By Matthew Barnes, Sports Editor
After an eventful offseason, NBA fans all around the world are excited that the season is upon us. There are many storylines to follow: Lebron James going to the Lakers, Kawhi Leonard adjusting to being a Raptor and this rookie class’s development. Here is a breakdown of early predictions for how this season will play out.
West
Favorites
I’m not going to crack a joke and say that any team other than the Golden State Warriors is the favorite in this conference. The rich got richer this offseason when the three-time champs landed DeMarcus Cousins on a veteran’s minimum. He will not play much this season while recovering from an ACL injury, but if he is active for the postseason, the Warriors boast a starting lineup of five All-Stars. They play well together, are well-coached and can shoot the lights out. This is still their league.
In the Hunt
Three teams stand out as major threats to the Warriors.
Houston Rockets: Although I would say this team got worse in the offseason with the departures of Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah-Moute, it still has the reigning MVP in James Harden, an elite point guard in Chris Paul and one of the best rim protectors of the league in Clint Capela. The Rockets have started slow this season, but they should get it together and be lethal in April when it matters most.
Utah Jazz: The Jazz caught the nation’s attention last postseason when they took down the Thunder in six games and gave the Rockets a competitive series. While sometimes slow offensively, this roster is masterfully coached and has a top-notch scorer in Donovan Mitchell. They play great team-basketball and are stout on the defensive end. This makes for a solid contender.
Los Angeles Lakers: They have Lebron James. That is all you need to get you to the playoffs. Now the question will be if they can actually make some noise past the first round. They are young and unpolished but have the raw talent to be dangerous. This team is a complete wild card.
Sleepers
The New Orleans Pelicans have one of the best frontcourts in the league and also made a great guard addition in Elfrid Payton. They are off to a hot start this year, and they could potentially maintain that level of play all season. Also, the Denver Nuggets have a young superstar in Nikola Jokic and are very deep in every position. They were a game away from being a playoff team last year, and I think they will be one this year.
