6. Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz quietly built a stronger contender, acquiring Mike Conley in a trade deal. He’s going into his age-32 campaign, but the savvy veteran bounced back from an Achilles injury, averaging 21.1 points and 6.4 assists per game last season.
The 6’1″, 175-pound guard doesn’t have an All-Star year on his resume (shocking), but he’s a floor general who’s going to mesh well with Donovan Mitchell off the ball.
The Jazz also added three-point shooting to the wings, signing Bojan Bogdanović who converted an efficient 43 percent from beyond the arc last season. Utah ranked ninth in three-pointers made per game last year (12.1), the 6’8″ shooter will boost that number, which makes the starting lineup harder to defend for the upcoming term.
The Jazz get the nod over the Blazers because of Rudy Gobert, their two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and a stingy defense that allowed the fourth-fewest points (106.5) last season.
5. Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers won’t play for the No. 1 seed in the West. Head coach Frank Vogel will keep the big picture in mind—a run at an NBA title, which likely means several load management absences for James and Davis.
The Lakers could very well win 50-53 games and finish as a No. 4 or No. 5 seed and then crank their intensity levels up several notches for the postseason. In a wide-open league without a superteam, Los Angeles doesn’t have to press for playoff placement—just clinch a postseason berth and allow James and Davis to lead the charge at full strength late in the spring.
The critique of DeMarcus Cousins‘ rough playoff run seems overstated. Secondly, let’s hit the brakes on talk about his sharp decline. He recovered from a torn Achilles, only played 30 regular-season contests and then suffered a torn left quad in the first round of the postseason last year. The 28-year-old says he’s fully healthy and plans to suit up for 82 games in the upcoming campaign.
Kyle Kuzma and Cousins should have big games, specifically when James and Davis sit for load management. With Danny Green‘s efficient three-point shooting, this Lakers roster isn’t as thin as many would think after missing out on Leonard. Star power propels Los Angeles over Utah in the rankings.
4. Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets executed a blockbuster deal that keeps them in the thick of the hunt for an NBA title and excuses them from Paul who’s no longer worth his contract—well done Daryl Morey.
We’re going to hear about potential issues with two ball-dominant stars, James Harden and Westbrook, joining forces, but one of the two superstars have led the league in assists in each of the last three seasons. Eric Gordon should have plenty of open three-point looks at the basket.
Unlike the Lakers’ stars, the Rockets premiere playmakers won’t take many load management days. They’ll both go full speed from November to April. Houston will have a better regular-season record than Los Angeles, but Harden and Westbrook still have a lot to prove in the postseason.