LT Sports

With 18 days left until the tipoff of the NBA season, I thought it was a perfect time to get into the spirit of the season. Below I am going to list 18 reasons why this NBA season is sure to be one of the most exciting in quite a while. Here’s the list:

1. Rockets without Yao – Over the last 2 seasons, the Rockets have shown that they are capable of winning games without Yao Ming in the lineup. In fact, they seemed to play better when he was out. This season will be the ultimate test to whether those were just flukes or not. They have the opportunity to play the entire season without their big man, and they will need to step up as they have in seasons past. Are the Rockets going to thrive in Yao’s absence, or are they going to fall to the bottom of a very competitive Western Conference?

2.  Ron Artest’s impact with the Lakers – The Lakers are the defending NBA champions, and they added Ron Artest for Trevor Ariza. No knock on Ariza, but Artest makes this team a whole bunch better. If Artest can keep his attitude under control, there is no reason why the Lakers should lose more than 10 games this season. If this team has a weakness, I am not sure it can be detected.

3. Rasheed Wallace is a Celtic – There is no doubt that Rasheed is not in his prime, but he is still one of the most versatile and talented big men in the league. When KG went down for the Celts last year, they were still very good, but they were not the great team that won it all the year before. Now with KG back, and Rasheed Wallace to go alongside him, this team is a real force in the East once again. Do you smell a Cleveland-Boston rivalry on the way? I do.

4. Shaq teamin’ up with LBJ – The Cavs have been a legitimate contender ever since LeBron took over the league with his shear  force. In all that time, LeBron has never had a dominant big man like Shaquille O’neal. He is not the man he once was, but he showed last season that he still has a very valuable role in this league. Shaq’s renaissance season is leading many people to believe that teaming him up with LeBron could be very dangerous. Does Shaq have any more championships left in his career? I can’t wait to find out.

5. Will the Spurs challenge the Lakers? – With the addition of Richard Jefferson, the Spurs are no doormats in the Western Conference. Timmy still has the tools, and Parker and Ginobili are always tough. Plus with the emergence of Roger Mason last season, the Spurs have loads of talent to seriously compete for the NBA crown. Will they be able to mesh together, and give the Lakers somebody to be concerned about? Only time will tell.

6. Hedo is playing in Toronto – Hedo Turkoglu, AKA ”The Turkish Michael Jordan” has left the Orlando Magic, and he has headed to the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors have a lot of young talent in Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani, and Jose Calderon. Now with the addition of Hedo Turkoglu to that squad, the Raptors should separate themselves from the pack of bottom-feeders that exists in the Eastern Conference. Will they take their opportunity, or will they squander it like they have before?

7. Blake Griffin’s Rookie Season – Blake Griffin is one of the best NBA prospects to come along in a while. He destroyed the college competition that was put in front of him, and he is excited about the challenges that lie ahead in the NBA game. His blend of size and athleticism should carry over well into the next level, and his transition period should not last too long. Can he be one of the best power forwards in the league by the end of the season? Will the Clippers actually be competitive? Will another rookie come out of nowhere and take the Rookie of The Year honors?

8. The Oklahoma City Thunder – Yes, the Oklahoma City Thunder could be one of the up and coming teams in the NBA this season. They have a legitimate offensive leader in Kevin Durant, and he is surrounded by many young players who have shown the ability to play at a very high level. Will they be this year’s sexy choice to sneak into the playoffs and cause some problems for some of the big dogs in the Western Conference? One thing is for sure: they will be one of the most exciting teams to watch this season.

9. How will the Magic do with Vince? – The defending Eastern Conference Champions have lost one of their best players in Hedo Turkoglu, but they have gained Vince Carter in his place. Sure, Carter has slowed down a bit, but he is a real shooting guard, which I feel this team has missed. They still have Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, and Jameer Nelson, which is a competitive group of guys in their own right. Carter cannot lead a team on his own anymore, so he needs to learn how to play his supporting role well. If he does, this team can turn some heads.  Carter might actually make this team better than most people realize.

10. What are the Pistons going to do this year? – The team that made the Eastern Conference Championship for 6 straight  seasons is no more. The Pistons have totally revamped their team. Without players like Billups, Iverson, and ‘Sheed, the Pistons are clearly trying a new approach in order to get back to the glory days. They have brought in Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, and Ben Wallace to shake things up in Motown, but how will they all play together? There is no question that they have talent to work with, but is there enough there to get them to the playoffs this season?

11. Are the Grizzlies good? – When you look at the roster of the Memphis Grizzlies, you will see a lot of good players there. Between Allen Iverson, Rudy Gay, OJ Mayo, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Sam Young, and Hasheem Thabeet, the Grizz have a core of guys that can do some special things if they put it all together. But as teams have shown in the past, talent does not always turn into successful play. I think Iverson will play an important role as a veteran on that team. He needs to realize his value, and that he needs to mentor the younger players to get the most out of them. He is not going to put up 40 points a night anymore, but he has a wealth of knowledge that these youngsters can truly learn a lot from. Will Iverson show the leadership skills as a veteran that he showed as a superstar? If he does, this team can be a very tough team to beat.

12. What will Stephen Curry do this year? – One of the most exciting collegiate players, Stephen Curry, has been criticised as being too small for the NBA game. Not only is his size a concern for the NBA, but being that he was drafted by the Golden State Warriors, his playing time is being questioned. The Warriors already have Monta Ellis as the shooting guard, and he is one of the most undersized at the position as it is. Now with a guy like Curry coming in, at a diminutive height, he might have a tough time getting a lot of playing time in the beginning. Because of this interesting dilemma, people wondered why the Warriors drafted Curry in the first place. Well, I am sure they have a plan for the Davidson standout, I am just interested in finding out what it is.

13. Will the Blazers build on last year’s success? – The oft injured Greg Oden has been a concern for the Blazers ever since he has joined the team. Will he finally be healthy and contribute to this team? They have already shown the ability to have a successful season without his services, but adding a 7-foot monster is always a positive influence to have on your team. And Oden is not just any 7-footer, he is supposed to be an integral part in getting a championship to Portland. Brandon Roy is holding up his part, will Oden join in on the party?

14. Will Shawn Marion improve the Mavs? – Shawn Marion has always been a terrific all around player in the NBA, but he had issues finding a role with the Raptors last season. Now he comes to the Mavs, where the team runs a more ”Marion-friendly”, run n’ gun offense led by Jason Kidd. Dirk Nowitzki is still a top tier threat in the league, and Josh Howard is no slouch either. One move that I think might really hurt them in the long run is the loss of Brandon Bass. He has the perfect athleticism to go with the kind of offense that they are going to run, and he is still very young. Will his loss prevent them from the playoffs?

15. Derek Rose - As a rookie, Derek Rose showed that the NBA was the place for him. He was the true leader of a young Bulls team,  and he almost pulled a first round upset of the Boston Celtics in his first playoff series. Just thinking that this guy is going to get a lot better with time is a scary thought. How will year 2 be for Rose? Will it be a sophomore slump, an improvement from last season, or the same? Whatever it is, Rose will probably better than the majority of the point guards in the league.

16. How will the Nuggets play? – The Nuggets are coming off of an impressive season. They let Iverson go for Billups, in a trade that they will go down as one of their best, and they are looking forward to the upcoming season. They return key players, and they are hoping for an even better season this year. In the offseason, they picked up rookie, Ty Lawson, from the Minnesota Timberwolves. To me, that is one of the steals of this year’s draft, as I feel Lawson is greatly underrated. He should provide nice depth to a Nuggets team who was lacking some at the point guard position. With all of that said, how will the Nuggets compete with the league’s top teams? Have they been passed by others because of offseason activity?

17. Will the Jazz make noise? – Jerry Sloan always finds a way to get the most out his teams in Utah, but he has never won the championship. They are returning a very good squad this season, and they have not done too much in the offseason. The emergence of Paul Millsap as one of the best power forwards in the game, is something that the Jazz are anxious about. As long as they have D-Wil running the show in Utah, the Jazz are always going to be team that is well-respected, and they will be a real threat to those younger teams.

18.LeBron James still has no rings! – The phenom and latest face of the NBA, LeBron James, is considered to be the best in the league by most people. He has done more in 6 seasons than many have done in their careers, but he has not done it all. In fact, guys like Luc Longley, Matt Bonner, and Pete Chilcutt all have something that LeBron doesn’t; an NBA championship. Will this year be the year?