While there's only a few days left in the calendar year, plenty of time still remains in what's been a riveting 2018-19 NBA season. In the first few months, we've seen several teams make more noise than expected. We've witnessed an incredibly competitive Western Conference -- as the Warriors are not exactly waltzing through the competition this time around -- along with a revamped Raptors team taking control of the East. We've also watched multiple stars stake their claim for this season's MVP hardware.
As we turn the page on 2018, NBA writers James Herbert, Chris Bengel and DJ Siddiqi tackle some of the bigger questions around the league while looking ahead to what should be an exciting second half to the season in our latest 3-Man Weave.
1. What's stood out as the biggest surprise so far this season?
James Herbert: The Kings, by a mile. I have no idea if the winning will continue -- they have a negative net rating despite being over .500 -- but they're fast, fun and full of upside. While De'Aaron Fox is the star of this particular show, there are several other stories worth celebrating in Sacramento, including but not limited to the sharpshooting Buddy Hield and Nemanja Bjelica, the playmaking of Bogdan Bogdanovic and the improvement of Willie Cauley-Stein.
Chris Bengel: It has to be the Sacramento Kings and it's really not that close. This is a franchise that has found themselves selecting in the lottery for years and ultimately had to part ways with DeMarcus Cousins after not being able to put a strong core around him. Buddy Hield and De'Aaron Fox form one of the league's most exciting young backcourts. In addition, Nemanja Bjelica has been one of the more underrated pickups in free agency. While this group may not get to the postseason come April, the growth that has already occurred is extremely impressive.
DJ Siddiqi: The Houston Rockets. It's nice that they've bounced back a little bit and had won eight of their past nine games, but they're still in seventh place in the Western Conference after a sluggish 9-11 start. Furthermore, it's required a ridiculous effort from James Harden -- the league's reigning MVP -- just for this team to remain afloat. I don't think there's a question that this team is going to the playoffs this season, but I also don't think this 2018-19 version is built to last in the postseason.
2. What has you most interested as we head into 2019?
Herbert: The murkiness at the top of both conferences. Anyone who tries to tell you with certainty who is going to come out of the East is a hack, and the West is way weirder than I thought it would be. For all the whining about how everybody knows the Warriors will win the title, the back-to-back champs actually look more vulnerable than they ever have in the Steve Kerr era. I like the fact that I have no idea what's going to happen in the next few months.
Bengel: The Denver Nuggets have been one of the more impressive stories of the first half of the season. They've managed to do it without free-agent acquisition Isaiah Thomas not playing a single game and Gary Harris being out of the lineup for the last nine games. When healthy, this is arguably the deepest backcourt that the league has to offer and they've already won 21 games, which puts them in second place in the Western Conference. Will the success continue down the stretch after missing the playoffs a season ago? It's definitely a huge storyline to keep an eye on.
Siddiqi: The Golden State Warriors and the lack of certainty that they'll repeat as NBA champs. Ever since they signed Kevin Durant in 2016, they've looked every bit the prohibitive favorite during the past two seasons. However, this year is different. The way the team is currently constructed -- with a healthy Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green -- doesn't even look like the best team in the NBA. They've already suffered losses to the Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers (without LeBron James).
If the Warriors don't receive a boost from the debut of All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, we could be looking at the end of their dynasty run. And that's as interesting as it gets in the NBA.
3. Who's your MVP frontrunner at this moment?
Herbert: Giannis Antetokounmpo checks the most boxes. His per-game stats are even more outrageous than last year, in fewer minutes, and he has become more efficient, thanks to Mike Budenholzer's system and his I-will-dunk-a-million-times-a-game mentality. Beyond that, the Bucks are a wonderful story and they could very well wind up with the top seed in the East. There are worthy challengers -- LeBron James probably has the most compelling case -- but it feels like Antetokounmpo is the surest bet.
Bengel: There's a few very deserving candidates so far. Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James have been nothing short of phenomenal, but James Harden gets my vote. This isn't the same Houston Rockets team that was just one win away from reaching the NBA Finals. With veterans like Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute leaving the organization and now Chris Paul out of the lineup, Harden has had to be an even bigger producer on the offensive end. Harden could certainly win back-to-back MVP awards and no one would be even slightly surprised.
Siddiqi: Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Milwaukee Bucks are unexpectedly the second-best team in the conference and they're a legit threat to represent the East in the NBA Finals. Antetokounmpo has completely led that charge as he ranks first in the league in win shares per 48 minutes and second in player efficiency rating. Some will argue in favor of James Harden, but the fact he won the award last season and the fact that the Rockets are likely going to finish as a bottom seed makes it hard to argue in favor of him -- no matter how gaudy his stats are.
4. Based on what we've seen so far, which teams do you predict we'll see in the 2019 NBA Finals?
Herbert: The Warriors and the Raptors. Golden State has flaws, but I'm not sure any team in the West is equipped to exploit it to the fullest in a seven-game series. Toronto will be tested, especially if Philadelphia and Boston find the best versions of themselves in the next four months, but I like its combination of star power and malleability. It should be noted, though, that these predictions were not as easy to make as they have been in recent years.
Bengel: I'm still sticking to what I thought prior to the season getting underway. It's going to be the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics playing for the Larry O'Brien trophy. Neither team has been incredibly consistent throughout the first half of the season, but the talent level of each roster is insane. Golden State has yet to see what DeMarcus Cousins looks like in the lineup, and if he fits in like Steve Kerr expects, he could potentially make the Warriors the scariest starting five in league history. On the other side, the Celtics have been banged up at times this season, but the amount of depth is also frightening. Gordon Hayward is starting to get more comfortable, and if this group is healthy in the frontcourt, they can take out the likes of the Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers.
Siddiqi: This is hard to project, but it's the Warriors and the Raptors. With that said, both teams will be battle-tested before they even get to the Finals in their respective conferences. The Warriors will face a gauntlet with the threats of the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder looming, while the Raptors must fend off the Bucks and a steadily improving Boston Celtics squad.
If any of these aforementioned five contenders can pull off a deal before the trade deadline, then this whole 2019 NBA Finals prediction has to be revisited.
