I'll start in the East where a certain franchise down in Southern Flo
rida made quite a few headlines this summer. But since everyone's mother and their brother made a blog post on the Heat forecast this year, I thought I'd skip the details and move on to the defending conference champs. Boston is aging, but still has plenty of chemistry, star power, and most importantly Rajon Rondo, which is enough to compete, and I think they will fend off the Magic, who are continually creeping closer. Dwight Howard is a freak, but not enough to win the East. One interesting fact is that the Magic won 59 games last year, but were below .500 when in close games (5 points or less). They lack the intensity and leadership that Boston has thrived on. Moving on, I already wrote on the Bulls, but Boozer and Korver should help propel this team into the second round. The Hawks have been an up and coming team lately, but Fuerto sees them struggling this year. Joe Johnson's extension was a mistake, and will cause even more frustration in Atlanta as he and the rest of the team struggle with consistency. The Bucks could be a sleeper team as they will go as far as Brandon Jennings takes them. The Knicks are another darkhorse who are another superstar away from legitimate contention. By the way, I really don't think Amar'e is that great of a signing, mainly because i
t cost David Lee. Lee is not a franchise player, but he is a hard worker who brings energy and passion onto the court. Also, New York desperately needs a more physical presence down low after being one of the worst rebounding teams last year, and Stoudemire's 8.9 RPG won't change this much. Obviously, there's always a lot of pressure on the number one draft pick, and while John Wall probably won't push Washington into the playoffs, he will at least give them an exciting offense. The key will be Gilbert Arenas adjusting to his new role just like Larry Hughes did when Arenas was drafted out of Arizona. Also, it would be a good idea to tighten up on locker room security. It might be worth it. Up north, the Raptors will try to make a comeback in the post-Bosh era. They will be led by Fuerto's pick for breakout superstar in athletic wing DeMar DeRozan, and about 12 European point guards. Lastly, the Cavaliers will look to fulfill St Dan Gilbert's prophecy and win that NBA title, and there is a definite possibility. Jamario Moon isn't really that much worse than LeBron, and... OK, I can't do this any more, the Cavs are coming in last. Let's move out west.
Lakers...NBA champs. It's gonna happen again. But Fuerto, Kobe is aging and Phil Jackson is like 107. I think they're gonna fall off. Alright, decent point, but Kobe isn't going anywhere. Not for another 2 or 3 seasons at least, and there's this Pau Gasol guy. Actually what makes this team even more scary to me is the development of the second line. Shannon Brown, Sasha Vujacic, and Luke Walton are some of the best role players in the league and are very important to LA's title hopes. Meanwhile, on the other side of Los Angeles, the Clippers are harnessing a lot of young talent. Blake Griffin is back and is paired with young star Eric Gordon and big man Chris Kaman. Fuerto likes them as a potential sleeper team. Speaking of sleepers, I don't think there could be a more dangerous 6-8 seed as Golden State if they make the postseason. Stephen Curry is deadly, Monta Ellis is a threat, and David Lee gives them some help inside. They are capable of scoring 125 every time they step on the court, and if they get hot, the Lakers, Thunder, or Mavs could pack their bags early.
Obvi, Fuerto loves the Jazz and this year is no different. Deron Williams is still the best PG in the league and Paul Millsap has been waiting for this year his whole career. Al Jefferson was an underrated pickup who is more then capable of a double double average. He, Millsap, and Okur will occupy the middle nicely as Williams, Raja Bell and Gordon Hayward do their thing. Moving on to the Thunder, who are finally ready to compete for a title. Durant is an MVP favorite as Russel Westbrook will match up nicely with D-Will, Derek Fisher, and Chris Paul. Every time I watch this team, I can't help but wonder what would have happened if they hadn't wasted a pick on James Harden in 2009, and instead got say Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry, Brandon Jennings or DeMar DeRozan. The Blazers are definitely very capable of matching up with anyone if they stay healthy. Brandon Roy is a top 10 player and even Greg Oden could be somewhat of a force. Odds are they'll get banged up and limp out of the first round of the playoffs. Here's a bold prediction: The Timberwolves will be in the playoffs... if/when Ricky Rubio ever comes. Until then, enjoy the lottery.
Sorry for the rant, but Fuerto is more pumped than Johnny Chase would be auditioning for the second lead role in a low budget Indie film. Keep it posted as Fuerto and Burnside are gonna bring the heat well into March. Maybe if we're lucky, KFW will come back like Jordan. Until then, enjoy the NBA, enjoy the Muskies, even enjoy the Bearcats and Flyers because the important thing is basketball is back!
