After talking to a panel of distinguished RDA scouts, we’ve determined the top ten teams for the upcoming season. Pack your bags for a sad flight home gentlemen, the title is coming to the Knicks in our inaugural year! So far this panel — aka one general manager who shall remain unnamed to protect his Nostradamus-like powers — has proven to be one hundred percent accurate with all his predictions. Can you guess who it is? For now, take a look at the post that will reveal how everything shook out at the end of our season...
1. NYK
Led by the now championship duo of Chris Paul and Lonzo Ball, NYK suffered only one loss in the Atlantic division -- as foreseen during our preseason previews -- rolling over most of their opponents with the steady defense of Hassan Whiteside, JaVale McGee, and Derrick Favors. Lonzo and CP3 had plenty of shooters to pass to as well, as Kevin Huerter, Joe Harris, and Seth Curry became the new Splash Amigos during the 2019-20 season.
Free agent find JJ Barea overcame a devastating injury from last season to put in one more championship run before retiring to his native Puerto Rico. And could it be said that Finals MVP Robert Covington was the best two-way player in RDA this year? It can now! With such a perfect blend of skills, talent, and personalities, it wasn't hard to see why NYK could be headed toward a possible dynasty. Congrats to Brain and the NYK franchise for restoring basketball pride to the Big Apple. The parade will come right down Broadway!
2. CLE
Our runner-up in the Eastern Conference, CLE wasn’t shy about making moves before the season started. They sent out DeAndre Bembry in exchange for Ivan Rabb back in September and then made another win-now move for Josh Richardson — shipping away Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Was it shocking that Zach LaVine led RDA in scoring and elevated himself to All-NBA status? Nope, not really! It was all just as Michael predicted.
With Richardson, new triple-double king Draymond Green, and defensive force Andrew Wiggins, CLE put together an incredible late season finish, as they went undefeated through the back half of the season after Kyle Kuzma returned from injury. It was shocking to see Bol Bol take Rookie of the Year but when you’re right, you’re right! While CLE didn't quite make it to the Finals, they were the second-best team in the East, which was clearly the better conference all season long, so we'll slot them right up here at number two.
3. LAL
It was fitting to see Commissioner Son in the RDA Finals versus NYK, a mega-matchup between the league’s two largest media markets. Conspiracy? Never! After the non-playoff season by the real Lakers, Los Angeles needed someone to win in the purple and gold. Unlike the two teams ahead of them on this list, LAL won with a decidedly defensive bent, as Jonathan Isaac emerged as the modern day Andrei Kirilenko and rookie De’Andre Hunter became Shawn Marion reincarnate. Add in the emergence of Bam Adebayo as a Hakeem Olajuwon-like threat on the low post and this big three took LAL all the way to the title game.
Sure, Spencer Dinwiddie, Tomas Satoransky, Jeff Teague, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope helped a bit, but it was really young centers Alex Len and Robert Williams who locked down the paint for LAL. What did Son do with all the playoff proceeds from this fine first season? He combined them with the future monies collected for trades and invested in Dinwiddie’s pyramid scheme of course!
4. TOR
Despite preseason hype as the odds-on favorite for taking the title this year, TOR fell a few levels short as LeBron James suffered a debilitating case of the olds right during the second round of the playoffs. With a roster that went twelve deep, TOR ran through the regular season with ease, ending up only two games behind NYK in the Atlantic.
However, Kemba Walker and Marc Gasol were not quite enough to fill in James’ shoes as TOR got upset by CLE in a tight series. The good news is that this veteran heavy team will be another year older in 2020-21, so surely another title chase will be in the cards. It won’t be long before Lonnie Walker inherits the team but for now, he’ll have to watch as LeBron, Kemba, and Gasol get ready for one more championship chase next season.
5. GSW
Eager to get their three-peat started, GSW made a trio of separate preseason moves, bringing in eventual Sixth Man of the Year Terrence Ross and then grabbing that other other Holiday brother, Justin. As the middle child, Justin had been awaiting his turn for playing time and it turned out that this year was it! Sensing the short window provided by the dynamic duo of James Harden and LaMarcus Aldridge, owner Brent hit the phones hard to find more trade partners. After canvassing the league for options, GSW decided to bring in Bogdanovic Bogdanovic and Comeback Player of the Year Will Barton — giving up the mercurial Brandon Ingram — to make the final push to Title Town.
Unfortunately, eleventh man Jahlil Okafor couldn’t convert a wide open dunk in the Western Conference finals versus LAL and that was all she wrote for the team from the Bay. With Harden and Aldridge willing to give it one more go, and Derrick Rose resigned to a five year max contract, it looks like GSW would be open to making even more moves to make sure that year two will start with a Pacific division title and end with a ring in 2020-21.
Top Ten 2019-20
1. NYKLed by the now championship duo of Chris Paul and Lonzo Ball, NYK suffered only one loss in the Atlantic division -- as foreseen during our preseason previews -- rolling over most of their opponents with the steady defense of Hassan Whiteside, JaVale McGee, and Derrick Favors. Lonzo and CP3 had plenty of shooters to pass to as well, as Kevin Huerter, Joe Harris, and Seth Curry became the new Splash Amigos during the 2019-20 season.
Free agent find JJ Barea overcame a devastating injury from last season to put in one more championship run before retiring to his native Puerto Rico. And could it be said that Finals MVP Robert Covington was the best two-way player in RDA this year? It can now! With such a perfect blend of skills, talent, and personalities, it wasn't hard to see why NYK could be headed toward a possible dynasty. Congrats to Brain and the NYK franchise for restoring basketball pride to the Big Apple. The parade will come right down Broadway!
2. CLE
Our runner-up in the Eastern Conference, CLE wasn’t shy about making moves before the season started. They sent out DeAndre Bembry in exchange for Ivan Rabb back in September and then made another win-now move for Josh Richardson — shipping away Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Was it shocking that Zach LaVine led RDA in scoring and elevated himself to All-NBA status? Nope, not really! It was all just as Michael predicted.
With Richardson, new triple-double king Draymond Green, and defensive force Andrew Wiggins, CLE put together an incredible late season finish, as they went undefeated through the back half of the season after Kyle Kuzma returned from injury. It was shocking to see Bol Bol take Rookie of the Year but when you’re right, you’re right! While CLE didn't quite make it to the Finals, they were the second-best team in the East, which was clearly the better conference all season long, so we'll slot them right up here at number two.
3. LALIt was fitting to see Commissioner Son in the RDA Finals versus NYK, a mega-matchup between the league’s two largest media markets. Conspiracy? Never! After the non-playoff season by the real Lakers, Los Angeles needed someone to win in the purple and gold. Unlike the two teams ahead of them on this list, LAL won with a decidedly defensive bent, as Jonathan Isaac emerged as the modern day Andrei Kirilenko and rookie De’Andre Hunter became Shawn Marion reincarnate. Add in the emergence of Bam Adebayo as a Hakeem Olajuwon-like threat on the low post and this big three took LAL all the way to the title game.
Sure, Spencer Dinwiddie, Tomas Satoransky, Jeff Teague, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope helped a bit, but it was really young centers Alex Len and Robert Williams who locked down the paint for LAL. What did Son do with all the playoff proceeds from this fine first season? He combined them with the future monies collected for trades and invested in Dinwiddie’s pyramid scheme of course!
4. TOR
Despite preseason hype as the odds-on favorite for taking the title this year, TOR fell a few levels short as LeBron James suffered a debilitating case of the olds right during the second round of the playoffs. With a roster that went twelve deep, TOR ran through the regular season with ease, ending up only two games behind NYK in the Atlantic.
However, Kemba Walker and Marc Gasol were not quite enough to fill in James’ shoes as TOR got upset by CLE in a tight series. The good news is that this veteran heavy team will be another year older in 2020-21, so surely another title chase will be in the cards. It won’t be long before Lonnie Walker inherits the team but for now, he’ll have to watch as LeBron, Kemba, and Gasol get ready for one more championship chase next season.
5. GSWEager to get their three-peat started, GSW made a trio of separate preseason moves, bringing in eventual Sixth Man of the Year Terrence Ross and then grabbing that other other Holiday brother, Justin. As the middle child, Justin had been awaiting his turn for playing time and it turned out that this year was it! Sensing the short window provided by the dynamic duo of James Harden and LaMarcus Aldridge, owner Brent hit the phones hard to find more trade partners. After canvassing the league for options, GSW decided to bring in Bogdanovic Bogdanovic and Comeback Player of the Year Will Barton — giving up the mercurial Brandon Ingram — to make the final push to Title Town.
Unfortunately, eleventh man Jahlil Okafor couldn’t convert a wide open dunk in the Western Conference finals versus LAL and that was all she wrote for the team from the Bay. With Harden and Aldridge willing to give it one more go, and Derrick Rose resigned to a five year max contract, it looks like GSW would be open to making even more moves to make sure that year two will start with a Pacific division title and end with a ring in 2020-21.
Top Ten 2019-20
- NYK
- CLE
- LAL
- TOR
- GSW
- IND
- CHI
- BOS
- UTA
- ORL