As Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers walked off of their home court to the sounds of the Golden State Warriors’ championship celebration, a crazy National Basketball Association season came to an end. The ensuing offseason would prove to be just as chaotic and ridiculous as the regular season, with several surprising trades, draft picks and retirements. This madness reached a breaking point when, after previously agreeing to terms to leave the Los Angeles Clippers and sign with the Dallas Mavericks, star center Deandre Jordan got cold feet. This prompted several Clippers players and coaches to reportedly lock him inside his house until he agreed to re-sign–which he eventually did. All these hectic events have led to the long awaited return of the NBA season, and basketball fans everywhere can celebrate.
In the NBA, the only thing harder than winning a championship is defending it. This season, the Golden State Warriors will have a tough task ahead of them after winning their first title since the 1974-1975 season.
“The Warriors got experience now, and they’re a young team, so now that they’ve won they’re confident and they know how to win games,” said avid NBA fan and Spanish teacher Thor Young. “Because of that confidence it will be hard to beat them once they get into the playoffs,”
Off to a hot start, the Warriors sit at an impressive 12-0 at the top of the Western Conference. With only zeros in the loss column, many are wondering if this could be another championship season for them. No player through their first eleven games has as many points per game as Curry this season and his phenomenal play is already leading many analysts to believe that another Most Valuable Player season is in the making.
The NBA MVP Award is one of the most prestigious trophies in all of sports and every year there is a hot debate throughout the season on which player will receive it. Many fans and analysts consider Lebron James to be the best player in the world; however, in the last few years, the emergences of James Harden, John Wall, and Curry have sparked different predictions in this debate.
“It’s the same people, Steph Curry is unbelievable this year. Lebron James is going to carry the Cavs again, although with Kevin Love back, they have a lot of pieces; Tristan Thompson, Kyrie Irving, it doesn’t all have to be Lebron. But right now [with] Golden State, Steph Curry is ridiculous this year, so Steph is definitely in contention again,” said junior Ben Celestino.
The last few seasons, the Washington Wizards have emerged as one of the league’s top teams, making the playoffs the past two seasons mostly due to the play of two young superstars. Bradley Beal and John Wall are the true leaders of this team, with Wall having a complete breakout season last year prompting others to wonder if he too could be in the running for MVP.
“I think John Wall has a shot. [It might] just [be my] completely biased opinion but John Wall has a shot just because his jump shot has improved so much this year. He can go three quarters just giving out assists and when they need him to shoot he can shoot,” said Celestino.
With so many things to look forward to as the season begins, it is hard for fans and analysts alike to focus in on a single major storyline that could define this season as a whole. While the Cavaliers have zero NBA championships in their history, with the return of Lebron James to Cleveland in last year’s free agency and the addition of several other important role players, many think this could be the year that they win one.
“I like the Cavs storyline because they were able to resign dominant power forward Tristan Thompson, potential All star JR Smith, and Lebron James. Because of their work in the off season, they have a good shot at doing well in the regular and postseason,” said sophomore Katie Helsel.
Along with the Cavaliers, several other teams are trying to win a championship as their super stars get older and their windows for a title are closing. Former MVP Derrick Rose has had one of the most infamous stretches of injuries since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the 2012 playoffs and missing the majority of his next two seasons.
“Derrick Rose, before he had all these injuries, was definitely a top ten NBA player and …the Bulls aren’t the same without him. Last year they were basically able to get in just purely on defense….I think they have the pieces to be a really good team but it relies a lot on Derrick Rose,” said Celestino.
Finally, many fans think that Kobe Bryant, regarded as one of the greatest players in NBA history, is nearing the end of his career. His impact on the game of basketball altogether cannot be commended enough and when he finally does retire, the NBA will be saying goodbye to one of its most memorable players.
“Kobe Bryant is, it is safe to say, an icon of basketball. Not only has he transformed the Lakers program, but he has drawn attention to the NBA as a whole…. Kobe Bryant has been a great role model and has well represented the NBA for the past 18 years,” said Helsel.
For the last several years there has been a high level of parity with teams like the Spurs, Warriors, Hawks, Rockets and now Cavaliers with James back, as top contenders to win the NBA Finals. This year many fans, nationwide, believe that there could be a rematch in the finals from last year with the strong starts to this season by the Cavaliers and Warriors.
“I would say right now, the Warriors are the favorites to win the whole thing. But Cleveland will be very tough once they are all healthy,” said Young.
With the season still young, there is plenty of time for contenders to begin their rapid push for a title and the pretenders to be exposed. Whatever plays out, this should be an exciting season for the ages.
