#3 Portland Trail Blazers
It happens every year, doesn't it? Critics write them off, Vegas pencils them in for a lower half playoff berth or, in this season's case, out of the playoff spots, and the Blazers use that dismissive attitude as fuel to mount another impressive start to their season.
Jennifer should know better by now, but having a stable team with a few solid additions is usually a better formula for regular season success than assembling a brand-new ensemble of players. Damian Lillard has been his usual, dominant-scorer self, Nurkic and McCollum have played their supporting roles admirably and the likes of Zach Collins have impressed mightily in the early stretches as the Blazers now own an enviable 8-3 record through the first 3 weeks of the season.
Expect them to contend for a top-half playoff spot all season long. I'd be shocked if they didn't end up there for the second successive season, and with good reason. Adding Seth Curry, Nik Stauskas and expanding Zach Collins' role has been a great success thus far.