Lets face it, the 2010-2011 NBA season might very well be the most anticipated season in the game's history. The Lakers are going for a three peat, Boston is geared up for one last run, Oklahoma City is attempting to take the next step forward and assert itself as an NBA powerhouse, oh and the Miami Heat could be interesting.
Though the NBA is lacking in parity and there are not many legit title contenders, the potential playoff matches in April, May, and June could be some of the best in league history. Here is a look at each team's chances in each division
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Boston Celtics (3)
Philadelphia 76ers (7)
New York Knicks (8)
New Jersey Nets
Toronto Raptors
-The Celtics should win this division relatively easily as none of the other competitors are in Boston's class. The Knicks, Sixers, and Nets should battle it out for the last few playoff spots in the weaker eastern conference. With Amar'e Stoudemire, there will be many nights in which the Knicks will have the best player on the floor. Philadelphia is a potential surprise team in East that will be featuring promising number two overall pick Evan Turner. New Jersey, under Avery Johnson, should be one of the more interesting teams in the league. Keeping Devin Harris and Brook Lopez healthy and on the the floor together is paramount. Toronto is in full stage rebuilding mode after losing Bosh and Turkoglu over the off season.
Central Division
Chicago Bulls (4)
Milwaukee Bucks (5)
Indiana Pacers
Cleveland Cavaliers
Detroit Pistons
-With Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, and Luol Deng running the show, Chicago should be able to separate themselves from the pack in the weak Central Division. The Bucks will continue to improve after their surprising 09-10 season and will be even tougher should Andrew Bogut be healthy for the postseason. Indiana, Cleveland, and Detroit will battle it out to see which team can avoid the cellar of the division.
Southeast Division
Miami Heat (1)
Orlando Magic (2)
Atlanta Hawks (6)
Washington Wizards
Charlotte Bobcats
-Featuring Florida powerhouses Miami and Orlando, the Southeast Division will be one of the most intense in the NBA. Orlando is one of the few teams in the East that can give the Heat a run for the number one seed in the conference. Atlanta was able to resign Joe Johnson but are bringing back almost the same team as last year. Expect them to be a mid-level team in the Eastern Conference that gets bounced in the first round of the playoffs by one of the big boys. Washington should be interesting with John Wall and Gilbert Arenas on the floor together. Wall is a potential rookie of the year and Arenas will be trying to resurrect his career. Expect Charlotte to take a step back after reaching the playoffs a season ago.
Western Conference
Northwest Division
Oklahoma City Thunder (2)
Portland Trail Blazers (4)
Utah Jazz (8)
Denver Nuggets
Minnesota Timberwolves
-Everyone is expecting Oklahoma City to join the NBA's elite this season. Kevin Durant appears to be the front runner for the MVP award and should lead the Thunder to more then 50 wins, their total from a year ago. If Portland can stay healthy, they should be able to make some noise in the Western Conference and could challenge the Thunder for the division title. Utah is going to miss Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver but Deron Williams is good enough to carry the team to a playoff spot. Denver is a team in shambles right now and will most likely be without Carmelo Anthony by December. Minnesota has plenty of young, promising players but the division is far too tough for them to reach even 20 wins.
Pacific Division
Los Angeles Lakers (1)
Los Angeles Clippers
Phoenix Suns
Golden State Warriors
Sacramento Kings
-The Lakers should be able to dominate the weakest division in the Western Conference. The Clippers, led by former number one overall pick Blake Griffin, should be playing meaningful games as they battle for a playoff spot late in the season but will come up just short. Steve Nash has already predicted no playoffs for the Suns so obviously he believes they will miss Amar'e Stoudemire. Golden State and Sacramento have plenty of young, talented players but are still a year or two away from truly competing. Watch out for DeMarcus Cousins in the Rookie of the Year award.
Southwest Division
San Antonio Spurs (3)
Dallas Mavericks (5)
Houston Rockets (6)
New Orleans Hornets (7)
Memphis Grizzlies
-The Spurs look to be one of the few teams in the West that could challenge the Lakers. With Parker, Duncan, Ginobli, Jefferson, and Hill, the Spurs are set up for one last title run. The window of opportunity could be closing for the Mavericks, but Dirk and company should still put up a fight against San Antonio. Expect the Rockets and Hornets to have bounce back years with Yao Ming and Chris Paul back in the fold. Though they have a talented roster, the Grizzlies are quite possibly the NBA's unluckiest team when you consider what they are up against in their division.
No comments:
Post a Comment