It may seem to some that players such as Giannis, Ben Simmons, and Zion Williamson are the future of basketball. And they very well could be. But those are the players of the future. What about the teams of the future? It takes a whole squad playing their best basketball to win a championship. What teams could dominate the 2020s?
In my opinion, the top three basketball teams heading into 2020 are the New Orleans Pelicans, Miami Heat, and Denver Nuggets (in terms of young talent). As most people would wonder why I pick those three teams, I will now explain my reasoning for each.
The New Orleans Pelicans have one of the best young cores in the NBA, which basically the Lakers gave to them for Anthony Davis. They have their #1 overall pick from 2019, Zion Williamson, as long as veteran point guard Jrue Holiday, All-Star Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, lob partner Lonzo, veteran JJ Reddick, and fellow rookie Jaxson Hayes. This is an incredible young core with some veteran leadership, and Zion is making an immediate impact with the Pelicans. When he is on the floor, they have a record above .500%. They have an incredible team, with an incredibly bright future, but whether they have better young cores than these next two teams is debatable.
I already wrote a blog post about the Miami Heat, and how they got so good so quickly, so make sure to check that out after you read this post. (Link: nbainfo.data.blog/2020/07/21/how-did-the-miami-heat-get-so-good-so-quick/ ) But just in case you don’t, they drafted Tyler Herro, and then got undrafted players Kendrick Nunn and Duncan Robinson from the G League and Summer League, and also signed Jimmy Butler in free agency. They also have monster all-star center Bam Adebayo in with their young core. But not only do they have one of the best young cores in the league, they also have veteran leaders that can help show these rookies the way, such as Meyers Leonard, Goran Dragic, Kelly Olynk, and Jimmy Butler. However, there is one way that they totally messed up. They traded away their 2020 Second Round pick to Denver. That pick? Bol Bol, son of 7’7″ Manute Bol. 7’2″ Bol Bol who had 6 blocks in his NBA Debut. It just goes to show that no matter how good you do, you could always do better. With the young talent and veterans to help them find their way, don’t be surprised if the Heat make a deep playoff run this year, and find their way to the NBA Finals.
The Denver Nuggets have a championship winning roster, but unfortunately is in a stacked Western Conference, with powerhouses like the Lebron led Lakers, Kawhi and PG-13 led Clippers, Luka and Porzigis Mavericks, Harden and Westbrook Rockets, and, well let you get the point. The Denver Nuggets are currently one of the youngest teams in the NBA, with incredible talent. Their team is led by Nikola Jokic, an all-star whose biggest knock has always been his weight. But during the break in the season, Nikola Jokic lost 50 pounds! 50! He now looks like a near 7 foot point guard, and is having a lot less trouble running up and down the field. They also have dynamic Point Guard Jamal Murray, who will no doubt be an all-star in the next year or two. They have a very good supporting cast, with players like Will Barton, Gary Harris, Mason Plumlee, Michael Porter Jr, Paul Millsap, and a young future star by the name of Bol Bol. Yes, so not only do they have a young lethal duo in Jokic and Murray, but they now have Bol Bol, who just finished recovering from injury, and debuted two days ago. The statline he put up in his first game? 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 blocks. I am in disbelief, as he not only had a double-double, but nearly a triple double; with blocks! But tell me honestly: who’s going to stop a 7 footer who now can run and has an incredible outlet pass, a pass-first point guard, and a 7’2″ kid that is the son of the best shock blocker ever in the NBA? The rest of the team is solid, but nobody will stop Bol Bol. Literally nobody. There is a not a team that can put up a fight against the Denver Nuggets in a few years or take on Bol Bol; except Tacko Fall. So Celtics, if you want to have a prayer at winning a championship, put Tacko in the rotation. Please? We all really want to see him play more than 3 minutes at the end of a game when it’s already decided.
Let me know in the comments below which team of the three will have the most success, don’t forget to drop a like, and as always, have an awesome day!
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