Welcome to day three of my 24-25 NBA countdown. We are at the play-in/playoff teams now, finally.

At number 20 I have the LA Clippers. This is it for the Clippers. They had their window. It was wide open and ready for a championship. They couldn't get it done. Now they have no more Paul George, and surprise surprise, Kawhi Leonard is most likely out to start the season. I adore Kawhi, he is one of my all time favorite players. But he has not been healthy since he left San Antonio, and even then he was always kind of hurt. His prime is more than over and I don't know that we will ever see prime Kawhi ever again. That's a bummer. James Harden is still there, somehow with a new three year deal, but I'm sure he will ask out or blow it in major games. Harden is one of the greatest scorers the NBA has ever seen, but he is also a no show when it matters most. And he is never happy no matter where he is playing. Ivica Zubac is an okay rebounder but unplayable in the playoffs. Norman Powell is a good bench guy but he starts for the Clippers. Amir Coffey had some moments, but he is a deep bench guy at best. PJ Tucker wants out and Kobe Brown cannot see real minutes. They brought in Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. Both guys are elite role players but they are going to be asked to do too much. Ty Lue is a very good coach, so if anyone can get the most out of this group it is him. But, with the constant uncertainty of Kawhi's health and Harden just waiting to complain, the Clippers are a play-in team at best.

At 19 I have the Houston Rockets. The Rockets seem to be coming together nicely. They had a nice late season push last season and I have a feeling that will carry over to this year. They remind me a little bit of The Bubble Suns. Getting Fred VanVleet was a nice move. They may have overpaid him, but he was worth the money. The Rockets have an adult in the room now. Jalen Green showed everyone what he can do when he gets the ball. He exploded last year, he scored 30 in a bunch of games and looked to be having fun. Alpernen Sengun is a very good big man who can run the offense. He needs to be better defensively though. Jabari Smith Jr is going to announce himself. He has gotten a little better and a little bigger each season. It looks to be coming together for him. Amen Thompson is already an elite level defender. He needs to work on his offense, but he can be a true defensive stopper if the Rockets need him to be. Dillon Brooks is a pest, but he may be the best pest in the league. Getting Steven Adams was a nice move. He is coming off a big injury, but he adds another big defensive minded player. The Rockets are a good team ready to make a leap. That starts this season.

At 18 I have the Golden State Warriors. The Splash Brothers are no more, but they kept the important Splash Brother. Steph Curry is amazing. He proved that and then some in the Olympics. It was a joy to watch, and his shooting will keep him around as long as he wants. Curry is awesome. But, it is a big fall off from there. Draymond Green is still a very good defender, but he is not the offensive playmaker he used to be. His passing isn't as great and he is a total zero as a shooter. Johnathan Kuminga is very, very good, but I think he wants to be a number 1 option. That will not happen as long as he plays with Steph Curry. Moses Moody has never really put it together. I'm not as high on Brandon Podemzski as some others are. Kevon Looney is still pretty good, but the idea of him being an outside shooter is wild. Kyle Anderson was a good signing. I also like the addition of Buddy Hield. Andrew Wiggins has never been the same since their last title. And Gary Payton II is almost always injured. Much like the Clippers, the window has closed for another Warriors title. But, with Steph Curry in this lineup this team will still be an early playoff threat.

At number 17 I have the Memphis Grizzlies. This is my team. I am very hopeful that they will stay healthy all year. They got ravaged by injury and suspension last season, so I'm trying to believe that was enough and they will be back to normal. Ja Morant is back. He needs to stop playing with guns and play basketball with the reckless abandon that I love. He is such a good point guard, and when he is on the floor the Grizzlies are so much better. I still believe in the Marcus Smart trade. I like him teaming up with Morant in the backcourt because of his defense. He can also get ona heater and make a ton of threes. Desmond Bane has gotten better every year and I expect him to continue that trend this season. Jaren Jackson Jr is in somewhat of a no man's land. He got better on offense last year, but that was because he was the only healthy starter all season. He also regressed defensively. He also fouls way too much. I have high hopes for him, but he has got to clean some of this stuff up. I adore the Zach Edey pick. As bummed as I was about the Adams trade, drafting Edey made me feel a bit better. He is a rookie and he will struggle at times, but he is humongous and he has looked good in the preseason. Luke Kennard is not great. I was bummed they re-signed him this offseason. Brandon Clarke is coming off a torn ACL so it will be interesting to see how he looks. GG Jackson showed he could score in the NBA last year, but I want to see how he does with a limited role. The Grizzlies will be better this year, they should make a run at the playoffs/play-in, they just have to stay healthy and stay away from guns.

The final team for the day, coming in at number 16 I have the LA Lakers. The Lakers are stuck in the mud, but they have one of the best duos in the league. At some point time will catch up to LeBron James, but he is still fighting father time off. He was awesome last season, and he takes care of his body better than any player in the NBA ever. He is the second best player ever, and I expect to see him put up consistent numbers. Anthony Davis kind of reminds me of Christian McCaffery. When Davis is on the floor he is one of the best in the game. He can score a lot of different ways, is an excellent rebounder and is one of the best rim protectors in the league. But, last season was like a mirage. He was barely ever hurt. I fear that may have been a one time thing. After those two, the Lakers take a steep dropoff. Austin Reaves is incredibly overrated. He is nothing without LeBron and the whole league will see that soon enough. Rui Hachimura had one good playoff series two years ago, and he is still riding that high. He should start, but the Lakers kind of put him in and out of the lineup. D'Angelo Russell is a damn fine shooter, but he is too preoccupied with celebrating and trash talking. He is also a total zero on defense. Gabe Vincent was out all of last season, and who knows what he will bring this year. Jarred Vanderbilt is a fine defender, but he offers not much else. I'm sick of hearing how good Max Christie looks in practice. I want to see it on the floor. They drafted Bronny, which is great for LeBron, but I have to assume Bronny will spend the majority of the season in the G League. Jaxson Hayes is washed. As is Cam Reddish. The Lakers are good because they have LeBron and AD. That made them good enough to be the 7th seed in the West last year. I expect more of that this season.

That's 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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.