NBA Season Preview
Arthur J. Munoz III, MBA '06
Issue date: 2/16/05 Section: Sports
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Now with the NFL season behind us, the NBA season is in full swing. The NBA drama continues this season with the well documented break up of the Lakers after Shaquille O'Neal was traded to the Eastern Conference; thereby altering the balance of power in the East. The newly crowned NBA Champion Detroit Pistons are still feeling the effects of their championship hangover and the battle royal melee with the Indiana Pacers, but have all the pieces in place to make another title run. The Indiana Pacers, on the other hand, have effectively eliminated themselves from NBA title contention with the year-long suspension of Ron Artest. However, rumors are swirling that Artest may be traded before the NBA trade deadline for a high profile superstar. Finally, before the season began, Tracy McGrady was shipped out west to the Houston Rockets and is readjusting to basketball life and the joys of playing alongside a big man in the highly competitive Western Conference.
Now to the NBA Playoff predictions, unlike other professional sport leagues, winning your NBA division is not critically important. Instead, being physically and mentally healthy while simultaneously moving toward peak performance as your team enters the NBA Playoffs is far more critical to an NBA team's postseason success. Here are my playoff picks and rankings for the upcoming NBA Playoffs in April:
Western Conference:
Once again, the Western Conference is loaded with many talented ball clubs. I like the Spurs, Timberwolves, and the Suns to win their respective divisions in the Western Conference. The Spurs are, by far, the most well-balanced team in the league and currently have the best record in the NBA. The Timberwolves have stumbled early, but are still currently in second place in the Northwest division. With the leadership of Kevin Garnett, I see the T-wolves, and their improving second half play, catching the Sonics in the Northwest division. Meanwhile, the Suns have been a surprising team out of the gate, but with the all-star play of Steve Nash (arguably the first half MVP of the league) and Amare Stoudemire, I like the Suns to remain atop the Pacific Division.
Now to the NBA Playoff predictions, unlike other professional sport leagues, winning your NBA division is not critically important. Instead, being physically and mentally healthy while simultaneously moving toward peak performance as your team enters the NBA Playoffs is far more critical to an NBA team's postseason success. Here are my playoff picks and rankings for the upcoming NBA Playoffs in April:
Western Conference:
Once again, the Western Conference is loaded with many talented ball clubs. I like the Spurs, Timberwolves, and the Suns to win their respective divisions in the Western Conference. The Spurs are, by far, the most well-balanced team in the league and currently have the best record in the NBA. The Timberwolves have stumbled early, but are still currently in second place in the Northwest division. With the leadership of Kevin Garnett, I see the T-wolves, and their improving second half play, catching the Sonics in the Northwest division. Meanwhile, the Suns have been a surprising team out of the gate, but with the all-star play of Steve Nash (arguably the first half MVP of the league) and Amare Stoudemire, I like the Suns to remain atop the Pacific Division.