The NBA is back, baby! Don’t get me wrong, life is wonderful the whole year, but I’m honestly markedly happier during basketball season.
It’s so nice to come home after a long day, turn on the TV and watch the drama unfold.
If you’re keeping tabs on this league with the sole purpose of finding out which team wins the championship, you’re doing it all wrong. Spoiler: It will probably be the Golden State Warriors.
No, I’m not thrilled about the dynasty from a conceptual standpoint, either, but it’s where we are right now, so here are some other storylines to follow:
1) LeBron’s on the Lakers. No seriously, LeBron’s on the Lakers! It’s kind of wild, right? He took his talents to LA to play with Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee and Lonzo Ball, three of the most proven superstars this league has ever seen. Well, no, not quite, but don’t sleep on this team.
LeBron could probably take a Division III team to the NBA finals, so don’t rule the Lakers out this year. Do I think LA actually will make it to the Finals? No, I don’t, because the West is too loaded, but I do think the Lakers will make some noise.
This team is like a smoothie made by a toddler. You wouldn’t think cookie dough ice cream, Nutella, frozen blueberries, pineapple juice and graham crackers would go together, and you’re laughing as your nephew or niece blends it all together.
Then you begrudgingly drink it, and suddenly you realize that all the parts give you a little something, and maybe this smoothie isn’t as bad as you thought. It’s so crazy, it just might work.
2) Can the Rockets get over the hump? To say that the Rockets would have won an NBA title last year if Chris Paul had been healthy is unfair to the Warriors. To say that they could have is a statement of fact. Heck, they almost pulled it off without CP3, but alas, we were left wondering what could have been.
This year, they’re back and will try to get over the hump. But wait a minute? Where’s Trevor Ariza? You know, that guy who does literally everything well and has an awesome first name? Oh, he’s on the Suns? Well that’s too bad, but who’d they ge – CARMELOOOOO ANTHONYYYYY!!! Whoa! Hold up. Melo? *Googles highlights to feel better* *Remembers that highlights are exactly that and weeps*
But maybe it’ll work? It might. Who knows? But in my opinion, the Rockets got worse, while the Warriors got better. Not ideal for a team that’s really, really good, but likely not good enough.
3) That leads us to our next topic. Can anyone beat the Warriors in a seven-game series? Kyrie Irving thinks so. But is he right? We’ll have to see the Celtics play for a few months before we can really answer that question, but on paper, it appears they have the best shot. Kyrie looks as lethal as ever, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are one year better and Al Horford and the supporting cast are back doing what they do.
But a lot of how far the Celtics go this year will depend on how Gordon Hayward progresses long term. It’s unfair to ask a guy coming off such a miserable injury to immediately look like the all-star he once was. If I stopped writing for a year, I’d probably come back and forget how to spell. Well, OK, maybe that’s a bit extreme, but you get the idea.
I was tempted to say the Celtics would beat the Warriors, but there are just too many unknowns at this point. I do, however, think that Irving is right. They CAN beat the Warriors. Will they? Who knows, but probably not.
4) Wait a second. Didn’t you say there’s a lot more to the NBA than who wins the championship? Yes, I did! Nice active reading! Here are some other storylines:
- What the heck is going on with Jimmy Butler and the Wolves? This is like when Becca and Arie got together on The Bachelor, but then Arie decided he loved Lauren. Where the hell did that reference come from? I have no idea, but I watched one season and now it finally paid off, I guess?
But yeah, Becca’s the Wolves and Arie’s Jimmy Butler. It all makes sense. Just go with it. Butler decided he’s better off without the Wolves, so adios Becca and Arie. He gone! My best guess is the Heat become the Lauren in this scenario, but I could also see the Knicks or the Nets trading for him.
- There have been talks of having the top 16 teams, regardless of conference make the playoffs. It sounds ludicrous at first, but if you really think about it, it’s not that farfetched. Can you imagine Giannis and Anthony Davis facing off in the 8 vs. 9 matchup? Or the 16-seed Wizards trying to shock the 1-seed Rockets like UMBC did to Virginia last year. It’s like March Madness, but with longer collective wingspans and a less catchy theme song.
It’s something to keep in mind. It would give teams like the Blazers, Pelicans, Wolves, Spurs, Nuggets and Mavericks, who are all in the West and deserve to be in the playoffs, a better chance to dance.
- I mentioned Giannis a little while ago. Giannis, Giannis, Giannis. They don’t call him the Greek Freak for nothing. He’s already become one of the best players in the league, and he’s honestly not even close to as good as he can be.
There have been rumors floating around that his jumper is better than before. If that’s true, and he can hit shots with regularity, then all of a sudden he’s like Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis put together (80 percent of KD and 80 percent of AD = 160 percent of OMG; it’s simple math, people). There’s no denying he’s already a Top 10 player, but if he keeps getting better, he could blossom into the best player in the league in the next 3 to 5 years. Watching him grow (figuratively, not literally; he’s done enough of that, my goodness, slow down, dude) will be fun.
- All right, so we all know the West is loaded, but take a look at it for a second. The Warriors and Rockets are locks for the playoffs, but after that, there are no guarantees. You’d have to think the Lakers, Thunder and Jazz would make it, but we can’t say that with certainty. The Blazers, Pelicans, Spurs, Wolves, Nuggets and Mavericks, and maybe some other teams like the Suns and Clippers, are all in the mix.
- Last year, it came down to the final night, and it wouldn’t surprise me if this year unfolds similarly. Eight teams finished with between 46 and 49 wins a season ago. The Blazers got the 3-seed, but they were just three games from missing the playoffs altogether. The Nuggets were outstanding, but they came up just short. Every game matters!
5) Which brings us to our predictions:
East:
1) 76ers
2) Celtics
3) Bucks
4) Pacers
5) Raptors
6) Heat
7) Wizards
8) Hornets
9) Pistons
10) Cavaliers
11) Nets
12) Knicks
13) Magic
14) Hawks
15) Bulls
West:
1) Warriors
2) Rockets
3) Jazz
4) Lakers
5) Thunder
6) Blazers
7) Pelicans
8) Spurs
9) Nuggets
10) Wolves
11) Mavericks
12) Suns
13) Clippers
14) Kings
15) Grizzlies
Playoffs:
76ers over Hornets in 5
Celtics over Wizards in 5
Bucks over Heat in 6
Raptors over Pacers in 7
Celtics over Bucks in 6
76ers over Raptors in 7
Celtics over 76ers in 6
Warriors over Spurs in 5
Rockets over Pelicans in 7
Blazers over Jazz in 6
Lakers over Thunder in 7
Warriors over Lakers in 6
Rockets over Blazers in 6
Warriors over Rockets in 6
Warriors over Celtics in 6
Awards:
MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, LeBron James
Rookie of the Year: Deandre Ayton, Jaren Jackson Jr., Luka Doncic
Sixth Man Award: JJ Redick, Jamal Crawford, Terry Rozier
Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Kawhi Leonard
Most Improved Player: Josh Richardson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Aaron Gordon
Coach of the Year: Brett Brown, Mike Budenholzer, Luke Walton
All-NBA First Team: Steph Curry, James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, JaVale McGee (just seeing if you’re awake; it’s seriously Anthony Davis)
Thanks for reading! Enjoy the season. Please print this out and keep it by you as you watch every game. Just kidding. Don’t actually do that. Stop printing!! Cancel!!! Well, it’s too late. You printed it. Might as well read it religiously every night before you go to bed now.
