As always, this is a very exciting time of year.  The new NBA season is about to start and this year should be another great one!

In the East, LeBron James will no longer be an issue for any of the 15 Teams.  Boston and Toronto will try to make their way to the conference and league finals.  Philadelphia will make a strong push and further continue ‘The Process.”  Milwaukee should have a better season and let’s not forget about Indiana, Washington, Miami and the hopefuls in Detroit.

Top players in the conference will be Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawai Leonard, Kyrie Irving,  Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Victor Oladipo.  Rookies to make some noise on average teams include; Trae Young in Atlanta, Mohamed Bamba in Orlando, Wendell Carter in Chicago and Collin Sexton in Cleveland.

Out West… as over the past several seasons, this is where the ‘big boys’ play.  LeBron James has taken his hall of fame services to LA LA Land and will guide an upcoming talented young squad, with some key veterans of course, to the playoffs. Golden State is hands down the team to beat!  Houston and OKC will continue to try and push their way to as many rounds of the playoffs as they possibly can.  Do not count out the brilliant teams in Utah and Denver!  They’ll be more than ready to accept any challenges from any team in the league. Minnesota’s story is intriguing as well.  Let’s see what happens with Jimmy Butler.  This trade will not only impact the team he gets traded to, but obviously the return Minnesota receives will be interesting.  Do not and I repeat, do not count out San Antonio. You can never really bet against Gregg Popovich!

Top players in the conference will be… LeBron James, James Harden, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns and Damian Lillard. Rookies who’ll make an impact include; Luka Doncic in Dallas, Deandre Ayton in Phoenix and Marvin Bagley in Sacramento.

A couple of items to keep in mind as the season progresses… let’s see which teams position themselves for the free agency of 2019 and on the flip side, which teams play so poorly and try to position themselves for the draft and the RJ Barrett sweepstakes.

Predictions for the season…

MVP: LeBron James (L.A. Lakers)

Defensive: Rudy Gobert (Utah)

Most Improved: Jamal Murray (Denver)

Sixth Man: Terry Rozier (Boston)

Coach: Brad Stevens (Boston)

Rookie: Luka Doncic (Dallas)

Eastern Conference      Western Conference

1. Boston                            1. Golden State

2. Toronto                          2. Houston

3. Philadelphia                 3. OKC

4. Milwaukee                    4. Utah

5. Washington                  5. Denver

6. Indiana                         6. L.A. Lakers

7. Miami                           7. San Antonio

8. Detroit                          8. New Orleans

Eastern Conference Finals: Boston/Toronto

Eastern Conference Winner: Boston

Western Conference Finals: Golden State/Houston

Western Conference Winner: Golden State

NBA CHAMPIONS: Golden State Warriors