Opening Night

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics

The first game to be played on opening night, and a battle of two teams that many people though would meet in the conference championship game come playoff time. When the Kyrie Irving/Isiah Thomas trade went through this summer, the game had even more meaning behind it. Sadly, neither of these points were why this game will be reminded. Instead the disturbing image of Gordon Hayward’s injury will be held in people’s minds as they think about this game. What a terrible way to start an NBA season. Hayward is a player that I was extremely excited for this season as he finally was going to get the chance to show his ability to contribute and lead a team. Unfortunately, he will not be able to do that this season for the Celtics

A little more on the actual game itself, the Celtics came out an impressed despite having lost one of their key players 6 minutes into the first quarter. The major key for the Celtics was the performance of Jaylen Brown, who proved he made big strides this off season and was worth the 3^rd pick in the 2015 draft. This is also huge for the Celtics because he will help fill the role that was emptied by hayward. Jason Tatum also had a good start to his season which continued through he first month, showing his skills set will transfer well like many people believed it would.

Finally, the Cavaliers played about as you would expect the Cavaliers to play. Lebron James topped the stat sheet and was followed by Kevin Love. The rest of the new pieces that they acquired in the offseason did a fair job in their respective rights, with Dwayne Wade, Derrick Rose, and Jae Crowder all putting up solid numbers.

Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets

The score line of this game started out as many people may have thought, with the warriors holding down an early lead, and carrying around a 10-point lead consistently into the start of the 4^th quarter. Now the interesting thing was that they got to this lead at the hands of . . . Nick Young. Yes, you read that right, Nick Young was having himself a great night in his debut for the Warriors. This 10-point lead was not enough as the Rockets bench came up big in the 4^th quarter and brought the rockets back into the game. All of this lead up to a game winning shot opportunity by Stephen Curry with 5 seconds left, which hit rim and was rebounded by Kevin Durant who put the shot up but had a finger on the ball for about 0.1 second too long and the shot was no good.

The Warriors could compete as they always do, and plated a great game against a top team in the Rockets. The only thing that was potentially worrisome for any fans was that they were in a 1-point game with needing Nick Young to put up big numbers, something that will not happen even close to consistently. If the Warriors make either one of the last shots no one is talking about any downsides that may have come from the game, therefore I don’t see anything to point out as to why they lost, the just simpler weren’t able to close out. Now you can play now your favorite games online and win incredible prizes.

Worry comes for the Rocket team when looking at the poor performance and injury that hindered Chris Paul from playing well. Paul was one of the main reasons that this team was going to do be a force this season and he has been a shaky piece of the team to start that season. That being said the team should be optimistic as to how well they played despite Paul’s lack of contribution in the scoring department. The bench contributed a good amount of points, as well as brought the game back due to performances of the 3 bench players that logged minutes: Eric Gordon, Luc Mbah a Moute, and P.J. Tucker.

Panicking on Cavaliers or Warriors?

If you are currently panicking on either the Cavaliers or the Warriors getting off to the start that you may have not expected, stop. This is a lot more relevant for Cavs fans who are seeing their team struggle, but the Warriors more losses on their record than one would expect. There is no need for either of these teams to worry though, because they are in fact the best teams in their respective division. Every team has to shake off the dust in whatever sport they are playing, but eventually a team with the talent these two teams have will come together and be a well-oiled machine a little way into the season. There is no doubt in my mind that both teams will get back to the performances that we expected from them going into the season

Who’s Real and Who’s Fake

All of the following teams have in my eyes outperformed their projections that I had for the team in the regular season. The west coast sees two teams that were fringe playoff teams, playing with top talent in the league right now. The east has many teams that I would have said had under a 50% chance of making the playoffs, but are currently a top 8 seed in the east.

Magic – Fake

The top team in the Eastern Conference, sorry Magic but I don’t think so. While this team has been off to a hot start I don’t think that it is too bold to say that they are going to slow down. The big reason this team has been playing better than years past is the performance of recently signed Jonathan Simmons, as well as the emergence of Aaron Gordon as he is finally playing Power Forward, rather than Small Forward that he was playing last week. This fits much better with his game and has allowed for him to make major steps in his game. This team is young an trending in the right direction, and may finally move closer to making the playoffs, but their fall from the top of the Eastern Conference is just waiting to happen within the next couple of weeks.

Clippers – Real

I slept on the clippers going into the season, and I feel like I owe and apology to Clippers fans everywhere. This team has showed consistency week in and out, and have a very good bench to support the starting line-up. Through a lot of offseason movement with the lineup, the team acquired players from many different skills sets creating a great offense/defense balance. If Blake Griffin is able to stay healthy, we may see this team make a low end playoff push easily, something that was up in the air for me at the start of the regular season.

Detroit – Real

Another team that I was doubting going into the season due to their performance last year.I thought this lineup had potential last year, but I gave up hope after, yet another mediocre year was produced from Detroit. This doesn’t look like this will be the case this year, as Tobias Harris is having a big start to the year to lead the team, and the pieces around him are all starting to play well at the perfect time. I believe that the Pistons have the ability to make the playoffs in a weak eastern conference, and maybe even push up into a 6^th seed.

Indiana – Fake

I have been extremely impressed with the Indian Pacers, specifically Victor Oladipo. Oladipo has yet to find a place to call home in the NBA, but it looks like he may be settling in nicely in Indiana. This is a team that has a very interesting mess of players in different career stages on their lineup, and I don’t believe the talent is there for them to squeak out close games leading to them just missing the playoffs.

Memphis – Fake

This team has some extremely good wins (Houston twice, Golden State once) but it is their lack of depth in the starting lineup that worries me. The Grizzlies are always a fascinating team that finds ways to use a few of their stars, along with some gritty G-League or college players to field a team, and always do well with them. This Is the same type of team, but the wins against the top tier teams won’t be there for long when all it takes is one player for Memphis to do bad and they don’t have many others to pick up the slack. I still see this team potentially making the playoffs, but they will not continue to play as a top team like they are right now.

My Predictions

Western Conference Playoffs –

1. Warriors
2. Rockets
3. Spurs
4. Thunder
5. Grizzlies
6. Timberwolves
7. Clippers
8. Jazz

Eastern Conference Playoffs – 

1. Cavaliers
2. Celtics
3. Wizards
4. Bucks
5. Raptors
6. Detroit
7. Charlotte
8. Philadelphia

MVP Race – 

• Giannis Antetokounmpo
• Stephen Curry
• Blake Griffin
• Russel Westbrook
• Lebron James

Rookie of the Year Race – 

• Jayson Tatum
• De’Aaron Fox
• Dennis Smith Jr

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Four Years, Two Teams?

It may be to the point where these teams have faced each other so often that it is now considered a war by international law, but odds have it that the Warriors and Cavaliers will play each other in the NBA Finals once again. The argument remains as to whether or not the dominance of these two teams is good for the NBA, but anyway you put it this is the outcome for the 2017 season and maybe even a couple more years down the road. Buckle up NBA fans, this one may be a long ride. On another note the question remains, can anyone challenge either of these teams? No. At least not this year, and it is hard to see a new team emerging if both superpowers stay together this off-season.

Moves, Moves, and more Moves

There was a major shopping spree on players this off-season, as this it was one of the most active and exciting off-season’s that NBA fans have seen in a long time. Big names all seemed to move to and throughout the western conference. So much that it sparked the league to change the format of the All-Star game so that the West would not be so lopsided. One team in each conference stood out to me, as well as many other people, in making the most enticing moves this off-season.

In the east it was clearly the Celtics who had the best additions to their team. Adding Gordon Hayward through free agency and trading for Kyrie Irving were two great moves that helped the team get a lot younger and have a true identity to go along with the youth of their bench. There is still the aging Al Horford who does not fit the long-term plans of the team, but for right now he is good veteran help. This team is not going to stun the Cavaliers and take the eastern conference championship, but they should at least make the east finals competitive. The Celtics will be a force in the eastern conference for years to come, whether or not they do anything depends on the future of the Cavaliers roster.

As for the west the most intriguing team this off-season was the Oklahoma City Thunder with the additions of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. The fact that both of these trades were pulled off is incredible, especially considering that Sam Presti technically flipped Serge Ibaka (traded to Magic for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis) for Paul George (Traded to Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis). This team now has a very interesting dynamic, as they have 3 guys that love to operate with the ball in their hands. Will they figure out a way to make it work? Yeah, I think they do but I do not think they reach a level that is higher for the Warriors. Sorry Thunder fans.

Lastly, some quick hitters regarding the rest of NBA and free agency moves. In the East everyone seemed to get worse and is entering rebuilding stages as the Bulls, Pacers, Hawks, and Knicks all traded away key pieces to get younger assets. All those stars migrated to the West where there were shuffles on most of the rosters. The Rockets propelled themselves into the top of the conference even further with the addition of Chris Paul. The Timberwolves made a big acquisition in getting Jimmy Butler, a move that they hope will help them in the long run as they have an extremely young roster. Lastly the Nuggets and Clippers both made additions that will likely keep them on the edge of the playoffs, but will not amount to major success in the West.

Graduating Class of 2017

Just about every team not mentioned above decided that it was a good move to invest in the draft, and it looks like the draft class is not going to disappoint. While it seems like the draft prospects have always busted in recent years, the rookies this year seem to be of a different breed. Going into the draft there were talks that this could be the best class since 2003, and from the little film we have seen in the summer league and preseason this looks more than formidable.

The number one overall pick by the 76ers Markelle Fultz not only looks like a stud, but so do his teammates around him. This is a team that has the potential to be really good in years to come if all of their young players tend to pan out how they should. While this pick was a no brainer for the 76ers, he is a perfect fit for their team as he provides the outside shooting needed to spread the floor.

The second overall pick went to the Los Angeles Lakers and they selected Lonzo Ball, as I am sure everyone on the planet knows by this point. Put his dad and all the drama aside and consensus has it that this kid is going to be a star. The pieces around him seem to be in place, but it is just a matter of how everyone progresses in the coming years. The interesting thing to follow with this roster is what happens next year in free agency, as the Lakers have a lot of money to spend and a lot of big name free agents should be available.

Some other noticeable draft picks were Jayson Tatum to the Celtics at three, Josh Jackson to the Suns at four, De’Aaron Fox to the Kings at five, and Dennis Smith Jr. to the Mavericks at nine. All of these players have potential to shine almost immediately in the league, and could very well be superstars in the making. Tatum is in a very interesting scenario as he is going to develop on a team that will likely get a lot of playoff success and experience. Jackson is on a young, but extremely talented team as he prepares to pair up with Devin Booker for years to come. Fox and Smith will not have any enticing prospects around them, but both are extremely explosive and quick players at the point guard position and should have long careers ahead of them.

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Western Conference
Regular Season Standings
Playoff Teams

1. San Antonio Spurs: I want to choose against the Spurs, and the Cavaliers for that matter, with all of my being. However, it’s pretty difficult in San Antonio’s case when they’re night in and night out the most fundamentally sound squad. The ageless Tim Duncan returns with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli once again. Add in NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, alongside Danny Green, Boris Diaw, Marco Belinelli and the best coach in the game, and you have yourself a recipe for success. See: The last decade or so.
2.  Los Angeles Clippers: How would things in the NBA be different if the original Chris Paul trade went through? Would CP3, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard be headlining this city for the Lakers and the Clippers stuck in their usual second-tier rut? We’ll never know, but what we can expect is Doc Rivers to have one of the best squads in the NBA this season, especially with his system implemented for another year.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder: Russell Westbrook may be the highest scorer in the league come December. Afterwards? Not so much. That’s when Kevin Durant will return and lead what will potentially be a middle of the road team back to the top three in the West. Steven Adams showed he could be a decent big man in the league, so Kendrick Perkins may find more and more pine. Anthony Morrow and Jeremy Lamb still aren’t a replacement for James Harden, but they should stretch the floor consistently. That is, if Westbrook and Durant don’t do it enough.
4. Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki finally has help again in Dallas. Monta Ellis, Chandler Parsons and Tyson Chandler should form a dangerous starting lineup run by Jameer Nelson. If the Mavericks do make a top four seed in the West, does Rick Carlisle have a case for coach of the year? There’s a strong chance. Remember, the Mavericks took the Spurs to seven games last season. They’d meet them in the second round this year.
5. Golden State Warriors: And here we have the Western Conference team that everyone wants to play as in video games. Do you want scorers? Well, they have Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodola, Shaun Livingston, Brandon Rush, David Lee and Andrew Bogut. Even new head coach Steve Kerr can knock it down from range. The defense might be a little
6. Portland Trail Blazers: If Damian Lillard played in a bigger market than Oregon, he’d be a superstar in this league. Lamarcus Aldridge is a top tier power forward, but I felt was overhyped during his magnificent stretch of last season. It didn’t carry deep into the playoffs, losing to the Spurs in the second round in five games after eliminating the Rockets in the first. Nicolas Batum might be the key factor if the Blazers can take the next step, while Robin Lopez, Wesley Matthews and Steve Blake will also play significant roles.
7. Houston Rockets: Don’t get me wrong, the Rockets are a strong team with Dwight Howard and James Harden. However, the loss of Chandler Parsons will really hurt. Trevor Ariza ought to bring a strong third option, but I’m not too sold on the depth of this squad. I wouldn’t hold my breath on a championship run.
8. Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies won 50 games in 2014 despite multiple missed games by their stars. Marc Gasol may not be on the squad a year from now, but Tony Allen, Tayshaun Prince, Zach Randolph, Vince Carter and Mike Conley should be enough to push the Grizzlies into postseason play.

Contenders

9. New Orleans Pelicans: Honestly, I had to fix the mistake of putting “Hornets” down. Look at this lineup, though: Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon, Anthony Davis and Omer Asik. Austin Rivers and Ryan Anderson can come off the bench and form a pesky team throughout the season. I have them ninth, but they should be in the playoff hunt up until the end.
10. Denver Nuggets: Kenneth Faried looked like a top-level player in the FIBA games. Nate Robinson will be back and healthy as a sparkplug. Danillo Gallinari, Ty Lawson, JaVale McGee, Aaron Afflalo, Wilson Chandler and Timofey Mozgov put together a pretty talented roster that might be in the running for a final seed.
11. Phoenix Suns: The Suns played as well as anyone could have expected last year…and still just missed the playoffs in the loaded Western Conference. A step back is more likely than a step forward as they played a little over their heads in 2013.The Rest
12. Los Angeles Lakers: I’m not as low on the Lakers as most. They finished second to last without Kobe in 2013, so with Kobe it ought to be a little better. Or at the very least more entertaining. Carlos Boozer, Jeremy Linn and Nick Young don’t exactly form a stellar “Big Three” to tag along. You might as well have Kobe go for the record 100 points every single game.
13. Sacramento Kings: The Kings could be a surprise team in the sense they might be around the 10^th-seed by year’s end. Could. We’re talking Dumb and Dumber level chances. Ben McLemore, DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, Derrick Williams and all of the Big Ten’s favorite Nic Stauskas form a young core. If someone like Sim Bhullar turns out to be more than height, they could be dangerous. But don’t count on it.
14. Minnesota Timberwolves: “Why can’t this be Love?” “Do you believe in life after Love?” “Love is a battlefield.” This might as well be the Timberwolves pregame music. Wiggins should sell some tickets, but they won’t win many games.
15. Utah Jazz: I mean, the Jazz have players who could be decent in the future. As for right now? Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Alec Burks, Trey Burke, Enes Kanter and Gordon Hayward aren’t exactly striking fear into anybody. Daunte Exum may end up being a good draft pick, but he has looked a little overwhelmed in our limited viewing.

    

Eastern Conference
Regular Season Standings
Playoff Teams

1. Chicago Bulls: The Bulls boast the deepest roster in the league. Rumor has it that rookie Doug McDermott may find a starting role so it looks something like this: Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, McDermott, Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah starting, Kirk Hinrich, Tony Snell, Mike Dunleavy, Nikola Mirotic, Taj Gibson rotating off the bench, and Aaron Brooks with Nazr Mohammed available for spot minutes. What worries me? Despite the depth, Rose and Gasol’s health are vital, especially the former. We’ve all heard that enough throughout the past few years for the former.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: We keep being force fed information about LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, so I’ll stray away from them. If Dion Waiters can take a step forward, Mike Miller stays healthy, and Anderson Varejao does the same, the Cavaliers should win the East. The biggest, underrated offseason move of the season? Cleveland getting Shawn Marion. He can provide some defense where Love and Irving don’t.
3. Toronto Raptors: And here we hit the ridiculous amount of solid teams that East has relative to last year. But honestly, most of these teams aren’t making the playoffs in the West. Toronto boasts Kyle Lowry, DeMar Derozan and Jonas Valanciunas among a group of good role players.
4. Washington Wizards: I could see any order happening from teams ranked 3-6, and then again from 7-12. The Wizards are here because they, and I’m going to make up a few words here, outgritted the grittiest team in basketball last year in the playoffs. Sure, it was a banged up Bulls team, but Nene and Gortat took it to Noah and Gibson. John Wall, Bradley Beal and Paul Pierce finish up a starting lineup that could make some noise.
5. Miami Heat: Sure, the Heat lost the best player in the game to Cleveland. That doesn’t mean they’re going to fall as fast and hard as the Cavaliers did when they originally lost James. Wade, Bosh, Chalmers and Anderson all return to the squad. One of the best two-way players in the game in recent years, Luol Deng, joins them and so does Shannon Brown, Danny Granger and rookie Shabazz Napier. The Heat still have plenty of firepower to make an impact on the East.
6. Charlotte Hornets: Outside of any of the Cavs’ moves, Lance Stephenson is the biggest name in the East to change homes this past offseason. Combined with Kemba Walker, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Al Jefferson and Cody Zeller, the Hornets have their best team in the Michael Jordan ownership era. Don’t be shocked if you hear something along the lines of “Al Jefferson” and “MVP” at some point. He won’t win, but he could very well be mentioned if the Hornets get off to a blazing start.
7. Brooklyn Nets: I have so many problems with the Nets. First of all, I said immediately that the Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett trade was one of the worst I’ve ever seen. Secondly, remember when Deron Williams versus Chris Paul was actually a thing? Two more stars of yesterday are featured in this lineup: Joe Johnson and Andrei Kirilenko. Brook Lopez only managed to play in 17 games last year. This team has enough to make the playoffs, but not much more. They’ll be at the very bottom of the East in about two or three years.
8. New York Knicks: Carmelo Anthony received a ton of hatred last year, and in his whole career for that matter, for being lackadaisical, not winning playoff games and struggling defensively. From my perspective, very few played harder for their team – if you can call what is around ‘Melo a team. Phil Jackson’s influence should bring improvements across the board to get this team into the playoffs, and then next year the real rebuilding begins.

Contenders

9. Indiana Pacers: Lance Stephenson left, Paul George broke his leg and there isn’t a bigger head scratcher in the NBA than Roy Hibbert…literally. The core of this team that was supposed to dethrone the Heat is in shambles. It could still have enough to find a postseason berth, but it could also tank to a top pick.
10. Detroit Pistons: This is where the East falls apart. It has no depth on outsiders looking in. The Pistons feature a front court of Greg Monroe, Andre Drummond and Josh Smith. It bothers me to this day that the Pistons shelled out so much cash for Smith, but fortunately, I’m not a fan of any Detroit sports. Brandon Jennings and Jodie Smith will head the backcourt, as the Pistons will make an effort at being swept in the first round of the playoffs. Stan Van Gundy will help matters some, but the current Pistons roster is like three different puzzles thrown into one box.The Rest
11. Atlanta Hawks: The Hawks are here simply by default of making the playoffs last year, albeit finishing 38-44. There may not be a more boring team on paper in the NBA. Or on the court. Kyle Korver is fun to watch shoot threes. That’s it, we’re done here.
12. Orlando Magic: Roy Devyn Marble will score 20 points per game and…oh, forget it. The Magic actually have one of my favorite underrated players in Nikola Vucevic. Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon, Even Fournier, Tobias Harris, Channing Frye, Mo Harkless and Seth Curry might be the biggest group of average players to ever grace a professional team.
13. Boston Celtics: Just give it time and that trade off of Pierce and Garnett will look great. Unfortunately for Rajon Rondo, he has to play during that time. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is in another uniform by the All-Star break. There is potential on this squad in Marcus Smart, Evan Turner, Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger, but that’s for down the line.
14. Milwaukee Bucks: At least the Brewers didn’t have a complete meltdown and miss the playoffs after having a huge division lead or anything. Jabari Parker and O.J. Mayo are an interesting backcourt, but that’s about the extent of my interest in this team. It will take a few drafts for the Bucks to be back in the playoffs.
15. Philadelphia 76ers: Outside of Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, name two players on this team right now. Try it. If you can, I’m sorry, but you shouldn’t be able to. Here is the rest of the roster: Michael Carter-Williams, K.J. McDaniels, Hollis Thompson, Henry Sims, Luc Mbah a Moute, Brandon Davies, Chris Johnson, Jerami Grant, Arnett Moultrie, Alexey Shved, Elliot Williams, Jason Richardson, Tony Wroten and Casper Ware. Yes, Jason Richardson is still in the league, apparently. And yes, the 76ers will have the worst team in the NBA.

Playoff Predictions and Awards

Eastern Conference Finals: Cavaliers over Bulls in six. The Bulls will have the better regular season record, but will continue to struggle to get past LeBron James. At this point, it’s going to put Chicago in a bind about how it can compete going forward. 2014-15 is the window for this Chicago squad. Cleveland will take a little bit of time to get all the kinks out, but should hit their stride come playoff time.

Western Conference Finals: Clippers over Mavericks. That’s right, no Spurs or Thunder in this matchup. The Mavericks will take out the Spurs in the second round, but run into a tougher matchup in the Doc Rivers-led Clippers. Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and company continue taking positive steps on both ends of the court and get on a hot streak to finish the season.

NBA Finals: Clippers over Cavaliers. The “Jordan wouldn’t have lost,” arguments gain even more fuel as LeBron James reaches his fifth straight Finals. Cleveland will continue to be a threat however by adding a few role pieces and defensive additions in the next offseason to make what should be multiple consecutive deep playoff runs.

Coach of the Year: Rick Carlisle, Dallas. If the Mavericks are able to make a top four seed in the West, I can’t see anybody else staking a claim to this award.

Rookie of the Year: Doug McDermott, Chicago. The rookie will be getting a lot of shot attempts on a Chicago squad desperate for offense. If he does end up starting and Thibodeau continues to like his “swag,” as the coach said during the preseason, then he could out-perform Parker, Wiggins and company.

MVP: Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers. If Chris Paul plays a full schedule last year, his name is right up there with LeBron and Durant. With Durant’s injury, it’s going to be difficult for a repeat MVP performance, so it may come down to CP3, who averaged nearly 20 points to complement 10 assists per game, and James.

Defensive Player of the Year: Marc Gasol, Grizzlies. Once again, LeBron finishes second in this category. Gasol will be the best defensive player on the best defensive team.

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The NBA trade deadline came and went last week and a few teams will benefit greatly long term from the players they acquired.

Milwaukee Bucks (20-24)

The Bucks traded away their 2005 #1 overall pick, the oft-injured Andrew Bogut.  He’s been hampered by injuries the last three seasons, and by now has become a financial setback. They were also able to get rid of Stephen Jackson, who has also had an injury plagued season and, when healthy, couldn’t crack Coach Scott Skiles’ rotation. The Bucks were able to acquire scoring guard Monta Ellis and a young big man in Ekpe Udoh. If the Milwaukee franchise able to draft a center to replace Bogut, the future will look very bright. The average age of the team’s players is 25.6 years.

Los Angeles Clippers (26-19)

The Clippers acquired an explosive scorer in guard Nick Young from the Washington Wizards while giving up seldom used Brian Cook and a future second round draft pick. Young has been labeled as immature, but he is exactly what the Clippers need—a perimeter scorer to replace Chauncey Billups. If Young can mature while playing alongside point guard Chris Paul, the Clippers are a serious championship contender from here on out.

San Antonio Spurs (29-14)

The Spurs got rid of Richard Jefferson, and they reacquired Stephen Jackson, who won a championship with the Spurs in 2003. Jackson comes to a Spurs team that is averaging 100.8 points per game, which is 4^th in the NBA. The Spurs have a potent bench—and whether Jackson starts or not—he will be counted on for the Spurs to make a deep playoff run.  San Antonio is making one last championship push.

Los Angeles Lakers (28-18)

The Lakers traded away longtime Laker guard Derek Fisher (37 years old), and they also got rid of Luke Walton, who turns 32 at the end of the month. The Lakers got the young point guard they were looking for in Ramon Session, who is averaging 10 ppg and 6 assists per game on the season. The Lakers also received a young big man in Jordan Hill, who could help reduce Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol’s minutes. The Lakers have all the pieces now to make a serious playoff run.

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Almost two months into a lock-out shortened season, there have been a lot of highs and lows. Veteran teams such as the defending champion Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, and the Los Angeles Lakers have struggled at points this season. The combined record of the Lakers, Celtics and Mavericks is 45-35.  Young teams in Miami, Chicago, and Oklahoma City have been playing exceptionally, as those three clubs have a combined record of 64-19. The condensed schedule hurts the older squads more, but teams with deep rosters are benefiting.

1. Chicago Bulls (23-7)

The Bulls have coasted through this season even with all the injuries the team has suffered. Derrick Rose—the reigning NBA MVP—has missed six games with turf toe and back spasms. Luol Deng has missed seven games with a sprained wrist, and Richard Hamilton, a free agent acquisition, has missed 18 games while dealing with groin and leg injuries. Despite all the hurting going on, the Bulls have one of the deepest teams in the pros and  haven’t missed a beat. Their defense has flat out taken teams out of games.  They are holding teams to 86.9 points per game, good for third in the league.

2. Miami Heat (21-7)

The Heat are on a mission to win the NBA championship because they weren’t able to seal the deal last season. The Heat have added some nice role players such as Shane Battier, Norris Cole and Eddy Curry. If Curry can contribute on a nightly basis, his addition could put Miami at the top of the league. The big three will continue to shine and as long as the other teammates show up, we will probably see another Miami and Chicago showdown in the 2012 Eastern Conference finals. The Heat defense is holding opponents to an average of 95.4 ppg, which is middle of the pack in the league.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder (21-6)

This Thunder club is another great defensive team, and they have a great one-two punch in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. James Harden is a serious candidate for 6^th Man of the Year, averaging 16.6 ppg, 3.4 assists per game and 4.1 rebounds per game. The Thunder are a young team, but they are ready to take the next step and compete for a championship. They have all the tools to win, now they just have to go out and do it.

4. Los Angeles Clippers (17-8)

The loss of Chauncey Billups hurts the team moving forward, but the Clippers have enough players to make up for the loss of Billups’ 15 ppg average. Acquiring all-star point guard Chris Paul has made the clippers a serious championship contender. The late addition of Kenyon Martin gives their team some frontcourt depth and a tough physical defender.

5. Philadelphia 76ers (19-9)

The Sixers have been the surprise team of this year. Coach Doug Collins (in his second year) has the Sixers playing great team defense.  They’ve bested some quality teams like the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. The Sixers are holding opponents to 86.7 ppg, which is second best in the league. They are another young team who like to get up and down the court, and if they continue playing great defense, the sky is the limit.

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