I Like This Team - A Glass Half-Full NBA Preview (Part III)

LeBron has Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love thinking Championship

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

This is the third and final installment of the positive half of our extreme NBA previews. Last Week, I told you why all 30 teams are terrible. Friday and Monday, I told you why 20 teams are great. Here are the last ten, featuring some of the best teams from a season ago (plus the new-look Cavaliers).

As with the first two sections, I've included each team's best-case scenario for the season. With most of these teams, the talent level is close enough that everyone's best-case scenario is to win the title. As such, I've tried to be as specific as possible as to how and why those best-case scenarios might manifest themselves. Put on a pair of rose-colored glasses and look on the bright side. 

I Like This Team - A Glass Half-Full NBA Preview (Part II)

With Derrick Rose back in action, the sky is the limit for the Bulls.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

After spending most of last week being mean, we turned the tables on Friday and started to say nice things about every team. This continues the Era of Good Feelings (or were those in the 1820s - I can never remember), and I explain how and why each of these teams has a shot at the postseason (or better) this season. This group has the last few lottery teams from last year, and the first group of playoff teams. It also includes the first two teams (one from each conference) with a semi-realistic shot (or better) of reaching the Finals.

New York Knicks

And underrated part of the trade that sent Ray Felton and Tyson Chandler to Dallas in exchange for Jose Calderon and Samuel Dalembert (and other spare parts) is that it reunites Calderon and Andrea Bargnani. Back before he got hurt in 2012, Bargnani was enjoying the best offensive season of his career, thanks in large part to a robust foul rate, and was doing most of his best work when he shared the floor with Jose Calderon. In 2013, Bargnani was injured and Calderon was traded mid-season and they never really clicked. But now they have another chance.

I Like This Team - A Glass Half-Full NBA Preview (Part I)

A healthy year for Anthony Davis and the Pelicans could launch New Orleans into the playoffs.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

Earlier in the week, we ran through all thirty teams and said mean things about them. We did this because (a) I’m a pessimist by nature, and (b) as an independent sports blog, taking pot shots is just something you have to do in order to stay relevant. Also, it’s fun.

But at the same time, it’s nice to have a broad appeal. And my grandmother always taught me that you attract more flies with honey than vinegar. I think that means I’m supposed to be nice. So in an effort to be nice, I’m going to offer a positive spin on all thirty teams.

You know how Jon Gruden spends 70 percent of his Monday Night Football broadcasts explaining why he likes this guy (whoever that guy is)? That’s what I’m doing. Imagine the 30 NBA teams are undersized undrafted linebackers and I’m Jon Gruden.

If you want a refresher on last year’s series, you can find it in these three parts. Like Your Team Sucks, we’re going to start with the 10 worst teams from a year ago, but again, we’re going to save Cleveland for the end.

Milwaukee Bucks

Last year was a season from hell, but this year has many reasons for optimism. Jabari Parker might be the most NBA-ready rookie to enter the league in the last five years, and he’ll form a pairing with Giannis Antetokounmpo that has so much length on the wing that the whip-around passing that has become so commonplace in the league these days will prove nearly impossible. If defenses can somehow penetrate their long-armed defense, Larry Sanders and John Henson will be waiting in the paint to place a lid on the basket. New coach Jason Kidd made somewhat of a name for himself last year in Brooklyn by placing an emphasis on flexibility, rather than conforming to his veteran’s tendencies. Now he’ll be able to instill those values into young players.

The Way-Too-Long NBA Preview (Part II)

Chris Paul is ready to lead the Clippers to Los Angeles relevance.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

I began the end of the SuiteSports 2013-2014 NBA Preview yesterday with Part I of the Way-Too-Long Preview. This is Part II, the final installment.

Because the season starts today.

All the previous publishings can be found on the sidebar on the right-hand side, or you can just plow ahead with the 15 teams I didn't cover yesterday. Again, there is no secret code to be unlocked to derive meaning from the order. I pulled them out of a hat and then made sure my Finals pick was at the end. That's it. Now read it.

Because it's basketball season.

Los Angeles Lakers
2013 Record: 45-37
Over/Under Wins: 36.5
Odds to Win Championship: 40/1

Scouting Report: The Lakers’ odds to win the championship are hysterically funny. Compared to, say, the Pistons, their over/under line for wins is actually four lower (Pistons are at 40.5), but their odds to win the title are significantly lower (Detroit is at 75/1). This basically means that people are still betting on the Lakers to win the title in greater numbers than those betting on Detroit or other teams projected in that win range, like New Orleans (39.5; 100/1) or Atlanta (39.5; 150/1). Lakers fans, man. Gotta love ‘em.

The Way-Too-Long NBA Preview (Part I)

Dwight Howard has Houston thinking Championship.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

NBA season is right around the corner. Over the last two weeks, I've offered a pessimistic NBA preview (in three parts), and an optimistic NBA preview (also in three parts). This is the realistic NBA preview. In some instances, this will be a (paraphrased) repeat of what I said was the team's worst-case scenario; for others, a repeat of what I said was the team's best-case scenario. For others still, a totally new angle on what the season will be like.

In the interest of making things as confusing as possible, I've arranged the teams in random order (except for the teams I saved for last in today's Part I and tomorrow's Part II, but you'll get to that later). Do not try to discern a pattern for why a team is placed where - you won't find one. In each section, I've listed the team's record from last season, and two Vegas lines - their over/under for wins this season, and their odds to win the NBA title. You know, in case you live in a place where gambling is legal. 

Brooklyn Nets
2013 Record: 49-33
Over/Under Wins: 52.5
Odds to Win Championship: 10/1

Scouting Report: This team is going to be a lot like the 2010 Celtics, and not only because they prominently feature Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. It’s a team of veteran guys that realizes they don’t need to kick ass and take names on all 82 nights – they’re perfectly aware that they can go through the motions for days or even weeks at a time and still comfortably make the playoffs. All that really matters for them is if they can identify a clear rotation that will work come playoff time.

I Like This Team - A Glass-Half Full NBA Preview (Part III)

Miami is the favorite in the East, but they still have to go through Paul George and the Pacers. (Flickr)

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

This is Part III (the last one!) of I Like This Team. It was the only fair thing to do after slinging fistfuls of mud around last week. Parts I and II of my nice version can be found here and here.

As you might have noticed, at the end of each team's section, I've been offering a best-case scenario prognosis for the season. Going from team to team, the outcomes outlined in those best-case scenarios could vary greatly. However, now that we've reached the 10 best teams from last year's regular season, one might expect that the best-case scenario for each (or at least, the majority) of these teams is an NBA title. Given that as the case, I've made a point to be as specific as possible as to what exactly would lead them to said NBA title, at least in the instances where that really is their best-case scenario.

In any event, let's kick things off with one of the more intriguing teams this coming season:

Golden State Warriors

In the realm of NBA dork-ery, the Warriors made the biggest move of the offseason when they swiped Andre Iguodala away from Denver. Iguodala is like LeBron-lite, in that he’s a tall, lanky swingman with great ballhandling and passing skills who can defend up to four positions. He’s the NBA’s version of a Swiss army knife because his flexibility allows his team to utilize him in so many different ways. With Iguodala on the roster, Golden State can play small (Curry, Thompson, Iguodala, Barnes, Lee/Bogut), standard (Curry, two of the Thompson/Iguodala/Barnes trio, Lee, Bogut), or even a ridiculous big lineup (Iguodala at point guard, Thompson, Barnes, Lee, Bogut). When you throw Draymond Green into the mix, the Warriors can basically assemble lineups by pulling names out of a hat. It’s that level of depth and flexibility that led to Denver winning 57 games last season with no central “star.” With Curry on board for Golden State, 57 wins might not just be realistic, it may be easy.

I Like This Team - A Glass-Half-Full NBA Preview (Part II)

The Return of Derrick Rose has Chicago thinking Championship.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

We're continuing with our optimistic NBA preview after dolling out 30 helpings of hate last week with Your Team Sucks. If you missed Part I of I Like This Team, you can find it here. In Part II, we're covering the middle of the standings from last season, including a handful of teams that many would find it hard to be optimistic about. But not me! My rose-colored glasses don't discriminate here. Let's start off with a bleak one so you'll get what I mean:

Philadelphia 76ers

They actually have a future! They could end up with two lottery picks next year (their own and New Orleans’), and they have two lottery picks from the 2013 draft (Nerlens Noel and Michael Carter-Williams). It’s basically impossible to have four lottery picks in two years and whiff on all of them. Someone in there is going to develop into an All-Star caliber player or close to it. If they can keep Thaddeus Young invested in staying in town, and if they can continue to develop Evan Turner, they’ll have the makings of a future playoff team.

Best-Case Scenario: Nerlens Noel recovers from his ACL injury by mid-February, giving him an opportunity to get NBA game experience, but it's so late in the season it doesn't really affect Philadelphia's spot in the standings (or, more importantly, the lottery). Michael Carter-Williams takes his lumps but slowly develops, and Thaddeus Young continues to do Thaddeus Young things. With a former San Antonio assistant as the head coach, those three players (along with Evan Turner) use their length and quickness to plant the seeds of a future lockdown defensive squad. 

I Like This Team - A Glass-Half-Full NBA Preview (Part I)

Kyrie Irving and John Wall are both poised to turn their franchises around.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

Last week, we ran through all 30 teams and took the most pessimistic angle possible. We did this because we are a sports blog, and thus contractually obligated by the laws of the internet to be snarky and sarcastic.

However, like Fox News, SuiteSports is fair and balanced. If we spend nearly 5000 words saying the worst thing about every NBA team, it's only right that we spend the same amount saying nice things about every NBA team. Hopefully, reading this series makes you think of Jon Gruden's penchant for saying how much he likes "this guy." For now, I am Jon Gruden, and the 30 NBA teams are the scrappy, unheralded, or otherwise non-traditional players that Gruden gushes over during Monday Night Football broadcasts.

Orlando Magic

They used the No. 2 overall pick on a promising young player with seemingly unlimited upside. He’ll be playing out of position, but that actually might not be such a bad thing – he’ll take his lumps at point guard long before Orlando is expecting to be a playoff contender, so by the time they are expecting to be, he’ll have all the wrinkles ironed out.

Moe Harkless and Tobias Harris are each skilled forwards who have plenty of time to figure out how they complement each other. Nikola Vucevic is a 22-year old double-double machine. They don’t have the central star that can tie everything together yet, but it seems like they have several pieces that can assemble together easily if they ever do get the superstar they’re looking for.

Best-Case Scenario: Victor Oladipo is a revelation at point guard - he picks up on the intricacies of the position overnight and uses his athleticism to cover up his weaknesses. Harkless and Harris effortlessly float back and forth between the two forward spots, and Arron Afflalo returns to his 2009 form on defense, giving them a legitimate perimeter stopper. Nikola Vucevic holds down the paint and Orlando is in the mix for the 8th playoff spot all the way into April.