Photo courtesy of www.pixabay.com
After one of the most chaotic offseasons the league has ever seen regarding player movement, the NBA is back and ready to begin it’s 73rd season. There is a lot of hype surrounding many teams this year, but just like always, only one team can come out on top. I’m going to break down the top three teams that have the best chance of being crowned NBA champions.
3. Los Angeles Lakers
Two words: LeBron. James. No matter what team you are, or how bad you have been in the past, if you have LeBron James, you are always going to be considered a championship contender. The Lakers are coming into this season after a disappointing 2018 season: they completely missed the playoffs and did not live up to their expectations. This year, however, is shaping up to be one to remember for the Lakers. During the offseason, they managed to add all star Anthony Davis to the roster. Anthony Davis and LeBron James on the same team is scary for any team they come up against. The Lakers also have a solid backcourt after acquiring Danny Green from the Raptors. The Lakers are looking very good this year and it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see the 2019 championship trophy belong to LeBron James and the Lakers. .
2. Houston Rockets
The Rockets are a team that are surrounded with one main question coming into the season: can Russell Westbrook and James Harden produce on the court together? Both of these players have proved how incredible they are by themselves; Harden has been the star of the Rockets for years and has not had a teammate of his caliber until the trade for Westbrook. Westbrook is coming to Houston from the Oklahoma City Thunder where he was the star player. If Harden and Westbrook can play well together, this team will be very hard to stop.
1. Philadelphia 76’ers
Philly has one of the most dominant centers in the league, and two all star quality wingers and one of the most dynamic point guards. The sixers can play great defense and attack very well in transition. They can shoot threes and drive into the paint with ease. On paper, there is nothing this team can not do. Anything less than a championship title this year would be a disappointment for the 76ers.
You can expect to see all of these teams pushing for a championship run. The offseason moved around a lot of players and really balanced the NBA. There are no more “super teams” and everyone has a fighting chance. It is going to be an exciting season of basketball.