Beasts of the East
Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 30 points per game
Khris Middleton: 20 points per game
An absolutely rocksteady second banana, Khris Middleton had a career year, proving to be worth every penny of his near-max contract. With so much roster-turnover, it is entirely possible one or both of these All-Stars cede too many touches to their new teammates in an attempt to build chemistry, but by season’s end, their averages should be in line with the previous two years.
Washington Wizards
Bradley Beal: 30 points per game
Russell Westbrook: 24 points per game
(*I am not putting Harden and Wall on this list because I don’t think they’ll be a duo for most of this year*)
I think Beal and Westbrook will truly make each other better, with Westbrook building upon his habit of deferring to the better player, as he did with Paul George and James Harden the previous years (at least in the regular season).
Beal is a stud and might continue to up his scoring averages, even winning a scoring title if James Harden practices player tanking to force a trade.
With Westbrook’s drawing defensive attention making his life easier, Beal’s efficiency (especially from 3 point land) should vastly improve, even if his shot attempts decrease.