Y-Miami Heat 62-20
Entering the 2013-2014 NBA season, life is good for the Miami Heat. The Heat have won the last two NBA Championships and they are looking to become the first team since the Los Angeles Lakers from 2000-2002 to win three consecutive NBA Titles.
In 2010, Heat president Pat Riley set the modern standard in free agency by signing forwards LeBron James and Chris Bosh to team with shooting guard Dwyane Wade. The trio has not failed as they have made the NBA Finals in each of their three seasons together and they have brought the Larry O’Brien Trophy to South Florida the past two seasons.
It will be even harder for the Heat to go all the way for a third consecutive season. In making the consecutive trips to the NBA Finals, the Heat have mileage on their legs from the deep playoff runs. Being that the Heat are the two-time defending NBA Champions their opponents will be gunning for them this season more than ever, but they should be up for the challenge.
James is 28-years of age and he is enjoying the prime of his NBA career. Last season James netted career highs in shooting as he hit 56 percent of his field goals and he connected on 40 percent of his three-point shots en route to winning his fourth NBA Most Valuable Player Award. James is in a zone right now that few players have been able to reach as he has the ability to carry the Heat for long stretches.
For Wade he was hampered last season by a knee injury. Now, Wade who is 31-years of age hopes that his knees can hold up for the riggers of an 82-game NBA regular season and an extended trip to the playoffs. Wade appeared in 69 games last season and for a year that appeared to be a down campaign for him he still managed to average 21.2 points per game.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has asked Bosh to play out of position as he has been playing center instead of power forward. Bosh has been a company man in Miami as his numbers have dipped from his days with the Toronto Raptors, but he came to South Florida to win championships; not to complain.
Riley made some low-risk, high-reward moves this off-season to bolster the Heat’s bench. The Heat used their amnesty clause on small forward Mike Miller in the effort to get more athletic. Former Heat forward Michael Beasley returns to the team that used the second overall pick of the NBA Draft on him in 2008. Beasley’s ongoing addiction to marijuana has derailed his once promising NBA career, but he is only 24-years of age and the Heat have a veteran presence in their locker room that “should” be able to keep him on the straight path. In 2007, center Greg Oden was the first overall pick of the NBA Draft by the Portland Trailblazers. Since that time Oden has only appeared in 82 games with his last appearance coming in 2010. At 7′-0″, 250 lbs., Oden has all of the tools be a dominant NBA player, but he has been unable to stay healthy. What Spoelstra needs from Oden is to provide the Heat with a presence on the interior that can block shots and grab rebounds while taking pressure off of James and Bosh.
The Heat still have shooting guard Ray Allen on the bench who is one of the best three-point shooters that the NBA has seen. Forwards Rashard Lewis and Udonis Haslem round out a bench for the Heat that should once again be expected to play deep into the month of June.
Once again it is championship or bust in South Florida for the Heat.
The Hawks lost forward Josh Smith in free agency as he signed with the Detroit Pistons, but the Hawks didn’t waste anytime as they signed former Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap to a two-year, $19 million deal. For his seven-year NBA career Millsap has averaged 12.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game as he will team on the Hawks front line with forward Al Horford.
The good thing for the Hawks is that they play in one of the weaker divisions in the NBA which should allow them to remain in playoff contention for the majority of the season.
The Wizards have what it takes to be a playoff team, but it all comes down to this team being healthy for all 82 games of the regular season.
Charlotte Bobcats 25-57
Orlando Magic, and Los Angeles Lakers.
After starting last season with a record of 7-5, the Bobcats went 14-56 for the rest of the season. Defensively the Bobcats gave up 102.7 which was 29th out of 30 teams in the NBA. Offensively, Charlotte only averaged 93.4 points per game which was 26th overall. The Bobcats were also last in field goal percentage and 26th in three-point field goal percentage. In the past three seasons the Bobcats have not had a player that averaged more than 20 points per game and for them to improve this season that must change.
Shooting guard Kemba Walker averaged 17.7 points per game last season. Walker has the potential to be a 20 points per game scorer in the NBA, but he needs some help. Last season small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist averaged 9.0 points per game as a rookie and for this team to take a drastic step forward those numbers must improve.
The Bobcats came into the 2013 NBA Draft owning the 4th overall pick and they used it on University of Indiana forward Cody Zeller. Clifford and Bobcats general manager Rich Cho are hopeful that Zeller can give them a presence in the post which they been desperate for. Zeller won’t be alone in the paint for the Bobcats this season. On Independence Day, the Bobcats lit their own fireworks when they signed power forward Al Jefferson to a three-year, $40.5 million contract. For his 9-year NBA career, Jefferson has averaged 16.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. It will be important for the Zeller, Jefferson, and center Brendan Haywood to crash the boards and protect the interior as the Bobcats were 27th last season in rebounds with 40.3 per game.
Veteran Bobcats shooting guard Ben Gordon is entering the final year of
his contract as he is set to earn $13.2 million. Gordon’s expiring is
tantalizing to NBA teams and it would be wise for Cho to trade him to a
contending team.
The Bobcats have three of their first four games on the road this season. A fast start last season didn’t warrant success, but this team needs to develop cohesion. It is amazing that Bobcats owner Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest basketball player in NBA history, but he has been unable to transfer that success to the front office; previously as general manager of the Washington Wizards and now as the man in charge in Charlotte. The Bobcats should be an improved club this season, but the road to becoming a contender is still far away.
At least the fans in Charlotte can look forward to college basketball as they will be cheering for Duke and North Carolina.
Y-Clinched Division
Source:Basketball-reference.com
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