4. Nikola Jokić
No, there is no attachment to the Atlanta Hawks or obvious reason for fans to pull for the league's top superstar. The reason why fans should be pulling for the Denver center really boils down to the blueprint the Nuggets have set. Denver drafted and developed a franchise star and developed a championship core around the star. Yes, there have been outside veteran additions, however, this isn't a loaded team attempting to buy a championship.
This is a smaller market team that has already set a blueprint the Hawks should be studying. What Denver has accomplished is exactly the path Atlanta hopes to follow. Aside from this, you have a chance to appreciate the best player in the league at the peak of his powers.
How can you do anything but appreciate the effort and unselfish nature of the face of the Nuggets? It is impossible not to watch Nikola Jokić and fall in love with the way he plays basketball. It is an art only a handful of legends have come close to matching.
5. Donovan Mitchell
Mitchell was on a very similar career path as current Atlanta point guard Trae Young. The guard was given a team on the fringes of contention and continually elevated the group to their absolute ceiling. Still, it was never enough to take that next step and the Jazz decided to break this core apart. A choice that would result in Rudy Gobert landing in Minnesota and Mitchell in Cleveland.
The Cavs have built an incredibly deep team around their franchise star. If there is one player still in his prime who is deserving of taking that next step, it is Mitchell. Having the Cavs put together such a complete team, this is the best chance of Mitchell's career.