The Amateurs’ 2020–21 NBA Preview feat. ATTL Basket and txtanakbasket
By: The Amateurs.
Tags: Basketball, NBA, Analysis, Preview, Opinion

The Amateurs’ 2020–21 NBA Preview feat. ATTL Basket and txtanakbasket

Artwork by Pradipta Alessandro

With only a few days away from the start of NBA basketball, we sat down with ATTL Basket and txtanakbasket (virtually, in a physically distanced manner) to predict what will happen in the delayed 2020–21 season. There will be intriguing questions with thought-provoking answers, Nashville hot c̶h̶i̶c̶k̶e̶n̶ takes, and of course, clear and concise analysis à la The Amateurs. Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comment section below, or hit us on Twitter @TheAmateursID.

Who will start the season hot and cold? It can be a team or a player.

The Amateurs: Luka Dončić would want to start the season where he left off. The Slovenian international averaged 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game last season and helped his Dallas Mavericks to earn a playoff spot after a five-year drought. With an improved understanding of the game, we don’t see any way but up for Dončić and it’s safe to say that he might be in for MVP contention.

The addition of Tyrese Haliburton cannot compensate for the loss of Bogdan Bogdanovic for the Sacramento Kings. Bogi was a key player from last year’s campaign and replacing him with a rookie with no certain guarantee that he will fit seamlessly into an already struggling team is a recipe for disaster. We also don’t think that the acquisition of an aging Hassan Whiteside would indemnify the loss of Bogi, especially when a younger player like Harry Giles is also leaving. The Kings also don’t have a straight answer for the departure of Kent Bazemore, and with the trade rumors of Buddy Hield still looming over the team, we don’t see them having a good start this season.

ATTL Basket: We think Portland is going to start the season hot for three reasons. First, their level of continuity is high compared to the other Western Conference contenders, with Jusuf Nurkic, Zach Collins, and Rodney Hood healthy enough to contribute from day one. Secondly, their offseason moves of re-signing Carmelo Anthony and trading for Enes Kanter ensured that they will have offensive firepower for the full 48 minutes of the game, a luxury when half of the league is still trying to figure out their rotations. Lastly, the main offseason move of acquiring Robert Covington, a plug-and-play 3-and-D wing player that helps their perimeter defense, finally gave them a player to guard superstar wings that are abundant in today’s NBA. Look for them to build on their momentum and chemistry from the bubble to shoot out of the gates next season.

As for the team starting out cold, we have a strong feeling that Boston will stumble out of the gates this season. As much as we like the offseason addition of Jeff Teague and Tristan Thompson, not having Kemba Walker until January and losing Gordon Hayward will surely hurt the Boston Celtics a bit in the early parts of the season. With Jeff Teague expected to start in place of Walker, Brad Stevens will have a pass-first point guard directing the offense for the first time since Rondo was running the show back in 2014. Between lots of moving pieces, Brad Stevens tinkering with line-ups, and a (temporary) change of approach to the point guard position, look for Boston to have a bit of an adjustment period during the early parts of the season.

txtanakbasket: We believe the Phoenix Suns will pick up from where they left off last season in the bubble. They only got better with the addition of point guard (or should we say, point god?) Chris Paul and veteran Jae Crowder. With the OKC Thunder in full rebuild mode, the Suns will likely claim their playoff spot in the 2020–2021 season.

Fresh off of signing his max contract, we are afraid that Brandon Ingram will start the season in cold. Ingram who led the Pelicans in scoring last season struggled in the bubble. Before the bubble, Brandon Ingram averaged 24.5 points but he only averaged 19.4 in the bubble. Zion Williamson will also available to play next season. With Zion Williamson healthy, Ingram will share the ball with him. Ingram averaged 25.4 points without Zion Williamson and averaged 21.0 with him. Ingram also has a bad injury record which not going to help him this season.

Which team has the best and worst offseason activity?

TA: The Oklahoma City Thunder definitely had the best offseason activity. Sam Presti with his unimpressive Oklahoma City Thunder roster surprised many last season by playing seven games against the Houston Rockets in last season’s first-round playoffs, even though they ended up losing. He also promoted Mark Daigneault as the Thunder head coach for next season. Presti was also able to get 19 first-round draft picks that are spread between 2020 to 2027. On top of the draft picks, Presti also made three key personnel acquisitions. He traded Chris Paul for George Hill, Terrance Ferguson for Trevor Ariza, Danilo Gallinari, and Steven Adams for Al Horford. The last trade comes with a lot of risks because Horford only made 11.9 points per game with the 76ers last season, the lowest in his last 10 seasons. But then again, teams in the West should be aware of the Thunder’s ability to rebuild and should not take them lightly.

The Charlotte Hornets are our pick for the team with the worst offseason moves. It was actually a good thing for the Charlotte Hornets to waive Nicolas Batum who had a $27 million salary but only scored 3.6 points per game and made 34 percent of his field goal attempts last season. But again, it seems like the Charlotte Hornets can never do the right thing in the offseason. They signed Gordon Hayward to a 4-year $120 million contract. It should be worth it given his last contribution with the Boston Celtics was 17.5 points per game, 50 percent of field goals made, and 6.7 rebounds per game, much better than what Batum did. But, we know how poorly this team worked in the past even with talented players on their roster. The jury’s still out on whether the Hornets will be a brand new talented team this season or end up as the same old Hornets. Looking back to since they got back their Hornets name, they have made other bad contracts similar to Nicolas Batum’s. Then, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist who played as a power forward with a $12 million contract only had 13.3 minutes per game and 4 points per game. Then, Terry Rozier with a $19 million contract had a similar contribution to Devonte’ Graham, who has a $1.4 million contract, in number of points per game.

ATTL: We think this is the year where most of the teams in the league made excellent moves, so it is quite hard to choose one in particular. If we have to choose the best one though, we’d pick the moves the Miami Heat made this offseason. Miami re-signed most of their players that entered free agency, such as Goran Dragic, Meyers Leonard, and Udonis Haslem. Even though they lost Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill, Miami quickly replenished their stock of 3-and-D players with Avery Bradley and Moe Harkless. What’s more interesting is Miami can easily make more than $30 million in cap-space by declining the team option clauses in combining Goran Dragic’s $19 million, Andre Iguodala’s $15 million, Avery Bradley’s $5 million, Meyers Leonard’s $10 million, and/or KZ Okpala’s $2 million contracts. They are also in a position to do a sign-and-trade for a certain Greek Freak in Milwaukee. Pat Riley strikes again.

The team with the worst offseason? The Houston Rockets. As a caveat, we do not think Houston’s offseason moves were bad, but we will be lying if we said that Houston did not have a problematic offseason. The Rockets entered the offseason with a lot of problems, both from a personnel fit standpoint and chemistry within the locker room. First, their long-time general manager, Daryl Morey, resigned from his post not long after the season ended. Soon, Mike D’Antoni followed suit and went out of the building after his contract ran out. Just when we think they were taking some time off after a turbulent couple of seasons with the Rockets, both took less than 2 months before signing with new teams and new positions; Morey as president of basketball operations in Philadelphia and D’Antoni as an assistant coach in Brooklyn. Issues in the locker room became public knowledge. To make things even worse, two superstars on the team wanted out, the ever-present glue guy complained about his salary, and an injury-riddled sixth-man wants a bigger role. Fast forward, and the Rockets have shipped Robert Covington to Portland for a future first-round pick, Russell Westbrook to Washington for maybe 60 percent of what’s left from the old John Wall, acquired Chris Wood from Detroit and signed former NBA All-Star DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins. But just as we thought things were settled in Houston, James Harden was missing in action on the first day of training camp. Yikes.

TXT: It didn’t take long for Daryl Morey as the president of basketball operations of the Philadelphia 76ers to clean up the mess that the 76ers front office made last season. They successfully dumped Al Horford’s monstrous contract for a decent 3-and-D player in Danny Green and also got Seth Curry from the Mavericks while sending Josh Richardson the other way. Both of them would complement Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid’s game pretty well with their ability to catch and shoot. In addition, they drafted Tyrese Maxey, Isaiah Joe, and Paul Reed, some young players to surround Sixers superstars in the long run.

The Detroit Pistons’ moves this offseason indicates that they are gunning for the top pick in the next NBA draft. In the process, they lost their best three-point shooter in Luke Kennard while giving up four second-round picks in a three-team trade. They also overvalued Jerami Grant by signing him to a three-year contract worth $60 million. But their biggest loss was when Christian Wood left them in a sign-and-trade scenario to the Rockets and replaced him with two lesser bigs in Mason Plumlee and Jahlil Okafor. The only positive move the Pistons made was drafting Killian Hayes but he won’t help the Pistons to compete for now.

Who will bring the biggest impact to a team as a newly appointed head coach?

TA: It would be interesting to see what Steve Nash would do with a healthy Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Known to be a genius on the court, he is also a well-respected figure which the team would need if they want to build chemistry, especially having two superstars with the talk of adding a third one in the air. And let’s not act like we forgot the addition of long time NBA coach Mike D’Antoni as his assistant coach.

ATTL: Stephen Silas. With all the stuff that happened during the offseason, Stephen Silas will be in for a tough job at the start of his tenure in Houston. The first-time coach will try to fill the shoes of the architect of one of the most entertaining teams in the last decade. Silas was one of the key figures behind Dallas’ historical offense last year, which featured heavy pick-and-roll action. With two veteran ball-handlers in John Wall and, if he is still there, James Harden, Silas can run pick-and-rolls all game long. With two skillful bigs in DeMarcus Cousins and Christian Wood that can roll, pop, or flare at their expense, Silas can keep opposing defenses guessing all game long. With the depth of role players that span from corner maestro PJ Tucker to a high-flying Gerald Green, Houston can run multiple different lineups with similar fire-power. If he can get a hold of that locker room and the strong set of characters inside, look out for Rockets to launch into the top half of the western conference next season.

TXT: Ty Lue already had some experience with the Clippers’ roster. He knows what’s wrong with the Clippers last season and is ready to give some solutions. Compared to Doc Rivers, Ty Lue is more progressive and creative. His in-game adjustments also look better than Rivers’. His teams tend to exploit the space and attempt three-pointers at a high clip. The Clippers already have a great offense and defense, both categories being in the top five last season. It is interesting to see what Ty Lue will do with this team, especially in the playoffs.

Will there be another NBA Champion this season not named the Los Angeles Lakers?

TA: Sure, why not? However, it’s not only because of the teams’ offseason activities. We also need to see what they can do in the regular season and assume no top players will suffer from injuries. We’re still not sure that the Lakers will retain the championship because we have yet to see a significant contribution by the team’s supporting cast, especially from the backcourt if we look back to last season’s playoffs. Hopefully, they addressed this problem when they acquired Dennis Schroder from the Thunder this offseason.

But, we don’t see a chance for the Larry O’Brien Trophy to come to the Eastern Conference. The Miami Heat will get a “real playoffs experience” when they play as a visiting team. We’re not sure the Milwaukee Bucks will create another set of plays and adjustments to take them to the finals if they play in this season’s playoffs. The Toronto Raptors might lose their Canadian soul and grit as they will play in a brand new home in Tampa for this season. For the Boston Celtics, they need to bring a better frontcourt player who can create space for his teammates and also for Kemba Walker to improve his play. Therefore, we predict that the NBA champion will be clinched by a Western Conference team.

ATTL: We see the Milwaukee Bucks giving contenders fits when looking at their roster composition. People may see Milwaukee’s failed attempt at signing-and-trading for Bogdan Bogdanovic as a disaster, but they recovered quite well from that mishap. First off, the Bucks kept a key part of their bench by keeping Donte DiVincenzo. Second, they avoided having to fill out the roster with minimum contracts since the Bog-Bog trade puts them in a hard-cap situation for the price of signing one player. Instead, the Bucks justified being in a hard-cap situation by using their bi-annual exception to sign Bobby Portis and their mid-level exception to sign two players in a veteran point guard in DJ Augustin and a sharp-shooter in Bryn Forbes. On top of those signing, Milwaukee also brought in Torrey Craig on a veteran’s minimum contract, a versatile defender that can help Giannis defend superstars night in, night out. The only thing that can keep them from dethroning King James and Co. is sadly their own coach if he decides to stick to his tendencies of making weird decisions in the playoffs. The ball is in your court, Coach Bud.

TXT: The Los Angeles Lakers are still a clear favorite for us. The NBA champion upgraded some positions to help them repeat. They added Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrel who can help lift Anthony Davis and Lebron James’ scoring load. Marc Gasol can fill the center position left by Dwight Howard and Wesley Matthews can fill Danny Green’s role from last season with a friendlier salary. If they can keep their core healthy, especially Lebron James who is already 36, it will be no surprise if they can lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy again at the end of the season.

What are the chances of Giannis Antetokounmpo having three straight MVP titles?

TA: To be the first player since Larry Bird to win three straight MVP titles sounds cute, but the chance for Giannis Antetokounmpo to win it again looks slimmer than last year. We should remember the MVP titles are based on voting and the narrative will be instrumental for the voters. The boredom factor should also be taken into account. Comeback season from Kevin Durant after his achilles injury can be the main narrative should Kevin Durant finish this season close to his 26.0 points and 6.0 rebound per game standard. Luka Dončić can also jump into the conversation. Imagine if he can improve from his last year's numbers, which was already deemed worthy to be in the MVP conversation. Especially if the Dallas Mavericks are able to survive the start of the season without Kristaps Porzingis and finish the season in the top five in the Western Conference. If Russell Westbrook was able to bring the MVP trophy to Oklahoma City in 2017, there is no reason Luka Dončić cannot win the MVP in his third season.

ATTL: As much as we want Antetokounmpo to win a third back-to-back MVP, it is a no from us. The Greek Freak is playing with a much better rotation and they basically upgraded Eric Bledsoe to Jrue Holiday. Between that and voter fatigue, slim chances this will happen. That being said, Our main candidate for MVP is Steph Curry, who is back in business in the Bay Area after missing almost all of last season with a broken hand. Well-rested and with a proverbial chip on his shoulder with Klay Thompson, the other half of the Splash Brothers, out for his second straight season, Steph will be ready to show the NBA the Warriors are still in the picture. To top it all off, this may be the most interesting, if not complete, cast of players that have played besides Steph Curry. A physically dominant center in James Wiseman, a renaissance man in Draymond Green, two athletic two-way wings in Kelly Oubre Jr and Andrew Wiggins, and solid veteran role players in Brad Wanamaker, Kent Bazemore, and Kevon Looney. The best part about this crew? None of them are high usage players. Something nice is cooking in the Bay Area.

TXT: Giannis Antetokounmpo is still a favorite to win MVP as long as the Bucks get the first seed in the East and he stays healthy. If we include the boredom factor from the voters then his chance won’t be as big. Antetokounmpo will have some challengers to compete for the MVP title this season and the closest will be Damian Lillard, the bubble MVP. The Portland Trail Blazers got better with the addition of some solid role players this offseason with the best price in Robert Covington. If the Blazers can finish the season strong, Lillard would have his chance to get his first MVP trophy. Some other names worth mentioning are Kevin Durant if he can get back to his best form after his injury and Luka Dončić, who can join the conversation if he can bring the Mavericks to a better seed this season.

Who’s the second-round or undrafted rookie that will fit straight into his team and possibly have a breakout season?

TA: Tyrell Terry could be a steal for the Dallas Mavericks. It is not just because we buy into The Ringer and Kevin O’Connor’s mock draft board who put Tyrell Terry at the eighth pick then he fell into the 31st pick, but we think Tyrell Terry will fit seamlessly with the Mavs. Backed with his 40.8 percent made from the three-point line, a 44.1 field goal percentage, and how he played at Stanford, the 20-year old Terry will fit with the shooting-heavy Dallas Mavericks and take Seth Curry’s role from last year. We will not get ahead of ourselves by saying Terry will directly fill in Seth Curry’s 12.4 points per game with 45.2 percent of three-point shots made. But the 6 foot 3 guard will play the three-point shooting off-the-screen role from the second unit with eight to ten minutes a game and the role will continue to improve gradually. With playing alongside Luka Dončić and under Rick Carlisle, he has a lot of room to grow.

ATTL: Xavier Tillman, Memphis Grizzlies. Tillman dropped into the second round just like his college predecessor, Draymond Green. That being said, Xavier Tillman checks all the boxes for a rookie to contribute from day one. With the Grizzlies also missing frontcourt depth for the early part of the season as Jaren Jackson Jr. recovers from a meniscus injury, the opportunity is there for Tillman to cover for his former college roommate at Michigan State.

TXT: The OKC Thunder trading Chris Paul to the Suns and Dennis Schroder to the Lakers means the primary ball-handler position is open with only Shai-Gilgeous Alexander available. This situation can benefit Theo Maledon, the rookie who the Thunder got along with Al Horford from the Sixers. With a thin Thunder backcourt, Maledon will get a good opportunity to prove himself as a primary ball-handler.

Who will have his “sophomore slump” this season?

TA : We all love Zion Williamson, we really do. But all the conditions for the next NBA season seems to make it harder for him to blossom. The pandemic situation, limited training camp, and tight schedule might put more problems for him to solve besides his injuries issues. We will be surprised if Williamson can play more than 40 season games. We also expect him to play with minutes restriction as well, mirroring his 27.8 minutes per game last year and it may also impact his usage rate. Considering all of these factors, next season is not the right time for Zion Williamson to show his full potential. Stats-wise may also not be great for him. We already remind you, NBA fantasy owners. Zion Williamson may need one more year for his breakout season.

ATTL : Rui Hachimura, Washington Wizards. Between the arrival of Russel Westbrook, newly drafted rookie Deni Advija, Troy Brown and Jerome Robinson’s emergence, and Davis Bertans’ extension, there might be too many mouths to feed in the capital. Hachimura’s numbers will surely dip, but we expect his efficiency to rise and major developments in defense. But with Washington’s expectations rising since Westbrook’s arrival, he can be on a short leash if does not make that developmental leap from his rookie season.

TXT: Kendrick Nunn from Miami Heat is one of the most surprising rookie last season but we are afraid that he will be in decline this season. Nunn averaged 15.3 points per game last season and was a contender for Rookie of the Year but his role diminished in the playoff and when he got his chance he didn’t deliver. The Heat backcourt also got loaded with the addition of Avery Bradley. The other two rookies Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson got more minutes than Nunn in the playoff and that will likely continue this season.

Which non-playoff teams from last season will have a significant turnaround of fate this season?

TA : We might see more changes happening in the Western Conference, especially in seventh and eighth playoff spots that will be contested by at least five teams. The Golden State Warriors as one of two teams who didn’t play in the playoff bubble have the biggest chance to return to the playoffs without the play-in tournament. We predict the Pelicans, Grizzlies, Suns, Mavericks, and last but not least, the Thunder will relatively have the same odds of making the playoffs this season. But we all know that they will share the same problem this regular season, which is consistency or the lack thereof. So, we predict that the Grizzlies and Pelicans will pass the play-in tournament for the last two playoff spots. The Pelicans have veteran players with plenty of NBA experience on their roster. The Grizzlies were unfortunate last season to not make the playoffs but with a similar roster returning this season, and they will play in the postseason if they become better at shooting three-pointers.

In the Eastern Conference, Brooklyn Nets will make the playoffs without playing in the play-in tournament with the super combination of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant under Steve Nash’s command as the head coach. The Charlotte Hornets might have a chance to make the play-in tournament with the addition of Gordon Hayward and this year’s first-round draft pick Lamelo Ball. Together with the Hornets and the 76ers, the two remaining teams that will compete in the play-in tournament are the Orlando Magic and the Washington Wizards. If our prediction is correct, the 76ers and the Wizards might have the biggest chance for making it into the playoffs.

ATTL: In the Western Conference, The Phoenix Suns will for sure have a significant turnaround. They acquired a hall-of-fame point guard in Chris Paul. Based on what Chris Paul did last season at OKC, where he turned a 22-win team into a 44-win playoff team, imagine what he can do to a roster that has Devin Booker, DeAndre Ayton, and Cam Johnson. Veteran additions such as Langston Galloway, Jae Crowder, and E’Twaun Moore also give depth to a team that only got 30.2 points per game out of their bench, only good enough for 25th in the NBA. With Monty Williams calling the show, this team is bound for an offensive explosion this season. The biggest question, however, can Phoenix mesh quickly enough to withstand the Wild Wild West of the Western Conference?

In the Eastern Conference, the Washington Wizards. They got Russell Westbrook, who was actually one of the league’s best players in certain stretches of 2020, to run a blitzkrieg offense that was third in pace and seventh in absolute output. Westbrook's fit with his old coach, Scott Brooks, is key in assimilating the polarizing playmaker. The Wizards will also bank on continuity as they re-signed the Latvian Laser Davis Bertans, who averaged the most three-point attempts per 36 minutes for a forward in NBA history last season. With young pieces in Deni Advija, Troy Brown Jr., and Jerome Robinson, look for this team to have a solid 10-man rotation. The big question will be can Bradley Beal get over losing John Wall and having a more ball-dominant partner in Russell Westbrook?

TXT: From the Western Conference, we believe the Phoenix Suns will claim that one playoff spot next year. They upgraded their point guard position from Ricky Rubio to Chris Paul that will help Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton to focus more on scoring. The addition of Jae Crowder can fill the hole left by Kelly Oubre. The Western Conference is still deep and it won’t be easy to get into the playoffs, but with the OKC Thunder in full tanking mode there will be one playoff spot to claim.

In the Eastern Conference, the young Atlanta Hawks got a veteran point guard in Rajon Rondo and a defensive stud in Kris Dunn to help Trae Young. Rondo will be a mentor to Young and lift his load a bit, and also can be the veteran presence that this team needs. The Hawks also acquired Danillo Gallinari and Bogdan Bogdanovic who are solid scoring threats that will make this young team even more dangerous. The competition in the East isn’t as fierce as the West, so the chance of the Hawks making it to the playoffs is bigger than the Suns as long as they can blend quickly and stay healthy.

Which team has the most to lose this season?

TA: The Lakers have invested so much this offseason, as they signed big names such as Marc Gasol, Montrezl Harrell, Wes Matthews, and Dennis Schröder whom they acquired by trading a first-round pick. They also re-signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who played an integral part as a bench scorer in last year’s title run. With the Anthony Davis contract extension all wrapped up, it only means back-to-back titles and nothing less.

ATTL: The Los Angeles Clippers have the most to lose this season. After last year’s meltdown and a certain player defecting to the other side of Los Angeles this offseason, the Clippers are in a peculiar situation. The Clippers’ offseason moves look pale compared to other contenders in the West, who are reloading their rosters with better ammunition. The Clippers still lack a tempo-setting point guard, but getting Serge Ibaka adds leadership to a team that sorely lacks one. They also tried a change of scenery from a coaching perspective and now have one of the best coaching staffs in the NBA. It seems that the championship-or-bust pressure will be there from day one seeing these moves. But what happens if they come up short? Cue the worst-case scenario:

With Kawhi Leonard’s contract containing a player option next season, there is a possibility of him looking to opt-out if people start to point fingers at each other.

If this happens, the Clippers are left with this roster coming into the 2021 offseason: Paul George, Marcus Morris, Serge Ibaka, Patrick Beverley, Ivica Zubac, Mfiondu Kabengele, and Terance Mann. With their lack of ability to attract star free agents after the Kawhi debacle, can they sustain their championship aspirations? We do not think so.

But no worries right, they can still get reinforcements from the draft? Not exactly. Turns out they owe their future to the rest of the NBA, most notably Sam Presti:

The 2021 first-round pick will stay with the Clippers if it lands between in the first up to fourth overall. If it lands in between the fifth and the 30th, the New York Knicks have the right to swap their first-round pick with the Clippers’.

The 2022 first-round pick is unprotected and will go to OKC.

The 2023 first-round pick, the OKC Thunder have the right to swap their first-round pick with the Clippers’.

The 2024 first-round pick is unprotected and will go to OKC

The 2023 first-round pick, the OKC Thunder have the right to swap their first-round pick with the Clippers’ or for Houston’s first-round pick with the top 10 spots protected, whichever is best.

The 2026 first-round pick is unprotected and will go to OKC

The 2027 first-round pick is still the Clippers’ but don’t be surprised if they find a way to trade it away.

But not to fret Clippers fans, you still have 11 second round picks for the next seven seasons! What happens in the next eight months may shape the organization’s future for the next eight years. Best of luck to the Clippers

TXT: Our guess is the Milwaukee Bucks. With the uncertainty of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future, they traded their future three first-round draft picks and swapped their two 2020 first-round draft picks to build a championship-caliber roster around Antetokounmpo. They got Jrue Holiday, D.J. Augustin, Torrey Craig, Byrn Forbes, and Bobby Portis to help the Greek Freak but they also messed up the Bogdan Bogdanovic sign-and-trade situation. It would become a disaster for the Bucks if they don’t win and Antetokounmpo leaves them.

Who is the most likely to break COVID-19 protocols?

TA: Dreams Houston’s Hall of Famer, James Harden.

ATTL: James Harden already breached the protocol in less than a week after the protocol was publicly released.

TXT: Sometimes in the future, James Harden will get caught in some random strip club without a face mask.