3. Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks lost one key player from their 60-win team last year, Malcolm Brogdon, who became the eighth qualified player to join the 50-40-90 club with those shooting percentages from the field, three-point land and the free-throw line, respectively.
The Bucks signed Wesley Matthews, a specialist capable of knocking down open shots after Giannis Antetokounmpo collapses the defense. Milwaukee would also like to see Brook Lopez continue to take advantage of those opportunities.
Last season, Milwaukee finished with the best record in the league and lost a player who ranked fourth in usage rate (20.7) among the starters. Don’t expect a sharp decline here. Mike Budenholzer, the reigning Head Coach of the Year, should be able to lead this squad to consecutive No. 1 seeds in the East. The Bucks have continuity and arguably the best player in the conference.
2. Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets have one of the deepest rosters in the league, and they hope to see Michael Porter Jr. on the floor in the upcoming season. The No. 14 overall pick from the 2018 draft suffered what’s deemed a minor knee sprain, which kept him out of summer-league action. Assuming he makes a debut in the fall, this squad has a loaded second unit.
More importantly, the Nuggets have an emerging star in Nikola Jokić, who made his first All-Star appearance last season. Will Barton goes into the year healthy after dealing with a nagging groin injury through the 2018-19 term, per The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider.
Lastly, the Nuggets finished with the best home record (34-7) in the past campaign. This group should be able to handle a relentless gauntlet in the West with solid talent spread across the roster.
1. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers pulled off the biggest moves this offseason, signing Leonard and acquiring George via trade with Oklahoma City. The roster will feature two of the best wing players in the league.
Leonard just earned NBA Finals MVP and led the Raptors to a title; George finished as a league MVP finalist with the Thunder last year. Together, their efforts on both ends of the court will shine and complement one another.
The Clippers star players will have some help with Landry Shamet‘s three-point shooting efficiency; he knocked down 45 percent of his attempts since Philadelphia traded him to Los Angeles. Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell, two 2018-19 Sixth Man of the Year finalists with the former taking home the honor, come off the bench with scoring prowess. They averaged 20 and 16.6 points, respectively, per game last season.
Above all, head coach Doc Rivers knows how to optimize talent. He led an All-Star-less team to the No. 8 seed in the West. Now with Leonard and George in the fold, expect the Clippers take the top spot in the West and contend for an NBA title.