My Countdown has Begun! 28 Days Until the NBA Tip-Off!

With training camps in full gear, and by full gear, I mean started this weeks, I can't help but get excited for the upcoming NBA season. For those who know mean, I usually do not follow professional sports very much. But just in the past few years I have gotten pretty excited in following the NBA. Is it because I love basketball and it is my favorite sport to play? Most likely that is the reason why, but I also just love the cohesiveness of a lot of the top teams like the Lakers, the Spurs, the Celtics, the Bulls, the Suns, and other teams. I want to put the Miami Heat on that list, but until the answer the question of being able to play together, I can't put them on the list of proven cohesive teams.

Opening Day Prediction

The game is between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics. And then later that night there is a game between the L.A. Lakers and the Houston Rockets.


Miami - 107 Boston - 90
I think Miami will come out with a lot of intensity and will want to show everyone who has doubted them. So I see Miami putting on a good show for everyone.

L.A. - 111 Houston - 92
I don't see Houston posing a threat at all to the two-time defending World Champs.

Miami Heat and "The Three Kings"

Even though no official title has been given to the team of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh, I am going to refer to them as "The Three Kings" until they officially announce their name.

I will let it be known right now that I am a LeBron James junkie. If you ask me who the best player in the NBA is, I will without a doubt tell you LeBron James. I hate to have seen him not be able to win a Championship with the Cavaliers, but I don't blame him for wanting to leave that team and that owner, Dan Gilbert. Maybe for another time I will take a walk down memory lane and express my thoughts on LeBron's departure from Cleveland, but I think most of us have heard all of that and every angle of that topic.

I am excited to see how well these three play together on the court. I personally don't see it being a problem. I do have to say I worry about where the other two of the starting five will fit in. It will be interesting to see how well they fill the gaps that The Three Kings can't fill. But with LeBron, Bosh, and Wade I don't know many gaps that will need to be filled.

L.A. Lakers, Look to Make it Three in a Row

All I have to say is that they look good on paper. But they will bring back most of the same team they had last year, so I don't know how they can't look good. I am worried about Andrew Bynum and his injury. But personally I think Lamar Odom is a better fit to start for L.A. than Bynum, due to Bynum being injury prone, it seems. I think the starting line up should be as follows. Derek Fisher at Point Guard, Kobe at Shooting Guard, Ron Artest at Small Forward, Lamar Odom at Power Forward, and Pau Gasol at Center/Forward. With that line up I like what I am seeing and the chemistry there.

Season Predictions

I want to clarify that I haven't done much research or looking into on a lot of the lower teams in my predictions. So I apologize. And this is just through the regular season, so I will do my post season predictions probably later this week because I know everyone is dying to figure out my predictions. The division winners will be in bold.


East Conference


Atlantic

Boston
New York
New Jersey
Philadelphia
Toronto

The only real team I like here is Boston, for obvious reasons. I don't see why they won't run the tables in the Atlantic Division.


Central

Chicago
Milwaukee
Indiana
Cleveland
Detroit

Chicago looks really good with the addition of Boozer and Brewer to their already dangerous team. Milwaukee looks to be strong too.


Southeast

Miami
Orlando
Atlanta
Charlotte
Washington

I like Miami here because I am biased. But I think as far as the top three of any division, not in any order, this is the best division. But I think Miami is just the best team here.



Western Conference


Northwest

Oklahoma City
Denver
Portland
Utah
Minnesota

Oklahoma looks good to me. They are young and impressive to watch. I liked what I saw last Playoffs in their series against L.A. Lakers. Look for them to be better and fun to watch.


Pacific

L.A. Lakers
Phoenix
L.A. Clippers
Sacramento
Golden State

The top two here are obvious to me. Then I like the look of the Clippers. They are young and will be fun to watch as they grow through out the year.


Southwest

San Antonio
Dallas
New Orleans
Houston
Memphis

I think the top two can go either way here. Not a very strong division. But Dallas and San Antonio usually make it to the playoffs. So don't be surprised when they are there again this year.

In Closing... I'm excited for this year. I think we will see a good balance of power between the East and the West. But I think that it will be obvious most of the year who the top either or so teams in the NBA are going to be.

I'm OUT!!!