Opening night of the NBA season is approaching and the Milwaukee Bucks will host the Brooklyn Nets and the Golden State Warriors will visit Staples Center to face the Los Angeles Lakers. These are all star-studded teams to kick off the new season and the Bucks, Nets, and Lakers all have a case to be crowned champions when it’s all said and done.
Milwaukee Bucks
The defending champions might have lost a couple of role players in P.J. Tucker and Bryn Forbes but the Bucks will remain a contender with their trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday.
Giannis was unstoppable last postseason with numerous double-doubles and having an impact on both sides of the floor. Even in the NBA Finals when the Greek Freak was questionable to play in the first couple of games, he showed how durable he is, and he deserves a lot of credit for that.
Middleton has been a big shot-maker throughout his career. With Giannis not being the greatest shooter, the Bucks can always lean on Middleton to hit an outside jumper late in games.
Eric Bledsoe would always disappear in the playoffs during his time with Milwaukee and Jrue Holiday was the perfect replacement. Holiday is a better two-way guard than Bledsoe and he can impact different areas of the game when his shot isn’t hitting. There were games in the Eastern Conference Finals and in the NBA Finals when Holiday was cold shooting the ball, but he would still grab boards and tally several assists.
The Bucks have some room for improvement as their defense was torched by the Brooklyn Nets before James Harden and Kyrie Irving went down in the playoffs, however, this trio alone is good enough to reach the finals.
Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn’s Big 3 of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving only played 13 games together in the regular season and playoffs last season as they were all battling with injuries. When all three of the Nets’ stars played, they were amazing to watch, putting on phenomenal offensive performances. In the regular season, KD averaged 26.9 points in 35 games, Irving scored 26.9 points a night in 54 games, and in 36 contests Harden put up 24.6 points and 10.9 assists.
This offseason has given the Nets a chance to regain their health and look to build more chemistry. Last season, Brooklyn’s head coach Steve Nash had to deal with players in and out of the lineup and had to make numerous adjustments. Nash will be going into his second year as a professional coach and will look to have more fluidity this season.
When fully healthy, the Nets’ squad is a dangerous one with all of the offensive firepower that they possess. Their only holes are rim protection and depth but if they can avoid a team with a talented big, they’ll take care of anyone in the eastern conference with ease.
Los Angeles Lakers
After winning the NBA Finals in the bubble, the Lakers were battling with their own injuries last year as LeBron James only appeared in 45 games in the regular season while Anthony Davis only played in a career-low 36 contests. Los Angeles found themselves in the play-in game with the Golden State Warriors and limped their way to the 7th seed to face the Phoenix Suns. The Suns took care of the Lakers in six games sending LeBron home in the first round for the first time in his career.
On draft night this year, Los Angeles made the trade of the summer acquiring Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and the 22nd overall pick. Westbrook will help relieve the playmaking duties of LeBron while he’s on or off the floor. In addition, Westbrook is a fierce competitor with one of the highest motors in the league.
Westbrook isn’t the best perimeter shooters, but the Lakers added some players in free agency to space the floor. Kent Bazemore, Malik Monk, and Kendrick Nunn are solid three-point shooters to assist Los Angeles in that area.
No to mention, the Lakers added a ton of veterans to the squad in Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Rajon Rondo, and Trevor Ariza. All of these guys have played in meaningful games in the postseason and they can provide a boost off the bench.
Who Should Be the Favorite?
The Lakers should be the favorite given how deep and experienced their team is. LeBron is still playing at a high level despite turning 37 this December. They have great rim protection with Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard. Russell Westbrook is a good addition because he can impact a game in several areas.
As talented as the Nets are, they’re one-dimensional. The only way the Nets will beat you is if they outshoot you which is very likely. However, going against Giannis or AD is too much to handle for Blake Griffin or LaMarcus Aldridge, so they will get exposed in the paint.
The Bucks struggle to put teams away and sometimes it’s because of their shot selection. Milwaukee is a team that’s very talented but there are times when they beat themselves up. A matchup with the Lakers in the finals would be a tough one for the Bucks and I would have to give LA the edge.
Photo credits: NBA.com, Pro Basketball Talk NBC, Behind the Buck Pass