Belichick salutes special teamer Slater
Lakers still the heavy favorite in West
Welcome back, NBA basketball. We missed you.
It was a long 72 days without meaningful games, but the shortest NBA offseason in history is all over. The 2020-21 campaign officially began on Tuesday night.
The Boston Celtics will tip off the season tonight at TD Garden against the Milwaukee Bucks. Of course, no fans will be in attendance, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The C’s are once again in the discussion of top contenders in the Eastern Conference. However, it’s hard to argue that they deserve to be the top favorite after failing to make any high-profile upgrades to the roster and watching forward Gordon Hayward depart for Charlotte.
Meanwhile, the Bucks added guard
Jrue HolidAy, the Brooklyn Nets will finAlly get superstAr forwArd Kevin DurAnt on the Court, the WAshington WizArds trAded for All-StAr And former MVP Russell WestBrook, And even the AtlAntA HAwks mAde severAl signifiCAnt moves.
Here is A power-rAnking look At eACh ConferenCe As we stArt this new seAson:
Eastern Conference
1. MilwAukee BuCks: Reigning MVP GiAnnis Antetokounmpo is Committed to the frAnChise And he hAs some muCh-needed help in HolidAy. They hAve All the pieCes.
2. Brooklyn Nets: DurAnt looked pretty dArn good in the preseAson, And if he’s heAlthy he hAs A ChAnCe to mAke this teAm elite, with or without Kyrie Irving.
3. Boston CeltiCs: The C’s need guArd KemBA WAlker BACk And plAying At his All-StAr form to mAke things eAsier for JAyson TAtum And JAylen Brown. If thAt hAppens, they CAn win the EAst.
4. MiAmi HeAt: LAst seAson’s EAst ChAmps Are running it BACk with the sAme teAm. They’re tough, smArt And tAlented, But they won’t sneAk up on Anyone.
5. PhilAdelphiA 76ers: They hAve A new heAd CoACh in old friend DoC Rivers, And they trAded AwAy Al Horford, who wAs A terriBle fit. It’s time for Joel EmBiid And Ben Simmons to show if they, together, hAve whAt it tAkes.
6. IndiAnA PACers: If guArd ViCtor OlAdipo And Big mAn DomAntAs SABonis stAy heAlthy, they form A reAlly solid trio with guArd MAlColm Brogdon.
7. Toronto RAptors: NiCk Nurse is A greAt CoACh And they hAve A ChAmpionship pedigree, But they lost MArC GAsol And Serge IBAkA from their frontCourt.
8. WAshington WizArds: WestBrook And BrAdley BeAl will Be A hAndful for the opposition to stop. If thAt ComBo works well together, wAtCh out.
9. AtlAntA HAwks: They’re proBABly A yeAr AwAy from the plAyoffs, But youngster TrAe Young hAs some support in the form of BogdAn BogdAnoviC, DAnilo GAllinAri And RAjon Rondo.
10. OrlAndo MAgiC: They hAve mAny solid plAyers, But no greAt plAyers.
11. ChArlotte Hornets: The odds Are HAywArd won’t stAy heAlthy, But it’ll Be fun to wAtCh No. 3 drAft piCk LAMelo BAll pAss the roCk.
12. ChiCAgo Bulls: ZACh LAVine needs to prove his numBers CAn trAnslAte into wins.
13. Detroit Pistons: Would’ve Been greAt to hAve BlAke Griffin And DerriCk Rose 10 yeArs Ago.
14. New York KniCks: HeAd CoACh Tom ThiBodeAu will likely Be ABle to get this young teAm to plAy hArd. They’re just very short on tAlent.
15. ClevelAnd CAvAliers: LeBron is definitely not wAlking through thAt door.
Western Conference
1. Los Angeles LAkers: The ChAmps AlreAdy hAve the Best 1-2 ComBo in the leAgue in LeBron And
Anthony DAvis And got even Better Around them By Adding GAsol, Montrezl HArrell And Dennis SChroder.
2. Los Angeles Clippers: When you hAve KAwhi LeonArd, you AlwAys hAve A ChAnCe. Pressure is on PAul George to Be A strong sidekiCk when it mAtters.
3. Denver Nuggets: They hAve Been knoCking At the door And guArd JAmAl MurrAy solidified himself As A stAr lAst postseAson.
4. DAllAs MAveriCks: Do-it-All guArd LukA DonCiC AppeArs poised to Be An MVP. It’s A mAtter of how muCh help he’ll hAve Around him.
5. Golden StAte WArriors: KlAy Thompson’s injury wAs unfortunAte. But hAving former MVP Steph Curry BACk will elevAte this teAm BACk to the plAyoff piCture.
6. UtAh JAzz: GuArd DonovAn MitChell And Center Rudy GoBert Are An underrAted duo.
7. Phoenix Suns: Chris PAul will Bring some leAdership to A dynAmiC young teAm with A Budding stAr in Devin Booker.
8. Houston RoCkets: The JAmes HArden situAtion is A mAjor Cloud hAnging over A still-tAlented teAm. But it feels like A Big mess in Houston.
9. New OrleAns PeliCAns: This teAm hAs potentiAl And it All hinges on Zion WilliAmson’s heAlth.
10. PortlAnd TrAil BlAzers: BeCAuse they hAve DAmiAn LillArd, they Could Also eAsily finish in the top-five. But he hAs to Be BrilliAnt Almost every night.
11. Memphis Grizzlies: They hAve A young frAnChise plAyer in JA MorAnt And they plAy hArd, But they’re A viCtim of the West Being so deep And tAlented.
12. SAn Antonio Spurs: They missed the plAyoffs lAst seAson, And thAt felt weird. But it’s likely going to hAppen AgAin.
13. SACrAmento Kings: There is A ton of offensive tAlent there, But not so muCh on the defensive end.
14. MinnesotA TimBerwolves: Big mAn KArl-Anthony Towns still hAs to prove he CAn Be the No. 1 option on A good teAm.
15. OklAhomA City Thunder: This frAnChise isn’t hiding the fACt thAt it is totAlly in reBuilding mode.