Well ladies and gentlemen, the time has finally come. NBA preseason is over and the real deal has rolled in. Tipoff was last night, with the Boston Celtics over-powering the Miami Heat, the Portland Trailblazers dominating the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers just slipping past the Houston Rockets, however tonight is going to be even more exciting, with my Chicago Bulls taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Obviously many changes took place this summer, a summer that will probably always be known for Lebron's "decision", and as a result many teams were revamped and reconstructed. Certain teams lost key players (those in Cleveland may know what I mean) while other teams became almost too stacked (South Beach rings a bell) but for the most part teams managed to balance themselves out.
Seeing as its only day two of the season, clearly my predictions have to be taken with a grain of salt (and yes I reserve the right to change my mind and take back anything I write so I don't want to hear "but earlier this season you said you thought..." from any of you!) as I'm going almost solely based on gut (and perhaps a little by way of preseason) but here is what I see going down...
Atlanta Hawks:
Though the Hawks didn't lose anyone major, they didn't gain anyone either. They resigned Joe Johnson (6 years, $119) and replaced coach Mike Woodson with Larry Drew, but I'm not so convinced that either of these moves will drastically change the team or their season. I see them once again making the Playoffs, but as usual, unless certain guys like Josh Smith Al Horford improve dramatically, I don't see them going past the second round, if even that.
Boston Celtics:
Everyone knows that the Celtics tend to rub me the wrong way. However, seeing as my lack of love for them comes from their attitudes and antics (does Kevin Garnett really have to beat his chest like a monkey? And who has a nickname like Big Baby?) not due to lack of skill, I have to be objected when looking ahead at their season. (Plus, as a sidenote, now that the Miami Heat are who they are, I even found myself rooting for the Celtics last night, just to give the Heat a loss early on and deflate their much over-the-top egos. Who knows, maybe I'll even start to call Rondo, Rajon, instead of Raging. This season is a whole new beginning after all...) With the addition of Shaq, Jermaine O'Neal and Delonte West (who yes may be somewhat of a wild child, but still has skill) and the clock starting to run out on the big three, I think the Celtics are going to go harder than ever this time around. Do I see them taking down the Lakers, if it comes down to it once more? Not for now. But I think they certainly have a chance. And a good one at that.
Charlotte Bobcats:
So the Bobcats got into the Playoffs last season...does that really mean anything? Yes and no. On the one hand, I'm sure its given them a dose of confidence they've been searching for for a while now, but with the loss of Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler, this season may not be as uplifting. Personally, I don't see them making the cut this time around, but in a league like the NBA, you really never know. (Tyrus Thomas better have a good season though...I'm counting on him to bring me points in the land of fantasy basketball...)
[My] Chicago Bulls:
Before you go ahead and skip this paragraph, since at this point I can't even help being slightly bias, just take a second to remember who it is the Bulls have gained this season...Coach Tom Thibodeau, Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, CJ Watson, Omir Asik and Keith Bogans, and who they have lost...Kirk Hinrich and Brad Miller. Now, take a second to remember who else is on the team...Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng...do I really have to type out a prediction? Ok, all jokes aside, I think this will be a good year for my boys. True training camp and preseason started out a little rough, with Boozer breaking his hand, Brewer having hamstring problems, Korver dealing with an ankle cyst and Noah coming down with the flu (not to mention that horrible loss to the Orlando Magic, but I'm trying very hard to forget about that...), but besides injuries, they seem to have a handle on things. Having had a chance to watch them practice on a couple of occasions as well as listened in on a few interviews, it seems that they know what they're up against this season and are more than ready to give it their all. Will they get the ring? Not yet. It'll take a couple of years for the new team to really gel together to their full potential, but I see them going a lot further than they did the last two seasons.
Cleveland Cavaliers:
This team really pains me to talk about. I know as a Chicago-girl I'm supposed to hate Cleveland but I never have, and even now with Lebron out of the picture, I'm still rooting for them. I think they'll have a tough season, as even the remaining talent such as Mo Williams and Antwan Jamison can't yet get over the loss of their star, but I don't think they're completely hopeless. There is still plenty of raw skill left and with Byron Scott now calling the shots, perhaps they'll surprise us all. In any case, this is now a wildcard team, without a doubt.
Dallas Mavericks:
I don't know what it is about this team but short of Jason Terry's jumper and Mark Cuban's courtside expressions, I'm never really entertained. However, I still recognize ability when I see it and from the few Mavs' preseson stints I've seen, I'd say they're in for an overall positive year. Tyson Chandler should spice up their defensive ways and I have no questions that Dirk Nowitzki will keep playing as hard as ever.
Denver Nuggets:
My second favorite team in the league. Obviously much of their season depends on whether or not Carmelo Anthony decides to stick around, but if that does end up happening, I believe the Nugs can go far. No matter what the critics say about him as an upcoming free agent, Melo is hungry, and that hunger combined with a now-healthy Coach Karl is unstoppable. However, if the team lets the rumors get the best of them, and of course if injury-plagued players like Kenyon Martin and JR Smith don't make it back to tip-top shape in time, things could go downhill. And fast. From a personal standpoint, I really do hope Melo sticks around and the Nuggets get their revenge (I still think had Coach Karl not fallen ill, the Nuggets could have gotten through to the last round of the Playoffs last year) but if I'm being realistic, things could go either way for this team.
Detroit Pistons:
To me, the Pistons are one of those teams that just don't make sense. Theres talent...Rick Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Gordon...to name a few, and no major off-the-court drama, but yet, they just can't perform. In any other case I'd say that T-Mac could potentially turn around this team or at the very least give them some much needed hope, but honestly, I don't see this season being any different from the last. Bummer, I know.
Golden State Warriors:
The Warriors are my second favorite (after the Sacramento Kings) underdog team. I'm a huge Monta Ellis supporter and I love seeing Stephen Curry put up shots. Unfortunately, though they gained David Lee (who I do believe will make a difference, just not sure how much), they lost both Corey Maggette and Anthony Randolph, and have me a little worried. The Warriors may be ready to be taken seriously in the West in a few seasons, depending on how the young talent develops, but for right now, I think they'll remain in the shadows.
And that does it for part one. Check back in a bit to see how I predict the rest of the NBA teams fairing this season...
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