3 spoilers for 2016
The act of engaging in NBA predictions involves walking a fine line between punditry and prophecy, between calculated analysis and complete conjecture.
With the proverbial curtains set to close on 2015, what will the new year hold for the Association and the mystery-shrouded future of several of its most noteworthy participants?
For those who have a sensitivity to spoilers, now may be the time to look away - here are three bubble-bursters for 2016:
Just what the Doc(tor) didn't order
The Los Angeles Clippers are more fragile than ever.
The residual effects of their epic collapse in last year's playoffs were exacerbated by the loss of Blake Griffin for weeks, and the specter of his injury limiting the invaluable big man through the remainder of the season combined with an anemic bench has transformed what was once known as "Lob City" into "Sob City."
Team president Doc Rivers won't fire head coach Doc Rivers, so they are stuck with each other, just as the bench boss is stuck with the incongruent bunch he has assembled.
Thus far, the Charlotte Hornets' version of Lance Stephenson has reared its ugly head; Paul Pierce's shooting percentage (32.6) is lower than his age (38); Josh Smith's ineffective play has Detroit Pistons head honcho Stan Van Gundy saying "I told you so"; Wesley Johnson, Luc Mbah a Moute and Rivers' son, Austin, are makeshift stopgaps at best.
To make matters worse, the third - and arguably most pivotal - member of the Clippers' "Big Three," DeAndre Jordan, just may be the keeping his supposedly-cursed franchise from taking that next step forward with his historically detrimental poor free-throw shooting.
Spoiler: The Clippers falter in the playoffs once again, and enter the offseason faced with the difficult decision of exploring trades for one or more of their three star players in a desperate attempt to avoid a perpetual quagmire.
Where, oh where will KD go?
While Kevin Durant vehemently denies his alleged interest in being first in line to lead the A.B. era (After Bryant) in L.A., it's hard not to picture the soon-to-be free agent at least entertaining the idea of becoming the new face of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Expect Durant's hometown Washington Wizards to make things interesting come July 1 - along with every other franchise with half a brain - but the allure of La La Land will be undeniable with its endless marketing opportunities, sunny weather, and the Lakers' rich history serving as a backdrop for Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak's summertime pitch.
But, in the end, timing is everything - the fact that the Lakers are still in the infant stages of their gradual rebuild will hurt their chances at landing the former MVP, while a potential deep playoff run this spring - and possession of Durant's Bird Rights - will position the Oklahoma City Thunder favorably when the time comes for them to convince their superstar to stay.
Of course, a 2016 NBA title in OKC would likely guarantee retention of Durant's services, but that's easier said than done.
Spoiler: The free-agency frenzy at No. 35's feet ends with his desire to have his jersey retired in Oklahoma City prevailing. Durant re-signs with the Thunder.
Pressing the dreaded reset button
A true rebuild requires the deconstruction of a roster, wiping the slate clean to start anew. This admission of failure must not be mistaken with retooling, as evidenced by the middling yet still-relevant Boston Celtics.
While the Philadelphia 76ers, Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, and Denver Nuggets may be doing their best to simulate competitiveness, the real candidates for a legitimate reboot are teams which are spinning their wheels in the middle of the pack.
Murphy's Law has stricken the Phoenix Suns throughout the first two months of the 2015-16 season, considering that everything that could've gone wrong has.
The first fateful domino toppled over when the Morris twins were separated - an event which irked Marcus' brother Markieff - and from there, an unfortunate chain of events befell the desert-bound ball club.
The team underperformed, assistant coaches were dismissed, bench boss Jeff Hornacek dodged towels, Eric Bledsoe was knocked out of commission, with the dismay of the remaining Morris brother - arguably the team's second-best player after Bledsoe - persisting all the while.
Off-court issues and locker room instability have manifested in an underwhelming on-court product following a 2014-15 campaign in which the Suns surprised many with a strong push toward the playoffs before coming up short in the end.
And now, merely eight months later, with 2016 around the corner, the sun seems to be setting in Phoenix before it even had a proper chance to rise.
Spoiler: The Suns tear it down in order to build it back up - Morris gets traded, Tyson Chandler - an odd fit for this team to begin with - is offloaded to a contender, focus shifts to the development of Devin Booker, T.J. Warren, and Alex Len, while the franchise sets its draft day sights on LSU's Ben Simmons and goes after Arizona alumnus and "Winless Interim Coach of the Year" Luke Walton as their next leader.