There Are At Least Five Teams Capable of Winning the NBA Championship
Competition should be fierce. The NBA Champion Lakers appear to have actually improved from last season. They better have, since every other contender has too. Even though the Western Conference is in a supposed “down” year, the upper echelon of teams, that include the Lakers, San Antonio, Denver, andPortland, will be jockeying for home court throughout the entire regular season. It will be interesting to watch: a)if Ron Artest can control his emotions and become the All-Star second fiddle to Kobe and help the Lakers repeat, b)if the addition of Richard Jefferson, Antonio McDyess, and Dejuan Blair is enough to bring the Spurs a fifth title, c)if Carmelo Anthony truly matures and becomes a MVP candidate, possible scoring champ, and leads the Nuggets to their first NBA Finals, and d) if Andre Miller can provide the veteran leadership that the young Blazers need to make them annual contenders.
In the East, Boston, Cleveland, and Orlando are the clear cut class of the conference, with all three having title aspirations. It will be interesting to watch: a)if Shaq and Lebron can coexist and give Cleveland it’s first title, b)if Kevin Garnett’s knee can withstand a full season and the addition of Sheed ensures Boston a return trip back to the Finals, c)if Vince Carter can adjust to playing with a dominant big man and defer to his new talented teammates, and d)if Joe Johnson takes the next step towards superstardom and leads a young Hawks squad deep into the postseason.
