NBA: Players with the most to prove on each team for 2019-20

Every NBA player is burdened with the weight of expectations. Some are minuscule while others could make or break the season.

The NBA is heading into a 2019-20 campaign that ranks as its most unpredictable in years.

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Having been the presumptive favorites every year, the Golden State Warriors no longer stand above the rest of the league while the overall level of talent has dispersed in a way that’s evened the playing field.

Big Threes have been replaced by dynamic duos, resulting in several teams strengthening their belief in their ability to realistically contend for a title. For those specific franchises, the goal of the coming season is to win a championship, but such isn’t the wide-held endgame everywhere else and certainly not among every player.

Expectations are a tricky thing to gauge on a case to case basis. What might be considered a success for one person could be considered an utter failure for another. Not everyone in the NBA is held to the same standard and none are on the same paths, but all are forced to deal with a certain level of expectations that alters the perception of their talent.

By default, one player on each team has more to prove than his teammates, but the motives behind that drive for success vary incredibly.

Some All-Stars want to show they can win at the highest level, often-injured players are looking to stay healthy and young studs want to turn potential into production.

It’s a list with plenty of recognizable names and even those considered the leaders of their respective teams.

All are looking to prove something in the coming season. Whether or not they accomplish goals both set by them and the outside world will tell us a lot about how the season plays out.