5 Teams Besides the Miami Heat that could Compete for NBA Title

We all know that the two-time defending NBA Champions Miami Heat and their superstar LeBron James are all poised to continue their domination over professional basketball, but where the San Antonio Spurs pushed the 2013 NBA Championship to a full 7 games, perhaps there is a team out there that could actually go on to beat the Heat.  Here are 5 such teams that just might give it a real go this year and can potentially win the title, other than the Heat:

1.  The Indiana Pacers – With the best record in basketball, the Pacers are a potentially dangerous team for the Heat.  They play great defense and have a balanced attack, with 5 players averaging more than 10 points per game.  Paul George is a rising star and would love to lead the Pacers to success.  They took Miami to 7 games last season and will be desperately looking to usurp them in 2014.  This is definitely a team to look out for that successfully frustrated the Heat is last year’s Eastern Conference Finals.  Might they beat Miami this year?

2.  Oklahoma City Thunder – This team is rated in the top 10 for both offense and defense and are led by the sensational star Kevin Durant, who went on a 12 game streak of scoring over 30 points per game.  At 25, he is ready to take that next step and win a championship.  It seems the question is quickly becoming when rather than if he will win it all.  When Russell Westbrook returns, this team should become a contender again.

3.  San Antonio Spurs – The team that simply cannot age is at it again, and nearly won it all last year save for a dramatic Ray Allen 3-pointer at the end of Game 6.  The Spurs are led by the maturity of Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker, who would simply love another shot at knocking LeBron back a peg.  They could definitely find themselves back in contention for a title and would love to get another championship together, and have not won it all since 2007.

4.  Houston Rockets – This team is a force offensively, as Dwight Howard, James Harden, Jeremy Lin, and Chandler Parsons are all effective scorers.  Yet, as a team they are quite average defensively and I simply cannot see them matching up against James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade.  They will be outscored in a shootout against top opposition.  However, the future is certainly bright in Houston and they could become a force in the Western Conference in the long term.

5.  Los Angeles Clippers – Certainly one of the most enjoyable teams to watch this season, the Clippers have finally gained control of the City of Angels (thanks in large part to Kobe Bryant’s injuries).  Behind Blake Griffin, Jamal Crawford, and Chris Paul, the Clippers are going to be a dangerous team in the playoffs this year, even though things haven’t gone well for this team in recent NBA playoffs.  Another offensive powerhouse, the Clippers may get stunted by a stern defense, but there is a definite possibility that the team could make some greatness happen!

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The 5 Top Contenders for the 2014 NBA Title

Yes, this is an extremely premature prediction regarding the potential title contenders for next year’s NBA title, but with the 2013 NBA Finals having just wrapped up and with the NBA Free Agency Period having just begun this month, why not speculate ahead as to which teams will be competing for the ultimate prize in basketball? Here are 5 teams I expect to be right in the thick of the action 10 months from now:

5. Houston Rockets – By accumulating superstar center Dwight Howard from the Los Angeles Lakers last week and by bringing in shooting guard James Harden last season, the Rockets have two star players, which is often what it takes to gain an NBA Championship. Harden is still just 23, but had his best season last year, averaging over 25 points per game. Another factor in the Rockets’ favor is their point-guard Jeremy Lin. Although he has yet to match the kind of play that brought about “Linsanity” in New York, Lin has shown moment of brilliant play and is also still developing at age 24. Although they may be too young to claim an NBA title next season, if this team develops well together, the sky is the limit down the road with a center like Howard!

 

4. Los Angeles Lakers – The team is currently in shambles having lost their prized free agent, Dwight Howard, who deserted the team after a disastrous first season. Injuries derailed the Lakers’ title hopes last year as Steve Nash missed time and Kobe Bryant was injured before the NBA Playoffs. Now in the dumps, there are two paths that the Lakers can take. They can collapse and come out terribly next year. Or, they can come out firing and re-conquer the Western Conference. I suspect the latter, considering the team still has Bryant and Nash. Although they are aging, I think the entire focus around Howard hampered the cohesiveness of this team last year, and I think that without that distraction, the Lakers will have a chance to contend with veteran maturity.

 

3. Los Angeles Clippers – With Blake Griffin and Chris Paul last season, the Clippers were one of the strongest teams in the NBA. Both players are young and extremely talented, bringing hope to the “other” team in LA. Now they have Doc Rivers as manager, and that makes the Clippers contenders for the 2014 NBA Championship. Rivers worked magic with the Boston Celtics and helped the team come together to win the 2008 NBA Championship. I expect him to get the best out of this team and help them contend for a title.

 

2. Oklahoma City Thunder – Kevin Durant’s hopes of avenging the 2012 NBA Finals loss were dashed in the NBA Playoffs when star teammate Russell Westbrook went down with an injury. Proving that no single NBA player can do it on his own, Durant wasn’t able to lead his team past the second round of the playoffs. However, with both players in the lineup, the Thunder was the strongest team in the Western Conference. With both players healthy and maturing well, this team should be in contention for the 2014 NBA Championship.

 

1. Miami Heat – Unfortunately for the teams listed above, the 2-time reigning NBA Champions are simply too strong for anyone other than the Heat to really challenge for an NBA Championship. LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh make up by far the NBA’s strongest team, and all three players are well within their prime years. Additionally, all the fun has inspired other talented players like Ray Allen and Chris Andersen to come to South Beach and join the party. It makes for the deepest team in the league, and although once contracts expire in 2015, the future of the Heat’s “Big Three” will be in question, for the short term there is really only one team that anyone should expect to win the 2014 NBA Championship: The Miami Heat.

 

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Will the NBA Playoffs See Anyone Challenge Miami Heat?

With the NBA pundits crying foul over the fact that LeBron James wasn’t unanimously declared the league’s MVP (he missed out on just a single vote), and with the Miami Heat holding the NBA’s best record by a wide margin, is there any hope at all for the teams that wish to make a legitimate challenge on the superstar basketball team from Miami?

 

Based on recent events though, it seems the Chicago Bulls may just be the team to give the Heat a real fight. Having pulled off a dramatic game 1 victory, the Bulls have shown themselves to be capable without having their impressive star Derrick Rose in the lineup. Nate Robinson drained 27 points, scored several important 3-point shots, and basically dominated the game in the last 2 minutes. However, the NBA playoffs engage in 7 game series to ensure that the best team wins, and barring a miraculous run by the Bulls, I would still put my money on the Heat romping back to the Eastern Conference Finals and beyond.

 

One of the things that has made the path for the Heat so encouraging is the fact that so many key players on major teams have been injured. We already saw the demise of the Los Angeles Lakers when Kobe Bryant had to sit out the end of the year. Additionally, the Los Angeles Clippers suffered an injury to Blake Griffin that saw their impressive Pacific Division victory result in the team crashing out in round 1 of the NBA Playoffs.

 

Further injuries have hampered the teams still in the chase. The Oklahoma City Thunder had already absorbed the loss of James Harden this offseason, but recently saw Russell Westbrook go down with a knee injury. The point guard has been instrumental to the Thunder’s success, and now the team’s hopes lie solely on the play of Kevin Durant. Durant is a true star player, but as everyone knows in the NBA, even Michael Jordan needed Scottie Pippen to reach his full potential. Though, if Durant could propel the Thunder to a NBA Championship, the feat could be the mark of a true legend. There is a long way to go, and a potential NBA Finals rematch with the Heat would be extremely tough now without 2 of the 3 crucial players in last year’s Thunder run.

 

Perhaps the team that people should predict in the NBA Finals as a challenger to the Heat is the San Antonio Spurs. Having won several championships in the mid 2000’s, the team still has most of those stars in the lineup and have won their division for 3 straight years. Although their playoff play hasn’t been as great recently, Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili could use their experience to present a serious challenge to the Heat.

 

Regardless of their opening round loss to the Bulls, I do feel that this year will be another victorious march for LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and co. The Heat is by far the most talented team in the league, and they are playing with real pride and passion. Although sports fans do love an exciting upset story, I find it real hard to visualize any team pushing the Heat to the brink this year.

 

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