4. New Orleans Pelicans
Everyone is high in Zion Williamson so that’s not newsworthy, but I think he’s going to be one of the generational talents that’s able to carry teams to the playoffs at an early age. There have been young players that have gone to the playoffs early in their careers, but most of them didn’t have the supporting cast that Zion will have during his first few years, which is why I think the New Orleans Pelicans will be a Conference Finals caliber team in his 3rd season.
Jrue Holiday is a really good player who’s already established, but I see the other young players like Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram developing into really quality starters in the league. They’ll be a team that has elite defensive potential right off the bat, and the older they get, the more dangerous they’ll be on the offensive end.
3. Milwaukee Bucks
In this new era of player mobility, the Milwaukee Bucks are already on the clock for Giannis’ free agency decision. These next two years will determine whether or not he stays or leaves them with nothing so I’d expect them to go all-in on putting a contending team around him every year. Khris Middleton is already locked in and Mike Budenholzer is a good coach so they already have a great foundation.
They can’t be cheap though if they intend to keep him, and that motivation, along with the rare talent of Giannis, is what will keep them as one of the championship favorites over the next few seasons.