Who is your Eastern Conference and Western Conference darlings for 2016-17? (Editor’s Note: Darling: team that everyone will fall in love with; usually by taking an underdog role)
McFee: Eastern Conference: Orlando Magic. I already wrote a piece about how I love what they’re building, but they are going to be fun to watch next season. The crowd will go wild when Bismack Biyombo and Aaron Gordon are posterizing opponents left and right.
Western Conference: New Orleans Pelicans. Everyone has seen how good Anthony Davis is, but he finally has a decent supporting cast that can alleviate the burden he’s carried on both sides of the ball. The Pelicans got younger this offseason, and are taking some calculated gambles. Don’t be surprised if Alvin Gentry and the Pelicans are flying high this season.
Fielder: Choosing a Western Conference darling is like trying to choose a favorite child. The Rockets may score 130 per game and Russell Westbrook is going to be a world eater…but if really pressed to it, I have to go with the Timberwolves. The combination of Kris Dunn, Andrew Wiggins, and Karl-Anthony Towns is like the Thunder-era broingtons reincarnated and I can’t wait to watch them work. As for the East, give me the Bucks. They have the wingspan of a 747 and sure, they have approximately zero shooters but, then again, they have Giannis Antetokounmpo. So I can deal.
Murray: My darling team in the West would be the Timberwolves. There’s so much buzz around them and their potential, while being led by Towns and Wiggins with Dunn, Gorgui Dieng, Ricky Rubio and Zach LaVine. They’ll for sure become fan favorites this season if their play is good. As for the East, I gotta go with the Celtics. Just this past season, people thought they’d make the Conference Finals. Entering this season they have Al Horford and are projected to win at least 50 games from other outlets. The media already loves them, so should the fans.
Stone: Eastern Conference: New York Knicks. It’s been so long since the Knicks have seen prominence, and its strange asking them to be considered “darling,” but with bringing in pieces like Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and a developing Kristaps Porzingis, I could see NYC becoming a loveable group centered around redemption.
Western Conference: Minnesota Timberwolves. With a new, experienced head coach & up and coming stars like KAT, the Timberwolves will quickly become a fan-favorite, darling-eque in the competitive Western Conference.
Gonzalez: Utah Jazz for the West is a must. I also agree they will be good this season, but some people have them winning 55+ games… I think their peak is 50 and will be a 6-8 seed.
Indiana Pacers for the East I think as well. The Pacers look good, real good on the surface. The problem I see with them is that I don’t think they will mesh. Jeff Teague, Paul George, and Monta Ellis are all too ball centric to get along well. I think with a new coach as well, this team could have some serious problems efficiency and chemistry wise.
Blochlinger: A darling for the Western Conference will be the Portland Trail Blazers. They added Evan Turner and re-signed both Allen Crabbe and C.J. McCollum to long-term deals which secures their presence in the playoffs for years to come.
As for the Eastern Conference, I could really see the Celtics making a big impact as a “darling.” The Celtics really play defense and I could see fans get behind them in a big way come playoff time. Both the Trail Blazers and the Celtics could have surprisingly deep playoff runs.
Saenz: My darling for the Western Conference is definitely the Timberwolves. They just have so much young talent and could make the “next step” at any given moment. Hopefully, it’ll be this season.
For the East, I’m leaning towards the Pacers. They added some nice rotation pieces this summer and Paul George is only going to get better. Bonus: if Chris Bosh can return healthy for the Miami Heat this season, they could quickly turn into a team that everyone roots for. They’re young, will play a fun up-tempo style and would be a team that every is already counting out.
Next: Big Trade Coming?