Author: Gil Alcaraz
The NBA season is underway, and there are a few standout teams that are looking to take an early lead in the standings.
As of Tuesday, Nov. 17, in the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns are currently in the lead with a 9-2 record. They have been playing energetically and are looking forward to a successful season.
Ranked second are the Dallas Mavericks, who stand at a 8-3 record. They’ve continued solid play and have won a couple games already by 20 points or more.
The Denver Nuggets are third with a record of 7-3 and have shown their potential after smoldering the fire that was ignited by the Los Angeles Lakers with a 26-point shellacking.
In fourth are the Lakers, who started 7-1 but lost their last two games in a somewhat disgusting fashion (both were lost by at least 10 points). With the return of Pau Gasol, fans are hoping that the Lakers will return to the high caliber team that was expected to break the NBA record for most wins in a single season. With a starting lineup of Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Ron Artest, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, and the anticipatory return of Gasol, there’s no excuse for the team’s awful performance in the last two games. Only time will tell if the Lakers’ record lives up to the talent on the team.
Fifth in the standings are the Portland Trailblazers, who have an 8-4 record. They’ve won their last six of their last seven games and are looking to return to the playoffs after a disappointing appearance last year.
In the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks have started the season with vigor, currently standing at an 9-2 record. Their tenacious playing has paid off and wielded four straight wins in a row.
Second in the East are the Miami Heat, who hold a record of 7-2. Led by the electrifying Dwayne Wade, who has made numerous highlight dunks this season, they are hoping to find their way back to dominance in the East.
Coming in third are the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic, who are currently 8-3. After falling just short of making the NBA Finals last season, the Celtics and a healthy Kevin Garnett are looking to take another stab at the finals. Orlando, however, is currently in fifth and the team is hoping to return to the Finals after a disappointing lose to the Lakers in five games.
Fourth in the East are the Cleveland Cavaliers, who stand at 7-3. With this possibly being the last season for LeBron James in Cleveland, the Cavs are hoping to make it to the Finals and give him a reason to stay.
Sixth in the East are the Milwaukee Bucks, who have a current record of 5-3. With the recent addition of rookie phenomenon Brandon Jennings, who scored 55 points in their last win against Golden State, teams should start to be weary of this dark horse team.
The Lakers’ cross-city rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers, are not faring so well and currently hold a 4-7 record. After the first overall pick in last year’s draft, Blake Griffin got injured just before opening night. Morale is low as they were looking to have a turn-around season with the addition of numerous talented players, including Rasual Butler and Sebastian Telfair.
Other California teams, such as the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors have 5-4 and 3-6 records, respectively, and are attempting to keep in the race towards the playoffs.
If you’re a fan of either the New Jersey Nets or the Minnesota Timberwolves, be ready for a rough year as both teams have lost 10 games thus far. The Timberwolves have one win under their belt, but the Nets have yet to win a game. So if there’s another team you root for other than the Nets or Timberwolves, you might want to hop on that bandwagon instead.
This season is turning out to be an exciting one with lots of upsets, surprises, big plays and high-scoring games. So keep rooting for your favorite teams – and Lakers fans, stick in there. Let’s hope they can return to the dominant team they have shown they can be.
My prediction is that the Lakers and Suns will play in the Western Conference Finals with the Lakers coming out on top in seven games. For the Eastern Conference, it should be the Celtics and Bucks, with the Celtics coming out victorious in six games. The finals, however, will be too close to tell. It all comes down to whether the Lakers can stay consistent and play up to their potential.
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