The NBA season kicked off for six teams on Tuesday night. As the rest of the Association gets under way in the coming days, we at The Highlander made some season predictions, and asked the same from two of McLean’s brightest young basketball minds, senior Andrew Luo and freshman Jeremy Siegel, to see where the two agreed and disagreed on hard-hitting questions about the upcoming season.
Championship
Luo’s Pick: The San Antonio Spurs.
Why? “They’ve got Lamarcus Aldridge and David West, easily the best front court in the league. And they know what it’s like to be in the playoffs and championship, so they’re ready for anything.”
Siegel’s Pick: The Golden State Warriors.
Why? “The Cavaliers are good, but they rely too much on LeBron and can’t really do much without him.”
The Highlander’s Pick: San Antonio Spurs.
Why? Every season, there are those who claim the Spurs aging stars have finally reached their limit, and every season, San Antonio finds a way to prove them wrong and contend for a title. Kawhi Leonard has emerged as a legitimate superstar on both ends of the court, and the additions of Lamarcus Aldridge and David West place the Spurs in the driver’s seat in the NBA for yet another year, and makes the title theirs to lose.
Most Valuable Player
Luo’s Pick: LeBron James, Cleveland.
Why? “It’s LeBron…”
Siegel’s Pick: LeBron James, Cleveland.
Why? “His team relies on him, so he sort of stands out.”
The Highlander’s Pick: Anthony Davis, New Orleans
Why? Davis has been rapidly ascending towards the top rung of the NBA ladder for several years now. If his team had been in the playoffs last season, he would have been smack in the middle of the MVP race with Steph Curry and James Harden. This year, the Pelicans, and Davis, will be improved and Davis will be crowned as the best player in the league.
Team that will be the biggest disappointment
Luo’s Pick: The LA Clippers.
Why? “Every season everyone hypes them up but they end up losing. Even this year with additions like Lance Stephenson and Josh Smith, they’ve got no chemistry. They’ve never played with each other before.”
Siegel’s Pick: The Washington Wizards.
Why? “They seem, every year as though they will do well, but they never meet expectations.”
The Highlander’s Pick: The Oklahoma City Thunder.
Why? Last season the Thunder missed the playoffs due to untimely injuries to all three of their best players (Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka). Many people project that they will bounce back for a top-tier season this year, but in a loaded Western Conference and with continued questions about the ability of MVP candidates Westbrook and Durant to coexist on the same team, the Thunder aren’t going anywhere.
Surprise Championship Contender
Luo’s Pick: The Miami Heat.
Why? “When healthy they have an extremely underrated lineup. They also got Gerald Green this season, who had an amazing preseason, so I’m really excited to see how the Heat do in the regular season.”
Siegel’s Pick: The Atlanta Hawks.
Why? “The Hawks were good last year, but this season they will get to the next level.”
The Highlander’s Pick: Chicago Bulls.
Why? The Bulls have had some of the worst luck in the NBA in recent years, with former MVP Derrick Rose missing 185 games in the past three seasons. However, Chicago is deeper and more talented than in the past, and new head coach Fred Hoiberg is more likely to share the wealth when it comes to playing his backups than former head coach Tom Thibodeau. Chicago came close to beating Cleveland last year in the playoffs, and this year’s change in philosophy will put them over the top.
