Lakers won’t be a top 4 team in the West

The Lakers will deal with injuries all season, which will test their depth. They’re also adjusting to a new coaching staff. Outside of their organization, they have to deal with their rivals, the Clippers, who drastically improved their team, and other playoff contenders in the West like the Jazz, Nuggets, Rockets, Blazers, and Warriors, to name a few. The Lakers getting a top 4 seed in the West playoffs is just highly unlikely.

KD, Wall, Klay, Boogie won’t play this season

Kevin Durant, John Wall, Klay Thompson, and Demarcus “Boogie” Cousins all won’t play a minute in the regular season because their teams are thinking about the long haul and want them to be healthy for the next season. This was most recently seen with Kristaps Porzingis when the Mavericks held him out all last season. 

Morant, Jackson Jr. will be a quality duo

For some of the season, Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. will be developing chemistry with each other, but once they get that down, they will be a duo that is feared by the league. Both have great skill levels and athleticism for their ages, which could mean a high amount of promise and potential. 

Zion is overrated

If Zion Williamson wins Rookie of the Year, it won’t be from his stats. It’ll be his explosive dunking, field goal percentage (most all of his shots are in the paint), and his celebrity status. R.J. Barrett and Ja Morant will have better statistical rookie seasons, but Barrett, Morant, and every other rookie will be overshadowed by Zion.

Russ, Harden struggle for half the season

The new duo of Russell Westbrook and James Harden could go really good, really bad, or both. Last season, Westbrook and Harden were both ball-dominant guards who respectively averaged 87.2 and 91.2 touches per game, which are both top 5 in the league. They’ll struggle for the first half of the season, but start to come into their own around All-Star Break.