A new NBA season is here. Let's make some predictions.
Can anyone dethrone LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers? Which superstar has the best chance to spoil Giannis Antetokounmpo's pursuit of a historic third consecutive Most Valuable Player award?
We asked our group of NBA insiders to predict this season's conference and NBA Finals matchups, as well as MVP, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year and the other individual awards for 2020-21.
More: Your ultimate guide to the 2020-21 NBA season
Western Conference finals
Let's rename this section: "Whom will the Lakers beat in the Western Conference finals?"
It's no surprise that LeBron & Co. show up here as overwhelming favorites to reach the NBA Finals for the second straight season. They upgraded with former Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol and reigning Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell and return one of the most dangerous duos in the league in James and Davis.
A host of West challengers remain -- mainly the team across the hall at Staples Center -- but there's no denying the champs' place atop the conference right now.
Jerry Bembry: Los Angeles Lakers over Denver Nuggets
Nick DePaula: Los Angeles Lakers over LA Clippers
Nick Friedell: Los Angeles Lakers over LA Clippers
Tim Legler: Los Angeles Lakers over Denver Nuggets
Andrew Lopez: Los Angeles Lakers over LA Clippers
Tim MacMahon: Los Angeles Lakers over LA Clippers
Bobby Marks: Los Angeles Lakers over Portland Trail Blazers
Dave McMenamin: Los Angeles Lakers over Portland Trail Blazers
Kevin Pelton: Los Angeles Lakers over LA Clippers
Jorge Sedano: Los Angeles Lakers over LA Clippers
André Snellings: Los Angeles Lakers over Portland Trail Blazers
Marc Spears: Los Angeles Lakers over Golden State Warriors
Eric Woodyard: Los Angeles Lakers over LA Clippers
Royce Young: Los Angeles Lakers over LA Clippers
Ohm Youngmisuk: Los Angeles Lakers over LA Clippers
Final tally (West champs): Los Angeles Lakers (15)
Eastern Conference finals
Here is where things get a bit more interesting.
While our panel as a whole sees the Milwaukee Bucks as huge favorites to take the East -- after all, they have the reigning MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo and have been the league's best regular-season team the past two seasons -- a few revamped franchises have opened up the race.
Jerry Bembry: Philadelphia 76ers over Milwaukee Bucks
Nick DePaula: Miami Heat over Brooklyn Nets
Nick Friedell: Milwaukee Bucks over Boston Celtics
Tim Legler: Milwaukee Bucks over Miami Heat
Andrew Lopez: Milwaukee Bucks over Brooklyn Nets
Tim MacMahon: Milwaukee Bucks over Philadelphia 76ers
Bobby Marks: Brooklyn Nets over Miami Heat
Dave McMenamin: Boston Celtics over Brooklyn Nets
Kevin Pelton: Milwaukee Bucks over Miami Heat
Jorge Sedano: Brooklyn Nets over Miami Heat
André Snellings: Milwaukee Bucks over Boston Celtics
Marc Spears: Brooklyn Nets over Boston Celtics
Eric Woodyard: Milwaukee Bucks over Miami Heat
Royce Young: Milwaukee Bucks over Boston Celtics
Ohm Youngmisuk: Milwaukee Bucks over Brooklyn Nets
Final tally (East champs): Milwaukee Bucks (9), Brooklyn Nets (3), Boston Celtics (1), Miami Heat (1), Philadelphia 76ers (1)
NBA Finals
If you haven't heard, the Lakers are pretty good. The vast majority of our panel, like it did in our West picks, likes the Lakers to repeat as champions.
Jerry Bembry: Los Angeles Lakers over Philadelphia 76ers
Nick DePaula: Los Angeles Lakers over Miami Heat
Nick Friedell: Los Angeles Lakers over Milwaukee Bucks
Tim Legler: Los Angeles Lakers over Milwaukee Bucks
Andrew Lopez: Los Angeles Lakers over Milwaukee Bucks
Tim MacMahon: Los Angeles Lakers over Milwaukee Bucks
Bobby Marks: Los Angeles Lakers over Brooklyn Nets
Dave McMenamin: Los Angeles Lakers over Boston Celtics
Kevin Pelton: Los Angeles Lakers over Milwaukee Bucks
Jorge Sedano: Los Angeles Lakers over Brooklyn Nets
André Snellings: Los Angeles Lakers over Milwaukee Bucks
Marc Spears: Los Angeles Lakers over Brooklyn Nets
Eric Woodyard: Los Angeles Lakers over Milwaukee Bucks
Royce Young: Milwaukee Bucks over Los Angeles Lakers
Ohm Youngmisuk: Los Angeles Lakers over Milwaukee Bucks
Final tally (NBA champs): Los Angeles Lakers (14), Milwaukee Bucks (1)
Rookie of the Year
The Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks aren't trendy picks to make the playoffs in 2020-21, but according to our panel, they are most likely to have a future Rookie of the Year on their roster. Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (No. 3 overall in the draft) and Knicks forward Obi Toppin (No. 8) lead our picks.
Jerry Bembry: Obi Toppin
Nick DePaula: LaMelo Ball
Nick Friedell: Obi Toppin
Tim Legler: LaMelo Ball
Andrew Lopez: Obi Toppin
Tim MacMahon: James Wiseman
Bobby Marks: Obi Toppin
Dave McMenamin: LaMelo Ball
Kevin Pelton: Anthony Edwards
Jorge Sedano: Anthony Edwards
Andre' Snellings: Obi Toppin
Marc Spears: James Wiseman
Eric Woodyard: LaMelo Ball
Royce Young: Isaac Okoro
Ohm Youngmisuk: LaMelo Ball
Final tally: LaMelo Ball (5), Obi Toppin (5), Anthony Edwards (2), James Wiseman (2), Isaac Okoro (1)
Coach of the Year
Could Doc Rivers' move to Philadelphia lead to a Coach of the Year award? The new 76ers head coach edged Miami's Erik Spoelstra in a close race, according to our panel.
Jerry Bembry: Doc Rivers
Nick DePaula: Erik Spoelstra
Nick Friedell: Doc Rivers
Tim Legler: Steve Kerr
Andrew Lopez: Steve Nash
Tim MacMahon: Doc Rivers
Bobby Marks: Nate Bjorkgren
Dave McMenamin: Stan Van Gundy
Kevin Pelton: Monty Williams
Jorge Sedano: Erik Spoelstra
Andre' Snellings: Doc Rivers
Marc Spears: Monty Williams
Eric Woodyard: Quin Snyder
Royce Young: Lloyd Pierce
Ohm Youngmisuk: Erik Spoelstra
Final tally: Doc Rivers (4), Erik Spoelstra (3), Monty Williams (2), Nate Bjorkgren (1), Steve Kerr (1), Steve Nash (1), Lloyd Pierce (1), Quin Snyder (1), Stan Van Gundy (1)
Defensive Player of the Year
Anthony Davis just beat Bam Adebayo in the NBA Finals. Our panel sees AD taking down Bam in the race for Defensive Player of the Year, too.
Jerry Bembry: Anthony Davis
Nick DePaula: Bam Adebayo
Nick Friedell: Bam Adebayo
Tim Legler: Bam Adebayo
Andrew Lopez: Ben Simmons
Tim MacMahon: Rudy Gobert
Bobby Marks: Bam Adebayo
Dave McMenamin: Anthony Davis
Kevin Pelton: Anthony Davis
Jorge Sedano: Anthony Davis
Andre' Snellings: Rudy Gobert
Marc Spears: Rudy Gobert
Eric Woodyard: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Royce Young: Anthony Davis
Ohm Youngmisuk: Anthony Davis
Final tally: Anthony Davis (6), Bam Adebayo (4), Rudy Gobert (3), Giannis Antetokounmpo (1), Ben Simmons (1)
Sixth Man of the Year
The Lou Williams Award (aka Sixth Man of the Year) is always a tough one to call early in the season, as players' roles develop and stars emerge off the bench -- except for Williams, who will forever be in the mix for this honor.
The Clippers' guard checks in yet again among our panel's favorites, which include Brooklyn's Caris LeVert, Portland's Carmelo Anthony, Utah's Jordan Clarkson and reigning winner Montrezl Harrell of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jerry Bembry: Lou Williams
Nick DePaula: Caris LeVert
Nick Friedell: Dennis Schroder
Tim Legler: Caris LeVert
Andrew Lopez: Caris LeVert
Tim MacMahon: Danilo Gallinari
Bobby Marks: Tyler Herro
Dave McMenamin: Montrezl Harrell
Kevin Pelton: Jordan Clarkson
Jorge Sedano: Montrezl Harrell
Andre' Snellings: Lou Williams
Marc Spears: Carmelo Anthony
Eric Woodyard: Jordan Clarkson
Royce Young: Carmelo Anthony
Ohm Youngmisuk: Lou Williams
Final tally: Caris LeVert (3), Lou Williams (3), Carmelo Anthony (2), Jordan Clarkson (2), Montrezl Harrell (2), Danilo Gallinari (1), Tyler Herro (1), Dennis Schroder (1)
Most Improved Player
A trio of rising stars dominate our picks for Most Improved Player: Michael Porter Jr., fresh off his dynamic showing in the Nuggets' run to the West finals; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, thrust into a leadership role for the Oklahoma City Thunder; and Christian Wood, owner of a new, three-year, $41 million contract with the new-look Houston Rockets.
Jerry Bembry: Michael Porter Jr.
Nick DePaula: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Nick Friedell: OG Anunoby
Tim Legler: Michael Porter Jr.
Andrew Lopez: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Tim MacMahon: Lonzo Ball
Bobby Marks: Michael Porter Jr.
Dave McMenamin: Christian Wood
Kevin Pelton: Christian Wood
Jorge Sedano: Tyler Herro
Andre' Snellings: Christian Wood
Marc Spears: Coby White
Eric Woodyard: Coby White
Royce Young: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Ohm Youngmisuk: Deandre Ayton
Final tally: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (3), Michael Porter Jr. (3), Christian Wood (3), Coby White (2), OG Anunoby (1), Deandre Ayton (1), Lonzo Ball (1), Tyler Herro (1)
Most Valuable Player
This race has the potential to be a wild one. Or, you know, Giannis Antetokounmpo could dominate the league again and leave voters with no choice but to name him the NBA's fourth back-to-back-to-back MVP.
Our panel, for the most part, doesn't see that happening. Our voters see a two-man race between superstars Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis.
Jerry Bembry: Luka Doncic
Nick DePaula: Luka Doncic
Nick Friedell: Damian Lillard
Tim Legler: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Andrew Lopez: Anthony Davis
Tim MacMahon: Luka Doncic
Bobby Marks: Anthony Davis
Dave McMenamin: Luka Doncic
Kevin Pelton: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Jorge Sedano: Luka Doncic
Andre' Snellings: Anthony Davis
Marc Spears: Anthony Davis
Eric Woodyard: Luka Doncic
Royce Young: Anthony Davis
Ohm Youngmisuk: Luka Doncic
Final tally: Luka Doncic (7), Anthony Davis (5), Giannis Antetokounmpo (2), Damian Lillard (1)