Now we are getting to the good teams, the playoff teams. I would personally write these teams down in pen. Now, injuries, COVID positives and other random stuff can come up, and possibly will. But with the way these teams rosters are constructed now, it would have to be a major blow to move them out of the playoffs. They would have to lose star players for ample amounts of time. I don't think that will happen with these teams, and that is why I have them as "locks" for the playoffs.

At number 15 I have the Atlanta Hawks. Too high you say. Not enough defense you say. Won't mesh you say. I disagree with all of that. I also think Lloyd Pierce is going to prove how good of a head coach he is this year, and the Hawks will be back in the mix. Trae Young is great. No he is not Luka Doncic, and he can't shoot like Steph, but he has range for days, and he will find any way to score a bucket. His defense is lacking, and if he put some effort in it, a la Steph Curry, it would make a difference. But he is liable to go off for 30 plus any given night. I will take any day. I love John Collins. I do not want Atlanta to trade him either. I think he and Young are a good duo, and after admitting he didn't put in enough effort on D last year, he turned it around near the end of their season. He is also a bruiser in the paint. If Clint Capela can stay healthy, I don't see why he isn't the exact same player he was in Houston. Trae is a more willing passer than Harden, and Capela is going to get all the lob dunks he could ever want. He is also an okay enough rim protector. They ended up signing Bogdan Bogdanovic after the Milwaukee trade fell through. He adds even more space, and he is a solid shot creator. If DeAndre Hunter can play a little better defense, he is their version of Draymond or Kawhi. Kevin Huerter may lose minutes to Bogdanovic, but he is going to be instant offense off the bench, and I feel like he will light up second units. I could say the same for Cam Reddish. He lost some luster at Duke, but now he is being given the time and effort to do his own thing, and he is a very solid player, with room to grow. Rajon Rondo adds super intelligence and Danilo Gallinari is a very solid player when healthy. Kris Dunn is a bull dog on defense, and if that kid from USC they drafted is brought along slowly, he could be a solid bench guy. The Hawks went all in this offseason, and I applaud them for it. They will be in the playoffs this year.

At number 14 I have the Phoenix Suns. Here is another team that went all in, and it only took one guy to put them there. Getting Chris Paul was a humongous deal. After seeing what he did in OKC last year, while I may not like him as a player, I respect the hell out of his game. He is also going to be playing next to a younger, less ball hoggy version of James Harden, with Devin Booker. Booker is on the cusp of stardom. The kid can flat our score, he has improved his handles and he at least tries on defense. Booker wanted the Suns to make a push, and they certainly did when they traded for Paul. Deandre Ayton got better as the year went on, and was very good in the bubble. If he continues on this trajectory, he is going to fit in just fine with Booker and Paul. He is also a threat from outside, which is super useful for a 7 footer. Mikal Bridges had a very good rookie year, he can shoot and his arms are as long as any person's I have ever seen. He is going to be a very good NBA starter. Jalen Smith was a solid draft pick. He was a good big at Maryland, he is built and he hustles his ass off. Picking up Jae Crowder was quietly a great move. He adds shooting and defense, and an edge this team has lacked. Dario Saric seemingly refound his game in the bubble. And Elie Okobo might be ready to be a good bench contributor. The Suns had one of the better off seasons I can remember, and the sheer addition of Paul is enough for me to make them a playoff team, even with playing in the West.

At number 13 I have the Houston Rockets. Now, all of this depends on if they keep Harden, or what they get in trade. Houston is a mess, but Harden is the definition of a walking bucket, he is a perennial MVP candidate, and if he plays, Houston will find a way to make the playoffs. But if he is gone, they go way, way down on my list. Adding John Wall was puzzling, I wrote about that last week. He hasn't played in two years, seems like he is in okay shape, but I do not have any clue how he is going to look, and how he will coexist with Harden. PJ Tucker is awesome, I love watching him play, and he goes hard every night. But it seems like he wants out too, and losing him would really hurt this team. Eric Gordon is a very good three point shooter, and when he locks in on D he is good. But it seems like he may want out also. Singing Christian Wood was a good move. He was, lowkey, a very solid scorer in the post, and he can stretch defenders to the three. He fits in nice here. Tyson Chandler is on this team, but he rarely sees the floor. They signed Boogie Cousins, and while I love the reunion of him and Wall, Cousins is slow, and coming off two very brutal injuries himself. Gerald Green and Ben McLemore are fine bench guys, but they don't move the needle. And I like the addition of Thabo Sefolosha, but he isn't the lockdown defender he was in OKC. Houston's playoff hopes ride on Harden's shoulders. If he stays, and they don't have to trade him, they are in. But, if he leaves, if he gets traded, this will be a whole different conversation.

At number 12 I have the Portland Trailblazers. The Trailblazers are like the Magic, but they do have playoff success, just not as much as they would like. Damian Lillard is otherworldly. For me, he has surpassed Steph as the best pure scorer. He is Allen Iverson with a jumper. He is also a killer, which I love. Lillard is a star, and I will not hear otherwise. CJ McCollum is a perfect sidekick to Lillard. He is a great shooter, he can create, and he is a super smart player. He doesn't make any mistakes. Neither of them are great defenders, but they are so good offensively that it makes up for that. Jusuf Nurkic is back healthy, and he was a force in the bubble. I didn;t respect his game as much as I should, and that is on me. That dude is tenacious and solid and just a good NBA player. Carmelo re signed, and for as much flak as I might give him, he seemed to buy into being a bench guy and playing like "Olympic Carmelo". He can still put it up with the best of them. Getting Robert Covington helps with their defense, which is what this team lacks most. He can also space the floor, and will not allow teams to double Lillard or McCollum. I like Derrick Jone Jr too. He is probably the most athletic player in the league that you have never heard of, and he will do some highlight reel things for Portland. Zach Collins is coming off an injury, but if he is 75 percent of what he was prior to his injury, that is great for their second unit. Rodney Hood is also back after missing a year with injury. He is a good scorer and shot creator and should lead the second unit. Anfernee Simons is young, and coveted by other teams. I would keep him, but it is nice to have that in your back pocket. And adding Enes Kanter and Harry Giles makes them bigger and will give them a bit more flexibility. The Trailblazers will not be fighting for a playoff spot this year, they will firmly be in that 4, 5 or 6 range.

And at number 11 I have the Dallas Mavericks. Look, I am not a fan of this team. I think they whine and complain too much, and I do not like how major media outlets are so quick to point out their white savior in Luka Doncic. That being said, Doncic is awesome. He is a good shooter, a better passer and an excellent shot creator. He is as smart as advertised and the dude is legit. Kristaps Porzingis hasn't live up to the hype. But being the second or third guy seems to suit him just fine. He isn't a bruiser for how big he is, but he can sure shoot the ball. Tim Hardaway Jr has carved out a nice niche in the NBA for himself. He is a lockdown shooter, and I don't think he gets enough credit for his defense. Josh Richardson is another outside shooter for this team, and I think a change of scenery will certainly help. James Johnson is one of the baddest dudes in the league. He makes Jae Crowder look meek, and I think the Mavericks will like having him on their team. Boban is Boban. He is goofy, runs weird and was in "John Wick 3". But, you cannot teach height, and he is something like 7'6. Trey Burke seems to have found a home as a second unit scorer, and he fits in nicely. Willie Cauley Stein is a good pick and roll guy. And, if healthy, Dwight Powell adds depth. The Mavericks are a playoff lock now because of Doncic. He isn't as great as everyone says yet, but he is good enough to lead this team to the playoffs yearly.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next five teams.

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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