Ty's 2018-2019 NBA Preview: Clippers, Timberwolves, Heat

As we move into day 5 of my NBA countdown, we finally get our first playoff team, and it isn't even a West team. The West is going to be heavily featured from here on out, but my first playoff team is from the East.

Coming in at number 18 I have the Los Angeles Clippers. Congratulations on, definitely now, being back to being the second, or maybe even third team, that anyone even talks about in LA or California. The Clippers are a shell of what was once the incredibly overrated "Lob City". None of those guys remain. They are all on new teams. They also got rid of Austin Rivers, which I think was one of their better moves in a long, long time. But, what is left over, I am not sold on. I do really like Shai Gilgeous Alexander. That kid became the face of the Kentucky team by the middle of the season, and he ran with it all the way to being a lottery pick. He has also looked good in preseason, and crushed summer league. He should be the point guard on opening night. But, they will roll out Patrick Beverly instead. I know that Beverly is a great and annoying defender, can run a team and doesn't need to shoot all the time. But, he is coming off some big time injuries, doesn't need to shoot because he can't really shoot and is old in NBA terms. If the over under until Danilo Gallinari gets hurt is 20 games, I'd take the under. That dude always gets hurt. Tobias Harris is a fine player, and has shown flashes of being a capable third or fourth option on a playoff team, but the Clippers are hoping he is their "guy". They replaced Deandre Jordan with Marcin Gortat, but what can he really do anymore than set a screen. He may not have liked John Wall personally, but he is going to miss him dearly when he is out there with Beverly or Milos Teodosic. As with Teodosic, he is old and will get hurt very quick too. Boban Marjanovic is their other option at center, but he is more known for his size than his game. He is the modern Gheorge Muresean. Lou Williams can score in bunches, but it won't matter for this team because they will not be playing for anything important after All Star break. I bet he gets traded. They resigned Avery Bradley, and while he was once a very good three and D guy, I think that was a one season deal. He has never played that well, and he is now coming off multiple injuries. Montrez Harrell is another option at the 5, but he is too plodding to face up against the top centers in the league. They also signed Luc Mbah AMoute, but he will not do for them what he did in Houston last season. The Clippers are back to being also rans. Maybe they will be able to lure Kawhi or Jimmy Butler, but that will not happen until next offseason. For now, they are a 38-40 win team at best.

At number 17 I have the Minnesota Timberwolves. Now, a lot of this depends on the whole Jimmy Butler thing. If he were to stay, as I think he should, they would be higher in my rankings. But, he has openly demanded a trade on way more than one occasion. That is why they are just outside of the playoffs for me. He will most likely get traded, I have heard that talks have been heating up, but if he doesn't, I still think, especially in the West, there are 8 better teams. And, who's to say that, if he stays, Butler would be fully engaged? He may tank just to get traded. As far as the rest of the roster, I love KAT. I think he is a great modern center. He can score from inside and out. He is a solid rebounder. He can score against the best of the best. But, he struggles defensively. Some of that is him, some of that is the coaching staff. He gets put in bad situations far too much due to their defensive scheme. Andrew Wiggins is one of the most bashed upon players in the league. I think he is okay, but others just seem to really dislike him. I think he is a very good slasher. I like his jump shot. I think he plays hard. But, just like KAT, he has not been able to play defense at any kind of level in the NBA. He is far too often on highlight reels for the wrong reason. I like both rookies they took, Keita Bates-Diop has looked great so far, and Josh Okogie is the point guard of the future. But, this staff will not play them enough. Thibs would rather play guys like Derrick Rose, he's washed, Luol Deng, I forgot he was in the league, Taj Gibson, who is okay, but real old and slow and Jeff Teague, who seems to hate playing in Minnesota and playing for Thibs. Thibs runs these guys into the ground for no reason. He is also taking on his former players about 5 years too late. Tyus Jones is okay, but he is much more suited for a back up role on a contender. And then there is the albatross that is the Gorgui Dieng contract. While this guy can play a little D and is an okay rebounder, he is making way too much money for a guy that cannot stay on the floor for more than 10 minutes a night. There is a reason they are trying to add him in the Butler trade talks. The Timberwolves are a mess right now. They finally broke their playoff drought last year, but now, they have so many problems, I just do not see them making a return, even if Butler sticks around for one more year.

My final team for the day, my first playoff team, coming in at number 16 I have the Miami Heat. Again, Jimmy Butler has a lot to do with this team, but I am going to judge them on my countdown as if he is not on this team because he isn't at the moment. I like the roster here, but they just don't have the guys to be any higher than this on my list. They have players, but they are mid level at their positions. I like Goran Dragic. I think he is a solid point guard. He is just fine running this offense. But, he is probably around the 10th best point guard in the league. Dwayne Wade is on his retirement tour all year. He will get a ton of the attention, and it is well deserved, he is a sure fire first ballot hall of famer. But, he is not the guy he was the first time around in Miami. Hasan Whiteside should be a top 5 enter in the league, but the dude has some issues. First off, he cannot shoot free throws and his jumper in nonexistent. What he does great is rebound and defend. But, he is too prone to getting into scuffles on and off the court, and he just isn't totally reliable. I like Whiteside's game, I just wish he didn't let the little things bother him. Justise Winslow can defend and can get to the hoop. But, he gets hurt far too much, and his jump shot has not looked good since he was drafted. He also may be traded at some point. Josh Richardson is a fine outside shooter. He's not too flashy, but the dude can fill it up if he needs to. Dion Waiters is coming off an ACL injury, and at his age, that may be the end. He won't admit it, he probably still thinks he is the best 2 guard in the league, but he is not, and I like Dion Waiters. I'm sure the Heat are regretting giving Tyler Johnson the contract the gave him 2 years ago. While he is a fine player, they over paid for him, and he has just not lived up to the money. I really like the high flying Derrick Jones Jr. All he needs is some playing time, and I think the Heat will give it to him. Watch out for this kid. He has been biding his time, and I feel like he is going to explode soon. James Johnson is a bad dude. He is big and mean and tough and I adore watching him play. He isn't anywhere near the best at his position, but I bet every star that has to go up against him dreads it. I think, especially with the uncertainty that Whiteside brings, that Bam Adebayo can be their center of the future, if he doesn't get traded. He has good feet, a nice touch around the rim and can rebound and defend his spot. Outside of those guys the rest of the roster is pretty blah. But, what makes the Heat a playoff team to me is Erik Spoelstra. He has a group of guys that know what they can and can't do, and he squeezes the most out of them that he can get. Spoelstra may be the most underrated coach in the league right now. The Heat will make the playoffs because of guys like James Johnson, Bam, Goran Dragic and Derrick Jones Jr. But, they will mainly make it because of the coaching job that Erik Spolestra does every year.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next three. It is all playoff teams from here on out.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

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