NBA Bold Predictions (2019-2020)

Image credit: Winslow Townson

With the opening night of the 2020 NBA season now just one day away, fans can hardly contain their excitement. For the first time in what seems like forever, there is some parity in the league. Of the last five seasons; four times we have seen the Cavaliers and Warriors match up in the finals. While in 2019, the Warriors lost in the to the Toronto Raptors to give Toronto its’ first championship in franchise history.

No longer must fans worry about the absence of competition in the NBA. Kawhi Leonard was just getting started when he took down the almighty Golden State Warriors in last years’ finals. Once he relocated to the Los Angeles Clippers, he acquired the sixth and final infinity stone and officially restored balance to the league.

After this year’s wild off-season; nine teams have a real shot to win a championship this year, and another handful that are very respectable and only one piece away from being in true contention. With all that being said, anything can happen this year. Here are my bold predictions for the 2019-2020 NBA season.

Kemba Walker Will Finish top 3 in the MVP Race

For the last eight seasons’ Kemba has slowly rotted in Charlotte, playing for the lowly Hornets’. Those eight years have been almost a complete waste of Kemba’s talent as they only made the playoffs twice during his tenure with the franchise. The only positive is the experience he gained playing against the best in the world and has used what he learned to improve his game. For the last four seasons, he has been over 20 PPG in every one of them. While last year he put up 25 ppg while dishing out 6 assists per contest. The point is Kemba can flat out ball, but his game has flown largely under the radar due to lack of team success.

That will not be the case this time around. With his move to the Boston Celtics, he finally has the adequate talent around him to hopefully contend for a championship and at the very least make some noise in the playoffs. I believe Kemba is every bit the basketball player that Kyrie Irving is, but his personality will ultimately prove to be a better fit for Boston.

Kemba will quickly become the leader of this team, carrying them to the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. He will slash 25/7/5 while having the most efficient season of his career, resulting in him being one of the leading candidates for league MVP.

Julius Randle Will be a First Time All-Star, Knicks Make Playoffs

The New York Knicks have been the butt of jokes in the NBA for a long time now, but never more so than this off-season. Kevin Durant both decided it was time to restore former glory to New York and joined forces there, except not for the Knicks. Instead, they joined the Knicks’ long-time little brother, the Brooklyn Nets, leaving the Knicks spending all the cap room they had cleared for those two on a bunch of decent players.

One of those signings was Julius Randle, and he is criminally underrated. Last year, while playing on a team with Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis (kind of) he put up averages of approximately 21 ppg, 9 RPG and 3 APG while shooting 52% from the field and 34% from behind the arch. Those numbers would have been good enough to make him an all-star in the East last year. This season he will put up even better numbers while being the number one option, making his first all-star game and leading the Knicks to the playoffs.

San Antonio Spurs Playoff Streak Ends at 22 Seasons

Since Gregg Popovich has become the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, they have never missed the playoffs; winning five NBA finals. The Spurs have become the epitome of greatness in the NBA; even when the odds are against them, they obliterate expectations and find a way to finish as one of the top eight seeds in the west. That streak of dominance ends this year.

It will be no fault of their own, but they lack the talent and the shooting to succeed in the gauntlet that is the Western Conference. It is possible that Popovich’s stellar coaching propels them into the eighth seed, but I do not see that happening. There are much more talented squads such as the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks that will be fighting for the West’s last spot.

These are my bold predictions for this upcoming NBA season. Every year brings about unexpected outcomes and new stars blow up out of nowhere. One team that is expected to contend doesn’t and one sleeper team turns heads. It is never easy to predict what will occur in a given season, much less one with as much uncertainty as this one has. The only thing anyone can know for sure is that this will be one of the greatest seasons’ in recent memory. Let the countdown begin.

- Paul Hessing