2020-21 NBA season predictions: Playoff teams, Finals winner, MVP and more
The Los Angeles Lakers barely just won the 2019-20 NBA championship, but it’s already time to make predictions for the 2020-21 NBA season.
The season starts Tuesday after a condensed offseason, a whirlwind week of the 2020 NBA draft and free agency and a shortened season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of 82 games, this season will have 72 and only half of the schedule has been announced. The second half will be released sometime before the All-Star break, which will not include an All-Star game this season.
The postseason also gets a revamp with an added play-in tournament that will feature the seventh- through 10th-place teams in each conference. For these predictions, we’re selecting only the eight teams that will participate in the first round of the playoffs.
Some teams will try to host fans, but many games will be played in empty arenas. Without a bubble environment, it remains to be seen whether games will be postponed or canceled because of the coronavirus.
With so many unknowns, the Yahoo Sports NBA experts try to parse how a season unlike any other will play out. They’re in agreement that the Lakers will defend their title, but there is no other consensus.
Here are their predictions for the 2020-21 season.
2020-21 NBA season predictions
Disappointing Team
Chris Haynes: Houston Rockets
Vincent Goodwill: Houston Rockets
Seerat Sohi: Utah Jazz
Ben Rohrbach: Houston Rockets
LaJethro Jenkins: Philadelphia 76ers
Surprising Team
Chris Haynes: Atlanta Hawks
Vincent Goodwill: Atlanta Hawks
Seerat Sohi: New Orleans Pelicans
Ben Rohrbach: New Orleans Pelicans
LaJethro Jenkins: Atlanta Hawks
Eastern Conference playoff teams
Chris Haynes: 1. Bucks, 2. Celtics, 3. Nets, 4. Heat, 5. Raptors, 6. 76ers, 7. Wizards, 8. Hawks
Vincent Goodwill: 1. Bucks, 2. Nets, 3. Heat, 4. Celtics, 5. 76ers, 6. Raptors, 7. Hawks, 8. Wizards
Seerat Sohi: 1. Bucks, 2. Heat, 3. 76ers, 4. Nets, 5. Celtics, 6. Raptors, 7. Pacers, 8. Wizards
Ben Rohrbach: 1. Bucks, 2. Celtics, 3. 76ers, 4. Nets, 5. Heat, 6. Raptors, 7. Pacers, 8. Wizards
LaJethro Jenkins: 1. Nets, 2. Bucks, 3. Celtics, 4. Heat, 5. Hawks, 6. Raptors, 7. 76ers, 8. Pacers
Western Conference playoff teams
Chris Haynes: 1. Lakers, 2. Trail Blazers, 3. Nuggets, 4. Clippers, 5. Warriors, 6. Jazz, 7. Suns, 8. Mavericks
Vincent Goodwill: 1. Lakers, 2. Nuggets, 3. Clippers, 4. Jazz, 5. Mavericks, 6. Warriors, 7. Trail Blazers, 8. Suns
Seerat Sohi: 1. Lakers, 2. Clippers, 3. Nuggets, 4. Mavericks, 5. Pelicans, 6. Warriors, 7. Suns, 8. Trail Blazers
Ben Rohrbach: 1. Lakers, 2. Clippers, 3. Trail Blazers, 4. Nuggets, 5. Jazz, 6. Mavericks, 7. Warriors, 8. Pelicans
LaJethro Jenkins: 1. Lakers, 2. Nuggets, 3. Mavericks, 4. Clippers, 5. Trail Blazers, 6. Pelicans, 7. Warriors, 8. Suns
Eastern Conference finals matchup
Chris Haynes: Bucks vs. Nets
Vincent Goodwill: Bucks vs. Nets
Seerat Sohi: Nets vs. Heat
Ben Rohrbach: Bucks vs. Celtics
LaJethro Jenkins: Nets vs. Celtics
Western Conference finals matchup
Chris Haynes: Lakers vs. Trail Blazers
Vincent Goodwill: Lakers vs. Clippers
Seerat Sohi: Lakers vs. Clippers
Ben Rohrbach: Lakers vs. Clippers
LaJethro Jenkins: Lakers vs. Nuggets
NBA Finals matchup
Chris Haynes: Lakers vs. Bucks
Vincent Goodwill: Lakers vs. Nets
Seerat Sohi: Lakers vs. Nets
Ben Rohrbach: Lakers vs. Bucks
LaJethro Jenkins: Lakers vs. Nets
2020-21 NBA champion
Chris Haynes: Los Angeles Lakers
Vincent Goodwill: Los Angeles Lakers
Seerat Sohi: Los Angeles Lakers
Ben Rohrbach: Los Angeles Lakers
LaJethro Jenkins: Los Angeles Lakers
NBA Finals MVP
Chris Haynes: LeBron James
Vincent Goodwill: Anthony Davis
Seerat Sohi: Anthony Davis
Ben Rohrbach: LeBron James
LaJethro Jenkins: LeBron James
2020-21 NBA Most Valuable Player
Chris Haynes: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
Vincent Goodwill: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Seerat Sohi: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Ben Rohrbach: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
LaJethro Jenkins: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Rookie of the Year
Chris Haynes: Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Vincent Goodwill: James Wiseman, Golden State Warriors
Seerat Sohi: Devin Vassell, San Antonio Spurs
Ben Rohrbach: Tyrese Haliburton, Sacramento Kings
LaJethro Jenkins: James Wiseman, Golden State Warriors
Defensive Player of the Year
Chris Haynes: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
Vincent Goodwill: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
Seerat Sohi: Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
Ben Rohrbach: Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers
LaJethro Jenkins: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
Sixth Man Award
Chris Haynes: Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers
Vincent Goodwill: Caris LeVert, Brooklyn Nets
Seerat Sohi: Talen Horton-Tucker, Los Angeles Lakers
Ben Rohrbach: Norman Powell, Toronto Raptors
LaJethro Jenkins: Montrezl Harrell, Los Angeles Lakers
Most Improved Player
Chris Haynes: Talen Horton-Tucker, Los Angeles Lakers
Vincent Goodwill: Tyler Herro, Miami Heat
Seerat Sohi: Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Ben Rohrbach: Markelle Fultz, Orlando Magic
LaJethro Jenkins: Michael Porter Jr., Denver Nuggets
Coach of the Year
Chris Haynes: Terry Stotts, Portland Trail Blazers
Vincent Goodwill: Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat
Seerat Sohi: Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat
Ben Rohrbach: Terry Stotts, Portland Trail Blazers
LaJethro Jenkins: Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat
Executive of the Year
Chris Haynes: Travis Schlenk, Atlanta Hawks president and GM
Vincent Goodwill: Rob Pelinka, Los Angeles Lakers GM
Seerat Sohi: James Jones, Phoenix Suns GM
Ben Rohrbach: Rob Pelinka, Los Angeles Lakers GM
LaJethro Jenkins: Rob Pelinka, Los Angeles Lakers GM
