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?

    • Aggressive-Name-1783@alien.topB
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      Until he gets paid or gets a ring. Dude is a top 25 player still and would only help in facilitating for Leonard and George, not to mention he’s played with Westbrook so….

    • SoKrat3s@alien.topB
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      More than one season, which is what OP is talking about.

      And what makes him a cancer?

      He asked out of a rebuild. Was he a cancer then? Then asked to get away from a teammate who refused to play. Was he a cancer then?
      And now it’s been confirmed that his mother is sick, so is he really that vile for wanting to go home with her?

      Would his new Clipper teammates really care about him leaving Philly.

    • SoKrat3s@alien.topB
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      In regards to your “top 25 player” - which I can’t reply to;

      • He just led the league in assists,
      • set a career high in AST/TO ratio,
      • had highest OffRtg as a starter,
      • with the 2nd best 3pt% of his career.
      • 25th in PER
      • 18th in Win Shares
      • 20th in WS/48
      • 18th in BPM
      • 15th in VORP

      He was a top 25 player last season.

      • drmr623@alien.topB
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        I’m not a harden fan in the least but idk how people even argue he wasn’t top 25.