NBA preview
It's time to kick off another NBA season, and as a lifelong Lakers fan, I'm somewhat excited. I still have trouble taking the league seriously. I think the game is played at a much purer level in college, mostly because the players in the NBA are too good offensively to need to play team ball. The best offense, as I'm sure most of you can see, is often just to give it to your best player and let him do the work.
But the league seems to be getting back to basics a bit in recent years, and not like the one-on-one driven slugfest it was in the late 90s.
I'd say things look very good for my purple and gold. If everything goes well, in fact, I think they could match the Bulls' record of 72 wins. But obviously, that would take a LOT of things going perfectly for the whole season and is far in the future.
Here are my picks for the league, and my thoughts on each team.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. Boston- I could actually envision this team finishing as low as fourth or fifth if A) Ray Allen is just a bit too old, B) Garnett is just not quite as energetic from start to finish, and C) guys like Rondo and the rest of the bench don't keep getting better. But, on paper, this is still easily the best team in the East, and should win the regular season again.
2. Cleveland- LeBron is reaching another level, and the Olympics showed that. He's the most well-rounded player in the game and has a better supporting cast than before. This could be Cleveland's big year.
3. Miami- Watch out for Dwyane Wade. Nobody has been more critical of him than me, but his summer proved to me he's better than I thought. Add in Beasley and if Marion keeps his head on straight this is a very good team in the still subpar East.
4. Detroit- Age is catching up to this team. New coach. Billups and Hamilton are starting to get a bit older. And the inside defense just isn't what it used to be. Still dangerous come playoff time though.
5. Orlando- Dwight Howard is a beast. Enough said.
6. Philly- After the stunt that Elton Brand pulled I would love to see this team flop. But he and Andre Miller combined are a very dangerous team.
7. Atlanta- This team seems headed up. Last year's playoffs could be a springboard to even better things. But still can't predict higher than this for them.
8. Toronto- I don't buy the addition of Jermaine O'Neal making this team much better, no matter how good Chris Bosh is (and he is).
9. Chicago- The baby Bulls never really developed and I don't see Ben Gordon liking his diminished role at all. Give it a few years for Derrick Rose to completely take over, add a couple pieces and they are serious contenders.
10. Washington- I love Caron. I don't think much of anybody else on this roster.
11. New York- D'Antoni will change the atmosphere enough to bring 30 wins. I guess that's something.
12. Charlotte- More potential than people realize. But the pieces just don't seem to add up to anything greater.
13. Milwaukee- Can Michael Redd average 40 a night? He might need to. I didn't think so either.
14. New Jersey- Let the Josh Boone era begin. Sorry, Jersey.
15. Indiana- I'm not sure how many people can even name a player on this roster anymore.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1. Los Angeles Lakers- What's the worry about Bynum coming back? These players all proved to be very unselfish last year. For all the talk about Houston's new trio being great, why isn't Kobe, Bynum, Gasol in the mix with the Rockets and Celtics? C'mon. This team could win 70 games if healthy, particularly if Lamar Odom likes his bench role (he's be the best sixth man in the league, maybe ever), Jordan Farmar improves and Trevor Ariza returns healthy to greatly bolster the defense.
2. New Orleans- This team is getting scary good. They're good enough to win a championship, and Chris Paul is one of the most genuinely likable players in the game, skills and attitude combined. I'm going to grow to hate this team, which is unfortunate, cause otherwise they could be lovable.
3. Houston- Before I get too excited, let me see Artest actually stay in check. And for that matter, let McGrady prove he's more than a prolific regular season scorer. I still question whether Yao is the type of player to take control with those two guys around, and this should be Yao's team.
4. Utah- Say what you want about Jerry Sloan's personality (and in my opinion he's one of the least likable men in sports), but he sure can coach. Deron Williams is a star too, so this team is in the mix for a title.
5. San Antonio- This is another year that we will have to worry until this team draws it's last breath, cause with Duncan you always have a chance. But I don't see Ginobili ever being completely healthy for long, and Parker isn't exactly unbreakable.
6. Portland- One year away from truly contending, it will be interesting to see how good this young team can be.
7. Dallas- On the decline. The J-Kidd trade was worth the risk, but will start proving to be a bad decision ultimately. Still a playoff team though.
8. Los Angeles Clippers- I'm not sure why. Maybe out of spite for what Brand did to them. Maybe because Baron Davis is much better than anybody realizes. And Camby is the type of guy who makes a difference between missing the playoffs and sneaking in. I think they will, and look, that would make an all Staples Center playoff round.
9. Phoenix- You read it here. Shaq and Nash cannot play together effectively. It's not a personality thing. By most accounts both are great teammates (most of the time). It's a style of play thing. This team will get more and more frustrated by bad losses as the season wears on and will miss the playoffs.
10. Denver- This is the personality problem. Iverson, Carmelo and K-Mart can't make this happen again. Not without Camby.
11. Golden State- I don't even know why. I lied. I have nothing to say about this team.
12. Memphis- Gay and Mayo may prove to be the most overrated combo of players in history. But they both have a lot of athleticism. That doesn't win games in the long run. Poise and true skill do.
13. Seattle, er... Oklahoma City- That joke is already getting old. I hope this team fails, miserably. But I feel bad for the players, who will take the heat for what management did to a good city. Durant makes me think this team can be OK.
14. Minnesota- They've still got the guy who was traded for Garnett, right? So they can finish out of last.
15. Sacramento- Quick. Name a Sacramento player. Yeah. I know. It's tough.
Playoffs
EASTERN FINALS
Cleveland over Boston
WESTERN FINALS
Lakers over Hornets
NBA FINALS
Lakers over Cleveland, by a landslide. I'm telling you. This is potentially one of the 10 best teams of all time, thanks to that goofy Gasol trade last year. How again did that happen? I'll just sit back and enjoy the ride.
In conclusion, the top teams in the East are closing the conference gap, but after the Celtics, I truly believe the next four best teams are all in the West, and I wouldn't say the Celtics are the best overall. San Antonio might even be better than the next best the East has to offer. But Miami, Cleveland and Philly are headed in the right direction, and if the Bulls do anything right they could be there soon.
But again, nothing and nobody are beating the Lakers except injuries.
But the league seems to be getting back to basics a bit in recent years, and not like the one-on-one driven slugfest it was in the late 90s.
I'd say things look very good for my purple and gold. If everything goes well, in fact, I think they could match the Bulls' record of 72 wins. But obviously, that would take a LOT of things going perfectly for the whole season and is far in the future.
Here are my picks for the league, and my thoughts on each team.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. Boston- I could actually envision this team finishing as low as fourth or fifth if A) Ray Allen is just a bit too old, B) Garnett is just not quite as energetic from start to finish, and C) guys like Rondo and the rest of the bench don't keep getting better. But, on paper, this is still easily the best team in the East, and should win the regular season again.
2. Cleveland- LeBron is reaching another level, and the Olympics showed that. He's the most well-rounded player in the game and has a better supporting cast than before. This could be Cleveland's big year.
3. Miami- Watch out for Dwyane Wade. Nobody has been more critical of him than me, but his summer proved to me he's better than I thought. Add in Beasley and if Marion keeps his head on straight this is a very good team in the still subpar East.
4. Detroit- Age is catching up to this team. New coach. Billups and Hamilton are starting to get a bit older. And the inside defense just isn't what it used to be. Still dangerous come playoff time though.
5. Orlando- Dwight Howard is a beast. Enough said.
6. Philly- After the stunt that Elton Brand pulled I would love to see this team flop. But he and Andre Miller combined are a very dangerous team.
7. Atlanta- This team seems headed up. Last year's playoffs could be a springboard to even better things. But still can't predict higher than this for them.
8. Toronto- I don't buy the addition of Jermaine O'Neal making this team much better, no matter how good Chris Bosh is (and he is).
9. Chicago- The baby Bulls never really developed and I don't see Ben Gordon liking his diminished role at all. Give it a few years for Derrick Rose to completely take over, add a couple pieces and they are serious contenders.
10. Washington- I love Caron. I don't think much of anybody else on this roster.
11. New York- D'Antoni will change the atmosphere enough to bring 30 wins. I guess that's something.
12. Charlotte- More potential than people realize. But the pieces just don't seem to add up to anything greater.
13. Milwaukee- Can Michael Redd average 40 a night? He might need to. I didn't think so either.
14. New Jersey- Let the Josh Boone era begin. Sorry, Jersey.
15. Indiana- I'm not sure how many people can even name a player on this roster anymore.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1. Los Angeles Lakers- What's the worry about Bynum coming back? These players all proved to be very unselfish last year. For all the talk about Houston's new trio being great, why isn't Kobe, Bynum, Gasol in the mix with the Rockets and Celtics? C'mon. This team could win 70 games if healthy, particularly if Lamar Odom likes his bench role (he's be the best sixth man in the league, maybe ever), Jordan Farmar improves and Trevor Ariza returns healthy to greatly bolster the defense.
2. New Orleans- This team is getting scary good. They're good enough to win a championship, and Chris Paul is one of the most genuinely likable players in the game, skills and attitude combined. I'm going to grow to hate this team, which is unfortunate, cause otherwise they could be lovable.
3. Houston- Before I get too excited, let me see Artest actually stay in check. And for that matter, let McGrady prove he's more than a prolific regular season scorer. I still question whether Yao is the type of player to take control with those two guys around, and this should be Yao's team.
4. Utah- Say what you want about Jerry Sloan's personality (and in my opinion he's one of the least likable men in sports), but he sure can coach. Deron Williams is a star too, so this team is in the mix for a title.
5. San Antonio- This is another year that we will have to worry until this team draws it's last breath, cause with Duncan you always have a chance. But I don't see Ginobili ever being completely healthy for long, and Parker isn't exactly unbreakable.
6. Portland- One year away from truly contending, it will be interesting to see how good this young team can be.
7. Dallas- On the decline. The J-Kidd trade was worth the risk, but will start proving to be a bad decision ultimately. Still a playoff team though.
8. Los Angeles Clippers- I'm not sure why. Maybe out of spite for what Brand did to them. Maybe because Baron Davis is much better than anybody realizes. And Camby is the type of guy who makes a difference between missing the playoffs and sneaking in. I think they will, and look, that would make an all Staples Center playoff round.
9. Phoenix- You read it here. Shaq and Nash cannot play together effectively. It's not a personality thing. By most accounts both are great teammates (most of the time). It's a style of play thing. This team will get more and more frustrated by bad losses as the season wears on and will miss the playoffs.
10. Denver- This is the personality problem. Iverson, Carmelo and K-Mart can't make this happen again. Not without Camby.
11. Golden State- I don't even know why. I lied. I have nothing to say about this team.
12. Memphis- Gay and Mayo may prove to be the most overrated combo of players in history. But they both have a lot of athleticism. That doesn't win games in the long run. Poise and true skill do.
13. Seattle, er... Oklahoma City- That joke is already getting old. I hope this team fails, miserably. But I feel bad for the players, who will take the heat for what management did to a good city. Durant makes me think this team can be OK.
14. Minnesota- They've still got the guy who was traded for Garnett, right? So they can finish out of last.
15. Sacramento- Quick. Name a Sacramento player. Yeah. I know. It's tough.
Playoffs
EASTERN FINALS
Cleveland over Boston
WESTERN FINALS
Lakers over Hornets
NBA FINALS
Lakers over Cleveland, by a landslide. I'm telling you. This is potentially one of the 10 best teams of all time, thanks to that goofy Gasol trade last year. How again did that happen? I'll just sit back and enjoy the ride.
In conclusion, the top teams in the East are closing the conference gap, but after the Celtics, I truly believe the next four best teams are all in the West, and I wouldn't say the Celtics are the best overall. San Antonio might even be better than the next best the East has to offer. But Miami, Cleveland and Philly are headed in the right direction, and if the Bulls do anything right they could be there soon.
But again, nothing and nobody are beating the Lakers except injuries.
Labels: basketball, NBA
posted by Ryan Pipke at
3:21 PM
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