Ty's NBA 2019-2020 Preview: Clippers, 76ers

Okay, today ends my NBA countdown. I have my top 2 teams going into the 2019-20 season. That doesn't mean I am done writing about the NBA, not by a long shot. I will do my predictions, title and awards, tomorrow, and on Friday I will do my men's college basketball preview. But, the 2 teams I have today are the best of the best when fully healthy. These are the 2 teams that I think will matchup in the finals this year. They have good rosters, play good defense and, on paper, are the best 2 teams.

Okay, coming in at number 2 I have the LA Clippers. The Clippers had the coup of the summer. They got Kawhi Leonard. It seemed like a forgone conclusion that he was going there last summer, but he went to Toronto and won a title. And make no mistake, without Kawhi, the Raptors wouldn't have won. Now he is off to LA, and he, right now, is the best 2 way player in the league. Not to outdo themselves, the Clippers, on the very same night they signed Kawhi, traded for Paul George, who might be the second best 2 way player in the NBA,. This was shocking to me. I didn't think he was going to leave OKC. I assumed he and Westbrook would run it back at least one more year. But from everything I read, Kawhi wanted to team up with him, and the Clippers moved heaven and earth to acquire George. They traded away their future, but at least Kawhi and George are still relatively young. And when George gets back to full health, those 2 are going to be a nightmare for opponents. George shot the ball very well until he got hurt last year, and we all saw what Kawhi did in the playoffs. Getting these 2 guys was a tremendous boon for the Clippers. And the rest of their roster is pretty damn talented. They got Pat Beverly to resign, and he is the biggest pest, I mean that in the best way possible, in the NBA. He is also a perfect point guard to pair with the other starters on this team. He has also earned his place in the league, and it is hard to not root for a story like his. Montrezl Harrell has really become a solid big man. He is solid in the pick and roll, he can play defense, he is a good rebounder and he is tough. Lou Williams might be the best sixth man of all time, and that dude is instant offense. When he comes on the floor, he is liable to drop 30 on any given night. He is the shooter this team needs. Ivan Zubic proved to be a solid role playing big off the bench last year. I never would have thought that when watching him as a Laker, but he proved his worth as a Clipper. Landry Shamet can shoot the ball, and he was way better as a rookie than I thought he was going to be. JaMychal Green is a solid spot minute big man that is super long. Jerome Robinson had an odd year, and will barely see the floor, but he will be an okay bench player. And signing Mo Harkless was a low key good deal. The Clippers are the best defensive team in the league, and they can put up points too. This team, at full health, has the ability and talent to be very, very good.

But, there is one team that I think is better than them, coming in at number 1 I have the Philadelphia 76ers. My how the times have changed. I once called the 76ers the worst franchise in professional sports, but I'll be damned if all the tanking didn't kind of work. Joel Embiid is an absolute monster on both ends of the floor. He is unguardable in the post. He is so, so close to being the modern day Hakeem Olajuwon. I watched him in a preseason game last night, and while only going about 50 percent, he dominated. Embiid is so good. He just needs to stay healthy and stay on the floor. Ben Simmons is a 6'10 point guard that is a problem. He is so good with the ball in his hand, he is an excellent passer, he plays good defense and is a real threat to attack the rim at any point. And, if these videos of his three point shooting are even half real, watch out. If he has any semblance of a jump shot, he will vault himself into the conversation as a top 10 player. I feel like they picked the right guy to resign when they gave Tobias Harris a big time deal. Harris is a better teammate than Butler. He may not be as good a player, but the gap isn't that wide. Harris is a good shooter, a good defender and a great locker room guy. Getting Al Horford to sign with them was huge. Yes he is old, and not as athletic as some of the other guys on the team, but talk about a great veteran, and Horford is exactly that. He is also a great defender, a great passer and a solid offensive player. He has also been a great playoff player. And having him and Embiid playing post defense will be a nightmare for opponents. I am also a big fan of Josh Richardson, who they got in the Jimmy Butler trade. Richardson is a solid three point shooter, he is tall and long and he plays defense. I love what I have seen out of Matisse Thybulle, their first round pick. He is energetic and bouncy and looks like he will be a perfect addition. When Mike Scott gets back from his suspension, he will beat the hell out of you and he will hit open shots. Trey Burke has kind of found a home in the league as a bench player. He can fill it up on occasion and he is a solid backup point guard. He is an upgrade over TJ McConnell. Furkan Korkmaz is a summer league legend and has looked pretty solid in preseason. And I'm curious to see how Zhaire Smith looks in year 2. He was a good pick, took some bumps last year, and has had an entire summer and offseason to improve his game. I really, really like the 76res. They are like the real life Monstars. They are so, so , so big. I think their shortest starter is Richardson,, and he is 6'7. They are playing a different style of basketball right now, and with their length and want to play defense, I think it will work out really well for them.

Okay, there are my top 2 teams going into the season., Come back tomorrow for my predictions. The NBA season is less than a week away people. Time to get excited.

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. 

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.