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We are now more than half of the way through the 2019-20 NBA season - and there has been no shortage of talking points during the first three months of the season. Superstars such as LeBron James, James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Damian Lillard are all putting up huge numbers, while there are also a number of rookies who have made a huge impact since entering the league.
However, when talking collectively about teams, some have provided a great deal more of entertainment than others. Last season, it was the Sacramento Kings that surprisingly emerged as the most fun team to watch, although the team has regressed following the arrival of Luke Walton, while several other teams have become increasingly watchable. So, as we head into the second half of the 2019-20 season, here are the best five teams to watch.
Also read: 5 teams with the best home record in the NBA right now
#5 Memphis Grizzlies
Over the final few years of the Mike Conley era, the Memphis Grizzlies were among the least buzzworthy teams in the NBA, although rookie sensation Ja Morant has breathed new life into the franchise. Since entering the league last summer, Morant's speed and athleticism have earned him favorable comparisons to Russell Westbrook - and the 20-year-old appears to be well on the way to securing the Rookie of the Year Award.
The Grizzlies also have another exciting young talent in Jaren Jackson Jr., and Memphis' offense has been among the most deadly and exciting since the turn of the year. The playoffs seemed out of reach less than a month ago, although the Grizzlies have won eight of their past 10 games to climb to 8th in the Western Conference standings, and the Memphis fanbase finally has an exciting team to back following two dismal seasons.
#4 Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers will consider their performances this season incredibly underwhelming, although, for the neutral fan, they remain among the most entertaining teams to watch in the NBA. While Portland's offense remains better than average, Terry Stott's team little defense, and it is no surprise that they have already been involved in some of the highest-scoring games this season.
Portland's 19-27 record shows that this style doesn't win basketball games, although the Blazers also have one of the NBA's hottest tickets in Damian Lillard. Despite Portland's troubles, the 29-year-old is enjoying a career year and has put up 108 points over his last two games. Additionally, the ongoing resurgence of Carmelo Anthony is another reason to watch the Trail Blazers as they scrap to make the 8th seed over the next three months.
#3 Dallas Mavericks
Heading into the season, many experts expected the Dallas Mavericks to face a fight to secure one of the final playoff spots in the West, although the Mavs are well in contention to secure homecourt advantage thanks to a 28-17 record. Averaging 116.6 points per game, Dallas' offense is among the best in the NBA - and they also have the league's must-watch player in Luka Doncic.
Doncic's rise has been so rapid that he almost beat LeBron James in the voting to captain the West in the 2020 All-Star Game, and the Slovenian is almost averaging a triple-double for the season. Add in a supporting cast that includes the ever-popular Boban Marjanovic and Seth Curry, and the Mavericks find themselves with a team that even neutral fans can get behind.
#2 Miami Heat
Since the exit of LeBron James back in 2014, the Miami Heat have found themselves in a continued decline, although the arrival of Jimmy Butler last summer has completely overhauled the culture of the team. For the first time in years, the Heat players look to be finally having fun on the court, and their brand of unselfish basketball has earned a lot of fans over the first few months of the season.
In addition to collectively playing hard, the Heat also have exciting individual players to watch such as Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro - while Butler was extremely unfortunate to miss out starting in the All-Star Game. Without a second star, Miami may ultimately fall short in the postseason, although the team has successfully managed to overcome the gloom surrounding the franchise following Dwyane Wade's retirement.
Also read: NBA All-Star 2020: 3 Reasons why Jimmy Butler deserved to be a starter
#1 Los Angeles Lakers
While there is still plenty of debate about whether the Los Angeles Lakers are the best team in the league, there is no doubt that they are the most entertaining. Watching Anthony Davis dunk on a lob from LeBron James never gets old, and LeBron's overall vision and playmaking skills have been a joy to watch throughout the first half of the season.
Meanwhile, Dwight Howard's incredible resurgence has been one of the biggest talking points of the season, and the Lakers' reserve guard Alex Caruso has also become somewhat of a sensation. On the defensive end, JaVale McGee, Davis, and Howard have combined for some of the best blocks of the season, and for the first time in years, the Lakers are the NBA's must-watch team.
