CROSSOVER

As 2013 begins, the NBA is definitely heating up.  There is a new set of championship contenders aiming to topple LeBron James and the Miami Heat, new superstars have emerged, and there is no end to the drama in Los Angeles.  Here are some of the top storylines to watch out for this year:

1) Hollywood Drama—There was much expectation that the Los Angeles Lakers would be the team to beat with the acquisition of Dwight Howard—arguably the most dominant big man in the league today— and two-time MVP point guard Steve Nash to team up with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. LA started the 2012-2013 season on the wrong note and Coach Mike Brown became the first casualty. 

The Lakers faithful thought that the entry of Mike D’Antoni and his fast-paced coaching style would be a boon. Instead, the team has been hit with chemistry and injury issues leaving one to wonder if LA will make the playoffs at all.  They are currently on a 5-game losing streak and are 11th out of the 16 teams in the West.  If they don’t get their act together soon, this will become one of L.A.’s more embarrassing seasons.

2) James’ Title No. 2—In the East, there are only a few teams that can keep up with the Miami Heat. 

The New York Knicks are still too inconsistent and the Chicago Bulls are still waiting for the return of their superstar Derrick Rose.  However, the Heat are showing some signs of trouble.  For starters, they have a terrible road record and are one of the worst rebounding teams in the league. In some games, you can see that the Heat are just coasting along, preserving themselves for a long playoff run. 30-year old Dwyane Wade is averaging career-lows since his rookie year and he is no longer the driving daredevil that he used to be.  I guess this makes sense he needs to evolve his game for longevity. It’s good that LeBron is racking big numbers to carry Miami.

3) Contenders Now—The Western Conference is getting mighty tough and the Oklahoma City Thunder won’t get back to the Finals without a tough fight.  The Los Angeles Clippers are slightly ahead of the Thunder after their recent 17-game winning streak. The Clippers boast one of the deepest benches in the league to back-up their two bonafide superstars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.

Simply put, they have all the personnel and team chemistry to make a serious bid for the title. Not far behind are the Memphis Grizzlies. They have one of the best front lines in the league and if they manage to stay healthy, they have a shot to go all the way.

4)Rookie Stars—The 2012 draft can be considered the best in recent years and this class continues to impress. Rookies Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, Alexey Shved, Andre Drummond, Anthony Davis, to name a few, are making a big impact in their current teams.  Lillard for instance is averaging 18.2 ppg [points per game], 6.5 apg [assists per game], and 3.4 rpg [rebounds per game] a game as a starter.  Beal recently had a big game when he nailed a game winner versus the Thunder.  With this new batch of rookies, fans won’t be wanting for superstars.

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