MLB STANDINGS AND WILDCARD PICTURE

NATIONAL LEAGUE

NL EAST	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	AWAY	DIV	AL	STRK	L10
Atlanta	68	54	.557	-	34-27	34-27	40-19	7-8	L3	6-4
Philadelphia	68	55	.553	0.5	41-21	27-34	24-23	11-6	L1	4-6
Washington	62	62	.500	7.0	31-29	31-33	26-25	9-11	L1	4-6
NY Mets	53	69	.434	15.0	24-37	29-32	24-28	7-10	W1	6-4
Miami	49	76	.392	20.5	28-35	21-41	17-36	7-6	W1	2-8
NL CENTRAL	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	AWAY	DIV	AL	STRK	L10
Chi. Cubs	71	51	.582	-	38-23	33-28	29-26	10-5	L1	6-4
St. Louis	68	56	.548	4.0	34-27	34-29	35-25	10-7	W2	9-1
Milwaukee	68	57	.544	4.5	36-24	32-33	20-28	10-7	L3	3-7
Pittsburgh	62	62	.500	10.0	34-31	28-31	29-21	12-5	W1	4-6
Cincinnati	54	69	.439	17.5	30-35	24-34	19-32	10-8	W2	5-5
NL WEST	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	AWAY	DIV	AL	STRK	L10
Arizona	68	56	.548	-	32-29	36-27	31-22	6-6	L1	5-5
Colorado	67	56	.545	0.5	31-27	36-29	26-24	12-6	W3	7-3
LA Dodgers	66	58	.532	2.0	32-30	34-28	27-27	9-8	L1	3-7
San Francisco	61	63	.492	7.0	34-26	27-37	31-27	6-11	L3	4-6
San Diego	49	77	.389	20.0	23-42	26-35	18-33	2-11	W1	4-6

AMERICAN LEAGUE

AL EAST	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	AWAY	DIV	NL	STRK	L10
Boston	88	36	.710	-	44-15	44-21	45-15	9-3	W2	8-2
NY Yankees	77	46	.626	10.5	44-20	33-26	29-26	10-8	W2	6-4
Tampa Bay	62	61	.504	25.5	34-24	28-37	27-28	6-12	L2	5-5
Toronto	55	68	.447	32.5	29-32	26-36	19-31	9-5	L3	4-6
Baltimore	37	86	.301	50.5	21-40	16-46	17-37	7-13	W1	3-7
AL CENTRAL	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	AWAY	DIV	NL	STRK	L10
Cleveland	70	52	.574	-	38-24	32-28	37-17	12-8	L1	8-2
Minnesota	58	64	.475	12.0	37-25	21-39	27-25	8-12	L1	5-5
Detroit	51	73	.411	20.0	32-30	19-43	25-28	3-9	W1	4-6
Chi. White Sox	45	77	.369	25.0	23-39	22-38	20-32	5-12	L1	4-6
Kansas City	38	85	.309	32.5	18-44	20-41	21-28	4-11	W1	4-6
AL WEST	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	AWAY	DIV	NL	STRK	L10
Houston	74	49	.602	-	33-29	41-20	32-24	11-6	L2	3-7
Oakland	74	49	.602	-	37-24	37-25	25-28	12-8	W2	7-3
Seattle	71	53	.573	3.5	37-25	34-28	28-24	4-8	W1	6-4
LA Angels	63	62	.504	12.0	33-30	30-32	24-22	9-7	W1	6-4
Texas	55	70	.440	20.0	28-38	27-32	21-32	6-6	L1	5-5

WILDCARD STANDINGS PICTURE

NATIONAL LEAGUE

TEAM	W	L	GB	LEFT
Philadelphia	68	55	+0.5	39
St. Louis	68	56	-	38
Colorado	67	56	0.5	39
Milwaukee	68	57	0.5	37
LA Dodgers	66	58	2.0	38
Washington	62	62	6.0	38
Pittsburgh	62	62	6.0	38
San Francisco	61	63	7.0	38
Cincinnati	54	69	13.5	39
NY Mets	53	69	14.0	40
Miami	49	76	19.5	37
San Diego	49	77	20.0	36

AMERICAN LEAGUE

TEAM	W	L	GB	LEFT
NY Yankees	77	46	+3.0	39
Houston	74	49	-	39
Oakland	74	49	-	39
Seattle	71	53	3.5	38
Tampa Bay	62	61	12.0	39
LA Angels	63	62	12.0	37
Minnesota	58	64	15.5	40
Toronto	55	68	19.0	39
Texas	55	70	20.0	37
Detroit	51	73	23.5	38
Chi. White Sox	45	77	28.5	40
Kansas City	38	85	36.0	39
Baltimore	37	86	37.0	39

MLB SCOREBOARD FOR SATURDAY

PIRATES 3, CUBS 1

PITTSBURGH -- Joe Musgrove cruised through seven innings, and Pittsburgh beat Chicago to snap a five-game skid.

Musgrove (5-7) allowed one run on five hits with seven strikeouts. He has gone seven innings and surrendered two runs or fewer in four of his past five starts.

Pittsburgh won for the second time in eight games. The first-place Cubs had their three-game winning streak snapped.

Felipe Vazquez retired the side in order with two strikeouts in the ninth inning for his 27th save.

The Pirates' three runs came in the second inning, when Adam Frazier had an RBI double off Tyler Chatwood (4-6) after Josh Bell and Francisco Cervelli walked to start the inning. That ended Pittsburgh's streak of 24 innings without a run scored.

ATHLETICS 7, ASTROS 1

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Trevor Cahill pitched one-hit ball for seven shutout innings and the Oakland Athletics, far behind in the AL West standings earlier this summer, tied Houston for the division lead by beating the Astros 7-1 Saturday.

Khris Davis, Matt Olson, Josh Phegley and Stephen Piscotty each hit two of Oakland's team record-tying eight doubles as the A's won for the sixth time in seven games. The Athletics trailed the defending World Series champion Astros by 11 1/2 games on June 24 and were still 10 out on July 10.

Houston has lost seven of eight and dropped 12 of 19 since owning a six-game lead on July 24. The next day, reigning AL MVP Jose Altuve went on the disabled list, and the star second baseman is still out.

Cahill (5-2) struck out seven, walked one and retired 14 straight batters during one stretch.

Tony Kemp homered in the ninth for Houston's only other hit. Dallas Keuchel (9-10) gave up five runs in 5 2/3 innings.

ROCKIES 5, BRAVES 3, 10 INNINGS

ATLANTA -- Colorado struck for three runs with two outs in the ninth inning, and then DJ LeMahieu homered over the center field wall in the 10th to help beat Atlanta.

Fill-in closer A.J. Minter came in with a 3-0 lead to begin the ninth and retired the first two Colorado batters. But the Rockies followed with four straight hits off him, including a two-run double by Ian Desmond and a tying single by pinch-hitter Gerardo Parra.

LeMahieu hit his 10th homer with one out in the 10th off Luke Jackson (1-1). Gonzalez followed with a double and scored on Nolan Arenado's single.

The Braves stranded a runner at third base in the ninth when Adam Ottavino (5-2) struck out Dansby Swanson to end the inning. Wade Davis pitched the 10th for his 34th save.

The Rockies have won the first three games of the four-game series to stay close to NL West-leading Arizona. The NL East-leading Braves remained one-half game ahead of second-place Philadelphia.

YANKEES 11, BLUE JAYS 6

NEW YORK -- Giancarlo Stanton hit one of New York's four homers, and Luis Severino struck out eight while pitching into the sixth inning.

Didi Gregorius, Miguel Andujar and Greg Bird also connected as New York moved 31 games over .500, matching a season high. Andujar had three hits and three RBI, and Gregorius also drove in three runs.

Toronto has lost three straight and four of six. Billy McKinney, who came over when the Blue Jays traded J.A. Happ to the Yankees last month, had two hits and two RBI against his former team, but Sean Reid-Foley (0-2) was hit hard in his second major league start.

Severino (16-6) won for just the second time in his last seven starts. The All-Star right-hander allowed two runs and six hits in five-plus innings.

CARDINALS 7, BREWERS 2

ST. LOUIS -- Marcell Ozuna homered, Miles Mikolas tossed six effective innings and St. Louis beat Milwaukee to slide into position for the second NL wild card.

St. Louis moved a half-game ahead of Milwaukee and within four of the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.

The Cardinals, who are a half-game behind wild card-leading Philadelphia, have won 10 of their last 11 and captured their seventh straight series after winning the opener of the three-game set on Friday.

Travis Shaw and Christian Yelich homered for the Brewers, who have lost six of eight.

Ozuna hit his 15th homer of the season in the second off Wade Miley (2-2).

Mikolas (13-3) gave up one run on five hits. He struck out seven and did not walk a batter in winning his fifth consecutive decision.

METS 3, PHILLIES 1

PHILADELPHIA -- Mets ace Jacob deGrom pitched his first complete game of the season and lowered his major league-leading ERA to 1.71.

DeGrom (8-7) allowed only an unearned run, the result of his own error. He struck out nine and walked none.

It appeared that deGrom's day might be cut short due to a 41-minute rain delay that began in the middle of the fourth. But the right-hander came back after the stoppage as strong as before it.

Philadelphia's Jake Arrieta (9-8) allowed one run and four hits in six strong innings.

Rhys Hoskins and Maikel Franco each doubled among their two hits for the Phillies, who began the day a half-game behind Atlanta in the NL East and leading the NL wild-card race.

RED SOX 5, RAYS 2

BOSTON -- David Price pitched seven solid innings, J.D. Martinez hit his major league-leading 38th homer, and Boston jumped to a quick lead to beat Tampa Bay for its 17th victory in 20 games.

Mitch Moreland added an RBI double during Boston's four-run first inning. The Red Sox improved to a season-high 52 games over .500 and maintained their 10+-game lead over the second-place New York Yankees in the AL East.

C.J. Cron hit a two-run homer for the Rays.

Price (13-6) gave up two runs on five hits, striking out eight, walking two and hitting a batter. He is 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his five starts since the All-Star break.

Tyler Glasnow (0-1), making his fourth start since being acquired from Pittsburgh at the non-waiver trading deadline, gave up five runs, four earned, and three hits. He walked three and struck out four in 6 2/3 innings.

Craig Kimbrel got the final three outs for his 37th save.

MARINERS 5, DODGERS 4, 10 INNINGS

SEATTLE -- Cameron Maybin scored with one out in the 10th inning when Los Angeles' Dylan Floro was called for a balk, giving Seattle the win.

Seattle loaded the bases with one out, and with a one-strike count on Kyle Seager, Floro initiated his delivery before stepping off the mound. First base umpire Andy Fletcher called him for the game-ending balk. There was little argument from Floro, although Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts sought an explanation as Seattle celebrated the odd victory.

Seattle led 4-1 entering the eighth inning, but Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy all hit solo home runs to force extra innings. Seattle improved to 12-1 in extra-inning games this season.

Adam Warren (2-1) allowed a leadoff walk but finished off the 10th untouched to get the victory.

ANGELS 11, RANGERS 7

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Albert Pujols drove in a season-high four runs, Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run homer and Los Angeles beat Texas on a rainy night.

Pujols hit a solo home run in the second inning and a two-run single in the third against Rangers starter Martin Perez. He singled home another run in the seventh against losing pitcher Eddie Butler (2-3) for a 7-6 lead.

Ohtani then came on as a pinch hitter and homered to center field before Taylor Ward hit his first major league homer to complete the five-run inning.

Winning pitcher Cam Bedrosian (5-2), the second of five Angels pitchers, got two outs in the sixth.

MARLINS 7, NATIONALS 5, 10 INNINGS

WASHINGTON -- Isaac Galloway hit a two-run single in the 10th inning, JT Riddle homered and drove in four runs and Miami beat Washington.

The Nationals intentionally walked Riddle to load the bases with two outs in the 10th. Galloway delivered with a hit to center off Koda Glover (0-2).

Both teams scored in the ninth. Riddle's drive into the right-field stands off Nationals reliever Justin Miller put Miami up 5-4. Washington's Adam Eaton tied it with a homer off Drew Steckenrider leading off the bottom of the inning.

Trea Turner homered and drove in three runs for the Nationals.

Steckenrider (4-2) blew the save but finished the ninth to pick up the win. Graves recorded the final three outs for his first career save.

ORIOLES 4, INDIANS 2

CLEVELAND -- Alex Cobb pitched a five-hitter for his first complete game in five years, and Baltimore snapped Cleveland's six-game win streak.

Cobb (4-15), the major league leader in losses, struck out three and walked one in his fourth career complete game. The right-hander threw 100 pitches, 69 for strikes, while going the distance for the first time since Aug. 31, 2013, for Tampa Bay against Oakland.

Jonathan Villar hit a three-run homer in the third for Baltimore. Rookie Cedric Mullins hit his first major league home run in the eighth.

Cleveland right-hander Adam Plutko (4-3) allowed three hits in seven innings. He was called up from Triple-A Columbus to step into the rotation for Trevor Bauer, who is out with a stress fracture in his right leg.

The Indians retired Hall of Famer Jim Thome's No. 25 before the game, drawing a crowd of 35,003 for Cleveland's eighth sellout of the season.

PADRES 7, DIAMONDBACKS 6

SAN DIEGO -- Christian Villanueva had a walk-off pinch-hit single in the ninth inning, and San Diego beat Arizona to end a five-game skid.

Travis Jankowski led off the ninth with a walk against Andrew Chafin (1-4) and advanced to second on a groundout by Eric Hosmer.

Villanueva hit for Craig Stammen (6-2) and drove a 2-2 pitch into left field to score Jankowski and give San Diego its first win against Arizona at Petco Park this season. Stammen worked two scoreless innings.

Paul Goldschmidt had four hits and drove in four runs while tying a Diamondbacks record by reaching base safely in nine straight plate appearances. Goldschmidt also extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

The Diamondbacks' three-game winning streak ended, and their NL West lead over the Colorado Rockies fell to one-half game.

REDS 7, GIANTS 1

CINCINNATI -- Matt Harvey took a no-hit try into the sixth inning, Jose Peraza and Dilson Herrera backed him with home runs and the Cincinnati dominated Madison Bumgarner and San Francisco.

Scooter Gennett had three hits for the second straight night and scored three runs, Peraza had two hits and scored twice and Brandon Dixon drove in two runs with a bases-loaded double. Cincinnati sent the Giants to their third straight loss after winning three in a row.

Harvey (6-7) didn't give up a hit until there were two outs in the sixth, when Joe Panik beat out a grounder that shortstop Peraza backhanded deep in the hole.

Harvey threw 6 1/3 shutout innings, allowing four hits and a walk with five strikeouts.

Bumgarner (4-5) turned in the worst of his 14 starts this season, setting season highs by allowing six runs and eight hits in six innings.

ROYALS 3, WHITE SOX 1

CHICAGO -- Alex Gordon homered, Jorge Bonifacio had a go-ahead RBI single in the decisive sixth inning, and Kansas City rallied past Chicago.

Rookie Brad Keller pitched five solid innings for the Royals, who won for the third time in their past nine games. The White Sox had their win streak stopped at three.

Nicky Delmonico homered in the second inning off Keller (6-5), driving a changeup over the right-center field fence. That was the only blemish against Keller, who allowed seven hits, struck out five and walked none.

Dylan Covey (4-10) returned to the form he had displayed the first 2+ months of the season but remained winless in five starts since July 21. The right-hander allowed two runs on four hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings.

Five Royals relievers combined for four scoreless innings. The last, Wily Peralta, worked a perfect ninth for his eighth save in as many tries.

TIGERS 7, TWINS 5

MINNEAPOLIS -- Mikie Mahtook hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the fifth inning, rookie Ryan Carpenter earned his first big league win and Detroit beat Minnesota.

Joe Mauer, Tyler Austin, Miguel Sano and Mitch Garver homered for the Twins, who had won four straight.

Mahtook's homer was his second of the year and came off reliever Tyler Duffey (1-2).

Carpenter (1-1) was making just his fifth major league start and first since May 31. The Twins had him on the ropes early, as the first three batters reached base, but Carpenter limited the damage and survived to pitch into the sixth.

Four relievers combined to close it out, with Shane Greene picking up the last four outs for his 26th save in 29 chances.

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MY SUMMER NBA FORECAST

EAST STANDINGS, WEST STANDINGS FOR 2018-19

Which teams are headed for the playoffs? Which teams are lottery bound? Predict the win totals for all 30 teams.

Here are the results:

EASTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS

1. Boston Celtics
Projected record: 58-24
Last season: 55-27

Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving combined to miss 103 regular-season games last season, and the Celtics still won 55 games. Even if Boston needs to ease Hayward and Irving back a bit, the younger players who sparked Boston's playoff run -- Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier -- will be hungry to showcase their own development. It all adds up to Boston earning the second-highest win projection in the league, behind only Golden State.

2. Toronto Raptors
Projected record: 55-27
Last season: 59-23

The Raptors added an MVP-caliber talent this summer and their win projection is ... lower? Toronto won 59 games last season, but the uncertainty surrounding Kawhi Leonard's health likely left our panel leery of pushing Toronto's win total too high. A new head coach adds a layer of unpredictability to the season.

3. Philadelphia 76ers
Projected record: 53-29
Last season: 52-30

Our panel predicted the 76ers to win a mere 37 games last summer. But voters clearly trust the process now, with Philadelphia emerging with the fifth-highest win projection in the entire league this time around. Joel Embiid probably thinks it's still too low.

T-4. Indiana Pacers
Projected record: 47-35
Last season: 48-34

Our panel is much more bullish on the Pacers this year. In the aftermath of the Paul George trade, Indiana was forecasted at a meager 31 wins and exceeded that number by a whopping 17 games last year. Now we'll find out if the additions of players such as Doug McDermott and Tyreke Evans can help propel the Pacers to a spot in the top half of the East playoff bracket.

T-4. Milwaukee Bucks
Projected record: 47-35
Last season: 44-38

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the inconsistent Bucks settled for the seventh seed last season but nearly stunned short-handed Boston in Round 1. The biggest change for Milwaukee this offseason was the hiring of Coach Mike Budenholzer. His playoff experiences with San Antonio and Atlanta could go a long way toward helping a young Bucks squad find the consistency it needs.

6. Washington Wizards
Projected record: 44-38
Last season: 43-39

The schedule makers don't seem too hyped about Washington, giving the Wizards only eight national TV appearances next season. John Wall has suggested he's content with Washington reverting to the underdog role, but clearly there's still a good amount of talent here. The question is whether adding the likes of Dwight Howard this summer is the answer to what ails the Wizards -- or what might finally cause them to implode.

7. Miami Heat
Projected record: 43-39
Last season: 44-38

When re-signing Wayne Ellington is your big summer splash, it's going to be hard to generate voter confidence. Miami won 44 games last season, and our panel doesn't expect much change for a team that's on track to pay the luxury tax despite not being a surefire contender.

8. Detroit Pistons
Projected record: 38-44
Last season: 39-43

Despite hiring the reigning NBA Coach of the Year in Dwane Casey, the Pistons' win projection is actually lower than their win total from last season. Still, the Pistons, who have only one playoff appearance in the past nine seasons, are projected to be in the mix for a playoff spot with Casey's leadership and a full season of Blake Griffin.

9. Charlotte Hornets
Projected record: 35-47
Last season: 36-46

The Hornets are hoping some of the Spurs' mojo rubs off on them. Charlotte hired former San Antonio assistant James Borrego to be its coach, then signed veteran guard Tony Parker. But tough decisions loom about the future of key players, including Kemba Walker and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, on a Hornets team that has won only 36 games in each of the past two seasons.

10. Brooklyn Nets
Projected record: 32-50
Last season: 28-54

GM Sean Marks and Coach Kenny Atkinson have done a nice job getting an asset-deprived program back on the road to respectability. But it's reflective of just how poor the bottom of the East is that the Nets are pegged to finish above five teams during the rare instance they actually own their first-round pick.

11. Cleveland Cavaliers
Projected record: 31-51
Last season: 50-32

We see the LeBron Effect out West, with the Lakers projected to vault to a playoff team this season. Well, here's the other side of the coin: The Cavaliers dropped from a projected 52 wins last season to 31 this year. Kevin Love faces an uphill battle to keep the Cavaliers in contention.

12. Orlando Magic
Projected record: 30-52
Last season: 25-57

Steve Clifford will be the latest coach to try to harness the talents of Orlando's fleet of unique young big men, including first-round pick Mohamed Bamba. After a big summer payday, Aaron Gordon must figure out how to get a team that has missed the playoffs six straight years out of lottery mode.

T-13. Chicago Bulls
Projected record: 28-54
Last season: 27-55

Say this about the Bulls: They don't seem content to stand pat. Chicago paid to retain Zach LaVine, nabbed free agent Jabari Parker and drafted Wendell Carter Jr. With Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn, the Bulls have an intriguing mix of talent -- or at least more than 28 projected wins might suggest.

T-13. New York Knicks
Projected record: 28-54
Last season: 29-53

New coach David Fizdale won't have the services of a still-rehabbing Kristaps Porzingis to start the season. But lots of reps for Kevin Knox and securing another lottery pick probably isn't the worst outcome for a Knicks team hoping it can lure an elite star to New York during the summer of 2019.

15. Atlanta Hawks
Projected record: 22-60
Last season: 24-58

First-year coach Lloyd Pierce has three first-round picks to trot out in Trae Young, Kevin Huerter and Omari Spellman. The Hawks are playing the long game, which means they'll be short on wins for the foreseeable future. But hitting on draft picks and managing their cap might just be the fastest path back to respectability.

WESTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS

1. Golden State Warriors
Projected record: 61-21
Last season: 58-24

Boredom was probably the Warriors' biggest problem last regular season, and the signing of All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins definitely adds some excitement. It isn't clear when Cousins will make his Golden State debut, but when he does, the opportunity (and challenge) of implementing another dominant scorer should command the Warriors' attention, along with everyone else watching the NBA.

2. Houston Rockets
Projected record: 57-25
Last season: 65-17

A projected drop of eight wins -- which is more optimistic than the Las Vegas oddsmakers' over-under -- reflects the perception of replacing versatile defensive stoppers Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute with aging Carmelo Anthony and journeyman James Ennis III. However, it's worth noting that Houston went 14-1 in games Ariza missed last season, with the lone loss coming when the Rockets sat all their regulars in the regular-season finale. And the Rockets' record with James Harden, Chris Paul and Clint Capela all playing: 42-3 (plus 11-4 in the playoffs).

3. Utah Jazz
Projected record: 49-33
Last season: 48-34

The Jazz made continuity a priority this summer, banking on internal development as the path to improvement after advancing to the second round for the second consecutive season. The Jazz went 29-6 from Jan. 24 (soon after Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert's return from injury) through the end of the regular season, posting the NBA's second-best record and best point differential during that span. Watch out if Rookie of the Year runner-up Donovan Mitchell makes strides as a pull-up shooter (35.3 percent overall, 29.3 on 3s last season).

4. Oklahoma City Thunder
Projected record: 49-33
Last season: 48-34

Massive luxury-tax implications made dumping Melo's salary a must, but the move might also make the Thunder a better team. Oklahoma City was minus-58 in Anthony's 194 playoff minutes and outscored the Jazz by 32 points in the 94 minutes Melo sat during that series. How well Dennis Schroder, acquired from Atlanta in the Melo deal, adapts to his new sixth man role could determine whether OKC has home-court advantage in the first round.

5. Denver Nuggets
Projected record: 47-35
Last season: 46-36

After Denver came up one win short of the playoffs last season, we're projecting the Nuggets to end a postseason drought that stands at five years. Denver deserves to be mentioned among teams that have the most promising young cores. The Nuggets had three of the seven players in the NBA last season who averaged at least 16.5 points at age 23 or younger while playing a minimum of 65 games: center Nikola Jokic and guards Gary Harris and Jamal Murray.

6. Los Angeles Lakers
Projected record: 46-36
Last season: 35-47

This would be the fewest wins for a LeBron James team in a full-length season since the 2007-08 Cavaliers went 45-37. On the previous occasions when James made a move in free agency, his new teams jumped 11 and 20 wins the next season. Of course, the Lakers aren't adding an All-Star-caliber power forward, as well, unlike the Heat (Chris Bosh) and Cavs (Kevin Love) in 2010 and 2014, respectively.

7. New Orleans Pelicans
Projected record: 45-37
Last season: 48-34

The Pelicans went 20-9 in regular-season games during which Anthony Davisand February trade pickup Nikola Mirotic played together, outscoring opponents by 10.7 points per 100 possessions when that duo was on the floor. That momentum carried over into a first-round sweep of the Trail Blazers. Can the Pelicans, who played at the league's fastest pace, keep running successfully with reclamation project Elfrid Payton replacing Rajon Rondo?

8. Minnesota Timberwolves
Projected record: 45-37
Last season: 47-35

There haven't exactly been warm, fuzzy vibes coming from Minnesota, despite the Timberwolves making the playoffs for the first time since Kevin Garnett was just entering his prime. There have been persistent rumors and speculation about whether Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns, the team's two All-Stars, are a tandem suited to last long term, with the former being a Tom Thibodeau loyalist and the latter seeming to butt heads with the head coach.

9. San Antonio Spurs
Projected record: 44-38
Last season: 47-35

The Kawhi Leonard saga is over in San Antonio. Will the Spurs' historic playoff streak come to an end next? San Antonio's 21 straight postseason appearances is tied for second in NBA history. An optimistic viewpoint: The Spurs managed to squeak in last season despite Leonard playing only nine games, and DeMar DeRozan -- the centerpiece of the package the Spurs received from the Raptors -- has been the leading scorer of a playoff team in Toronto each of the past five seasons.

10. Portland Trail Blazers
Projected record: 43-39
Last season: 49-33

This projection will probably be perceived as disrespectful in the Pacific Northwest. But there's a reason Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum tweeted their displeasure when the Trail Blazers let reserve center Ed Davis leave in free agency. Davis, a valuable, rugged role player, ranked third among the Blazers in win shares last season, behind only Portland's high-scoring guard duo. Portland likely needs Zach Collins to improve significantly to make the playoffs for a sixth straight season in the loaded West.

11. LA Clippers
Projected record: 35-47
Last season: 42-40

The departure of DeAndre Jordan, the last of the Lob City cornerstones, is a major reason the Clippers are projected to finish less than .500 for the first time since 2010-11. Based on on/off court stats from last season, perhaps that shouldn't be the case. The Clippers had a net rating (points per 100 possessions) of minus-2.8 when Jordan played and plus-4.4 when he sat. Montrezl Harrell, whose role could expand significantly this season with Jordan gone, had the best net rating (plus-2.3) of any Clipper who played at least 1,000 minutes.

12. Memphis Grizzlies
Projected record: 33-49
Last season: 22-60

The Memphis front office firmly believes the Grizzlies can compete for a playoff spot with a healthy Marc Gasol and Mike Conley. They are 65-56 when both of their remaining Grit 'n Grind cornerstones have played over the past three seasons. But staying healthy has been tough for Conley in particular; he missed 70 games last season due to a heel injury that required surgery. No. 4 overall pick Jaren Jackson Jr. gives the Grizzlies a much-needed bolt of youthful energy and a bridge to the future.

13. Dallas Mavericks
Projected record: 33-49
Last season: 24-58

Dallas, which has missed the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since Dirk Nowitzki's first two seasons in the league, has dual goals. The development of future franchise cornerstones Luka Doncic and Dennis Smith Jr. is a priority, but the Mavs want to be competitive in what is likely Nowitzki's last season. Signing DeAndre Jordan to what amounts to a one-year trial period addresses both agendas, giving the Mavs' young playmakers a lob threat as Dallas hopes to fight for a playoff spot.

14. Phoenix Suns
Projected record: 27-55
Last season: 21-61

Devin Booker's scoring average (24.9 points per game) was higher than the Suns' win total last season. That earned Phoenix the No. 1 pick and the right to draft big man Deandre Ayton, who sees the Suns' young cornerstones as the next Shaq and Kobe. A good first step would be getting out of the West cellar, where Phoenix finished the past two seasons.

15. Sacramento Kings
Projected record: 24-58
Last season: 27-55

The Kings have gone 12 years -- and nine head coaches -- since their last winning season. Maybe Marvin Bagley III and De'Aaron Fox will lead the Kings back to relevance and improve the team's reputation of being dysfunctional, but likely not this year.