Golden State Warriors
This is an obvious choice; the Golden State Warriors are loaded with talent coming off a championship season while also adding another multi time all-star in Demarcus Cousins. This team has more fire power than any other team in the NBA, averaging 118 PPG while shooting 48.8% from the field. Both of those being ranked atop of the NBA, and not only can they score from anywhere, they also do it very efficiently with an assist to turnover ratio of 2.06 and an offensive rating of 116, both of these are also atop the NBA standings. This team should be everyone’s favorite to take home the Larry O’Brian, they have the ability to outscore anybody that steps on the same court as them.
Verdict: BUY
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a team that could surprise some people in the playoffs, they have the all-star in Nikola Jokic and also play very efficient basketball with an assist to turnover ratio of 2.032, ranking second in the NBA. But this Nuggets team relies heavily on its defense since they only score 112.3 PPG. In theory this team with its roster looks like they should have a chance to win the NBA championship, but this team has such little playoff experience, that if they can’t pick up their offense, they won’t be able to beat these offensive heavy western conference teams. Come back to me next year and ask this same question and I may have a different answer; this team just needs more experience.
Verdict: Sell
Oklahoma City Thunder
This years Oklahoma City Thunder are an all-around team that has every opportunity to dethrone the Golden State Warriors. They are the perfect mixture of offense and defense averaging 115 PPG and forcing 17 opponent turnovers per game. The also have the star power to go after the Warriors, the one two punch of Russell Westbrook and Paul George is the best it’s been. With Russ averaging 23 PPG and Paul George averaging 28 PPG, if they can keep this up, they can overtake the warriors and claim the western throne. They force almost 10 steals a game and can disrupt any offense that the NBA can throw at them. The Thunders dominating combination of offense and defense makes them a real championship contender.
Verdict: Buy
Houston Rockets
The Rockets had every chance to beat the Golden state Warriors last season, and if they could have finished them off then we very well could have been calling them the NBA champions, but they didn’t, and they have taken a step backwards this season. Offense has been the Rockets vocal point the past few years, but they don’t even have that know, averaging just a middle of the pack 113 PPG won’t make up for their 1.528 assist to turnover ratio, which ranks 27th in the NBA. They definitely aren’t going to beat the warriors averaging a miniscule 50 RPG that ranks 26th in the NBA in the exact same spot as their bad FG% of 44.7%. If this team couldn’t beat the warriors last year, don’t expect them to do it this year.
Verdict: Sell
Milwaukee Bucks
There is a reason that the Bucks were the first team in the NBA to reach 50 wins this season. Not only have they been winning all season, they have been dominating. The bucks are atop the NBA in average score margin, with a score margin of +9.2 PPG. This team has the perfect mixture of offense and defense, they are ranked second in the NBA in three pointers per game and in blocks per game. This team also has the star power that every championship contender has to have. Giannis Antetokounmpo is arguably a top three player in the league right now and he can score at will. He has the ability to take this team all the way, and with the shooters that he has to dish it to off his drive, make this team deadly for anyone that come up against them.
Verdict: Buy
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors have the ability to compete with any team in the league, Kawhi Leonard is going to lock down whoever you put him on. This is what gives this team a chance, when you can hold your opponents to 45% from the field, you have a chance to win. Defense may not be what every team is going for nowadays. But maybe that’s just what you need to beat these offensive powerhouses. Toronto needs to keep the pressure up on defense and they will beat these teams that rely heavily on the offensive end. The Raptors have a chance to be special this year, but will they take advantage of it, that I don’t know.
Verdict: Buy
Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers are a team led by a point guard who can’t shoot and a center who gets hurt to often. They are averaging almost 16 turnovers per game. While only forcing 13 per game, I think we can all say that is not going to win them any championships anytime soon. This team is one of the most talented teams in the NBA, especially after obtaining Tobias Harris from the Clippers at the deadline. But even with the addition of Harris they haven’t stopped their turnovers and there’s no reason to believe that they will stop turning the ball over anytime soon. The 76ers have a chance to make a strong push in the playoffs but I can’t put faith in this team to pull it together in the playoffs.
Verdict: Sell.