NBA Preview

Two weeks into the 2006/2006 NBA season, “The Grandeur” catches up with the times to look at the new season.
We must start with the defending champions, the Miami Heat. They are pretty much the same team as last year which is both good and bad. They have plenty of chemistry playing together and experience but they are also getting old. O’Neal, Mourning, Payton, Williams and Posey aren’t getting any younger. Pat Riley will have to be even better this year and making sure his players get enough rest so they will be fresh come playoff time. Dwayne Wade again will be the star. If he plays his best and everybody supports just enough they can repeat but what Miami really needs is a solid number #2 for the #3. If he can find a “Scottie Pippen-esuqe” sidekick then he can be one of the all time greats.
The other dangerous teams in the east include the Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. Detroit is still a solid team despite losing Ben Wallace but it hurts. They have everyone else back though and they play so well together. Expect them to make at least to the conference finals. The Bulls were the big beneficiary of the offseason picking up Wallace. He adds that respected force in the middle to grab rebounds, block shots and intimidate people. If Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon, Luol Deng and company can keep improving they could be this year’s sleeper. Lebron James was a rousing success in his first playoff appearance last year with the Cavaliers and many expecting more this year. He is developing into one of the league’s finest and after this past year seems ready to dominate year in and year out. But like Wade, he needs a strong addition to the roster. Larry Hughes, Eric Snow and Drew Gooden are all nice players but someone else is needed before they can be considered serious contenders.
The West also seems equally competitive with Dallas, San Antonio, L.A. Lakers, L.A. Clippers and Phoenix all looking to repeat strong performances from last year.
Dallas will always have a chance as long as they have Dirk Nowiziki and if Josh Howard, Jason Terry, Devin Harris and DeSagana Diop continue to perform expect the Mavericks to be back in the Finals. San Antonio is definitely the team that will gave Dallas the most trouble as always. They are most cohesive unit with Tony Parker and Tim Duncan and are solid from top to bottom. Both the Los Angeles teams are on the rise. The Lakers are starting to rebuild with Kobe getting back to his best ball and being surround by good young talent. The Clippers, after years of getting top draft picks have finally found the right formula and have put together a solid team. Chris Kaman, Sam Cassel, Shaun Livingston, Elton Brand and Cuttino Mobley form a tough group that plays wells together. Phoenix is the wild card of the bunch. Teams seem to never really know how to play them; try to slow them down or try to score with them. Steve Nash, Shaun Marion, Boris Diaw and Leandro Barbosa form a potent offense and with the return of Amare Stoudemire to bring them defensive help, the Suns seem primed to make another deep run into the playoffs.
For the Finals, expect the Heat to return as the East champions. The team is getting old but the young Dwayne Wade will propel them with great energy and desire to win. The Pistons are still a solid team but the loss of Ben Wallace, the heart and soul, will end up costing them. The Spurs should take the West after an off year last season. They are too solid and proud to have a repeat of last year’s playoff appearance and will charge to the Finals with a vengeance.