NBA: 9 extremely bold predictions for the 2019-20 season

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NBA Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

The Dallas Mavericks will make the playoffs

At this present moment in time, I think there are seven teams in the Western Conference that are pretty much locks to make the playoffs in the 2019-20 NBA season (assuming health, of course) and those teams are the:

Clippers
Lakers
Rockets
Jazz
Nuggets
Trail Blazers
Warriors

That leaves one available playoff spot and there will likely be a few teams in contention for that coveted eight-seed.

The Spurs, Kings, Pelicans, and Mavericks all think they have a shot of making it in and while the Spurs may seem like the safe bet, here’s why I think the Mavs are going to surprise people…

Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis are going to be really really really good!

Luka is fresh off one of the most impressive rookie seasons we’ve ever seen and that only gave us a tiny glimpse of how good he can be! I expect him to make a leap in year two (not a step, a leap)!

And his new partner in crime, Kristaps Porzingis is being overlooked a little, in my opinion.

I know he’s coming back from an ACL tear that has basically kept him out for a year and a half but the extra rest he got at the end of last season will mean he’s coming into this year 100 percent healthy and recovered. So, while he will undoubtedly have some rust to wear off when he gets back on the court, he should be able to return to the player he was in New York sooner rather than later, and – with the muscle he appears to have added in the summer – we could actually see a new and improved Porzingis this year which should be scary.

Another reason I’m so high on this duo – and the Mavs by extension – is the fact that KP is not going to have to shoulder a heavier load than he can handle in the beginning, largely thanks to Luka’s brilliance. And as his workload steadily increases, these two young stars – on paper anyway – fit so well together and once they find their groove with one another, it’s going to be special to watch.

Then you look down the roster at guys like Tim Hardaway Jr. who, despite the criticism, can be a nice third option for this team, Jalen Brunson who showed some promise last year, Dwight Powell who’s a reliable role player and you see that this team has the parts to be an eighth-seed, especially since they still have Rick Carlisle who I have no doubt, will manage to find a way to get the most out of all these guys.