Express NBA Preview

This is a winter where I'm not really looking forward to professional sports, given that Gary Bettman's head is still not on a platter for all NHL fans to see and Derrick Rose is still rehabbing his knee. But with the NBA set to start tonight, I figured I'd set out on a quick NBA preview.

I'm going to make this a fairly quick one that will hopefully be more correct that my World Series prediction (which ended before I could really even begin it). I'll go over teams that I think can contend with reasons for why they can win the title versus why they can't.


Eastern Conference
 
Miami Heat
Last Year: 46-20, won NBA Championship
Why they can win: LeBron James is the best player in the league and is in his prime. He knows now how to win a title. Adding Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis made them even better than last year.
Why they can't win: With a healthy Wade, will he and LeBron go back to the alternating alpha dog formula that failed them up until last year's playoffs?

Boston Celtics
Last Year: 39-27, lost in Eastern Conference Finals
Why they can win: Despite Allen's defection, Pierce, KG and Rondo know how to win a title. Jeff Green is healthy, Jason Terry came aboard (Irrational Confidence guys can be huge), and this could be an Keyser Soze kind of team. I'm sure Bill Simmons would agree (yes, I know he's a Celtics fan, but still. The man knows basketball.)
Why they can't win: To an extent, this is Year 6 of a 3 year plan with KG and Pierce. Will Terry be able to fill Ray Ray's shoes? Did the layoff hurt Jeff Green? Do they have the athleticism to get past Miami? We'll get a taste tonight.

Indiana Pacers
Last Year: 42-24, lost in Eastern Conference Semifinals
Why they can win: Scrappy team that plays like a team. Good defense, everyone knows their role, they've been there before.
Why they can't win: Who's the alpha dog on this team? Who do you go to when you need a crucial hoop late in the game?

Chicago Bulls
Last Year: 50-16, lost in Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Why they can win: A retooled Bench Mob looks decent, the core of the team remains intact still, and this team should be in the mix until spring when some point guard from Memphis is cleared to return from a knee injury. 
Why they can't win: Odds are said point guard won't quite be himself when he comes back. The onus is still on guys like Hamilton or Boozer to emerge as that other consistent scorer to take away some of the burden. It's not time quite yet. See Geoffy's blog post for a more in-depth Bulls preview.

Western Conference

Oklahoma City Thunder
Last Year: 47-19, lost in NBA Finals
Why they can win: They play a good brand of basketball and already have some playoff chops. Also, Kevin Durant is amazing.
Why they can't win: Which Russell Westbrook will show up this year? The other obvious problem that showed up last minute is the sudden trade of James Harden. Yes, OKC got some decent pieces back for him rather than let him walk at the end of the year, but the core that got them to the Finals last year is broken up. Who will take on the 2nd unit scoring load Harden did, or bring the ball up for them?

Los Angeles Lakers
Last Year: 41-25, lost in Western Conference Semifinals
Why they can win: Holy crap, that starting five. Dwight Howard joins a long lineage of great Laker centers, they have an old but still plenty capable point guard in Steve Nash, and that Kobe guy is still around.
Why they can't win: Your two best bench guys are Steve Blake and probably Devin Ebanks unless Antwan Jamison still has something left in the tank. Kobe's health is a question mark going in, and with his age, how long can he remain at a high level?

San Antonio Spurs
Last Year: 50-16, lost in Western Conference Finals
Why they can win: Playoff experience matters, and these guys have it. Tim Duncan is a consummate professional and knows how to win. They return a decent core.
Why they can't win: I'm just going to let this box score from last year speak for itself.

These are probably the 7 teams best equipped for a deep postseason run. the Knicks have health issues with Amare and that team construct just doesn't work, as we've seen the last 2 postseasons. Brooklyn is all hype. Atlanta is the sports town that sees regular season success followed up with disappointment in the playoffs. The Clippers don't really have the makeup of a championship team/have too many guys/are coached by Vinny Del Negro. Memphis' window is closing and Denver's is only now starting to open. I could be totally wrong, but right now I'm probably looking at a Miami-OKC rematch in the Finals again. And hopefully this time, the Thunder can last a little longer.