The NBA Season is Here
After waiting for an agonizing five months, the NBA season is finally upon us. A week into the season, we are already seeing insane stat lines and players taking jabs at rival teams. Here's a few things you need to know about each team:
Eastern Conference
Boston Celtics
Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
The Celtics can surprise a lot of people this season. Avery Bradley is coming off an NBA all-defensive first team season, and continues to shine early this year. Don't be surprised if this team is contending with the Raptors for the number two seed in the east.
Brooklyn Nets
Brook Lopez is the best player on this team, and he will have virtually no help in an increasingly difficult Eastern Conference. You can expect the Nets to be in the lottery come the end of the season.
New York Knicks
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
This offseason, Phil Jackson and the Knicks built a "super team" to try and compete with the Cavaliers and Raptors for the Eastern Conference crown. You might hear names like Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony and think they should be near the top -- this would be true if we were back in 2011. Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings serve as good backup for the Knicks, but in order for them to be a top two seed at the end of the season, they'll need big support from players like Kristaps Porzingis and Joakim Noah.
Philadelphia 76ers
Trust the Process! With the introduction of Joel Embiid to the lineup (finally), 76ers had what seemed like at least one bright spot to start the season. Then, they reached their 40th consecutive loss before December. Not this year, Philly.
Toronto Raptors
Led by Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, the Raptors are the second best team in the East. DeRozan started the season with three straight 30 point games, and this thunderous dunk agains the Cavs:
The Raptors did take Cleveland to 6 games in the Playoffs last season, but LeBron and Kyrie had enough of dealing with these Canadian pests and closed out the series easily. I expect about the same results this season, with the Raptors battling with the Celtics for the second seed in the East but ultimately pulling it out.
Chicago Bulls
Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade are the faces of the franchise this season. Fred Hoiberg needs to produce to stay out of the hot seat. However, I don't see the Bulls being better than the 4th seed this season, but if they get hot they can be dangerous.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Defending World Champions, the Cavs have sky-high expectations to live up to. The entirety of the NBA has them circled on their schedules, as everyone will be trying to dethrone LeBron and Kyrie. I would be surprised if the Cavaliers don't find themselves in their third straight finals and LeBron's unprecedented 7th straight.
Detroit Pistons
Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson will lead this team to better things this season, especially with the help of rising guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Even if Drummond doesn't grab every single rebound in every single game (like he almost does), the Pistons will make the playoffs again this season.
Indiana Pacers
Paul George will get help from rising star center Myles Turner this season, but the Pacers in the end will not compete for the top seeds in the East. Despite Paul George again being an absolute monster, expectations for Eastern Conference dominance are about as outdated as the Knicks players' superstardom.
Milwaukee Bucks
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
The Bucks will make the playoffs this year, and they're trending up with a surplus of young stars waiting to shine. The Greek Freak, Jabari Parker, and the Delley Man will lead this team to contention for a middle seed in the East. I know that doesn't sound impressive, but for a franchise like the Bucks, that is huge.
Atlanta Hawks
After going on an insane win streak and capturing the number one seed in the East just two seasons ago, the Hawks have entered desperation mode. Getting hometown hero Dwight Howard in the offseason, the motives of the organization were questioned as to if they were trying to sell jerseys or win games. The Hawks still have a solid roster, but they are nowhere near the number 1 seed team they were in 2015.
Charlotte Hornets
MJ's Hornets won't be competing for anything besides a .500 record. They have a decent roster, but Cardiac Kemba might be the only source of excitement. Not much to see here.
Miami Heat
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
The Heat suffered from the departure of Dyane Wade, but rising stars like Justise Winslow and Hassan Whiteside might be enough to keep the team in competition with the top four teams of the East. A series against the Knicks I think would go to seven games and would be extremely entertaining, should it happen in the post season. If Chris Bosh can stay healthy, don't be surprised if this team sneaks into the playoffs at the 3 or 4 seed.
Orlando Magic
The Magic suck. They'll be a good defensive team this season, with the additions of Bismack Biyombo and Serge Ibaka, but don't expect them to do anything special. Another year, another missed playoffs for Disney World.
Washington Wizards
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
John Wall is really good. Unfortunately for the Wizards, this won't be enough for them to contend this season. You should expect another year of being one of the last teams into the playoffs.
Western Conference
Dallas Mavericks
Dallas sucks. Not just the team, the city, too.
Houston Rockets
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The Rockets moved James Harden to more of a point guard role this season, and already he has a 40 point game. The Rockets have a decent roster, and Clint Capela is another rising star in the league, but the Rockets won't win the West barring an insane Cinderella story. Expect the Rockets to fall anywhere between the 3 seed and the 8 seed in the playoffs.
Memphis Grizzlies
For some reason, the Grizzlies decided to pay Mike Conley $153 million this offseason. The Grizzlies have the toughness to challenge some teams this season, and with names like Marc Gasol and Chandler Parsons they have the potential to be bothersome to top tier teams, but this team will be one of the last into the Playoffs.
New Orleans Pelicans
Anthony. Davis. As a center, the Brow might lead the league in scoring this season. Davis opened with over 90 points in his first two games, becoming the first player to do so since Michael Jordan. Other than Davis, the Pelicans have a relatively weak roster (especially in the West), but keep an eye out for Tim Frazier, who will be a key supporter for New Orleans this season.
San Antonio Spurs
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Gregg Popovich has built a franchise that seems to always be contending for titles. With the departure of Tim Duncan, the Spurs look just as strong as when Timmy was in his prime. Kawhi Leonard is an MVP candidate who silently dominates almost every game, and Lamarcus Aldridge continues to be a model of consistency. Spurs gonna Spurs.
Denver Nuggets
Emmanuel Mudiay might make some noise this season at just 20 years old, but other than that, don't expect anything special (or anything at all) from the Nuggets this season.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Another young team, the T-Wolves are on the rise, but I have them just barely missing the playoffs. Karl-Anthony Towns is a beast that will be a problem for a lot of teams, and if Andrew Wiggins can prosper, the Timberwolves might be able to wiggle their way into the 8th spot in the West.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
This is the year of Russell Westbrook. So far this season, he is averaging a triple-double, the first to start the season with those stats since Magic Johnson. Westbrook has a good supporting cast, and the level of animosity between the Thunder and the Warriors/KD this season will be off the charts. Watch out for the Thunder, especially if they get rolling.
Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard just dropped an album, and is about to drop his name into the MVP conversation this year. This team will be dangerous all season, and a Lillard/McCollum backcourt combination is one of the best in the league.
Utah Jazz
Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
The over/under on the win total was a surprising 51 for the Jazz this season. Rudy Gobert, Rodney Hood, Gordon Hayward, George Hill, and Derrick Favors are all solid players, and if the team can get some good chemistry working, along with a little help from Dante Exum, the Jazz might be able to find a way to reach that 50-win mark.
Golden State Warriors
Damn you, Kevin Durant.
Los Angeles Clippers
Hopefully Blake Griffin doesn't punch someone this season and get suspended, because the Clippers can be good. DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul are two of the best defensively at their respective positions. Their rivalry with the Warriors might get very interesting this year.
Los Angeles Lakers
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
No more Mamba. This team is led by young stars like D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson, but pack the extra punch (pun intended) with players like Metta World Peace. It will be interesting to see how draft pick Brandon Ingram plays alongside players like Nick "Swaggy P" Young, but the Lakers won't make the playoffs yet again.
Phoenix Suns
To sum things up nicely, one of the team captains for the Suns this year was the guy on the wrong end of this DeAndre Jordan dunk:
Sacramento Kings
If Demarcus Cousins can stop getting technical fouls, he may be such a monster that he can beat teams by himself. Realistically though, the Kings miss the playoffs in typical Kings fashion. I still question the existence of a team in Sacramento, but that's a story for another time.
Enjoy the season y'all, gonna be a crazy fun race for the MVP trophy this season. Oh, and: (NSFW)
