The Winners and Losers of a December Opening Day
If you haven’t heard the news yet, the NBA is targeting a December 22nd start date for the 2020-2021 regular season.
After rumors of start days anywhere from March to January, this is a huge relief to NBA fans everywhere who are itching to watch basketball again. That being said, this would be an extremely quick turnaround for NBA teams who are still recovering from the bubble. Spending three months away from family whilst constantly playing basketball nearly every day is not only physically exhausting, but mentally draining as well. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the teams that stand to gain the most, and those who stand to lose the most from an NBA start in December.
Winners: Golden State Warriors
The Warriors are projected to vault back into contention after suffering a year of injuries. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are going to be back at, assumedly, full-strength and ready to assume their place back near the top of the West. Neither of them had to play in the bubble, or at all this past season really, so they’re going to be very well-rested come December. Add to that a new, top-5 rookie, or pieces they may get from a trade with the number two pick, and they’re primed for a title run.
Losers: Los Angeles Lakers
It’s hard to call the Lakers losers in any regard since they’re coming off of an NBA Championship. However, the Lakers always have tons of rumors floating around their team once the offseason rolls around. This year, the big question is about how many guys will end up getting flipped to try and bring in a third star to that roster. I’ve heard names like Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, and Bradley Beal all thrown around in the rumor-mill. The real question is, how much of these rumors are true?
Regardless of their validity, these rumors will most definitely have an effect on the team, especially with a quick turnaround going into next season. On the one hand, if the rumors are false, it has to have some sort of effect on team morale, similar to what we saw a couple of seasons ago with the Anthony Davis trade rumors. Even if a trade does happen, though, it means that the roster could look totally different next year. With such little time to gel together as a team, there’d be some questions as to whether or not the team chemistry would be totally there. Add to this the fact that the Lakers must be completely exhausted from such a long run in the bubble, and there have to be some question marks on them going into next year.
Winners: Atlanta Hawks
You may not think of the Hawks when you think of playoff contention, but all that is likely to change next season. This year was the first time a lot of those guys got to play with each other, but with another year of experience under their belt, and a quality center in Clint Capela on the roster, they’re ready to make some noise in the weaker Eastern Conference.
Trae Young was one of the best guards in the league this past season, and John Collins had an extra year to improve his skill set as well. Their very quietly one of the best young duos in the NBA, and with teams like the Magic and Pacers slowly getting older and older, the time may never be better for Atlanta to jump into the playoff race. They didn’t have to play in the bubble and have had all this time to rest, game plan, and get ready for a great next season. Expect the Hawks to be in the playoff hunt next year.
Losers: Indiana Pacers
The Pacers are in a very weird place in terms of their goals as a franchise. While I understand the desire to compete for a playoff spot every year, their roster just isn’t good enough to be competing for a championship. They’re coming off a bubble run that saw TJ Warren blossom into a scoring monster, but at the same time, there are so many other issues surrounding the organization. Myles Turner and Victor Oladiop have publicly both stated their desire to be traded, and with such little time until a December start date, I just don’t see next season going well for the Pacers.
Winners: Brooklyn Nets
The Nets are in a similar situation to the Warriors where both of their superstars, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, did not have to play in the Orlando bubble and are therefore rested and ready for next season. While the pair have yet to take the floor together, there isn’t much doubt that this team is going to be an instant favorite in the East. With four NBA titles between them, something is bound to click. Barring any sort of blockbuster trade, this team should be very well equipped to start off next season with a bang in December.
Losers: Houston Rockets
In my opinion, the James Harden and Russell Westbrook experiment is a failure. Not only that, but I think that a team led by those two had a ceiling, and that ceiling is not an NBA championship. Do I think a team led by Harden can win a title? Yes. Do I think the way that the Rockets are currently constructed is in a place that can win a title? No. I think that either Westbrook needs to go, or they need to blow the whole thing up and start a rebuild.
It’s going to be extremely hard to flip either of those contracts, though, and that’s where the problem of a December restart factors in. There’s not going to be much time to make changes before the next season starts, and even if they do make some big moves, the team they’ll be left with would be a bunch of guys who have probably never play together. The way I see Houston’s 2020-2021 season going is one of two ways - worst case they blow it up and are terrible next season, and best case they run it back, make the playoffs, and lose in the first two rounds once again. Neither one is very appealing.
Let me know who you think are the biggest winners and losers of an NBA start in December in the comments!
