It was back in June when the NBA Finals ended with baby-faced assassin and league MVP Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors beating LeBron James and his wounded Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors feel like Rodney Dangerfield, getting no respect as defending champs despite dominating the regular season and playoffs last year.
What’s in store this season?
West is Best
West is best as most of the NBA’s top teams reside west of the Mississippi. The San Antonio Spurs, who were aging the last few years, got a boost acquiring star LaMarcus Aldridge and savvy veteran David West who left Portland and Indiana, respectively. Can you blame them? San Antonio, like George Carlin, continues to reinvent themselves and may just have enough firepower to win a 6th NBA tile.
DeAndre Jordan escaped the Shark Tank and Mark Cuban’s Dallas Mavericks to rejoin Steve Ballmer’s LA Clippers, the Richard Pryor of the NBA – gifted but self-destructive. The Clippers are well positioned for a deep playoff run with Jordan’s return and the addition of Paul Pierce and Lance Stephenson, yes that guy who blew in LeBron’s ear at Indiana. Not Brooklyn’s finest moment.
Then we have the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Eddie Murphy of the NBA – overflowing with talent. The Thunder get back former league MVP and Sprint spokesman Kevin Durant from injury. He rejoins Mountain Dew pitchman Russell Westbrook to have give OKC two of the NBA’s top-5 players.
What about the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets – the two teams that met in the Western Conference Finals last season – you ask? The champs could repeat but have not improved much in the offseason, while the Rockets need James Harden, the bearded one, to stay hungry and after signing a $200M deal with Adidas for 13 years of pimping sneakers, and inspire his big man, Dwight Howard.
Beast of the East?
The Eastern Conference is like Two and a Half Men with two elite teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls, and a third contender in the Miami Heat. The Cavaliers get two All-Stars back in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love and re-signed Tristan Thompson, which means they are Las Vegas’ choice to return to the Finals. The Bulls need to keep their oft-injured former MVP Derrick Rose on the court and join him with newly paid, emerging stud Jimmy Butler to push the Cavs. The Heat, like Jerry Seinfeld, are former champs trying to return to glory. They have not been the same since LeBron took his talents back to Cleveland but still have perennial All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Fading Stars?
Kobe Bryant is recovering from injuries and offseason surgery, and this might be his last season. If so, it may be a long one as his Los Angeles Lakers are rebuilding. Carmelo Anthony’s New York Knicks were the second worst team last year and may only be slightly better this season.
Off-the-court, former NBA champion and Kobe Bryant teammate, and Khloe Kardashian’s husband, Lamar Odom, is recovering in Los Angeles. Rest in Peace former Minnesota Timberwolves coach and president Flip Saunders who passed away from cancer at age 60.
Now you can talk NBA with your sports friends.
Remember at TINK Sports we watch the games so you don’t have to.
See you next time…
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