2ND TRIMESTER ADVICE

UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS:

2nd Trimester Strategies for Teams:

We're officially about 1/3rd done with the season. We are at the point where we have a large enough sample size to see the writing on the wall for teams.

Some teams early on were plagued with injuries, others had major COVID outbreaks, some just had a slump. A lot can change from now and the end of the season, but coaches and GMs are already looking at their roster and determining the best course of actions.

Here is just some of my thoughts, although I would love to be a fly on the wall in these meetings. I will go over each team and just give some thoughts, players to target, and where to go from here.

ATLANTA HAWKS: 9-Seed (14-14) - Prediction: Play-In:

The Hawks have not been able to capture the lightning in a bottle from the previous season. Their path is pretty obvious and it's to consolidate talent. Trae is untouchable and Capela is too important to this structure of this team. I think the combination of Huerter, Gallinari, Hunter, Reddish, and Johnson are just too many wings. The Hawks have a solid amount of draft picks, so it may make sense to try to help a team trying to reset by upgrading to a young-ish veteran. I think a great trade would be Cam Reddish and Delon Wright for Cam Reddish. Reddish is a very Pop-type player, will be given ample minutes, is probably already better than Walker and Johnson, and Wright is an expiring contract. The Hawks get a major upgrade at a secondary ball handler, he could play alongside Trae or come off the bench, and he's signed long-term. This cleans up both rosters while helping to improve.

BOSTON CELTICS: 10-Seed (14-14) - Prediction: Playoffs:

They are figuring things out, but they really just need Brown back in the rotation. Tatum has performed admirably, but it is becoming abundantly clear this roster needs a shake-up. I don't think that they need to break-up the wing duo, but there are moves that have to be done to help them improve. The problem with this team is the position they need is not readily available. I really like them trying to get John Wall, but that would require Horford, Hernangomez, and one of their young wings. They might even ask for draft consideration to take on Wall's contract, but he fits the mold of the team. I do not think the Celtics want to insert themselves in the Ben Simmons conversation, unless there is a 3-team trade of some sort, and it would likely have to include Jaylon Brown. At the end of the day it might behoove them to just hang tight until later in the season. If the Cavaliers start to slide, Rubio would be an excellent addition to this team, they too might be in the Derrick White conversation, and Tomas Satoransky could be an option if they think a change of scenery will help him improve.

BROOKLYN NETS: 1-Seed (20-8) - Prediction: Playoffs (Home Advantage):

They're the #1 seed, but not by a lot. I think they will ultimately finish as a top-3 team in the East. Their team is set up in a way that makes it difficult for them to make trades, but they are have done great with building a roster that is resilient to injury. There have already been murmurs of a Kyrie's return, Cam Thomas has been developing nicely, and Day'Ron Sharpe has incredible per-minute production. This team continues to improve and Joe Harris is close to returning from his injury. This team should be a favorite going into their first playoff match-up, but it won't be easy, as teams like Boston, Atlanta, and New York will all be vying for those late seeds and could give them trouble. As far as moves, they don't really have a lot of bullets left in the chamber, but they will likely see who becomes available in the buy-out market - guys like Tristan Thompson, Robin Lopez, or Derrick Favors could all be attained for little to no significant assets.

CHARLOTTE HORNETS: 6-Seed (16-14) - Prediction: Play-In:

The Hornets are trying to do their best impression of last year's Hawks team, but they lack the personnel to make a significant playoff run. They need to get as far as they can in the playoffs for the experience, but ultimately, they are not considered significant threats in the East. Ever since Al Jefferson left in 2016, they never really found a solution down low. They have the assets to upgrade now and get a guy under contract. Much like Atlanta did when they got Clint Capela, I think the Hornets have this option available to them in Myles Turner. Turner would have the more prominent role that he desires and would create help this team create space. His role would be more of a Serge Ibaka or Brook Lopez type role, as he has the ability to hit 3's efficiently for his position, is a blocking specialist, and still in his prime. He adds a defensive presence that PJ Washington has not developed yet, but they could play together in certain sets. Oubre and some combination of draft picks or young players will get this deal done.

CHICAGO BULLS: 2-Seed (17-10) - Prediction: Playoffs (Home Advantage):

The Bulls are stacked this year - plain and simple. They have young guys on their team, but they are looking to win now and figure out the rest later. Guys like Coby White, Derrick Jones Jr, and Troy Brown are all available. They all have solid value can could help execute a trade for a wing shooter. Their priority should be Buddy Hield, but they would have to give up less to get a guy like Eric Gordon or Doug McDermott. Chicago is also a poor rebounding team, so they could be looking to upgrade their back-up center - bidding on the same type of players as Brooklyn. The Bulls really only have 5 players they probably won't move, so their roster is pretty malleable via trade. They are somewhat hamstrung on draft picks, but era where cheap contracts are hard to find, they definitely have that to offer.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: 4-Seed (18-12) - Prediction: Playoffs:

The Cavs are drastically outperforming expectations, especially with Sexton out most of the season. They are currently sitting on a 4-game winning streak and honestly, while they aren't dominant in any particular area, they are not really requiring any specific need. A wing player would be helpful, but that is why they drafted Okoro. They have the assets already in place to succeed, but it has yet to be seen whether they feel the need to go all-in. One move that might cause a lot of conversation but wouldn't be surprising would be if they traded Collin Sexton. He is not playing the rest of the season and they have a lot of other young, underutilized players they could include to grab a player from a tanking team. If I were the Cavs, I would be targeting Caris LeVert, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and at least making a phone call to Portland for CJ McCollum. Whether or not they go in this direction is unknown, but it would not surprise me terribly to see Cleveland move on from Sexton either before the deadline or in the summer.

DALLAS MAVERICKS: 7-Seed (14-14) - Prediction: Playoffs: 

Unfortunately, they find themselves in this prediction every year. This is becoming a frustrating trend for the fan base, as they watch the Mavs sneak into a lower-tier playoff spot, only to be eliminated in the first round. The Mavericks are trying to claw into a better position, winning their last two games without their star player, Luka Doncic, and they seem to be figuring things out overall. Porzingis has become more assertive in the post game, they've swapped out Cauley-Stein with Moses Brown, they have give Burke more freedom to shoot the ball, and they continue to showcase Jalen Brunson. The problem is they still have trouble shooting and they still have trouble rebounding. There are two camps of thought for the direction of this team - one of them trying to chase a star, using Kristaps as bait - the other trying to bring in a third player to help this team over the hump. They have been connected to Goran Dragic, the fan base is clamoring for Myles Turner, but ultimately they will probably wait and see who is free on the buy-out market. A reliable shooter like Eric Gordon, Hield, McDermott would be nice, but they need to focus on Dragic and a veteran center in the buyout market. They will need to continue to rack up wins, as to remain a desirable destination for buyout players.

DENVER NUGGETS: 8-Seed (14-14) - Prediction: Play-In:

I am not super bullish on the Nuggets this year. They haven't had Jamal Murray all year, Barton is currently hurt, Aaron Gordon really has not done much in his first full year there to really move the needle for this team, and their bench is somewhat shaky. Michael Porter Jr's latest injury is likely the final nail in the coffin for this team. They don't really even have the ability to consolidate their players. If Aaron Gordon could be traded this season, maybe they could get CJ McCollum, maybe they make a call Indiana for LeVert - they have moves, but I think they stay patient and look for next year. They will probably find themselves at least in the play-in tournament, but I wonder how many more years they can continue to build insufficient teams around the Joker before he's had enough? The MVP should have a fully healthy squad next year, so if anything, maybe they position themselves have some draft picks by flipping their expiring contracts - Campazzo, Rivers, Dozier. 

DETROIT PISTONS: 15-Seed (4-22) - Prediction: Lottery:

At this point, they just need to start selling. Jerami Grant is probably their most desirable asset. Olynyk will likely be moved, Joseph, Lyles, and McGruder should all be moved or cut by the end of the season. Grant will likely draw interest from Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, and the LA teams, but contract matching might be hard with these teams barring a third team. The Pistons will continue to accumulate draft assets and young players, in hopes that they can develop this team around their young superstar Cade Cunningham. They will likely finish the season in high single-digits or low double-digits in the win column, so Pistons fans that were optimistic about this season need to likely wait at least another year. They have no motivation at this point to play in of their players over 24 years old. They are in a great position to try to get Chet Holgrem or Palao Banchero, both of whom could help this team take a significant step forward.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: 1-Seed (23-5) Prediction: Playoff (Home Advantage):

This team is really, really good. They are the #1 seed and they have yet to play Klay Thompson or James Wiseman one minute this season. They have two additional young assets that have not even gotten substantial minutes in Kuminga and Moody, and they they have a deep, veteran bench. They could not make a move at all and still be in a really good position. It's very rare to see a team this good have such high prospects on their team as well. Should they want, they could flip multiple prospects and draft picks to get Sabonis, Randle, Christian Wood, or Siakam - whichever team is looking to start fresh. There will be competition in the West with teams like Utah, Phoenix, and LA Lakers, but they are clearly front runners for a championship this year with or without any additional moves. They should make some phone calls, but not feel any urgency to do so.

HOUSTON ROCKETS: 13-Seed (9-19) Prediction: Lottery:

They are an interesting team, because they went from a bottom two team, to two games back of a play-in spot in the course of 3 weeks. They have gotten 8 of their 9 wins over the last 11 games, and they have seen excellent production from several of their veteran players they hope to move. Their #1 priority will likely be finding someone to take on John Wall's contract. They are paying him a substantial amount to root his team on from the bench. Even with their team depleted, they are playing DJ Augustin, Armoni Brooks, and Josh Christopher over him. Kevin Porter Jr and Jalen Green appear to have a strong lock on the starting back-court when healthy, but the team has been doing better with both of them out of the line-up. The Rockets should be in no hurry to make a move and should see how the next 2-3 weeks plays out. Wall, Gordon, Wood, Augustin, and Theis will likely all be made available for the right price, but whatever trade they do, they probably need to get worse so they can get better via draft.

INDIANA PACERS: 13-Seed (12-18) Prediction: Lottery:

With a lot of hope going into the season, things just have not worked out. The front office seems to be throwing in the towel. Carlisle has not improved this team and they are drastically underperforming. The Pacers have all-time low attendance and it might just be time to blow up the team. Sabonis is a great fit for the Warriors, Turner is a great fit for the Hornets, and LeVert is a great fit for Bulls. Warren hasn't played in two years and is expiring, Brogdon can't be traded, and at this point they should even consider trading Duarte, who has drastically overperformed his draft position and could have more value on another team. They will likely shut down Brogdon sometime after the All-Star break and begin the tank rebuild in hopes they get a Jabari Smith or a Patrick Baldwin Jr early in the lottery.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: 5-Seed (16-13) Prediction: Playoff:

They're an interesting prospective because they have been and likely will be without their best player the entire season. They don't have a ton of flexibility in their roster, but they are operating in a position where Bledsoe is nearing the end of his contract, Ibaka is on an expiring deal, and they have several solid young role players in Mann, Johnson, and Boston. Their team is well into the luxury tax over the next two years, so it will be interesting if they unload any of their veterans to have more cap flexibility next year. The Clippers will likely run their course this year, see how far they can go as is, and maybe engage in the buy-out market. Beyond that, I don't need a lot of teams trying to take on Bledsoe, Kennard has been spotty, and they have no incentive to really move on from any of their young players. I think they will slide down a little bit as some of the lower seeds return to health, but they are performing better than many expect. I think they will maintain a 5/6 position, but I think they could be candidates to fall into the play-in. Kawhi coming back would be a game changer, but he would likely be under heavy restrictions and may not make sense at this point.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS: 6-Seed (16-13) Prediction: Playoff:

I'm not sure if home field advantage is in the cards for this team. Outside of LeBron and AD, this team is not very threatening. They've dealt with injuries all year, COVID, and chemistry concerns. It would not surprise me to see Vogel on the hot seat as the scapegoat for a bad trade to bring in Russell Westbrook. The sentiments were good, having a 3rd star to take some pressure off of LeBron and AD, but he has played poorly and is in obvious decline. There have already been rumors of the Lakers trying to move on from him, but I don't many teams trying to take on his contract. There would be quite a hilarity if he got traded again for John Wall, but I don't really see a lot of teams really trying to actively make calls for him. The Lakers should probably just see what materializes in the buy-out market, as they don't really have a lot of assets eligible for trade.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: 4-Seed (18-11) Prediction: Playoff:

They are very much ahead of schedule. There were a lot of analysts talking about ways they could move on from their veteran assets at the beginning of the season. Guys like Steven Adams, Dillon Brooks, and Kyle Anderson were to be traded for draft picks and cap flexibility. Memphis might not pull of any blockbuster trades, but they do have the assets to do so if they wanted. This is a very Grizzlies-style team - everyone plays hard, everyone knows their role, tons of confidence but also quite humble. Grizzlies should make small moves to not disrupt the chemistry of their team, but they could use an additional shooter to balance out their elite defense. Culver is probably their most moveable asset, he's young, was a high prospect, is putting up good numbers, but sort of doesn't fit their updated timeline. 

MIAMI HEAT: 5-Seed (17-12) Prediction: Playoff (Home Advantage):

The Heat were cruising along until Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo went down. I think ultimately, they still have the depth to ride out this storm, with the hopes they get one or both back quickly. Butler is right around the corner and Bam is probably another month out. The Heat have the 2nd easiest schedule remaining, so that bodes well for them down the stretch. As far as roster moves, they don't really have a lot of options available aside from the buy-out market. I don't see a scenario where they move on from any particular core player and they still have Oladipo and Morris recovering. Guys like Max Strus and Gabe Vincent have given them a major spark and allowed them to remain competitive with their stars out. This team is set up well and I think they should just continue along their current path.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS: 2-Seed (19-11) Prediction: Playoff (Home Advantage):

The Bucks are in a similar situation to the Heat. They've sort of gone all-in with their current roster and filled in the spaces with inexpensive upside contracts. Their team has a bunch of wings and shooters, staggering the line-up with elite defenders. They have the 2nd most difficult schedule and it doesn't appear that Brook Lopez is anywhere close to returning. Having Cousins on their roster has been seen with mixed results, but as he works his way into shape, he could provide a more pivotal role in the second half of the season. His per-minute production is still pretty solid, but he is obviously not the same player he was just a few years ago. As long as this team has Middleton, Giannis, and Jrue, this team will remain a top team. Their bench is respectable with guys like Allen and Hill, and DiVincenzo is just around the corner. Because their team isn't as flashy as the Lakers or Warriors, they often get forgotten as an elite team, but they're just as good as they were when they won a championship.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: 9-Seed (13-15) Prediction: Play-In:

If they leave their team as constructed, they are likely to be a play-in team. They finally have paid out all of their draft picks they owed to Golden State, so it really doesn't make sense for them to make an effort to win. This team might need to move on from one or more of their players. They've been consistently in the bottom half of the standings for quite a while, and they could have a quick rebuild if they move on from KAT. Ironically, one of their best trade partners could be Golden State - they could easily get Wiseman, Kuminga, and maybe Moody and draft picks as well. Teams like the Kings, Hornets, and Celtics might be open to working out a deal. D'Angelo Russell still has a lot of value. I think honestly Edwards is the only players on this team that should be untouchable. They should be sellers at this point, get a bunch of young prospects, get a high draft pick, and build around Edwards. 

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: 14-Seed (9-21) Prediction: Lottery:

The Pelicans might be in danger of losing their franchise if we're being honest. Far removed from the dominant days of Chris Paul and David West, they botched their time with Anthony Davis, they had one of the most dominant frontcourts in the league at one time, they've mishandled their time with Zion Williamson, and they have failed to build anything respectable around him. Out of pure desperation, they probably need to just blow up this team. Anyone not named Zion is available. Valanciunas cannot be traded until the summer, they should start shopping now. This draft is quickly becoming an interesting and they might want more than their likely top-5 pick. The Pelicans have the 3rd hardest schedule the rest of the way, so they need to take advantage of that while they can. They are still early enough in the season that if they trade for some young guys, they will have time to give them reps throughout the rest of the year. You could make a case to keep Ingram, but with so many forwards in the top part of this draft, even he is probably available for the right price - they should be calling the Cavs.

NEW YORK KNICKS: 12-Seed (12-16) Prediction: Play-In:

A week ago, they were a .500 team - then COVID hit their team hard. I see it more likely that they fire Thibs than they blow up this team. Guys like Barrett still has another ceiling, but their new additions - Fournier and Kemba - have failed to really make an impact. They need to make obvious roster moves. Teams that I really think they should be reaching out to would be Sacramento, Portland, and Pacers - all teams that might have guards available that they could move for the right price. The Knicks have several available draft picks over the next few years, so it just depends on how this team responds over the next couple of months. I don't think this team should pull the ripcord, as the core is basically the same as last year. My opinion could be different in a month, but right now, I'm not super panicked about this team.

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: 15-Seed (8-19) Prediction: Lottery:

This team already has 3 first round draft picks in this draft. They have a young stud in Shai Gilegous-Alexander wasting way on their roster, and a solid young point guard in Josh Giddey. There is what they should do and what they probably will do. What is more likely is that they trade away their older players - Derrick Favors, Mike Muscala - continue playing their young guys, and hope the tanking provides them a chance to get Paolo or Chet. They need to consolidate their young players though. I look at a team like the Pacers, that don't have a ton of draft picks, but want to rebuild. Sabonis has already played in OKC previously and would be a great fit to return. Guys like Pokusevski, Bazley, and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl could all be included with a couple of draft picks to give the Thunder at least a core to develop on. Lu Dort seems promising, I would not trade him if I didn't have to, but there are players on fringe teams that could be had for a price that would at least provide them a positive trajectory. I'd be thrilled if they consolidated, but I think they'll just continue to tank and keep drafting players to be in a perpetual cycle of being another year away.

ORLANDO MAGIC: 14-Seed (5-24) Prediction: Lottery:

At one point, they looked quite promising this season. Mo Bamba and Wendell have started producing well with additional minutes, Cole Anthony appeared on a track for a potential most improved player, and they looked to have hit with their Suggs and Wagner picks. The Magic reminds me of where Cleveland was a year or so ago - they have a lot of good elements but they just aren't jiving yet. Maybe that guy is in this upcoming draft, maybe not. Johnathan Isaac being out has really hurt this team and Chuma Okeke has not really done what he's needed to in order to fill that void. In most cases, I like the idea of trying to get better, but other than find buyers for Ross and Lopez - which they probably will do - I don't really see this team making a splash over the next couple of months. Depending on where they land in the lottery, they could make some draft day deals, but this team is probably a lost cause as constructed. They have a lot of interesting players, but I think next year is when they start looking toward making significant changes, as this was likely part of the timeline when they sent Vucevic to Chicago.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: 7-Seed (15-14) Prediction: Playoff:

How high this team ends up in the seeding will really depend on what they get in return for Ben Simmons. It's been obvious for a while that he is not going to remain on the team all year, but now that the December 15 recent signings deadline date has passed, it opens up teams to go further in their roster to make a change. My gut is telling me Portland and Kings are the front runners, teams like San Antonio, Houston, LA, Indiana, and Detroit might all engage. There are very few teams that won't be called if we're being honest. The Sixers need another shooter, so a CJ McCollum or Buddy Hield makes a lot of sense. Caris LeVert, Jerami Grant, and more will be viable options for them. I'd be shocked if Ben plays another game in a Sixers uniform, but his trade value is very unpredictable. The former Rookie of the Year, 3x All-Star, All-NBA 3rd team player, and 2020 steals leader is only 25 and in a long-term contract. Should be interesting to see where he ends up.

PHOENIX SUNS: 2-Seed (22-5) Prediction: Playoff (Home Advantage):

This team looks really good. They have all the components necessary to win a title and almost did so last season. With star power, balance, and a good bench, I don't really see much urgency to improve. Maybe Phoenix could use another shooter, but I would not want them to give up any assets to get better in this regards. One thing plaguing their numbers is that Booker had a slow start to the season and prior to his hamstring injury, was starting play much better. This team will likely take things right to the deadline before making any decisions, but you really have to get critical to find recommendations for this team.

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS: 11-Seed (11-18) Prediction: Play-In:

They've lost 7 straight due to injuries to Lillard and McCollum. There are some conspiracy theories floating around that there is more to this than just injury, but I have to go by objective information. One thing that this team has already done, that was long overdue, was the move of Nance to the starting line-up. Even last year, Covington had been grossly underperforming for what they had to give up to acquire him, but it's pretty obvious that if this team wants to move forward, one or both of their backcourt players needs to get traded. Simmons for McCollum rumors have been swirling for a while and that trade seems more obvious than one involving Lillard. This team has been atrocious defensively, so having someone that disrupt opposing offenses will put them in a great position. Powell was brought in and has done really well and would fit well next to Lillard instead of playing the wing position. They would be a much larger starting line-up should they trade for Simmons, but they have other options from teams like Indiana, Sacramento, and others. Blazers has a new GM, so it'll be interesting to see if he's going to have the stones to break up this team.

SACRAMENTO KINGS: 10-Seed (12-17) Prediction: Lottery:

Honestly, the Kings are a poor man's Trailblazers. They've been stagnant for several years and have made a bunch of bad roster moves. Bagley over Luka and Trae, Gary Trent Jr for peanuts, Justin James over Terrance Mann and Talon Horton-Tucker, Xavier Tillman for Robert Woodard, Jami'us Ramsey over Jordan Nwora, and has made no attempts to really get better or reconstruct this roster. They did find a winner in Tyrese Haliburton and Davion Mitchell, but honestly, their big play here is to trade Fox and Hield. They should be in discussions with Philly to Ben Simmons, who would give them an excellent defensive backcourt, moving Haliburton to the 3. Harrison Barnes has played very well and they need to find a new home for Bagley, who was just a complete miss. They've already fired their coach, they need to make other major changes. I'm not super optimistic in this franchise to make decisions to improve their team, so it wouldn't surprise me to see them just botch the trade deadline and finish the year in a mediocre position.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS: 12-Seed (10-17) Prediction: Lottery:

They need to get Dejonte Murray some help. He has developed into an excellent modern two-way guard and is vastly underrated in his abilities. Maybe the answer it to have him play the 2 or 3 and get a legimate point guard. There have been thoughts to bring in Ben Simmons - I'm not a fan. The problem with this team is more that player development is behind pace. Lonnie Walker and Devin Vessell are both playing below where I thought they would at this point - especially since DeRozan and Aldridge are no longer with the team. Poeltl has developed nicely but they have a lot of solid players that just might look good due to higher usage than they would have on a competitive team. Keldon Johnson has been the biggest disappointments as far as development goes, but unless they can consolidate to get a star, they don't really have a lot of options. They are a dark horse team for me for getting Domantas Sabonis, so that is what I'm rooting for.

TORONTO RAPTORS: 11-Seed (13-15) Prediction: Play-In:

They are right on the cusp of being a play-in team. They have a talented core of Siakam, Barnes, and VanVleet. Siakam is probably the most likely to be traded if this team continues to lose games. He would be a good fit in San Antonio, Golden State, or Portland - all of which probably have the assets to make a deal happen. The Raptors have sort of a gritty style of play, so I really like the roster as-is, maybe add a Myles Turner or Richaun Holmes to protect the paint. The team is in the bottom 3rd in 3-pointers, rebounds, and assists, so they might need to make more than one trade to correct this team. They own their own draft pick and have an above average remaining schedule difficulty - so the next few weeks are going to be critical. Goran Dragic is probably the only sure-fire player to be traded by the deadline (or bought out), but guys like Boucher and Birch could be on the chopping block as well. The silver lining about this team is that Scottie Barnes appears to be a major part of their rebuild and he is likely top-3 in Rookie of the Year projections.

UTAH JAZZ: 3-Seed (20-7) Prediction: Playoff (Home Advantage):

They are the team to beat right now. They're on a league-best 8-game win streak and are showing no signs of letting up. None of this is a surprise to me, but the problems with this team is that they cannot seem to continue their regular season success into the playoffs. We are seeing excellent production from their two big stars, but they live and die by the 3-ball. Their roster makes it incredibly difficult to improve in any one area, but their only options are either using picks or some of their back of roster young players like Paschall, Azubuike, or Butler. It's pretty hard to give advice to a team approaching a double-digit win steak, but you can never have enough 3-and-D options. Patrick Beverley would be a solid addition to this team if the Wolves wake up and blow up the team, but there are not a lot of alternatives that I could see to improve this team without disrupting the chemistry.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS: 8-Seed (15-14) Prediction: Play-In:

How they have been playing recently is probably more along the lines of expectation than how they started the year. They entered the year playing with a chip on their shoulder and were getting outstandign production from guys like Kyle Kuzma, Caldwell-Pope, and Daniel Gafford. The team is really more constructed for a rebuild than a playoff run. That being said, I think this team is probably a 8-10 seed-type team. They should be getting Thomas Bryant back soon, Rui Hachimura should be entering soon, and Kispert and Avdija continue to develop. Aaron Holiday was a nice addition to the team, but Dinwiddie has played poorly after having high expectations and Davis Bertans was a bad contract extension. Beal has a player option next season, so it will be interesting to see if he finally asks out out. Should Beal leave, this team is probably going suffer a difficult rebuild, as the second best option is not very good. This team needs to start selling off some of their ancillary assets like Harrell , Neto, and KCP to contenders.

- Adam Safianow - NBA Analysts - Upsyde Sports [Copyright 2021]