NBA Today: 5 Franchises that need to redeem themselves in the 2019-20 season

The 2019 offseason turned the league upside down. The magnitude of the numerous tectonic movements on the NBA landscape was uncontrollable, making it one of the more impactful periods for the upcoming 2019-20 season.

In the backdrop of all that happened last season, front offices and superstars across the board shook hands and laid foundations to multiple new-look franchises. From a fan's perspective, allegiance to a player just might overtake that of an organization, keeping in mind the collective shuffles that took place this past July.

Now that we have the team rosters and season schedule set for 2019-20, teams that failed to show up last year would be craving to get another shot. Moreover, the fact that we are seeing such vociferous changes across all the storylines from last year, makes the upcoming matchups that much more exciting to look forward to.

Having said, a lot of teams are left with a point to prove this season as a result of the same. Let's take a look at the five teams that would be high on redemption come the NBA season.

#1 Golden State Warriors

The Warriors squad is right back to where they started.

From winning the franchise's first title in 30 years (2015) to acquiring Kevin Durant, winning two more championships and losing to the Raptors this past season, Golden State's journey has come a full circle.

In what was a reset button-like offseason, their front office lost KD to Brooklyn and decided to keep their original core of Curry, Thompson, and Green intact via max contracts. With the current roster missing key role players in Iguodala and Livingston and the stinging memories of the 2019 NBA Finals defeat still fresh, the three-time Champs have a point to prove. Even though they couldn't execute a three-peat, the Warriors dynasty is far from over.

As outrageous as it may seem, this might be the only franchise in the history of the game who even after retaining their core, is still being counted out of the impending title race.

#2 New York Knicks

Truly, the Knicks are young, wild and free

Stacked with quality young talents like Kevin Knox, budding Mitchell Robinson and their latest star recruit in RJ Barrett, the Knicks are officially out of excuses going into the 2019-20 season. The organization finished with the worst record (17-65) in the league last year and so they can only get better from this point. They were also dead last in the league in terms of field-goal percentage and assists.

Amongst the well-known names New York have in their arsenal are Julius Randle, Taj Gibson as well as Dennis Smith Jr. who possess a wide range of scoring abilities. With all the hype that RJ has generated for the Big Apple and the promise shown by center Robinson, this roster looks nothing close to the worst squad in the league on paper.

Given the set of skills he has at his disposal, if David Fizdale fails to get more than at least 20 wins this year, it would be the single biggest failure of this franchise's down-trodden recent past.

#3 Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron cannot afford to miss two straight playoffs.

Everything that happened with the Lakers during the last season meant severe damage to LeBron's illustrious legacy so far. He had to put all his teammates on the trade block, fight through the first major injury of his career and miss the playoffs as one final knockout blow.

Through all the chaos, the purple and gold managed to win 37 games, at times showing impeccable chemistry and showmanship that Hollywood deserves. But when one looks back upon their 2018-19 season, the only glaring anomaly that stands out is their inability to play as a unit consistently in order to bag a playoff berth.

Now that the organization opens another chapter with Kuzma, LeBron, and Anthony Davis as the flagbearers, the Lakers fans desperately need something to make up for the lost time. And an NBA title seems like the apt compensation. Moreover, LeBron is the all-time playoffs scoring leader and the postseason needs him to set the league back to normalcy.

#4 Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks posted the best record in the league this past season.

When a league-leading team spearheaded by an MVP and the Coach of the Year, is asked to redeem itself, it begs for some much-needed explanation. Well, it was indeed all smooth sailing for Milwaukee for the most part of their 2018-19 campaign, until they lost four straight to the Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals.

At the very least they were strongly projected to be the Eastern Conference champs, given their talent pool and chemistry on the court. But their breakdown in the postseason to the surging Raptors is a talking point that got lost with time. To put things into perspective, Giannis and his Bucks were 10-1 in the playoffs before they started on their losing trajectory.

And so it makes perfect sense to come back next year and finish the job. With Giannis at the peak of his prime and the Bucks having found the right pieces to surround him, the front office cannot let this golden period slide. As is the norm in professional sports, their glory run will eventually end and if they don't have a ring or two before it does, they'd have miserably failed.

#5 Philadelphia 76ers

Embiid and Simmons deserved a better ending than what they had to endure.

Having assembled a lethal starting five after the mid-season trade shuffle, the Sixers looked stronger than ever heading into the playoffs as a third seed. With the East wide open after LeBron's exit, Philly was one legit contender to come out on top. But the way their run ended, makes one want to beg for a rewind.

In the postseason, the ultimate NBA Champions were stretched to 7 games by Philadelphia, where eventually Kawhi (aided by a bit of luck) handed them one of the most heartwrenching defeats in the history of the NBA. Once the ball fell in after four bounces on the cylinder, Embiid was brought to tears while the Sixers fanbase zoned out to sheer trauma.

Nevertheless, they've made the necessary changes and look determined enough to lead the resurgence they so desperately deserve.