terrible poll. since the favorites, the timberwolves, aren't up there i'll have to go with the rockets. obviously.
Rooting for Houston but there chance is low. Legitimate team that I hope wins is OKC. But I think Dallas even though Barea was a big loss for them.
I think if Bulls get rip hamilton, it'll be enough to push them over and make them a Championship team.
I think Heat has the best chance to win it all. The only team that can challenge the Heat in the Eastern Conference is Chicago. Adding a legit shooting guard makes the Chicago team a very tough out.
It's going to be the Grizz. They were competitive without Gay, with him back look out. Hopefully Rockets are the draft champions
In both conferences it is a 3 team race. In the west: Oklahoma, Dallas, Clippers. In the East: Miami, Chicago, New York Eastern Conference Finals-Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls Western Conference Finals-Oklahoma Thunder vs. L A Clippers NBA Finals-Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Champions-Miami Heat of course there is still major trades can impact what teams are going to be great. For example if Lakers get Dwight, they will be very good. If clippers land Chris Paul, Clippers can win the west
I'd prefer to wait until free agency and CP3 is finalized, but I'll bite. In the West, it's between OKC & Memphis. OKC: Assuming their core players step up their game some and Scott Brooks improves at least a little, I think they should be the favorites. I'm particularly excited to see how Westbrook, Harden and Ibaka are better. I also think their rookie, Reggie Jackson, may surprise people though it may not happen until later in the season because of Scott Brooks' stubbornness and the lockout. Memphis: Not enough people are talking about them. Z-Bo apparently is ready to start the season strong and they bring back all of their core players. When you add Rudy Gay to the mix, the only thing that can slow them down is poor team chemistry. If they avoid chemistry problems, this team is a definite Finals contender. Honorable mention: Losing Chandler will be fatal to the Mavs. What they have going for them is a veteran core of players that know how to get it done and maybe the best coach in the NBA right now. Rick Carlisle doesn't get enough credit IMO. It's also a two-team race in the East between Miami and Chicago. Miami: Nuff said. Only LeBron's disappearing act denied them the championship last season. They have a great chance to repeat from the East. Chicago: I'm assuming they get Rip Hamilton, which will make them better than last year. I expect Boozer to improve and Rose to perform better in the playoffs. Honorable mention: The Knicks. Unless they get a very good PG or playmaking SG, I don't consider them a contender. Their roster is poorly constructed. The notion of running everything through Melo is a recipe for failure. They will win a lot of regular season games and be a fun team to watch, but I don't see them beating the Bulls or Heat in a 7-game series. This thread is 2 weeks premature so all of the above can change.
I am envisioning Kobe b****ing about getting touches from Dwight, but afraid to smack him on his head.
