With the 2017-18 NBA season nearly upon us, it’s time to take a look at the 30 biggest reasons to be excited about the return of professional basketball.
Let’s not bury the lede: Only one team wins the NBA championship every season, and in 2017-18, it’s probably going to be the Golden State Warriors again. Not to take the wind out of anyone’s sails, but they’re on the path to becoming the greatest dynasty since Michael Jordan‘s Chicago Bulls — and could potentially even surpass them a few years from now.
However, professional basketball has always been one of the most predictable sports leagues. Before any given season, you can usually peg the 2-4 most likely title favorites. This isn’t March Madness or the NFL Playoffs, where a perfectly timed hot streak can carry Cinderellas to their Prince Charming; in a seven-game playoff series, the best team usually wins out.
However, the start of a new season is always cause for celebration, from the league’s title contenders down to the bottom-feeders. From superstars on the rise to highlight plays to young players getting developmental minutes, every fanbase has something to look forward to.
Those more temporary thrills wear off at some point, usually when the end to each team’s season closes in. But after a summer of manic player movement, the NBA landscape is as different and intriguing as it’s ever been.
From new super-teams to an exciting rookie class to all these personnel changes across the league, it’s time to take a look at the 30 biggest reasons to be excited about the upcoming 2017-18 NBA season.
30. The dumpster fire that is the Chicago Bulls
No NBA fanbase has more vitriol for its team — and its front office, in particular — than the Chicago Bulls. Given that this dumpster fire of a team is going to go down in a blaze of glory in 2017-18, it may be impossible to avoid watching the burning wreckage for extended periods of time.
The Bulls’ best player is recovering from an ACL tear. Their most interesting rebuild piece hasn’t been drafted yet (no offense, Lauri Markkanen), and the point guard pu-pu platter of Kris Dunn, Cameron Payne and Jerian Grant is as intriguing as an actual poo-poo platter.
Their 2017-18 season is going to be a nightmare, and when you enter a season with such low expectations, you really can’t lose; every horrible thing that happens on the court will have a touch of predictable comedy to it, while everything that goes right will be a pleasant surprise.
29. Can Bud save the Hawks?
The Atlanta Hawks‘ best player in 2017-18 will be Dennis Schroder. Let that sink in for a second.
Not that Schroder’s a bad player, but he’s not a franchise guy, and he’s the only one on the entire roster who’s ever averaged 15 points per game in a single season. At this point, the only possible way the Hawks will be competitive this year is if head coach Mike Budenholzer submits the finest performance of his career.
The Hawks have been the Spurs-lite of the East ever since he took over. With such a talent-starved roster, watching this group try and employ that same playing style is really the only thing Atlanta fans have to be excited about (and the rookie John Collins, but we’ll come back to him later).
28. Craziness in Phoenix and Brooklyn
The Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets don’t have a lot of established talent, and they’re probably the third/fourth worst teams in the NBA. But that’s not going to stop them from playing fast and being among the younger, more entertaining hot messes in the league.
The Nets led the NBA in pace last year and will bomb away from 3-point range (fourth in attempts per game) with DeMarre Carroll and Allen Crabbe joining the mix. D’Angelo Russell will be playing with a chip on his shoulder in a breakout year, there’s the Timofey Mozgov Reclamation Project to consider and this team has no reason to lose without its first round pick.
Meanwhile, Suns head coach Earl Watson has emphasized over and over that the NBA is position-less now, which means his team is going to play even faster (second in pace last year) and smaller, with Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender playing the 5 in small-ball lineups with Josh Jackson and T.J. Warren on the wing. Glorious chaos always makes bad teams more fun.
27. Showtime on the court and at the trade deadline
On the court, Lonzo Ball‘s pass-first, up-tempo playing style figures to breathe new life into the long dormant Showtime Los Angeles Lakers, with Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. all serving as young and exciting complements.
However, with Luol Deng‘s contract on the books and the Lakers needing to clear cap space for two max contracts in free agency next summer, there’s a very good chance Magic Johnson puts on a show near the trade deadline as well. A fire sale is most certainly coming.
In order to get rid of Deng’s contract and possibly Clarkson’s as well, the Lakers may need to attach assets like Randle, Nance, Ivica Zubac or even future draft picks to sweeten the deal. The off-court rumors and maneuvers might even be more entertaining than the team’s attempts to revive Showtime on the court.
26. Balancing youth and vets in Sacramento
When Dave Joerger started George Hill, Garrett Temple, Vince Carter, Zach Randolph and Kosta Koufos in the Sacramento Kings‘ first preseason game, there was reason to worry the former Memphis Grizzlies coach was going to cater to the team’s veterans rather than emphasize the youth movement from day one.
Luckily, none of them played double-digit minutes and the youngsters started game two as the vets got the night off. Still, how Joerger manages the older guys in the locker room and balances their minutes with developmental time for De’Aaron Fox, Skal Labissiere, Buddy Hield, Willie Cauley-Stein, Justin Jackson and Bogdan Bogdanovic is worth monitoring.
Will Hill and Fox share time in the backcourt? Will the Kings favor the vets at first before switching gears when the playoffs slip out of reach? Or will Joerger give free rein to the young nucleus? Unlike rebuilds in Phoenix or Los Angeles, the answer to those questions is not as clear.
25. Pistons: Implosion, or Prosperity?
Stan Van Gundy’s tenure in Motor City has not gone according to plan, and it could all come to a head in 2017-18 if the Detroit Pistons have another disappointing season.
Avery Bradley makes the team better, but will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson took major steps backward and were placed on the trade block. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Marcus Morris are gone, and in a weakened Eastern Conference, missing the playoffs this year would be inexcusable.
After being such a formidable pick-and-roll tandem in 2015-16, the pressure is on for Jackson and Drummond to reestablish themselves as cornerstones of the franchise…or risk being part of a major Motown shakeup. That, along with this one-year trial period for Bradley, makes the Pistons a lot more intriguing than they’d normally be.
24. D’Angelo Russell on the warpath
After being unceremoniously dumped by the Lakers to get rid of Timofey Mozgov’s contract, D’Angelo Russell has every reason to enter the 2017-18 season with something to prove. He was already heading for a potential breakout year, but in a new environment with plenty of backcourt minutes available, he’ll get the chance to prove the Lakers made a mistake.
Coming off a season in which Russell averaged 15.6 points, 4.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game, this 21-year-old is going to thrive in Kenny Atkinson’s up-tempo system, especially since he fits nicely alongside Jeremy Lin as a fellow combo guard.
The threes will rain, there will be icy veins and Russell’s potential is going to be accelerated by the new situation and the motivation to prove his old team wrong. That alone would’ve made the Nets interesting.
23. Conley and Gasol vs. the world
After losing Tony Allen, Zach Randolph and Vince Carter over the summer, the Memphis Grizzlies are entering a new era beyond the Grit-N-Grind. They still have their two best players, but there are questions as to how competitive this team will be with such an underwhelming supporting cast.
That’s kind of been the case for a few seasons now, especially after last year, when Chandler Parsons‘ poor body held up for only 34 underwhelming games. Heading into 2017-18, it’ll be Marc Gasol and Mike Conley vs. the world again.
The Grizz may not be the most intriguing team this season, but at the very least, we’ll get to enjoy Big Spain and one of the most underrated point guards in the league schooling fools on a nightly basis as they try to carry Memphis back to the playoffs.
22. Wizards and Raptors see an opening
The top of the East is wide open. LeBron James hasn’t gone anywhere, but his team just replaced Kyrie Irving with Derrick Rose until Isaiah Thomas is healthy enough to play in January. King James coasts through regular seasons now to save his strength for the playoffs, which means the Cleveland Cavaliers won’t be too worried about the No. 1 seed.
The Boston Celtics underwent a roster overhaul as well, and though they clearly extended their championship window by getting younger, it remains to be seen how the new core comes together with so many new pieces.
For the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors, continuity is on their side. The Wizards’ bench didn’t get much better over the summer, and the Raptors lost key contributors like P.J. Tucker and Patrick Patterson, but if their core players can turn in career years again, either one of these teams could conceivably challenge for the 1-seed.
21. Kawhi carrying the Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs get the benefit of the doubt among Western contenders, but the simple truth is this team didn’t get better this summer. They didn’t snag a new franchise point guard, they lost two capable defenders in Dewayne Dedmon and Jonathon Simmons, and as we await Tony Parker‘s return, everyone else got a year older.
Luckily, that’s good news for Kawhi Leonard, who proved last season he’s ready to be a perennial MVP candidate for the next five years or so. If the Spurs want to secure another top seed out West, his two-way talents are going to have to carry them — perhaps even more than last year.
The Warriors have four top-15 superstars. The Thunder have a new Big Three, while the Rockets have James Harden and Chris Paul. The Spurs have a 26-year-old Kawhi Leonard…and that’s about it. We may bear witness to some of the most impossibly one-sided fights every time the Spurs play one of those teams, and yet, it’s anyone’s guess who will emerge triumphant.
20. Gobert and defense carrying the Jazz
Not to go all Sound of Music on our readers, but how do you solve a problem like losing Gordon Hayward? How do you catch 21.9 points per game and pin them down?
The answer for the Utah Jazz is going to have to be Rudy Gobert, a heightened defensive focus and a replace-by-committee approach. For Quin Snyder’s squad to make the playoffs in its first season without a go-to scorer, it’s going to take a Defensive Player of the Year campaign from the Stifle Tower, Rodney Hood regaining form and the new additions defending their hearts out.
Ricky Rubio and Thabo Sefolosha will undoubtedly help on that end, but this season really depends on what kind of leap Gobert is able to make again in 2017-18. He’s the new face of the franchise; now it’s time to see if a defensive-minded rim protector with limited offense is capable of leading a playoff team in the modern NBA.
19. An even better Warriors team
Look, we get it. People are sick of the Golden State Warriors. They ruined basketball! They cheated the system! I’m sick of watching the same team win all the time! RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE!
None of these complaints changes the fact that the Dubs are still the most aesthetically pleasing team to watch in the NBA. Yet somehow, the Warriors — who have only won two championships so far, meaning it’s WAY too early to start complaining about them winning every year — are going to be even better in 2017-18.
Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all have had a year to get familiar with each other and will probably shoot the 3-ball better than last year. The younger players got another year of experience, while new bench additions Nick Young and Omri Casspi make this team even deeper. Love them or hate them, an even better Warriors team is impossible to ignore.
18. Jokic and Millsap: Every NBA nerd’s frontcourt dream
Nikola Jokic is an advanced stats darling, while Paul Millsap is the captain of every NBA nerd’s All-Underrated team. Mixing them together in the same frontcourt blends two multidimensional skill-sets into a cocktail that will get every analytics advocate drunk in 2017-18.
Adding Millsap’s defensive versatility will be a huge help for last year’s 29th-ranked defense, helping cover for the Joker’s flaws on that end. On the offensive side of the ball, their passing ability, shooting range and off-the-charts basketball I.Q. will be a nightly delight.
The Denver Nuggets have plenty of young players like Gary Harris and Jamal Murray to be excited about, and they’re likely playoff-bound for the first time since 2013. However, the yin and yang skill-sets Jokic and Millsap bring to the table in one of the league’s most intriguing frontcourt pairings make this team worth watching on a regular basis.
17. The 30-11 Heat vs. the 11-30 Heat
The Miami Heat started 2016-17 with an 11-30 record and went on a 30-11 tear to close the season. Have you read this? Have you heard about this? Unless you’ve completely gone tone deaf at the mere mention of the Miami Heat, you were probably fully aware of this already.
Expecting the Heat to carry on at that kind of 60-win pace for a full season is unrealistic, but Erik Spoelstra’s squad might be one of the more overlooked playoff teams in the East right now. They might not be contenders, but they’re going to be a pain in the ass on both ends of the floor.
Goran Dragic reminded people what he can do when he actually has the ball in his hands, while Hassan Whiteside could be poised for another career year. James Johnson is effective no matter what lineup he plays with, Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson are back, Kelly Olynyk is joining the party and if Dion Waiters can stay healthy, this team may ride its end-of-season groove to something special.
16. A more well-rounded Rockets team
Yes, the Houston Rockets added Chris Paul. But is anyone else excited about the prospect of a more well-rounded and possibly more efficient 3-point shooting Rockets team? Remember, they broke 3-point records because they launched away like no other, not because they were efficient. Mike D’Antoni has to still be pinching himself after the summer Daryl Morey had.
CP3 obviously helps on both ends of the floor, providing an All-Defensive First Team presence to replace Patrick Beverley, but the additions of P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute give Houston two stout, versatile defenders who have also proven themselves capable of knocking down long range looks whenever they’ve played on talented teams.
Clint Capela is only going to continue to get better and the Rockets have the kind of wings you need to keep your head above water when facing the Warriors’ torrential downpour. This team was only 0.1 points per 100 possessions away from being the league’s 15th-ranked defense last year, so with three quality defenders joining the mix, this could be an elite Western power.
15. Carmelo Anthony is fun again!
Disclaimer: Carmelo Anthony was always fun. It’s just that now, with the Oklahoma City Thunder, everyone can stop acting like he’s anything other than one of the greatest scorers in NBA history and start actively enjoying him again.
At age 33, his days of carrying teams to the playoffs (or not) are over. As the third option who stays on the floor with the second unit as a designated scorer, however, Melo has the opportunity to contribute to a legitimate contender in a more appropriate role. In short, it’s going to be fun to cheer for him again.
Anthony is going to have free rein to fire away while Russell Westbrook and Paul George make his life easier — all without the weight of a whole city on his back. If OKC gets “Olympic Melo,” it’s going to be a tough team to beat. If it gets “Hoodie Melo,” even the Warriors might need to start looking over their shoulder.
14. All-Star squad drama
The All-Star voting process is still the same as last year: A combination of fan, media and player vote will determine the five starters from each conference, while the head coaches will select the remaining seven reserves from the East and the West.
From there, however, is where new changes figure to add some spice to a stale recipe, with the top vote-getter from each conference serving as a team captain who will select from the remaining pool of players. The only way this could get better is if they live broadcast the picks like the NBA Draft to heighten the drama.
LeBron James led the East in votes last year, which means the potential for watching him go full #TeamPetty and pick anyone other than Kyrie Irving, or vice versa, will be true comedy. And don’t even get us started on what happens if Russell Westbrook or Kevin Durant earn the most votes out West….
13. A full year with Nurkic
Like the Heat, the Portland Trail Blazers are hoping the success they found in a limited sample size near the end of last season translates to success in 2017-18. The difference is, Rip City is basing its hopes on Jusuf Nurkic‘s health and the 20 games he played with the team last season.
The positive effect of the Bosnian Beast were immediate. Before his arrival, the Blazers ranked 13th in offensive rating (106.8), 26th in defensive rating (108.9) and posted a 23-32 record. In 20 games with Nurk on the floor, Portland jumped to sixth in O-rating (110.0), 12th in D-rating (105.7) and went 14-6.
Basically, Nurkic made the Trail Blazers a borderline top-10 team on both ends of the floor while averaging 15.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. His health could very well be the difference between being an exciting playoff team and a disappointing, lottery-bound squad.
12. Turner and KP taking over
The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers both traded away their franchise stars this summer for pretty disappointing returns. Luckily, both of these (likely) lottery-bound teams have new faces of the franchise who will be thrust into leadership roles in 2017-18.
Both entering their third years, Kristaps Porzingis and Myles Turner have gone from the No. 2 option on offense and future cornerstones to go-to options whose unicorn skill-sets will be relied upon on both ends of the floor.
They’re not ready to carry their respective teams to the playoffs, but as they take up the mantle for the first time, they may put up big enough numbers to warrant All-Star consideration. As the Knicks and Pacers enter new eras following underwhelming trades, that’s pretty much the only reason to watch these two teams.
11. Milos and the new Lob City
The Los Angeles Clippers lost Chris Paul and J.J. Redick this summer, and yet, they’re going to be one of the most enjoyable teams in the league. How is that possible? MILOS. TEO. DOSIC.
Okay, so maybe it’s not ALL Milos Teodosic, but the Clippers replaced CP3 with one of the most creative and fun passers in the world, Blake Griffin is already one of the NBA’s best passing bigs and Danilo Gallinari is always a delight, even when he’s probing for trips to the foul line.
Patrick Beverley is the starter and everyone has to stay healthy, but this team has depth, a loaded frontcourt, plenty of passing and more than enough personality to keep Lob City alive for a bit longer — and perhaps more entertaining than it’s been in a few years.
10. Boogie and the Brow
The New Orleans Pelicans have two certifiable superstars, but because of some toxic contracts and underwhelming role players, they still may not make the 2018 NBA Playoffs. Welcome to life in the Western Conference!
From teams 5-11 in the West, it’s really a toss-up as to who ends up where. The Pelicans are starting to feel the pressure of putting a more competitive team around Anthony Davis, and that’s only exacerbated by DeMarcus Cousins‘ status as an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Even after that lopsided trade to acquire Cousins, the Pellies need the intriguing pairing of Boogie and the Brow to overcome a poorly constructed supporting cast. They need to make the playoffs, convince Cousins to re-sign at season’s end and go about assembling a legitimate contender to finally stop wasting years of Davis’ prime. Because if they miss the playoffs again, and Boogie leaves, the situation with AD could get ugly pretty quickly.
9. KAT and the Butler
Karl-Anthony Towns is the cornerstone of the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Jimmy Butler‘s arrival is what will push this team over the top to its first playoff series since 2004. With an established star joining a burgeoning superstar (not to mention aforementioned star’s connection with the head coach), the Wolves are facing heightened expectations for the first time in a long time.
The bench is still a concern, as is Andrew Wiggins‘ next attempt at making the leap to stardom. But a four-man core of Jeff Teague, Wiggins, Butler and KAT is a damn good place to start, and Butler’s arrival should help what was the league’s 26th-ranked defense last year.
Meanwhile, Towns seems poised to make another leap in his third season, especially after putting up 28.4 points and 13.4 rebounds per game after the All-Star break. The Wolves were already worth monitoring last year, but now they’re ready to be a team that’s regularly on people’s League Pass radars.
8. The Greek Freak
Say it with me now: Greek Freak for MVP. It might not be as crazy as it sounds.
Sure, it’d take a massive jump up the standings after winning 42 games last year, and yes, Giannis Antetokounmpo is still a serviceable 3-point shot away from owning the league, but after leading the Milwaukee Bucks in all five major statistical categories — and becoming the first in NBA history to finish in the NBA’s top 20 for all five — there’s still ground left to cover.
It’s terrifying that Giannis is still only 22 years old, and it’s only a matter of time before he starts devouring other team’s worlds. The Bucks are a dark horse for a top-four seed in the East, and if they get there behind massive numbers from the Greek Freak, don’t count him out of the MVP race.
7. KD as alpha dog
There’s a reason Kevin Durant was No. 1 on our top 10 MVP candidates: His dagger 3-pointer over LeBron James in Game 3 of the Finals signaled a changing of the guard. After years of finishing second, this KD’s best chance to definitively claim the title of NBA alpha dog.
Yes, we’re all aware he plays for a super-team, that he had more help than LeBron in the Finals, that if you swapped KD and LeBron their teams would yada yada yada. Here’s the only context that matters: Kevin Durant plays for this Golden State Warriors team, and there’s no force more terrifying in the NBA right now than that — even compared to LeBron.
With a year to build chemistry and that first title and Finals MVP Award under his belt, there’s a chance we see KD’s finest season since his first MVP Award in 2013-14. That’s a damn exciting prospect after he was painted as the villain just a year ago, and watching him ascend to a new level is the only thing that will make another year of Warriors domination exciting to watch.
6. The 2017-18 rookie class
We haven’t seen a group of first-years this stacked with notable names since Harry Potter first arrived at Hogwarts. After an underwhelming 2016 rookie class, the 2017 NBA Draft class is going to have like 10-15 potential Rookie of the Year candidates.
Ben Simmons making his long-awaited debut as a point forward. Markelle Fultz is another No. 1 overall pick who will play a prominent role for the Sixers. Lonzo Ball is trying to reignite Showtime. Josh Jackson is a jump shot away from being a two-way terror. Jayson Tatum can score. De’Aaron Fox is a human lightning bolt.
Milos Teodosic and Bogdan Bogdanovic are going to be pure fun. Dennis Smith Jr. is electrifying. John Collins, Donovan Mitchell, Kyle Kuzma and Malik Monk are dark horse ROY candidates. Jonathan Isaac and Lauri Markkanen need to be good for the sake of their franchises. The list goes on and on, but this should be one of the most fun draft classes we’ve seen in the last decade.
5. The Process
It feels like a decade, but it’s actually only been since 2012 that the Philadelphia 76ers were last in the playoffs. That’s how hard The Process has been to digest, but in 2017-18, there’s reason for optimism.
Despite only playing 31 games in three seasons, Joel Embiid was on pace for perhaps the greatest rookie season ever and earned a massive five-year, $148 million extension for it. Ben Simmons is healthy. Markelle Fultz and Furkan Korkmaz are joining the party, as is free agent J.J. Redick. That’s right, the former NBA Siberia signed a notable free agent!
Trusting the Process hasn’t been easy for diehard Philly fans, but it’s all finally happening. The Sixers could be a playoff team this season, and even if they’re not, this young team is starting to put together an actual NBA roster…and one that might contend for years to come if Embiid can just stay healthy.
4. Harden and CP3 in the same backcourt
Okay, you got me. While a well-rounded Rockets team is intriguing, what really makes this team fascinating is having quite possibly the league’s two best playmakers in the same backcourt, flanked by 3-point shooters with green lights far as the eye can see.
There will need to be some give and take. Harden will have to get used to moving and shooting off the ball, but CP3 giving him easy looks should help there. The same goes for Paul off the ball, but Mike D staggering their minutes so one is always on the floor will make life easier for everyone.
However, two ball-dominant guards has not often worked in recent NBA history. There’s too much basketball I.Q. at work here for this not to work, but whether it crashes and burns or launches the Rockets into another stratosphere, this team’s trajectory will be one main attraction of the 2017-18 season.
3. OK3 and 3-point spacing
The Rockets are probably the biggest threat to the Warriors out West, but the Oklahoma City Thunder may have surpassed them in terms of intrigue after the Carmelo Anthony trade and the summer that Sam Presti had.
We’ve already talked about Melo being fun again in a reduced role, but what about a five-man lineup with the reigning MVP, Andre Roberson to lock people down, Paul George’s two-way skill-set, Melo spreading the floor as a small-ball 4 and Steven Adams throwing nasty screens left and right?
Or how about the small-ball lineups that are unlocked with Patrick Patterson? Or Alex Abrines giving OKC a 3-point heavy lineup? Russell Westbrook was a force of nature with zero spacing and no offensive help last year. He’s going to be downright scary with shooters to space the floor and both PG-13 and Melo to help him with the scoring load.
2. Celtics-Cavs rivalry
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics were heading toward rivalry territory before a tumultuous offseason for both squads. With Kyrie Irving suiting up for the Celts and Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder and Ante Zizic joining the Cavs, this emotionally charged matchup is the most exciting storyline in the Eastern Conference.
Kyrie wanted to be the alpha dog of his own team and stop playing in LeBron’s shadow, which represented a direct slap in the face to the King’s reputation as one of the NBA’s best teammates and the guy that everyone in the league wants to play with. That kind of forced exit will add fuel to both players’ fires in a postseason showdown.
Then there’s IT’s path to redemption after Boston unceremoniously dumped its fan favorite, Crowder coming face-to-face with the Gordon Hayward replacement everyone knew was coming and the fact that a trip to the NBA Finals could be on the line. Throw in Dwyane Wade, Marcus Morris, Derrick Rose and Marcus Smart and let’s do the damn thing.
1. The Western Conference bloodbath
After the Warriors, the Rockets, Spurs and Thunder could all challenge for the No. 2 seed. After that, the Timberwolves, Clippers, Nuggets, Blazers, Jazz, Pelicans and Grizzlies could all be in the running for those last four playoff spots.
The Wolves have KAT, Butler, Wiggins and Tom Thibodeau. The Clippers have Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Danilo Gallinari and capable depth. The Nuggets are young and have that Jokic-Millsap pairing. The Blazers have Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and Nurkic. The Jazz have Rudy Gobert and a stout defense. The Pelicans have Boogie and the Brow, and the Grizzlies never know when to say die.
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Without a doubt, watching that loaded playoff picture play itself out will only be topped by the actual playoff matchups we get in the first round — a welcome change after last year’s drama-less march to an inevitable Warriors title.
Golden State may well be unassailable again in the playoffs, but at least we have some fantastic playoff showdowns to look forward to. Kawhi vs. the world? The new-look Rockets vs. the new-look Thunder? KD vs. Russ? The Timberpups looking to prove themselves?
It really doesn’t even matter what the ultimate first round matchups are going to be, because the bottom of the West will at least have some intriguing storylines and star-studded matchups to look forward to. The deeper into the postseason we get, the better those matchups become.
Next: 10 bold predictions for 2017-18 NBA season
In an offseason that saw so many stars flock from the East, you can be guaranteed the ensuing Western Conference bloodbath will make this postseason one to remember, even if the final result winds up being thoroughly predictable.