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The Southeast division is home to the Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards, Miami Heat, and Atlanta Hawks. This just might not be the most competitive divisions to talk about right now but it sure does house some of the best talents the league has to offer this year.
Currently, only two teams(Charlotte Hornets & Orlando Magic) lie in the playoff contention window, placed at the 6th & 8th spots respectively.
Looking at the way things are panning out right now in the league, it would be apt to squeeze in a bunch of predictions for the All-Star game this season. For this piece, we'd keep our focus localised to the above mentioned Southeast division only.
#4 Nikola Vucevic (Orlando Magic)
Born in Morges, Switzerland and then raised primarily in Belgium, Nikola Vucevic is a perfect embodiment of the modern day NBA big man. He can hit three-point shots, operate skillfully in the post and showcase passing ability and skill level that creates space for his teammates.
For carrying a 7-foot figure around, he is shooting 58% from the field and an impressive 39% from the deep. And the reason it took him a while to get acquainted with the trending long-range shot is as follows.
“The past summer, I played for the national team, so it was harder to find time to practice them,” Vucevic tells me. “This summer, I practiced them a lot more. The goal was to make it feel like it was just a regular shot.”
Looking at it from a positive perspective, Nikola is a more complete player now than he ever was. His imposing all-around averages so far in the season make him a "nightmare to match up with"(in Luke Walton's words), considering the versatility his offensive prowess carries.
Vucevic is the one of the few in the league right now averaging a double-double on the season. He is dropping 20.8 points and pulling down 11.3 boards on an average this year.
#3 John Wall (Washington Wizards)
A 5-time NBA All-star already, this is the first time in the last four seasons that he is not averaging more than 10 assists per game.
No doubt the Wizards are off to a rough start with an unimpressive .381 win percentage (8-13), the backcourt duo of Beal & Wall is hustling every night to get their side a win no matter what. Wall is averaging 22.2 points and 8.4 assists(don't forget 1.8 steals per game too) so far and surely, his best basketball is yet to come.
Amidst all the buzz, Wall has repeatedly made clear that he is in shape.
"I could play better. Making shots-wise & all that. Everybody keeps saying I’m not in shape. I’m in shape. Just, I deal with injuries. I play through them. I don’t complain about them. I go out there and give it everything I’ve got"
His lightning fastbreaks and hawkeye-like court vision are feared dearly by the opposition.
Wall is averaging 21 ppg in the last 10 games and the Wizards have won 6 of the last 10, so there is a clear correlation between Wall clicking and Washington clinching a win apparently. More than three-fourths of the season still left for things to change.
#2 Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards)
Beal was in the All-NBA Rookie first team the season he was drafted 3rd overall by the Wizards. He has not jumped ship since then and has grown as a player and an individual with every passing season.
As time has passed, he has proven to be inevitable for the Wizards' & John Wall's surge to the top. His ball handling and ice-cold nerves during clutch moments might be the most underrated in the league, owing to the fact that the Wizards fail consistently in making it big in the playoffs.
The 2010 FIBA Under-17 World Cup MVP is averaging 22.1 ppg this year, beating John Wall to it. He has not averaged lesser than 22 points per game in the last two seasons and is on track to maintain the same this year as well.
He made his 2018-19 season even unforgettable when he netted hid 900th 3-pointer on the November 14th, making him the youngest player in NBA history to do so. He is averaging 7.2 assists in the last five games Washington have played.
Though Beal remains the subject of trade rumors, his commitment to the Wizards franchise and their will to compete hard in every single matchup, cannot be doubted to the last cent.
#1 Kemba Walker (Charlotte Hornets)
Kemba has been named an All-Star for the past two seasons and looking at the way he is playing, this year would be no different. The 2-time NBA Sportsmanship Award winner has taken charge of the Hornets leading from the front at every outing.
He is averaging a career-high 27.9 points per game along with dropping 6.5 dimes a game(also a career high) as well this season. His court-vision was always lauded by experts around the league but the leadership that he has brought this year to the table has really made Charlotte contenders to make it to the playoffs.
The Hornets currently find themselves at the 6th spot out West with an 11-10 win-loss record and are leading the Southeast division. Walker is currently averaging almost double the points per game average of the next Hornet in line (Jeremy Lamb with 14.6 ppg).
Kemba's 60 point performance in a loss to the Philadelphia Sixers was the exclamation point to the impeccable season this man is having so far. Although Jimmy Butler's buzzer beater spoiled his memorable night, it was still worthy of applause. The guard dropped 13 points in the third quarter alone and outscored all his teammates en route to a hard-fought 122-119 loss.
