By Hiba Samdani, Staff Reporter
With the thrill of every sport’s season comes the creation of brackets. Fans read thoroughly through statistics, track players that were traded and weigh the possibilities of each team winning. In the 2019-2020 sports season, I think there will be many unexpected teams battling to win the NBA championship.
Last year, the Toronto Raptors and the Golden State Warriors were both in the NBA finals, with the Raptors pulling away the champion title. However, this year, both teams are unlikely candidates for the championship due to unexpected changes. The Toronto Raptors star player Kawhi Leonard was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers and many of the Warrior’s leading players are injured.
The NBA league is divided into two hemispheres: the East and the West. The team that wins the playoffs from each side proceeds to the NBA finals. In the East, there are many promising teams looking to grab the winning title. The Philadelphia 76ers are a young team that have made many improvements in the past years, going from one of the worst teams in the league to making the NBA playoffs last year. However, the teams inexperience will set them back. Many of their players have only been in the NBA for a couple of years and they lack the team chemistry other teams like the Boston Celtics have. Many people say the Milwaukee Bucks instead will be the number one seed in the East, with Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way.
The West, on the other hand, is less predictable. There are various teams that have the potential to make it to the NBA finals. The Los Angeles Clippers obtained former Toronto star Kawhi Leonard, who also has the help of six-time NBA all-star Paul George. The Houston Rockets also have a new duo, Russel Westbrook and James Harden, who have played on the same team before. However, I don’t think the addition of Russell Westbrook will benefit the team. Both players are used to being the stars of their team, and may not be willing to share the spotlight. Finally, the Lakers have a chance to win with four-time MVPs LeBron James, DeMarcus Cousins and Danny Green. These three may have the team chemistry the ‘Sixers lack, and become the number one seed in the West.
In the end, the winner of the finals is unpredictable. New teams come out with unexpected surprises that shock a lot of fans. However, all of us have to wait and see which team will be the victor of the on-going battle.
Hiba Samdani can be reached at [email protected]
