The NBA season is upon us, the Heat and Celtics will open the most highly anticipated NBA season in recent memory on Oct. 30. In case you’ve been on a bath salt binge (if that’s still a thing) since last June, here’s what you need to know for this season.
• LeBron James has a ring now, and he’s been working on his post moves. That’s really scary for the rest of the association.
• Dwight Howard is on the Lakers … and so is Steve Nash. And they still have Kobe, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace. Andrew Bynum is gone to the 76ers, but how big of a loss is that really? The Lakers are going to be very, very good.
• Ray Allen now plays for the Miami Heat, his departure from Boston keeps getting more and more ridiculous as Allen and members of the Celtics organization fire shots back and forth. Celtics guard Rajon Rondo only refers to Allen as “Number 20″ now and Kevin Garnett claims to have deleted Allen’s number from his phone. Jason Terry is on the Celtics, his job is to fill the void left by Allen’s absence.
• The Nets are now in Brooklyn and Jay-Z designed their new uniforms. Yes, that last sentence is true.
• Anthony Davis is now an NBA player, for the New Orleans Hornets. Funny how New Orleans got the first draft pick when they were owned by the league, David Stern must have really been surprised when his ping pong ball was the winner.
When the dust settles....
1. Miami Heat
The Heat is coming off of James' first championship, and are starving for another. “The King” is on a mission to secure his legacy as a legend and attain enough rings to surpass “His Airness.” He has a long way to go to catch Jordan but with a supporting cast that now includes Allen, the Heat are easily the best team in the East, no one else has the firepower that Miami does. Coach Erik Spoelstra has gotten the monkey off his back and will most likely coach with much more confidence this year.
2. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers gave the Heat a scare in the playoffs last year, but inexperience was exposed by LeBron and Company. Pacers small forward Paul George is primed to have a breakout season. George will run the back court with point guard George Hill, who proved himself with San Antonio a few years back. Roy Hibbert controls the paint for the Pacers, the 7’2″ big man established himself as one of the game’s dominant bigs last year as he made his first all-star appearance. The Pacers are young, but last year gave them some much needed experience. In the best case scenario for the Pacers, they could upset the Heat in the playoffs and bring the NBA Finals back to the Hoosier State. The Pacers’ worst case scenario would involve Indiana losing to a more experienced team in the second round of the playoffs.
3. Boston Celtics
The Celtics had the Heat right where they wanted them last year in the Eastern Conference Finals. Boston hosted the Heat for game six of the Eastern Conference Finals and lost, then lost again to Miami in game seven. The game six loss at home was devastating as Boston had a chance to get to The Finals one last time with the original “Big Three.” Kevin Garnett had a resurgence is the series against the Heat, he appeared to return to his Minnesota days as he was ripping down rebounds and scoring nearly at will. A lot is riding on Garnett’s 36-year-old frame, the Celtics can’t afford for him to get hurt. Ray Allen is gone to Miami now, and the Celtics are looking to forget him. Boston point guard Rajon Rondo only refers to him as “Number 20″ now after rumors that Rondo’s poor relationship with Ray led to his departure. Boston acquired Jason Terry to replace the hole left by Allen. Paul Pierce has been the backbone of the Celtics for years, and he’ll continue to do so this year. Boston drafted Jared Sullinger to back up Garnett and he has looked good in the preseason. The Celtics also acquired Courtney Lee is the off-season and Jeff Green is back and healthy. Rondo is primed for the best year of his career, it’s his team now. He will be the best point guard in the East, until D-Rose gets healthy. In a perfect world, Boston could return to the Eastern Conference Finals and avenge its loss to the Heat. The worst case scenario for Boston involves suffering from injuries and losing early in the playoffs.
4. Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets have found a new home in New York City’s most-rapped-about borough. Jay-Z and his owner friends moved the team from New Jersey and have given NYC its second NBA team and a brand new arena. The Nets did some renovating on their roster as well. Brooklyn acquired Gerald Wallace at the end of last season, re-signed Brook Lopez and got Deron Williams to stick around after Dallas tried to court the point guard. Williams, the all-world talent, is the leader of the Nets and their success rides on him. Ex-Kim Kardashian husband and Nets’ power forward Kris Humphries actually brings a lot to the table for Brooklyn. He averaged a double-double last year with 13.8 points and 11 rebounds per game. He actually can contribute a lot, even if he was duped into marrying someone who left him for Kanye West. The Nets’ best case scenario involves a two seed in the playoffs, Lopez assuming a role as a dominant big man and Williams making the all-NBA first team. The Nets’ worst case scenario involves Brooklyn failing to mesh with its new pieces and barely rolling into the playoffs.
5. Chicago Bulls
If it wasn’t for Derrick Rose’s devastating ACL tear, the Bulls would probably be ranked second on this list. Rose’s injury was one of the most depressing injuries off all-time for a basketball lover. He was the reigning MVP destined to battle with LeBron James for a Finals berth, it could have been legendary. Now, Rose is probably out until mid-January. The Bulls have signed Kirk Hinrich to fill in for him until then. Chicago still has some respectable players without Rose. Luol Deng made his first All-Star team last year. Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer are both solid big men. The Bulls’ reserves, or the “bench mob” as they are affectionately known in the Windy City, are potent. Although they lost Kyle Korver to the Hawks, they replaced him with the sharp shooting Marco Bellinelli. Taj Gibson is a burst of energy off the bench and the Bulls’ also added the tiny-but-mighty Nate Robinson to their repertoire. The Bulls are still a good team, but likely won’t finish in the top of the conference without D Rose until January. Best case for Chicago is the return of a fully healthy D Rose and a shot at a championship. Worst case scenario involves Derrick Rose never returning to form and the Bulls limping into the playoffs.
6. New York Knicks
The Knicks are one of the most confusing stories in the league. They have the talent to be great with Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler and Amar’e Stoudemire. Melo’s lack of motivation on defense holds New York back. Carmelo is an elite scorer, there’s no doubt about that. However, he has never seemed to care on defense and his physical fitness has always been in question. ESPN ranked him as their 17th best overall player in the league, it was considered insulting to some and understandable to others. Chandler and Stoudemire have the size and skill to dominate a game down low, but for some reason or another, the Knicks just haven’t put it together. Melo’s hunger for baskets seems to overpower New York’s plans to win as a team. A team can make the playoffs riding solely on the shoulders of a star player, as evidenced by the Nuggets’ playoff appearances when they were led by Melo. But, the Knicks don’t have to do that now, they have good surrounding players and Melo needs to dish the rock every now and then. In the best case scenario for New York, the Knicks would get the three seed in the East and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. The worst case for New York would be a seven or eight seed followed by a sweep out of the playoffs in the first round.
7. Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers landed the second-best big man in the game during the off-season, but lost their team leader in the process. As a part of the deal that sent Dwight Howard to L.A., Philly landed Andrew Bynum and lost Andre Iguodala. Iguodala took over the 76ers after the other A.I., Allen Iverson, departed years ago. Bynum, when healthy and coherent, can be an unstoppable power in the post. However, he has been known to be immature and inconsistent. If Philly head coach Doug Collins can harness Bynum’s potential, the 76ers could do some serious damage. Bynum is also battling knee issues and is expected to miss at least the first game. Jrue Holiday leads Philly at the point guard position; he is a young, explosive play maker. If Holiday can mature and become a team leader, the 76ers will be a threat. Philly also added the aging Jason Richardson in the off-season, he can still provide some scoring. Spencer Hawes is a nice compliment to Bynum in the post and Nick Young can hit the three ball. The 76ers will really test Doug Collins’ coaching ability this year. Best case for Philly is a solid season with a playoff series win. Worst case for the 76ers is missing the playoffs and realizing that the Bynum trade may have been a mistake.
8. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks will continue to be confuse NBA fans this year. Even with Joe Johnson, who is with Brooklyn now, the Hawks were never really a true threat. Atlanta is led by Josh Smith and Al Horford now, with Jeff Teague providing some reliable play at the point guard position. Atlanta also landed Lou Williams from Philly, who will provide scoring off of the bench. Larry Drew is a good coach, but he won’t be taking the Hawks to any type of championship season this year. Atlanta will be Atlanta, it will probably make the playoffs again, but they won’t do any serious threatening. Best case for Atlanta is a four or five seed and a playoff series win. Worst case scenario is missing both the playoffs and Joe Johnson’s reliable scoring.
Best of the rest in the East
9. Milwaukee Bucks - The Bucks have firepower with Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings in the same back court, but that combo seems a little too potent. It will be hard for Milwaukee to get it together and make the playoffs.
10. Detroit Pistons – Greg Monroe is developing well as a big man for Detroit, but the Pistons won’t see the playoffs this year. It will be an encouraging season after the Pistons’ bad performances recently, though.
11. Toronto Raptors - The Raptors actually have some really good, young pieces. Kyle Lowry is a good point guard and Andrea Bargnani is solid, but he needs to step up if the Raptors want any chance of being relevant.
12. Cleveland Cavaliers - The Cavs are still a few years away from making the playoffs. Kyrie Irving will be an all-star for years to come, but for now, the Cavs will still be on the outside looking in.
13. Washington Wizards - The Wizards actually had some good acquisitions in the off season. They picked up Nenê and Emeka Okafor, both good post players. The Wiz just aren’t respectable yet though, John Wall still has a lot to prove.
14. Charlotte Bobcats - Charlotte missed out on Anthony Davis in the Draft Lottery, but they still landed his Kentucky teammate, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, with the second overall pick. The Bobcats appear to be taking a step in the right direction, but it’s too early to tell after MJ’s lack of success as an owner thus far.
15. Orlando Magic -The Magic’s only lottery pick on the roster is J.J. Reddick. Dwight is gone. The Magic will be awful.
