Atlantic Division
Boston Celtics
Tied at 17 titles with the Los Angeles Lakers, the most storied franchise in league history can still take the belt in this Ali/Frazier century long bout. Even if they have lost Gordon Hayward to the Hornets hive. They got bigger this year with the Cavs and Canada’s own Tristan Thompson, a full season after losing Al Horford to The Process.
Plus, if you want to talk about Charlotte, people forget Boston still has the silent assassin in former Hornet Kemba Walker. The quietest and most underrated superstar in the L who now has Jeff Teague as well as Marcus Smart in his backcourt. That’s right now. The future, however this fall like Tacko resides with young stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. The latter whom the C’s have just locked up for years like Akon with all the beans. Boston looks to be strong forever. Cheers.
Brooklyn Nets
The rest of the league isn’t going to be able to get any sleep now Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are at full strength and back from injury. Number 7 and number 11. ‘7Eleven’. Now there’s a nickname. Always got what you need and are ready to give it to you. Convenient for a first year coach. Expect former MVP and our own Coach Steve Nash to have a couple more Most Valuable candidates for 2020/2021. The balance of power was supposed to shift last year, but this season we can trust it like the return of Embiid in Philly.
The B.K is still Caris Levert, Jarrett Allen, Nicolas Claxton, Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris and DeAndre Jordan deep. We just need to wait and see if notorious franchise and league shape shifters KD and Kyrie can play nice. Durant having Jeff Green by his side like the Seattle days when Oklahoma was a Supersonic will help. There’s nothing like friendships that last. Brooklyn, we are about to see you go hard.
New York Knicks
The city that never sleeps can’t get any right now with the state of hoops in the rotten apple, despite their instant classic city edition jerseys. That’s what happens when the Brooklyn wins the fight for N.Y. again before the season even starts. Canadian sensation R.J. Barrett has the ability to make Madison Square Garden basketball’s Eden again, but the Knicks need to make mecca moves to surround him before they leave him feeling as ‘Melo as Anthony in the early 2000’s.
Sure, adding Austin Rivers (channelling his father Glenn’s playing days) to a core of Dennis Smith Jr., Julius Randle, Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox II, Nerlens Noel, Reggie Bullock and Elfrid Payton gives this franchise a real team, but the league is constantly changing. If the city that never sleeps wants to compete they need to keep up as well as stay up.
Philadelphia 76ers
Trust broken? Falling short of expectations has left less at stake in Philly, but it’s not over. Give me a healthy Joel Embiid and stop talking about Ben Simmons jumper, and you have a dynamic duo that inside/out is as good as any not named ‘Bron and the Brow.
One that can Voltron form a big-three with Tobias Harris and get even bigger with Dwight Howard, who after his redemption season with the Lakers joins fellow reigning purple and gold champion Danny Green (if you want to talk about jumpers this Christmas) for this next run. Howard will plug the gap left by Al Horford. Whilst Seth Curry from downtown like Dell or his big brother is a great pick-up. The Process continues.
Toronto Raptors
The 6 may not be the reigning champions anymore, but leaving them out in the cold won’t do anyone good. Gasol may be gone to the new champs, but with all heart, Kyle Lowry remains the most slept on like this superstars team. The Raptors still have bite like Pascal Siakam has spice and adding Aron Baynes like locking up Fred VanVleet is ultimately an upgrade.
Don’t deny the move for the other Japanese talent in this league in Yuta Watanabe either, who came from Canada’s former Grizzlies team to the north yesterday. Even with all eyes on the big in Japan Wizard Hachimura. Yokohama’s very own Watanabe’s versatility just adds to an O.G. Anunoby, Terence Davis and Norman Powell roster as such. The Raptors still have bite. The park is still open.
Central Division
Cleveland Cavaliers
It’s been all about Love in The Land since LeBron left, like no hard feelings for the once and future King of Ohio. Now we need to talk about more than Kevin, as the Cavs just got bigger by adding one of the best in Andre Drummond. Pair him with the championship pedigree of JaVale McGee who deserved better from the Lakers and alongside their leader you have a three-headed Ghidorah that the Lake Show had last year with him, Dwight and A.D.
Speaking of such, with all due respect if only players like Larry Nance Jr. had a bigger ceiling than their hops. Then this team could take it higher than their literal big three’s headbands. As high as we might see with rookie ladder climbing, top five pick Isaac Okoro.
Chicago Bulls
Raging bull has been what Chicago fans have been crying these past few seasons of discontent. The fourth pick in the draft Patrick Williams gives the Windy City a new direction and reason to tune into the Chi-city hotbed of hoops like ‘The Last Dance’ for your 30 For 30. Add parts like big international jersey sellers, Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen, young studs like Otto Porter Jr., Coby White, Denzel Valentine and now vet Thaddeus Young and you have a decent set of stars in the city. Even if the rest of the roster reads like the who’s who of WHO?! Until the Bulls are able to lock horns with the rest of the beasts in the East, it’s all shrugs like Michael Jordan’s security.
Detroit Pistons
What are the Bad Boys going to do? Having a big, dunking star like Blake Griffin is always going to have people tuning into Motown. Whilst Derrick Rose’s rejuvenation has the city coming up and smelling like said flowers. The association still wants to give them concrete though.
The Pistons have become Laimbeer big and tough with glue guys like Mason Plumlee and what the decent vet Jahil Okafor will shape up to be in the paint despite his draft hype bust. However, it’s the move for Denver Nuggets show stealer Jerami Grant that’s the major one. Harvey’s son and Horace’s nephew carries on the family name and inside game. Pair him in the paint with Blake and you’ve got a problem with more height in reserve. Don’t take them for granted in Motor City.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have got a nice team like the Holiday family tree (Aaron and Justin), but you know what they say about nice guys. This team won’t finish last in the standings though. The singing and scoring Victor Oladipo and Sabonis son Domantas and Myles Turner will keep them in the playoff picture. Bubble MVP T.J. Warren may just take them down the stretch.
That is if he becomes the player we saw in Florida where anything could and did happen (except COVID…well played guys) and not the next Lance Stephenson. Guitar strumming fun, but a few strings away from a full bow. Huffing and puffing in the ears of wolves but never blowing the house down.
Milwaukee Bucks
Dirk in Dallas. Duncan in San Antonio. Kobe in Hollywood. Giannis in Milwaukee. There has been a trend this summer for stars to re-up instead of bolting. The latest is Antetokounmpo, who had every league leader sliding into his DM’s this off-season, even his younger brother Kostas who became a champion before him with LeBron.
Giannis was set to be the biggest free agent of last summer. Instead, he signed the biggest contract in league history. $228 million for the next five. Giannis didn’t freak the deer, or run out on them. Instead, he instilled the fear in every other team, as Milwaukee now sharpen their horns for the next half decade.
Jrue Holiday will help Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez improve all that. Decades ago they lost Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Hollywood after one championship. This year ringing the changes, Giannis looks to take them to the one promised land everyone expected last season.
Southeast Division
Atlanta Hawks
COVID-19 crippled everything in 2020. Much more than Basketball. But it was the NBA that led the way in quarantining and shutting everything down. Kudos to Commissioner Adam Silver. Knowing that the game would never be the same, and it would be put on ice until Disney World, Florida in March, that was it for some. Some like Vince Carter who said his goodbyes to the crowd. Air Canada deserved better, but what a run and leap into the rafter for the above the rim Hall of Famer.
The Hawks have more feathers in their cap. They’re a young team…Trae Young. Even if they have added Playoff Rondo to the picture which will develop from game film to victory poses for the ‘gram. A coaching candidate and now champion with now both the Celtics and purple and gold. Look at the A. Look at it. Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela, Danilo Gallinari, De’Andre Hunter, Cam Reddish, Tony Snell and now Rajon. Who would have thought they would be this good? Not me!
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets are buzzing…and the hype is more than Lavar’s mouth. We’re sorry to see what happened with LiAngelo, but like Master P’s brief preseason with the Raptors back in the day, at least the Ball family tree made history and dreams come true with a big balling three brothers under an NBA contract. UUH! There was no limits to Lavar Ball’s hustle. All until last week when LiAngelo was waived goodbye to by Detroit. No matter, you still can’t deny the heart, or the fathers love for his sons.
Now this new ‘Melo and member of Team Jordan once had 92 points in a single-game back in the day. Like the way of Wade tweeted, “not so breaking news, LaMelo Ball is a problem.” Even more so than his pure point brother Lonzo lobbing to Mount Zion in the Mardi Gras of the Big Easy. We can’t wait until the first time these brothers in arms meet centre court swapping jerseys like one last Dwyane. Pair this passing kid with Terry Rozier and another former Celtic in Gordon Hayward and it’s all green for the turquoise. Don’t believe the hype? We remember another celebrity prospect who was picked third in the draft. He’s LaMelo’s new boss.
Miami Heat
Why is everyone keeping quiet about the swagger of the reigning Eastern Conference champions who took it to the talents of a former and future number 6 like a hero or Herro top lip this summer? Did the Butler not serve you enough? Do you not remember him slumped over the side-lines? Have a heart like his huge one. This was no Cinderella run that’s now a lost slipper or smashed pumpkin. No home-court advantage for the South Beach outfit in Florida’s Mickey Mouse Bubble. Don’t be so goofy.
Bam, Bam and Tyler the creator give this team a new James, Bosh and Wade big-three for Gen Z. Not to mention the Heat just finessed Hollywood for defensive specialist Avery Bradley who sat outside the Bubble to protect his son, but still earned his ring as a vital piece and championship cog in the machine. Add, bench mob dudes like Meyers Leonard, Duncan Robinson and Canuck Kelly Olynyk. A healthy Dragic, a full season Iguodala and one last dance (again) for Haslem and it’s a wrap. Miami can still bring the heat like Will Smith singing about it. Here come the men in black and white.
Orlando Magic
Right now the freshest thing about the Orlando Magic is their Sunkist Florida orange jerseys that are the new black and blue for the franchise in throwback Penny pinstripes. The Magic Kingdom may have burst in the Bubble, but they still have potential like what your camera phone might capture on court if you raise it every time Air Gordon’s sneakers do.
Double nickel could be afforded more help though as right now he’s just coming up with ‘Paid In Full’ lint. Then again, look at what happened to Markelle Fultz. With the 15th pick in the NBA Draft Cole Anthony could give them a young core that could really develop once these kids stop blowing bubbles.
Washington Wizards
Donald Trump. You’re fired! Packing his bags in the White House whether he likes it or not, the child we could never really call President isn’t the only one leaving town. Washington is about to say goodbye to a real leader and the one Wall that was welcome in D.C….John. The Wizards still have a House of Guards though, trading with Houston for two-time MVP Russell Westbrook’s latest spell.
What he could do with Bradley Beal is even more anticipatory than last year’s thunderous reunion with James Harden for the Rockets. What’s even bigger like Thomas Bryant’s preseason play is the potential of Rui Hachimura. We at BasketballBuzz have seen first hand that Rui is big here in Japan for a reason and would have been even more so if the Tokyo 2020 Olympics had happened this summer.
If he becomes as big in the NBA as he is in the land of the rising sun then we will have a big three elected in D.C. Bide your time like Biden. Change and hope come to those who wait and say, “yes we can”. That’s how you become truly great in America.
