Every NBA team has one player who is the icon, the main man, the leader of that team. For the Cavaliers, it's LeBron James. For the Warriors, it's Stephen Curry. For the Thunder, it's Russell Westbrook. However, what if every NBA team's best player was put into a pool, and randomly moved to a different team? Who would be on top? Which team depends most on it's best player? Let's find out.
First, let's list the best players on each NBA team (with help provided by Bleacher Report's article):
Atlanta Hawks: Paul Millsap
Boston Celtics: Al Horford
Brooklyn Nets: Brook Lopez
Charlotte Hornets: Kemba Walker
Chicago Bulls: Jimmy Butler
Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron James
Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki
Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jokic
Detroit Pistons: Andre Drummond
Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry
Houston Rockets: James Harden
Indiana Pacers: Paul George
Los Angeles Clippers: Chris Paul
Los Angeles Lakers: Brandon Ingram
Memphis Grizzlies: Marc Gasol
Miami Heat: Hassan Whiteside
Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns
New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Davis
New York Knicks: Carmelo Anthony
Oklahoma City Thunder: Russell Westbrook
Orlando Magic: Evan Fournier
Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons
Phoenix Suns: Eric Bledsoe
Portland Trailblazers: Damian Lillard
Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins
San Antonio Spurs: Kawhi Leonard
Toronto Raptors: Kyle Lowry
Utah Jazz: Gordon Hayward
Washington Wizards: John Wall
Now, in a random picking process, we will assign each player to a new team, and analyze the results.
Here's what happened:
Atlanta Hawks: Russell Westbrook
The Hawks would give up Paul Millsap for Russell Westbrook, one of the best players in the league. However, with the loss of Horford and free agency, and now Millsap, the Hawks would get worse on the inside, but much better on the perimeter. However, I think Howard and Westbrook would be interesting to watch; this move would make the Hawks significantly better.
Boston Celtics: Paul George
The Celtics would give up their newest player Al Horford for Paul George, a move which I think would make them even better than they already are. Their strong leader Isaiah Thoams, paired with the potent Jaylen Brown, and now superstar Paul George, would make them a force in the Eastern Conference. If they could improve a little on the inside, this team could easily compete for the Eastern Conference crown.
Brooklyn Nets: Nikola Jokic
The Nets would have to give up Brook Lopez, the heart of their team, for an even younger, more potent center. Since the Nets are ultimately building for the future, this move would be excellent for them, giving them a young center who can develop into a superstar. I think Jokic would complement Rondae Hollis-Jefferson very well if on the Nets. This move would be great for the Brooklyn Nets, at least for the long term.
Charlotte Hornets: Kyle Lowry
The Hornets would give up the heart and soul of their team, Kemba Walker, for a similar point guard in Kyle Lowry. Both Walker and Lowry put up very similar numbers, and this move wouldn't change the Hornets too much, and their style of playing would remain mostly the same. This move wouldn't affect the Hornets significantly, but would make them slightly better.
Chicago Bulls: Brandon Ingram
The Bulls would give up young star Jimmy Butler for a player capable of becoming the next Kevin Durant in Brandon Ingram. This move has its benefits and drawbacks. Chicago would get a superstar who they can build around for the future. However, they would lose their current centerpiece and leader in Jimmy Butler. I think this move would hurt the Bulls a lot in the short term, but possibly improve them in the long term.
Cleveland Cavaliers: James Harden
The Cavaliers would give up Finals MVP, and arguably the best player in the world right now for James Harden. Even though Harden is a superstar, he doesn't even come close to bringing the defense, playmaking, and leadership LeBron brings every night. Also, this would mess up the Cavaliers' chemistry as well. This move would make the Cavs significantly worse.
Dallas Mavericks: Evan Fournier
The Mavericks would give up the best player in their franchise's history, Dirk Nowitzki, for Evan Fournier. Although Nowitzki is the heart and soul of this team, he is aging, and the Mavericks need to look for the future. Fournier is a great player on both sides of the floor, who has a lot of potential. I think this move would be great for the Mavericks in the long term.
Denver Nuggets: Chris Paul
The Nuggets would give up their future superstar in Nikola Jokic, for one of the best point guards in the NBA in Chris Paul. Although Paul is an amazing point guard, the Nuggets already have their point guard for the future in Emmanuel Mudiay, and losing Jokic would really hurt them in the interior. This would be a poor move for the Nuggets.
Detroit Pistons: Dirk Nowitzki
The Pistons would give up superstar Andre Drummond for an old Dirk Nowitzki. This would make the Pistons much worse, both in the short term and long term. Their offense revolves around having a big man who is a prominent rebounder, and Nowitzki would not be able to fill that role nearly as well as Drummond does. This would be a terrible move for the Pistons.
Golden State Warriors: Carmelo Anthony
The Warriors would give up MVP Stephen Curry, in exchange for scoring superstar Carmelo Anthony. This move would mess up the Warriors' chemistry, since there would be three forwards in Durant, Anthony, and Green, who are all scorers. Also, Curry is one of the main facilitators of the offense, so it wouldn't run nearly as well without him. Adding Anthony would be a bad move for the Warriors.
Houston Rockets: John Wall
The Rockets would give up their superstar scorer James Harden in exchange for a younger point guard in John Wall. If this move happened, the Rockets would definitely not make the playoffs. Harden defines the Rockets as a team, and every season, he carries them to the playoffs. There is no player in the NBA, other than Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, or Russell Westbrook, who can carry the Rockets to the playoffs season after season like Harden does. This move would make the Rockets much worse.
Indiana Pacers: Marc Gasol
The Pacers would give up young superstar Paul George for a veteran big man in Marc Gasol. Granted, Gasol is a pretty good center, but there is absolutely no way he can replace what Paul George brings to the Pacers. The Pacers' offense revolves around the versatile scoring ability of Paul George, and this team already has their center in Al Jefferson. This move would make the Indiana Pacers significantly worse.
Los Angeles Clippers: Hassan Whiteside
The Clippers would give up the leader of their team in Chris Paul for one of the best shot-blockers in the league in Hassan Whiteside. The trio of Whiteside, DeAndre Jordan, and Blake Griffin is a scary combination, which would be nearly unstoppable. No team would be able to score in the paint against this team. However, without the leadership of Chris Paul, the Clippers' offense would collapse, meaning this move would make the Clippers worse in the long run.
Los Angeles Lakers: Andre Drummond
The Lakers would give up the future of their team in Brandon Ingram, for a rebounding monster in Andre Drummond. Drummond has plenty of upside, and is one of the most dominant big men in the league. I believe that Drummond would complement the young D'Angelo Russell well, and this move would make the Lakers better, at least in the short term.
Memphis Grizzlies: Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Grizzlies would give up their franchise center in Marc Gasol for the athletic freak Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Grizzlies would most likely get worse, since they would lose a significant big man. However, the duo of Giannis and Mike Conley would be interesting to watch. Overall, this move would not be wise for the Grizzlies, at least for the short term.
Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler
The Heat would give up All-Star center Hassan Whiteside for Jimmy Butler. The Heat's perimeter defense and offense would definitely improve, but they would get destroyed by other teams' interior offenses. Overall, this move wouldnn't change the Heat too much in terms of performance, but would significantly alter their playing style.
Milwaukee Bucks: Anthony Davis
The Bucks would give up the phenom Giannis Antetokounmpo in exchange for one of the best big men in the league in Anthony Davis. Performance-wise, this would make the Bucks a worse all-around team, as Antetokounmpo brings a variety of skills to the table. However, the Bucks would become dominant when it comes to rebounding. Overall, this move wouldn't make the Bucks better, but wouldn't make them too much worse either.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Brook Lopez
The Timberwolves would give up the young Karl-Anthony Towns in exchange for an older, not as prominent center in Brook Lopez. Towns, believe it or not, is the better all-around player with more upside, so this move wouldn't hurt the Timberwolves too much in the short term, but it would make them a much worse team in the long run.
New Orleans Pelicans: Ben Simmons
The Pelicans would give up All-Star Anthony Davis for an unproven forward in Ben Simmons. Overall, the Pelicans rely on Davis for everything, and in my belief, Davis has more upside than Simmons. This move hurts the Pelicans in the long run, and completely shatters them as a team in the short term as well.
New York Knicks: Karl-Anthony Towns
The Knicks would give up scoring star Carmelo Anthony for the young, promising Karl-Anthony Towns. This move would allow Derrick Rose to take charge of the offense, and would open up even more scoring opportunities for Kristaps Porzingis. A duo of Porzingis and Towns on the interior, with Rose at the head of the team, would be one star away from being Eastern Conference contenders. However, Carmelo has established himself as the face of this franchise, so this would hurt them in the short term.
Oklahoma City Thunder: DeMarcus Cousins
The Thunder would give up superstar Russell Westbrook for DeMarcus Cousins, the best center in the league. Although Cousins is good, no player in the NBA carries an entire team the way Westbrook does other than James Harden, so without the relentless play of Westbrook, the Thunder would collapse, especially on the perimeter. This move would be terrible for the Thunder, not because Cousins isn't good, but simply because Westbrook is phenomenal.
Orlando Magic: Eric Bledsoe
The Magic would give up Evan Fournier for Eric Bledsoe. In my belief, they would lose the scoring Fournier brings, but would get better on the perimeter due to Bledsoe's athleticism. The Magic would need another athletic guard after the loss of Oladipo, and they get this with Bledsoe. This move would make the Magic better in some aspects of the game and worse in others, but overall, it wouldn't be too significant.
Philadelphia 76ers: Gordon Hayward
The Philadelphia 76ers, one of the worst teams in the league, would give up Ben Simmons, the future of their team, for Gordon Hayward. In the short term, this would boost the 76ers in terms of scoring, as Hayward is a great player. However, in the long term, Simmons was drafted to develop alongside the other young talent, such as Saric and Embiid, and his playmaking ability would not be replaced by Hayward in the long term. This move improves the 76ers in the short term, but makes them worse in the long run.
Phoenix Suns: Al Horford
The Suns would give up their point guard in Eric Bledsoe for the athletic center Al Horford. The Suns have a team full of young stars, from Booker to Warren to Ulis, and Bledsoe is the leader. Horford, although he is a strong center, would improve the Suns on the interior, but ultimately this move would make them worse as Bledsoe is key to the offense, and is younger. In both the long and short term, this move does not make the Suns better.
Portland Trailblazers: Kawhi Leonard
The Trailblazers would give up their centerpiece of Damian Lillard for the best defensive player in the league in Kawhi Leonard. In my belief, Leonard is better than Lillard, but the role Lillard plays in this team cannot be replaced by anyone else. This move wouldn't change the Trailblazers' performance significantly, but may make them worse simply because Kawhi is not as much of a scorer or passer as Lillard is.
Sacramento Kings: Stephen Curry
The Kings would give up the best center in the league in DeMarcus Cousins for the best shooter in the league in Stephen Curry. This move would improve the Kings slightly, since Cousins has had many conflicts with the organization. However, no player can compensate for what Cousins brings in the interior, so the Kings would definitely be hurt there. Overall, this move would make the Kings worse, since Curry and Cousins are two very different players, and Cousins' role cannot be filled by anyone else. However, if Willie Cauley-Stein could develop for Sacramento, it wouldn't be too bad.
San Antonio Spurs: Damian Lillard
The Spurs would give up their team's MVP in Kawhi Leonard for the phenomenal Damian Lillard. Right off the bat, this makes the Spurs significantly worse defensively, since Kawhi is the best defensive player in the league. However, Lillard can be the Spurs' guard for the future, being reunited with Aldridge in San Antonio. If the Spurs acquired one more star, they would be fantastic. In the short term and long term, this would help the Spurs scoring wise, but overall would make them worse.
Toronto Raptors: Kemba Walker
The Raptors would give up Kyle Lowry for another young point guard in Kemba Walker. As mentioned before, Lowry and Walker are extremely similar in terms of production, so this move wouldn't change the Raptors too much. However, Lowry is a slightly better point guard on defense and in general, so this may hurt the Raptors a bit.
Utah Jazz: LeBron James
The Utah Jazz would give up a stud in Gordon Hayward for the best player in the world in LeBron James. The Jazz have a solid foundation, with George Hill, Rudy Gobert, Rodney Hood, and many other great players with potential. With a leader like LeBron James, the Jazz would ascend to the next level. They would instantly become contenders in the Western Conference, especially with several teams switching up their best players. In the short term, the Jazz significantly improve, but in the long term, this move isn't too bad, but may be questionable since LeBron is aging.
Washington Wizards: Paul Millsap
The Wizards would give up John Wall, the heart and soul of their team, for Paul Millsap. Although Millsap is a productive big man on the boards and scoring, he simply does not bring what Wall brings to the team. Wall's explosiveness, leadership, and scoring guides the Wizards night after night, and without him, the team would lose all direction. This move makes the Wizards significantly worse.
Postseason Predictions
With every team swapping their best player for another team's best, the league would be shaken up. So who would win the Finals? Let's find out:
The Western Conference would be headed by the Warriors, who despite losing Curry, would still have the trio of Carmelo, Durant, and Green. The Jazz would also lead the Western Conference, lead by LeBron James, backed up by Rudy Gobert and others. The Spurs with Damian Lillard would also be prominent in the West.
The Eastern Conference would be headed by the Cavaliers, who would still have the best backcourt in the world with James Harden and Kyrie Irving. The Boston Celtics with Paul George, the Hawks with Westbrook, and the Knicks with Karl-Anthony Towns are the other notable teams in the East.
In the Western Conference Playoffs, the Jazz would defeat the Spurs, because with LeBron's age rising, he would leave it all on the court in the postseason, and without Kawhi, nobody on the Spurs could guard him. Also, Damian Lillard would emerge and torch the Jazz's defense. However, with LeBron's leadership and Gobert's defense, Utah takes the series.
In the Western Conference Finals against Golden State, the Jazz would prevail, due to the fact that the Warriors wouldn't have a facilitator, but a string of scorers. The Draymond & Curry pick and roll is key to their offense, and without someone to kick it out to Draymond on the perimeter or feed it to him inside, I don't know if the Warriors can step up. Overall, the Jazz would have better chemistry with James.
In the Eastern Conference Playoffs, the Cavaliers would defeat the Knicks. This is because Porzingis and Towns, no matter how good they are, they lack the experience and skill of Kyrie, Harden, and Kevin Love. The Hawks would defeat the Celtics, since without any interior presence, and with the leadership of Westbrook, they would bypass Boston.
In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Hawks, the Cavaliers would prevail due to Harden and Irving's scoring, as well as their interior dominance with Thompson and Kevin Love.
In the NBA Finals, the Utah Jazz would play the Cleveland Cavaliers, and win in a 7-game series. The Cavaliers only stood a chance against Golden State in the Finals last season because of LeBron. Now, with the tables turned, LeBron and his new team would be too much for the Cavaliers to handle. With nobody to guard James, and LeBron guarding Harden on defense, the Cavaliers would be forced to look to Kevin Love and Kyrie. Even with their scoring, LeBron's play in an NBA Finals series cannot be matched by any player in the league today, which is why I believe the Jazz would win in 7 games.
First, let's list the best players on each NBA team (with help provided by Bleacher Report's article):
Atlanta Hawks: Paul Millsap
Boston Celtics: Al Horford
Brooklyn Nets: Brook Lopez
Charlotte Hornets: Kemba Walker
Chicago Bulls: Jimmy Butler
Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron James
Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki
Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jokic
Detroit Pistons: Andre Drummond
Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry
Houston Rockets: James Harden
Indiana Pacers: Paul George
Los Angeles Clippers: Chris Paul
Los Angeles Lakers: Brandon Ingram
Memphis Grizzlies: Marc Gasol
Miami Heat: Hassan Whiteside
Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns
New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Davis
New York Knicks: Carmelo Anthony
Oklahoma City Thunder: Russell Westbrook
Orlando Magic: Evan Fournier
Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons
Phoenix Suns: Eric Bledsoe
Portland Trailblazers: Damian Lillard
Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins
San Antonio Spurs: Kawhi Leonard
Toronto Raptors: Kyle Lowry
Utah Jazz: Gordon Hayward
Washington Wizards: John Wall
Now, in a random picking process, we will assign each player to a new team, and analyze the results.
Here's what happened:
Atlanta Hawks: Russell Westbrook
The Hawks would give up Paul Millsap for Russell Westbrook, one of the best players in the league. However, with the loss of Horford and free agency, and now Millsap, the Hawks would get worse on the inside, but much better on the perimeter. However, I think Howard and Westbrook would be interesting to watch; this move would make the Hawks significantly better.
Boston Celtics: Paul George
The Celtics would give up their newest player Al Horford for Paul George, a move which I think would make them even better than they already are. Their strong leader Isaiah Thoams, paired with the potent Jaylen Brown, and now superstar Paul George, would make them a force in the Eastern Conference. If they could improve a little on the inside, this team could easily compete for the Eastern Conference crown.
Brooklyn Nets: Nikola Jokic
The Nets would have to give up Brook Lopez, the heart of their team, for an even younger, more potent center. Since the Nets are ultimately building for the future, this move would be excellent for them, giving them a young center who can develop into a superstar. I think Jokic would complement Rondae Hollis-Jefferson very well if on the Nets. This move would be great for the Brooklyn Nets, at least for the long term.
Charlotte Hornets: Kyle Lowry
The Hornets would give up the heart and soul of their team, Kemba Walker, for a similar point guard in Kyle Lowry. Both Walker and Lowry put up very similar numbers, and this move wouldn't change the Hornets too much, and their style of playing would remain mostly the same. This move wouldn't affect the Hornets significantly, but would make them slightly better.
Chicago Bulls: Brandon Ingram
The Bulls would give up young star Jimmy Butler for a player capable of becoming the next Kevin Durant in Brandon Ingram. This move has its benefits and drawbacks. Chicago would get a superstar who they can build around for the future. However, they would lose their current centerpiece and leader in Jimmy Butler. I think this move would hurt the Bulls a lot in the short term, but possibly improve them in the long term.
Cleveland Cavaliers: James Harden
The Cavaliers would give up Finals MVP, and arguably the best player in the world right now for James Harden. Even though Harden is a superstar, he doesn't even come close to bringing the defense, playmaking, and leadership LeBron brings every night. Also, this would mess up the Cavaliers' chemistry as well. This move would make the Cavs significantly worse.
Dallas Mavericks: Evan Fournier
The Mavericks would give up the best player in their franchise's history, Dirk Nowitzki, for Evan Fournier. Although Nowitzki is the heart and soul of this team, he is aging, and the Mavericks need to look for the future. Fournier is a great player on both sides of the floor, who has a lot of potential. I think this move would be great for the Mavericks in the long term.
Denver Nuggets: Chris Paul
The Nuggets would give up their future superstar in Nikola Jokic, for one of the best point guards in the NBA in Chris Paul. Although Paul is an amazing point guard, the Nuggets already have their point guard for the future in Emmanuel Mudiay, and losing Jokic would really hurt them in the interior. This would be a poor move for the Nuggets.
Detroit Pistons: Dirk Nowitzki
The Pistons would give up superstar Andre Drummond for an old Dirk Nowitzki. This would make the Pistons much worse, both in the short term and long term. Their offense revolves around having a big man who is a prominent rebounder, and Nowitzki would not be able to fill that role nearly as well as Drummond does. This would be a terrible move for the Pistons.
Golden State Warriors: Carmelo Anthony
The Warriors would give up MVP Stephen Curry, in exchange for scoring superstar Carmelo Anthony. This move would mess up the Warriors' chemistry, since there would be three forwards in Durant, Anthony, and Green, who are all scorers. Also, Curry is one of the main facilitators of the offense, so it wouldn't run nearly as well without him. Adding Anthony would be a bad move for the Warriors.
Houston Rockets: John Wall
The Rockets would give up their superstar scorer James Harden in exchange for a younger point guard in John Wall. If this move happened, the Rockets would definitely not make the playoffs. Harden defines the Rockets as a team, and every season, he carries them to the playoffs. There is no player in the NBA, other than Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, or Russell Westbrook, who can carry the Rockets to the playoffs season after season like Harden does. This move would make the Rockets much worse.
Indiana Pacers: Marc Gasol
The Pacers would give up young superstar Paul George for a veteran big man in Marc Gasol. Granted, Gasol is a pretty good center, but there is absolutely no way he can replace what Paul George brings to the Pacers. The Pacers' offense revolves around the versatile scoring ability of Paul George, and this team already has their center in Al Jefferson. This move would make the Indiana Pacers significantly worse.
Los Angeles Clippers: Hassan Whiteside
The Clippers would give up the leader of their team in Chris Paul for one of the best shot-blockers in the league in Hassan Whiteside. The trio of Whiteside, DeAndre Jordan, and Blake Griffin is a scary combination, which would be nearly unstoppable. No team would be able to score in the paint against this team. However, without the leadership of Chris Paul, the Clippers' offense would collapse, meaning this move would make the Clippers worse in the long run.
Los Angeles Lakers: Andre Drummond
The Lakers would give up the future of their team in Brandon Ingram, for a rebounding monster in Andre Drummond. Drummond has plenty of upside, and is one of the most dominant big men in the league. I believe that Drummond would complement the young D'Angelo Russell well, and this move would make the Lakers better, at least in the short term.
Memphis Grizzlies: Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Grizzlies would give up their franchise center in Marc Gasol for the athletic freak Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Grizzlies would most likely get worse, since they would lose a significant big man. However, the duo of Giannis and Mike Conley would be interesting to watch. Overall, this move would not be wise for the Grizzlies, at least for the short term.
Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler
The Heat would give up All-Star center Hassan Whiteside for Jimmy Butler. The Heat's perimeter defense and offense would definitely improve, but they would get destroyed by other teams' interior offenses. Overall, this move wouldnn't change the Heat too much in terms of performance, but would significantly alter their playing style.
Milwaukee Bucks: Anthony Davis
The Bucks would give up the phenom Giannis Antetokounmpo in exchange for one of the best big men in the league in Anthony Davis. Performance-wise, this would make the Bucks a worse all-around team, as Antetokounmpo brings a variety of skills to the table. However, the Bucks would become dominant when it comes to rebounding. Overall, this move wouldn't make the Bucks better, but wouldn't make them too much worse either.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Brook Lopez
The Timberwolves would give up the young Karl-Anthony Towns in exchange for an older, not as prominent center in Brook Lopez. Towns, believe it or not, is the better all-around player with more upside, so this move wouldn't hurt the Timberwolves too much in the short term, but it would make them a much worse team in the long run.
New Orleans Pelicans: Ben Simmons
The Pelicans would give up All-Star Anthony Davis for an unproven forward in Ben Simmons. Overall, the Pelicans rely on Davis for everything, and in my belief, Davis has more upside than Simmons. This move hurts the Pelicans in the long run, and completely shatters them as a team in the short term as well.
New York Knicks: Karl-Anthony Towns
The Knicks would give up scoring star Carmelo Anthony for the young, promising Karl-Anthony Towns. This move would allow Derrick Rose to take charge of the offense, and would open up even more scoring opportunities for Kristaps Porzingis. A duo of Porzingis and Towns on the interior, with Rose at the head of the team, would be one star away from being Eastern Conference contenders. However, Carmelo has established himself as the face of this franchise, so this would hurt them in the short term.
Oklahoma City Thunder: DeMarcus Cousins
The Thunder would give up superstar Russell Westbrook for DeMarcus Cousins, the best center in the league. Although Cousins is good, no player in the NBA carries an entire team the way Westbrook does other than James Harden, so without the relentless play of Westbrook, the Thunder would collapse, especially on the perimeter. This move would be terrible for the Thunder, not because Cousins isn't good, but simply because Westbrook is phenomenal.
Orlando Magic: Eric Bledsoe
The Magic would give up Evan Fournier for Eric Bledsoe. In my belief, they would lose the scoring Fournier brings, but would get better on the perimeter due to Bledsoe's athleticism. The Magic would need another athletic guard after the loss of Oladipo, and they get this with Bledsoe. This move would make the Magic better in some aspects of the game and worse in others, but overall, it wouldn't be too significant.
Philadelphia 76ers: Gordon Hayward
The Philadelphia 76ers, one of the worst teams in the league, would give up Ben Simmons, the future of their team, for Gordon Hayward. In the short term, this would boost the 76ers in terms of scoring, as Hayward is a great player. However, in the long term, Simmons was drafted to develop alongside the other young talent, such as Saric and Embiid, and his playmaking ability would not be replaced by Hayward in the long term. This move improves the 76ers in the short term, but makes them worse in the long run.
Phoenix Suns: Al Horford
The Suns would give up their point guard in Eric Bledsoe for the athletic center Al Horford. The Suns have a team full of young stars, from Booker to Warren to Ulis, and Bledsoe is the leader. Horford, although he is a strong center, would improve the Suns on the interior, but ultimately this move would make them worse as Bledsoe is key to the offense, and is younger. In both the long and short term, this move does not make the Suns better.
Portland Trailblazers: Kawhi Leonard
The Trailblazers would give up their centerpiece of Damian Lillard for the best defensive player in the league in Kawhi Leonard. In my belief, Leonard is better than Lillard, but the role Lillard plays in this team cannot be replaced by anyone else. This move wouldn't change the Trailblazers' performance significantly, but may make them worse simply because Kawhi is not as much of a scorer or passer as Lillard is.
Sacramento Kings: Stephen Curry
The Kings would give up the best center in the league in DeMarcus Cousins for the best shooter in the league in Stephen Curry. This move would improve the Kings slightly, since Cousins has had many conflicts with the organization. However, no player can compensate for what Cousins brings in the interior, so the Kings would definitely be hurt there. Overall, this move would make the Kings worse, since Curry and Cousins are two very different players, and Cousins' role cannot be filled by anyone else. However, if Willie Cauley-Stein could develop for Sacramento, it wouldn't be too bad.
San Antonio Spurs: Damian Lillard
The Spurs would give up their team's MVP in Kawhi Leonard for the phenomenal Damian Lillard. Right off the bat, this makes the Spurs significantly worse defensively, since Kawhi is the best defensive player in the league. However, Lillard can be the Spurs' guard for the future, being reunited with Aldridge in San Antonio. If the Spurs acquired one more star, they would be fantastic. In the short term and long term, this would help the Spurs scoring wise, but overall would make them worse.
Toronto Raptors: Kemba Walker
The Raptors would give up Kyle Lowry for another young point guard in Kemba Walker. As mentioned before, Lowry and Walker are extremely similar in terms of production, so this move wouldn't change the Raptors too much. However, Lowry is a slightly better point guard on defense and in general, so this may hurt the Raptors a bit.
Utah Jazz: LeBron James
The Utah Jazz would give up a stud in Gordon Hayward for the best player in the world in LeBron James. The Jazz have a solid foundation, with George Hill, Rudy Gobert, Rodney Hood, and many other great players with potential. With a leader like LeBron James, the Jazz would ascend to the next level. They would instantly become contenders in the Western Conference, especially with several teams switching up their best players. In the short term, the Jazz significantly improve, but in the long term, this move isn't too bad, but may be questionable since LeBron is aging.
Washington Wizards: Paul Millsap
The Wizards would give up John Wall, the heart and soul of their team, for Paul Millsap. Although Millsap is a productive big man on the boards and scoring, he simply does not bring what Wall brings to the team. Wall's explosiveness, leadership, and scoring guides the Wizards night after night, and without him, the team would lose all direction. This move makes the Wizards significantly worse.
Postseason Predictions
With every team swapping their best player for another team's best, the league would be shaken up. So who would win the Finals? Let's find out:
The Western Conference would be headed by the Warriors, who despite losing Curry, would still have the trio of Carmelo, Durant, and Green. The Jazz would also lead the Western Conference, lead by LeBron James, backed up by Rudy Gobert and others. The Spurs with Damian Lillard would also be prominent in the West.
The Eastern Conference would be headed by the Cavaliers, who would still have the best backcourt in the world with James Harden and Kyrie Irving. The Boston Celtics with Paul George, the Hawks with Westbrook, and the Knicks with Karl-Anthony Towns are the other notable teams in the East.
In the Western Conference Playoffs, the Jazz would defeat the Spurs, because with LeBron's age rising, he would leave it all on the court in the postseason, and without Kawhi, nobody on the Spurs could guard him. Also, Damian Lillard would emerge and torch the Jazz's defense. However, with LeBron's leadership and Gobert's defense, Utah takes the series.
In the Western Conference Finals against Golden State, the Jazz would prevail, due to the fact that the Warriors wouldn't have a facilitator, but a string of scorers. The Draymond & Curry pick and roll is key to their offense, and without someone to kick it out to Draymond on the perimeter or feed it to him inside, I don't know if the Warriors can step up. Overall, the Jazz would have better chemistry with James.
In the Eastern Conference Playoffs, the Cavaliers would defeat the Knicks. This is because Porzingis and Towns, no matter how good they are, they lack the experience and skill of Kyrie, Harden, and Kevin Love. The Hawks would defeat the Celtics, since without any interior presence, and with the leadership of Westbrook, they would bypass Boston.
In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Hawks, the Cavaliers would prevail due to Harden and Irving's scoring, as well as their interior dominance with Thompson and Kevin Love.
In the NBA Finals, the Utah Jazz would play the Cleveland Cavaliers, and win in a 7-game series. The Cavaliers only stood a chance against Golden State in the Finals last season because of LeBron. Now, with the tables turned, LeBron and his new team would be too much for the Cavaliers to handle. With nobody to guard James, and LeBron guarding Harden on defense, the Cavaliers would be forced to look to Kevin Love and Kyrie. Even with their scoring, LeBron's play in an NBA Finals series cannot be matched by any player in the league today, which is why I believe the Jazz would win in 7 games.
Comments
Post a Comment