Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Season Opener 2008-09


After a pretty uneventful summer as far as the NBA goes, I could feel the anxiousness approach as I sat down to watch the season opening games with the Cleveland Cavaliers v. the Boston Celtics.Of the regular questions pop into your head as to what teams will be good as usual, who will be this year's surprise winners/losers, who can stay the healthiest, and of course who will end up in NBA Finals?

As good as the talent is in the NBA right now, a lot of the previously asked questions are just too difficult to answer. The Finals question might be more clear cut in the Eastern Conference as the top 5 or 6 teams are pretty much know. But as you look at the Western Conference, it is just as hard as it has been in previous years. The good news for all the teams is that everybody starts 0-0 and everyone is in first place.

Last year in the west it was a 50 game minimum to make that playoffs, and I don't see that changing very much this year. But I do expect a few teams to drop as they have aged, roster moves, or other up and coming teams will just come up and take spots. I expect the Dallas Mavericks to drop, or even possibly miss the playoffs as I feel the hasty trades of last year will continue to hurt them for years to come. I think the San Antonio Spurs may have struggles as Manu Ginobli will be out for extended time, and the roster is just aging.

The only teams in the Western Conference that basically have no chance to make the playoffs are the Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, and possibly the Sacramento Kings. But the rest is so wide open for those that are going to step up and take the challenge. The Eastern Conference is more clear cut as Boston, Cleveland, and the Detroit Pistons should battle for the top spots. The last 2-3 team that make the playoffs in the East will be unable to make any real impact, as opposed to the West where many of the teams are evenly matched.

I have been away for a while, but since the season is back, so is my excitement. I look forward to dropping 3-5 blogs every week. This is going to be one of the greatest NBA season's we have seen, and last year will be hard to top, but the possibilities are endless.