In the East, my vote would be Brooklyn or Atlanta.

Brooklyn is deep at just about every position. Mikal Bridges is a very good scorer. Cam Johnson a very talented 2-way player. Dinwiddie a solid 2-guard. Claxton is one of the more impressive young centers in the league. A lot rides on Simmons and if he can be 75 percent of what he once was. At the very least, he looks to be in shape entering the season. Brooklyn looks to have a plethora of two-way players. The question is if Bridges can be the main scorer on a contending title team.

Atlanta has Trae Young, who is now flying under the radar as one of the best scoring guards in the NBA, and many solid defensive pieces surrounding him in Murray, Hunter, Capela. If Trae can get a hot in a playoff series, you never know.

In the West, I think it’s Minnesota. On paper, they are loaded with talent. Ant, KAT, McDaniels, Gobert, Reid, Conley and Anderson might be as good of a first 7 you will find in the league today. Of course, the main question is — can Chris Finch make Towns and Gobert work offensively? We saw how tough Minnesota can be in the Denver series last year. With most everyone on their roster now having multiple years of playoff experience in addition to having continuity among their depth chart and coaching staff, they are my sneaky pick to make the West finals this year.

Who is your sneaky pick in each conference to make a deep playoff run? Or do you believe there’s no logical selection?

      • Standard-Big1474@alien.topB
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        11 months ago

        Going 6 games in the ECF is literally the furthest in the playoffs we’ve been since the Hawks moved to Atlanta. Have only been to the Conference finals twice since we moved here in 1969.

        • Vegetable-Tooth8463@alien.topB
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          11 months ago

          Least Atlanta’s becoming a hot bed. Ya’ll will be able to classify yourselves as a big market in the next 10 years.

          • InebriatedFalcon@alien.topB
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            11 months ago

            Yea I doubt that. Too much a transfer city without the attractions that somewhere like New York or LA offer

            • Vegetable-Tooth8463@alien.topB
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              11 months ago

              Chicago was never a big market lol- it just benefitted from MJ’s legacy. Their best prospects have been draft picks.

              Knicks may have had shitty management, but that hasn’t impeded them from getting good free agents.

              • porkchop487@alien.topB
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                11 months ago

                Chicago is the biggest city in the entire US after LA and NY lmao, if they aren’t a big market then what is?

                • Vegetable-Tooth8463@alien.topB
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                  11 months ago

                  That’s not what big market means lol. It means media attention and nightlife, neither of which Chicago has minus crime reporting.

                  • porkchop487@alien.topB
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                    11 months ago

                    You are actually a dumbass lol. You don’t know what big market means. It means the market is big lol, shocker. Chicago is a massive market. Just because your definition of market is wrong doesn’t make you right