This has by far been one of the most exciting offseasons in NBA history leaving us all in great anticipation for the upcoming season. Here are my predictions for the upcoming season. I will predict the playoff teams and then the teams in the Draft races for the end of the season.
The West...
Source-http://bouncyorangeball.com/nba-western-conference-teams/
- Warriors: The Warriors almost goes without saying will be at the top of the table come end the of the season.
- Rockets: The Rockets added some firepower with CP3 joining up and makes the 3 a very likely contender for the Warriors. The Harden/Paul duo should challenge the Warriors for the league’s most efficient offense and they have a great shot at reaching the West finals thanks to an improved crop of wing defenders.
- Spurs: You can never put it past the Spurs to make the playoffs as much as they are always slept on. Some concerns for them this season, however, include Tony Parker’s health, Pau Gasol’s age, LaMarcus Aldridge’s happiness and Jonathon Simmons’s departure. But the Spurs’ whole is always significantly greater than the sum of their parts thanks to Gregg Popovich’s ability to field a disciplined, smothering defense and a well-oiled offense.
- Thunder: Easily the NBA’s leader in chips on shoulders. Russell Westbrook must prove he can share center stage for a winner, Paul George must prove he’s all in after griping his way out of Indiana amid rumors of L.A. interest, Carmelo Anthony must prove he’s still a star-level difference-maker, and Billy Donovan must prove he’s not the guy that Kevin Durant’s Twitter account says he is. Even if the three stars gel, Oklahoma City lacks some serious depth and this could hinder an otherwise super strong team
- Blazers: Continuity could prove to be a crucial advantage for Portland, who had the quietest summer of any 2017 West playoff team following a nice post-deadline push. Portland fans will continue to lean heavily on scoring guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, also keep an eye out for Nurkic making an impact for the team.
- Timberwolves: Another year of progress from Karl-Anthony Towns coupled with the arrivals of Jimmy Butler and Jeff Teague should be enough to help Minnesota snap a postseason drought that dates to 2004. This team has improved its firepower a lot and should make for some good viewing.
- Clippers: The Clippers may have lost their star point guard CP3, but they managed to get a pretty good package in return. This team may surprise a few as they have very good depth and as long as their stars stay healthy I see them going quite far this season.
- Nuggets: There’s clear improvement for the Nuggets as Nikola Jokic is an undeniable rising star, Paul Millsap is the franchise’s first big-name off-season get in years, and Gary Harris is officially locked in for the long haul also Jamal Murray is a player to keep an eye on this season as I think he will have a big year.
The remaining teams will be battling it out with maybe even the last two spots in the playoffs up for grabs if the teams don't perform as I expect. The Jazz and Grizzlies might still be knocking on the playoff doors.
The East...
Source-http://bouncyorangeball.com/nba-western-conference-teams/
- Cavaliers: The team is very different from last season but the King remains in Cleaveland and therefore I cannot put another team from the East team in front of the Cavs.
- Wizards: John Wall is likely to be an MVP candidate this year as he is coming in with a chip on his shoulder. The Wizards are not much changed as far as players go but have shown steady improvement in the past few years enough I think to put them in the second spot,
- Celtics: Boston clearly upgraded its top-level talent by landing Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, but the team might have lost alot in return as they lost a few core players that many believe were the heart and soul of the Celtics. But with that level of talent they should still easily secure a playoff spot.
- Raptors: The Raptors remain relatively unchanged but now have the likes of Serge Ibaka and P.J Tucker for the start of the season and this should be a good defensive improvement for them. Demar DeRozan also gets better every year and I believe this year will be no different
- Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo and company should be extremely exciting especially if Jabari Parker can put in a full season for them. Last year the Bucks struggled with injuries and still made it pretty far just on the back of Giannis. Imagine what they can do if they are all healthy.
- Heat: The Heat were almost last year's Cinderella story almost qualifying for the playoffs after starting the season as a lottery team. Dion Waiters seemingly out of nowhere has revived his career. This team seems to have good chemistry and that can sometimes go a very long way
- Hornets: The Hornets made minor moves that may be enough to secure a playoff spot as they got a good shooter in the Draft and improved at the center position. Say what you will about Dwight Howard he is still a solid player and should help the Hornets out.
8 . Honestly, I have no idea as it could be either the Pistons with their stock up on veterans, The Sixers with their exciting young core. The last spot is certainly up for grabs!
The rest of the teams I don't think stand a real chance and are all in a full rebuild mode. The East certainly is noticeably weaker this season and I hope the ratings don't drop too far.
In Conclusion
I think this season will be very exciting and entertaining ultimately ending with the Cavs and Warriors in the finals again. The season itself will be very interesting as there are many storylines to follow!