The NBA season is near and as exciting it might seem. I have a few teams on my watch list. The off-season was crazy, teams brought in major superstars to help their franchise contend for an NBA title. What have we learned and what teams do we need to keep a close eye on this NBA season?
Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors - The Warriors made the best move in the off-season by signing KD. There is nothing better than going 73-9 and then adding a player of his caliber to the mix. This NBA season, the Warriors are a team full of superstars and will look the spread the ball around. The goal is to create better matchups for Stephen Curry, their best offensive weapon.
What you need to watch for is how well the team will play together and their shot attempts. Kevin Durant is known for his leadership and Curry is becoming a great leader. If KD shoots 20 shot attempts per game, will Curry or Thompson be affected by it? This team can shoot the lights out. A championship is more important than anything. But clutch time players will want the ball when it matters and so will Durant. There could be a new leader in Golden State.
NBA season prediction: 60-22
Al Horford and the Boston Celtics - The Celtics got the big man they wanted, but not the player. Of course, Boston wanted Horford, but they also wanted Kevin Durant. The organization felt like they could've brought in Durant by signing the big man. They were well on their way to the Eastern Conference finals.
KD didn't sign and competing with Cleveland is that much harder. Boston’s NBA season is still under control, unlike most teams. Al Horford will fill that void at the center position they have been missing. They key is matching up with the Cavs. LeBron is a monster and I don't see anybody on the Celtics roster who can slow him or Kyrie Irving down. The bright side of things is the Boston Celtics have all season to figure it out.
NBA season prediction: 55-27
Dwayne Wade and the Chicago Bulls - The Bulls did something I thought only LeBron James could do, get Wade to leave the Miami Heat. Chicago is on fire right now and signing a player like D. Wade, your city would be on fire too. The Bulls are a completely different team from last year. Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol both signed with new teams over the summer. The Bulls acted by signing Dwayne Wade, Rajon Rondo, Michael Carter-Williams and Robin Lopez.
One of the most important things you need to learn at the start of an NBA season, don’t count out any team in the beginning. The biggest part of the Bulls roster that needed fixing was obviously their backcourt. They answered nicely before Chicago fans had time to cry about D. Rose departure. Dwayne Wade is a great leader and that’s something the Bulls have been missing since Michael Jordan.
