will likely be coming off the bench and could be a big piece for the Heat hopes, especially down the stretch. Likewise for another rookie, Micheal Porter Jr (Nuggets), who will be playing against 2nd stringers for the most part and could find a lot of opportunities for himself. Throw in Nikaell Alexander-Walker (Pelicans) as another rookie who might impress off the bench.


Most Improved -- Lonzo Ball (Pelicans)
Now that he's out from under Lebron's shadow and his father's shadow and the hometown LA shadow, we'll see how he plays in the light. New Orleans needs him to be good--not great--and the ensemble around him will be absorbing a lot of the pressure and delivering a lot of fun, which would seem to be the perfect environment for finally reaching his potential.

Other candidates: Gordon Hayward (Celtics) pretty much has this award on his mantelpiece already, right? Anfernee Simons (Blazers) will finally show us whether he's worth all the hype. Bam Adebayo (Heat) should get an expanded role now that Whiteside has moved on. Caris LaVert (Nets) should be a popular choice for this, he looks to have a big year. Dejounte Murray (Spurs) is a good choice here, ready to bust out after a year on the mend (or perhaps he'll fit better here next year). Lauri Markennen (Bulls) is set to have a good bounce back season.  Kelly Oubre (Suns) isn't likely to get votes but I can see him putting up bigger numbers than he has yet in his career. Jabari Parker (Hawks) could be a good fit on the young Hawks. Maxi Kleber (Mavs) might be a perfect fit with the Luka/Porzingis combo. Luke Kennard (Pistons) is ready to take a leap (or be out Detroit by the end of next summer). Does Mike Conley (Jazz) qualify here?


Coach of the Year -- Mike Malone (Nuggets)/Brett Brown (Sixers)
I got the Nuggets and Sixers finishing 1st in their conferences and that alone will get them major consideration for this award. If Malone deftly handles his rotation and gets the #1 seed in the West, he'll deserve it. And after years of struggling, I'm glad the Sixers held on to Brown now that the team is finally poised to maximize their potential; if so, voters that have long derided Brown may be forced to hand him the award.

Other candidates: If Frank Vogel (Lakers) pulls together a defensive mindset that allows Lebron and AD enough room to focus on offense and propel the Lakers up the table, he'll get a lot of votes (if not, he'll probably be looking for a job next summer). Curious to see if Mike D'antoni (Rockets) becomes a beloved figure in the league now that he's dealing with a new two-headed monster on the floor and a GM that is under the microscope--all without a contract extension and lame duck status. Quin Snyder (Jazz) has long been much admired by the literati and if the Jazz make the leap everyone is predicting, then he'll be a good choice for this. If Nick Nurse (Raptors) gets his team back in line for a deep playoff run, then he'll be ranked among the elite coaches in the league.


Executive of the Year -- Arturas Karnisovas (Nuggets)/Jon Horst (Bucks)
I think the Nuggets finish 1st in the West and the Bucks finish a close 2nd in the East and I think these two GM's have put enough of their own stamp on their teams--and they're totally uncontroversial!--so I just see these two sucking up all the votes.

This could be a really awkward award this year: is anyone voting for Darryl Morey (Rockets) or Rob Pelinka (Lakers)? Or does everyone rush to support Morey or vindicate Pelinka? Do we all think that Elton Brand (Sixers) inherited too much of his talent or are we tired of thinking Danny Ainge (Celtics) is a genius? Does Masai Ujiri (Raptors) break through or do we all just lament his limited options? What do the voters do if Neil Olshay (Blazers) leads his team back into a home-playoff status? This category looks as open as any of them.


Regular Season (East/West)
Sixers/Nuggets
Bucks/Rockets
Raptors/Jazz
Celtics/Blazers
Pacers/Lakers
Heat/Clippers
Magic/Warriors
Pistons/Spurs

Playoffs
Sixers over Pistons (4)/Nuggets over Spurs (5)
Bucks over Magic (5)/Rockets over Warriors (7)
Raptors over Heat (7)/Clippers over Jazz (6)
Celtics over Pacers (4)/Lakers over Blazers (6)

Sixers over Celtics (7)/Nuggets over Lakers (7)
Bucks over Raptors (6)/Clippers over Rockets (7)

Bucks over Sixers (7)/Clippers over Nuggets (6)

Clippers over Bucks (7)

(Dang, man, I just took the Clippers to win it all...)

Okay, season foretold. Try to look surprised when all this stuff happens exactly as I told you it would.