If the MLB postseason, the NHL season and the NFL season don’t provide enough excitement, good news is coming within a week.
Tuesday, Oct. 27, the NBA season tips off, and after an offseason full of roster changes, this season promises to be as exciting as the last. In both the Eastern and Western Conference, several teams hold particular intrigue as the season gets started.
In the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the favorite to return to the NBA Finals. After last season, when LeBron James — I mean the Cavaliers – lost to the Golden State Warriors in a six-game series, the Cavs players have described themselves as “very hungry” this year as they look to return to the Finals, this time with a healthy roster.
On the surface, this sounds simple. After all, if one player, James, could nearly win a series by himself, certainly James can win one with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love as his right-and-left-hand men. But all is not well in Cleveland. A bad back has forced James to receive injections and miss the final two preseason games, Love and Irving are both recovering from offseason surgeries that will force them to miss early games, and power forward Tristan Thompson missed the entire preseason while holding out for a better contract. The Cavs have a lot of broken parts right now, and in Cleveland, anything short of a title will devastate the city.
The Miami Heat could pose a serious threat to the Cavs in the East. After re-signing free agent guard Goran Dragic and adding forward Justice Winslow through the draft, the Heat have quickly rebounded from James’ departure a year ago. But like the Cavs, the Heat have lingering unanswered questions. Dwyane Wade has struggled with injuries and bad knees for several years, and Chris Bosh is returning from a life-threatening blood clot. Winslow, too, remains a mystery, having never played in the league. Depending on the health of the team, the Heat could be one of the best teams in the East, or they could be one of the worst.
Compared to the West, the East looks tame.
Coming off a successful title run, the Golden State Warriors return with most of their major players still on the roster. Their coach, on the other hand, is currently away from the team as he receives treatment for his back. Without Steve Kerr at the helm during training camp, things have been a little different in California. Luke Walton, who has never coached an NBA game, assumed the role of interim coach during Kerr’s absence, and when the Warriors play the Pelicans Tuesday night, it will be interesting to see how the team has responds to his methods.
As always seems to be the case, the San Antonio Spurs are title contenders. They added veteran forwards LaMarcus Aldridge and David West in the offseason, and with Aldridge, West, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and the rest of the veterans in San Antonio, it looks like Greg Popovich might win yet another title. For the Spurs, age remains a factor. Even with careful rest, Tim Duncan continues to age. Role players will be relied upon to carry the team on nights when Duncan sits or plays limited minutes.
Basketball is back, and with so many story lines to follow, the 2015-2016 season could be one of the best ever in the Association. It would be easy to make premature assumptions about what will happen instead of letting things play out. So here goes. I predict the Cavs will bring the city of Cleveland its first title in 56 years, beating the Spurs in six games.
Kibbeei14@bonaventure.edu
