2019 NBA Regular Season Review

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

This year, with Lebron moving to the Los Angeles Lakers, the fight to reach the Finals in the Eastern Conference played out much differently. Milwaukee, Toronto, Indiana, Boston and Philadelphia created a BIG 5, and from these five, the Bucks pulled ahead with a 60 win season. Toronto closely followed the Bucks with a newly refreshed roster featuring Kawhi Leonard, finishing the season with 58 wins. Brooklyn’s season was also notable: a team that seemed to have no hope just three years ago, transitioned into a playoffs team with a solid young core consisting of D’Angelo Russell, Caris Levert, and Jared Allen. Orlando and Detroit, two teams that were nowhere close to making the playoffs last year, also made the cut this year. However, teams like Charlotte, Miami, and Washington have struggled all season with expiring contracts and underperforming players. Cleveland and New York have been in full tank mode all year long; however, New York’s free agency seems bright with a huge cap space and market that will attract superstars. We’ll take a look at the top teams and young, promising teams of the Eastern Conference.

1st: Milwaukee Bucks (60 Wins | 22 Losses | 73.2% Pct )

The Good

The 2018-19 Season’s MVP Candidate, Giannis Antetokounmpo, came together with the 2019 Coach of the Year, Mike Budenholzer. The results were unexpected but also astonishing. Before the All Star Break, Milwaukee had 43 wins and 14 losses. Their offensive rating (ORtg) and defensive rating (DRtg), which shows the points scored by and scored on the team in every 100 possessions, are 114.2 and 104.9, putting them at 4th and 1st place respectively. It is safe to say that the Bucks were the most successful in finding the balance between offense and defense. It is important to note that they have never lost two games in a row in the regular reason; this is the basis of a strong contending team.

The Bad

In theory, the Milwaukee’s offense is guaradble: constantly guard Giannis’ close range shots, which is the centerpiece to the Bucks offense and efficiency. There have been instances where teams have delivered using this method: Warriors (12/8), Miami (12/23), Toronto (1/6), OKC (1/28).

Off-season & Free agency

With Giannis having one more year left on his contract and hopefully more to come with him being eligible for a 5 year, $247.3 Million contract next year, the Bucks priority should be keeping the beneficial players around Giannis to make another run at the title. Milwaukee’s top priority should be to resign Khris Middleton, the team’s second best player, for the long haul. Along with Middleton, the Bucks should aim to resign Malcolm Brogdon and Brook Lopez, who have posted solid numbers in the regular season.

2nd: Toronto Raptors (58 Wins | 24 Losses | 70.7% Pct)

The Good

Acquiring Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green from the Spurs was generally beneficial to the team, potentially even outweighing the loss of Demar Derozan, a franchise star. The growth of a 25 year old third year player, Pascal Siakam, is also notable. Siakam is one of the Most Improved Player (MIP) candidates for the 2019 Season.

The Bad

Maybe Kyle Lowry is struggling emotionally because his best friend, Demar Derozan, was traded away. Nevertheless, his shooting performance throughout the year has been dismal. Although Lowry makes it up with his superb passing abilities, it does not set well for the team when a player is scared to shoot.

Also due to the blockbuster trade, their bench court margin dropped from +3.6 to -1.0 from last season to this season, going from 1st to 19th place in the league.

Off-season & Free agency

It is rumored that Kawhi Leonard will leave Toronto no matter what the outcome in the Playoffs is. However, he has also expressed how he has enjoyed his time in Toronto. The best choice the Raptors have is to hopefully persuade Leonard to stay and re-sign important pieces like Marc Gasol and Danny Green.

6th: Brooklyn Nets (42 Wins | 40 Losses | Pct 51.2%)

The Good

Billy King, the previous Nets general manager, destroyed the team by trading away picks that

ended up being Draymond Green and Damian Lillard to list a few. Just two years ago, in the 2016-17 season, the Brooklyn Nets went 20-62, coming in last in the Eastern Conference. However, Sean Marks, the current GM and Kenny Atkinson, the coach, were able to turn things around: they brought the post-apocalyptic Nets back to life, but with a solid young core. D’Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris, Caris Levert, Jared Allen, and many more are young guns that will lead this franchise in the future.

The Bad

The Nets are 11th in game pace with a rating of 100.85. However, the team is ranked 5th in passing with 313.9 passes on average, 5th in travelled distance with 18.56 miles, and 3rd in fast break attempts with 53.4 per game. The Brooklyn system requires for a high energy expenditure in comparison to their pace. This explains the multitude of injuries the team had to suffer, with Dinwiddie, Dudley, Crabbe, and Carroll going down with injuries during the regular season.

Off-season & Free agency

By rebuilding off of the mess that King made, the Nets currently have a boatload of cap space, along with a strong young core, as shown above. The Nets will have exactly $51.9 million and potentially an astonishing $64.5 million in cap space after dumping Allen Crabbe’s contract to another team. This gives them the opportunity to sign two superstars: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, etc. It’ll be interesting seeing what Sean Marks can do this off-season.

12th: Atlanta Hawks (29 Wins | 53 Losses | Pct 35.4%)

The Good

The speed of their rebuild was astonishingly fast. Under the coaching of Lloyd Pierce, youngsters like Trae Young, John Collins, Kevin Huerter, Taurean Prince, and Deandre Bembry were able to play large minutes like superstars on regular teams. It is safe to say that the rebuild of their offensive court is complete.

The Bad

Atlanta was not able to avoid the common weak point of rebuilding teams: bad defense. The Hawks were last in the turnover percentage with 17.5 percent, and 27th in the defensive rating with a 112.6. The team also lacks the 4th quarter hustle, giving up 0.7 points, and ranking 21st. However, this is expected from young teams like this, and there is no reason to worry. This season was a season for the young players to find their playing style and develop their game.

Off-season & Free agency

Outside of developing their pre-existing young players, the Hawks need to focus on gaining an elite rim-protector that will cover for Collin’s deficiency on defense. There is some disappointment in not being able to sell away old veterans Dewayne Dedmon, Kent Bazemore during the mid-season trade and freeing up even more cap space. However, Atlanta already has multiple first round picks in the next few seasons and it’s likely to see a star land in the Hawks. The Atlanta Hawks should first target centers like Marc Gasol, DeAndre Jordan, and move on to target guards like Jimmy Butler and Khris Middleton to join forces with Trae Young.

15th: New York Knicks (17 Wins | 65 Losses | Pct 20.7%)

The Good

The Knicks were able to benefit from the Porzingis trade with the Mavs, as Kristaps had no plans to resign in New York. New York received two 1st round protected picks (for 2021 and 2023), removed Tim Hardaway Jr. to create cap space, and gained a potential star point guard in Dennis Smith Jr. It can be said that they killed three birds with one stone.

The Bad

Why did Kristaps Porzingis, the star who was called the King of New York, leave the Knicks? New York’s tanking train was reckless, losing 31 out the first 34 games of the NBA season before the all-star break.

Off-season & Free agency

The Porzingis Trade did cause them to lose a star, but opened up $52 million in cap space. Although not respected due to their tanking, the Knicks have managed to build a decent young core with Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith Jr., Kevin Knox, and Mitchell Robinson. Using their massive cap space, the Knicks should attempt sign two superstars, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, or even Jimmy Butler. Recently, the Knicks received the 3rd pick of the 2019 Draft, and it’ll be interesting what talents the Knicks can bring in for the 2019-20 NBA season.

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

This year’s Western Conference battle was a little more electrifying than last year: in the “Wild Wild West”, all 14 teams in the conference except for the Phoenix Suns vied to make the playoffs. The season started out with a shocking change with teams like San Antonio and the Rockets falling to 13th and 14th respectively. However, by the all-star break, the standings restored to normal, with the defending champs, Golden State leading the front and OKC, Portland, Houston, Utah, San Antonio following behind. It was interesting to see Denver’s tremendous growth in just one year, going from 9th to 2nd in the Western Conference. Sacramento has also been showing tremendous potential by finishing 9th. On the other hand, teams like Dallas, New Orleans, and Memphis began their rebuilds. We’ll take a look at the top teams and young, promising teams of the Western Conference.

1st: Golden State Warriors (57 Wins | 25 Losses | Pct 69.5%)

The Good

All Star Demarcus Cousins was able to successfully recover from his Achilles injury. The Warriors now have a team with five all stars: Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Cousins. This is the best starting lineup Golden State has ever seen.

The Bad

The Warriors showed a noticeable drop in their defense compared to their past few seasons. This might be due to losing key big men like Andrew Bogut and David West from their 2015 Championship team. Their defensive rating sits at a 109.2, 15th in the league.

Off-season & Free agency

If Kevin Durant decides to stay, this is good news for the Warriors. However, there has been plenty of rumors that Durant is leaving to play for the Knicks, Nets, or even the Clippers. Assuming that he leaves, it is essential for Golden State to keep the rest of the team together, and hopefully sign another star. It is also possible that Klay Thompson or Draymond Green will leave the team for a bigger contract. This off-season is an important one; whether or not the Warriors continue winning is dependent on this summer.

2nd: Denver Nuggets (54 Wins | 28 Losses | Pct 65.9%)

The Good

The Nuggets built their team around Serbian basketball genius Nikola Jokic. Players like Malik Beasley, Monte Morris, and Torrey Craig having breakout seasons have also been a plus to the team. The Nuggets were able to create a 10-man rotation that can still stand strong with a couple of injured players. They have one of the deepest benches in the league, showing why they are second place in the conference.

The Bad

Throughout the season, the Nuggets had a string of injuries with Gary Harris, Paul Millsap, Jamal Murray, Will Barton, and many others going down one by one as another came back from their injury. It raises a small concern that these young stars might be injury prone, but hopefully, these injuries do not stunt the growth of these potential stars.

Off-season & Free agency

The Denver Nuggets are in a fantastic spot with 11 players signed for next season. Perhaps, the Nuggets could try to acquire Anthony Davis, but they have a more imminent problem with their own forward, Paul Millsap. Denver has a team option on Millsap for $30 million, a little pricey for the available cap space. However, losing Millsap will be detrimental to the team. This off-season’s goal should be to find a happy balance in Millsap’s contract and removing players that do not fit with the team.

5th: Utah Jazz (50 Wins | 32 Losses | Pct 61.0%)

The Good

The Jazz had one of the most intensive schedules in the first half of the NBA Season, but have endured it well, ending up in fifth with 2 more wins than last year. The 2018 DPOY (Defensive Player of the Year), Rudy Gobert, obviously played a central role in their defense. Gobert’s DRPM, a rating on a player’s defensive impact, was the best in the league with a +4.66, and the team’s defensive rating was also in 4th. On the offensive side, young gun Donovan Mitchell and Joe Ingles showed their prowess.

The Bad

Utah’s offense might look flashy, but the real offensive production in game is lacking compared to its defense. Their offensive rating sits at a 108.4, 19th in the league. Their defense might be stellar; however, simply with good defense, the best the team can expect is a tie. In order to dominate games, they have to increase their production.

Off-season & Free agency

Utah has an interesting summer ahead of them for 2019; they have to make decisions on their starting power forward Derrick Favors and point guard Ricky Rubio. Jazz should look forward to replacing aging Rubio with a scoring guard like Mike Conley or Jrue Holiday. It would also be beneficial to target solid shooters at the small forward position, like Wayne Ellington on the Heat.

9th: Sacramento Kings (39 Wins | 43 Losses | Pct 47.6%)

The Good

The Kings have been building a solid young team with their draft picks since 2015. Buddy Hield, who was drafted by the Pelicans and traded, has also developed into an elite scorer, averaging 20+ points per game. Sacramento was able to turn the tables this year by running a bold uptempo offense with the help of their young players. They increased their game pace from a poor 96.50 (29th in the league), to a 103.42, now ranking at seventh.

The Bad

There was an increase in the offensive tempo, but the team needs to improve on controlling the pace. De’Aaron Fox, the starting point guard, is well-known for his speed and explosive moves to the rim; however, it does not work everytime. The veteran guards like Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nemanja Bjelica need to help this young ball-handler find his balance. General rebounding also has to be improved, as many games in the regular season were lost due to giving up offensive rebounds.

Off-season & Free agency

Sacramento made a great move in trading for Harrison Barnes and filling in the hole at the 3 spot. With a $35 Million cap space and a completed starting roster, the Kings should look to complete their bench like the Nuggets did. Jonas Valanciunas or Robin Lopez would greatly complement the young Marvin Bagley III. Patrick Beverley or Jeremy Lin would also be nice additions as backup point guards.

12th: Dallas Mavericks (33 Wins | 49 Losses | Pct 40.2%)

The Good

Luka Doncic. Ladies and gentlemen, we have got our next superstar in the NBA right here, on the Dallas Mavericks. Doncic, the 3rd pick in the 2019 NBA draft, has been dominating the league, averaging 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.0 assists. These numbers put him in conversations with rookie seasons of Lebron James, Michael Jordan, and Magic Johnson. Mark Cuban has also done a stellar job by acquiring Porzingis, a potential superstar, and keeping ample cap space. Interestingly, DeAndre Jordan has shown free throw shooting improvements, going from 12 percent to 70 percent after leaving Lob City.

The Bad

The same DeAndre Jordan has been a no show on the defensive side. Indeed, Jordan is capable of grabbing 10 boards per game and it is nothing to laugh at, his defensive efforts have been lackadaisical, with many instances of Jordan not even raising his hands for defense.

Off-season & Free agency

Going into the off-season, the Mavericks already have two solid pieces to build the team around. Besides, the Mavericks have about $39 million in cap space, opening up a spot for one more low-level star. The Mavericks are eyeing and should be targeting Kemba Walker, an all star point guard. His playmaking and scoring abilities should definitely compliment Doncic. If Tobias Harris chooses not to sign with the 76ers again, the Mavericks should pursue him, as his shooting and post-up game is a good fit with Doncic and Porzingis.