https://www.nba.com/news/spotlighting-the-8-true-contenders-for-2020-21-season The chase for the top four spots in the Eastern and Western Conference standings tipped off well in advance of the Dec. 22 start of the 2020-21 NBA season. You can go back as far as the start of trade season to see who was serious about contending. Draft night and then free agency were the next steps. And with the start of training camps around the league just days away, the picture is coming into better focus with each transaction. There are tiers in this game, teams that separate themselves from the pack based on the work they do in the offseason — even an abbreviated and compressed one like we’re living through right now. So in advance of the Dec. 1 open of training camps, here’s a list of the true contenders (four from the Eastern Conference teams and four more from the Western Conference): Eastern Conference Milwaukee Bucks 2019-20 finish: 56-17, 1st Eastern Conference, lost to Miami in conference semifinals Key offseason acquisitions: Jrue Holiday, Bobby Portis, D.J. Augustin 2020-21 outlook: The Bucks hope an upgrade at point guard (Holiday and Augustin in place of Eric Bledsoe and George Hill) is the key to getting past their issues in the playoffs. Portis adds an element of toughness and paint scoring that could also prove beneficial for the second unit. The signature of Giannis Antetokounmpo on that five-year extension any time in the next month is the tonic the organization needs to ease any fears going into this season. That said, the postseason is where all of the moves (including increased flexibility from coach Mike Budenholzer) will ultimately be judged. Being the best regular season team in the league for a third straight season won’t move the needle much in Milwaukee as the bitter taste of coming up short in each of the past two postseasons. The power of Giannis alone is cause for optimism. The reigning, back-to-back Kia MVP has earned the right to inspire that sort of confidence. A quasi-Big 3 of Giannis, Khris Middleton and Holiday is enough to keep the Bucks in the contender mix for the foreseeable future. Miami Heat 2019-20 Finish: 44-29, 5th Eastern Conference, lost to Los Angeles Lakers in The Finals Key offseason acquisitions: Avery Bradley, Moe Harkless, Precious Achiuwa (rookie) 2020-21 outlook: The quality of Miami’s free-agent additions speak to the culture of an organization that attracts veteran role players. Both Bradley and Harkless, excellent defenders and somewhat underrated offensive performers, are perfect fits targeted by Pat Riley and Andy Elisburg. Achiuwa will add depth to an already deep roster that came into its own in the Orlando bubble. With Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo (fresh off of agreeing to a five-year extension), Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Andre Iguodala, Kendrick Nunn and re-signed veteran point Goran Dragic leading the way, the Heat are poised to leapfrog a few teams in the standings. The temptation to move the Heat ahead of the Bucks in the pecking order is strong heading into training camp. The continuity and confidence built in the past year should give coach Erik Spoelstra much more comfortability with his group than he had going into his first training camp with Butler and the youngsters that played their way to the final game of the season. Brooklyn Nets 2019-20 finish: 35-37, 7th Eastern Conference, lost to Toronto in the first round Key offseason acquisitions: Landry Shamet, Jeff Green 2020-21 outlook: It’s not the influx of talent that fuels the belief in the Nets, it’s the return of superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving coupled with the addition of Steve Nash and his coaching staff (which includes Mike D’Antoni and Amar’e Stoudemire) that has the Nets believing they are in instant contender mode. Nash’s embrace of these supersized expectations is refreshing. The hardest part, however, remains. He’ll have to cultivate the chemistry of this group in short order to put them on a trajectory that matches the optimism. We still don’t know if Durant will be all the way back to his normal self after his Achilles injury. And there will be some uncertainty for guys like Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie as long as the trade rumors continue to swirl. But from a talent standpoint, the Nets have assembled a group that holds up against anyone else in the Eastern Conference and actually boasts the best 1-2 punch in Durant and Kyrie Irving. This isn’t the exact same projection the LA Clippers had in training camp last season, but it’s close. Boston Celtics 2019-20 finish: 48-24, 3rd Eastern Conference, lost to Miami in conference finals Key offseason acquisitions: Tristan Thompson, Jeff Teague, Aaron Nesmith (rookie) 2020-21 outlook: Danny Ainge’s restraint this offseason is as impressive as it is surprising, given his usual preference for tinkering with the roster. But the Celtics stumbled onto something in the bubble playing off the strengths of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart and Daniel Theis. A physical force like Thompson adds an element of defensive toughness and rebounding that Enes Kanter simply did not. Teague is subtle improvement as a backup. And don’t sleep on Grant Williams, who acquitted himself quite well in the bubble. The continued development of Carson Edwards, Robert Williams and Romeo Langford is critical for depth purposes. Adding a shooter with the size and versatility of Nesmith adds even more depth. The Celtics will still have some size and depth concerns to address, but there’s no denying the potency of their core group and what they’ve already accomplished as Tatum and Brown enter the primes of their careers. Three more to keep an eye on: Toronto, Philadelphia, Atlanta Western Conference Los Angeles Lakers 2019-20 finish: 52-19, 1st Western Conference, defeated Miami in The Finals Key offseason acquisitions: Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell, Marc Gasol, Wesley Matthews 2020-21 outlook: Rob Pelinka’s quest for the respect LeBron James talked about the night the Lakers clinched championship No. 17 in the Orlando bubble continued into the offseason. Pelinka didn’t rest on what was accomplished. He added key pieces in Schroder, Harrell, Gasol and Matthews. He knows LeBron will figure out a way to integrate each of those veterans into the mix that flows through he and Anthony Davis (whose contract situation is nothing to worry about). Running it back with Markieff Morris and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who were both superb in their roles in the Lakers’ bubble title run, makes plenty of sense. The kicker will be figuring out exactly what works with so many different rotation options. With no Rajon Rondo around to aid that cause, this is what will occupy the majority of coach Frank Vogel and his staff’s time in the first weeks of this truncated regular season. Beyond that, the Lakers enter this season head and shoulders above the competition. Denver Nuggets 2019-20 finish: 46-27, 3rd Western Conference, lost to the Lakers in conference finals Key offseason acquisitions: JaMychal Green, Facundo Campazzo, R.J. Hampton (rookie) 2020-21 outlook: The Nuggets’ deft touch in the Draft allowed them to move on from the Jerami Grant free-agent sweepstakes in favor of leaning into the Michael Porter Jr./Bol Bol experiment. Re-signing Paul Millsap on a reported one-year deal also provides some insurance for a team that needs to sort out its minutes priorities after a surprising run to the conference finals in the Orlando bubble. Coach Mike Malone has his dynamic duo in All-NBA big man Nikola Jokic and rising star Jamal Murray. Filling in the blanks properly around those two is where the real work kicks in during training camp. The competition for minutes at every other position should be fierce, which is exactly the way Nuggets’ brass should want it, if the Nuggets are all in on what they started in Orlando. Porter Jr. and Bol are undeniably next-level talents. Whether they are truly ready for the prime time grind of a full season remains to be seen (the bubbles was a useful but limited sample). LA Clippers 2019-20 finish: 49-23, 2nd Western Conference, lost to Denver in conference semifinals Key offseason acquisitions: Serge Ibaka, Luke Kennard 2020-21 outlook: Ibaka is a great get and fit for a Clippers team clearly looking shake things up (fitting Ibaka for the role Kia Sixth Man Award winner Harrell played for them last season). Re-signing Marcus Morris to a four-year, $64 million deal speaks to the Clippers belief that his quality work in the bubble (on both ends of the floor) translates long-term. Trading for Luke Kennard and sliding him into the role Landry Shamet played last season makes sense, especially if the knee issues that limited Kennard to just 28 games last season are a thing of the past. But barring a trade that dramatically shakes things up, these Clippers under new coach Tyronn Lue will resemble the same team Doc Rivers couldn’t get past the Nuggets in the bubble. The Clippers are betting on the fresh perspective and impact Lue and his staff will have helps transform the team’s DNA. The argument that the transformation responsibility should be on Kawhi Leonard and Paul George is a stronger one, and quite frankly, matters as much or more than anything the new staff brings to the party. Portland Trail Blazers 2019-20 finish: 35-39, 8th Western Conference, lost to the Lakers in first round Key offseason acquisitions: Robert Covington, Derrick Jones Jr., Enes Kanter, Harry Giles 2020-21 outlook: The Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks could stake their own claim to a top-four spot this season. But both have significant injury issues (Klay Thompson for the Warriors and Kristaps Porzingis for the Mavericks) to deal with. And the Phoenix Suns made their splash with Chris Paul, but sooner or later Neil Olshey and his front office crew in Portland will get credit for building the foundation they have around Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic. The Blazers have filled out their roster with type of talent and depth that pushes them over the top right now. The forward rotation of Covington, Derrick Jones Jr., Carmelo Anthony (re-signed), Rodney Hood (re-signed) and sleeper pick up Giles stabilizes the only spot on the roster that was vulnerable heading into the offseason. Gary Trent Jr. and Anfernee Simons have shown tremendous growth and fortify a second unit that would include Anthony, Hood and Kanter. That’s depth the other contenders for this spot simply don’t have as training camp nears. Three more to keep an eye on: Dallas, Golden State, Phoenix * * * Sekou Smith is a veteran NBA reporter and NBA TV analyst. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.
Many times, IMO. “Contender” is not the same as “favorite”. Favorite means you’re the team that should win it all as long as the injury bug doesn’t derail your chances. This year, that’s the Lakers and, maybe, the Bucks. Contender means you have the pieces to compete for the title if the favorite stumbles.
well...we disagree on that. To me "contender" means you have the pieces to win it all, no matter what any other team does. Contenders don't need to sneak in the back door
I definitely believe in this roster and think we're able to win it all if we stay healthy and together.
Well, in that case there’s only the Lakers. Healthy, I don’t see a team that’s capable of winning a four game series against them. Of course, the reality is that injuries, or bad trades, or bad chemistry have taken out top contenders frequently in NBA history. I say the same thing every year, it’s not the best roster on opening day that wins the title; it’s usually the healthiest best roster come the finals.
Yeah, I don't get that. I think a contender is by definition a team that is in contention. That means a team that could actually win it. I don't know if we are that because many media outlets use the term pretenders when describing a team that some think has a chance to win it all but actually doesn't. When I think about it more, with our depth, new defensive specialists and Dame's ability to carry our offense along with other scorers, we could conceivably beat any team in the league in a seven game series. So yeah we are contenders. The chances that we beat the Lakers are very slim but I think we have a great chance at beating anyone else in the league. As someone else already said, you can't only have one contender. The Lakers are in a class by themselves but I feel like there are four teams in the West (us, the Clippers, the Mavs and the Nuggets) and five in the East (the Bucks, the Nets, the Heat, the Celtics and the Sixers) that are all on a similar level and the fact that any of the four in the West could be in the conference finals against the Lakers or any of the five in the East could be in the finals against the Lakers makes them all contenders. It would be shocking to me if the Lakers didn't win a second title in a row and that makes them the prohibitive favorites but shocking things happen in sports all of the time and that's what makes these other teams contenders.
I don't think the Lakers improved in the offseason. Dwight Howard was a big part of their success on defense (also getting Jokic into foul trouble) and Rondo was their third best player in the playoffs. Harrell and Schroeder aren't as good as those guys. They still have AD and LeBron though so they're still gonna be good but we won a game against them last year without Collins, Ariza, or Hood and with CJ's back broken and we didn't have Dame for Game 5 (a game we could've won to make it interesting). So when you look at it that way and add Kanter, DJJ, Hood, Covington, and Collins and you consider GT2 is at least slightly better, well... I'm pretty sure we could win an entire series against the Lakers. No question.
LeBron looked old to me at times in the bubble. He cant go by people anymore. He plows into guys and sometimes gets calls then other times does this 360 spin move drive. Its crazy how statistically effective he still was.... but I wonder if this might be the season he takes a big step back. He doesn't have an offseason to rest. I certainly don't count him out, but hes becoming one of the oldest guys in the league. Davis was a beast, but hes been injury prone other years. Their role players really excelled in the playoffs. Even if its an upgrade on paper its very possible they don't perform as well. Yes I'd say Lakers are favorites, but its nothing like the Warriors were, and we even saw a couple of those teams lose.
I'd put our roster over the banged up Miami roster we saw in the Finals and they took them to a competitive 6 games. I think we'd have a chance.
Imo a lot of it depends on our bench. If GTJ continues his rapid development we could make it to the WCF/Finals. Kanter’s go-to scoring ability in that second unit will be huge as well.
This is foolhardy stuff guys. LeBron is still incredibly dominant and is adapting his game as his insane athleticism is turning into just sane but still very scary athleticism. I don't know if anyone can be a better passer than he's been but he is becoming more committed to passing, that only makes him more dangerous. Like Dame's three, the fact that LeBron can set someone up to score easily at any moment makes it harder for the opposing defense to sell out on trying to stop his scoring at or near the hoop, that's why his efficiency is so good... and by the way you're allowed to barrel into opposing defenders if they don't get their feet set and you don't lower your shoulder. There are some perks to being as massive as LeBron is. You were right to say that AD is a beast. As far as the changes they made go, those changes obviously made them better. Schroder is an obvious upgrade over Rondo, he's just more athletic and more involved in the game than Rondo could be last season. Opinions on Harrell differ but to say that he won't have more of an impact than Dwight Howard at this stage of his career makes me think you haven't been watching either of the guys play. The Lakers can look for improvements from Kuzma. They get great shooting and effort off the bench from Wes. They will still have KCP who is the exact kind of guard that LeBron and AD need playing with them. Hell, I'm not counting Marc Gasol out, he could have just as shocking of a comeback year for them as Howard did last year. The fact is they will be better this season, like it or not. They are the prohibitive favorites. That being said, I really like what we've done and last season the experts said we were the scariest team for them and they didn't actually have to face us. Well this season, hopefully in the WCF they will have to face us and we are a very similar team accept this time we've upgraded our defense and we've seriously gotten deeper. So all though I see this Lakers squad as historically good. I think we could shock some people and beat them in a very competitive series.
Harrell couldn't even stay on the floor in the Den-LAC series. His defense is awful. Like exactly the opposite of Howard. As for Schroeder, what has he ever accomplished in this league? Playoff Rondo is far better than anything we've seen Schroeder do.
I definitely agree that the Lakers should be the favorites come playoff-time; what I really wonder though is whether they will even attempt to procure the top seed. Given (as mentioned above) Lebron's age, AD's injury history, the lack of off-season, and the compressed schedule, I have to believe they'll be doing a lot a lot of "load management" this season. That's gonna cost them some games, but I doubt they care. It wouldn't shock me in the least for the Blazers and their insane depth to finish the season higher in the standings than the Lakers this year...but Lebron (if healthy) will always be the favorite to win the conference title.
Schroder was a terrible defender until last season. Schroder was horribly inefficient from almost every area of the floor until last season. If last season was an outlier (it very well could be), then I'm not sure that pickup is all that impactful.
The Clippers are known for that as well. Portland could be gunning for the 1 seed, hoping that the LA teams slot in at 2 and 3.
Would welcome a true 'contender' status for the Blazers by the end of the season. Losing 4 games in a row to end the year gets old.
