We are less than 24 hours away from the season’s Tip-Off, and with that we are wrapping up our team breakdowns with the very exciting Southeast Division with many new faces that are must-see television.
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1. Atlanta Hawks (Finished Last Season 20-47, 14th Seed)
2020 Offseason Acquisitions:
- Danilo Gallinari, SF/PF (free agency)
- Rajon Rondo, PG (free agency)
- Tony Snell, SG/SF (traded from Detroit)
- Bogdan Bodanovic (free agency)
- Solomon Hill (free agency)
2020 Key Losses:
- Dewayne Dedmon (traded to Detroit)
Roster and Depth Chart
- PG: Trae Young, Rajon Rondo, Kris Dunn, Brandon Goodwin, Bogdan Bogdanovic
- SG: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish, Kris Dunn, Tony Snell
- SF: De’Andre Hunter, Cam Reddish, Kris Dunn, Tony Snell, Danilo Gallinari
- PF: John Collins, Danilo Gallinari, De’Andre Hunter, Solomon Hill, Onyeka Okongwu
- C: Clint Capela, Onyeka Okongwu, Bruno Fernando, John Collins, Nathan Knight
Strengths:
- Trae Young. It goes without saying that the third-year All-Star caliber PG is on a major upswing based off his performances season’s past. It seems like more times than naught that we see Young with highlight clips on Instagram or ESPN’s Top 10 on a regular basis, whether it be from his ability to shoot from anywhere on the court or showcasing his ball on a string handle on unsuspecting defenders. It’s only right to assume that he’s more than capable than keeping up such a high level of play, if not even more than we’ve seen thus far.‘
- Offensive Weapons. When taking a look at the Hawks depth chart for this season, the argument can definitely be made that the organization has made some major improvements offensively off the bench with names like Bogdanovic and Gallinari in the mix. The youth on this team also has a lot of promise. With De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish being some of the few young faces having gotten their feet wet heading into their second year’s in the league, they too, alongside Trae Young will be much more comfortable in the NBA.
Weaknesses:
- Hawks’ Defense. It has been pretty apparent that the Hawks had many things that needed adjusting in order for the team’s success to rise going into the new season, and it remains to be seen if they’ll be able to increase their defensive capabilities. Despite having defensive anchors John Collins and Clint Capela guarding the paint, the biggest question lies along the perimeter. Although there have been glimpses of solid defensive showings throughout the course of last season, the Hawk’s should be determined in being able to disrupting opposing offenses on a consistent basis.
Record Prediction: 33-39.
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2. Orlando Magic (Finished Last Season 33-40, 8th Seed)
2020 Offseason Acquisitions:
- Jonathan Issac, PF/C (re-signed)
- Markelle Fultz, PG/SG (re-signed)
- Cole Anthony, PG/SG (draft)
2020 Key Losses:
- N/A
Roster and Depth Chart:
- PG: Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony, Michael Carter-Williams, Karim Mane, Jordan Bone
- SG: Evan Fournier, Terrence Ross, Michael Carter-Williams, Cole Anthony, Dwayne Bacon
- SF: James Ennis III, Dwayne Bacon, Terrence Ross, Michael Carter-Williams, Evan Fournier
- PF: Aaron Gordon, Chuma Okeke, Al-Farouq Aminu, Gary Clark, James Ennis III
- C: Nikola Vucevic, Khem Birch, Mo Bamba, Chuma Okeke, Gary Clark
Strengths:
- Consistency. Despite being an organization with no major standout players, the Magic have been consistently making trips to the Playoffs in season’s past. The players that they do have, however, have been key in their success and it would seem that the Magic are opting in to stick with what they have, with players like Aaron Gordon, Markelle Fultz, Nikola Vucevic, and Evan Fournier becoming household names in Orlando. And ultimately if this team is able to progress and get better together there’s no reason why they Magic can’t make a deeper run in the Playoffs.
Weaknesses:
- No “Go-to” Option. It seems pretty counterintuitive to say that the Magic have been having success without standout players then immediately saying that they have no “Superstar” on their team, and that would be true, but it has to be said that the teams in this league for the most part have that #1 option that they look towards to be the leader of their roster. From what can be observed from seasons past, the Magic haven’t really had something of that nature. It should also be said that this doesn’t ensure turbulence for them, but having that type of player is vital to have if/when trouble does come their way.
Record Prediction: 36-36.
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3. Miami Heat (Finished Last Season 44-29, 5th Seed)
2020 Offseason Acquisitions:
- Avery Bradley, SG
2020 Key Losses:
- Jae Crowder, SF/PF
Roster and Depth Chart:
- PG: Goran Dragic, Kendrick Nunn, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Avery Bradley
- SG: Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro, Avery Bradley, Jimmy Butler, Andre Iguodala
- SF: Jimmy Butler, Andre Iguodala, Maurice Harkless, Avery Bradley, Duncan Robinson
- PF: Maurice Harkless, Meyers Leonard, Kelly Olynyk, Precious Achiuwa, Andre Iguodala
- C: Bam Adebayo, Kelly Olynyk, Meyers Leonard, Precious Achiuwa, Chris Silva
Strengths:
- Jimmy Butler. After last season’s Playoff run leading all the way up to the NBA Finals with Jimmy “Buckets” Butler at the head of it all, anyone would be remiss to not mention his ability to lead a team. After bouncing around the league for a couple of seasons, it seems that Butler has found a home in South Beach and is more ready than ever to take another shot at the NBA Championship.
- Roster Depth. Looking back at last season, we’ve learned that the Miami Heat have threats everywhere in the scoring department with Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro showing that they’re very comfortable under the bright lights going into their rookie years. The Heat have also scouted even more talent in Precious Achiuwa and KZ Okpala (who’s on a 2-way contract). They’ve also managed to blend in solid veteran role players with Avery Bradley and Andre Iguodala to help defensively but more so leading the younger guys.
Weaknesses:
- Team Health. Like any team in the league, the injury bugs strikes at any given time throughout the season, and unfortunately for the Heat it hit in the midst of the NBA Finals. Although Dragic and Adebayo have had some time now to recover from their injuries, there is always chance for a re-injury (knock on wood) or for another player on their roster to go down.
Record Prediction: 38-34.
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4. Charlotte Hornets (Finished 23-42 Last Season, 10th Seed)
2020 Offseason Acquisitions:
- Gordon Hayward (trade)
- LaMelo Ball (draft)
2020 Key Losses:
- Nicolas Batum (free agency)
Roster and Depth Chart:
- PG: Devonte Graham, LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Malik Monk, Cody Martin
- SG: Terry Rozier, Caleb Martin, Malik Monk, Cody Martin, Devonte Graham
- SF: Gordon Hayward, Miles Bridges, Cody Martin, Caleb Martin, Jalen McDaniels
- PF: P.J. Washington, Jalen McDaniels, Miles Bridges, Gordon Hayward
- C: Cody Zeller, Bismack Biyombo, P.J. Washington, Vernon Carey Jr., Nick Richards
Strengths:
- Roster Changes. Last year there were many glimpses of what could be a solid Hornets team, and throughout the offseason, the organization may have been able to make some key additions to the team to propel them to a more competitive team. With Gordon Hayward coming from Boston and LaMelo Ball getting drafted by Charlotte, the team has gained some interest potential that they can potentially reach.
Weaknesses:
- Roster Depth. Although with the additions of Hayward and Ball are solid acquisitions, the question bares whether or not it’s enough to put them in a position to contend in the Playoffs in what is becoming a very strong Eastern Conference.
Record Prediction: 24-48.
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5. Washington Wizards (Finished Last Season 25-47, 9th Seed)
2020 Offseason Acquisitions:
- Russell Westbrook PG (traded from Houston)
2020 Key Losses:
- John Wall PG (traded to Houston)
Roster and Depth Chart:
- PG: Russell Westbrook, Raul Neto, Ish Smith, Cassius Winston, Troy Brown Jr.
- SG: Bradley Beal, Jerome Robinson, Troy Brown Jr., Garrison Matthews, Raul Neto
- SF: Deni Avdija, Issac Bonga, Troy Brown Jr., Garrison Matthews, Jerome Robinson
- PF: Davis Bertans, Rui Hachimura, Mortiz Wagner, Deni Avdija, Troy Brown Jr.
- C: Thomas Bryant, Robin Lopez, Mortiz Wagner, Anzjes Pasecniks, Rui Hachimura
Strengths:
- Russell Westbrook. Although Wizards’s fans lost household name and perennial All-Star John Wall this past offseason, they’ve received what might just be a breath of fresh air in Russell Westbrook. Also despite the comparison’s between the two players that some have made, both Wizards’ fans as well as the organization should be excited to be getting a point guard of equal or higher caliber back after being without John Wall in season’s past due to injury. Now that Westbrook is in the mix, the Wizards are set to get back to old ways, that is making the Playoffs and being a contender for the Championship. This is in no way, shape, or form a knock on John Wall, however, if anything it’s truly a testament to his impact on the team when he’s on the floor versus when he’s not. But now the Wizards have a former League MVP in their corner, which could potentially set them up success and perhaps even a deep run into the post season.
- Bradley Beal. Bradley Beal is easily one of the most underrated players in this league today, after being made apparent by getting snubbed in the All-Star selections several times. This however has not slowed Beal down, perhaps even driving him even further towards the recognition he deserves. Surely he finds himself in a position that can help him do so, now alongside Russell Westbrook as stated above. Beal has shown that he can take over games and now that he has more help he can definitely find more than just individual success going into this season.
Weaknesses:
- Team Cohesion/Chemistry. Although it may be the opinion of some whether from fans or former teammates that Russell Westbrook is the type of player that people love to have in their locker room, there may be some turbulence with the team figuring out how he can fit in to the rest of the roster and vice versa. NBA fans saw some of said turbulence in Houston with Westbrook and Harden trying to figure out how to run their offense. Unfortunately this could still be the case potentially in Washington if things don’t work out.
Record Prediction: 37-35.
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