The NBA basketball season is finally here again, and this season looks to be one of the most exciting in years. There are a number of teams that look to be much improved from last season, so there could very well be an addition of a few teams to the NBA's elite levels. Some of the teams that were marginally good last season but were missing that special player to put them over the top have gotten that piece. Other teams faced growing pains and didn’t start to click until the end of the season. Other teams were addled by injuries and were not able to get past them. Excitement has been growing all summer and NBA tickets are already in high demand. Some of the teams that look poised to jump to the top of their conference after a so-so last season include the Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic and Portland Trailblazers. They are at the top of the list of teams likely to explode, but they are by no means the only ones.
Then there are the teams that were good last year but their stability as and NBA power is in danger. Foremost atop that list is the Phoenix Suns, who blew up their run-and-gun style of the past three years in favor of a more conventional style of play. Whether or not the Shaq can help the Suns win a title is yet to be seen, but the trade definitely put an end to the seven seconds or less era in Phoenix. The Mavericks also underwent some mayor transformations last year, bringing in Jason Kidd and jettisoning Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks.
With Greg Oden back on track, there are many NBA insiders who are bracing for a Blazers resurgence in the West. They have one of the NBA's fastest teams, and they could surprise a lot of people this year. The team was able to perform admirably without Oden, and with the seven-foot center back the Blazers should be a good team, even in the West. Trail Blazers tickets are already flying of the shelf, so it looks like it could be a good year indeed for this recently troubled franchise.
But then again in the West, it wont be easy. You can bet that the Jazz will be one of the West's big powers. The Jazz came close to taking out the Lakers last year, and this year they will be even hungrier to bring a title to Utah. They have a number of players that can pretty much score at will, a deep and talented bench and one of the most physical defenses in the league. The Jazz are definitely going to be a formidable opponent this season, so you can bet that it will be a long night for any team playing them.
Of course the Boston Celtics will be one of the league's premier teams after wining it all last year. They were an unstoppable force all last season long, but there could be a drop-off after Garnett and Co. brought a title back to Beantown after 22 years. Whether or not KG, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are able to do the very difficult and repeat will be one of the big questions all season long.
And of course the C's opponent in the Finals will once again be a tough team to play against. The Lakers have about the same team that got them past the Nuggets, Jazz and Spurs, so there is no reason to think Kobe and the Zen Master won't be able to do the same this season. Especially if Andrew Bynum can play the way he has, the Lake show is definitely a threat to run the table in the West.
Of course the Spurs will also be in the mix, as Tim Duncan still has some fight in him. Some NBA observers have said the Spurs' age will finally catch up them this season, but they were pretty competitive against the Lakers last season, and there is no reason to think that Duncan, Ginobli and Parker are ready to hang it up. Look for the Spurs to remain a Western power, for this season at least.
After running the table for a while, the Mavericks and Suns could be seeing a bit of a dip in their performance this season. They both lost important pieces while acquiring older stars. But don’t count them out just yet, as Dirk Nowitski and Steve Nash are still elite players. Then again they can only do so much with a so-so team.
Back on the east cost, the Cavaliers have added Mo Cheeks, and with Zydrunas Ilgauskas also giving a hand to LeBron James, the Cavs could finally be ready to bring the Cavs their first NBA title in history. Lebron has managed to be very good even without a stellar supporting cast, so there is every reason to believe that with a solid set of player behind him he can be the ultimate champion everyone is waiting for him to be.
As far as Eastern teams that have made the leap into the higher levels of competitiveness, there are whispers around the league that the Sixers may have put together a championship-caliber team one year removed from trading their once-time superstar Allen Iverson.
The Raptors are another team that has many people waiting to see what happens. They have a strong nucleus and have added some quality role-players, so there is a chance that Raptors tickets will be selling like mad by midseason. We all know that rabid fans that reside in Toronto, so it could be a special year for all of them.
The Detroit Pistons, a long-time NBA power, seem to be stuck in idle the past few years. There haven’t really been any great trades to shake things up, but with reliable starts like Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace, why should they. Perhaps all they need are a few quality role-players and a deeper bench to get them another NBA title before their stars start to fade. This season could see some mayor rearranging of the NBA depth charts, but I think the Pistons can stick around this season and they will definitely be a force in the post-season.
There are many more intriguing story lines to follow this season, so keep coming back to basketball Sherpa to see what is new in the NBA. We will also let you know if there are any developments as far as NBA tickets go.
