A Tinder-Styled NBA Season Preview

Similar to this year"s MLB preview, I will be utilizing the idea of Tinder to preview the upcoming NBA season. For those unfamiliar with Tinder, it is a dating app that uses the idea of swipes to like, dislike, or super-like. If I wanted to like, swipe right, dislike is swiping left, and super-liking is a swipe up. So in this preview, I will be ‘swiping" on each team based on my expectations of them for the looming NBA season.

Atlanta Hawks

Swiping Up

Atlanta had a very successful offseason in which they made moves to pair their young superstars with proven veterans. The signings of Danilo Gallinari and Rajon Rondo give the Hawks some much-needed experience. Add in the signing of Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Atlanta is ready to make some noise in the Eastern Conference.

I love the Hawks this season, and they are my ‘zero to hero" pick of the 2020-21 NBA season. After what was a shaky 2019-20 season, Atlanta will roll out a team that has strong depth. Their starting lineup will look something similar to Young-Bogdanovic-Gallinari-Collins-Capela with options like Rondo, Huerter, Reddish, Hunter rookie Okongwu off the bench. That is arguably a top-five roster in the east. Be on the lookout for Hawks this season!

Bold Prediction

The Hawks will finish with a better record than one of the Celtics or Raptors.

Boston Celtics

Swiping Left

Obviously, the Celtics will be a playoff team this next season. But losing Gordon Hayward to the Charlotte Hornets will hurt Boston more than first imagined. Hayward was not the same after his injury, but losing 17.5 points per game scorer that can run the offense will hurt. The depth will take a hit, and it will put more pressure on players like Tatum and Brown to create offense.

The depth is my key issue with the Celtics. Kemba Walker has been battling injury since signing with Boston last offseason, and they made no move to upgrade the backup guard positions in free agency. The one position Boston did improve on, however, was the center position. Adding Tristan Thompson to pair with Daniel Theis as the team"s centers fortify their big man situation. This upcoming NBA season will obviously see the Celtics make the playoffs, but how far they will go is another question.

Bold Prediction

The Celtics live up to expectations in the regular season, but flames out in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Brooklyn Nets

Swiping Right

Who knows what Kevin Durant will look like this season, but one thing is for certain, Brooklyn has enough talent to make an NBA Finals run. The only team that is stopping them would be the Brooklyn Nets. With a new coach, a questionable locker room player like Kyrie Irving, and trade rumors about some of the team"s role players, there is no question that the Nets are certainly one of the more entertaining teams to follow already.

Talent-wise, Brooklyn is arguably the second-best team in the NBA, but putting it together is another question. That is why I do not love them yet. All the questions will be answered with the Nets when fans see their on-court play because off the court Brooklyn is all over the place this offseason.

Bold Prediction

The Nets packages a deal for a third star and coasts to a ring.

Charlotte Hornets

Swiping Right

Am I expecting the Hornets to make the playoffs? No. But I am expecting the Hornets to show solid play with the young core that they have put together. The seven and eight seeds feel wide open in the East, and maybe Charlotte can make a run at one of the two spots with their pairing of LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward. Add in a strong, young supporting cast, and Charlotte will be a competitive team that should play above their expectations this NBA season.

Bold Prediction

The Hornets finish right around .500 and make the playoffs this season.

Chicago Bulls

Swiping Left

Can I super dislike? The Bulls moves this offseason outside of their head coach signing were questionable, to say the least. Draft wise, Chicago took Patrick Williams at number four. Williams, a defensive specialist, should be a fine NBA player, but many NBA fans questioned the choice at number four. On top of that, the Bulls did not address any weaknesses through free agency. Add in that LaVine"s name was tossed around in trade rumors, and this Bull"s offseason was a disaster.

Many point guards hit the trade market this offseason, and it is clear the Bulls need one, as only one player for them averaged over five assists a game last year. A pass-first, defensive-minded point guard should have been a priority this offseason, but Chicago heads into next season with a hole at that position once again. Expect the worst Bulls fans.

Bold Prediction

The Bulls do not win 25 games next year.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Swiping Left

It is safe to assume that Cleveland will play under expectations next year. However, they are making clear strides to becoming a better team. Drafting Isaac Okoro at number five was a bit lucky as Chicago passed on him. But putting him alongside the young guard duo of Darius Garland and Collin Sexton should make for an exciting trio in Cleveland.

The positives for the Cavs are some negatives. The signing of Javale McGee was a bit questionable as Drummond is at center. Add in the accusations against Kevin Porter Jr., and Cleveland had some inopportune situations this past offseason. It may not be pretty this NBA season, but the Cavs are taking to steps in the right direction!

Bold Prediction

Collin Sexton wins Most Improved Player this next NBA season.

Dallas Mavericks

Swiping Left

Obviously, there is a lot to be excited about with Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. But, they are still in the Western Conference. Sure the Mavs added some defensive-minded players in Josh Richardson and James Johnson to bolster the roster around Luka, but it will not be enough to keep up with some of the top teams in the West. Add in Kristaps Porzingis health history, and a lot of questions arise about the Dallas Mavericks.

Bold Prediction

Luka and the Mavs suffer another first-round playoff loss next season.

Denver Nuggets

Swiping Right

Denver suffered losses of some of their key rotational pieces in Torrey Craig, Jerami Grant, and Mason Plumlee this offseason. But, the Nuggets have nothing to worry about. Jamal Murray showed he could and will take the next step in the postseason last year, Michael Porter Jr. showed promise, and arguably the best center in the NBA is on your roster. The Nuggets will have another successful season.

Bold Prediction

The Nuggets finish as the best team in the West for the regular season.

Detroit Pistons

Swiping Left

As much as I hated the Chicago Bulls offseason, I hate Detroit"s offseason that much more. The only positive that Pistons fans can take away from this offseason is the draft. Killian Hayes and Saddiq Bey will be a tremendous pairing for the Pistons. Other than that, the Pistons acquired four centers this offseason as the league is going smaller. Motor City will have some bright spots, but it will be a brutal season for the Pistons.

Bold Prediction

Saddiq Bey and Killian Hayes will both be on the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

Golden State Warriors

Swiping Right

Obviously, losing Klay Thompson to an Achilles injury was not drawn into the Warrior"s offseason plan. However, the Warriors could rebound and fill out a roster that should contend in a tough Western Conference. Trading for Kelly Oubre Jr. was a nice rebound after the news of Thompson"s injury. Add in the selection of James Wiseman in this year"s NBA draft, and the Warriors had a solid little offseason to keep them in contention this next year.

Bold Prediction

Golden State makes it to the Conference Finals behind Wiseman"s rookie of the year caliber season.

Houston Rockets

Swiping Left

The easiest choice out of all the teams, disliking the Houston Rocket"s chances next season. James Harden"s name has already been in trade rumors, The Rockets took a chance on two players coming off debilitating leg injuries, and seemingly have given up on their new head coach. This was only the offseason.

Obviously, Harden"s ability to shoulder the load and carry a team to contention will propel them into the postseason, but once there, will struggle to make any noise.

Bold Prediction

The Rockets finishes in the bottom three seeds of the West and loses in the first round of the playoffs.

Indiana Pacers

Swiping Left

Victor Oladipo and Myles Turner saw their names circulate in trade rumors all offseason but never amounted to anything. Now Indiana stands with a very similar roster as last year in a tougher Eastern Conference. The Pacers are certainly a playoff team, but any championship aspirations should be halted, the roster is not good enough.

Bold Prediction

The Pacers finish as a 4-5 seed and lose in the first round. Again.

Los Angeles Clippers

Swiping Right

Even with the Athletic article that glorified the Clippers off the court issues, the Clips had a successful offseason. The signing of Serge Ibaka addressed their issue at center, and trading for Luke Kennard gives the Clippers another scorer at the guard position. They might have flamed out this past NBA postseason, but the Clippers should live up to their expectations this year.

Bold Prediction

The Clippers win the NBA Championship.

Los Angeles Lakers

Swiping Up

And the award for best offseason goes to… It is clear that the Lakers were going to be title favorites heading into this next NBA season, but after the reload they just had, I am not sure anyone that can beat them. Adding the two best bench pieces of last year"s season, upgrading from Danny Green, and retaining key pieces from last year"s championship team? Yeah. A lot to love here for the future 2020-2021 NBA Finals winners.

Bold Prediction

The Lakers win the NBA Championship, losing a total of 20 games total, postseason included.

Memphis Grizzlies

Swiping Left

The young pieces in Memphis will continue to improve, however, the entire Western Conference improved as well. Much like the Pacers, the Grizzlies did not make any changes heading into this NBA season. With the number of teams that made massive improvements this offseason, the Grizzlies will fall out of the playoffs this year and play under expectations.

Bold Prediction

The Grizzlies finish outside the top ten in the Western Conference.

Miami Heat

Swiping Right

Losing Jae Crowder and Derrick Jones Jr. may prove more detrimental than first imagined but the Heat still made strides to better themselves this offseason. Jones was a net negative offensively but both player"s versatility defensively helped make the Heat into one of the top defensive teams in the NBA.

The signing of Avery Bradley and the re-signing of Goran Dragic bolster their already solid guard depth. The team may not make an NBA championship run this year, but they still will play above expectations behind Erik Spoelstra.

Bold Prediction

The Heat will finish in the top three in the Eastern Conference.

Milwaukee Bucks

Swiping Right

The big question heading into this upcoming season is whether or not the Bucks will be able to retain their MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo. They made strides to better themselves, leveraging their future on the trio of Jrue Holiday, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Khris Middleton.

Heading into the 2020-21 NBA season, it is no question that the Bucks will be a title contender, but the question remains: Can the Bucks create offense in the halfcourt? Giannis has shown weaknesses when the game slows down, and I do not believe that the Bucks made any strides to better their halfcourt offense. But, the reigning MVP and a new supporting cast should have no problem living up to expectation. Exceeding these expectations? That is the real question.

Bold Prediction

The Milwaukee Bucks win the NBA Finals behind another MVP campaign from the Greek Freak.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Swiping Right

For the first time in his NBA career, D"Angelo Russell is wanted by an NBA team. Playing on his fourth team in his short five year career, Russell now can feel confident that his role on the Wolves will stay prominent. With a confident team, maybe we can see D"Angelo Russell take another step in the right direction and leading the T"Wolves to a playoff spot.

The additions of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Ed Davis may be small, but both are defensive minded bigs that can take a load off of the Wolves other star, Karl Anthony-Towns. Add in the draft choice of Anthony Edwards, adding him into an already strong young core, and the Wolves should play over their expectations this year.

Bold Prediction

The Timberwolves take a big step in the right direction and gets into the playoffs.

New Orleans Pelicans

Swiping Left

In a league that has devoted to going small and relying on three 3-point shooting, the New Orleans Pelicans can play Eric Bledsoe, Lonzo Ball, and Steven Adams on the same court. Albeit, that trio is a nightmare defensively for other teams. However, the trio creates minimal spacing for the young duo of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.

Sure J.J. Redick and Josh Hart are still on the team and can space the floor, but trading a superstar guard will not help a young team make strides in the right direction. Expect the Pelicans to struggle next year.

Bold Prediction

The Pelicans win a total of 45 games, falling out of the top ten in the Western Conference.

New York Knicks

Swiping Right

Do not get too excited, Knicks fans, but this upcoming season should be better under new president Leon Rose. The roster is still bottom tier in the NBA. But, the Knicks have displayed competency, something that New York fans have not seen in many years. The Knicks cut veterans on bad salaries and drafted well this offseason. The team may not be good yet, but expect them to take a step in the right direction on the court, as they showed they took a step in the right direction in the front office.

Bold Prediction

The Knicks will win 25 games this season behind Obi Toppin"s rookie of the year campaign.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Swiping Left

The Thunder have been able to stockpile future draft picks as they trade their star players. As exciting as it is for the front office and OKC"s future, this year will not be pretty for the Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will take another step in the right direction. But as for the rest of the roster, no veteran leadership outside of Al Horford (who might get traded) will not bode well for the Thunder"s success this season.

Bold Prediction

The Thunder fall out of the playoff picture, trading Al Horford as they do so.

Orlando Magic

Swiping Left

Outside of their draft choices, there are not any many new faces for the Magic for this upcoming year. For a team that have been a seven or eight seed the past few years, many teams behind them made strides to take their playoff spot. I personally would not be shocked if other teams do so. It is safe to expect the Magic to fall out of the playoffs this next season.

Bold Prediction

Nikola Vucevic does not end the season on the Orlando Magic.

Philadelphia 76ers

Swiping Up

Many NBA fans have questioned the duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid since they were paired in the 2017-18 season. The question surrounding the Sixers was spacing. New president Daryl Morey and head coach Doc Rivers made a point to improve their three-point shooting. Making a move on draft night for Seth Curry, and trading Al Horford for Danny Green does exactly that. Both Curry and Green have shot over 40% from behind the arc in their career. Expect the roster surrounding Simmons and Embiid to be better, and for Philly to make their move to the top of the Eastern Conference.

Bold Prediction

Joel Embiid"s MVP campaign leads the 76ers to the top seed in the East.

Phoenix Suns

Swiping Up

Phoenix showed huge strides in the right direction while playing in the bubble last season. Now they add in Chris Paul, who led a Thunder team that was tossed aside last year to a top five spot in the West. CP3 comes into a Suns team that has a better roster than the Thunder team he played with last year. Expect Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton to take massive leaps playing with a veteran of Paul"s caliber.

Bold Prediction

Phoenix finishes in the top six in the Western Conference.

Portland Trail Blazers

Swiping Up

Three straight super likes, and the Portland Trail Blazers is the team I like the most out of the last three. There was a glaring weakness for Portland with the depth of their forwards. Trading for Robert Covington and signing Derrick Jones Jr. immediately bolster their forward play.

It will be tough to un-seed the top three of the Nuggets, Lakers, and Clippers, but outside of that the West feels wide open. Portland made moves to ensure they will take the next step, and it is safe to bet on that they will.

Bold Prediction

The Portland Trail Blazers end up as a four seed in the West, and make the Western Conference Finals.

Sacramento Kings

Swiping Left

De"Aaron Fox was just re-signed on a max deal and Hassan Whiteside was signed on to a one-year deal. , but outside of that, the Kings did not make any moves to better their chances for the playoffs. The loss of Bogdan Bogdanovic will prove unfavorable for the Kings, and betting on an injury prone Marvin Bagley to take the next step feels risky.

On the positive side, Buddy Hield signed on the dotted line for a four -year deal last year, so retaining him to play aside of Fox makes them a fun rebuilding team. But that is exactly what they are, a rebuilding team. As the top of the West gets better, expect the Kings to be a punching bag and take a step back this year.

Bold Prediction

The Kings lose 45 games this year.

San Antonio Spurs

Swiping Left

Devin Vassell and Tre Jones will be playable rookies right away for Popovich and the Spurs. Playing them alongside a young core led by Dejounte Murray and Derrick White will be a fun youth movement out in San Antonio. But with youth comes inexperience, and do not expect Demar Derozan and LaMarcus Aldridge to lead this inexperienced team to the playoffs.

Bold Prediction

Neither Derozan nor Aldridge end the season a Spur.

Toronto Raptors

Swiping Left

What Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol brought to the Raptors is irreplaceable. Aron Baynes and Chris Boucher will not be able to fill the big shoes left behind. Defensively, Baynes and Boucher are not what Ibaka and Gasol were, and that is partly why I do not like the Raptors this season.

NBA fans saw cracks in Pascal Siakam"s game while in the bubble. Efficiency proved to be an issue for the young forward, and if he is going to lead this team to expectation, then expect the worst Toronto fans. Kyle Lowry and newly re-signed Fred VanVleet will have to take on a lot of the offensive load. With the losses and the questions about Siakam, the Raptors will struggle to live up to expectation this year.

Bold Prediction

The Raptors finish in the five-six range in the East.

Utah Jazz

Swiping Left

The only exciting part about the Jazz in my opinion is their superstar Donovan Mitchell. Rudy Gobert is on a the last year of his deal, Mike Conley and Joe Ingles are not getting any younger, and the signing of Derrick Favors limits the spacing even more.

Teams that finished behind them last year like the Suns, Trail Blazers, Mavericks, Timberwolves, and Warriors all made steps to become a better team, while the Jazz kept a similar roster make-up. Do not bet on the Jazz having the same success we have seen in the past.

Bold Prediction

The Utah Jazz fall out of the Western Conference Playoff picture and head into an offseason with Donovan Mitchell trade rumors.

Washington Wizards

Swiping Right

The Wizards offseason consisted of re-signing Davis Bertans, drafting Deni Avdija, signing Robin Lopez, and trading for Russell Westbrook. The 2019 rookie, Rui Hachimura showed promise in his play last year, and Bradley Beal is an All-NBA caliber talent. On paper, the Wizards have a team that will contend for a playoff spot. Floor spacing surrounding two star guards is a recipe for success in today"s NBA. Expect Washington to take a step forward and make the playoffs this season.

Bold Prediction

The Washington Wizards win 40 games this year.

The NBA Season is Rapidly Approaching

With the NBA only weeks away, it is time to get excited basketball fans! Some old faces are in some new places and it should make for what will be a very interesting NBA season in 2021.

Finals Predictions

It is cliché and probably too early to give a prediction, but with an NBA preview, there has to be a big prediction. I think the Los Angeles Lakers will win the title once again. This year they will win it over the Philadelphia 76ers in five games.

STAY SAFE FOLKS and MERRY CHRISTMAS

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