Looking ahead to the 2020-2021 season

PREDICTIONS

The Los Angeles Times’ NBA crew of Dan Woike, Broderick Turner and Andrew Greif forecast the postseason and major award winners:

PLAYOFF QUALIFIERS (in order of seeding)

West

Woike: Lakers, Clippers, Denver, Utah, Portland, Dallas, Phoenix,

Golden State

Turner: Lakers, Clippers, Denver, Portland, Dallas, Utah,

Golden State, Houston

Greif: Lakers, Clippers, Denver, Portland, Dallas, Utah, Phoenix,

Houston

East

Woike: Milwaukee, Boston, Miami, Brooklyn, Philadelphia,

Toronto, Washington, Atlanta

Turner: Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Boston, Toronto, Philadelphia,

Miami, Indiana, Atlanta

Greif: Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Boston, Miami, Philadelphia,

Atlanta, Raptors, Indiana

Conference finals

Woike: Lakers over Clippers; Boston over Milwaukee

Turner: Lakers over Denver; Boston over Milwaukee

Greif: Lakers over Clippers; Milwaukee over Philadelphia

NBA champion

Woike, Turner and Greif: Lakers

MVP (runner-up, 3rd)

Woike: Anthony Davis (Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo)

Turner: Davis (Doncic, Antetokounmpo)

Greif: Doncic (Davis, Joel Embiid)

ROY

Woike:

Obi Toppin, New York

Turner: Anthony Edwards, Minnesota

Greif:

Obi Toppin, New York

WHAT’S NEW 72-game season

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the longest season in NBA history for 2019-20, finishing Oct. 11. The NBA and its players’ union agreed to a 72-game season, 10 fewer than usual, beginning Dec. 22 and ending July 22 if there is a Game 7 of the NBA Finals. That allows two things: NBA players to compete in the delayed Tokyo Olympics and the league to move to its usual calendar for the 202122 season. Each team will play three games against their conference rivals and two games against teams from the other conference.

Play-in tournament

At the conclusion of the regular season, the postseason will begin with the seventh- through 10th-place teams based on winning percentages in each conference playing into the first round of the playoffs. The Nos. 7-8 teams will play for the seventh spot, while the loser of that game will have a playoff against the winner of the No. 9-10 teams for the eighth and final spot. Higherseeded teams host each playoff game.

Rules

• The coach’s challenge, which was experimental last season, is here to stay. Of the 700 calls challenged last season, 308 (44 percent) were overturned.

• Rosters will be expanded on game day from 13 to 15 players.