Khalidoun
JF-Expert Member
- Feb 12, 2013
- 2,833
- 4,458
Basketball is relevant again. The NBA Board of Governors have bestowed upon us some new rules that should make the 2017-2018 season's product even more competitive. The 2017–18 NBA season will be the 72nd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The regular season will begin on October 17, 2017, earlier than previous seasons to reduce the number of "back-to-back" games teams are scheduled to play, with the 2017 runners-up Cleveland Cavaliers hosting a game against the Boston Celtics at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
The 2018 NBA All-Star Game will be played on February 18, 2018, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The regular season will end on April 11, 2018 and the playoffs will begin on April 14, 2018.
With Dwyane Wade opting once again to run with LeBron (daintily, along red velvet, to the Finals), one of the most exciting off-seasons in recent memory is in the books. It's finally time to see what these 30 franchises are made of.
Teams to watch
Boston Celtics: First Atlantic, 1-seed (4th overall)
Is Kyrie Irving a leader? We're about to find out. It's just as fair to judge Gordon Hayward's leadership skills on a team that isn't anchored defensively by a freakishly-gifted Frenchman. Even so, Al Horford will continue to do good work in the role of defensive glue-guy, and Marcus Smart should have a breakout season on both ends after his powerful display during parts of last year's playoffs. The C's will match or exceed their total of 53 wins from a year ago. However that leadership question will be huge during the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the playoffs.
Cleveland Cavaliers: 1st Central, 2-seed (6th overall)
The Celtics will be no match for Playoff LeBron & Co., despite the fact they are poised to win the East for the second regular season in a row. Regardless of whether or not Isaiah Thomas will be able to play early on, and integrate his potent attack into the Cleveland offense, there is just too much veteran savvy, firepower, and LeBron for the Cavs to muss up their fourth-straight trip to the Finals. As usual, defense will be an issue. Luckily for Ty Lue, the other "powers" in the East will rarely be able to exploit that glaring weakness.
San Antonio Spurs: 1st Southwest, 2-seed (2nd overall)
I wanted to the put the Rockets ahead of the Spurs, but then I remembered the Spurs are the White Walkers, and the White Walkers have a zombie dragon now, and... I've learned not to underestimate the Spurs. San Antonio is returning every significant player except Jonathon Simmons and adding Rudy Gay to a roster that won 61 games last year behind Pop's perfectionism. Kawhi Leonard is poised to only get better after his MVP-worthy 2016-2017. The Spurs are the immovable object.
Houston Rockets: 2nd Southwest, 3-seed (3rd overall)
This year we get to see if the Rockets are the unstoppable force they've been advertised as. Mike D'Antoni has never had a true super-team to work with, and certainly has not had two ballhandlers equally capable of running his pace-and-space offensive sets. As is usual in NBA circles, it has been overstated how much both Chris Paul and James Harden need the ball in their hands to thrive. This team will run lesser squads off the court and play middling-to-good defense to boot.
Oklahoma City Thunder: 1st Northwest, 4-seed (5th 0verall)
You'd think that Russell Westbrook would be able to take it down a notch this year with the arrival of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, and you'd be wrong. The Thunder are surprisingly shallow at guard, and it's likely skipper Billy Donovan will have to continue to push an "All-Russ, all the time" agenda to compete in the preposterously talented West. I think a trade is in order. However one thing we should all be excited for is the return of Olympic Melo. OKC is going to be hard to guard this year, and Melo will feast.
Golden State Warriors: 1st Pacific, 1-seed (1st 0verall)
The Warriors are going to win 70 games. Some people are going to be impressed, some will be underwhelmed. Either way their path to the 2018 Finals will be harder than any campaign has been to this point. How Golden State integrates Nick Young and Omri Casspi, continues the development of Pat McCaw and Kevon Looney, and manages the minutes of its quartet of superstars will determine whether its prospects of repeating as champions are real or a (hilariously) sad fantasy. However, the reigning Champs has it all to take back to back NBA Ring again.
Los Angeles Clippers: 2nd Pacific, 5-seed (7th 0verall)
The Clippers will be a team with a chip on its shoulders. Doc Rivers has to replicate success without one of the greatest point guards of all time; Blake Griffin has to fully assume an alpha role on a permanent basis for the first time in his career; Austin Rivers has to justify his existence on this roster. But new faces in Danilo Galinari and Patrick Beverley should infuse energy into an organization that desperately needed a shot of adrenaline. DeAndre Jordan will provide consistency on the back line, anchoring a middling defense. LAC will be fun to watch, but don't expect them to make it past the first round.
Let the Games Begin
The regular season will begin on October 17, 2017, earlier than previous seasons to reduce the number of "back-to-back" games teams are scheduled to play, with the 2017 runners-up Cleveland Cavaliers hosting a game against the Boston Celtics at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
The 2018 NBA All-Star Game will be played on February 18, 2018, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The regular season will end on April 11, 2018 and the playoffs will begin on April 14, 2018.
With Dwyane Wade opting once again to run with LeBron (daintily, along red velvet, to the Finals), one of the most exciting off-seasons in recent memory is in the books. It's finally time to see what these 30 franchises are made of.
Teams to watch
Boston Celtics: First Atlantic, 1-seed (4th overall)
Is Kyrie Irving a leader? We're about to find out. It's just as fair to judge Gordon Hayward's leadership skills on a team that isn't anchored defensively by a freakishly-gifted Frenchman. Even so, Al Horford will continue to do good work in the role of defensive glue-guy, and Marcus Smart should have a breakout season on both ends after his powerful display during parts of last year's playoffs. The C's will match or exceed their total of 53 wins from a year ago. However that leadership question will be huge during the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the playoffs.
Cleveland Cavaliers: 1st Central, 2-seed (6th overall)
The Celtics will be no match for Playoff LeBron & Co., despite the fact they are poised to win the East for the second regular season in a row. Regardless of whether or not Isaiah Thomas will be able to play early on, and integrate his potent attack into the Cleveland offense, there is just too much veteran savvy, firepower, and LeBron for the Cavs to muss up their fourth-straight trip to the Finals. As usual, defense will be an issue. Luckily for Ty Lue, the other "powers" in the East will rarely be able to exploit that glaring weakness.
San Antonio Spurs: 1st Southwest, 2-seed (2nd overall)
I wanted to the put the Rockets ahead of the Spurs, but then I remembered the Spurs are the White Walkers, and the White Walkers have a zombie dragon now, and... I've learned not to underestimate the Spurs. San Antonio is returning every significant player except Jonathon Simmons and adding Rudy Gay to a roster that won 61 games last year behind Pop's perfectionism. Kawhi Leonard is poised to only get better after his MVP-worthy 2016-2017. The Spurs are the immovable object.
Houston Rockets: 2nd Southwest, 3-seed (3rd overall)
This year we get to see if the Rockets are the unstoppable force they've been advertised as. Mike D'Antoni has never had a true super-team to work with, and certainly has not had two ballhandlers equally capable of running his pace-and-space offensive sets. As is usual in NBA circles, it has been overstated how much both Chris Paul and James Harden need the ball in their hands to thrive. This team will run lesser squads off the court and play middling-to-good defense to boot.
Oklahoma City Thunder: 1st Northwest, 4-seed (5th 0verall)
You'd think that Russell Westbrook would be able to take it down a notch this year with the arrival of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, and you'd be wrong. The Thunder are surprisingly shallow at guard, and it's likely skipper Billy Donovan will have to continue to push an "All-Russ, all the time" agenda to compete in the preposterously talented West. I think a trade is in order. However one thing we should all be excited for is the return of Olympic Melo. OKC is going to be hard to guard this year, and Melo will feast.
Golden State Warriors: 1st Pacific, 1-seed (1st 0verall)
The Warriors are going to win 70 games. Some people are going to be impressed, some will be underwhelmed. Either way their path to the 2018 Finals will be harder than any campaign has been to this point. How Golden State integrates Nick Young and Omri Casspi, continues the development of Pat McCaw and Kevon Looney, and manages the minutes of its quartet of superstars will determine whether its prospects of repeating as champions are real or a (hilariously) sad fantasy. However, the reigning Champs has it all to take back to back NBA Ring again.
Los Angeles Clippers: 2nd Pacific, 5-seed (7th 0verall)
The Clippers will be a team with a chip on its shoulders. Doc Rivers has to replicate success without one of the greatest point guards of all time; Blake Griffin has to fully assume an alpha role on a permanent basis for the first time in his career; Austin Rivers has to justify his existence on this roster. But new faces in Danilo Galinari and Patrick Beverley should infuse energy into an organization that desperately needed a shot of adrenaline. DeAndre Jordan will provide consistency on the back line, anchoring a middling defense. LAC will be fun to watch, but don't expect them to make it past the first round.
Let the Games Begin
