-The NBA Season is finally here. It all kicks off Christmas Day with a NBA Finals rematch of the Dallas Mavericks vs. the Miami Heat. It is going to be a great season opener and should be just a sample of how great this 66 game season will be. So let's take a look at how I think the NBA Season is going to play out.
-The Western Conference is probably the strongest of the 2 conferences. The defending champion Mavericks will look to defend their title, while the Lakers, Spurs, and Thunder will all be gunning to knock them down from the No.1 spot. The West got stronger though during the off season, the Los Angeles Clippers traded Eric Gordon and other pieces for All Star PG Chris Paul, they brought back big man DeAndre Jordan, and they will be gunning to be the new "power house" in L.A. The West also has the Denver Nuggets who make up for their lack of star power, with great team play and smart basketball. There should be no question that the West is the tougher of the two conferences, because on any given night you are playing a great basketball team. The younger teams such as the Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings, and New Orleans Hornets will look to establish a building block this year to help them push for the playoffs next year. The West has depth through out the conference, so it's likely he best record in the NBA will not come from the East, but the NBA Champions will.
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| CP3 will help guide the Clippers to one of the best records in the West. |
Pacific Conference:
Los Angeles Clippers (46-20)*
Los Angeles Lakers (44-22)*
Sacramento Kings (29-37)
Golden State Warriors (28-38)
Phoenix Suns (25-41)Southwest:
Dallas Mavericks (45-21)*
San Antonio Spurs (42-24)*
Memphis Grizzlies (38-28)*
Houston Rockets (32-34)
New Orleans Hornets: (20-46)
Northwest:
Oklahoma City Thunder (48-18)*
Denver Nuggets (42-24)*
Portland Trail Blazers (39-27)*
Utah Jazz (30-36)
Minnesota Timberwolves (28-38)
Playoffs:
(1) Oklahoma City vs. (8) Memphis
-OKC in 5
(2) LA Clippers vs. (7) Portland
-LAC in 4
(3) Dallas vs. (6) Denver
-DAL in 6
(4) LA Lakers vs. (5) San Antonio-LAL in 7
Western Semi-Finals
(1) Oklahoma City vs. (4) LA Lakers
-OKC in 6
(2) LA Clippers vs. (3) Dallas
-DAL in 6
Western Conference Finals
(1) Oklahoma City vs. (3) Dallas
-OKC in 6
Eastern Conference
-While the Eastern Conference lacks depth in power teams, they make up for with star players. The "Big 3" in Miami will be looking to prove they can win a championship, and they will look to make a first impression on Christmas day. Last years MVP Derrick Rose just got a new contract extension and teamed with Rip Hamilton and a motivated Carlos Boozer will look to capture the East. In New York, the Knicks picked up Tyson Chandler to team up with Carmelo and Amare. The Celtics "Old 3" are also looking to make one last title run, before fading off into the sunset. The rest of the teams in the East lack true ability to compete with the Elite teams, but because of the weaker talent across the East, some will be able to make the playoffs. At the bottom of the East you have the up and comers like the Cavaliers, Raptors, and Wizards who each with their young stars (Kyrie, Derozan, Wall) are looking to get experience from this season and get a valuable piece from next years strong draft. The best record this year, will come out of the East
Atlantic:
Boston Celtics (44-22)*
New York Knicks (43-21)*
Philadelphia 76ers (36-30)*
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| Will Dwight Howard be a member of the Magic after the Trade Deadline, only time will tell. |
Toronto Raptors (27-39)
New Jersey Nets (26-40)
Central:
Chicago Bulls (49-17)*
Indiana Pacers (36-30)*
Milwaukee Bucks (34-22)Detroit Pistons (28-38)
Cleveland Cavaliers (19-47)
Southeast
Miami Heat (53-13)*
Orlando Magic (42-24)*
Atlanta Hawks (37-29)*
Washington Wizards (28-38)
Charlotte Bobcats (14-52)
Playoffs:
(1) Miami vs. (8) Philadelphia
-MIA in 4
(2) Chicago vs. (7) Indiana
-Bulls in 5
(3) Boston vs. (6) Atlanta
-Atlanta in 6
(4) New York vs. (5) Orlando
-NYK in 6
Eastern Semi-Finals
(1) Miami vs. (6) Atlanta
-MIA in 5
(2) Chicago vs. (4) New York
-NYK in 7
Eastern Conference Finals
-(1) MIA vs. (4) New York
-Miami in 6
Awards:
MVP: Kevin Durant SF, Oklahoma City
DPOY: Dwight Howard C, Orlando
Coach of the Year: Eric Speolstra, Miami
Most Improved Player: DeAndre Jordan C, LAC
ROY: Kyrie Irving PG, CLE
NBA Finals
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Miami Heat
-In the Finals I have both No.1 Seeds squaring off for the Larry O'Brien Championship trophy. A match up of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook vs. Lebron James and Dwayne Wade will be one of the most exciting Finals in recent memory. Lebron James will be motivated to prove he is the greatest in the game, and that he can win a ring for the city of Miami. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant will try and prove you can stay in one city to win an NBA Championship. When it comes down to it both teams will be evenly matched, and both have MVP Players. In the end, give me the Oklahoma City Thunder in 7 games. As Kevin Durant steps up to seal Game 7, and earn Finals MVP. Leaving Lebron to fall short once again.
I want to hear from other NBA Fans. Who do you think is the best in the West and the East. Who do you have in the NBA Finals. Can Lebron lead his team to a ring? Leave your comments below and tell everyone what you think.
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