Whats up my peoples! With the 2012 NBA season ending up with
Bron Bron, DWade, and
Bosh getting that elusive NBA Title over the upstart
Oklahoma City Thunder (brushing the haters off in the process), it setup a amazingly busy off-season which had some good (
Olympic Gold), some bad (
Dwight Howard saga), and some ugly (
Jeremy Lin / Knicks situation); With the
NBA 2012-13 Season in gear, we here at
SPORTSEFFECTLIVE.COM would like to present you with the
SELIVE TOP 10 STORYLINES in the NBA
Drum Roll Please.......
LETS GO!
(10) Will the Knicks make a serious run this season?
The Knicks finished last season much like they started it - in a flux, trying to compete without a full team on display (
Jeremy Lin knee &
Amare smashing hand,
Baron Davis hurt, changing of coaches) against a team the Knicks feel like they was as talented as and as good as (
Miami). And while they was dealt a quick first round exit to the eventual champion Heat, the Knicks went away feeling as if they could -
dare say it - beat that Miami Heat team, with a few changes, to say the least. So they ditched Twitter legend and
10 game sensation Jeremy Lin for a more solid, but sometimes silent
Raymond Felton, and signed
Hall of Fame PG Jason Kidd; They brang
Rasheed (pronounced RAAAH-SHEEEED)
Wallace out of retirement to shore up the frontcourt, and with Melo staying in shape year round and keeping
coach Mike Woodson to start the season, there is no reason why the Knicks couldn't.....win a first round series this season?
Note:
Amar'e Stoudamire is injured for first 6-8 wks with knee injury, making Rasheed that much more valuable.
(9)
Are the Brooklyn Nets gonna take over crown as "King of New York?"
In the rap game, there are a few cats that could rightfully claim one of the most prestigous positions in history.
Biggie, Nas, Jay-Z, 50, Diddy to name em.
King of New York has one of the most powerful sounds to it in the english language. Just ooooozes power, fame, fortune. And now, with the
Brooklyn Nets in their new incredible playground (
Barclay Arena), move over Knicks, as the Nets owner, (a Russian version of
Ivan Drago In A Suit) tries to take the Nets where they have never been before. Teaming with Jay-Z definitely helped his cred (
streed cred, to be exact) as
Prokhorov has been loose with the pockets (signing
Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace, and Brooke Lopez) and has repeatedly said his 5-year plan will bring him a title. Will Prokorov take the Jay-Z Blueprint route? Or will he be more on the
Vanilla Ice plan? I'd have to say right now, "
Ice Ice baby" as Prokhorov has delivered a
amazing one hit wonder with his new Arena and Team; Question is can he create a
Classic Album? Remains to be seen.
(8) Rookie Report
Every season there is rookies who look to shape the future of the league, and this season is no different as colleges finest head to the pros. With
Unibrow expert Anthony Davis leading the way, here is some rookies to look for to make a IMMEDIATE impact:
Anthony Davis (New Orleans) - Davis reminds me of a young Marcus Camby, but with better skills on O. He can single handedly win a game without scoring 5 points, and he will keep the Hornets competitive every night. And he will be rookie of the year as well.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Charlotte) - Kidd-Gilchrist is not the most recognizable player, nor will he amaze you with his high flying tactics or flashy moves, but one thing will be evident; his overall skills will help Charlotte climb up the ladder this season. He's a stat sheet stuffer who will become a lockdown defender and a 14 point, 7 board type of guy this year.
Damian Lillard (Portland) - Lillard lit up the summer league and preseason, and will get his chance to be the dynamic PG he is. With some good pieces already in place, he will fit seamlessly and could help the Blazers get to the playoffs. Rookie of the Year darkhorse.
Harrison Barnes (Golden St) - Barnes had a good college career, but looked to be already thinking NBA while at UNC. Now that he's in the NBA, look for Barnes to average 15+ this season for the rising Warriors.
Dion Waiters (Cleveland) - When the Cavs drafted Waiters, there was a feeling of "why they do that?" & "He ain't even start on his college team!" But when you look more at Waiters, you realize he was the PERFECT pick. A confident combo guard who can shoot from real deep and can slash to the hoop as well, he will have ample opportunity to do his thing. If his defense turns up, he will be on the short list for Rookie of the Year.
Jared Sullinger (Boston) - Sullinger dropped a little because of his "lack of explosion & knee problems" but his first bucket in the NBA was - a fast break dunk. Point made. Sullinger will be a key piece of the Celtics run if they want to get back to the NBA Finals.
Two other rookies to watch:
Jae Crowder (Dallas) &
Bradley Beal (Washington)
(7) Texas Roadbock
 |
| Lin-sanity to the Dirty South |
With 3 teams in Texas, there is a constant battle for bragging rights, but which team will be best?
Dallas will have
Nowitzki out early, but with newcomers
O.J. Mayo and Darren Collison in the backcourt and
rookie F Jae Crowder coming on strong, the Mavs could be a late season suprise; The
Spurs will depend on their vets to keep them atop the league, but can they get back to the Finals with a old aging team? And the
Rockets made the splash of the preseason, trading to get
James Harden and Daequan Cook, but will they have enough to get into the upper echelon of the West? And will
Lin-sanity continue to ball out in the dirty south? A
Lin - Harden backcourt is very intriguing.
(6) Battle for LA
Last year the
Clippers announced that they will be a threat last season by pulling a Kevin McHale (up and under post move) on the Lakers,
sneaking Chris Paul and solidifying themselves as a player in the Western Conference Sweepstakes. The Clippers made it to the second round, and now with new players such as
Lamar Odom, Matt Barnes, Jamal Crawford, and Grant Hill, can they take the leap over the Lakers? Not so fast Clip Joint, as the Lakers looked to do a one-up with the trade of Dwight Howard and the signing of Steve Nash. Should be a great year for LA. Which team will rise above the other?
BONUS:
Cavs, Pacers look to make major strides this season.
Cavs Season Outlook: Will the Cavs make the Playoffs?
 |
| The Cavs new dynamic backcourt duo |
The Cavs made a great decision to draft
Kyrie Irving and Tristian Thompson last season, finally pulling away from the
dark LeBron cloud that lingered over the franchise since the "Decision".
Irving was the Rookie of the Year and proved the doubters wrong, that although he only played in a handful of college games, he was the real deal. With another bold draft in
Dion Waiters, its looks as if he has his backcourt mate for the next 5 years; I said that Waiters would be a double figure scorer as soon as he touches a NBA court, and it looks as if he will (17 in his season opener). If wild thing
Anderson Varaejao can stay healthy, look for the Cavs to snag a 6 or 7 spot this season in the Playoffs.
Pacers Season Outlook: Can they get to the Eastern Conference Finals?
The Pacers had a great season last year; They won a first round series, and won 2 games from the Heat, actually
holding the lead in the second round series (2-1). However,
DWade and LeBron woke up, turned up the juice and sent the Pacers packing. With budding talent in
Paul George, Danny Granger, and Roy Hibbert, the Pacers will look to move up into the top 5 teams in the NBA. Won't be easy, but the foundation is there.
George Hill will be running the show, and if George can take a step up, the Pacers will be a player again in the East. Only thing is, this season,
nobody will overlook Indiana, which means they will have to come to play every night. Can they take it to the next level?
Note: They won't have
Larry Legend looking over their shoulder this season.
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