2008 NBA Preview

Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, along with rookies Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez, and Nicolas Batum, will make some noise in the Western Conference

Last season, NBA fans were treated to a Lakers-Celtics history-filled Finals, an improving, young Blazers team, a breakout year by the should-have-been-MVP Chris Paul, and so much more. If it’s possible, this year will be even more exciting.

The Celtics will try to repeat as NBA Champions (unsuccessfully), minus James Posey, the Blazers will be blessed with Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez, Nicolas Batum, and Jerryd Bayless, and Chris Paul will get what he deserves, the MVP. Teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks, and Portland Trail Blazers will continue to improve, and climb in the standings. LeBron James, in getting his wish in the form of Mo Williams, will run roughshod over the NBA, and instead of falling short as his Cavaliers did last season, he will reach the Finals. The New Orleans Hornets will improve on last season, with help from Posey, the sixth-man extraordinaire. The Lakers, even though they get Andrew Bynum back, will not win the NBA title, nor reach the finals.

In my mind, all of this would make a perfect NBA season. The rest will stay the same. The San Antonio Spurs, though old, will find a way to compete deep into the playoffs. Teams such as the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma Thunder (I hate saying that; they’re still the Seattle Sonics) will be awaiting next years’ lottery, hoping to improve.

With all of this said, without the intriguing Portland Trail Blazers, the NBA season would be a boring one. They have the type of makeup that every team dreams: a savvy point guard, Steve Blake, two franchise players, Brandon Roy and Greg Oden, a Spanish import that could win the NBA scoring title if he would get the allotted minutes to do so, more young talent in Bayless, Aldridge, Outlaw, and Webster, as well as a perfect fit running the team, Nate McMillan. Many teams in the league have the disadvantage of dealing with players past their prime, or ones that think there is an “I” in “team”. Not the Blazers. The Blazers essentially are three-deep at each position (not something that any other team can boast), and each player knows his role. What also makes this Blazers team so great is the aggressiveness of General Manager Kevin Pritchard, Simply, without him, this team wouldn’t be possible. Without him, the Blazers might not have traded Zach Randolph, nor would they have acquired Roy and Aldridge in the 2006 NBA Draft, traded for Fernandez in 2007, or Bayless in this past draft. Without him, the Blazers would still be searching for answers, wondering when “Rip City” would find it’s way back into Portland.

Lucky for them, and their fans, it’s here.

2008-09 Predictions:

Western Conference: (1) New Orleans Hornets, (2) Los Angeles Lakers, (3) Houston Rockets, (4) Utah Jazz, (5) Portland Trail Blazers, (6) San Antonio Spurs, (7) Dallas Mavericks, (8) Phoenix Suns

Eastern Conference: (1) Cleveland Cavaliers, (2) Boston Celtics, (3) Detroit Pistons, (4) Orlando Magic, (5) Philadelphia 76ers, (6) Toronto Raptors, (7) Atlanta Hawks, (8) Chicago Bulls

MVP: Chris Paul (by a hair over LeBron James); ROY: Greg Oden (over Michael Beasley)

The Blazers will make it into the second round of the playoffs. The Lakers will lose to the Hornets in the Western Conference Finals, while the Celtics will fall to the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. This sets up a Hornets-Cavaliers Final: Hornets win in 6 to win their first NBA Championship.