NBA Season Preview... WhyToby?

It's been long awaited, very much so, but finally the NBA Season is back upon us. Last time we saw some NBA action, we were watching the Golden State Warriors put the finishing touches on the LeBron led Cavaliers( much to my disappointment), but since that happened, ALOT has changed to say the least.

Have you heard the saying the rich get richer? Well that was the case this offseason. 

• Spurs won Free agency by signing LaMarcus Aldrige, and the underrated signing of David West for basically nothing. Plus they locked up Kawhi and Danny Green long term
• Houston might've had the most underrated offseason acquisition of the summer with Ty Lawson. The one glaring hole on Houston's roster has now been filled by another All-star. Scary.
• Clippers FINALLY got Paul Pierce, the clutch 4th quarter scorer they've been missing. Added a Lance Stephenson who has a lot to prove this season and Josh Smith, who single handedly started their downfall vs Houston last postseason.
• And oh yeah, OKC got Kevin Durant back, apparently 100 %. 'Nuff said.

TO THE EAST.

• The "Weak" East is starting to get a little better.
• Chicago got the offensive coach Tom Thibodeau wasn't.
• Pacers look like they're ready to get back to the playoffs the way a healthy Paul George is looking, and the addition of Monta Ellis
• Milwaukee improved this offseason with the addition of Greg Monroe from the Pistons AND Jabari Parker will be returning from his ACL injury.
• Cleveland brought back their entire core AND added some viable backups in Mo Williams and Richard Jefferson.
• But who really won the offseason in the East? The Miami Heat. After missing out on the playoffs in their first post-LeBron season, they went out and wreaked havoc during the offseason. Locked up Goran Dragic Longterm, brought in Gerald Green and Amar'e Stoudemire; and got the steal of the draft in Justise Winslow.

What makes an NBA season interesting ?
Storylines. And this season is jam packed with them.

• Can the Warriors repeat?

Everyone is doubting them, calling their championship run a fluke, can they prove them wrong ?

• Kevin Durant... 2016

This season Kevin Durant will be a free agent, and will be commanding max money. But will he stay? Or will he go ? And he will be dealing with the rumors and gossip all season long. He is also entering his 9th season without a championship... Soon people won't be letting him slide no more 

• The Kobe Finale

We're all expecting this to be the Black Mamba's last. 1) will he be able to stay healthy and be the Kobe of old and 2) Can he actually lead the Lakers to some wins this season 

• Can LeBron finally get it done in Cleveland?

This is it. Cleveland are the favorites for the championship. By January, they should he everyone back healthy. Will Cleveland finally get that elusive title? 

Every NBA season, there's always surprises. Here are mine.

Surprise team of the East? MILWAUKEE.

 I'm warning y'all now. Fear the Deer. And I mean it. They surprised everyone last season by making the playoffs, and this year I think they're gonna take it further. With the addition of Greg Monroe, they finally got the inside presence they were missing. Jabari Parker will be back, and he will have a strong season. The Greek Freak Giannis is only getting better, and Michael Carter-Williams will have a full season under Jason Kidd, who is doing a sensational job as coach.

For the West? UTAH.

The Jazz finished the season after the all star break 19-10. Pretty good in the West, and they finished with one of the top defenses in the league. Rudy Gobert is poised to take the leap this season, and they already have their All Star in Gordon Hayward. They will make the playoffs this year. Watch out

Surprise player of the season? Damian Lillard.

 I can't even lie, Portland is gonna go through it this season. They lost 4/5th of their starting line from last season, and the only returning member they threw him 125Ms. Lillard is gonna have the season of his life for one reason, he's all they have. He WILL have the greenest of green lights this season, and I trust Lillard will take full advantage. If he's on your Fantasy team, you're a lucky man(or woman). Look for him to maybe lead the league in scoring, definitely at least top 5.

Now, sorry to keep y'all waiting, Prediction time!

Rookie Of The Year

Emmanuel Mudiay. 

The 7th pick in the draft I believe will be ROY. He is one of the few rookies that will be starting off rip, and he's one of the even fewer rookies that their team's offense will be built around. He'll have the minutes to do as he pleases, and based on his pre-season, he'll take full advantage.

Defensive Player Of The Year

Rudy Gobert

After the trade of Enes Canter it opened up playing time for Rudy Gobert, and he was a monster . He dominated the court defensively. And with even more minutes this season, he's gonna show you he's a force to stay. 

Most Valuable Player

LeBron James

Everyone is doubting LeBron. "He's getting old" "He's already falling off" well he shut y'all up in the finals. LeBron still got it, and I believe he will show it this year. With Kyrie out, if Cleveland wants to win, LeBron's gonna have to play.. A lot. He really deserved MVP last year after single handedly turning around the Cavs season after his "break", and this year, he will avenge it. He will get his 5th MVP award, tying Michael Jordan.

Playoff Predictions 

EAST:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers 62-20

2. Chicago Bulls 55-27

3. Miami Heat 53-29

4. Atlanta Hawks 51-31

5. Washington Wizards 48-34

6. Toronto Raptors 45-37

7. Milwaukee Bucks 43-39

8. Indiana Pacers 41-41

Eastern Conference Finals

Cleveland vs Miami Heat

Honestly, this is destined, it's fate. You might as well book it right now, because Cleveland Vs Miami will happen. It's almost too good to be true. LeBron's new team vs LeBron's old team. Dwayne Wade vs LeBron James for a chance at at NBA championship. Can it get anymore beautiful? 

But sorry Miami, y'all will get close, but the King will reign supreme. LeBron, Kevin Love, and Kyrie? Too much offense. 

Cleveland In 6

WEST

1) Oklahoma City Thunder 62-20

2) Golden State Warriors 61-21

3) San Antonio Spurs 58-24

4) Houston Rockets 57-25

5) Los Angeles Clippers 55-27

6) Memphis Grizzles 53-29

7) New Orleans 51-31

8) Utah Jazz 49-33

Western Conference Finals 

Oklahoma City vs San Antonio 

Why does it always seem like the West goes through San Antonio? Well this year won't be any different. These two teams have become pretty familiar with themselves in the Western Conference Finals. This will be the 3rd time in 5 years. Spurs winning the last matchup in 2014, and OKC winning back in 2012. This season tho, I don't see the OKC getting stopped. Who's gonna stop Westbrook? Expect him to average over 30 this series. 

Oklahoma City wins in 7

NBA Finals

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Oklahoma City

Could this season get anymore better? We're all happy we don't have to see the Spurs in the finals again. And LeBron is back for a 6th straight try. And could we get better matchups?! MVP vs MVP, LeBron vs Durant. Westbrook vs Kyrie, the most explosive vs the most sauciest. We all remember remember last time these two met in the Finals. LeBron finally broke through and won his first championship. And I'm expecting the same result. 

Cavaliers win in 6.

LeBron James Finals MVP.

So there I have it. LeBron wins championship number 3. Dropping KD to 0-2 in the Finals. Cleveland wins the Elusive championship. 

So do you all agree?