NBA BUBBLE PREDICTIONS PART 6
by CONNOR KIRST
We are officially in the final edition of my NBA Bubble predictions for this season. While every team may have a chance to contend for a playoff spot, all of these teams just feel a step below to me. This is the "what are we doing here?" tier. As always if you've missed any of the other parts of this series you can check them out here:
Brooklyn Nets (30-34, 7th in the East)
The Nets may be the current 7th seed, but this is a team that no one should have hope for during the Bubble. Most people are pretty excited the NBA is coming back but it's not looking great for Nets fans with the majority of this team sitting out. This will be a forgettable season for Brooklyn who swung big on acquiring Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Durant has announced he will not be returning and Kyrie is also ruled out. Irving looked great in the 20 games he played this year, but this was a middling team even with the former Cleveland/Boston star. Irving himself had the nerve to say that the Nets were "a piece or two away". While I think that "piece or two" is a healthy Durant and Irving, this team is clearly not ready to contend this season.
In addition to Kyrie and KD sitting out, the Nets will also be without the services of Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan, Taurean Prince, and Wilson Chandler. Pretty much the Nets are hoping that Caris Levert or Jarrett Allen play out of their goddamn minds. I guess Joe Harris is solid too, right?? The Nets will pretty much run a skeleton rotation and it will be interesting to see how they do. They also just signed Jamal Crawford and I would bank on him having some sort of big moment for no reason at all. The Wizards are without Bradley Beal, John Wall, and Davis Bertans, so I still think the Nets might end up with a playoff spot.
When Irving and Durant come back this team will undoubtedly be better. I'm not sure if that's a championship-caliber duo but they have built a solid foundation around them. Durant hasn't been able to win a title outside of Golden State and will have much to prove next year. Kyrie also needs to shake the reputation of being a me-first player and start making others around him better. I do like Kyrie more in the sidekick role, but his strengths have seemed to shift to the iso/one-on-one game. Any way you slice it, the Nets will have a tough time in this postseason in my opinion.
BEST CASE: JUST MAKING THE PLAYOFFS, DEFINITELY GETTING SWEPT
WORST CASE: WASHINGTON SNEAKS IN
Sacramento Kings (28-36, 11th in the West)
I don't want to say Sacramento has no business being in the NBA Bubble, but it's very hard to see this team being competitive enough to make the playoffs. De'Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Buddy Hield are a solid top 3, but they lack the experience to truly compete with stronger Western teams. I actually love De'Aaron Fox's game and think he'll be an excellent player for a long time, but the Kings will not be competitive even under these unusual circumstances.
What is holding the Kings development back this year is Marvin Bagley III's inability to stay healthy. He's shown some promise but has been limited to just 75 games in his first 2 seasons. C Richaun Holmes has filled in decently for Bagley, but the Kings are sure to be disappointed that Bagley is not returning for the Bubble. Worth noting that Holmes left the NBA Bubble for chicken wings, which is kind of hilarious.
I don't feel like I have much else to say about this team. I would say their future is still somewhat bright, but I strongly believe that they took a huge step back from last season.
BEST CASE: JUST BEING COMPETITIVE IN GAMES, FALLING SHORT OF THE PLAYOFFS
WORST CASE: ANYONE GETTING HURT OR JUST LOOKING STRAIGHT UP BAD
Phoenix Suns (26-39, 13th in the West)
Phoenix has been one of the more unfortunate teams in recent years. They always seem to have good young talent but are doomed from underachieving and from playing in the West. They will need an absolute miracle to make the playoffs, so honestly its a surprise they're even in the Bubble.
That's not to say they can't provide some entertainment, however. I've said a lot about Devin Booker recently in my
2015 NBA Lottery Re-Draft, so I won't ramble on about him here, but Booker is a good player who has had some bad luck. Booker has definitely benefitted from the arrival of veteran Ricky Rubio, but it still hasn't fully worked out for them. Deandre Ayton also has a ton of potential and put up 19 PPG 12 RPG in 30 games this year. Ayton missed time due to a performance-enhancing drug suspension, but he improved a decent amount in his 2nd year. The Suns made some strides this year, but are still a little ways away from competing for a lower playoff spot.
Phoenix made some decent moves both in-season and last offseason, and have found unlikely contributors in Kelly Oubre Jr., Arron Baynes, Frank Kaminsky, and Dario Saric. Oubre and Baynes both arguably had career years. It is up in the air whether Oubre will be playing in the Bubble, but the Suns could definitely use his 2-way versatility and scoring help.
I would put Phoenix in the "year away" tier, but they've been a "year away" for much of the past 5 years. I don't like their chances of making the playoffs this season one bit to be completely honest, but they will 100 percent have a game or 2 that has Twitter buzzing. Hopefully for them its for the right reasons.
BEST CASE: BOOKER AND AYTON COMBINE FOR A COUPLE BIG MOMENTS, FALLING SHORT OF THE PLAYOFFS
WORST CASE: STILL A YEAR AWAY FROM BEING A YEAR AWAY
Washington Wizards (24-40, 9th in the East)
The Washington Wizards are without Bradley Beal, John Wall, and Davis Bertans. This is not the recipe for success by any means. Beal was having one of the best offensive seasons in the league averaging 30.5 PPG and 6.1 APG in more of a lead guard role than we were accustomed to. Beal showed that he is capable of handling that role, but unfortunately, it did not translate to wins for the Wizards.
Washington has arguably the least amount of talent in the Bubble. It is a good opportunity for them to see what they have in young players like Rui Hachimura, Troy Brown Jr., Jerome Robinson, and Thomas Bryant. While none of these guys, other than Hachimura, have shown much in the NBA, the Wizards really having nothing to lose by playing them at this point. Bryant and Brown have at least found a role for Washington this season, Robinson is a former lottery pick. Hachimura has potential as a combo forward, he really just needs to improve his shooting. I am slightly worried about Rui in a starring role against the other more talented teams but it should be a solid test too.
If the Wizards had at least Beal and Bertans playing, I would take them over the Nets. Bertans was an excellent stretch big for them this season and it is a huge blow not having him in Orlando. Of all of the teams mentioned in this series, I really don't know the direction this team will go after. John Wall is a talented player, but his contract is mammoth and he's missed nearly 2 years after tearing his Achilles. Beal looks like a legit superstar, but there isn't much else to be excited about.
BEST CASE: SEE WHAT THEY HAVE WITH THE YOUNG PLAYERS, GET SOME MOMENTUM AND CHEMISTRY FOR NEXT YEAR
WORST CASE: THE NBA's WORST DEFENSE CONTINUES THAT TREND, YOUNG PLAYERS FALTER
This is officially the conclusion of my NBA Bubble Predictions series. Thanks to anyone who took the time to read it, and I can't wait to find out what actually happens. Stay tuned for more NBA posts and more coming up!
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