What if nba scenarios

Speaking of the Thunder…. This one is obviously one of the darker ones as Hurricane Katrina was a flat out disaster. Bennett is from Oklahoma City. In terms of actual NBA Draft selections this is the biggest one — even bigger than Jordan because it at least made sense why the Blazers took Sam Bowie at the time. They were dead set on taking Darko. They could have had Carmelo or Bosh. For the other two though? Carmelo would have been perfect in Detroit.

The Pistons would have had a go-to scorer from the moment he was drafted and similar to CP3, the legacy of Melo is much different. Both guys could have played the four spot and Melo could have slid to the three in lineups while Bosh could have moved to the five at times.

This is probably one that most people would say because it could have meant the Bulls would have won 8 titles in a row. It would have played a direct role in how we view guys like Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing and even Jordan himself. This also could have played a direct role into the next one:. This is relevant because of who George Hill was essentially traded for.

Kawhi Leonard. He scored over 12 per game and was viewed as the perfect fit for Frank Vogel back in Indiana. Because of that the Pacers traded their pick, which turned out to be Kawhi Leonard.

The reason the Pacers did that? They felt comfortable with Danny Granger and Paul George. Now, imagine Kawhi there. View all NBA Sites. More Atlantic News ». More FS Atlantic News ». View all Atlantic Sites. More Central News ». More FS Central News ». View all Central Sites. More Southeast News ». The rest of the team would have to be locked-in defensively where the Warriors rank fifth this season , but it's not out of the question.

Prior to this season, it would've been difficult for anyone to point to a potential defensive ace other than Mitchell Robinson on the Knicks roster. He's missed the majority of the season, and New York is still fourth in the league in defense. The team has taken on the persona of its new coach, Tom Thibodeau: tough, gritty and diligent. With their willingness to play hard on every possession, Derrick Rose's scoring punch off the bench and Julius Randle's star turn, it's not hard to see them scoring a first-round win over the Hawks that series might be a toss-up.

The Miami Heat, on the other hand, would be a problem. We're talking best-case scenario, though. If the Blazers draw the Nuggets without Murray in the first-round, they have a puncher's chance. Then, against the Jazz or Suns, they'd be underdogs, but those two have carried the Blazers to the conference finals before. Against Utah, the lack of size in the opposing backcourt could help the star duo go off. Portland pushing for the third round likely depends on Jusuf Nurkic, though.

When he's engaged, protecting the paint and distributing, the Blazers are a pain. This season, Portland is plus They didn't have much time on the floor between the Aaron Gordon acquisition and Murray's injury, but those two with Nikola Jokic was a three-man lineup that boasted a massive plus With no Murray, the lack of perimeter punch likely dooms the Nuggets at some point between now and a championship.

It doesn't definitely doom them, though. In nearly 1, possessions, Denver has a plus Caveats abound, but it's safe to assume few figured the Nuggets would lock in home-court advantage after losing their second-best player. The ascendance of MPJ who's averaged It almost seems disrespectful to put this cap on the ceiling of last season's Finals representative for the East.

The two most important players from that run, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, are back. Butler might be having the best season of his career, with borderline top-five-player impact. But the supporting cast beyond those two has struggled for much of this season.

Tyler Herro hasn't quite taken the leap some anticipated. Duncan Robinson's effective field-goal percentage is down five points. And with Victor Oladipo out with a season-ending surgery , there isn't a third star or near star in sight.

That doesn't necessarily mean another trip to the Finals is impossible. The presence of the 76ers, Nets and Bucks who Miami beat in the playoffs last season makes it feel unrealistic. If you take Chris Paul and Jae Crowder out of the equation, the Suns have just career playoff minutes between the other eight players in their top 10 for minutes played this season.

Some of Phoenix's best and most important players, including Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges and Deandre Ayton, have yet to experience the postseason. And while playoff experience isn't everything, it certainly matters. May 20, May 17, November 11, Want every headline right at your fingertips?