Which Teams are Best Positioned to Win the 2020 NBA Championship?

Read Time:3 Minute, 7 Second

The dust has settled on the NBA offseason. The teams are now set after the frenzy that was free agency. Now we can all look forward to a very exciting 2019-2020 season. But as we wait for the opening matches, let us first check out this season’s title favorites.

Los Angeles Clippers

Teams George and Leonard

IMAGE CREDIT: Pinterest

The Clippers were the runaway winners of the offseason after signing Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and superstar Paul George. Leonard and George will reinforce a team that pushed last year’s Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. The team’s core included Sixth Man of the Year winner Lou Williams, Most Improved Player, candidate Montrezl Harrell, Patrick Beverly, and promising youngsters Landry Shamet and Ivica Zubac. Add Leonard and George to the mix and the Clips are suddenly title favorites.

Los Angeles Lakers

Teams LeBron and AD

IMAGE CREDIT: Pinterest

The Lakers are fuming about Leonard’s decision to sign with the Clippers, and for good reason: waiting for Leonard prevented the Lakers from adding to their roster. Nevertheless, they do have superstar big man Anthony Davis and the inimitable LeBron James, who has built a legacy out of leading teams to the Finals. LeBron’s success has led him to become one of the most bankable sports stars in the world, with an annual salary of over $20 million on top of millions in endorsement deals. For all his accomplishments, though, the four-time MVP remains hungry. He will once again carry a heavy load for the Lakers, but he will have the league’s best big man helping him. The duo will certainly be a handful. Add shooters like Kyle Kuzma, Jared Dudley, and Danny Green, and the Purple and Gold look ready to contend for a title.

Utah Jazz

Teams Donovan Mitchell

IMAGE CREDIT: Pinterest

While the Clippers and Lakers made the loudest moves, the Jazz quietly got better. In June they traded for point guard Mike Conley for Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver, Grayson Allen, and two draft picks. That trade pushed the Jazz up a tier, as Conley is a proven playmaker. He and Donovan Mitchell will form one of the best backcourts in the NBA and will take turns controlling Utah’s offense. The Jazz also added another scorer in Bojan Bogdanović, who last year averaged 20 points for the Indiana Pacers. Signing Ed Davis, Jeff Green, and Emmanuel Mudiay gives the Jazz arguably the league’s deepest bench. That will certainly come in handy in the loaded Western Conference.

Houston Rockets

teams James Harden

IMAGE CREDIT: Pinterest

The Rockets swapped Chris Paul for Russell Westbrook in a trade that will reunite the latter with good friend James Harden. There will be fitting in issues as both are ball-dominant. But Harden is confident that those issues will be resolved telling reporters at the James Harden ProCamp that the partnership “is going to work.” If so, the Rockets have enough talent — Eric Gordon, Clint Capela, PJ Tucker, and Austin Rivers — around that Harden-Westbrook backcourt to win it all.

Philadelphia 76ers

Ben Simmons

Image Credit: Pinterest

The Sixers lost an All-Star in Jimmy Butler. But in return, they got a complimentary piece in Josh Richardson. Then, in a surprise move, the Sixers signed former All-Star Al Horford. The ex-Celtic will form a Big 3 with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. But it will still be up to Embiid and Simmons to lead the Sixers to the championship. Simmons development, in particular, is crucial given how much he handles the ball. The good news is that Simmons looks to be improving as he has been working on his much-maligned jumping all summer long. That bodes well for the Sixers, especially with the NBA title race so wide open.

Written by Adore Mitchell for ngscsports.com