After an offseason rife with player movement and drama, the 2019-2020 NBA season looks wide open. Los Angeles’ teams made the splashiest moves this summer, but the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers also added to their already successful rosters. The general managers have had their chance to vote on their predictions — now, NYU students try their hands at it.
“LeBron [James] and Anthony Davis complement each other really well and are the best duo in the league and the West is relatively open now and the Lakers are definitely capable of beating the Clippers. Also, the Sixers can lock down any team in the East if they click.” — Archit Reddy, CAS First-Year
“The Clippers are a close call because of Kawhi, but Paul George is not on the same caliber when matched up with Anthony Davis or LeBron, so their duo isn’t as dynamic. Clippers are tough, but their playoff experience as a whole doesn’t compare to the Lakers. For the East, I’m leaning toward the Bucks, but depending on how Al Horford fits with Philly and how well Ben Simmons shoots, Philly could take it as well.” — Hanjie Li, CAS First-Year
“[The sleeper team] is probably the 76ers because they will have an easier road to the NBA finals. If Ben Simmons actually has a developed shot, they should be able to compete with either the Clippers or Lakers, who will probably win the West.” — Lesly Honore, CAS Sophomore
“I think Giannis Antetokounmpo will get MVP because no one can match his combination of physical attributes and athleticism and he’s improving his long range shooting. If he can start to stretch the floor, he will be unguardable.” — Will Rojas, CAS First-Year
“I think that this year, LeBron James will be the MVP of the NBA. With the new partnership with Anthony Davis, he’s going to have many assists inside the paint and he’s going to be able to drive and score at the rim. If he averages anywhere near his usual 28 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, I don’t see anybody playing better than that on their new teams.” — Alex Grossman, SPS First-Year
A version of this article appears in the Monday, October 20, 2019, print edition. Email Arvind Sriram at [email protected].
