#1 Brooklyn Nets
Yeah, call me a nutcase, but let's just take a step back here and think about what Brooklyn has now.
The 2013-14 depth cart:
| PG | Deron Williams- | Shaun Livingston- | Tyshawn Taylor- | Jorge Gutierrez |
| SG | Joe Johnson- | Jason Terry- | Alan Anderson- | Chris Johnson |
| SF | Paul Pierce- | Andrei Kirilenko- | Tornike Shengelia - | Adonis Thomas |
| PF | Kevin Garnett- | Reggie Evans- | Mirza Teletovic | |
| C | Brook Lopez- | Andray Blatche- | Mason Plumlee |
I would like someone to tell me why this isn't easily a championship-caliber team. Deron Williams is still a top 5, maybe even top 3 point guard in this league. D-Will is an all around great player, a solid defender, great passer, and even better scorer. But what is behind him is one of the most underrated players on the team: Shaun Livingston. Livingston is a matchup nightmare for opposing teams, as he is 6'7", probably the tallest point guard in the league. To special guard we go: Why do people seem to not like this corp? Yes, Joe Johnson and Jason Terry are getting older, but when they are hot, they can still shoot the lights out of buildings. Johnson can shoot the Nets back into games, while Terry, although erratic, is still producing at a great level. Now, how about these 3 new boys coming into the Barclays Center? I, personally, am tired of hearing all these naysayers talk about how Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are too old to even be putting on jerseys anymore. What a joke that is. Pierce and Garnett are still Pierce and Garnett. If they get enough rest during the season (For instance, taking a game off after a back-to-back occasionally), and stay away from the injury bug, they can prove to the world that they still have many NBA games ahead of them. Below Pierce is the Nets other big-time addition, Andrei Kirilenko (AK-47). He really fortifies the Nets bench, and can do just about anything. The energetic small forward will be critical the Brooklyn's season. Finally, let's look at the center position. What we have here at starter is possibly the best scoring center in the NBA, Brook Lopez. While the media will not give credit where credit is due, Lopez should have easily been an all-star last year, and he is quickly becoming the lead go-to guy when the Nets are in need of a quick bucket. While other teams will be draining all of their focus on defending all the other threats the Nets offer, Lopez will be able to score easier than ever before. Expect him to get that elusive all-star bid this year. I personally love the Nets as the favorite to win the East, and please tell me in the comments section if you disagree.
#2 Miami Heat
Yes, Miami is not number one on this list...... for now. How can a person NOT have a 2-time defending champion as number one heading into a season? Well, it was quite tough for me to put them in the top spot, because of the amount of parity in the NBA as a whole. The NBA's Eastern Conference seems to have become stronger after the 2013 offseason, and they are all gunning after LeBron James's head. LeBron is simply the best player in the world. No doubt can be placed in my head about that fact. But, as usual, he can not win titles alone. This is where there are too many question marks, I believe, to be able to put them in the number one spot. The Heat's chink in their armor happens to be down low in the post. Chris Bosh had possibly his worst season in the NBA last year, and if the 'Ostrich' can't improve on his rebounding skills, Miami will be in a load of trouble. The team welcomed the former number one NBA Draft pick Greg Oden to town in the offseason to try to help out in the paint. Oden, who is trying to shake his image as a 'draft bust', has been impressing many this preseason, with some high-flying dunks to showcase. But can he stay healthy? That is just another one of Miami's many questions heading into this year. Also, can Ray Allen keep producing? We all remember his insane 3-pointer at the end of Game 6 of the NBA Finals, but there is no question that Allen is starting to let Father Time get to him. Can Dwyane Wade stay relevant? Yes, he is still the great Dwyane Wade, but the injury bug really has took ahold of him lately, and one can only hope he can keep making big plays in the league for at least a few more good years. The outlook is a cloudy one, so for now, they are not number one.
#3 Los Angeles Clippers
The Clips! With Chris Paul and Blake Griffin now locked up for years to come, the new team of Los Angeles will have no distractions in their hunt for the NBA Championship. First of all, there is no more Vinny Del Negro hanging around the coaching spot. In probably the biggest 'acquisition' of the NBA offseason, LA pulled Doc Rivers in to be the new head coach, and he is making multiple changes. For the past 2 years, the Clippers have been nicknamed 'Dunk City'. However, according to multiple players on the team, Rivers will institute a much more sound defensive scheme, and will deemphasize the theatrics of the dunks. And one of the most critical cog in this new system is center DeAndre Jordan. Coach Rivers has instilled a boatload of trust in Jordan, and is expecting him to utilize his height more than ever before. Jordan is now really starting to get the hang of blocking shots in the NBA, and is averaging 4 blocks per game this preseason. Also critical to this season are the new additions of Jared Dudley and JJ Redick. Dudley, one of the best glue-guys in the league, is coming over from Phoenix to replace the aging Caron Butler. When he is hot, he can bring the house down with his excellent accuracy from beyond the arc. Redick, on the other hand, not only can shoot some impressive 3's, but he can get into the paint in a breeze to create some impressive layups. With a great bench, including the excellent Sixth Man Jamal Crawford, the team is much more than just the star-power of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. I say this team is the team to beat in the Western Conference.
Soon, part 3 of this series will be revealed. It will include the teams that will make the playoffs, and maybe go all the way to the title, but for right now are not in the top 3. For now, so long!
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