1 Bold Prediction for Top 20 NBA Stars Heading into 2015-16

Evaluating the cream of the NBA's current crop is much easier once the real games begin. No one can predict the future, but that speculative aspect is what makes it fun, right?

We could argue for days on end about who belongs in, say, the league's top 20, because there is no right answer. That didn't stop me from coming up with my own 20-man list based on recent statistical accomplishments, impact on team success and projections for 2015-16. There wasn't room for all the biggest names, so naturally, there will be some honorary omissions.

Kobe Bryant is still a superstar in name but hasn't been healthy enough to be a top-20 guy since prior to his Achilles injury in 2013. Dwight Howard, just shy of 30, has had his own battle with age and injuries in recent years and is going to miss a chunk of games as part of the Houston Rockets' maintenance plan. Klay Thompson was an All-NBA performer but tailed off as the Golden State Warriors seized control of the 2015 Finals.

For the 20 who made the cut, listed here in alphabetical order, let's double down with 2015-16 season predictions for the best and brightest the NBA has to offer.

LaMarcus Aldridge, PF/C, San Antonio Spurs

Rocky Widner/Getty Images

Prediction: LaMarcus Aldridge won't be one of the San Antonio Spurs' three best players.

Whenever a franchise cornerstone changes teams, there's going to be an adjustment period. That figures to be especially true for Aldridge and the Spurs. He spent his first nine pro seasons in Portland, mostly as the Trail Blazers' go-to guy. San Antonio, meanwhile, has never had the privilege of integrating a ready-made star into its ranks.

Unless, of course, you count Tim Duncan, who was an All-Star and an All-NBA performer as a rookie in 1997-98.

Aldridge has the talent and skill to eventually rise to the top of the Spurs' pecking order, but that climb is going to take time. For one, he has to fight through a case of back spasms. Once those are under control, he still has to figure out where and when to shoot within San Antonio's offensive ecosystem.

Aldridge said, per USA Today's Sam Amick: 

"

They’ve been trying to get me to (be aggressive), and now I’m just getting back to it because I didn’t want to come in being aggressive and then be too aggressive. I think it’s better to be passive (at the beginning), and then kind of get into it more, so they’ve got me back to (thinking), 'You’ve got to still be yourself, but take the good pass and make the great pass,' and that’s what I’ve been doing.

"

While Aldridge is finding his way, the resident Spurs will be out to play. Tony Parker is healthy, following a season plagued by hamstring troubles. Kawhi Leonard is coming into his own. Duncan was an All-NBA performer in 2014-15.

For now, those three will be the Spurs' top contributors. Once Aldridge comes around, though, this San Antonio team will really take off.

Carmelo Anthony, F, New York Knicks

Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images

Prediction: Carmelo Anthony will lead the New York Knicks back into the playoffs.

Bouncing back from a franchise-worst 17-win season is no easy feat for any team, least of all the Knicks. New York has plenty of work to do to master the triangle offense, especially with all the hoopla surrounding head coach Derek Fisher and his choice of companions.

Still, these Knicks should be vastly improved over their predecessors, if only by virtue of their offseason additions. Phil Jackson spent the summer loading up on veteran role players, most notably Robin Lopez and Arron Afflalo.

Throw a healthy Anthony into the mix, and the Knicks could be in for the NBA's most dramatic turnaround of 2015-16. The eight-time All-Star shot a sparkling 66.7 percent from the field in his first three games back from midseason knee surgery.

But the construction of his knee isn't all that's new about 'Melo. He's also taken up an expanded leadership role by imploring the Knicks' coaches to hold him accountable for his mistakes.

"Call it out in the film session so everybody can see that and hear that," Anthony said, per ESPN.com's Ian Begley. "By them doing that, it kind of forces me to be at the top level of my game on both ends of the court. I think it brings the best out of me and if you bring the best out of me, I think it will bring the best out of everyone on the team."

If Anthony is right, the Knicks should be able to sneak into the East's top eight.

Jimmy Butler, G, Chicago Bulls

Prediction: Jimmy Butler will spend more time with the ball than Derrick Rose.

Butler and Rose will be sharing the Chicago Bulls backcourt on practically equal footing. Rose is and has been Chicago's homegrown MVP, but Butler is the more recent All-Star—and has an eight-figure salary of his own, too.

And no, there's no beef between the two, according to Butler.

"I’ll try to keep my cuss words to a minimum, but it’s making me mad," he said of the perceived conflict, via the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson. "I love having Derrick as a teammate. I think we can be one of the best—if not the best—backcourts in the NBA."

At this point in their careers, Butler may well be the better of the two. If nothing else, he's had better luck with injuries than the snake-bitten Rose. The point guard's latest setback came to his face, not his legs, so he shouldn't be sidelined for long after getting elbowed in the face in practice in late September. But the 27-year-old still has significant swelling around one of his eyes.

"With one eye open, I think I could play pretty good," Rose insisted, per Johnson.

Butler might be the better bet at that, too. He has full-court vision and has been putting it to good use in the preseason (see the video above). Don't be surprised if Butler gets to flex his playmaking muscle while Rose recovers and keeps some of those responsibilities for himself thereafter.

DeMarcus Cousins, C, Sacramento Kings

Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press

Prediction: DeMarcus Cousins will lead the league in scoring and rebounding.

Cousins believes he can be the one to take the MVP crown away from fellow California All-Star Stephen Curry.

"Reachable, man? It's mine to grab," he told Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding.

History could be within his grasp, too. Not since 1965-66, when Wilt Chamberlain averaged 33.5 points and 24.6 rebounds for the Philadelphia 76ers, has a single player led the league in scoring and rebounding during the same season. The current trend toward shooting and perimeter play, combined with a demographic decline in skilled bigs, has rendered such players a rare find.

Boogie, though, seems well-equipped to end that half-century drought. He finished fifth in points (24.1) and third in rebounds (12.7). Time alongside a brainy, pass-first point guard like Rajon Rondo should open up more easy opportunities in comfortable spots for Cousins.

At 25, he's just coming into his prime and could be positively beastly now that the Sacramento Kings have veteran talent and a clear mandate to compete for the playoffs. A pair of statistical titles would be the byproduct of those forces coming together and could be the sign of a team that is ready to end its nine-year postseason dry spell.

Stephen Curry, G, Golden State Warriors

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Prediction: Stephen Curry will be the first player in NBA history to hit 300 threes in a single season.

Curry can already lay claim to three of the most prolific three-point shooting seasons in NBA history, including the top two. But there's one long-range feat even he has yet to complete: making 300 threes in a single season.

The reigning MVP has come awfully close: In 2014-15, Curry fell just 14 triples shy.

He may well break that mark if he's able to reach another such milestone. His 646 three-point attempts last season were the third-most ever, behind only Ray Allen's 653 in 2005-06 and George McCloud's 678 in 1995-96. If Curry were to break McCloud's record with 682 of his own and convert them at his career clip of 44 percent, he'd become the only member of the NBA's 300 club.

Doing so won't be easy. Opposing defenses figure to smother Curry at every turn, just as the Cleveland Cavaliers did during the Finals to level the playing field with the Golden State Warriors.

On the other hand, another year of experience in Steve Kerr's fast-paced, pass-happy offense could open up even more opportunities for Curry to let loose from long range. 

ESPN.com's Ethan Sherwood Strauss wrote: "Last year, the ball moved. This year, the coaches want it to move on autopilot. There's an internal belief that the Warriors will be even better this season, crazy as that might sound. The expectation isn't 67 wins, but instead a Spurs-like fluidity on offense when it's really needed."

Or, when Curry needs just a handful of threes to reach 300.

Anthony Davis, PF, New Orleans Pelicans

Layne Murdoch Jr./Getty Images

Prediction: Anthony Davis will be the NBA's most impactful player but won't win the MVP.

The NBA's best player and its most valuable aren't always the same. Taking home the league's most prestigious award also requires a narrative bump and a spot on one of the very best teams in basketball.

By some measures, Davis was the biggest difference-maker in the league last season. According to Basketball Reference, he ranked second in win shares per 48 minutes (.274) and first in player efficiency rating (30.8) while finishing among the top 10 in points (fourth), rebounds (eighth), blocks (first) and field-goal percentage (seventh).

If all goes according to plan, The Brow will be even better in 2015-16. With Alvin Gentry now coaching the New Orleans Pelicans and a credible three-point stroke in his hip pocket, Davis could put up some monster numbers for an exciting squad in the Crescent City.

But that excitement might not yield the sort of win total that MVPs typically boast. Odds Shark has the Pelicans' over-under for wins this season pegged at 47.5. Injuries to Omer Asik, Alexis Ajinca, Norris Cole and Eric Gordon won't make it any easier for New Orleans to exceed that mark. Neither will Jrue Holiday's strict minutes limit to start the season.

It's been 28 years since the Maurice Podoloff Trophy was awarded to a player on a team with 50 or fewer victories. That player? Michael Jordan, who led the league with 35.0 points and 3.2 steals while chipping in 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists in 40.4 minutes per game for the 1987-88 Chicago Bulls (50-32).

Davis could be capable of posting such spectacular numbers, but with so many tough teams out West and MVP-caliber talents across the NBA, even the glitziest stat line may not be enough.

Kevin Durant, F, Oklahoma City Thunder

Prediction: Kevin Durant will average his fewest points since his rookie season.

It's well within the realm of possibility that Durant will return from his foot injury as if nothing happened, getting back to booking 30 or more points per game, as he did during his healthy MVP season in 2013-14. But scoring at that clip requires a combination of fitness, playing time and a focused role that Durant won't likely have.

Even if his foot is fine and he can score as easily as ever, he'll be hard-pressed to average close to 39 minutes per game, as he did between 2008-09 and 2013-14.

As new Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan revealed to ESPN.com's Royce Young in July, Durant's workload will be under close surveillance from all angles: "Those decisions for Kevin—the medical staff will be heavily involved and looking at and evaluating minutes, loads, practice, all those kinds of things to make sure we're putting him in a situation that when he's playing in games, he can play to his best. That will probably be a collaborative effort to look at that."

Should KD sniff those types of minutes, he'd still have to adjust to his role in Donovan's more wide-open offense. When Scott Brooks was on the beat in OKC, Durant had nearly free rein to run pick-and-rolls and score in isolation—and for good reason. According to NBA.com's John Schuhmann, he was the league's most frequent and most lethal iso scorer in 2013-14.

But between the Thunder's expected uptick in ball movement (per Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding in the video above) and Donovan's desire to feature Westbrook in the post, Durant might not get as many shots as he once did. If that's the case, look for his scoring to slide accordingly.

Marc Gasol, C, Memphis Grizzlies

Brandon Dill/Associated Press

Prediction: Marc Gasol will average more than 20 points per game.

The younger Gasol has always had the size (7'1", 265 lbs) and skill to be a top-notch scorer in the NBA. He's just never been primarily concerned with putting the ball in the basket. The Memphis Grizzlies won't argue with that, given his ability to affect the game in so many different ways, from defense and rebounding to passing and setting screens.

Last season, though, Gasol, now 30, took a big step toward becoming an offensive fulcrum. He posted career highs in points (17.4), field-goal attempts (13.2) and usage rate (24.6), per Basketball Reference.

He'll have every incentive to take another step this season, now that he has a five-year, $110 million contract coming his way.

And who knows? Maybe his three-point stroke will carry over from practice. Somebody has to spread the floor for the shooting-deprived Grizzlies, right?

Paul George, F, Indiana Pacers

Ron Hoskins/Getty Images

Prediction: Paul George will dominate at power forward and put the Indiana Pacers back in the postseason.

George has had his reservations about playing the 4 and hasn't been shy about sharing them. His reaction to his new assignment, though, hasn't been all negative. He seemed to grasp the advantages of it quite clearly after a preseason game against the Detroit Pistons in which he scored 32 points—20 of them coming on 7-of-8 shooting (2-of-2 on free throws) in the first quarter.

"With a 4 on me, I have that confidence that I'm going to be able to get a shot," George said, per the Indianapolis Star's Nate Taylor. "When you got that confidence that you're going to get a shot, you're going to make those shots. My teammates did a great job of finding me. We have attackers and that lane is just wide open and it allows me to play freely."

So far, PG-13's shift has played out in the preseason along the same lines that Sports Illustrated's Rob Mahoney laid out:

"

The point of this change is to put the Pacers on the whole in positions where they can take advantage of their quickness and playmaking in open space. That should help George as much as anyone, as [Larry] Bird has alluded to on multiple occasions; even a little success in streaking past slower power forwards should nudge George toward the Pacers' hard sell. Fundamentally, George wants to help Indiana win. All he needs is to be convinced, through theory and practice, that starting and playing at power forward are his best means to do so.

"

Much of Indiana's roster remains a work in progress, but with George's game reaching new heights in his new role, the Pacers should put last season's lottery disappointment behind them in a hurry.

Blake Griffin, PF, Los Angeles Clippers

Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images

Prediction: Blake Griffin will be the Los Angeles Clippers' best player.

At first glance, Griffin's year-over-year fluctuations in scoring, rebounding and field-goal percentage point to a player whose production is erratic and who may not be fit to lead a title contender such as the Los Angeles Clippers. Flip back to the 2015 playoffs, though, and you'll see a guy coming into his own as an all-around force to be reckoned with.

The Clippers' All-Star big man averaged 25.5 points, 12.7 rebounds and 6.1 assists during the most recent postseason. He boosted those numbers with a trio of triple-doubles, including in back-to-back contests in Game 7 against the San Antonio Spurs and Game 1 opposite the Houston Rockets while Chris Paul was sidelined by a bum ankle.

Paul, now 30, isn't getting any younger. And after fracturing his index finger in China, L.A.'s point guard might not be as sharp as usual to start the 2015-16 season.

With or without Paul at full capacity, Griffin was bound for an expanded role of sorts. Clippers coach Doc Rivers has said time and again that he plans to have his team play more small ball. Griffin figures to be one of the top choices to slide up to center, along with free-agent signee Josh Smith.

Griffin already has the skills to separate himself as the No. 1 option in L.A.'s pecking order, and at 26, his best years are still ahead of him.

James Harden, G, Houston Rockets

Prediction: James Harden will join the 50-40-90 club.

According to Basketball Reference, only eight players in NBA history have ever shot better than 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 90 percent from the line in the same season while qualifying for the scoring title.

Harden's numbers as a Rocket so far hardly suggest he'll be the ninth. Since arriving in Houston in 2012, The Beard has posted shooting splits of .444/.370/.861.

Those three seasons saw Harden spend an inordinate amount of time as the judge, jury and executioner of the Rockets' frees-and-threes offense. Harden paced Houston in assists during each of the last two years while contending for the league's scoring crown and drawing fouls seemingly at will.

Harden, though, won't be playing the point nearly as much in 2015-16. Instead, Ty Lawson, whom Harden encouraged Rockets general manager Daryl Morey to acquire from the Denver Nuggets this summer, per ESPN The Magazine's Pablo S. Torre, will be initiating Houston's attack more often than not.

"I'm looking forward to playing off the ball," Harden told Torre.

It's a role he hasn't filled much since earning Sixth Man of the Year honors with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2011-12. That season, Harden hit 49.1 percent of his field goals, 39.0 percent of his threes and 84.6 percent of his free throws.

He's older and wiser now, with the efficient game and brimming confidence to match. Gaining entry into the 50-40-90 club may be a tall order, but it's one that Harden himself has set as a goal for the upcoming campaign, per Torre.

Al Horford, PF/C, Atlanta Hawks

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Prediction: Al Horford will thrive while splitting time between the 4 and 5.

The Atlanta Hawks had tremendous success last season, and they're not trying to mess with it. Rather than upsize with DeMarre Carroll (6'8") gone to Toronto and Tiago Splitter (6'11") in town, they've merely replaced the former with Kent Bazemore (6'5"), a developing in-house solution, and kept Paul Millsap and Al Horford up front.

That doesn't mean we won't see a monster Millsap-Horford-Splitter lineup. Rather, it's a work in progress.

"It’s different," Horford said, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Chris Vivlamore. “It’s going to take us a little time to get used to playing like that at times. We felt good. We feel like we are a little better rebounding team that way. It’s a good look to go with every now and then. This is our time to work on different lineups. I feel like coach is going to play around with it.”

More time at the 4 could be good for Horford. According to 82games.com, he was actually more efficient on both ends at power forward last season.

The Hawks could certainly use some more muscle up front. The Cleveland Cavaliers towered over the old arrangement in the Eastern Conference Finals, grabbing nearly 30 percent of their own misses in a 4-0 sweep.

And if it works to Horford's advantage, physically and production-wise, all the better.

Kyrie Irving, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

Prediction: Kyrie Irving will look more like a traditional point guard when he returns.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have yet to put a timetable on Irving's return from the knee injury that knocked him out of the last five games of the 2015 Finals. He's all but certain to miss the season opener Oct. 27 and could be out until January, per the Plain Dealer's Chris Haynes.

Whenever he comes back, Irving won't look like the same slashing, shooting, scoring sensation he was during his first four NBA seasons. The Australian-born guard wants to preserve his oft-injured body, and understandably so.

He said at Cavs media day in late September: 

"

I'm not going to stop trying to get to the basket. I don't want to stay away, but in terms of going in there every single time—especially with the centers and power forwards we have—I don't have to do it every single time.

Seeing the teammates I can hit, seeing the angles I can still use in order to be effective around the rim is what I’m definitely trying to teach myself to get better at to avoid those injuries, falling on the ground, falling on my back every single time, [falling on my] knees and all that other stuff.

"

As Sporting News' Scott Rafferty wrote, Irving's altered approach portends a passing-oriented shift in his game: "Scaling back the amount of times he attacks the paint would be detrimental to his own game (something he is well aware of), but his new approach opens the door for him to be more of a facilitator."

Irving has never been a pass-first point guard. He's averaged 5.7 assists per game in the NBA—a solid number but hardly on par with the likes of Chris Paul (9.9) and John Wall (8.7).

But with Kevin Love ticketed for a bigger role and his own body on his mind, Irving could slide comfortably into a more conventional floor-general spot as he works his way back into game shape.

LeBron James, F, Cleveland Cavaliers

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Prediction: LeBron James will take home his fifth MVP trophy.

Winning the MVP is largely a matter of narratives. After all, it's voted on by people (i.e. the media) whose jobs entail crafting running stories and dialogues about the NBA.

James' personal tale is taking shape: The Cleveland Cavaliers' competition in the Eastern Conference is still weak, but the team's roster isn't in tip-top shape, either.

Kevin Love (shoulder) and Anderson Varejao (Achilles) are both coming off season-ending surgeries. Kyrie Irving will miss the opener—and, perhaps, many more games than that—while rehabbing from the same knee injury that knocked him out in Game 1 of the 2015 Finals. Iman Shumpert is on the shelf after hurting his wrist just before training camp. Timofey Mozgov and J.R. Smith have battled nagging pains during the preseason.

As for James, he's ready and raring to go. Another year with this roster, under the watchful eye of head coach David Blatt, should afford the four-time MVP even more comfort out on the court—and an attendant spike in production.

Need proof? Look back at his first two years with the Miami Heat. In 2010-11, James' scoring and assist numbers dipped considerably from the end of his first go-round in Cleveland. Last season, his stats dropped in various categories amidst a reshuffled roster, a rookie head coach and a new-old role for the Cavs' homegrown savior.

That doesn't mean you'll see James average 30-8-8. But if he hovers around his career averages (27.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.9 assists) and carries Cleveland to, say, 60 wins, he'll have as strong an MVP case as anyone in the league, narrative and all.

DeAndre Jordan, C, Los Angeles Clippers

JOHANNES EISELE/Getty Images

Prediction: DeAndre Jordan will be the Defensive Player of the Year.

Jordan wound up third in DPOY voting last season with 261 points but didn't finish that far behind award-winner Kawhi Leonard (333 points) and runner-up Draymond Green (317 points).

The native Houstonian did plenty to earn his place on those ballots, along with his spot on the All-Defense first team. He led the league in rebounding (for the second year running) and defensive rebounding percentage while ranking fifth in blocks per game (2.2) and first in defensive win shares (5.4), per Basketball Reference.

The biggest knock against Jordan? He captained a defense that ranked 15th in the league in efficiency last season, per NBA.com. 

In Jordan's defense, many of the Clippers' issues stemmed from their team-wide struggles with shutting down dribble penetration. If anything, his work as a shot-swatting backstop prevented L.A. from sliding even further down the ladder.

That may not be such a problem for the Clippers this season, with capable athletes such as Wesley Johnson and Lance Stephenson locking onto opposing guards and wings. If Jordan continues to clean the glass and protect the rim as well as he has in recent years, and the team around him improves defensively, he should have a new piece of hardware to add to his mantel.

Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Antonio Spurs

Issac Baldizon/Getty Images

Prediction: Kawhi Leonard will play in his first All-Star Game.

Leonard's NBA resume is about as quirky as they come, especially for a 24-year-old. He's already a two-time All-Defense performer and a champion, with Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP honors sitting atop his CV. Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon are the only other players in NBA history to be DPOYs and Finals MVPs.

How, then, has Leonard not been an All-Star yet?

Because...well, stuff happens. He's battled injuries in each of the last three seasons but has been healthy and effective when it really counts—in the playoffs. During 2014-15, Leonard's offense was slowed by early setbacks, but his defense was spectacular from the get-go.

So far, he's managed to avoid injury in the preseason. If he starts the regular season on the right foot health-wise, Leonard could become an all-around terror. He certainly ended the 2014-15 campaign that way. Over the final 24 regular-season games, Leonard averaged 19.3 points on 53.7 percent shooting from the field (40 percent from three), with 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.8 steals.

The Spurs won 20 of those games, too.

Big numbers, a winning start for San Antonio and a reputation as the game's premier defender should be plenty to seal a trip to Toronto in February for the Southern California native.

Kevin Love, PF, Cleveland Cavaliers

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Prediction: Kevin Love will struggle but not because of his role.

Of the Cleveland Cavaliers' stars in 2014-15, Love drew the shortest straw. The UCLA product fell from being the main attraction in Minnesota to the third wheel in Ohio. He spent much of his first season with the Cavs as a glorified stretch 4 and saw his production dip across the board accordingly.

	Mins	Pts	FGA	FG%	3PA	3P%	FTA	Rebs	Usg%
2010-11 through 2013-14	36.6	23.5	17.1	.450	4.9	.370	7.8	13.7	26.9
2014-15	33.8	16.4	12.7	.434	5.2	.367	4.3	9.7	21.7

The Cavs, though, have high hopes for Love in his second year with this squad.

"He's got a year under his belt; he knows what he expects out of himself and what his teammates expect out of him," LeBron James said of Love at the Cavs' media day, per ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin. "I expect big things from him this year with a year up under his belt."

Head coach David Blatt, for his part, plans to deploy his All-Star power forward differently this time around.

"No question, this summer we looked for and identified ways that we can take advantage of Kev's unique skill set, and hopefully we'll see that on the floor," Blatt said, per McMenamin.

Blatt might have to squint hard if he's to see that, at least early on. Love should be fit to play in the season opener but figures to be rusty, at the very least, some six months after suffering a major injury to his shoulder. Last anyone checked, shoulders are important to shooting and banging on the interior—both of which just so happen to be a key parts of Love's personal repertoire and his value to this Cavs team.

In time, Love figures to find his game, but a complete rediscovery may have to wait until 2016-17. 

Chris Paul, PG, Los Angeles Clippers

Randy Belice/Getty Images

Prediction: Chris Paul will (finally) lead a team into the conference finals.

Just because Paul might not be the Los Angeles Clippers' top dog anymore doesn't mean this won't be a monumental year in his career. With any luck, he'll find himself in the conference finals, after four heartbreaking attempts to get over that daunting second-round hump during his career.

As far as overall talent is concerned, this Clippers squad is arguably the best team Paul has ever been a part in the NBA. "This is clearly the most talent that we’ve had since I’ve been here," head coach Doc Rivers, who is beginning his third year in L.A., said at media day. "I don’t even think it’s close."

It should also be enough to compete with anyone in the West. 

L.A.'s improved depth figures to be particularly important, especially in light of how shallow the bench turned out to be last season. Paul, for one, will benefit from having more guys to provide the production and poise that he so often had to—and that left him and his fellow members of the Clippers' core so gassed against Houston.

To be sure, the competition out West will be as tough as ever. The defending champion Golden State Warriors could be even better in year two under Steve Kerr. The Oklahoma City Thunder are getting Kevin Durant back. The San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets both upgraded their rosters over the summer.

But the Clippers already had a winning formula in place and can now boast better ingredients. So long as Paul takes care of his business, L.A. should be one of the last two teams standing in the melee that is the Western Conference.

John Wall, PG, Washington Wizards

Ned Dishman/Getty Images

Prediction: John Wall will pace the NBA in assists.

In the race for the NBA's assist title each of the last two seasons, Wall has been a groomsman but never the groom. Chris Paul beat him out both times, but in 2014-15, Wall closed the gap to a mere 0.2 assists per game.

He shouldn't have too much trouble topping his career-high 10 assists per contest from last season with the way the Washington Wizards are aiming to play. Between pushing the pace, spreading the floor with three-point shooting and employing small ball as a core strategic component rather than a tactical quirk, the Wizards offense should be replete with easy scoring opportunities and, naturally, the assists that precede them.

Keeping Washington's high-octane attack running could be a tough task for Wall.

"If I had known about this all summer, I would have added some more to my workout," he told NBA.com's David Aldridge. "We didn't know until we came in, and everybody (thought), all right, we're in shape. But some guys still use training camp to get in better, better shape. But now you need training camp and the preseason to get in even more better shape."

Fortunately for the Wizards, Wall has never been accused of being a poorly conditioned athlete. So long as he can hang on to his wind, he should rack up assists with ease—enough to lead the league.

Russell Westbrook, G, Oklahoma City Thunder

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Prediction: Russell Westbrook will be Oklahoma City's MVP.

While Kevin Durant will start the 2015-16 season in search of his pre-injury self, Westbrook will be busy picking up where he left off last spring.

He might not be quite the same ball-dominant beast that he was in attempting to drag the Oklahoma City Thunder into the playoffs, but he'll have plenty of responsibility nonetheless.

For one, head coach Billy Donovan plans to deploy Westbrook to the low block more often. 

"Against most guards, he's gonna be bigger and stronger," Donovan said, per the Oklahoman's Anthony Slater (h/t Fox Sports). "So I think that's gotta be part of what we do offensively because from there he can score and then when you're forced to bring help, he can create space and throw it to other guys."

Whether or not he's in the post, Westbrook will be tasked with facilitating Donovan's pass-oriented offense. He's certainly capable of that; the UCLA product averaged a career-high 8.6 assists last season while tallying a league-high 11 triple-doubles.

What makes Westbrook so dangerous, though, is his ability to make plays at any place and any time. Durant is no slouch in that regard, but with the 2013-14 MVP on the mend, the task will fall to Westbrook to keep OKC's new offense humming and KD well-fed with quality shots.

 

Josh Martin covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.

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