10. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are my sleeper team for contenders. Andrew Bynum is getting healthy and is close to returning. Kyrie Irving has supplanted his name as one of the best point guards in the league.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are my sleeper team for contenders. Andrew Bynum is getting healthy and is close to returning. Kyrie Irving has supplanted his name as one of the best point guards in the league.
You are a fool if you think last season was a fluke. Stephen Curry is a trained sharpshooter and the real deal. If Andrew Bogut can stay upright for 70+ games, the sky is the limit for the Golden State Warriors.
The health concerns of Russell Westbrook have the Oklahoma City Thunder ranked this low. With Kevin Martin off to Minnesota, someone on the bench has to step up and score. Kevin Durant is still the second best player on the planet, but he can’t do it alone.
The Houston Rockets were good last season, despite not having a defensive presence. The addition of Dwight Howard has changed that immediately. James Harden has taken over as the league’s best shooting guard and should continue to improve.
A healthy Derrick Rose could mean a Finals trip for the Chicago Bulls, or it could spell disaster. Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah must continue their dominate play as they did last season. If Jimmy Butler can continue to develop into a Scottie Pippen clone, the city of Chicago could be parading again.
Can a coach really make a difference in the win column for the Los Angeles Clippers? Blake Griffin has to develop some post moves to be considered elite and taken seriously. Chris Paul will continue to run circles around opposing guards and take home the MVP award this year.
Say what you want to about the age and mileage on Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. When the game is on the line, these two players are a must have. Deron Williams could be in store for a career high in assist with all the added firepower around him. Fans of the Brooklyn Nets could be dancing in the streets come June.
The great thing about veterans is their ability to forget and move on. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili should be collecting their rings on opening night, if not for the bonehead coaching of Greg Popovich. Kawhi Leonard will have to forget the fact he choked at the charity stripe and grow into the dominate player the San Antonio Spurs faithful think he can be.
The Miami Heat won their first title on sheer talent. They won their second title by paying off the Spurs' soaching staff. The signing of Greg Oden and Michael Weedleasy, I mean Beasley, just bolstered their bench with defense and scoring. LeBron James is still the best player on the planet for the first three quarters of a game.
The Indiana Pacers are the most dangerous team in the league. Roy Hibbert proved his worth in the playoffs last year. Paul George forgot there was a Game 7, but is still worth the price of admission. Danny Granger is back to prove this is still his team. The Heat would be considered a bust if Granger was healthy last year.
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