What better way to start a basketball blog than with a NBA season forecast? With only a little over 2 months until the beginning of the 2010-2011 NBA schedule, it’s time to look at who will be the big players this season. It’s been a very exciting off-season, and a lot has changed. Now that the major dust has settled, which teams have risen to the top of the field?
We’ll start with the Eastern Conference:
1. Miami Heat
Obviously, the first team that needs to be mentioned is the Heat. They have already had a record offseason – they crushed two NBA cities’ hopes for the near future, (and then apparently kidnapped Dan Gilbert’s PR staff for a few days), built a NBA juggernaut overnight, and got even more media attention than Boston before the ’07-’08 season. With a nucleus of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, they could have surrounded them with the cheerleaders as teammates and still been near the top. But they took advantage of the whole “veteran signs for less to win a championship” scenario and got a decent surrounding cast for the Three Amigos. Eddie House, Mike Miller, and LeBron’s Russian bodyguard Zydrunas Ilgauskas all agreed to smaller contracts with the Heat. As long as egos don’t get in the way, the Heat should be unbeatable this season.
2. Boston Celtics
Many people are saying the Orlando Magic should be the second best team in the east again, but my prediction is the Celtics for this spot. Here’s why:
- Rajon Rondo has become the unquestioned leader of the team, and his 2010 playoff performance combined with the experience he is picking up this summer on the national team will make him a contender for top point guard in the NBA.
- The Big Three and Doc Rivers agreed to stay together this season, and the only reason is to get back to the Finals.
- What was the main reason they lost that series to the Lakers? They couldn’t rebound when they needed to. Who did they add in the offseason? Shaq. Problem solved.
Last season they cruised through the regular season but kept saying they’d turn it on in the playoffs, which they did. They will likely do the same this season, saving their older legs for when the games really matter. They may not be number two in the end-of-season standings, but going into the playoffs they will be the second most feared team in the East.
3. Orlando Magic
Orlando returns from a disappointing postseason looking to prove itself. With the same core guys as last year (minus Matt Barnes), and the addition of Quentin Richardson, the Magic will still be in the running for Eastern Conference Champions. Of course, their conference/state rivals, the Heat, may have something to say about that.
After that, it’s hard to say right now. But after all the big free agent signings, there may be a few surprising teams looking to jump a few spots from last year. A few last thoughts about the new-look Eastern Conference:
- One of the teams to watch for is the Chicago Bulls, with the duo of Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer looking to sneak up on those top three teams.
- Although the Washington Wizards have definitely improved their roster, I don’t think John Wall will be the hero they need – at least, not this season. He may be talented, but he doesn’t have the maturity and experience yet to lead this team into the playoffs. I see them finishing around the nine to eleven range in the conference standings – still a good improvement, though.
- Biggest disappointment in 2011? Atlanta Hawks. Joe Johnson isn’t in a contract year anymore, and their playoff experience was a little too demoralizing.
- Worst team in the East? I almost feel bad for them – but I think the New Jersey Nets are going to hold onto this title for one more year.
