14. Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz continue to be competitive under head coach Quinn Snyder and I think this year will be more of the same in that regard. They spent money this offseason, locking up star Donovan Mitchell to a max extension, extending Jordan Clarkson, and bring Derrick Favors back to the team after a stint with the New Orleans Pelicans.
That’s already a solid nucleus but then you add in Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Rudy Gobert, and it’s safe to say that this Jazz team has the recipe for success, even in a charged Western Conference.
13. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors aren’t what they were last season, and they especially aren’t what they were back in 2018, but they’re still a darn good team. Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and Pascal Siakam are still an impressive core, plus the team’s addition of Aron Baynes and Malachi Flynn should help them in 2021.
Of course, we can’t write about the Raptors without talking about Nick Nurse who’s already one of the NBA’s best coaches. Nurse knows how to scheme his team’s offense and defense so well that sometimes it’s the reason for the Raptors winning games. His wonky zone defenses keep opponents on their toes and should keep the Raptors in the mix for a top-5 seed in the Eastern Conference.