With the drastically changing landscape, Head in the Game writers Grant and Troy will be giving you five teams each, with some overlapping, who should be a lot of fun to watch this season. These aren't necessarily the five best teams in the NBA, but just fun teams to watch this year. Additionally, the rule is that they cannot include their favorite team in those five. But to make it up to them, they can have a section at the end to talk about them. Oh, and these teams are in alphabetical order, not in some sort of ranking.
Grant's Five Fun Teams
Houston Rockets
Last Year's Record: 53-29 (4th in West)
Key Departures: Chris Paul (Trade - Oklahoma City)
Key Additions: Russell Westbrook (Trade - Oklahoma City), Tyson Chandler (Free Agency)
Why You Should Watch: James Harden and Russell Westbrook will be playing on the same team at the same time. Among players who played at least 2000 minutes last season, Harden was first in usage rate (39.6%) and Westbrook was eighth (30.1%). Using a traditional statistic, Harden ranked first in shots attempted (24.5 per game) and Westbrook ranked fourth (20.2). It will be fascinating to see how two of the most ball-dominant players in the NBA perform together, especially on a team as deep and talented as Houston.
LA Teams
Clipper Key Departure: Danilo Gallinari (Trade - Oklahoma City), Shai Gilgerous-Alexander (Trade - Oklahoma City), Garrett Temple (Free Agency - Brooklyn), Wilson Chandler (Free Agency - Brooklyn)
Clipper Key Additions: Paul George (Trade - Oklahoma City), Maurice Harkless (Trade - Portland), Kawhi Leonard (Free Agency)
Lakers Last Year's Record: 37-45 (10th in West)
Lakers Key Departure: Lonzo Ball (Trade - New Orleans), Brandon Ingram (Trade - New Orleans), Josh Hart (Trade - New Orleans), Moritz Wagner (Trade - Washington), Tyson Chandler (Free Agency - Houston)
Lakers Key Additions: Anthony Davis (Trade - New Orleans), Danny Green (Free Agency), Avery Bradley (Free Agency), Quinn Cook (Free Agency), DeMarcus Cousins (Free Agency)
Why You Should Watch: Star power. Not only do the Lakers have LeBron, who is arguably the greatest NBA player of all time, but they now also have Davis, who is probably a top 10 NBA player right now. They also acquired multiple role players to round out the squad. After a forgettable 2018-19 season, LeBron's team is back among the contenders. The other LA team has quickly become a contender as well, acquiring both Kawhi and George, who, unlike LeBron and AD, were in the playoffs last season. It looks like this will be the first time in a while (or ever?) that both LA teams are NBA Finals contenders.
Milwaukee Bucks
Key Departures: Malcolm Brogdon (Sign-and-Trade - Indiana), Nikola Mirotic (Free Agency - FC Barcelona), Pau Gasol (Free Agency - Portland)
Key Additions: Robin Lopez (Free Agency), Wesley Matthew (Free Agency), Kyle Korver (Free Agency)
Why You Should Watch: GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO. I don't think I need to say more, but I will anyway. Mike Budenholzer's team also has all-around guard Eric Bledsoe and perpetually underrated guard Khris Middleton, and they signed noted three-point god Korver and noted mascot-fighter Lopez. He joins his brother Brook, who has somehow become one of the best perimeter-shooting big men in the league. The Bucks have the pieces to win an NBA title.
New Orleans Pelicans
Key Departure: Anthony Davis (Trade - LA Lakers), Solomon Hill (Trade - Atlanta - Memphis), Elfrid Payton (Free Agency - New York), Julius Randle (Free Agency - New York), Stanley Johnson (Free Agency - Toronto)
Key Additions: Zion Williamson (Draft), Jaxson Hayes (Draft), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Draft), Lonzo Ball (Trade - LA Lakers), Brandon Ingram (Trade - LA Lakers), Josh Hart (Trade - LA Lakers), Derrick Favors (Trade - Utah), JJ Redick (Free Agency)
Why You Should Watch: New Orleans completely overhauled its roster, thanks mostly to the Anthony Davis trade. The only 2018 starter I can think of who's still on the team is Jrue (not Drew) Holiday. AD is gone, but Zion has arrived. If nothing else, Zion should make this team entertaining. He's an absolute freight train. NOLA also has numerous talented Lakers cast-offs and some skilled role players. They may not make the playoffs, but the talented young Pellies will be fun to watch.
UPDATE: Zion reportedly had surgery to repair a torn meniscus, meaning he will miss the first 6-8 weeks of the season. Ugh.
Utah Jazz
Key Departures: Derrick Favors (Trade - New Orleans), Kyle Korver (Trade - Grizzlies, Later Signed with Milwaukee), Ricky Rubio (Free Agency - Pheonix), Raul Neto (Free Agency - Philadelphia)
Key Additions: Mike Conley (Trade - Memphis), Bojan Bogdanovic (Free Agency), Ed Davis (Free Agency), Jeff Green (Free Agency), Emmanuel Mudiay (Free Agency)
Why You Should Watch: The most inaccurately-named team in the NBA made the playoffs last season, then made some major offseason moves. The Jazz improved their point guard position by trading for Mike Conley, adding to a starting five that includes Donovan "Spida" Mitchell, Joe "Jingles" Ingles and Rudy "The Stifle Tower" Gobert, and added some shooting by signing Bojan Bogdanovic, who is the better Bogdanovic. Watch out for the Jazz in the wild West this season.
Troy's Five Fun Teams
Atlanta Hawks
Last Year's Record: 29-53 (12th in East)
Key Departure: Taurean Prince (Trade - Brooklyn), Kent Bazemore (Trade - Portland), Dewayne Dedmon (Free Agency - Sacramento)
Key Addition: DeAndre Hunter (Draft), Cam Reddish (Draft), Bruno Fernando (Draft), Allen Crab (Trade - Brooklyn)
Why You Should Watch: Last year's Atlanta Hawks ended the season as the League Pass favorite. They can certainly put on the points, playing fast and shooting threes. Trae Young really came on at the end of the year and was very entertaining. They added three very interesting pieces in the draft with two lottery pick wings and a very good second-round pick in Fernando. Hopefully, they'll keep up the fun offense and Trae Young will still be just as entertaining.
Dallas Mavericks
Last Year's Record: 33-49 (14th in West)
Key Departure: Dirk Nowizki (Retired), Trey Burke (Free Agency - 76ers)
Key Additions: Seth Curry (Free Agency), Delon Wright (Sign-and-Trade - Grizzlies), Boban Marjanovic (Free Agency)
Why You Should Watch: You should watch the Mavericks just to see their opponents be confused by their two European stars, coming on the heels of almost two decades of having a European star confusing opponents. Kristaps is the most unique matchup in the league, being 7'3" with the game of a wing. Add on to that Luka Dončić, who might be the most exciting young player in the league and can more or less do anything. Also, they have Boban, so that's something.
Denver Nuggets
Key Departure: Isaiah Thomas (Free Agency - Washington), Trey Lyles (Free Agency - San Antonio)
Key Additions: Bol Bol (Draft), Jerami Grant (Trade - Oklahoma City)
Why You Should Watch: The Nuggets were a team that surprised a lot of people last year. They're a team that has a lot of young talent all over their roster. Particularly this refers to Nikola Jokić. The Joker was a revelation last season, combining a traditional big man's body with a very unique skillset. I don't know if they'll have the same chance to go deep in the playoffs as last year due to added competition out west, but they'll still be very enjoyable to watch.
LA Teams
Clipper Key Departure: Danilo Gallinari (Trade - Oklahoma City), Shai Gilgerous-Alexander (Trade - Oklahoma City), Garrett Temple (Free Agency - Brooklyn), Wilson Chandler (Free Agency - Brooklyn)
Clipper Key Additions: Paul George (Trade - Oklahoma City), Maurice Harkless (Trade - Portland), Kawhi Leonard (Free Agency)
Lakers Last Year's Record: 37-45 (10th in West)
Lakers Key Departure: Lonzo Ball (Trade - New Orleans), Brandon Ingram (Trade - New Orleans), Josh Hart (Trade - New Orleans), Moritz Wagner (Trade - Washington), Tyson Chandler (Free Agency - Houston)
Lakers Key Additions: Anthony Davis (Trade - New Orleans), Danny Green (Free Agency), Avery Bradley (Free Agency), Quinn Cook (Free Agency), DeMarcus Cousins (Free Agency)
Why You Should Watch: Listen, it's not cheating if you're the one who makes the rules. LA is once again the epicenter of the basketball universe. The Lakers gave LeBron the running mate who can potentially make them championship contenders once again. On the other side of the Staples Center is the Clippers, who somehow made even more noise than their cross arena rivals. If you add both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard in the same offseason, naturally you are a title favorite. Matchups between the two Southern California teams this year should be phenomenal.
New Orleans Pelicans
Key Departure: Anthony Davis (Trade - LA Lakers), Solomon Hill (Trade - Atlanta - Memphis), Elfrid Payton (Free Agency - New York), Julius Randle (Free Agency - New York), Stanley Johnson (Free Agency - Toronto)
Key Additions: Zion Williamson (Draft), Jaxson Hayes (Draft), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Draft), Lonzo Ball (Trade - LA Lakers), Brandon Ingram (Trade - LA Lakers), Josh Hart (Trade - LA Lakers), Derrick Favors (Trade - Utah), JJ Redick (Free Agency)
Why You Should Watch: The clear answer would be Zion. New Orleans was partying when they got the number one pick (okay, let's face it. they were already probably partying). Zion isn't the only good pickup though. They had a great draft, picking up Hayes and Alexander-Walker later in the first round. The Anthony Davis trade also produced an amazing return with a buttload (the truest unit of measurement) of draft picks and young pieces in Ball, Ingram, and Hart. Additional new players in Favors and Redick will make the Pelicans a very interesting team.
Grant's Favorite Team - Cleveland Cavaliers
Key Departure: David Nwaba (Free Agency - Brooklyn), Cameron Payne (Free Agency - Toronto), J.R. Smith (Waived)
Key Additions: Darius Garland (Draft), Dylan Windler (Draft), Kevin Porter Jr. (Draft), Alfonzo Mckinney (Waivers - Golden State)
Why You Should Watch: You probably shouldn't watch, and you probably won't watch. The Cavs will not be good. But they might be fun. They still have Kevin Love, who, at the very least, is a handsome guy. They have Collin Sexton, who was the best rookie three-point shooter in the league last season. They have Delly, who is Delly. And they have a new head coach (John Belein) and three intriguing first-round rookies. Garland hardly played last season due to injury, but his talent got him drafted high. Windler was a prolific three-point shooter in college. And Porter, despite being drafted with the last pick of the first round, might be the most talented of the three. The Cavs will probably be bad, but hopefully they'll be the fun kind of bad.
Troy Favorite Team - Indiana Pacers
Key Departure: Darren Collison (Retired), Tyreke Evans (Suspension), Bojan Bogdanovic (Free Agency - Utah), Thaddeus Young (Free Agency - Chicago), Wesley Matthew (Free Agency - Milwaukee), Cory Joseph (Free Agency - Sacramento)
Key Additions: Goga Bitadze (Draft), Malcolm Brogdon (Sign-and-Trade - Milwaukee), TJ Warren (Trade - Pheonix), Jeremy Lamb (Free Agency), TJ McConnell (Free Agency)
Why You Should Watch: It's pretty obvious why you should watch Indiana. They're the team from the best state in the union, which is the place on Earth that loves the game the most. They have the best uniforms in the league (fight me). Most obviously of all, they lead the league in TJs.
The Pacers had a pretty good offseason. They signed someone who fits their system very well (Brogdon), got TJ Warren for straight cash in a trade, and got what might be a steal in the draft in Goga Bitadze. Losing Bogdanovic and Young will hurt a lot, but the additions look like they'll make the Pacers a better team once Oladipo returns.
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