30. Orlando Magic — 19-63 (No. 15 East)
Projected Starting Five
PG Jalen Suggs
SG Gary Harris
SF Chuma Okeke
PF Jonathan Isaac
C Wendell Carter Jr.
This is going to be a long season for the Magic. There isn’t an elite NBA talent who resides on this roster. Of course, the team hopes Jalen Suggs could become that player one day. Magic fans should rejoice in the fact that Suggs would have likely been a top-3 pick in a different class. He fell into Orlando’s lap at No. 5, and he will be called upon for big minutes right off the bat. Jonathan Isaac returning shortly after the season begins would be a nice boost, but this is a team that is a lock to reside at the bottom of the standings throughout the year.
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29. Houston Rockets — 21-61 (No. 15 West)
Projected Starting Five
PG Kevin Porter Jr.
SG Jalen Green
SF Eric Gordon
PF Jae’Sean Tate
C Christian Wood
It’s easy to forget the Rockets started 11-10 last year. And then Christian Wood got hurt and the season went off the rails. Houston proceeded to rally off 20-straight losses en route to a 17-55 finish. It’ll be a new look for the Rockets entering this season. Wood is back, and he will be joined by former super-sub Eric Gordon. Jae’Sean Tate solidified his role as a quality starter. In the backcourt, Houston will likely go with a pair of youngsters in Kevin Porter Jr. and the No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green. There will be some nights where Porter Jr. and Wood go off for 60-points combined, but don’t be fooled — this team is going to be bad.
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28. Oklahoma City Thunder — 22-60 (No. 14 West)
Projected Starting Five
PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
SG Lu Dort
SF Josh Giddey
PF Darius Bazley
C Isaiah Roby
Another year of rebuilding looks to be in the cards for the Thunder. Head coach Mark Daigneault will be back for his second season on the bench. He’ll have a similarly ill-equipped roster as he did last year. The youth movement is in full-force, though the team did go out and sign a handful of veterans in Derrick Favors, Kenrich Williams, Mike Muscala and DJ Wilson. Gilgeous-Alexander is good enough to carry the team to a win here and there, but it won’t be enough to keep OKC out of the Western Conference cellar.
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27. Detroit Pistons — 23-59 (No. 14 East)
Projected Starting Five
PG Killian Hayes
SG Cade Cunningham
SF Saddiq Bey
PF Jerami Grant
C Isaiah Stewart
The Pistons won’t be very good this year, but they’ll certainly be more enjoyable to watch than last season. No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham is a big reason for that. The Oklahoma State product has an NBA-ready game and will be ready to contribute from Day 1. The rest of the starting lineup will be fairly solid if Killian Hayes can take a Year 2 leap. If Hayes doesn’t pan out, the Pistons can turn to veteran Cory Joseph — or, shift Cade to PG and insert Hamidou Diallo with the starters. Ditto for Stewart who will have to fend off Kelly Olynyk for minutes in the front court.
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26. Cleveland Cavaliers — 26-56 (No. 13 East)
Projected Starting Five
PG Darius Garland
SG Collin Sexton
SF Isaac Okoro
PF Evan Mobley/Lauri Markkanen
C Jarrett Allen
Cleveland’s rotation is a bit of a mess. The team’s most valuable player from last season, Larry Nance Jr., is now in Portland. They’re paying Allen and Markkanen $167 million combined and then proceeded to take Evan Mobley with the No. 3 pick. The three bigs seemingly can’t play together unless Mobley or Markkanen can prove to hold their own against opposing wings. The Garland-Sexton combo is a lot of fun, but are we sure the Cavs are holding onto Sexton all year? His name has popped up in trade rumors all offseason, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see Cleveland cash out on the former lottery pick.
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25. San Antonio Spurs — 28-54 (No. 13 West)
Projected Starting Five
PG Dejounte Murray
SG Derrick White
SF Keldon Johnson
PF Doug McDermott
C Jakob Poeltl
There’s a case to be made that the Spurs boast the least talented roster in the entire league. It’s a collection of players who could all develop into quality role pieces, but there isn’t a single sure-fire star among the group. San Antonio hopes Dejounte Murray or Derrick White could blossom into that star, but we haven’t seen it yet. Perhaps ridding themselves of plodding veterans like DeMar DeRozan and Rudy Gay will help speed up the tempo. Losing Patty Mills is a severe drag on the bench, and San Antonio’s pair of guards have been particularly injury prone since entering the league — especially White. The Spurs win fewer than 30 games for the first time since 1997.
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24. Sacramento Kings — 29-53 (No. 12 West)
Projected Starting Five
PG De’Aaron Fox
SG Tyrese Haliburton/Buddy Hield
SF Harrison Barnes
PF Marvin Bagley III
C Richaun Holmes
The Kings have the roster of a play-in team. De’Aaron Fox is a borderline All-Star who would likely already have made it once (or twice) if he played in the Eastern Conference. Snagging Tyrese Haliburton with the No. 12 pick last year was a steal, and Buddy Hield has shown to be a nice sparkplug in a reserve role. Harrison Barnes and Richaun Holmes are both quality NBA players who would be welcomed by any team in the league. Former No. 2 pick Marvin Bagley remains a mystery, but the talent is certainly there. The problem with Sacramento is depth and coaching. The bench is lacking outside of Hield and coach Luke Walton hasn’t inspired much confidence during his tenure.
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23. New Orleans Pelicans — 30-52 (No. 11 West)
Projected Starting Five
PG Devonte’ Graham
SG Nickeil Alexander-Walker/Garrett Temple
SF Brandon Ingram
PF Zion Williamson/Naji Marshall
C Jonas Valanciunas
Zion Williamson being out indefinitely puts a 270-pound wrench in the Pels’ season. Williamson entering the season already nursing a foot injury isn’t a good sign for New Orleans. He won’t be reevaluated until the end of October, meaning he could miss the first 10 or so games, at least. The Pels were 2-9 in games Zion missed last year. It will be up to Brandon Ingram to carry the offense while Zion nurses back to health. While Ingram is a talented player, it hasn’t translated to team success just yet. The most games Ingram has won in a single season is 37 — and, it took playing next to LeBron James to achieve that feat.
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22. Washington Wizards — 33-49 (No. 12 East)
Projected Starting Five
PG Spencer Dinwiddie
SG Bradley Beal
SF Kyle Kuzma/Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
PF Rui Hachimura
C Thomas Bryant/Daniel Gafford
The Wizards lost a former MVP in Russell Westbrook, though they have a deeper roster overall as a result. Former Laker’s Kuzma and Caldwell-Pope will provide some two-way punch on the wing. It will be interesting to see how Washington balances the offense-for-defense swap between returning big man Thomas Bryant and rim-protecting menace Daniel Gafford. Dinwiddie is a bit of a clunky fit next to Beal, but he’s a proven scorer who can rack up assists. There are some talented pieces on the team, but Beal could ask for a trade at any moment and the Eastern Conference looks to be top heavy. The Wizards don’t make the cut.
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21. Indiana Pacers — 34-48 (No. 11 East)
Projected Starting Five
PG Malcolm Brogdon
SG Caris LeVert
SF TJ Warren
PF Domantas Sabonis
C Myles Turner
Exchanging Rick Carlisle for Nate Bjorkgren is a significant upgrade. Carlisle is an accomplished strategist who knows what it takes to win in Indiana. He was the Pacers coach during the only 60-win season in franchise history (2004). However, Jermaine O’Neal and Ron Artest are not walking through those doors (probably for the best). Brogdon and Sabonis are a strong duo, but this team has practically zero depth outside of its injury-prone starting lineup. It feels like a trade is looming — perhaps the Pacers finally give up on the Sabonis-Turner pairing?
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20. Minnesota Timberwolves — 36-46 (No. 10 West)
Projected Starting Five
PG D’Angelo Russell
SG Malik Beasley/Josh Okogie
SF Anthony Edwards
PF Jaden McDaniels
C Karl-Anthony Towns
The T’Wolves were a good team after Chris Finch took over for Ryan Saunders as head coach. Minnesota ended the season 10-9 following a pitiful 13-40 start. Anthony Edwards shined late and appears primed to take an even bigger leap in Year 2. Having Karl-Anthony Towns back for a full season will help tremendously. Towns has struggled to stay on the floor in each of the last two seasons after a near spotless attendance record in his first four years. Minnesota went 4-18 in games Towns didn’t play last season.
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19. Charlotte Hornets — 38-44 (No. 10 East)
Projected Starting Five
PG LaMelo Ball
SG Terry Rozier
SF Gordon Hayward
PF Miles Bridges
C Mason Plumlee/PJ Washington
An early candidate for “Most Fun Team in the League”, the Hornets will provide plenty of highlights this season. LaMelo Ball has already emerged as one of the most entertaining players in basketball. He’s surrounded by a crew of springy athletes who can run the floor and finish in transition. If Gordon Hayward stays healthy, the Hornets will finish above .500 and potentially avoid the play-in tournament. Charlotte went 24-20 in games Hayward played last season. However, Hayward always finds a way to miss time and the Hornets will struggle when he does.
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18. Memphis Grizzlies — 39-43 (No. 9 West)
Projected Starting Five
PG Ja Morant
SG Dillon Brooks
SF Kyle Anderson
PF Jaren Jackson Jr.
C Steven Adams
Swapping Jonas Valanciunas for Steven Adams could define Memphis’ season. Valanciunas enjoyed the best year of his career last season with the Grizzlies. His size created matchup problems down low and allowed the Grizzlies to establish an identity of a team that relentlessly attacked inside. Additionally, Valanciunas’ passing ability helped create easy looks for Memphis’ shooters. Adams is more active defensively, but doesn’t have the same skill-set as JV. Rookie Ziaire Williams — selected with the pick Memphis received from New Orleans in the trade — doesn’t project to contribute much as a rookie. The Grizzlies are putting a ton of pressure on Jaren Jackson Jr. staying healthy. The former No. 4 overall pick played in just 11 games last year nursing a meniscus injury.
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17. Toronto Raptors — 42-40 (No. 9 East)
Projected Starting Five
PG Fred VanVleet
SG Goran Dragic
SF OG Anunoby
PF Scottie Barnes/Pascal Siakam
C Precious Achiuwa
The Raptors will return to Scotiabank Arena in 2022 after playing their home games in Tampa Bay last season. That factor alone is enough for us to be optimistic about Toronto improving on its win total from last year. Kyle Lowry is gone, though they were able to acquire another heady, veteran guard in Goran Dragic. All eyes will be on Fred VanVleet as this is now his team. FVV will have to navigate the first couple of months of the season without former All-NBA selection Pascal Siakam who is healing from a torn labrum. Siakam’s absence may potentially lead to rookie Scott Barnes earning a starting role. They may be shorthanded to start off the year — Chris Boucher is also hurt — but the Raptors are deep and Nick Nurse remains one of the best coaches in basketball.
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16. Portland Trail Blazers — 44-38 (No. 8 West)
Projected Starting Five
PG Damian Lillard
SG CJ McCollum
SF Norman Powell
PF Robert Covington
C Jusuf Nurkic
If the starting five is healthy, the Blazers will win plenty of games. Defenses haven’t found any answers for the Lillard-McCollum pairing since CJ became a starter in 2016. Former Raptor Norman Powell is an excellent two-way player who can fill it up from three. The forward duo of Robert Covington and Larry Nance Jr. allows the Blazers to be more flexible than in years past. Nurkic is the big question mark. The 26-year-old big man has struggled to stay on the floor throughout his career, and his backup — former Hornet Cody Zeller — has a checkered injury past of his own. Still, when Lillard and McCollum play together the Blazers will win plenty of games.
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15. Chicago Bulls — 44-38 (No. 8 East)
Projected Starting Five
PG Lonzo Ball
SG Zach Lavine
SF DeMar DeRozan
PF Patrick Williams
C Nikola Vucevic
There may not be a team with a higher variance than the new look Chicago Bulls. On one hand, the Bulls are stacked offensively with three All-Star caliber players in Zach Lavine, Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan. Defensively, this team could struggle — though Lonzo Ball, Patrick Williams and Alex Caruso will give plenty of effort on that end. However, the Bulls will be playing a majority of each game with two liabilities on the defensive end in Vucevic and DeRozan. Head coach Billy Donovan will be tasked with finding a rotation that works — and doesn’t alienate any of the Bulls’ players. Working in Chicago’s favor is a weak Central division. Other than Milwaukee, the Bulls should have no trouble picking up wins against the Pistons, Cavaliers and Pacers.
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13. Boston Celtics — 45-37 (No. 7 East)
Projected Starting Five
PG Dennis Schroder
SG Marcus Smart
SF Jaylen Brown
PF Jayson Tatum
C Robert Williams
From a talent standpoint, the Celtics boast one of the best young duos in all of basketball. This team will go as far as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can take them. The pair of two-way wings are good enough to get Boston to the 40-win mark, but the remainder of Celtics’ roster leaves something to be desired. Marcus Smart is coming off a down year and the Celtics went out and signed Dennis Schroder to take over some ball handling duties. Boston could choose to start Schroder, or go big and play Al Horford at power forward. Horford and Robert Williams are a solid pairing, but the former is 35 years old and the latter has missed 123 games over his three-year career. With new head coach Ime Udoka on the sideline, the C’s finish above .500 but are unable to avoid the play-in tournament.
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13. New York Knicks — 46-36 (No. 6 East)
Projected Starting Five
PG Kemba Walker
SG Evan Fournier
SF RJ Barrett
PF Julius Randle
C Mitchell Robinson
On paper, the Knicks are a better team than they were last year. It’s really as simple as New York swapping Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier in for Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock. Despite Walker’s injury history, that is a considerable upgrade no matter how you look at it. RJ Barrett improved tremendously from Year 1 to 2, and should take another leap as he becomes more comfortable on the offensive end. While Julius Randle might not be able to replicate his All-NBA season from a year ago, he’ll get some help from New York’s incredibly deep bench which features sophomore power forward Obi Toppin. Tom Thibodeau teams will always defend at a high level and that might be more than enough for the Knicks to avoid the play-in tournament.
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12. Los Angeles Clippers — 46-36 (No. 7 West)
Projected Starting Five
PG Reggie Jackson
SG Eric Bledsoe
SF Paul George
PF Marcus Morris
C Ivica Zubac
The Clippers are in serious danger of being a play-in team once the playoffs roll around. Of course, the big story is the health of superstar Kawhi Leonard. Leonard tore his ACL in the second round of last year’s playoffs, and is in danger of missing the entire 2022 season. While there’s a chance he returns some time in February, it’s looking more and more likely we won’t see Leonard for a majority of this season. Paul George proved he can carry the team for stretches last season, but the team is rather thin after that. Eric Bledsoe is an odd fit for a team that set records for three-point shooting last season. If Reggie Jackson keeps playing at the level he did in last year’s playoffs, the Clippers could push for 50-plus wins even without Kawhi.
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11. Dallas Mavericks — 47-35 (No. 6 West)
Projected Starting Five
PG Luka Doncic
SG Tim Hardaway Jr.
SF Dorian Finney-Smith
PF Kristaps Porzingis
C Dwight Powell
A very familiar roster for the Mavericks as we enter 2022, but with a new head honcho calling the shots. Jason Kidd will get a chance to guide his former team as the Mavericks parted with longtime head coach Rick Carlisle this past offseason. Kidd has a shaky track record in his coaching career (.491 win percentage), but did spend the last two years collecting knowledge on Frank Vogel’s staff with the Lakers. Lack of depth and mediocre coach aside, Luka Doncic is one of the best players in the world and is still just 22 years old. He’ll be even better in Year 4 and will get just enough contributions from the role players to approach a 50-win season.
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10. Miami Heat — 49-33 (No. 4 East)
Projected Starting Five
PG Kyle Lowry
SG Duncan Robinson
SF Jimmy Butler
PF PJ Tucker
C Bam Adebayo
Miami is a team that is likely better equipped for the playoffs rather than the rigors of a full-length regular season. This is primarily due to the injury-prone nature of its two stars. Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler are unafraid to put their bodies on the line and that can lead to various ailments over 82 games. Trading for Lowry also zapped a bit of Miami’s depth. The Heat sent away two rotation players (Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa) in the deal and lost another (Kendrick Nunn) to the Lakers in free agency. They did add PJ Tucker for some defense and toughness, though he’s a virtual zero on offense at this point.
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9. Philadelphia 76ers — 50-32 (No. 5 East)
Projected Starting Five
PG Ben Simmons
SG Matisse Thybulle
SF Danny Green
PF Tobias Harris
C Joel Embiid
It looks like Ben Simmons will be with the team when the season begins. Following a tumultuous summer highlighted by a trade demand, Simmons has reported to camp and is back with the team. His opening night status is uncertain, but it looks like Simmons intends to honor his contract and suit up for the 76ers in 2022. With Simmons in the lineup, we know what this team is capable of in the regular season. Joel Embiid is an unstoppable force and Tobias Harris is a reliable scoring forward. Add in 3-and-D specialists like Matisse Thybulle, Danny Green, Tyrese Maxey and Seth Curry, and the 76ers boast the depth, defense, and continuity needed to contend for home court advantage in the East.
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8. Denver Nuggets — 50-32 (No. 5 West)
Projected Starting Five
PG Monte Morris/Jamal Murray
SG Will Barton
SF Michael Porter Jr.
PF Aaron Gordon
C Nikola Jokic
The Nuggets are going to start the season without Jamal Murray. And, there’s no telling when Denver’s star point guard will return to the lineup. Early reports indicate a January debut — meaning Murray will miss at least the first 35 games of the season. Still, the Nuggets boast the reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and a rising star in Michael Porter Jr. Additionally, Denver holds one of the best home court advantages in the league. If the Nuggets can go 30-11 at home they’ll just need to play .500 ball on the road to eclipse 50 wins on the year. The Nuggets are 116-39 (74.8-percent) at home since 2018.
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7. Golden State Warriors — 52-30 (No. 4 West)
Projected Starting Five
PG Stephen Curry
SG Klay Thompson
SF Andrew Wiggins
PF Draymond Green
C James Wiseman/Kevon Looney
Golden State ended last season red-hot winning 15 of its final 20 regular season contests before flaming out in the play-in tourney. The roster was flawed and relied far too heavily on Stephen Curry — who was absolutely brilliant in a third-place MVP finish. Klay Thompson will be back at some point and provide a huge boost. Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green played exceptionally well down the stretch. Jordan Poole looks like an early favorite for Most Improved Player. James Wiseman should be better and the Warriors likely get something out of one of their two rookies (Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody). This is a scary team that nobody in the Western Conference wants to face.
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6. Atlanta Hawks — 54-28 (No. 3 East)
Projected Starting Five
PG Trae Young
SG Bogdan Bogdanovic
SF De’Andre Hunter/Cam Reddish
PF John Collins
C Clint Capela
The Hawks are fresh off an Eastern Conference Finals trip and are hungry for more. This team is now battle-tested and aware of how good they can be. The depth is ridiculous. Atlanta could use any number of starting lineup combinations and still field a competent bench. De’Andre Hunter seems like the odds on favorite to win the final starting spot, with Cam Reddish joining a bench that includes Danilo Gallinari, Kevin Huerter, Lou Williams, Delon Wright and Onyeka Okongwu. A deep team led by a premiere point guard, the Hawks will be a top-3 squad in the East.
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5. Utah Jazz — 54-28 (No. 3 West)
Projected Starting Five
PG Mike Conley Jr.
SG Donovan Mitchell
SF Bojan Bogdanovic
PF Royce O’Neal
C Rudy Gobert
Utah’s playoff struggles are well-documented. The Jazz were unceremoniously ousted from last year’s postseason by a Kawhi-less Clippers team. Though they’ve consistently come up short in the playoffs, the Jazz have proven to be a strong regular season squad. Utah led the NBA in wins last year with 52. They had the best point-differential in the NBA — by a wide-margin — and routinely won games by double figures. Utah returns basically the same roster as last year, with a few minor tweaks. Hassan Whiteside is the new backup center and Utah also added Rudy Gay to provide a scoring punch off the bench. It’s not an exciting pick, but the Jazz will finish near the top of the Western Conference standings yet again in 2022.
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4. Phoenix Suns — 55-27 (No. 2 West)
Projected Starting Five
PG Chris Paul
SG Devin Booker
SF Miles Bridges
PF Jae Crowder
C Deandre Ayton
Phoenix finished just one game behind Utah for the No. 1 seed in the West last year, and will once again finish near the top of the conference this season. The Suns are going to be looking to make a statement after a magical playoff run. Critics will point to Phoenix’s opponents dealing with a myriad of high-profile injuries for the reason why the Suns made it all the way to the NBA Finals. The reality is the Suns are a very good team with one of the best starting lineups in the league. The young trinity of Booker-Bridges-Ayton has improved every year. Chris Paul is still an elite point guard. Jae Crowder remains one of the NBA’s best glue guys. All the ingredients are there for the Suns to run through the West en route to a top seed.
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3. Brooklyn Nets — 57-25 (No. 2 East)
Projected Starting Five
PG Kyrie Irving…??? / Patty Mills
SG James Harden
SF Joe Harris
PF Kevin Durant
C Blake Griffin
The Nets enter the season as favorites to win the title, but that doesn’t mean they’re the obvious pick to finish with the best record. In fact, we could see Brooklyn taking a more lax approach to the regular season. Following last year’s playoff run which saw both Kyrie Irving and James Harden sustain injuries, the Nets are likely to rest their stars in order to have them healthy for the playoffs. Speaking of Irving, his status remains up in the air. The enigmatic point guard is not with the team, and there’s no telling when he’ll be ready to play. The Nets will be fine regardless, but they’re not quite as unstoppable with Irving out.
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2. Los Angeles Lakers — 57-25 (No. 1 West)
Projected Starting Five
PG Russell Westbrook
SG Kent Bazemore/Malik Monk
SF LeBron James
PF Anthony Davis
C Deandre Jordan/Dwight Howard
The roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis looks completely different than last year. This has been a continuous trend during LeBron’s tenure with the Lakers. For the first time, James and Davis will be playing alongside another All-NBA player in Russell Westbrook. Westbrook averaged a triple-double for the fourth time in five seasons last year, and will provide energy and playmaking to a Lakers team that sorely needs both.
The center minutes — previously occupied by Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell — will now go to the duo of DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard. The bench was completely revamped as shooting was placed at a premium with the additions of Malik Monk, Carmelo Anthony and Kendrick Nunn. As long as James, Davis, and Westbrook can stay relatively healthy this team will win a ton of games based on defense and experience alone.
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1. Milwaukee Bucks — 60-22 (No. 1 East)
Projected Starting Five
PG Jrue Holiday
SG Donte DiVincenzo
SF Khris Middleton
PF Giannis Antetokounmpo
C Brook Lopez
Coming off a title run, the Bucks could potentially be even better in 2022. Giannis Antetokounmpo discovered a new gear in the Finals — a rare statement when discussing a two-time league MVP. Jrue Holiday will have another year adjusting to Milwaukee. Donte DiVincenzo is back, and the additions of George Hill and Grayson Allen should help sure up the bench. The Bucks have always been an excellent home team (89-23 at home over last three seasons), and now boast the confidence of an NBA champion.
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