The playoffs continue to rage on, but there are 26 teams sitting at home with nothing to do but twiddle their thumbs, watch the Conference Finals, and wait for next season to start.
For their sake, we wanted to look ahead with the next edition of the OFFSEASON BLUEPRINT series. In each, we'll preview some big decisions and make some recommendations for plans of attack along the way. Today, we're looking at the Orlando Magic.
step one: "just shoot" - me
Veteran coach Steve Clifford has always been known as a defensive specialist. He's good at that. Alas, once the ball crosses that pesky midcourt line, our problems start to emerge. In Clifford's first year in Orlando, the Magic finished with the 22nd best offense. This past season, they sagged down to 23rd. Sadly, these anemic offenses are nothing unusual for the franchise. Amazingly, they've been in the bottom 10 for offensive rating every season since 2011-12 -- that's a streak of 8 years running.
The primary issue during this entire stretch has been a lack of shooting. This past season, the Magic ranked 19th in three-point attempts, and only 25th in three-point percentage. As a team, they shot 34.3% from three, over a full point off from the NBA league average (35.8%). The issue ran up and down the roster. Consider this: of the 19 players who recorded minutes for the Magic this season, 17 shot below league average from three. The only two who matched the league average rate were Evan Fournier and Melvin Frazier (who played 6.6 minutes per game and shot 8/16 total.)
Of course, assessing the problem and fixing it are two entirely different animals. The team's invested in players like Markelle Fultz, Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Vucevic, who could all improve to the "average" range but are never going to be sharpshooters from deep.
The easiest solution would be to utilize your # 15 pick to snag a shooter like Aaron Nesmith (Vanderbilt). Nesmith is probably the best shooter in this draft class, hitting 52% from three and 83% from the free-throw line this past year in his 14 games before injury. The sample size in college tends to be unreliable, but Nesmith's shooting form looks the part of a true 38-40% shooter. Better still, Nesmith has the length to play either the SG or SF spot.
Outside of that quick fix, the team may need to make some serious shakeups to the roster to make this combination work.
step two: find the silver lining in your shitty day
As any Orlando Magic fan will tell you, there's one bright spot at the center of this universe: Jonathan Isaac. He's a rising offensive threat, and already one of the best and most versatile defensive players in the NBA. He may have been on track to earn first team All-Defense, and maybe even a Defensive Player of the Year trophy one day.
Unfortunately, Isaac tore his ACL in the bubble and will likely miss the entire upcoming season. Yikes. It's one of the most brutal and disappointing breaks of an already-bad 2020 calendar year.
Outside of literal magic, there's nothing the team can actually do about that. They're going to need to soldier on and make the best out of a shitty situation.
If there's any positive here, it's that Isaac's injury may open the door for the Magic to "showcase" Aaron Gordon. Gordon's gone from being the star of the team to a potentially odd fit on this roster. He's not coming off a terribly strong year either, with averages of 14.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. After 6 seasons in the NBA, it may be time to give up on the idea that Gordon can be a top option on offense. He doesn't have the shooting or scoring skills to get to that level. More likely, he's best served as a 3rd or 4th option who primarily provides defense, energy, and athleticism. There's value to that, but it may be more valuable to another team that lacks those qualities on their roster.
With Isaac out, the Magic can feature Aaron Gordon and try to increase his trade value as much as possible. He's on a reasonable deal ($18M + $16M) that would make a trade easy to figure out logistically. With an increased role, he may be able to put up good raw stats (maybe 20-8-5?) that would make him even more appealing as an asset.
The team may as well aim high to start. Buddy Hield may be on the market, and Portland may be frustrated enough to consider trading C.J. McCollum for a package that would include Gordon. On the lowemore realistic end, the team could consider a deal for Minnesota SG Malik Beasley (a restricted free agent right now), or something with the Phoenix Suns (both Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson have good shooting potential). In terms of the draft, the Magic may be able to get something in the 5-10 range if they deal Gordon now, but should be able to fetch a solid R1 pick or more if they wait until Gordon starts putting up better numbers.
The Magic can consider a future without Gordon for a few reasons. Jon Isaac should be the future at forward, of course, but I'm also high on the potential of current rookie Chuma Okeke. He's been out all year with an injury, but at Auburn he looked like a dynamic threat that may end up being as good as Gordon himself.
step three: check the sportsbook to see if your bets paid off
The Orlando Magic have taken some big swings over the last few years, primarily with upside plays like Markelle Fultz and Mo Bamba. In both cases, the team needs to determine if they ended up cashing in - or crash 'n burning.
Let's start off with Markelle Fultz first. The Magic made a low cost move to acquire him (in terms of assets) and that looks like a smart move at the moment. With a longer leash and the ball in his hands more often, Fultz is starting to resemble a key player again. This past season (Year 3 for him), he averaged 15.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per 36 minutes. He's still a bad shooter (27% from 3, 73% from the FT line), but he's improving there. He's also taken massive leaps in his ability to slash and convert inside the arc. His FG% in the 3-10 foot area has gone from 21% to 30% to 42% over the last few seasons. He's showing glimpses of the talent that made him the # 1 pick.
The problem is: while Fultz was low cost in terms of assets, he's not low cost in terms of salary. Because he had been the # 1 pick, he'll be paid $12M next season, and then have a qualifying offer of $16M for 2021-22. If the team doesn't think Fultz justifies that type of commitment, they may not retain him at all. Given that, it'll be critical that the team can make a decision about Fultz based on his play this upcoming season. In a lot of ways, it's a make or break year for his Magic career.
The team has a longer window regarding Mo Bamba. He's under contract for the next two seasons before his own restricted free agency. That not-so-coincidentally lines up close to Nikola Vucevic's three years remaining ($26M + $24M + $22M). Over the next year or two, the Magic need to determine whether Bamba is going to be ready to take the mantle at center, at which point they can either trade Vucevic or let him walk at the end of his deal. Right now, it's very hard to know. Bamba didn't show much in Year 2, but sometimes it takes players with his unique frame extra time to develop their bodies. If Bamba turns out not to be starting material, then that will set the franchise back in the long term. Getting a decent starter is the least you can expect out of a # 6 overall pick.
step four: you play to win the games (but it never hurts to have a Plan B)
Even with Jonathan Isaac's injury, the Orlando Magic aren't going to throw in the towel and tank next season. The roster is too solid for that, and coach Steve Clifford is too motivated for that. You're not going to convince an old veteran coach -- entering Year 3 -- to took his foot off the gas.
Orlando doesn't have the cap space to go off on a shopping spree, so retaining their own free agents may be the most prudent step. Swingman Evan Fournier has a $17M player option that he may be inclined to pick up. That said, he's coming off a strong year -- 18.5 points and 39.9% shooting from deep -- and may want a longer-term commitment. If Fournier demands a longer deal, the Magic should probably give it to him. He's one of the more underrated scorers in the league right now.
Midseason acquisition James Ennis also has a player option (for a modest $2M). The team shouldn't bend over backwards to bring him back, but it'd be nice to have him around. He's an experienced vet capable of playing the 3 or 4.
Backup PG D.J. Augustin represents a trickier negotiation. He's ceded his role as a starter to Markelle Fultz, but he still played 25 minutes a night and contributed 10.5 points and 4.6 assists. He's a steadying presence on the court in addition to being one of the better shooters on the team. As a 12-year veteran, he's also a good mentor to a young guard like Fultz. That said, the 32-year-old Augustin may not want to come back to play for a middling team. He could chase a ring somewhere else like L.A. or Brooklyn. It doesn't make a load of sense for Orlando to overpay to bring him back given his declining role and their modest expectations for this next season. Hopefully the two sides want to keep their partnership going. If not, the Magic should eye other solid backup PGs who can take some pressure off Fultz and allow him to play some SG as well. Among the names that may fit this bill would be Shabazz Napier (WAS), Yogi Ferrell (SAC), or Matthew Dellavedova (CLE.)
I tend to think the Magic can make tweaks on the margins, "run it back," and still contend for the 7th or 8th seed in the East. That said, if they get off to a nightmare start, they should have a Plan B in their back pocket. We've already mentioned a possible Aaron Gordon trade, but they would have to consider trades of Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier, and Terrence Ross as well. While Coach Clifford may not want to blow it up and rebuild, he may not have a choice if the season starts to slip away from them.
previous offseason blueprints
ATL, CHA, CHI, CLE, DAL, DET, HOU, IND, GS, LAC, MIL, MIN, NYK, POR, SA, SAC, UTA

Ladies and gents, Wild fans alike, now that we know we are officially a lottery team, here are my thoughts on players that could fall to us at 9th overall. Let’s dive in.
 
Alexander Holtz RW (Right shot, 6'0" 183 lbs) #27 in Sweden uni’s, #88 in SHL uni’s
Holtz is basically everything you want in a goal scoring wing, especially for our club considering he’s a right shot. Holtz is all around a solid skater, I think he’s slightly better east-west than north-south, but I don’t see any major issues with his skating even if I do wish he were faster. He has soft hands, and although he doesn’t flash them as much as others on this list he can deke guys out of their skates. Let’s not kid ourselves, goal scoring is Holtz’s bread and butter but he does have playmaking instincts in him. I was a bit surprised with his playmaking, and that should keep goalies guessing in the NHL. Of course, you can’t talk about Holtz without the goal scoring. Holtz’s shot is ridiculous. He has a nasty, accurate wrister with a quick release that he can rip in tight spaces. I was also surprised at how often he identified soft spots and often before they developed, which speaks to how good his scoring instincts are. When you combine the scoring instincts and ability with his underrated playmaking you get a very dangerous offensive player. Overall I think Holtz is a pretty safe bet to be at least 20 goal scorer in the NHL, but at his ceiling he could be near that 35-40 goal mark. I know we need a center, but we always could really use a right shot scoring wing and Holtz fills that need in spades.
 
Lucas Raymond RW (Right shot, 5'10" 183 lbs) #18 in videos
The savvy Raymond is a much different player (and prospect) than Holtz. With Raymond, it’s all about the skill. He’s a better skater than Holtz, but he’s still not necessarily a burner. His edge work/agility is actually very good, but he just lacks that top gear you especially like to see in a smaller player. What Raymond does not lack are incredible hands. Raymond can make defenders look silly with the dekes he’s able to pull off, and I think he has some of the best hands in the draft. With Raymond, his sensational playmaking and creativity are the names of the game. His vision on the ice and ability to create plays out of nothing is incredible. One thing to note about Raymond that gives me some concern is how much different he looked in international tournaments compared to his SHL games. Among peers, he stands out as easily the most talented player on the ice. Among grown adults, this was not the case and I worry about whether or not he can translate his game against the best players in the world. To tie it up, Raymond is a very high ceiling prospect but may have one of the lower floors of the players on this list. Maybe a high-risk high-reward prospect is what we need and I wouldn’t hesitate if he’s available at 9.
 
Cole Perfetti LW/C (Left shot, 5’10”, 18lbs) #91 in videos
Cole Perfetti is an offensive juggernaut. Do you want a guy who can score goals in bunches? Perfetti is your man. Do you want a guy that can run a PP and thread passes? Perfetti is your man. I don’t know if there’s anything he can’t do offensively. His skating isn’t great, but it’s not terrible either. His speed is fine, but he isn’t necessarily blowing by guys every shift. As you probably saw in that last clip Perfetti’s hands, however, are silky. Like Raymond, I’d say his hands are among the best in the draft. But as I alluded to earlier, the thing that makes Perfettis so special is his offensive ability and more specifically his sky-high hockey IQ. Perfetti has the rare ability to anticipate plays before they happen. He sees the ice in ways that few others do and can accurately predict the flow of the game to manipulate it to his desire. And even better, he has the passing ability to pull it off more often than not. Not to mention his scoring ability is fantastic. This particular sequence is extremely impressive with the way he tells his teammate to pass to his other teammate in the other faceoff circle, which leaves Perfetti wide open for a slap shot. It’s worth mentioning that Perfetti looks like he’ll be a LW in the NHL but he does have some experience at center. I don’t think he’ll be there for us at 9, but his offensive ability should be too good to pass up if he is.
 
Marco Rossi C (Left shot, 5’9”, 179lbs) #23 in videos
Rossi is a slick, competitive center whose size can fool you. He does not play like he’s only 5’9” and part of that is because of his very strong lower body. Notice how at the end of this clip Rossi gets shoved by a defenseman from behind who is clearly 3-4” taller than him and he shakes it off like nothing. That’s why I think he won’t have a problem with his size at center in the NHL. Like all of the previous players I’ve talked about, he isn’t going to burn you every shift, but he has some speed in him. He also combines good edge work with good hands to evade checks (yes, he just skated through three opponents without being touched). I know I’ve said this a lot already, but his hands are among the best in this class. He’s a very smart player and can thread needles and should run a first unit PP at the next level. And if you need Rossi to snipe some goals, he can do that too. I know this is a cliche, but Rossi is fearless and isn’t afraid to get to the dirty areas to score. In general, his competitiveness is something that really stood out to me, he’s feisty in his own zone and on the PK which is something I love to see in center prospects. If you haven’t noticed by now, Rossi is who I’m hoping falls to us at 9th overall. I have him as my 4th ranked prospect in this draft but as we all saw last year with Caufield, some teams are scared by shorter players so there’s a chance he’s available for us.
 
So we all know that the Oilers, Penguins, Rangers, or Leafs if they lose tonight are going to win 1st overall (semi-joking but also half serious) but just for fun I wanted to talk about who I feel are the best three prospects in this draft. Everyone who pays attention to the draft knows Lafreniere is the top player of this class, but I wanted to at least make a case for Byfield and Stutzle. This is mainly because we’ve seen how hard it is to have a franchise center and both of these guys could fill that need. In a way, it’s almost ironic that the draft we have the best chance of winning first overall is for a freaking LW. It would be really hard passing up someone as talented as Lafreniere, but it would also be really hard passing up a franchise center.
 
Quinton Byfield, C (Left shot, 6’4”, 214lbs) #55 in videos
The towering goal-scoring Byfield is seen by many as having the best toolkit in the draft. Byfield is an excellent skater. He can fly past guys which makes him a threat every time he steps onto the ice. This is especially impressive when you consider how huge he is. Byfield has some very soft hands. He isn’t flashy with them, rather he’s very efficient but they are buttery. One unique thing about Byfield is that I wouldn’t call him an excellent playmaker, but he’s a very good passer. Not that he’s a bad playmaker, because that’s far from the truth, but compared to others on this list he pales in comparison. That being said, Byfield more than makes up for that with his booming, accurate shot. He can get a ton of power behind his shot and he often snipes goals far from the net. Another unique thing about Byfield is how patient he is with the puck. Having this trait is something that’s very valuable in the NHL and Byfield seems to have mastered it. I’d like Byfield to be better defensively because he isn’t great in his own zone, but with his reach and skating he should have a pretty high ceiling when it comes to developing this area of his game. Byfield is a rare player. Guys with his size, skating, hands, and offensive ability truly are unicorns in this league. Oh yeah, and did I mention he’s one of the youngest players in the draft with an August 18th birthday (I can’t believe he’s still just 17)? When you combine everything, you can see why scouts gush over Byfield. His ceiling as a franchise goal-scoring center is astronomically high which should put him into the conversation at 1 overall, at least for a center-starved franchise like us.
 
Tim Stutzle C/LW (Left shot, 6’0”, 187lbs) #8 in videos
Before I get into why Stutzle is my favorite prospect in this entire draft, it’s important to keep in mind as you’re watching these clips that Stutzle is playing against grown men in Germany and absolutely embarrasses some of them. His skating ability is sensational. He can change directions in the blink of an eye and has incredible agility/edge work. I could go on, and on, and on about Stutzle’s skating because I think he’s the best skater in the entire draft, but I’ll end it with my favorite clip. Not only is he a great skater, but he also has some incredible hands to go along with his feet. But what makes Stutzle even more impressive is the fact that he's another player that owns the rare ability to create something out of nothing by using his phenomenal playmaking instincts. He can thread a tight pass and should rack up a ton of assists in the NHL. Like his skating, I could go on, and on, and on about his playmaking, but similar to his skating it’s because I think he’s the second best playmaker in the entire draft (you can probably guess who’s number 1). I also want to point out that while Germany has a big ice sheet, Stutzle excels in tight areas which is extremely translatable to the NHL where space is hard to find. Stutzle played most of this year on the left wing in the DEL, but he played a lot at center in Germany’s junior league. I think when you have someone with experience at center and combine that with the skating and playmaking ability that Stutzle has, I have a hard time believing he couldn’t be a center in the NHL. Like Byfield, Stutzle is a unique prospect but in very different ways. We’ve been spoiled recently with the Hughes brothers and Makar, but guys who can skate like Stutzle can with his creativity and playmaking are extremely rare. Not to mention he showed he can compete with grown men which is more than most players in the draft can say they’ve done. Stutzle is a very exciting player, especially for a franchise needing a superbly skilled center, and I could see Stutzle in consideration at fist overall for that reason.
 
Alexis Lafreinere LW (6’1”, 191 lbs) #11 in videos
And now the prize of the draft, Alexis Lafreniere, finally gets his spotlight on my list. Look, Lafreniere is the most talented player in this class. He can take over games and shift the momentum for his team. I think Stutzle and Byfield can do that, but to a lesser extent than Lafreniere. It’s almost maddening that he’s not a center, and I wouldn’t be surprised if whoever drafts him doesn’t at least try him there to see how he does. Anyways, if there’s one thing to not like about Lafreniere, it’s his skating. It’s not necessarily bad, but I’m left wanting more out of a consensus number one overall pick. It’s hard to fault him because everything else about him is unbelievably good. Lafreniere is a ridiculous playmaker. He knows that teams have to respect him, and he sometimes uses this to his advantage. This is how Lafreniere makes his teammates better. He can create space for them by drawing attention to himself, and then he makes magic and passes for an easy goal. Here’s another example of this unique ability. Another thing I love about his game is his deceptiveness. Notice how he looks at the net and lets off a quick pass to Rossi. Lafreniere can snipe as well, but most of his goals come from driving hard to the net hard. This is somewhat of a theme to his game as Lafreniere is a fiery player, he is not afraid to play the body. Here’s another [big hit](https://youtu.be/Q3SSY6_MvaA?t=3530. When you mix all of things together, you find yourself looking at yet another very unique player. He can beat you with his incredible skill, his deceptive vision, or his intense compete level. He’s dangerous in so many different ways that you can see how easy it is for him to tilt the ice, and when the going gets tough is when he shines the most. That’s why he’s the consensus first overall pick and that’s why it would be incredibly challenging to pass on a player like him.
 
This got a lot longer than I was expecting, but hopefully you have a better idea of some of the top players in this draft. Outside of these last three players, there’s a chance that one of the previous four fall to us at 9th overall, or maybe Guerin gets bold and moves up a few spots to take one. I discussed Lundell, Sanderson, and Quinn in my previous post this year, so they are not included here. But to briefly touch on all of them, I hold the unpopular opinion of not being high on Lundell. I talked about this in my last post, but I just didn’t see much in his offensive game that stood out even though he scored a lot for his age and I worry that his upside might not be more than a 3rd line checking/defensive center. You don't have to agree, and probably don't, but I just think his offensive game is too big of a risk to take at 9. I did (and still do) like Sanderson a lot, and with Suter not playing in our last game I would definitely consider him at 9. Quinn looks like a top scorer in this class and if any of the guys on this last are not available he's also worth considering at 9. Of course, just like last year with Boldy, I did not talk about Drysdale this year so he’s probably who we’re taking at 9 if he falls, but I’m hoping Guerin grabs an impact forward that we can count on to be a star player for us for a very long time.

As we continue to wait for real basketball to happen (or not?), it may be a good time to monitor teams that will definitely be missing out on all the playoff bubble hijinks.
Here's a look at the CHICAGO BULLS, with a special shoutout to true Bulls' fans like celsius_two_3_two for helping me review the content.
PART ONE: From Playoff Challenger to Challenger space shuttle
Like any proper degenerate, I like to make a few Las Vegas "oveunder" bets before the season (note: don't try it at home, it's usually a waste of time and money.)
Still, a few win totals jumped out at me. Among them: the Chicago Bulls, oveunder 33.5 wins.
Now, the logical move may have been to pound the "under" here. After all, this was a team coming off two seasons with 27-55 and 22-60 records. However, I couldn't help but overthink this one. Sure, the Bulls had a very bad 2018-19 season (highlighted by Fred Hoiberg getting fired and Drill Sergeant Jim Boylen taking over). At the same time, they played better in the second half of the season. Boylen (douche or not) would presumably keep improving their defense. Moreover, Boylen and the front office were on shaky ground in terms of their job security, which usually motivates an organization to push forward and win as much as possible.
The front office clearly had that in mind as well, signing Tomas Satoransky and Thaddeus Young to sizable $10M+ contracts. Neither are great players, or perhaps even good players, but they're solid and reliable veterans whom the team could immediately plug into a rotation. These Bulls felt deep, balanced, and perhaps ready to strike. After all, star Zach LaVine would be set to enter Year 6 in the league. Otto Porter would be entering Year 7. Some of their other "young" pieces weren't that young; for example, Kris Dunn and Denzel Valentine are both 26 right now.
Overall, this felt like a recipe for success. Or at least, semi-success. The Bulls were ready to take a jump. Making the playoffs may have been unrealistic, but 35-38 wins felt doable. "OVER" it is!
Flash forward nearly a year later, and I've got so much egg on my face that vegans won't even talk to me anymore. Turns out, these "new Bulls" were the "same ol' Bulls." They'll end the season with a 22-43 record, which would have put them on pace for 27.8 wins over 82 games, well under the 33.5 set by Vegas.
So what went wrong? How did this potential darkhorse run so far off the rails that it needed to get shot and turned to glue? Let's take a closer look.
PART TWO: Missing Otto Porter III + D
One of the major reasons the Chicago Bulls disappointed in 2019-20 was injuries. Center Wendell Carter missed time, and Otto Porter III barely played due to lingering hip injuries. He appeared in 14 games, and only drew 9 starts (averaging 23 minutes per game.)
On the surface, Porter shouldn't feel like a huge loss. After all, this is a player who's never averaged as much as 15 PPG in any season in his career and has never sniffed an All-Star team.
That said, the loss of Porter had a trickle down effect that hurt the team in numerous ways.
Offensively, Porter is a low-usage player who's about as efficient as anyone in the league. For his career, he shoots over 40% from three (40.4%). Better yet, he's only averaged 0.8 turnovers per game (1.1 TO per 36 minutes.) He's what you'd call a role player / assassin. He gets in, hits his target, and slips out without being noticed. Porter actually has a little more versatility to his offensive game than the average catch-and-shoot player (he can take you down on the block, for example), but most often, he's used as a spacer and he thrives in that regard. Without Porter's shooting, the Chicago Bulls' offense looked even more sluggish than usual. Their offensive rating ranked 27th out of the 30 teams in the league.
Porter's loss also showed up in other ways. Porter's not a great defender -- he's probably "above average" -- but that's still an asset to have in your lineup. He's a savvy player who's usually locked in defensively, despite one infamous Shaqtin' A Fool moment. He also has good size and length for his position at 6'8" with a 7'1" wingspan.
That size is a key element to this discussion. Porter has "plus" size as a small forward. In his absence, the Bulls struggled to fill that void with the same. They ended up shifting Zach LaVine (6'6", 6'8" wingspan) over to small forward quite a bit. LaVine played 67% of his minutes at SF this past season according to basketball-reference. You can take those positional play-by-plays with a grain of salt because it's not easy to track and label, but that's still a notable difference in terms of the roster composition. The Bulls were smaller than average at SF, and smaller than average at SG with rookie Coby White (6'4", 6'5" wingspan) playing the majority of his minutes there.
The natural follow up to this may be: so what? Even with those size limitations, Jim Boylen's Bulls still finished with the 14th best defense (up from 25 last year.) However, the lack of size on the wings helped contribute to the Bulls' problems on the glass. They finished 30th (out of 30 teams) in total defensive rebounds, and 28th in rebounding differential (-3.6 per game). Using rebounding totals isn't always the best metric to use because bad teams miss more shots (and thus allow their opponents more rebounds). However, if you dig deeper, the numbers still aren't pretty. The Bulls' grabbed 75.6% of their potential defensive rebounds -- 5th worst in the league. Overall, they grabbed 47.9% of all potential rebounds -- 2nd worst in the league. "Rebounds" may be not be an en vogue stat in general, but it's a weakness that still hurt the team at the margins. When you're a mid-level team, those extra few possessions per game could mean the difference between a win and a loss.
The good news? Porter will likely be back and healthy next season. The bad news? He's not cheap. He'll almost certainly pick up his oversized $28M player option. In another circumstance, he may try to rip it up and renegotiate a long-term deal with the Bulls or another team instead, but the murkiness around the cap and around his health makes that too difficult to imagine. Barring a trade, he'll be back with the Bulls next year, and will help the team win a few more games.
PART THREE: Misusing their offensive weapons
The Chicago Bulls are a young team, built around young stars like Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen. Both LaVine and Markkanen have some limitations overall, but they're both gifted offensive players. So given that, how is it that the team only finished 27th in offensive efficiency?
In terms of the national media, a lot of the blame tends to fall on Zach LaVine. After some inefficient play early on in his career, the narrative has stuck that LaVine is an "empty calorie" or "volume" scorer. However, the results on the court don't really justify that anymore. Sure, LaVine shoots a lot, but he doesn't take as many bad shots as you may expect. He takes 8.1 threes per game (and makes an above-average 38%). He takes 5.6 free throw attempts per game (making 82% for his career.) Overall, that's a winning formula. LaVine's efficiency and true shooting is above league-average, no small feat for a player averaging 25.5 points per game this year. You'd like to see him hammer his way to the line even more, but he's not the problem for this team (offensively.)
Meanwhile, Markkanen has some work to do. For a 7-footer, he's a gifted shooter. He shot 42.3% from three in college (and even flirted with 50% early in the season.) He carried that success over to the NBA for his first two years, netting over 36% from three each year. His results at the free throw line (84% then 87% as a second-year player) illustrated his potential to keep improving from there. 7-footers tend to get labeled as "stretch bigs" if they can get anywhere over 30% from three; Markkanen has the potential to get closer to 40%.
However, that leap didn't happen in Year 3. Markkanen sagged to 34.4% from three, and "only" 82.4% from the free-throw line. But those percentages aren't what bothers me. Percentages will go up and down over smaller sample sizes like that. What's more concerning is how Markkanen's role shrunk offensively. After averaging 15.3 field goal attempts last season, he slipped down to 11.8 attempts this season per game. Even if you account for a few less minutes, he dropped from 17 FGA to 14 FGA in terms of "per 36" numbers.
As mentioned, Markkanen is an offensive player. He's a shooter. I'm no coaching genius (and neither is Jim Boylen apparently), but I'd encourage a shooter to SHOOT. Because if Markkanen isn't a focal point of your offensive attack, then he's not doing much good for your team. He's not a good defender -- he's not a good rebounder. This is like the Justice League sending Aquaman off to the find evil aliens in the desert; we're misusing his talents here, people.
Practically speaking, the next Bulls' coach needs to rethink the approach with Markkanen. Personally, I believe he has more in the tank offensively than he's been allowed to show so far. Maybe he's not Dirk Nowtizki, but he's still an extraordinary talent as a shooter for his size; I'd make a point of funneling him the ball. And if the problem is that he's getting marginalized by ball-dominant LaVine, then Markkanen should come off the bench as a 6th man scorer instead. He needs to be an offensive priority whenever he's in the game. And consequently, a better offensive philosophy and system needs to be installed in order to allow that to happen.
PART FOUR: Natural growing pains
When the Chicago Bulls' playoff chances slipped away, Jim Boylen and the front office finally unleashed their rookie, Coby White.
White took advantage of that greenlight and turned up the gas as a scorer. He'll end the season with a modest 13.2 points per game, but that undersells his impact as a scorer. Per 36 minutes, he averaged 18.5 points per game. That trended upwards over the course of the season as well. White averaged over 20 points per game in February and March (albeit over a limited 14 game size.) If White can do that as a 20-year-old rookie, then it's fair to suggest that he could be routinely scoring over 20 PPG in his prime.
While Coby White has some obvious virtues -- highlighted by his quickness and his cool hair -- there are some natural concerns and growing pains that he showed. He scored, but he didn't necessarily do that with efficiency. He shot only 39.4% from the field, and netted only a 50.6 true shooting percentage that's well below the league average.
Defensively, White also struggled. Playing "up" at SG for 71% of his minutes (and even at SF for 17%!), White's limited size and limited experience showed. ESPN's real/plus minus metric graded him as -1.9 impact per 100 possessions. If you wanted to count White as a point guard, that would rank 89th best (out of 94 qualifiers.) If you envision him as a shooting guard, that would rank 134th (out of 137 qualifiers.)
That debate -- is Coby White a point guard or shooting guard? -- is an important one. Sure, we're in an era of "position-less" basketball to some extent, but players still have certain roles offensively and certain assignments defensively. White's limited size and length (6'5" wingspan) projects best as a point guard. However, he's more of a scorer than a natural distributor. He only averaged 3.8 assists per 36 minutes this season, not far removed from the 5.2 assists per 36 minutes he averaged back in college at UNC. His playmaking can improve, but he's more of an attack dog by nature.
This combination of strengths and weaknesses makes you wonder about the long-term fit next to Zach LaVine. If the Bulls' long-term plan is to play White at SG and LaVine at SF, then they're always going to be behind the eight-ball in terms of length and rebounding (especially with Lauri Markkanen at the 4.) If their plan is to start White as a point guard, then they're going to have to rely on LaVine to be more of a lead facilitator, or on the entire team to adopt more of a ball-moving offense 1-5.
Most realistically, White projects best as a super-scorer off the bench, a la Lou Williams. To excel in that role, he'll need to continue to draw more free throws (he was at only 2.0 FTA per game as a rookie), but the potential is there to improve his shot selection and become a big-time scorer. Staggering White and LaVine would also allow them to be aggressive as scorers without stepping on each other's toes.
PART FIVE: Done with Dunn?
The other reason that it'll be important for the new Bulls' coach and front office to devise a long-term plan for Coby White is because it will affect other decisions on the roster. Among them: the fate of Kris Dunn.
Like Coby White, Dunn has some extreme strengths and weaknesses -- they just happen to be in opposite order. He EXCELS defensively. He has a big frame (6'9" wingspan) and natural instincts on that end. He nabbed 2.0 steals this season in only 24.9 minutes of action. A lot of times, "steals" can be misleading because they amount to gambling. For Dunn, it's more reflective of his actual talent. He has extremely quick hands; he could have made a lot of money as a gunslinger back in the Old West. In some ways, he reminds you of Andre Iguodala on the ball defensively, combining length, strength, and savvy.
The rest of Dunn's game is a mixed bag. He's not a bad distributor (averaging 6.0 assists in both 2017-18 and 2018-19), but he's a poor shooter. He's also had injury issues flare up over the course of his career. As mentioned, he's already 26 years old, so it's unrealistic to expect him to become a wholly different player in the next few years. With Kris Dunn, you mostly know what you're getting to get. So the question is: do you want it or not?
The Bulls will have to make that choice this offseason, as Dunn enters his (restricted) free agency. There's a chance that COVID will infect the cap and allow them to retain him on his one-year qualified offer of $7M. Alternatively, there's a chance that another team will swoop him and sign him to an offer sheet. He'd make some sense for a team like the Detroit Pistons, who could invest in him as an heir apparent to Derrick Rose at PG. If a team like that offers Dunn a deal in the 3 year, $8-10M per year range, will the Bulls match it? TBD.
Again, a lot depends on their views regarding Coby White. If they envision White as a future starter at PG, then there's less of a need for Kris Dunn. The Bulls would be able to start White at PG as soon as next year, with Tomas Satoransky as a combo guard off the bench and Ryan Arcidiacono serving as a third point guard and insurance policy. If the team envisions Coby White as a SG (or combo guard off the bench) then there's more of a need for Kris Dunn to platoon with Satoransky as a lead guard.
This game of musical chairs may be getting more crowded, because there's also another element at play: yet-another lottery pick.
PART SIX: Drafting some Help
Currently, the Chicago Bulls are slated in the # 7 position in terms of the NBA Draft order. They have a 9% chance of moving up to # 1, and a 32% chance of moving into the top 4. If they can make that leap, then that would mean adding another potential star to the fold. It's not a strong draft by any stretch, but SG Anthony Edwards (Georgia) and C James Wiseman (Memphis) have the potential to be good starters. If they can land someone like that, you ignore "fit", take the potential stud, and work out the rest later.
More likely, the Bulls will be picking in that 7-8 range. That's still a good pick, of course, but not one that should cause you to throw the baby out with the bath water and ignore the composition and needs of your team.
Again, this is why the "Do the Bulls need a PG?" question becomes so critical. This is a poor draft, but it's strongest in terms of its point guard depth. According to ESPN's draft experts, 5 of the top 13 prospects are point guards (LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton, Killian Hayes, R.J. Hampton, Cole Anthony). A few of those -- namely Hayes and Anthony -- are "pure" point guards who don't have enough size to switch around and play minutes at the 2.
Among the crop that's likely to be available around pick 7, here are some potential fits.
PG TYRESE HALIBURTON, IOWA STATE (# 8 on espn). Haliburton is one of the easiest "fits" for the Bulls and for basically every team, because he offers a versatile set of skills. He's technically a point guard (averaging 15.2 points and 6.5 assists last year) and can capably fill that role. Better still, he can be effectively off the ball. His three-point shot looks a little wonky, but he converts it well, hitting 42.6% of his threes in college. Defensively he's got good size (6'5" with a 6'10" wingspan) and instincts (2.5 steals, 1.3 fouls last year). In a sense, Haliburton can be a "3 + D" point guard that plays alongside a ball-dominant player, be it Zach LaVine or Coby White. If the team drafts him, you figure it'd be with the intention of using him as an upgrade on Dunn (slightly worse defense but better offense.)
SG DEVIN VASSELL, FLORIDA STATE (# 16 on espn). Like Haliburton, Devin Vassell is another player who could fit well on virtually every team because of his 3+D potential. He's hit 41.7% of his threes in his two years at FSU with a good-looking form that's aided by good size for his position and a higher release than Haliburton. Right now, Vassell is listed around 6'6" with an estimated 6'10" wingspan, but he looks bigger than that to my eye. That's crucial because it would allow him to play both SG and SF and draw some different assignments defensively. I also like Vassell's personality off the court; he seems like a good kid that should continue to improve. Like Haliburton, Vassell is the type of player that should easily into a lineup with LaVine and/or White.
SF DENI AVDIJA, ISRAEL (# 5 on espn). I'm not going to pretend to have as much confidence in my projection of Avdija, who's played in the international youth circuit and has been a rising star with Maccabi Tel Aviv. Based on what I do know, he could be an intriguing boom/bust pick around # 7. He's a big forward (6'9") who can convert inside, and better yet, has a real knack for playmaking. The Bulls' young stars -- Zach LaVine, Coby White, Lauri Markkanen -- are all better scorers than passers right now, so perhaps Avdija can operate as a de facto point forward and help the offense click into place. Right now, his shooting results have been shaky though, so he's not someone you can just throw out there and tell to stand in the corner as a 3+D option. If you take him, you need an actual plan to highlight his skill set. The Bulls' top exec Arturas Karnisovas is from Lithuania originally, so you presume that he'd have no qualms about selecting an European like Avdija (whose dad is Serbian) if need be. Of course, that logic didn't quite work out for Sacramento GM Vlade Divac and Luka Doncic.
SHAKIER FITS. Alternatively, there are some players in the Bulls' draft range that may not be ideal fits. As mentioned, Killian Hayes and Cole Anthony are more of traditional ball-dominant point guards; I don't love the idea of that next to Coby White and Zach LaVine. I'd also be wary of Dayton's PF Obi Toppin. Toppin has strong scoring potential with a decent shot and good athleticism inside. That said, he's a little stiff in the hips defensively, and may duplicate Lauri Markkanen in that regard.
PART SEVEN: Buh-Buh Boylen
One of the Chicago Bulls' biggest decisions will be among their first. Technically, the new front office has not fired coach Jim Boylen yet, but it appears that his clock is ticking on that decision. It's only a matter of time.
Candidly, Boylen gets too harsh of a rap from national media and fans. He's not a complete asshat. He's had success as a defensive assistant in the past, and did help the Bulls' defense improve some over the past few years. He'd be a fine assistant coach somewhere in that limited capacity.
However, he does seem woefully out of his depth as a head coach. He's never had success in that role before, and he didn't have any now. His offensive system is virtually nonexistent, and his attitude is boarish. Usually those "Drill Sergeant" coaches get a short-term year or two of improvement from a young team, but he couldn't even do that. We need to pull him out of there before there's a full-on Full Metal Jacket rebellion here.
Looking ahead, the Bulls need to pick a coach that can get the team back on track, especially in terms of their offensive philosophy. That said, the Bulls have to be careful not to "zigzag" too much in their coaching hires. They went from Tom Thibodeau (the gruff, defensive-heavy coach) to the Anti-Thibodeau in Fred Hoiberg (likable, low-key former player), and then jumped on the seesaw again with the complete opposite in Boylen. There's always a tendency to go for the opposite of your last coach, but presumably there's a happy medium in between these two poles. Goldilocks was happy to find something "just right," so Karnisovas should be as well.
According to media reports, Ime Udoka is a top candidate, and would be a natural fit. While Udoka doesn't have head coaching experience yet, he's about as "ready" as any first-time coach would be. He's a former player, and a long-time assistant under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio (and now has worked the last year in Philadelphia.) The Spurs' philosophy is an ideal template for the Bulls to use, both in terms of their offensive ball movement and their locker room culture.
I'd also recommend Kenny Atkinson as a viable candidate. He didn't mesh with the new superstars in Brooklyn, but he'd done a great job prior to that in terms of rebuilding a broken Brooklyn team. He specializes in pace and space offense, and player development. That sounds ideal for this team right now.
There are a few other candidates out there that would be worth interviews (Chris Finch, Wes Unseld Jr., Chris Fleming, Nate Tibbetts, Alex Jensen, Dave Joerger, etc) but Udoka and Atkinson represent a very solid top two. Hiring either of them would be a great first step for this new administration.
TL;DR
The Chicago Bulls' "breakout" didn't happen; instead, they broke down. However, the foundation isn't bad here. If the new front office wants to push for the playoffs next year (manifested by keeping Otto Porter and continuing to play veterans) then it's not unrealistic that they can get up to 35-40 wins with better health and a better offensive system. Conversely, the team may decide they're further away than that, and take a step back to collect their bearings.
other offseason blueprints
ATL, BKN, BOS, CHA, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, HOU, IND, GS, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NO, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHX, POR, SA, SAC, TOR, UTA, WAS

INNOCENT POSSUM'S PICKS:

Hey,
The COVID break means this season is actually starting quite soon after the last one finished. As a Leeds fan I am soooo hyped to get this season underway! Below I will share some season-long bets I have, alongside the reasoning why. I will also have a list of other bets I have backed, but the reasoning for these is mostly because I am an excited Leeds fan. Therefore, back the second list at your peril (And the first one in fairness, I can't guarantee anything beyond I put a bit of thought into them.)

MY PICKS (ALL PLACED ON SKYBET):

1. Leeds and Sheffield United Top Half @12.00 (£40 for £480) 1.1. Leeds and Sheffield United Top Half @10.00 (£52 for £520) (£92 for £1,000)
2. Leeds +40 Handicap Table @17.00 (£35 for £595) 2.2 Liverpool +5 @17.00 (£25 for £425)
3. Bielsa to win a Manager of the Month Award @9.00 (£11 for £99 [Now @7.00])
4. Sheffield Top Half (@3.50), Millwall Top 6 (@3.25), Blackpool Top 6 (@3.00) and Colchester Top 7 (@2.75) £50 total split £10 4-fold and 4x £10 Trebles for £260 Minimum for 3, £2,150 for all 4.
5. Aubameyang Top Scorer (@6.50), Ivan Toney (@10.00), Matty Taylor (@12.00), Ian Henderson (@9.00) Backed £2 E/W Yankee (Doubles, Trebles and 4-Fold). 3 Out of Placing in the Top 4 returns Stake. All 4 placing is £300. 1 Win and 2 Place is a bit of profit. All 4 winning is 21k.

.

MY REASONING:

1. This one I ended up double backing. Maybe there is a Leeds bias creeping in, but I feel like at a price of @12.00 and even @10.00 this is a smart bet. Sheff United have proven what they can do, and while they lost Henderson who was instrumental, Ramsdale is a tidy replacement. Leeds are a total wild card; I genuinely think we could come 20th or crack Top 6. I think we will start strong as no-one knows how to deal with Bielsa's play but then will suss it out on the return fixtures. I think this could very easily leave us in the Top half. Assuming Arsenal and Tottenham aren't garbage, the 'Big Six' take the top spots leaving 4 places for who? Everton, Leicester, Wolves, Sheff United; Maybe Leeds, Burnley, Southampton and Palace if they have strong seasons too. Therefore I think these two teams fighting for 2 of the 4 spots left at these odds is great, especially not including Spurs and Arsneal choking...
   
2. The way the handicap table works is Sky give each team a + points value (for Leeds its +40) and whoever comes top of the league with all of these values applied wins the league. Therefore it's not a case of Leeds coming 39 or less points behind Liverpool when they win, as Liverpool also get a +5. This means a team like Newcastle could win the Handicap League by coming 8th, as their 52 +48 might be enough to be greater than Liverpool's 84+5, City's 88+0 and Arsenal's 62+25. Ultimately what this table is trying to bet on (all @17.00 until the odds shift as more are backed) is which team will overperform the most. Again, could be a Leeds bias but @17.00 for +40 seems good to me as we are such a mystery, an unknown. Fulham and West Brom are +53 and +52 respectively, but we all know what they are about; it wasn't long before they were in the Prem last. (As a Side note, I will back Liverpool +5 @17.00 as that means if they get like 95 points, even losing the league to City, teams like Man U and Chelsea will need 85 in the same season and I can't see that happening). However, I think the Top 4 will be tighter this year with Man U and Chelsea putting up a challenge, meaning the overall total of points won't be so high as they will take points off one another. This could leave Leeds to take the Handicap victory when given 40+ points (May be consider backing E/W if you follow)
   
3. Again possible Leeds bias coming into play but it's no secret Bielsa is a highly renowned manager. Pep and Pochettino both learned what they know from him. Coming up to the Premiership with a newly promoted team gives him so much potential to have a month where he wins 4/4. If he pulls that off, he is likely to get it as no-one anticipates a newly promoted side to have a month that strong. In April we play two derbies against Sheff U and Man U, then also have Liverpool and City. If we have 3 draws and a win in that period, managing to draw against the titanic teams, he could win. With odds of @9.00 (even @7.00) I think this has a tonne of potential.
   

4.
Sheffield United: Have proven they can get Top Half. While it was likely a bit of an anomaly and they fell flat towards the end, I don't see why they can't do it again. They have a similar strength team and the same manager and strong tactics to grind out results all season long.
Millwall: Millwall have been knocking at the door and I think this year is they finally crack top 6. They are good defensively and have a good spine. They also have a couple of game winning talents in amongst the squad too.
Blackpool: Disappointing 13th last year but it seems like Blackpool have made a real effort to make some key signings and bolster their weaker spots. Out of all of the League One teams, Blackpool's odds looked the best value as a lot of the other teams I fancied were all below Evens.
Colchester: Coming 6th last year I reckon they can get top 7 again this year. My concern is they lack attacking threat but their defence seems to be rock solid. Usually defence is what is needed to do well over the whole season, while attack makes the difference between play-offs and auto.
5.
Aubameyang: Scored 13 in 10 when he first joined in the back end of the 17/18 season. Won the Golden boot joint with Salah and Mane in 18/19. Last season scored 22 and missed out on Top scorer to Vardy with 23. This guy is consistent and unlike Mane/Salah, is likely to be free from competition of a similar calibre to himself within his own team.
Toney: Brentford's new striker. Last season Brentford had Watkins (2nd with 25), Benrama (17) and Mbeuno (15) in the top 15 scorers. The season before that they had Maupay joint 2nd. Now they have brought in Toney to a team who is tipped to be in the top 3 teams most likely to get promoted; this means goals. Toney himself was Peterborough's and League One's top scorer last season with 25 so he knows how to put the ball away.
Taylor: Top scorer for Oxford last season, the team that scored the 3rd most goals. This year Toney has moved to Brentford, Guandillet is in Turkey, Henderson has gone down to Salford, Eisa and Clarke-Harris will both compete for Peterborough's goals and Godden and Ladapo got promoted. I reckon we will see a lot of goals from oxford with Taylor being the main supplier.
Henderson: Mentioned above, now at Salford, the favourites to win League Two this year after one season to feel out the league. Rochdale only scored 39 goals last season but so goals were few and far between but when the chances came it was mostly Henderson who put them away. Now playing for the best team in the 'easier' league we should see him picking up a serious haul.

MY EXTRA BETS:

1. Leeds to win the Prem (lol) @201
2. Leeds to get Top 4 @26
3. Leeds to beat Chelsea Home and Away (Stop Crying Frank Lampard) @26
4. Leeds to beat Liverpool Home and Away (Giant Killers) @51
5. Leeds to beat Man City Home and Away (The Master schools the Student) @101
6. Leeds to finish above Man U (Not happening with the biased pen-giving refs) @17
7. Bamford 15+ Goals @8
8. Rodrigo 15+ Goals @21 (Boosted from @14, seemed insane value even if he is more likely to be a creator than a finisher)
9. A whole bunch of long-shot Request-A-Bets that I recommend you browse and see what you like

BEST OF LUCK IF YOU FOLLOW!
FEEL FREE TO JOIN MY SUBREDDIT: /InnocentPossumsPicks
FEEL FREE TO JOIN THE DISCORD SERVER: https://discord.gg/SQzh6dE / ThePossum#9306
FEEL FREE TO FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Innocent_Possum

Welcome to the /MLS Sporting Kansas City Countdown to Kickoff!

If you fancy a trip back in time, here are 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015.
Many thanks to dd12939 for allowing me to steal this template.
Now on with the show!
Team Name: Sporting Kansas City Head Coach: Peter Vermes Technical Director: Brian Bliss Captain: Matt Besler Stadium: Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, KS Ownership: Sporting Club Mascot: Blue the Dog Kits: Primary, Secondary Supporters Groups: The Cauldron and South Stand SC Subreddit: /SportingKC USL Championship Affiliate: Swope Park Rangers Sporting KC II News and Commentary: The Blue Testament, The Full 90, Talkin' Touches Podcast, No Other Pod Twitter Follows: Andy Edwards, Chad Smith, Mike
History: • MLS Cup: 2000, 2013 • Supporters’ Shield: 2000 • US Open Cup: 2004, 2012, 2015, 2017 Coaches: • Ron Newman (1996-1999) • Bob Gansler (1999-2006) • Curt Onalfo (2006-2009) • Peter Vermes (2009-Present)
Sporting Legends: • Winger Predrag “Preki” Radosavljevic (1996-2000/2002-2005) • GK Tony Meola (1999-2004) • Coach Bob Gansler (1999-2006) • Defender Jimmy Conrad (2003-2010) • DefendeCoach Peter Vermes (2000-2002/2009-Present) • Owner Lamar Hunt (1995-2006) • Midfielder Chris Klein (1998-2005) • MidfieldeAssistant Coach Kerry Zavagnin (2000-2008/2009-Present) • Forward Mo Johnston (1996-2001)
• Forward Josh Wolff (2003-2006, 2008-2010)
2020 Season Opener: Saturday, February 29 at Vancouver Whitecaps FC
2020 Home Opener: Saturday, March 7th vs. Houston Dynamo
Preseason Roster
Predicted Preferred Gameday 18: 4-3-3

-------------------Pulido------------------- --Salloi---------------------------Russell-- ------------Felipe-------Espinoza----------- --------------------Ilie-------------------- -Martins-----Besler-----Puncec-----Zusi- -------------------Melia-------------------- 

Subs: Sanchez, Barath, Dia, Kinda, Busio, Gerso, Shelton
Note: It is entirely possible Gerso starts over Salloi. That’s the only real positional battle for the opener, though.

2019 Overview

Western Conference Table

Pos.	Team	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	GD	Pts.
10	Houston Dynamo	34	12	18	4	49	59	-10	40
11	Sporting Kansas City	34	10	16	8	49	67	-18	38
12	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	34	8	16	10	37	59	-22	34

Offensive Leaders

Player	Minutes	Goals	Assists
Felipe Gutierrez	2722	12	3
Johnny Russell	2115	9	9
Krisztian Nemeth	1559	8	2
Yohan Croizet	1091	3	2
Gianluca Busio	923	3	1
Gerso Fernandes	1749	2	6
Ilie Sanchez	2509	2	5

Season Review

Heading into 2019, expectations were sky-high for SKC fans. Fresh off of securing the top spot in the Western conference and being one half away from going to the final game of MLS Cup, Sporting returned a bunch of veterans and brought in some new players to replace and improve upon the departures. We’ll talk about the players later, but suffice to say: they didn’t. Even the most pessimistic SKC fan wouldn’t have predicted the bottom falling out quite as hard as it did in 2019, causing SKC to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2010. It seems that everything that could go wrong, did. The fact that the season started off as well as it did made the collapse all the more painful.
We began our season in CONCACAF Champions League, beginning with the toughest draw of any MLS team: Toluca. Since SKC was the lower seed, we started our campaign at home, with the second leg of the contest being at Toluca. The result? 3-0, SKC. Goals from Nemeth, Gerso, and Ilie. Nemeth looked like the goalscorer we needed at the striker position, Gerso looked like he was going to put it all together with a goal and an assist, and Ilie did this. It was as great of a result as we could have imagined, heading down to Mexico with a commanding lead and no away goals conceded. Everyone expected a cagy, defensive match where we held on for dear life and advanced. Instead, Sporting KC scored in the 8th minute and never looked back, ending the game with a 2-0 victory and heading on to the next round 5-0 on aggregate. At one point, Toluca’s own fans were mocking their team, shouting “Ole!” every time SKC completed another pass. It was hailed around the league, with articles written about the historic win and pundits calling Sporting KC potentially the best pure possession team in MLS history. It’s safe to say that the hype was very real. Next up: MLS play.
We opened our MLS campaign against LAFC, who finished third in the West in their expansion year and were widely considered to be a real contender in 2019 (and for good reason). The game took place three days after the victory in Toluca, and three days before we were scheduled to travel to Panama to take on Independiente in the next round of CCL. Peter Vermes opted to play his full first choice XI in California, wanting to fight for as many points as possible to avoid digging a hole early. It would have worked, too, if it wasn’t for a meddling Diomande, who broke the 1-1 tie in the 90+4 minute to give LAFC 3 points. It was a disappointing result, but not cause for any panic. LAFC was good, SKC was tired, all was fine. Fontas suffered a hip pointer and was subbed out, but that’s no big deal. Oh, how naive we were. We didn’t know what was coming. Next up: Independiente. We traveled down to Panama and brought a 2-1 deficit, as well as an injured Salloi, home. SKC beat Philadelphia 2-0 in the home opener, calming concerns that things were going wrong. The home leg of the Independiente contest had SKC cruise to a 3-0 win, 4-2 on aggregate, and backup striker Hurtado was hurt, undergoing knee surgery and given a 2-3 month timetable for return.
The next two games were MLS play: a 1-1 tie with Colorado made notable by former SKC striker Diego Rubio scoring the opener before Russell’s incredible free kick salvaged a draw for SKC. There was also the 7-1 home victory over Montreal. Nemeth hat trick, Busio goal, tons of fun. Unfortunately for SKC fans, that was just about the last bit of fun for a long while. Their next win wouldn’t come until the end of May against Seattle. The next CCL matchup was against Monterrey, who completely obliterated SKC to the tune of 5 goals to nil. In the first leg. The second leg wasn’t much better, with Monterrey beating SKC in KC 5-2, for an aggregate score of 10-2.
The rest of the season was very bad and I won’t spend much time on it. Two wins against Seattle was certainly nice, but there were way too many embarrassing scorelines. 1-4 against SJ, 0-3 against Atlanta, 1-5 against LAFC, 2-7 against LAG, and 0-6 against FC Dallas all stand out. I’ll get into the players, but it’s safe to say that injuries completely and utterly destroyed SKC’s season. At one point, there were 6 players healthy enough to practice. SKC earned 1 point from the 6 games they played after August to close out the season.

Players

Check out The Blue Testament’s Year in review for every player, located here!
Shoutout to major_winters_506 for their offseason roster thread here

Transfers Out

Date	Player	Position	Action
11/19	Medranda	Midfielder	Removed: Picked in Expansion Draft
11/19	Zendejas	GK	Removed: Traded to Nashville SC
11/21	Sinovic	Defender	Removed: Contract Option Declined
11/21	Feilhaber	Midfielder	Removed: Contract Option Declined
11/21	Zelalem	Midfielder	Removed: Contract Option Declined
11/21	Nemeth	Forward	Removed: Contract Expired
11/21	Hasler	Defender	Removed: Contract Expired
11/21	Wallace	Defender	Removed: Contract Expired

Jimmy Medranda: Sporting loses another fan favorite in the expansion draft, as part of a deal including leaving Jimmy exposed and trading Zendejas to Nashville SC. Jimmy was always the heir apparent to Seth Sinovic, while also being able to fill in pretty much anywhere on the pitch. His 1v1 ability will not be forgotten, nor will his incredible goals. Unfortunately, injury really robbed him of a lot of time.
Adrian Zendejas: The three-year backup to Melia moved on in a trade with Nashville SC. He only made one appearance with the senior team, starting the 1-1 tie with FC Cincinnati.
Seth Sinovic: Seth was acquired by SKC in 2011 from the New England Revolution. Since then, he’s made 210 appearances for us before having his option declined this offseason. He was signed in free agency by the Revs. I think every SKC fan still believes that at some point before the end of the season, we’ll see Seth back on the team and winning the starting left back position. After featuring there for so long, and fighting off so many challengers, it just makes sense.
Benny Feilhaber: Another long-time SKC veteran, Benny returned this season from his stint with the Colorado Rapids while SKC was in the midst of its horrible injury crisis. He started 13 games, and gave us some life when we needed it most. Benny had his option declined and remains a free agent.
Gedion Zelalem: The extremely talented midfielder never found his footing under Vermes, only managing 5 starts for the injury-riddled SKC. His reportedly very expensive option was declined, and he was picked up by NYCFC.
Krisztian Nemeth: Oh, what could have been. Nemeth had a promising start to his second stint with SKC, scoring 7 goals in his first 11 regular season games in 2019, and 4 in CCL. Unfortunately, he would only score once the rest of the way en route to Vermes choosing to not renew his contract. Nemeth is currently without a team.
Nicolas Hasler: Hasler was signed for one year to be defensive/midfield depth, and he did just that in 2019, making 9 appearances for SKC. Hasley now plays for FC Thun of the Swiss Super League.
Rodney Wallace: Rodney Wallace was signed as wing/left back depth for 2019. He had one start, playing 27 minutes before suffering a season-ending injury. Wallace is currently without a team.

Transfers In

Date	Player	Position	Action
11/26	Sanchez	GK	Added: Selected in Re-Entry Draft
12/4	Puncec	Defender	Added: Signed through 2021
12/9	Shelton	Forward	Added: Signed through 2022
12/10	Pulido	Forward	Added: Signed through 2023
1/10	Dia	Defender	Added: Signed for 2020 with options through 2022
1/13	Townsend	Midfielder	Added: 2020 MLS Super Draft
1/13	Kasak	Defender	Added: 2020 MLS Super Draft
1/23	Kinda	Midfielder	Added: One-Year Loan
2/4	Dick	GK	Loaned to USL Championship side Phoenix Rising FC for the 2020
2/14	Reid	Defender	Added: On loan from West Ham

Richard Sanchez: Sanchez was acquired via the re-entry draft from the Chicago Fire after making no appearances in 2019 for them. He will serve as backup to Tim Melia while Dick gets experience on loan and Pulskamp starts for SKCII.
Roberto Puncec: Puncec was out of contract after playing for HNK Rijelca in the Croatian league. He appears to be the starting right center back next to Matt Besler, starting there in every preseason match so far. Puncec has played extensively in Europe between Israel, Croatia, and the 2. Bundesliga.
Khiry Shelton: Shelton returns after a short stint with SC Paderborn, during which he rarely featured and never scored for the senior team, while suffering an injury which caused him to miss substantial time. While Shelton was injured, Paderborn earned promotion to the Bundesliga, which seems to have proved too high of a level for Shelton. Nonetheless, he’s back in KC and appears to be much improved technically, and figures to be the backup striker and potentially a feature on the wing.
Alan Pulido: The Striker that was Promised. He’s here. Sporting KC ownership finally opened their pocketbooks, spending a rumored $9.5m on the Mexican striker who won the golden boot in Liga MX’s 2019 Apertura. Pulido appears to be the perfect striker for what Vermes wants, with a high defensive workrate, combination ability, positional flexibility, and a deadly finish. Expectations are sky-high for the player who more than doubled SKC’s historical net spend.
Amadou Dia: Dia returns to SKC after a three year stint in the USL with Phoenix. He will be the backup left back behind Luis Martins.
Jaret Townsend: Hey look a draft pick!
James Kasak: Hey look another draft pick!
Gadi Kinda: I Gadi say, this guys’ name seems Kinda great for puns. Kinda was acquired on loan from Israeli club Beitar Jerusalem. He had enjoyed a breakout season in 2019, scoring 7 goals and 4 assists from midfield in 16 appearances. The Ethiopian has yet to feature for the senior Israeli national team, despite appearing for their youth teams. He was called up for EURO 2020 qualifying. Kinda appears to be midfield depth, but is sure to push for a starting spot this season. He has impressed in preseason with his runs, footwork, and work rate.
Winston Reid: The 31 year old New Zealand center back is on loan from West Ham, who he’s made 222 competitive appearances for. Reid hasn’t made a senior competitive appearance since March 2018 due to injury. With almost two years off injured, this move appears to be a gamble that he can regain his form and once again become a top defender. If he does, he will undoubtedly be cemented in the SKC backline.

Returning Players

The Vets

Roger Espinoza: A bulldog in the central midfield, Honduran international Roger Espinoza was drafted by Sporting KC in 2008. Apart from two seasons he spent in England with Wigan, Espinoza has been a mainstay in the middle of the field, playing as a box-to-box destroyer. Roger lost a chunk of 2019 to injury, and another chunk to red cards (three, tying his personal “best” and moving into the league lead for total). He also proved just how much he means to this team, as SKC went on a terrible run when he was out. As Peter Vermes continues to search for a replacement for the 33 year old, expect Roger to continue to get plenty of minutes.
Matt Besler: Drafted in 2009 by the then-Kansas City Wizards, hometown hero Matt Besler has long been a stalwart in Peter Vermes’ defense. Apart from a down year in 2016, Besler has been one of the most consistent players in recent memory, but he’s 33 years old and his contract expires at the end of the year. Could this be the last year we see Besler in an SKC uniform? He looks to be entrenched as a starter and our captain, but it’s uncertain how much longer that will last with a potentially deep CB room behind him.
Graham Zusi: Zusi has been a near-constant presence on the wing for Sporting since he was drafted in 2009, though since the beginning of 2017 he has become Peter Vermes’ go-to right back. 2019 saw him named an MLS All Star, although most believe that honor was a year too late and not quite deserved this year. Regardless, how they told him was one of the highlights of the season. Graham looks to be the starter at right back yet again, but Lindsey is gunning for his position and Zusi may not be able to hold him off for much longer. Zusi’s contract runs through 2021.
Tim Melia: The 2017 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year should need little introduction at this point, nor should his storied career move from Rochester Rhinos’ backup to MLS pool goalkeeper to his current tenure with Sporting Kansas City. While Melia, along with the rest of the backline, performed not very well in 2019, he will look to regain his top form as the starter between the sticks.

The New Core

Johnny Russell: Scottish winger Johnny Russell returns for his third year in Kansas City having made himself a favorite both on and off the field. Most often deployed as an inverted right winger, his strength and skill terrorized defenses as he contributed 9 goals and 9 assists in 28 games last season. Look for him and his pet turtle to continue to put the fear of god in defenders from the right side of the field.
Ilie: The 29-year-old Spanish midfielder is a product of the Barcelona academy and played for Barcelona B for five seasons before a short stint in 2. Bundesliga with 1860 Munich. After joining SKC in 2017, he locked down the starting defensive midfield spot, starting 67 of 68 league games over two years and becoming an essential part of the team’s midfield structure. 2019 saw Ilie start 27 games, and when he was on the field he seemed much less effective than in years past. An All-Star in 2018, Ilie will look to regain that form this year.
Felipe Gutiérrez: Chilean midfielder Felipe Gutierrez was probably the MVP of the team in 2019, scoring 12 and assisting 3. Guti was behind only Melia in minutes played, and could be found at all three midfield positions throughout the year, although Vermes obviously prefers him at the attacking midfield spot. His ability and versatility means that it’s a safe bet Guti Gang will be in contention for the most starts on the team, as well as team MVP.

Something to Prove

Andreu Fontas: Fontas, uh, didn’t exactly work out in his first year. His $1m salary was part of the reason why Ike left, and then Fontas only started 10 games, a number of which were very bad, before getting injured for several months. Once he was healthy, Vermes declined to include him in the 18, and Fontas had surgery as soon as the season was over, which will keep him out for roughly the first month of this season. It’s widely speculated that the front office plans to buy out Fontas’s contract, considering the additions of Puncec and Reid and the fact that Fontas doesn’t appear to be in Vermes’s plans even when healthy. The biggest stumbling block for that is his contract: guaranteed at $1m through 2022, it would cost $3m to buy him out and get the cap space that he takes up back. The fans want him gone, so we’ll see if the ownership continues the “injection of capital” and buys out his contract.
Botond Barath: The Hungarian center back entered 2019 as the third center back on the depth chart, but ended up starting 20 games, behind only Matt Besler. Barath wasn’t a disaster, but he certainly didn’t distinguish himself as part of Sporting’s backline. Heading into 2020 it appears that he will go back to being a third or fourth option on the depth chart, capable of stepping up when needed but unlikely to be a difference maker.
Graham Smith: The 24 year old draft pick has yet to impress for the senior team, starting 10 games and giving up 20 goals last year (including 7 to Zlatan and the Galaxy). Barring another injury disaster, Smith will likely find himself playing the whole season with SKCII, as the fifth center back on the depth chart.
Luis Martins: Brought in to replace Seth, Martins appears to have done what nobody has done before: actually replace Seth. Starting the final 9 games of the season, Martins flashed his potential on offense and appeared capable on defense. Martins will start at left back this season and will hope to provide that spark of offense on the left side that Vermes has been searching for, while improving upon 2019’s truly terrible defense.
Daniel Salloi: After leading the team in goals in 2018, Salloi suffered a pretty severe decline in production, only managing to find the back of the net once, in the second to last game of the season. By the way the team celebrated, you’d think we had just won the cup. Salloi was another player who lost time due to injury, getting hurt in CCL against Independiente. Daniel will surely look to rediscover his form this season, which should see him draw plenty of starts at left wing.
Gerso Fernandes: Gerso was another player hampered by injuries, breaking his left wrist in a game against New England. He had seized the starting role at left wing from Salloi after Daniel’s run of poor form, but wasn’t a clear-cut starter when he returned from injury. Gerso possesses speed that nobody else on the roster has, so he will definitely have a role to play. The battle between him and Salloi for the left wing remains open, and both will surely see plenty of minutes.
Eric Hurtado: Guess what happened to Hurtado in 2019? You’re right, he was injured. Sporting’s backup striker lost most of the season to injury, starting only 8 games, all after the season was pretty much over. It appears that the 29 year old will fall to third on the center forward depth chart.

The Kids

Jaylin Lindsey: After starting 6 games in 2018, Lindsey only started once for SKC in 2019. The reason? You guessed it - he got injured. Turning 20 this year, Lindsey will look to unseat Graham Zusi at right back, something that should be easy if Zusi plays as poorly as he did in 2019. Sporting a ton of personality, Lindsey is a fan-favorite and should at least get minutes rotationally, assuming he stays healthy.
Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal: Long-touted as the future of SKC’s defensive midfield, Kuzain missed his chance to get minutes with the first team by getting injured right when SKC needed players the most. Instead, he spent the entire season with SPR, often playing further ahead in the midfield than his preferred position. His passing accuracy of 88.4% shows his skill with the ball, and the 21 year old homegrown will look to have a breakout year with SKC II and potentially get minutes in the senior team’s crowded midfield.
Gianluca Busio: Sporting KC’s most promising prospect, 17-year-old Homegrown player Gianluca Busio, was the second-youngest player to ever sign an MLS contract, and is the second-youngest goal scorer in MLS history (thanks a lot, Freddy Adu). In his second full year as a professional, Busio took advantage of SKC’s injury situation by staying healthy, increasing his minutes from 153 in 2018 to 923 in 2019. While Busio occasionally looked lost, he more often did not look out of place playing with men significantly older than him. While he didn’t lock down a starting spot, Busio will look to improve on his minutes for the second consecutive year as part of a very crowded midfield.
Cameron Duke: The 11th homegrown player in SKC history, the 19 year old midfielder has been in the Sporting Academy since 2012, and has been part of the US youth national team at the U-14, U-15, U-16, and U-18 levels. Duke will almost certainly spend the entire year with SKC II.
Felipe Hernandez: Felipe Hernandez is the first player to go from a SKC Academy affiliate, to the SKC Academy, to the Swope Park Rangers and then to the first team. He’s been touted as the heir apparent to Roger Espinoza, and often looked the part while drawing tons of starts with SPR. He scored eight goals for the USL team, second only to the center forward. Hernandez has the potential to see some midfield time with the senior team, but look to see him spend the bulk of his time with SKC II
Tyler Freeman: The youngest player signed to the first team, Freeman spent the whole season fighting for minutes on a poor SPR team, starting only 12 games. The 17 year old forward will look to improve his minutes and production with SKC II this year.

2020 Preview

Things to Watch

WE GOT A STRIKER Mission accomplished. After spending years and years waiting for the ownership to open up their wallets and pay for a big-time number 9, they finally did it. And boy, did they do it. Sporting’s net spend on transfer fees heading into this offseason was approximately $4m. Alan Pulido reportedly cost $9.5m, or more than double that. If he can live up to his price tag and capitalize on the opportunities SKC regularly produces, Pulido will score a ton of goals.
What’s a defense? Unfortunately, all the goals in the world don’t mean much without a competent defense to back them up. 2019 was a horrible year for SKC’s usually stellar defense. They let in 67 goals, a mark only beaten by FC Cincinnati. Vermes has responded by bringing in two new center backs, Puncec and Reid, keeping Martins around after he started the last run of games last year, and letting everyone else get healthy over the long, long offseason. If SKC wants to be back in the postseason, the defense will have to massively, massively improve.
#PlayYourKids
The HashtagPlayYourKids movement had its ups and downs with SKC in 2019. A couple of kids missed out on opportunities due to injury, most notably Jaylin Lindsey and Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal. Busio managed to improve his MLS minutes substantially, however, and SKC fended off a couple of suitors to hold on to the extremely promising midfielder. If Vermes wants to boast one of the best academies in MLS, and he does, then he’ll have to give the kids some more time with the senior team, something he’s been criticized for not doing in the past. The players with the clearest path to minutes are Busio in the midfield and Lindsey at right back, along with Salloi at left wing, so expect to see those three to get a solid amount of time. There are seven total homegrowns on the roster, including Busio, Lindsey, Kuzain, Cameron Duke, Tyler Freeman, Felipe Hernandez, and Daniel Salloi.
Do the vets still have it? As the corollary to #PlayYourKids, SKC still has a number of older players on the team. The biggest question of this year might be “Was 2019 an aberration due to injury, or a sign of things to come for Besler, Roger, and Zusi?” While Vermes seems to be betting, at least initially, that the older guys still have what it takes, there are capable and hungry replacements waiting in the wings for them to slip up. This is likely the last window for trophies for those three all together, so they will have a strong desire to work hard and prove that they’re not completely over the hill yet.

Prognosis

There are a lot of open questions for this Sporting KC team, which means the range of outcomes is going to be wide.
Realistic Best Case Scenario Turns out, 2019 was entirely the fault of historic levels of injury! Sporting looks like the 2018 and early 2019 team, dominating with the ball, snuffing out counter-attacks, and scoring at will by committee. The team returns to the top of the Western Conference and is competitive throughout the playoffs, although not quite doing enough to win the whole thing - the roster construction isn’t quite there. The team does bring home a trophy, though, winning the USOC in a thrilling game.
Realistic Worst Case Scenario The veterans really are past it, the kids aren’t quite ready, and injuries do not stay away. The back line remains mediocre and Pulido can’t put the offense on his back. SKC misses the playoffs for the second year in a row, and calls for Peter’s job get much, much louder.
Realistic More Probable Scenario Injuries hurt in 2019, but they clearly weren’t the only problem. The defense improves from last year, but is just league average. The midfield is much better than last year, and 5 players play more than 1000 minutes, keeping everyone fresh and competitive. The front three really improves with the addition of Pulido, and SKC scores a ton of goals and is generally fun to watch. It’s enough to put SKC back in the playoffs, and even win a playoff game! Unfortunately, that’s where things end, as Sporting falls in the second round of the playoffs in a competitive game. They make a USOC run, but don’t win that either.

This all started because I was checking out subredditstats.com to see stats for ripcity. The way I see it is if you aren't a top contributer on your teams subreddit, then you are a casual nephew. Anyways, I started to notice a lot of the top keywords for ripcity were comically summing up the sub. That's when I noticed that you can see lists of others subs on reddit that match up based on keywords and the results were hilarious. Naturally I started checking every teams subreddit stats. Here are the results.
Definition of "Top Keyword": The keywords that are most often used on this subreddit in particular, relative to the global frequency of that key word
Definition of "Related Subreddits by Keywords": The most closely related subreddit by keyword usage overlap

Team	Top Keywords	Related Subreddits by keywords
Atlanta Hawks	trae (565.1) 328 (334.9) 3-point (287.1) hawks (242.9) first-round (215.3) 👀👀 (200.9) merchandising (200.9) doncic (188.4) 2018-19 (167.4) embody (167.4) reb (167.4) ast (158.6) lobs (150.7) conveys (143.5) 18-19 (137) 76ers (135.2) buyout (132.2) mentorship (125.6) olaf (111.6) 🐐 (107.6) flippy (100.5)	ArcherFX (5) TransSpace (5) opera (5) TsumTsum (5) Feminism (5) Barcelona (5) falcons (5) Flipping (5) bloodborne (4) vinyl (4) introvert (4) AskOuija (4) gonewildstories (4) wholesomebpt (4) crappyoffbrands (4) Portland (4) holdmyfeedingtube (4) battlefield_one (4) CallOfDuty (4) fullmoviesonyoutube (4)
Boston Celtics	2018-19 (380.3) ast (287.2) sign-and-trade (221.8) #22 (178.3) #20 (158.5) rafters (158.5) 76ers (150.5) sharpshooter (138.7) resigning (135.8) tantalizing (126.8) boomed (126.8) backcourt (118.8) facilitator (110.9) highlights: (110.9) raves (108.9) prototypical (105.6) re-signing (101.9) one-year (99) opts (97.5) clinched (95.1)	introvert (27) winemaking (27) littlespace (26) CLG (26) lawschooladmissions (26) Clojure (26) Geniva_ (26) AfterTheLoop (26) DetroitRedWings (25) Blogging (25) OutreachHPG (25) ihadastroke (25) NSFWFunny (25) XWingTMG (25) SexToys (25) aws (25) calmhands (25) RandomActsOfGaming (25) WeWantPlates (24) wedding (24)
Brooklyn Nets	clinch (830.7) 76ers (342.2) 3pt (225.7) tonight's (180.6) nets (160.7) cornerstone (144.5) postseason (144.5) pregame (120.4) chants (120.4) 538 (120.4) post-game (108.3) announcers (108.3) buzzer (103.2) bigs (103.2) offseason (102.3) sharpshooter (90.3) playoff (85.2) angelo (80.3) all-star (80.3)	ImGoingToHellForThis (3) njpw (3) orangetheory (3) masterforgiveme (3) NotHowDrugsWork (3) ElderScrolls (3) gonewildstories (3) ArcherFX (3) Doom (3) Trumpgret (3) holdmyfeedingtube (3) coins (3) Ohio (3) Dentistry (3) badroommates (3) cs50 (3) quiteinteresting (3) ShitPostCrusaders (3) hammockcamping (3) TrueBlood (3)
Charlotte Hornets	hornets (316.6), kemba (158.3), mediocrity (108.5) supermax (93.3) yahoo (88.5) usp=sharing (81.4) 113 (59.4) two-way (56.5) rounders (48.5) teal (47.5) draft (47.3) lottery (46.5) defeat (45.7) rafters (45.2) franchise (45) lamb (42.4) 76ers (40.7) dunks (40.7) buzzer (40.7) $160 (40.7)
Chicago Bulls	basketball-reference (403.8) 🐐 (302.8) shitposts (226) two-year (207.7) 🌹 (201.9) bulls (188) #15 (173.1) tenured (148.3) postgame (148.3) screener (138.4) 21-year-old (138.4) mixes (133.1) dunks (129.8) pre-game (129.8) 2018-2019 (125.9) sprained (115.4) multi-year (115.4) mismatches (115.4) 3pt (108.2) 00:00 (106.5) bleacherreport (98.9)	adops (14) ManchesterUnited (14) bestofnetflix (13) NewYorkIslanders (13) Torontobluejays (13) mead (13) NUFC (13) naturalbodybuilding (12) manchester (12) BiggerThanYouThought (12) coldshowers (12) R6ProLeague (12) Dentistry (12) UBC (12) NotHowGirlsWork (12) Parahumans (12) dxm (12) AroundTheNFL (12) Rift (12) creepy (12)
Cleveland Cavaliers	sexton (333) ovation (208.1) courtside (199.8) die-hard (190.3) cavs (172.7) lobs (166.5) wingspan (166.5) 73-9 (153.7) 👑 (138.8) two-year (133.2) 2018-2019 (124.9) bonehead (124.9) pacers (121.1) officiated (111) finalizing (111) doubters (102.5) ᴴᴰ (99.9) 3-point (99.9) post-season (95.2) boneheaded (90.8) vacancy (88.8)	subnautica (12) realmadrid (11) GamePhysics (11) trance (10) CGPGrey (10) DetroitBecomeHuman (10) R6ProLeague (10) DOG (10) sailormoon (9) apolloapp (9) EngineeringPorn (9) dogs (9) njpw (9) ArcherFX (9) plotholes (9) lifeisstrange (9) americangods (9) cancer (9) TrueSTL (9) cosmology (9)
Dallas Mavericks	mavs (539.8) 🐐 (244.4) dirk (209.5) rebounds (112.8) offseason (91.7) luka (75.2) 76ers (72.4) all-star (71.3) 41 (68.5) mid-game (67.9) rookie (67.9) off-season (65.2) rounders (65.2) retiring (63.4) rebounding (63.4) knicks (61.1) grouping (59.8) tonight's (58.2) 2018-19 (54.3) all-time (52.4) bingo (52.1)	linguistics (13) CuckoldCommunity (13) cancer (12) calmhands (12) youtubehaiku (12) EmpireDidNothingWrong (12) KamikazeByWords (12) Earwolf (12) northernlion (12) Blazblue (12) NUFC (11) doommetal (11) learnart (11) realmadrid (11) newsokur (11) battlebots (11) entertainment (11) CatsAreAssholes (11) HaircareScience (11) WeWantPlates (10)
Denver Nuggets	postgame (278.1) ejection (250.3) 6:00 (208.6) 76ers (208.6) 8:30 (197.6) 8:00 (173.8) espn (154.5) presser (139) nuggets (134.7) 3-3 (125.1) 11:00 (119.2) standings (104.3) swagger (83.4) post-game (83.4)	flicks (8) lawschooladmissions (8) saskatoon (8) ihadastroke (7) iOSProgramming (7) masseffect (7) bostonceltics (7) xmrtrader (7) astrophotography (7) itookapicture (7) DesignatedSurvivor (7) nononono (7) littlespace (7) coins (7) writers (7) eroticauthors (7) wine (7) Nootropics (6) SandersForPresident (6) howto (6)
Detroit Pistons	pistons (765.2) boxscore (284.3) equivalents (243.7) ejected (160.6) floaters (160.6) rebounder (160.6) rebounds (154.7) threes (139.4) watch: (127.7) expiring (120.4) offseason (114) fouls (106.3) 7:00 (100.3) rebounding (100.3) undersized (100.3) 107 (89.2) piston (81.5) off-season (80.3) hobbled (80.3)	Earwolf (18) masseffect (17) trance (16) AndroidMasterRace (16) tales (16) Blogging (15) Seahawks (15) natureismetal (15) mflb (15) actuary (15) gonewildstories (14) plotholes (14) rally (14) Swimming (14) entertainment (14) taoism (14) qotsa (14) bestofnetflix (14) calmhands (14) recruitinghell (14)
Golden State Warriors	amas (283.7) steph (176.5) rebounds (170.2) all-time (141.9) つ (132.4) ༼ (132.4) dubs (129) playoff (122.9) ༽つ (122.9) #11 (122.9) threes (122.9) nicknames (113.5) klay (104) re-sign (104) jerseys (99.3) refs (95.6) 7:30 (92.2) #8 (81.1) warriors (77.5) nba (75.1)	nba (6) Patriots (6) lakers (6) Yogscast (5) inthesoulstone (4) starcitizen (4) eagles (4) PUBG (4) NoMansSkyTheGame (4) anime (4) deadbydaylight (4) running (4) weedstocks (4) thanosdidnothingwrong (3) amateurgirlsbigcocks (3) DestinyTheGame (3) circlejerk (3) DCcomics (3) marvelstudios (3) KarmaCourt (3)
Houston Rockets	◕_◕ (582.5) basketball-reference (524.3) ༽つ (475.7) ༼ (475.7) つ (475.7) hammy (339.8) floater (326.2) floaters (326.2) shimmy (254.9) 455 (244.7) doubters (233) 🐐 (219.6) 372 (203.9) one-year (203.9) capela (203.9) lob (191.9) rebounds (182.4) 419 (174.8)	cursedimages (6) NYGiants (5) cowboys (5) Aleague (5) coys (5) AustralianPolitics (5) Eyebleach (5) thalassophobia (5) lockpicking (4) ImGoingToHellForThis (4) Shitty_Car_Mods (4) forwardsfromgrandma (4) WhatsWrongWithYourDog (4) Justfuckmyshitup (4) SpecArt (4) pitbulls (4) HalfLife (4) motogp (4) Swimming (4) webcomics (4)
Indiana Pacers	offseason (182.7) rebounds (157.3) tendon (116.5) televised (116.5) smothered (116.5) yahoo (112.8) re-sign (109.2) thad (104.9) 440 (104.9) pave (99.9) usp=sharing (94.5) jerseys (94.1) 76ers (94.1) postseason (80.7) off-season (79.5) swept (77.7) layup (74.9) dunked (74.9) 107 (72.8) playoff (70.3)	zelda (1) gameofthrones (1) AnimalsBeingBros (1) gardening (1) itookapicture (1) nevertellmetheodds (1) madlads (1) raspberry_pi (1) BustyPetite (1) thewalkingdead (1) NatureIsFuckingLit (1) PetiteGoneWild (1) Filmmakers (1) 3DS (1) somethingimade (1) getdisciplined (1) dogswithjobs (1) celebnsfw (1) snowboarding (1) digitalnomad (1)
LA Clippers	clipper (299.4) two-way (188.2) halftime (188.2) laker (188.2) clippers (168.6) lob (156.8) 7:30 (156.8) bobblehead (130.7) 76ers (122) rebounds (117.6) lakers (115) rookies (109.1) tix (108.6) broadcaster (104.6) waived (104.6) stubhub (104.6) lou (100.8) milos (94.1) underdogs (87.1) comeback (86.7) playoffs (81)	VideoEditing (7) exchristian (7) XWingTMG (7) rap (7) ukulele (6) GoneErotic (6) bindingofisaac (6) fffffffuuuuuuuuuuuu (6) TaylorSwift (6) boxoffice (6) CuckoldCommunity (6) Dreams (6) gonewild30plus (6) devops (6) cocaine (6) tarot (6) ketoscience (6) fantasyhockey (6) composer (6) Geniva_ (6)
Los Angeles Lakers	lakers (69.5) bandwagon (52.9) #4 (36.4) championships (28.6) playoffs (28.6) basketball (28.3) protest (27.8) fries (27.8) resign (24.6) playoff (22.9) 30th (22.2) 81 (21.9) championship (21.2) coaching (20.5) celtics (20.5) franchise (19.9) haters (19.2) suns (18.8) dunk (18.8) lebron (18.7) 11th (18.4)	nba (15) NBA2k (6) warriors (6) sports (6) holdmyjuicebox (3) sportsarefun (3) baseball (3) CollegeBasketball (3) hockey (3) theocho (3) GreenBayPackers (3) Patriots (3) Moviesinthemaking (2) Art (2) PraiseTheCameraMan (2) thick (2) holdmyfeedingtube (2) radiohead (2) Bundesliga (2) CFB (2)
Memphis Grizzlies	2018-19 (897) 667 (415.3) grizzlies (400.8) 273 (398.7) four-year (249.2) 789 (213.6) buzzer (207.6) lithuanian (199.3) parsons (199.3) sprain (199.3) 364 (166.1) 407 (166.1) opts (166.1) bridged (166.1) y'alls (166.1) conveying (158.6) 488 (142.4) 429 (142.4) sidelined (142.4) 286 (142.4)
Miami Heat	🐐 (326.8) 2018-2019 (186.8) jerseys (171.2) 305 (138.6) one-year (130.7) bosh (108.9) expiring (96.8) clinched (93.4) 76ers (88.8) re-sign (87.2) basketball-reference (87.2) quickness (87.2) 18-19 (81.7) rebounder (81.7) clots (81.7) 2019-2020 (81.7) dion (79.2) contend (77.8) shined (72.6) lob (72.6) #13 (72.6)	Nerf (16) DesignatedSurvivor (16) Torontobluejays (15) OverwatchLFT (15) SandersForPresident (14) ottawa (14) SeriousConversation (14) Persona5 (14) drones (13) ar15 (13) skeptic (13) Morrowind (13) SampleSize (13) Porsche (13) coys (13) bestofnetflix (13) FreeCodeCamp (13) XRP (13) gamecollecting (13) PersonalFinanceCanada (13)
Milwaukee Bucks	2018-19 (1443.7) #22 (911.8) #17 (823.2) plantar (705.6) #21 (696.5) dey (633.2) sprain (617.4) meet-up (569.9) bilateral (569.9) #34 (455.9) first-round (379.9) score: (357.6) crossword (341.9) #13 (325.7) boxscore (303.9) postgame (266) 2018-2019 (253.3) #11 (240) clinching (228) fiserv (228) 7-0 (211.1)	Perfectfit (8) NewYorkIslanders (8) ManchesterUnited (8) gallifrey (8) NYGiants (8) NUFC (8) Cubs (8) Torontobluejays (8) EmpireDidNothingWrong (8) ar15 (7) WaltDisneyWorld (7) Foodforthought (7) EngineeringStudents (7) simpleliving (7) GamePhysics (7) lifeisstrange (7) surfing (7) RetroPie (7) trance (7) entertainment (7)
Minnesota Timberwolves	🌹 (337.7) 76ers (315.8) buzzer (184.2) season: (122.8) jerseys (119.5) waived (110.5) sideline (110.5) dismal (110.5) preseason (105.3) jumpers (92.1) wolves (85.6) timber (79) averaging (74.7) butler (74.6) offseason (74.6) brewer (73.7) players' (73.7) 6'6 (73.7) foolishly (73.7) paparazzi (73.7)	Colts (12) transhumanism (11) mountainbiking (11) nyjets (11) miamidolphins (10) NYYankees (10) ladybonersgw (10) steelers (10) Blogging (9) OutOfTheLoop (9) suns (9) MURICA (9) realmadrid (9) Brawlstars (9) ussoccer (9) selfhosted (9) careerguidance (8) GameDeals (8) ProtectAndServe (8) PlantBasedDiet (8)
New Orleans Pelicans	pels (429.3) lobs (412) fleeced (282.5) first-round (235.4) 3-point (235.4) pelican (211.1) backcourt (193.9) 19-20 (188.4) roster: (188.4) 9:30pm (188.4) pelicans (182.4) suitors (171.2) rebounder (166.2) off-ball (157) 2018-19 (157) sweepstakes (157) 757 (157) 2019-20 (138.5) ● (134.5) intangibles (134.5)
New York Knicks	rounders (254.5) porzingis (247.5) knicks (210.9) undrafted (173.2) booed (132) 🐐 (127.3) kp (125.6) hardaway (123.7) rookies (108.9) homegrown (99) backcourt (99) courtside (89.1) kemba (86.6) boxscore (78.6) knox (74.2) 2018-19 (74.2) fleeced (74.2) trey (67.5) rafters (66) 840 (63.6)	Nerf (21) telltale (20) wewontcallyou (20) tattoos (20) NUFC (19) vegetarian (18) dogs (18) NotTimAndEric (18) bestofnetflix (18) NSFWFunny (18) PowerShell (18) ArcherFX (18) ar15 (18) Volkswagen (18) boxoffice (18) RepTime (18) SoccerBetting (18) Mid_Century (18) coys (18) iOSthemes (18)
OKC Thunder	melo (356.5) 0-4 (254.6) dunks (198) ◕_◕ (198) rebounds (198) 2018-19 (165) 419 (118.8) dunking (118.8) perennial (118.8) ༽つ (110) 39% (110) 3pt (99) brodie (99) buyout (99) つ (90) ༼ (88) buzzer (86.6) thunder (84.9) 0-3 (84.9) sprain (84.9) dunk (83)	tattoos (8) PantheonMMO (8) blazbluextagbattle (8) mylittlepony (8) PixelDungeon (8) AskElectronics (8) ems (8) BlackSails (8) ApplyingToCollege (7) PleX (7) Pets (7) EngineeringStudents (7) tifu (7) confusing_perspective (7) delusionalartists (7) KendrickLamar (7) zen (7) aws (7) 49ers (7) googlehome (7)
Orlando Magic	2018-19 (602.3) bamba (401.5) kuzma (354.3) clinched (334.6) 6'9 (321.2) 909 (240.9) 6'10 (240.9) hustles (240.9) spg (229.4) fleeced (229.4) 406 (200.8) re-sign (182.5) playoffs: (172.1) bandwagoners (160.6) 810 (160.6) 889 (160.6) 727 (160.6) scenarios: (160.6) 2018-2019 (154.4) scorers (133.8)	simpleliving (4) volleyball (4) SanJoseSharks (4) NYGiants (4) GamersBeingBros (4) lifeisstrange (4) zen (4) littlespace (4) trackers (4) Porsche (4) CHICubs (4) marchingband (4) EmDrive (4) OutreachHPG (4) youtubehaiku (3) NSFW_GIF (3) trippinthroughtime (3) raspberry_pi (3) westworld (3) meirl (3)
Philidelphia 76ers	sixers (957.9) 76ers (495.4) 6'11 (209.2) turnovers (179.3) order: (179.3) '19 (177) collapsing (165.1) doink (139.5) fultz (125.5) refrain (116.2) 2-way (104.6) tobi (104.6) boban (104.6) acquisitions (104.6) structured (101.3) embiid (97.1) re-sign (91) re-signs (89.7) jimbo (89.7) 33rd (89.7) 🅱️ (83.7)	Nerf (22) AZURE (22) WeWantPlates (21) halifax (21) masseffect (21) telltale (21) PowerShell (20) SocialistRA (20) entertainment (20) satanism (20) DesignatedSurvivor (20) R6ProLeague (20) marchingband (20) introvert (20) NYGiants (20) OutreachHPG (20) opera (20) WaltDisneyWorld (19) aws (19) TsumTsum (19)
Phoenix Suns	suns (279.7) sarver (139) rebounds (96.6) preseason (92.7) assists (80.5) 3pt (79.7) turnover (74.5) rebounding (72.4) turnovers (65.2) threes (65.2) chants (63.2) rookies (62.1) contagious (57.9) buzzer (57.9) overreact (57.9) playmaking (57.9) rotations (57.9) booker (57.9) offseason (57.9) chant (55)	Foodforthought (18) rubyonrails (18) BasketballTips (18) TheyAreBillions (17) drums (17) CollegeBasketball (17) astrophotography (17) Torontobluejays (16) ketoscience (16) DeathStranding (16) lostarkgame (16) winnipegjets (16) leafs (16) counting (16) pussypassdenied (16) LetsNotMeet (16) Eyebleach (15) radiohead (15) phish (15) realmadrid (15)
Portland Trailblazers	blazers (320.7) blazer (296) postgame (222) speedy (167.3) turnovers (166.5) rebounds (136.6) buzzer (130.6) trailblazers (118.4) kanter (98.7) threes (92.5) laker (88.8) 🐐 (88.8) 2018-19 (84.6) 76ers (84.6) beaters (74) possessions (74) clinch (74) blooded (74) tibia (74) beater (69.7) standings (67.3)	beta (4) FemdomCommunity (4) CuckoldCommunity (4) ukulele (4) chicago (3) Filmmakers (3) masseffect (3) therewasanattempt (3) OutOfTheLoop (3) youtubehaiku (3) rally (3) BiggerThanYouThought (3) cordcutters (3) trippinthroughtime (3) paradoxplaza (3) KendrickLamar (3) googleplaydeals (3) gay_irl (3) drums (3) theydidthemath (3)
Sacramento Kings	pbp (668.6) boxscore (579.9) nbcsports (443.5) 2018-19 (238.8) rebounder (238.8) doncic (238.8) basketball-reference (208.9) 5-5 (159.2) 👑 (152) relinquish (143.3) 6-3 (143.3) rebounds (124.4) 🤙 (119.4) willie (109.4) © (102.3) 6:00 (95.5) wining (95.5) 238 (89.5) 5-3 (85.3)	blackmagicfuckery (18) OutreachHPG (18) Reluctance (18) TaylorSwift (18) Braves (18) cancer (18) Foodforthought (18) CuckoldCommunity (18) winnipegjets (18) Rift (18) XWingTMG (18) gonewild30plus (17) WaltDisneyWorld (17) leafs (17) DepthHub (17) exchristian (17) XRP (17) HomeServer (17) aws (17) NSFW_GIF (17)
San Antonio Spurs	boxscore (1546.9) demar (197) millsap (140.1) 🐐 (140.1) basketball-reference (140.1) #20 (136.2) rafters (116.7) doubters (116.7) seeding (116.7) backcourt (105.1) bricking (105.1) 484 (105.1) 417 (105.1) 2018-2019 (100.1) spurs (95.5) 9:00 (87.6) triples (87.6) 529 (87.6) spur (87.6)	R6ProLeague (10) F1Technical (9) cosmology (9) mylittlepony (8) washingtondc (8) youtubehaiku (8) nudism (8) PPC (8) HTML (8) astrophotography (8) mother4 (8) SexToys (8) RetroPie (8) Geniva_ (8) gonewild30plus (7) PartyParrot (7) StuffOnCats (7) SampleSize (7) creepy (7) wine (7)
Seattle Sonics	relocated (380.9) snek (274.3) nationally (274.3) preseason (228.6) royalties (195.9) relocating (171.4) 1979 (158.2) relocate (155.8) dunk (150) renovation (137.1) decker (137.1) dilutes (137.1) announcer (137.1) introductions (137.1) unfulfilled (137.1) boycotting (137.1) renovating (137.1) contention (137.1) colorways (137.1) devious (137.1) -and (137.1)
Toronto Raptors	raptors (297.4) raptor (233.7) ༽つ (205) ༼ (205) つ (184.5) raps (167.7) buzzer (167.7) kawhi (113.8) jv (97.9) pascal (95.9) condolences (87.1) 3pt (83.9) ovation (83.9) streamable (75.5) chants (74.6) tomorrow's (69.9) dunks (67.1) lowry (62.9) buyout (62.9) bromance (59.9) threes (59.2)	bestofnetflix (12) Vaping101 (12) FargoTV (12) Borderlands2 (12) funhaus (11) comicbookart (11) farcry (11) Multicopter (11) 49ers (11) datasets (11) eroticauthors (11) booksuggestions (11) WaltDisneyWorld (11) Browns (11) esports (11) ActionFigures (11) KendrickLamar (11) Earwolf (11) fcbayern (11) Voltron (11)
Utah Jazz	boxscore (357.2) 2018-19 (116.5) 7:00 (93.2) snubbed (93.2) jazz (92.2) reigning (79.9) off-season (77.7) donovan (76.2) hardens (74.6) dunks (74.6) buzzer (69.9) threes (67.8) ovation (66.6) offseason (63.1) rockets (62.4) 3pt (62.1) boos (55.9) berth (55.9) contending (55.9) underdogs (55.9) seeding (55.9)	SoccerBetting (5) NewYorkIslanders (5) rage (4) OutOfTheLoop (4) dogs (4) Perfectfit (4) DepthHub (4) WeWantPlates (4) HealthyFood (4) powerwashingporn (4) hentai (4) ofcoursethatsathing (4) delusionalartists (4) Coffee (4) gainit (4) creepypasta (4) funhaus (4) DnDGreentext (4) shockwaveporn (4) bestof (4)
Washington Wizards	locker (89.8) playoff (80.2) jersey (76.2) lottery (61) offseason (58.8) chant (58.8) nba (55.7) championship (55) basketball (47.3) draft (43.1) drafting (42.8) wizards (40.7) playoffs (40.1) coach (40.1) resign (38.5) coaching (38.5) lineup (35.6) averaging (32.1) pts (32.1) tanking (32.1) drafted (28.9)	Hydroponics (14) XWingTMG (13) HomeKit (13) sabres (13) Torontobluejays (13) introvert (13) PPC (12) AndroidMasterRace (12) ultimate (12) Basketball (12) electricians (12) MilitaryPorn (12) Filmmakers (12) PHP (12) iRacing (12) NintendoWaifus (12) astrophotography (12) godot (12) gog (12) The100 (12)

Edit: Fixed Nuggets. Those dudes are always making tables so a lot their top keywords all screwed with my table.

28/30 rankers reporting this week. /NBA's Power Rankings are published every two weeks which is a bit different from most rankings. Other than that we rank the teams the same way as our competition. If write ups are left blank the team rep decided not to submit. We encourage any user to fill in the blanks in the comment section. We are still looking for a Grizzlies ranker so apply here if interested!

#	Team	Δ	Record	Comment
1	Clippers		0-0	With two of the most anticipated free agents in modern history, and certainly LAC history, the Clippers' future is looking bright. While Kawhi is all but certain to play less than 82 games, Paul George is still hurt, and likely won't be back for a couple more weeks. As a result, I don't think I am ready to call LAC #1 JUST yet. Let's wait and see what happens with PG out for a bit, and what Kawhi, Lou, Trez, PatBev and the rookies can accomplish in that time.
2	Bucks		0-0	With sky-high expectations, the Bucks and their reigning MVP are in uncharted territory coming into this season, and it is time to see whether or not they will be able to live up to them. This offseason's most significant change for the Bucks is the loss of Malcolm Brogdon. However, Jon Horst did a great job getting some value back in an S&T and replaced him with a platoon of SGs who can bomb away from deep. The roster is even deeper than last year with Robin Lopez, Wes Matthews, Kyle Korver, and Dragan Bender joining, but this team will be judged on its playoff success, another 60 win season with an ECF exit would be a failure.
3	76ers		0-0	Another Sixers offseason that included empty gym videos of their PG taking shots. The Sixers have high expectations after an off-season that saw Jimmy, TJ, and JJ get replaced by Horford and Josh Richardson. This team is much deeper, but still lacks shooting and will potentially look to fill that void with a mid-season trade. An easy early schedule (2nd easiest until Xmas) should allow the team to work out the kinks with the new additions.
4	Rockets		0-0	The acquisition of Russell Westbrook has been is one of the biggest question marks for the upcoming season. Will he and James Harden work well together? It's happened before, but many argue that the two players have changed too much since then. I personally think that Westbrook's fast-paced style will benefit D'Antoni's system more than Chris Paul's play style did, and I am optimistic about the prospect of surrounding Westbrook with the best group of shooters he has ever had.
5	Lakers		0-0	A new era is upon the Lakers. With only a couple players returning from the previous season, the team looks to build off the chemistry that AD and LeBron built off of during the preseason. Health will be a large portion of conversations during the season and who will be the player that steps up to be the third guy? Whatever happens, we're sure tto have a media drama filled season.
6	Nuggets		0-0	Basketball’s back, baby! With the city of Denver craving a distraction from the Broncos’ awful season, the Nuggets arrive on the stage with lofty expectations for a franchise that hasn’t made a Finals appearance in their 43 years in the NBA. With unicorn big man Nikola Jokic firmly cemented as a franchise cornerstone, the future of this team now depends on the pieces that surround Jokic. If Jamal Murray, Gary Harris and co. can develop into consistent high volume scorers next to Jokic, the Nuggets will certainly be in the Finals discussions by the end of the season.
7	Jazz		0-0	With additions of Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jeff Green, and more, the new-look Jazz look to continue their defensive identity this season. With preseason showing some hiccups in the team's schemes, the challenge of steering Utah into the postseason lies squarely on coach Quin Snyder to fix the glitches and show how dangerous the Jazz can be on both sides of the ball. Rudy Gobert will chase a DPOY trifecta, while Donovan Mitchell will continue to rely on his improved spida skills after a successful summer outing in international play. Meanwhile, questions still loom for this team. Can Derrick Favors' presence be replaced by commitee? Will there be revolving door starting lineup based on matchups? Will the bench have enough firepower? Utah looks to answer those questions early against a slew of Wester nconference opponents.
8	Trail Blazers		0-0	Portland didn't have any big moves this off-season, but they quietly improved their biggest shortcoming - shooting from people other than Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Returning players Zach Collins, Jake Layman, and Meyers Leonard look considerably improved as well. Neither of these should be enough to propell them to contender status, but they should remain a competetive playoff team. And if Collins really emerges, they might really surprise people.
9	Warriors		0-0	Steph dropped 40 points in 25 minutes. Looks like we may get a 15-16 Steph kinda season. Warriors clearly have size issues and will have difficulty on the boards. Warriors offense is a bit slower paced than it has been in the past and it's been easier for defenses to read. With bodies going on and off the injury list we haven't had a real glimpse of what this team is. The regular season is just about here though.
10	Celtics		0-0	Going into the season, there's a million questions surrounding the Celtics. Was Kyrie the problem? Is Hayward going to step up? Is Jaylen Brown going to prove he's worth the max/close to the max? Or is he going to find himself on the trade block? Is Tatum going to take another leap? Is Kemba going to flourish? Is Brad going to prove he's still deserving of being considered a great coach? How in the world will the Celtics survive with a ragtag assortment of big men led by Enes Kanter??? The Celtics jump right into the fire to start the season with matchups against the 76ers, Raptors, and Bucks, and then two matchups against the Knicks before the next edition of the powerrankings.
11	Raptors		0-0	The raptors went all in, and it worked. Now, we’re left with what remains. Hope for the future comes through our developing players such as Pascal Siakam, and Fred Van Vleet Sr. Offseason losses of Kawhi Leonard & Danny Green will hurt significantly, but hopefully players such as Norman Powell & OG Anunoby can step up in their places. Many minor offseason acquisitions took place this offseason, so it will be interesting to see if any of the new raptors can stand out. One of the more intriguing to myself is Euroleague sharpshooter Matt Thomas. As we won’t be contending this year, look for possible trade deadline moves of expiring contracts such as Marc Gasol, for potential draft picks. Overall it should be an interesting season to watch our youth movement develop further, and we should still be good enough to contend for a top 5 seed in the east.
12	Pacers		0-0	The early story for the 2019-2020 Pacers will involve how well the new pieces fit together on offense. TJ Warren, TJ McConnell, Jeremy Lamb, and Goga Bitadze all flashed at points in the preseason, and Indiana will need as much help as it can get before Victor Oladipo returns to action. Oladipo surprisingly progressed to 5v5 drills recently, but no timetable is in place for his return. If the Pacers offense can muster up enough energy in the first months of the season, there's no reason Indiana shouldn't be right back in the thick of the playoff race come early spring.
13	Nets		0-0	Basketball is back and Brooklyn saw a lot of change this offseason. The most obvious change is adding Kyrie which will add several new layers to the offense. His ability to score from anywhere on the floor will open up opportunities for Jarrett and Deandre in the Nets' PnR-heavy offense. Levert, Dinwiddie, and Harris will be returning to similar roles as last year but there will be a little extra attention for Levert who made major improvements last offseason and will try to do the same this year. With additions in Prince, Temple, and Nwaba who have all looked solid so far, Nets fans have a lot to look forward to this season.
14	Spurs		0-0	Mismatched roster? Check. Guy/s viewed around the league as at best a #2 or #3 option on a contending team featured as your two most important players? Check. A wide variety of players that need the ball to effective and operate in overlapping areas? Check. Yet will all that being true, I will let you be the one that declares this isn't a playoff team. Roster construction, be damned. One reason to be optimistic going into the 2019-2020 season is Demar Derozan's willing to shoot open three pointers off the catch without hesitation during the last game of the preseason (only 3 but in 1 game!). If this continues and defenders have to at least step towards him and contest, a lot of the floor spacing issues on offense between Him and LMA could be relieved.
15	Heat		0-0	With the new seasons come new faces and new hopes that we'll be competitive.Happy that we got to get a player as great as Jimmy Butler although I'll miss Josh Richardson. I hope that Justise Winslow and Bam Adebayo are able to take the next steps although I've been waiting for Winslow for years to do so. I'm not hoping for anything amazing out of this year's draft picks just because of the time it takes to adjust, but Herro should do some good for us. I'm expecting the Heat achieve a middle of the pack playoff berth between 4-8 depending on how everyone performs. Hopefully we're not in the timeline where the Heat also tank and that means the only good team in South Florida is the Florida Panthers (I hope Quenneville makes some magic for us).
16	Kings		0-0	The Sacramento Kings have an opportunity to take another step forward after competing for the 8th seed in the West for a significant portion of last season. While the Kings fell short of the playoffs last year, they enter this season in a great position to continue building upon what they created last year with new Head Coach Luke Walton on the sideline. The Kings largely brought their core back, and added some great supplementary pieces in Dewayne Dedmon and Cory Joseph. The current wildcard, even before we start the season, is the extension negotiations with Buddy Hield who came close to Joakim Noah'ing the City of Sacramento. If a deal is struck expect harmony - if the two sides reach an impasse... That's the Kings, baby.
17	Mavericks		0-0	The Mavs had a rough offseason: they had equal odds and Memphis and New Orleans to jump into the top 2, but stayed put and conveyed the pick to Atlanta. They then missed out on big free agents and blamed the fans for getting their hopes up. Luckily, Porzingis signed his contract as expected, and Dallas got some mid-tier signings in Delon Wright and reuniting Seth Curry in Dallas. The biggest question marks this year are Porzingis' health and who is the 5th starter. The Mavs are a top heavy team, but with Rick Carlisle consistently getting the most out of his bench each year, there's a good chance the Mavs will be in the playoff hunt.
18	Magic		0-0	New season, basically the same roster. Bringing back Vucevic and Ross on long-term contracts left some scratching their heads, but consistency is typically touted as necessary for continued success, so guess we'll just have to see if that's true. Jonathan Isaac and Mo Bamba showed serioues growth during preseason and Markelle Fultz finally came out of the woodwork. With so much uncertainty surrounding his health, Fultz came out and showed that he can still play the game. He'll start off as the backup point but I have no doubt the plan is to eventually have Fultz starting if he's able to stay healthy. Playoffs are once again the expectation but first we'll have to see if this team can replciate that late season success that got them to the playoffs last year.
19	Pistons		0-0	The Pistons have a lot of swing for this season. Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond are coming off career years, Reggie Jackson had a full offseason for the first time in years. The problem is several key players have injury issues (Blake, Rose, Jackson) and they may have the weakest wing rotation of any team trying to win games. They need a leap from at least one of Kennard or Bruce Brown.
20	Pelicans		0-0	The Pelicans obviously had a huge roster turnover this offseason, and that will have huge implications to start the season. Typically teams with high roster turnover have slower starts, and perhaps struggle with chemistry issues. But due to great veteran leadership from guys like Jrue Holiday and JJ Redick, a fantastic coaching staff lead by Alvin Gentry (as well as Chris Finch and Jeff Bzdelick), and an eager group of young players without egos who are ready to learn and adapt I'd bet on the Pelicans starting out hotter than most expect. The beginning of the schedule for this team has them playing some great teams, but there are enough chips on these guys shoulders to put Lays out of business. I don't expect a slump coming out of the gate.
21	Hawks		0-0	There some people with some very lofty expectations of the Hawks this season, mostly due to the idea that progression in the NBA is linear, but there are some major concerns with the Hawks this season. Having 3 rookies being a significant part of your rotation generally isn't a recipe for improvement and the loss of Dewayne Dedmon is likely going to be felt more than most people expect. Turnovers were once again a massive issue for the Hawks in the preseason just as they were last year, The Hawks first ~20 games of the season are absolutely brutal so a slow start is all but guaranteed for a team leaning on a lot of young players. In spite of all the negatives, Hawks fans still have plenty to look forward too as they add the very promising De'Andre and Cam Reddish to the already established core of Trae Young, John Collins, and Kevin Huerter. It wouldn't be surprising if, like last year, the Hawks struggled mightily early in the year and then slowly become better and better in the back half of the season.
22	TWolves		0-0	New season new regime for the Wolves. Finally building a roster and offense built around Karl-Anthony Towns. That combined with health and thisnteak might sneak into the playoffs.
23	Bulls		0-0	This is not "the year" for the Bulls, but given the state of the East, an 8-seed run is not out of the question. Over the offseason, the Bulls signed veteran F Thaddeus Young and G Tomas Satoransky and drafted PG Coby White to build on the core group of LaVine/Lauri/WCJ. Our full roster is starting to look acceptable save for a few oversized contracts, so Bulls fans should approach this season with cautious optimism about our ability to win games. Head coach Jim Boylen is a strange case; with three quarters of a season under his belt, a new year is as much of a chemistry-building exercise for him as it is for the players. May the injury gods finally bless us this year. Go Bulls!
24	Thunder		0-0	Oklahoma City will look slightly different this year, with franchise legend Russell Westbrook swapped out for Chris Paul and star forward Paul George sent west for Danillo Gallinari, SGA, and a wealth of picks. While the current starting lineup looks solid and the roster synergy might actually be better than during the Westbrook years, the high probability of a deadline firesale for Gallinari at minimum and possibly Adams or Paul makes this team incredibly difficult to predict for now.
25	Wizards		0-0	HE BACK! The best possible news of the offseason came this past week when Bradley Beal decided to extend his contract for an additional two years with the Wizards. Despite all the incompetence of the front office during these past few seasons, Beal has remained loyal to the team, and has decided to stick it out through the rebuild. It will be a tough one, however, as without backcourt mate John Wall, Washington will likely finish near the bottom of the league this year. That said, young pieces Thomas Bryant, Rui Hachimura, and Troy Brown Jr. will be given every chance to showcase their talents this year, and it will be exciting to see how they develop. Expect another dismal year from the Wizards defensively, as the team decided that the solution to their defensive woes was to add Isaiah Thomas, Ish Smith, and Davis Bertans, all of whom are essentially glorified traffic cones.
26	Suns		0-0	The Phoenix Suns finally have a roster of NBA players. A 3y$51M deal for Ricky Rubio headlined the Suns' interesting offseason, in which newly minted permanent GM James Jones attempted to remove all the trash of the McDonough tenure and hopefully begin an era of competence. The Suns made a handful of other moves including hiring Monty Williams to a full five year deal, the longest ever under Sarver ownership.
27	Grizzlies		0-0	The Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson era is upon us. Morant is replacing long time Grizz Grinder Mike Conley as a point guard and the Grizzlies highest draft selection since Thabeet in 2009. Got some big shoes to fill. Iguodala's status is still in the air but the Grizz are holding out on a buy out to hopefully attain assets in a trade. Iguodala is still wanting to be on a contender but would be a great mentor for this young squad.
28	Knicks		0-0	NOO YAWK KNICKS BAYBEE! A few things: 1) The team is probably the deepest in the Association, with a bench mob that all brings talent to the table. 2) The young core has progressed well, with Frank getting more aggressive and taking more shots, DSJ fixing his shot issues, Knox taking contact much better and not settling for shooting, Mitch being Mitch but with less fouls, Trier being instant offense off the bench and RJ being a beast on the stat sheet. 3) As for the signings: Morris has been exactly the spiritual leader Fiz has wanted for the gritty team he's been preaching about since coming here. While he's still a hothead, his tenacity is what a young and motivated team needs as a rallying point. Randle has been excellent, with his underrated playmaking shining as he's allowed to initiate a lot of the offense. His ability to barrel into the paint and draw doubles down low opens the perimiter for shooters like Ellington, who has been exactly as advertised. Portis and Taj bring spacing and versatility to our bigs, as both are wlling teammates. I personally am not a fan of the Elfrid Payton signing, because he's even worse than Frank at shooting, but his passing is outstanding and his improvisational skills after a play breaks down help keep the team going. Here's to the only team with NEW YORK on the jersey!
29	Cavaliers		0-0	Well, here we go again. Let's buckle in and hope our new guys get more good reps in and we can hope to see improvement over the course of the season. We have a very young group that all could show signs of improvement, with new faces on the floor this year including Jim Henson (who was hurt all last year) and Darius Garland, our newly drafted guard. Get your beer ready, it's gonna be a long season. At least Kevin Love is sticking around and actually seems pretty content about it!
30	Hornets		0-0	The Hornets finally did it. They finally committed to a tank season. It isn’t clear whether or not it was purposeful, but one thing is for sure: the team isn’t going to win many games. There are bright spots, however! Miles Bridges showed flashes last year, PJ Washington has impressed in preseason, and Terry Rozier seems to be relishing the opportunity to be the leader of a basketball team. While the departure of our GOAT Kemba Walker and the existence of the Batum contract still sting, there is a fun young team in there somewhere. Maybe… just maybe… they’ll turn some heads in the future. Onward, tank!