10. Philadelphia 76ers
Last Year: 35-31(3rd in Atlantic Division)
Hot 2012-2013 Storyline: Can Andrew Bynum be the franchise player Philadelphia is expecting him to be?
-The Sixers come into the year with a new roster and a redifined image. They are through being the doormat of the Atlantic, but are still coming into this year with a lot of questions. While we have them ranked high, they will only stay this high if Andrew Bynum can stay on the court. Recent news says that might already be a struggle. We also didn't like that within Free Agency they essentially let go of Lou Williams(their top scorer last year) and Elton Brand(many said he was the unofficial leader of the team behind Andre Iguodala) for Nick Young and Kwame Brown. Another nice subplot is to see how Evan Turner will take over as the athletic combo player now that AI is in Denver.
9. Brooklyn Nets
Hot 2012-2013 Storyline: Can Andrew Bynum be the franchise player Philadelphia is expecting him to be?
-The Sixers come into the year with a new roster and a redifined image. They are through being the doormat of the Atlantic, but are still coming into this year with a lot of questions. While we have them ranked high, they will only stay this high if Andrew Bynum can stay on the court. Recent news says that might already be a struggle. We also didn't like that within Free Agency they essentially let go of Lou Williams(their top scorer last year) and Elton Brand(many said he was the unofficial leader of the team behind Andre Iguodala) for Nick Young and Kwame Brown. Another nice subplot is to see how Evan Turner will take over as the athletic combo player now that AI is in Denver.
9. Brooklyn Nets
Last Year: 22-44 (5th in Atlantic Division)
Hot 2012-2013 Storyline: Are the Nets the new kings of New York?-We may have them ranked a little high, but honestly anything Jay-Z gets his hands on turns to gold. While this is obviously an opinion that has no basketball relevance whatsoever, this team needed a change in identity badly. Joe Johnson and Deron Williams easily become one of the top 5 guard combos in the game, but they will have to learn to share the ball the right way, as both look to score first. This team also needs to improve defensively badly, as they won't be able to outscore everyone in the East, especially the Pacers, Celtics and Heat.
8. Indiana Pacers
Last Year: 42-24 (2nd in Central Division)
Hot 2012-2013 Storyline: Are the Pacers good enough to make the next jump into the East’s elite?-A number of teams got better in the East, but unfortunately it look like the Pacers stayed put. While they made sure to keep Roy Hibbert, his asking price may have been a little too high for a player who comes with injury risk. Paul George is going to have to prove he is worth all of the buzz he has been getting, and Danny Granger needs to prove he is an all-star or the Pacers may need to lok elsewhere for a prolific scorer. The Pacers look like they are starting to become the next Atlanta Hawks, and that is not a good thing. This team is still good enough however to contend for a top 3 seed in the East.
7. Denver Nuggets
Last Year: 38-28 (2nd in Northwest Division)
Hot 2012-2013 Storyline: Is the most athletic team in the league one of the best?-The Nuggets will be in our opinion, the most exciting team to watch this season. Andre Iguodala finally is in the open court offense which he thrives in, and he gives them yet another great defender. This team is going to frustrate many NBA offenses with their ability to cover ground on the defensive end of the ball. It wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if they led the league in fast break points as well. The question surrounding the Nuggets is who takes the last shot? Many people would say Galinari, but he will need to prove that he can take a defender one-on-one on a consistent basis to make the Denver fans feel safe.
6. Los Angeles Clippers
Last Year: 40-26 (2nd in Pacific Division)
Hot 2012-2013 Storyline: Are they more than just a middle of the pack playoff team?5. San Antonio Spurs
Last Year: 50-16(1st in Southwest Division)
Hot 2012-2013 Storyline: Is this finally the year the Spurs drop off?4. Boston Celtics
Last Year: 39-27 (1st in Atlantic Division)
Hot 2012-2013 Storyline: Are the Celtics the one team that can beat the Heat?3. Oklahoma City Thunder
Last Year: 47-19 (1st in Northwest Division)
Hot 2012-2013 Storyline: Who are the Thunder now that they have traded Harden?-Two days ago, I had the Thunder listed at the two spot. For a team who has improved every year, and simply went cold in the Finals, it seemed like the right spot. However, with less than 24 hours passed since the Harden trade, I had no choice but to drop them to three. While it became obvious that the Thunder wanted to no part in paying Harden max money, the idea of this trade does not seem to make sense for a team who could win a title now. While Kevin Martin is a functional NBA guard, and will be a great scorer off the bench, he has neither the talent nor future that Harden gave. Beyond that, one of the Thunder’s main attractions was their team unity, in which Harden played a major role. It will be interesting to see how the team reacts to this, and whether they can use the money they saved to grab another free agent for another title run. Kevin Durant is still Kevin Durant, and should compete for the scoring title yet again. But now especially with Harden gone, Russell Westbrook needs to become a top 10 NBA player for the Thunder to win a title.
2. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Los Angeles Lakers
Last Year: 41-25 (1st in Pacific Division)
Hot 2012-2013 Storyline: Are the new Lakers good enough to bring the title back to LA?-While I originally had them at three, it makes perfect sense to have them as the best team in the West at two now. The additions of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard instantly make the Lakers scary good, and Pao Gasol at the four spot makes him one of the, if not the best power forward in the game today. The Lakers success will come down to how well the four stars can blend. If Kobe allows Nash and Pao to run the pick and roll as the main part of the offense, and let him be the star when it breaks down the Lakers can go places. However, if Kobe tries to play hero ball and takes as many shots as he has taken in the past this team could get stuck not having enough basketballs to pass around. Even with troubles, it would be shocking to not see them in the West finals at the minimum.
1. Miami Heat
Last Year: 46-20 1st in Southeast
Hot 2012-2013 Storyline: Can Lebron get even better?-The Champs proved that the lack of a true center is not needed to win a title in the new, athletic up-tempo NBA. While the Heat are easily the best team in the league on paper and on the court, there are holes. If Ray Allen, Shane Battier and Mike Miller struggle to stay healthy or finally start to fall off in their latter years, this team will have to lean on Lebron anymore. And while he proved in both games six and seven of the Eastern Conference Finals, The NBA Finals, and in the Olympics that this is no issue, the Heat could be one injury away from being in serious trouble. When it comes down to brass tax, Lebron and Wade are pretty much unbeatable when healthy, and Chris Bosh has happily taken on the Robin role to Batman “A” and Batman “B”. Unless someone can figure out how to stop the freight train, or an injury occurs, the Heat are the heavy favor to be lifting hardware again come June.
Until Next time, an awesome NBA youtube clip.
-Bford
No comments:
Post a Comment