NBA Season Preview: Who will win the Southeast Division?

Miami Heat, 1st Southeast Division

Record: 45-37

Head Coach: Erik Spoelstra

Key Additions/Re-signings: Jimmy Butler, Meyers Leonard, Tyler Herro

Key Losses: Dwyane Wade, Hassan Whiteside, Josh Richardson

Impact Player: Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler will make an impact in Miami. Will it be a good one? Or will he blow up again and fight with teammates? No one can know for sure. Pat Riley is gambling on him being a significant impact. Jimmy has worked very hard to get to where he is and expects others to do the same. I understand that. There is a right and wrong way to go about letting teammates know this, and he has chosen wrong most of the time. No matter what he says or does, he will give you everything he has on both ends every night. That is something you can bank on. He also brings star power back to Miami, and this is good for the NBA.

Season Outlook: Jimmy Butler gives the Heat one star in place. Rumors abound that another could be on the way. As of this moment, this is a mediocre roster that can win an average division. Pat Riley does not do mediocre and will turn over every stone to get another star in Miami. Will it be Chris Paul, Kevin Love, or someone we haven’t heard rumors about as of yet? The Heat is a playoff team with no chance of coming out of the East without the improvement of this roster.

Orlando Magic, 2nd Southeast Division

Record: 43-39

Head Coach: Steve Clifford

Key Additions/Re-signings: Nikola Vucevic, Terrence Ross, Al-Farouq Aminu

Key Losses: None

Impact Player: Markelle Fultz

If Markelle Fultz can reach the levels that made him a number one pick, the Magic will be better. The same roster that won 42 games under Steve Clifford is back for another run. The only difference this year? Markelle Fultz. If he is excellent, the Magic could hit another level and take the division for the second year in a row. If he continues to struggle, this team will float around .500 once again.

Season Outlook: The Magic is the new Charlotte Hornets with Steve Clifford at the helm. They are just good enough not to get the top talent to get better. Clifford has always been able to maximize the roster with strong defense and great use of the talent he possesses. It is what makes him a good NBA coach but might be what keeps him from being a great one. The chance is at his fingertips if he can unlock the likes of Fultz and Bamba while continuing to get more from Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic. This year is critical in the development of this young Magic team.

Atlanta Hawks, 3rd Southeast Division

Record: 39-43

Head Coach: Lloyd Pierce

Key Additions/Re-signings: DeAndre Hunter, Cam Reddish, Jabari Parker, Evan Turner  

Key Losses: Taurean Prince, Kent Bazemore, Dewayne Dedmon

Impact Player: Cam Reddish

Most would go with Trae Young here, but we know what he can bring. Reddish is the wildcard for the Hawks this season. If he is the top three talent most thought at the start of the college season, the Hawks will have a second star to lead this team into the future. Reddish has all the talent you could ask for but was inconsistent during his college career. If this inconsistency was the product of playing with number one pick Zion Willamson and number three pick RJ Barrett a lot of teams will have some regrets.

Season Outlook: The Hawks have done a great job rebuilding a once veteran-laden team. It all starts with Trae Young and his ability to make plays all over the floor. For all the talk about his shooting, his passing will be what can make this young team get better fast. Things come easier when your point guard can put you in the right position to succeed. With Trae at the helm and a bunch of athletic players ready to make a name for themselves, Atlanta will take the next step in their rebuild. An eighth seed is not out of the question this year.

Washington Wizards, 4th Southeast Division

Record: 22-60

Head Coach: Scott Brooks 

Key Additions/Re-signings: Isaiah Thomas, Ish Smith, Thomas Bryant, C.J. Miles

Key Losses: Trevor Ariza, Bobby Portis, Tomas Satoransky, Jabari Parker, Jeff Green

Impact Player: Bradley Beal

Beal is the only legit threat the Wizards have at this point. They signed Isaiah Thomas, but he has yet to look like the player he was before the MVP caliber season in Boston. John Wall is already being ruled out for the year. Beal is all that is left to make an impact at this point.

Season Outlook: The Wizards let nearly every veteran player walk either by trade or free agency. CBS sports goes as far as saying they “could probably be mistaken for a G League team.” The Wizards are now forced into the rebuild that should have happened already. It will be a long year, but in the end, this could be just what the Wizards need.

Charlotte Hornets, 5th Southeast Division

Record: 19-63

Head Coach: James Borrego

Key Additions/Re-signings: Terry Rozier, PJ Washington

Key Losses: Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb, Frank Kaminsky, Tony Parker

Impact Player: Terry Rozier

Rozier will finally get the chance to take hold of his team. The only issue is it’s not a very good one. He has been tasked to take a young team and help them grow. If the Hornets got two years ago, Terry Rozier things could move a bit faster with the rebuild. If they have the role player most thought he would be, it could get uglier this year. The expectations for him should be somewhere in the middle.

Season Outlook: Michael Jordan may be arguably the greatest to ever lace them up, but he has been awful running teams off the court. The Hornets have been a fringe playoff team at best, they have made mostly back draft picks, and Jordan won’t spend. All of this has lead to a full rebuild that is about 3-4 years too late. It will now be up to the Mitch Kupchak/James Borrego duo to rebuild the franchise into a genuine contender. The question is, will MJ let them.

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