This is said every season however, the official start of the NBA year is truly special. Every Team starts fresh, and every player has high hopes for an incredible season!

The Eastern Conference is as competitive as ever. Giannis and the Bucks will look to defend their title however, they will have competition from the Brooklyn Nets. KD will have an MVP type season and whatever happens with Kyrie, this team is stacked! The Miami Heat catapulted themselves back into the top tier and championship contenders with the additions of Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker, to an already great roster including Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and led by the incredible coach Spoelstra. Look out for bright spots of last year in the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks. They won’t surprise anyone this season and expectations will be high. Regardless of what happens with the Ben Simmons situation, Philadelphia will drop in the standings and will be a disaster until they make a trade. Two other teams to look out for include the Washington Wizards and the Chicago Bulls. In Washington, General Manager Tommy Sheppard has done a great job to add some talented players around superstar Bradley Beal. In Chicago, Marc Eversley & Arturas Karnisovas did an incredible job with free agency this past off season. Adding DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball to current roster mates Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams, Coby White and cast, has made the Bulls a playoff Team!

As always, the Western Conference will be tough from top to bottom. While yes, the Team is older, the Los Angeles Lakers have a true championship Team lined up to make a deep run in the playoffs. Additions of Russel Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Kendrick Nunn (great acquisition) and a slew of veterans will make them tough to beat on any night. The major issue for them is not age, but injuries, specifically to Anthony Davis. If he stays relatively healthy, the Lakers will be tough throughout the season. While the Lakers will be tough, you cannot forget about last years power teams the Denver Nuggets, the Utah Jazz and the Phoenix Suns.  All three are back with pretty much the same rosters and will be fierce competition in the conference. Chemistry is huge in the League, and they have it, with great leadership! They’re all championship caliber Teams and will let the everyone know; this is not just about the Lakers.  That leaves us with a former championship club, the Golden Sate Warriors. You can never count the Warriors out, especially when you have the one and only Stephen Curry on your Team. In addition to the returning Klay Thompson, along with Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, Andre Iguodala and cast of youngsters, the Warriors will be in the mix and will remind fans and the League who they are what they’re about.

This season will be exciting, both on and off the court… however where it matters most is always during game time! The NBA has always brought the community & fans together and this year will be no different. Let the games begin!

Predictions for the season…
MVP: Stephen Curry (Golden State)
Defensive: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee)
Most Improved: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City)
Sixth Man: Derrick Rose (New York)
Coach: Erik Spoelstra (Miami)
Rookie: Cade Cunningham (Detroit)

Rookies of note: Jalen Green (Houston), Scottie Barnes (Toronto), Jalen Suggs (Orlando), Evan Mobley (Cleveland)

Eastern Conference
1. Miami Heat
2. Brooklyn Nets
3. Milwaukee Bucks
4. Atlanta Hawks
5. New York Knicks
6. Philadelphia 76ers
7. Chicago Bulls
8. Boston Celtics
9. Washington Wizards
10. Toronto Raptors

Western Conference
1. Utah Jazz
2. L.A. Lakers
3. Phoenix Suns
4. Golden State Warriors
5. Denver Nuggets
6. Los Angeles Clippers
7. Dallas Mavericks
8. Portland Trail Blazers
9. Memphis Grizzlies
10. Minnesota Timberwolves

Eastern Conference Finals: Miami/Brooklyn
Eastern Conference Winner: Brooklyn
Western Conference Finals: Utah/Lakers
Western Conference Winner: Utah
NBA CHAMPIONS: Brooklyn Nets