Previewing All the NBA's Christmas Day Action

A Finals rematch between the Cavs and Warriors headlines a jam-packed NBA Christmas.

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

For an in-depth preview of the Celtics and Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Christmas Day, you can read my separate preview article here. Now, onto the rest of a packed Christmas Day!

2:30 PM ET, ABC: Golden State Warriors @ Cleveland Cavaliers

The long-awaited regular season rematch of the previous two NBA Finals comes to a television, phone, tablet or computer near you on Christmas Day.

The Warriors and Cavaliers represent two of the top three teams in terms of offensive efficiency and two of the four best squads in scoring differential this season. Golden State’s league-leading effective field goal and true shooting percentages have propelled the Warriors to a gargantuan lead in scoring differential this season.

Jeremy's Best- and/or Worst-Case NBA Preview

Stephen Curry took home an MVP Award and an NBA Title last season, but can he repeat?

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

Every year I make NBA picks. Every year I'm wrong. Like, yeah, I picked Cleveland to make the Finals last year, and yeah, I picked Miami to make the Finals in each of the previous four years. But how hard was that? The East is always super-easy to predict. I've whiffed on the West pretty much every year, sometimes spectacularly so.

So, I'm just taking a wide lens this year. I'm making no official predictions, whether with regards to win-loss records or who's going to win which conference or the title. If I'm just going to be wrong anyway, what's the point? So, like I did with my NFL preview back in September, I'm going to take a look at every team's best-case scenario, every team's worst-case scenario, and finally, a middle-ground look that (I suppose) will serve as my unoffically official prediction (but again, I'm not going to explicitly say a win total or an exact finish).

As I sometimes do, I've arranged the teams in a random order, so please don't spend time worrying about why I picked the order that I picked, or searching for hidden meaning. There isn't any. Also, it is long (in total, it runs a cool 8800 words), so feel free to skip ahead and just find your favorite team. I won't be offended.

The Official (Way Too Long) SuiteSports 2014-2015 NBA Preview: Part V - The Finals Favorites

As long as these guys are walking, the Spurs are contenders. And they'll still probably be contenders even with these guys in wheelchairs.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

With opening day upon us, it's time to finish up the season preview, and this final section features the last six teams. They aren't the teams with the six best records in the league, as I explained briefly in Monday's section. The last six teams are the teams with the best "Finals equity," as I have taken to calling it. Strictly speaking, I think Golden State will finish with a better record, and is a better overall team that the first team up today. But because Golden State plays in the loaded West (and is unlikely to come up with a top 3 seed), they have less of a chance to make the Finals than the team that seems likely to grab a top 3 seed in the more volatile conference.

Even within this section, the teams don't run in order of win totals. They run in the order from least likely to make the Finals to most likely. There are two Western Conference teams that might seem out of order, but that's because one projects to be a better regular season team, while the other will probably be better in the playoffs. But that will all become clear when we get there. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's just roll through these:

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. 

Your NBA Team Sucks - A Glass Half-Empty Season Preview (Part III)

Kevin Durant's foot injury could de-rail Oklahoma City's season before it even starts.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

Ready for one more round of bad feelings? I know I am. Let's throw our stink on the last ten teams in the league. If you missed Part I (the ten worst teams from last year), it's here. For Part II (with the last few lottery teams and the first bunch of playoff teams), it's over there. And this is Part III, covering the best of the best. Well, the worst of the best. These teams suck.

Miami Heat

In case you didn’t hear, LeBron isn’t playing for the team any longer.

The team completely and totally fell apart in the playoffs last year whenever LeBron wasn’t on the floor. How are they going to survive a whole season without him? Dwyane Wade is pretty much guaranteed to break down. The last time Chris Bosh carried a team, the 2010 Raptors went 40-42. At least they can take solace in the fact that everything bad going on is Mario Chalmers’ fault.

Worst-Case Scenario: Wade’s knees fall apart as he tries to shoulder a greater load. Bosh can’t step up, Luol Deng and Danny Granger are washed up, Josh McRoberts never fits in, and the Heat lose 55 games.

Why The Clippers Didn't Win

Just because the Clippers and Wizards lost on the same night doesn't mean they're similar teams.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

With a 104-98 win Thursday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder knocked the Los Angeles Clippers out of the playoffs. Technically speaking, this puts the Clippers on the same "level" as the Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, and Portland Trail Blazers - they're all teams that lost in Round 2. But that isn't being fair to the Clippers.

West Round 2 Preview: (2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (3) Los Angeles Clippers

There are four All-Stars in the series, but Scott Brooks might be the pivotal character.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

By The Numbers

Oklahoma City:
59-23 (34-7 Home; 25-16 Road)
PPG: 106.2 (5th); PPG Allowed: 99.8 (12th)
+6.3 Average Scoring Margin (3rd)
Off Rating: 108.1 (7th); Def Rating: 101.0 (5th)
+7.1 Net Efficiency Rating (3rd)

Los Angeles:
57-25 (34-7 Home; 23-18 Road)
PPG: 107.9 (1st); 101.0 (14th)
+7.0 Average Scoring Margin (2nd)
Off Rating: 109.4 (1st); Def Rating: 102.1 (7th)
+7.3 Net Efficiency Rating (2nd)

Season Series: Tied 2-2
Los Angeles 111, Oklahoma City 103 (November 13)
Oklahoma City 105, Los Angeles 91 (November 21)
Los Angeles 125, Oklahoma City 117 (February 23)
Oklahoma City 107, Los Angeles 101 (April 9)

Lobel: I Finally Care About the NBA… For All The Wrong Reasons

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

It is totally embarrassing, but I must admit what got me back to having at least some interest in the NBA. 

Of course, Larry Bird is not walking through that door, Donald Sterling is!

What a $#!+ storm! 

West Round 1 Preview: (3) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (6) Golden State Warriors

DeAndre Jordan improved by leaps and bounds in 2014.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

By the Numbers

Los Angeles:
57-25 (34-7 Home; 23-18 Road)
PPG: 107.9 (1st); 101.0 (14th)
+7.0 Average Scoring Margin (2nd)
Off Rating: 109.4 (1st); Def Rating: 102.1 (7th)
+7.3 Net Efficiency Rating (2nd)

Golden State:
51-31 (27-14 Home; 24-17 Road)
PPG: 104.3 (10th); PPG Allowed: 99.5 (10th)
+4.8 Average Scoring Margin (T-4th)
Off Rating: 105.3 (12th); Def Rating: 99.9 (3rd)
+5.4 Net Efficiency Rating (6th)

Season Series: Tied 2-2
Los Angeles 126, Golden State 115 (October 31)
Golden State 105, Los Angeles 103 (December 25)
Golden State 111, Los Angeles 92 (January 30)
Los Angeles 111, Golden State 98 (March 12)

March Mascot Melee™: Round One of the NBA Bracket

Does this look like a kind of guy you want to mess with?

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

Joe kicked us off with his breakdown of the most vicious mascots from Major League Baseball, and I'm here to walk you through the most fearsome of basketball's furry friends. Here are the top sixteen seeds:

Four Things That Might Happen At The NBA Trade Deadline

NBA GM's will be by the phone Thursday, but will anyone big get moved?

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

The NBA Trade Deadline is TODAY, Thursday, at 3 p.m. Here are a few things that might happen:

1. The Knicks trade Iman Shumpert and Ray Felton for Darren Collison and Reggie Bullock (or Matt Barnes)

This one seems probable, and fair for both sides. The money doesn't work out unless the Clippers agree to fit Shumpert's contract into the trade exception they got out of the Eric Bledsoe trade this summer, otherwise they'd have to throw in Willie Green.

NBA Christmas Day Viewing Guide

Look away from the Christmas Tree for a second and plop down on the sofa for some Holiday Hoops. (flickr)

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

As per usual, the NBA is gearing up for a slate of five games on this lovely Christmas day. Each game has a few different things to watch for, so use this as your guide to navigating the labyrinth of basketball viewing with family-obligation roadblocks.

Taking You to School: Basketball is Back

Has Duke's Jabari Parker been the most impressive freshman so far this year?

Our "Taking You to School" basketball podcast returns with host Joe Parello, editor Jeremy Conlin and Roundball Daily's Kels Dayton discussing the biggest hoops stories of the day.

This week, the gang tackles which fantastic freshman will have the best college season, and then NBA career. Plus, which disappointing team in the East can recover, and are the Clippers the favorites in the West? How about Michigan State, are they the best college basketball team in the country?

All that, and more, on this week's edition of "Taking You to School."

New Sports Podcasts with RF Sports Radio on BlogTalkRadio

Points In The Paint - November 14

Andrew Wiggins has moved on up to the college ranks, but he won't be there for long. (Flickr)

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

We've been playing NBA basketball for two and a half weeks now, so there's no time like the present to talk a stroll around the league and check in on a few happenings here and there. But before we get to the pros, let's take a quick look at the amateur ranks.

The Kids Are All Right

Freshman Phenoms Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, and Julius Randle introduced themselves to the nation at large on Tuesday night in the Champions Classic from Chicago. They did not disappoint.

Chris Paul: Basketball Wizard

Chris Paul has taken his game to new heights early this season. (flickr)

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

In 2009, Chris Paul pieced together the greatest all-around single season for a point guard in NBA history. He had the highest Player Efficiency Rating (PER) for a point guard ever, and he became the only point guard in history to average 20/10/5 (points/assists/rebounds) on at least 50% shooting. People remember 2008 as Paul's finest season (the year he led New Orleans to 56 wins and finished as the runner-up to Kobe in the MVP voting), but in reality, 2009 was superior, almost across the board.

However, that doesn't matter anymore, because he's going to blow them both away this year.

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.

Your NBA Team Sucks - A Glass-Half-Empty Season Preview (Part III)

These guys think they're so cool. They're wrong. They suck. (Flickr)

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

In case you missed the first two installments of Your NBA Team Sucks, Part I can be found here and Part II can be found here. In Part III we cover the 10 best teams from last season (by regular season record), and while all of them made the playoffs last season, not all of them will this season. 

Golden State Warriors

Everyone is tripping over themselves to talk about how good the Warriors are going to be this year but ignoring a few key points.

First, David Lee is healthy again. The Warriors went on an impressive playoff run after he got hurt and they were forced to play small out of necessity. Harrison Barnes at power forward awarded the Golden State offense ample space with which to work, which they translated into a dynamite offensive performance (especially in Round 1). With Lee in the lineup, that spacing suffers.

Does Antawn Jamison Actually Help The Clippers?

Antawn Jamison has always been a good offensive player, but his poor defense could be a problem for the Clippers.

By Bennett Corcoran

The Los Angeles Clippers have made plenty of splashes this summer during free agency and attempted to shore up the frontcourt by signing veteran forward Antawn Jamison. Although his numbers dipped last season in a reserve role with the other team in Los Angeles, he still served as a productive bench spark capable of scoring in bunches. The team managed to stock up on shooters with the additions of J.J. Redick, a career 39.0% from three-point range, Jared Dudley, a career 40.5% sniper, and Reggie Bullock, who shot 43.6% from beyond the arc at North Carolina last season. Signing Jamison could bolster them enough for a deep playoff run in a loaded Western Conference.

Unfortunately though, Jamison doesn't seem to strengthen Lob City’s glaring weakness in its frontcourt.

Good Moves; Bad Moves in NBA Free Agency

The acquisition of Doc Rivers was integral to keeping Chris Paul in Los Angeles (flickr)

By Bennett Corcoran

As the July moratorium approaches and NBA free agency officially kicks off, let’s take a quick look at some teams that have already committed to verbal agreements with prominent free agents on the market as they attempt to improve next season. Aside from the obvious good moves like Dwight Howard to the Rockets or even Andre Iguodala to the Warriors, there are plenty of other moves out there that require a little more analysis.

Previewing the NBA Coaching Vacancies

Will Stan Van Gundy return to the bench next season?

By Bennett Corcoran

While some teams are fortunate enough to be fighting for an NBA championship, others have already shifted gears toward next year. With coaching situations yet to be resolved, the ongoing slew of interviews and the assembling of long lists of candidates has begun. Although it’s difficult to make predictions as teams are bringing in many of the same candidates for the same positions, here we outline which coaches could fit specific teams and what each NBA team is looking for in their coach of the future.