NBA 2012/2013

As basketball fans, having Rose be able to suit up the season healthy for the Bulls is about the only thing we wish could be different right now. Although he is scheduled to possibly return later on in the season, there is no doubt that the second-to-last MVP will have trouble regaining his top form for the 2012-2013 season.

With the injury of Rose and the additions of top-shooters (and former Sonic teammates) Allen and Lewis, the Heat seem to be the early favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference once again. Boston has tried to make up for the loss of Ray with their own signings of Terry and Lee, while bringing back KG, Green, and Bass, yet they would almost undoubtedly be underdogs against a healthy Miami team in a multi-game series.

While the signing of Hinrich by the Bulls might keep them competitive, they seem to be stuck with a handful of contending teams that still seem to be second-tier despite their attempts to catch up to the champions. The Nets have taken on the massive salaries of D. Will, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace, and Brook Lopez in a mighty effort to make some noise, although just how loud is still up for speculation. They will of course be moving into Brooklyn and a new arena, where they will try to steal some of the spotlight from the Knicks, who by the way just might be the only team in the history of the NBA who decided they needed to get older in the offseason. They have brought in Camby, Jason Kidd, Raymond Felton, and even managed to pluck Rasheed Wallace out of retirement. Their offense is still a question mark, and they seem to be hoping veteran experience and a full year under Woodson can make the difference. On the defensive end, adding Camby solidifies them for the times when Chandler comes out of games, a major problem they encountered last season.

The Pacers, last year's third place team in the East, have brought back Hibbert and gained backup PG DJ Augustine and backup C Mahinmi while getting rid of Collison and Dahntay Jones. Will Paul George keep improving this season? Will the Pacers take a step back from last season? The Sixers have acquired big man Bynum, who not only will dramatically change their offense, but also gives them, arguably, the best center in the conference. There are legitimate concerns on how well Bynum will perform being the focal point of the offense and having to handle passing out of double-teams (maybe triple) more often, but the fact remains that even with the loss of AI, Doug Collins has more to work with on offense this season.

Orlando has finally traded Howard and is now in rebuild mode (we think at least). With Afflalo as their best player, it would be reasonable to expect a comparatively worse season and for the Magic to likely miss the playoffs. The Hawks are, well, the Hawks and eternally a 4th/5th place team...

The Bucks have changed a lot from the beginning of last season, and will try to ride a backcourt of Jennings and Monta Ellis into the playoffs. They have paired the two speedy guards with some shot-blockers in Dalembert and Udoh, although the biggest X-factor for Milwaukee will be how well Ilyasova plays after getting a nice contract this off-season. Other teams in the East, such as Cleveland with Uncle Drew, and the Wiz with Wall and a reformed roster, will be interesting to watch but are still a long way from being real contenders.

With the defending WC champions only getting stronger, healthier, and more experienced (backup PG Maynard is back), it would be a little foolish to not put the Thunder as the top contender this season. Yet the outlook is not as clear in the West, where many of the top teams have gotten stronger.

In LA, it is serious business for the Buss family as there are two-year-olds running around who have not yet witnessed a Lakers championship. A fact that is not easily forgotten by fans, whose demand for a title has perhaps been fueled even more by the additions of Howard and Nash......................