Hoops Nation

5. San Antonio Spurs- The San Antonio Spurs are a veteran based team. They are led by future Hall of Famer, Tim Duncan, point guard Tony Parker, and 6th man Manu Ginobili. They also have notable players such as Stephen Jackson, Patrick Mills, and Kawhi Leonard. They didn’t do much this offseason, but they have great leadership in their big three, and also one of the strongest benches in the entire NBA. The Spurs also have a great coach, Greg Popovic. Pop is regarded by many as one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. With a strong starting lineup, great bench, and excellent coach, I see the Spurs doing very well in the West.

4. Boston Celtics- The Celtics are just like the Spurs. They are veteran based, have a very strong bench, and have an outstanding coach. This offseason has been great for the C’s. They have added combo guard Jason Terry, shooting guard Courtney Lee, and resigned players such as Kevin Garnett, Chris Wilcox, and Jeff Green. Although the lost future Hall of Fame shooting guard Ray Allen, they still got a lot better. At this point, I think Jason Terry is actually better than Ray Allen. So losing Ray is not entirely a huge loss. The Celtics also have a great bench. Guys like Jared Sullinger, Jason Terry, Jeff Green, Chris Wilcox, Fab Melo, and Courtney Lee make an outstanding bench. In my opinion, Boston has the best bench in the NBA. I can see the Celtics placing second in the Eastern conference.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder- The Thunder have great star power. Guys like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden are all great players. Durant is one of the best players in the league. He has lead the league in scoring for the past 3 years. He can hit from pretty much anywhere on the floor. Westbrook is also an elite point guard. He is young, athletic, and very explosive. He can drive to the rim, and hit jumpers. Harden is a great shooter and scorer. He averaged around 20 points per game this past season. Thunder also have great players such as excellent shot blocker, Serge Ibaka, and Thabo Sefalosha. OKC does not have a great bench, though. They have 6th man of the year, James Harden, but besides that, the bench isn’t great. The Thunder are a very young team. They made the NBA Finals in 2012, but lost to the Miami Heat. The Thunder are already an elite team, and are still going to get better. I see OKC having a great year!

2. Los Angeles Lakers- LA has had a great offseason. They traded center Andrew Bynum, and got center Dwight Howard. This is a great move for them. Dwight is the best center in the league today, along with a great rebounder and defender. Howard has won 3 defensive player of the year awards. They also picked up veteran point guard Steve Nash. That is a great pickup for them. Nash will be very good with the Lakers. He is one of the greatest passers ever. Now Kobe, Dwight, and Pau Gasol have an excellent point guard to set them up for easy buckets. They also picked up Antwan Jamison who will be a great player coming off the bench for the Lakers. I expect the LA Lakers to finish 1st in the West.It will be interesting to watch the Lake Show in action.

1. Miami Heat- The Miami Heat are the reigning champs. That fact alone pretty much makes this spot a lock for Miami. They beat the Oklahoma city Thunder in 5 games, winning the NBA Finals. During the offseason, they improved their roster a lot. They added 3 point shooters Ray Allen, and Rashard Lewis. They now have many great 3 point shooters, such as Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier, and James Jones. Plus, they have Lebron James, the best player in the world, Dwyane Wade, who is one of the best players also, and Chris Bosh, an excellent power forward. Overall, the Heat are an excellent team. The only major issue for them is their lack of big men. If they had a good center, they would be nearly unstoppable. I can see Miami taking the #1 spot in the East easily. It’s going to be entertaining to watch this team play.