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Even though the season is still several weeks away, everybody’s already making their NBA predictions 2021. The NBA Draft and free agency left some interesting notes, and it all points towards a historical season.
Most people base their NBA future tips on wishful thinking. But the reality is that no one can know for sure what’s going to happen in such an eventful, unpredictable, and exciting competition.
But considering the moves the teams have made, the things that have been said, and the aspirations of most franchises; we can start putting together a picture of how the 2021/22 season will look.
NBA predictions 2021: Six bold predictions
The NBA truly is where amazing happens. That’s just not a motto. You just never know what surprise you’re going to get next, which star is going to be moved, what team is going to fall apart, and who’s going to win the Larry O’Brien trophy. Even so, we all love to chime in and give our take on what’s most likely to happen.
That’s why, without any further ado, we’re going to dig deep into the upcoming campaign and fire away our bold NBA predictions 2021:
Jalen Green will win Rookie Of The Year
Most people often look at the Rookie of the Year odds when looking for NBA future tips. So, if you’re one of them, just go ahead and pick Jalen Green to take the award home next season. He’s just too good and is the most NBA-ready prospect in this year’s class.
The Houston Rockets will put the ball in Jalen Green’s hands from the start. He’s used to training with and against NBA professionals and knows how to put up points from all three levels. He still needs to bulk up but is the most athletic player in his class.
Of course, Green will have some tough competition to win Rookie of the Year. Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, and Jalen Suggs will certainly give him a run for his money. But in the end, we don’t expect any of them to beat Green for this award, as he’ll average north of 20 points per game this season.
Ben Simmons won’t be traded
There’s been a never-ending back-and-forth between Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers want to move on from Simmons and he has no interest in showing up for training camp. Still, we just don’t see him leaving any time soon. There’s not enough traction to pull off a trade as of now.
The harsh reality is that Simmons’ trade value is as low as it’ll ever be. That has nothing to do with his skills or talents but because of the fact that they’ve been too vocal with their desire to pull off a trade.
And Daryl Morey isn’t willing to take less than his true market value. He’s just 23 years old and has a long-term contract with the organization.
That’s why we expect the Sixers and Simmons to eventually make amends and work things out. Simmons needs to take his trade value up if he wants to play for another team, and the Sixers need another team to be desperate enough to meet their steep asking price.
Read more: Potential Ben Simmons trade packages for the Sixers to consider
LeBron James will win MVP
Most NBA future tips don’t have LeBron James as a top-5 MVP candidate. As a matter of fact, James hasn’t won the award since 2013, even though some people still think of him as the best player in the world. That might as well change next season, as LeBron is our candidate to win his 5th MVP award in 2022.
The Los Angeles Lakers have a revamped lineup. They added Russell Westbrook and multiple veterans like Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington, DeAndre Jordan, and Dwight Howard.
Their depth will take some pressure off James’ shoulders and he’ll be fresh throughout the season.
James has never stopped putting MVP-caliber numbers and he was a fair candidate last year before suffering an injury. If he stays healthy, his numbers stay the same, and the new-look Lakers clinch a top-2 spot in the Western Conference, the award will be his to lose, barring a major surprise.
Warriors will make the Western Conference Finals
Some people claim that the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty is over. They say their title window has shut down already, and that they’ll never be back to championship contention. In reality, the Dubs are a much-improved team ahead of next season. So improved that we believe they’ll make it at least to the Western Conference Finals.
Not only did the Warriors add more firepower and veterans in the offseason but they also have two rookies ready to contribute right away. But, obviously, their biggest addition will be Klay Thompson, who’ll be back from a two-year injury layoff, and that’s a scary thought for the rest of the league.
If Thompson is half of the player he was before going down, the Warriors will be a legit championship contender right away. His backcourt defense and historically great shooting are just what Stephen Curry and Draymond Green need to take another shot at a ring. Also, this team is built for the playoffs and has championship DNA.
Mavs will trade Kristaps Porzingis
A couple of years ago, the Dallas Mavericks made a huge splash by trading for Kristaps Porzingis. Now, some fans and analysts refer to that move as “The Tim Hardaway Jr. trade.” Porzingis doesn’t seem motivated to play next to Luka Doncic at all, and some insiders believe it’s only a matter of time before that locker room implodes.
Jason Kidd isn’t exactly a player’s coach, nor the one to mince his words when addressing his players.
If the reports of Porzingis not being comfortable with being Doncic’s sidekick are accurate, things could get pretty ugly in no time. And you know that Mark Cuban won’t do anything to displease his generational star, even if that means giving up on Porzingis.
Porzingis could still gauge some interest and value in the market, although his trade value isn’t nearly as high as it was back in the day.
But if the Mavs can get a couple of good defenders and some size, they could pull the trigger and just move on from the Latvian. Perhaps it’ll all be for the best.
Nets won’t win the NBA Championship
You can’t talk about NBA predictions 2021 without talking about the future NBA champion. As you can imagine, most oddsmakers believe that the Brooklyn Nets are the clear-cut favorites to win it all. And you would be wise not to bet against them.
Then again, how many times have we seen the overpowered team falling short? Even if they’re healthy next season –which hopefully they’ll be– it takes a lot of things to win a ring.
The Nets are as stacked as a team can be but their egos may get in the way at some point.
We all know Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden are all good friends but none of them usually react well when things don’t go their way. Also, whichever team that comes out of the Western Conference might have enough firepower and defense to spoil their party again. Will the James Harden curse come back to bite them? Perhaps.
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