NBA Training Camp Begins

The NBA time of year recently began as teams all around the league went back to training camp to get ready for the 2013-2014 season. The Miami Heat are going back to try to defend their title and go for a third consecutive NBA Championship. This would be the first three-peat since 2000-2002, when Kobe Bryant and the Lakers won three in a row, first against Phoenix, then Philadelphia, then finally the New Jersey Nets (now the Brooklyn Nets). When asked about the upcoming season, LeBron James told ESPN, “I got better; I know you are all tired of hearing me say it, I said it last year and you asked how, but I got better.” The Heat have more competition than they have the past two years though, as Derrick Rose comes back for the Bulls, coming off of a torn ACL that caused him to miss the 2012 playoffs, and the 2012-2013 season. The Nets look good too, acquiring Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry from the Celtics in a blockbuster deal. Golden State really looks like they could give the Thunder a run for their money as the best team out on the west coast. Stephen Curry is set to have another great year, also as Klay Thompson gets better. The Warriors even picked up Andre Igoudala from Denver as his contract ran out, and this team could go deep into the postseason. Oklahoma City may be in for a rough season at the beginning, as Russell Westbrook is uncertain because of his injury in last year’s postseason. With Denver picking up Nate Robinson and new head coach Brian Shaw, the Nuggets look to make the playoffs for the eleventh straight year, and with a talented line-up, including players like Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried, Denver looks good this year. 

This list depicts my predictions for the seeds of the NBA Playoffs this season.

East

1. Miami Heat

2. Chicago Bulls

3. Brooklyn Nets

4. Indiana Pacers

5. New York Knicks

6. Cleveland Cavaliers

7. Atlanta Hawks

8. Milwaukee Bucks

West

1. Golden State Warriors

2. Oklahoma City Thunder

3. San Antonio Spurs

4. Denver Nuggets

5. Los Angeles Clippers

6. Memphis Grizzlies

7. Los Angeles Lakers

8. Houston Rockets

- Blake Holmes