On The Watch “It’s All About The NBA Season 2019/2020”

The NBA Season 2019/2020

The NBA Season is set to start this upcoming Tuesday October 22, 2019, and our own newly crowned Canadian Defending Champs the Toronto Raptors will be looking to start the season right where they left off. However, they will be looking to repeat without their star player and Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard. With Kawhi jumping ship, the Raptors’ chances of repeating have definitely slimmed down but with the emergence of last year’s Most Improved Player Pascal Siakam they may have found another go to player to help them restore the balance needed to get back to the Finals and defend their Championship.

With the season that they had last year the Milwaukee Bucks will be looking to bounce right back into contention considering that their squad is still intact with a few new faces to help maintain their status quo as one of the top teams that could possibly reach the Eastern Conference Finals if all goes right for them.

After falling short at the buzzer to the Toronto Raptors in the Easter Conference Finals, the Philadelphia 76ers had a hard look at their team and decided to fine-tune their roster to hopefully have that edge needed to conquer the Eastern Conference and set foot to the NBA Finals. As it stands right now, they may have the biggest starting line-up this year if all goes as planned with 6-5, 6-9, 6-10, and a big mobile 7-footer. Defence this year should not be a problem, but Philly will definitely be gunning for that No. 1 Spot. Their time is now.

The lack of chemistry that the Boston Celtics displayed last year cost them dearly and with the departure of Kyrie Irving and Al Holford, they might have slipped a little but I’m not counting them boys out just yet. Coach Brad Stevens is a proven winner and with Kemba Walker now running the show along with a young athletic squad, the Celtics will still be in contention and may be the sleeper team in the Eastern Conference.

The Brooklyn Nets acquired Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant over the off season in a serious power move, but we won’t be able to see the two heavy hitters share the court together until possibly next season since Kevin Durant is expected to miss the entire 2019/2020 season recovering from his Achilles injury. I expect the Nets to be competitive but not ready yet to steal that No 1 Spot in the East.

That being said the Eastern Conference is still steadily improving. The Indiana Pacers, the Miami Heat, the Detroit Pistons and the Washington Wizards will keep it interesting throughout the season.

Out West the tables have changed dramatically, with the departure of Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson sidelined until possibly after the All-Star break. The Golden State Warriors will have no breathing room or any easy nights in the Western Conference. This season might be their toughest to date. The Warriors are not ready to concede the season just yet. Counting them out with a healthy Stephen Curry and Draymond Green still holding it down until Klay comes back is not something I’m willing to bet against at this time.

The two LA teams have done some power moves of their own and in doing so may have reignited the Lakers/Clippers rivalry. The Los Angeles Lakers will start this season with a well-rested and healthy LeBron James and newly acquired Anthony Davis. The Lakers have revamped their squad and are already talking Championships. However, their neighboring team the Los Angeles Clippers have also added two valuable pieces to their already proven squad in the form of reigning Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Now that was an unexpected chess move by the Clippers. Both teams have easily vaulted themselves into contention but in the WESTSIDE, nothing is as easy as it’s sounds. The road to the Western Finals is a never-ending gauntlet. There are quite a few contenders willing and ready to snatch that No. 1 Spot.

The Houston Rockets will be starting two former NBA MVP’s in James Harden and Russell Westbrook. This is an intriguing backcourt but one that I am definitely looking forward to seeing in action at this point in their careers. The pace that these two can play at might be the key that gives them the edge and push them over the hump.

The Denver Nuggets are no longer flying under the radar. That squad balled out of their minds last year and are determined to give it another run at the No. 1 Spot. These Kats have a well-balanced squad who plays that team ball the proper way. No game is an easy game against them. They have arrived and are definitely in the mix.

Fresh off their Western Conference Finals showing, the Portland Trail Blazers have retooled their squad to give it another run. Their goal remains the same as all the top contenders in the Western Conference and that is Championship or bust. They have one of the best backcourts in the league in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Now it’s all about putting the right pieces together and making every game count.

Again, the Western Conference is so competitive that you cannot afford to sleep on any team on any given night. That being said, be on the lookout for the New Orleans Pelicans, the San Antonio Spurs, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Dallas Mavericks to ruffle up the pecking order and create their own havoc in the Western Conference.

Tune in Tuesday night October 22, 2019 and be part of one of the most interesting NBA Seasons.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About The NBA PLAYOFFS 2019”

2019 NBA PLAYOFFS

Once again, this NBA Season came down to the wire with teams aiming to position themselves for some tough matchups ahead of the Playoffs.
New faces have squeezed in this year to make the NBA’s version of the “sweet 16”. The struggle for “Supremacy” will be tested on both coasts.

This year Eastern Conference No. 1 Seed overall is the surging Milwaukee Bucks (60-22). Their record speaks for itself. They are the only team to finish with 60 wins this Season. Real Talk! The Bucks accomplished that feat in style dominating teams with superior offence and defence. With Giannis “The Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo leading the way with his MVP type play, we might just see a new team representing the East come the NBA Final.

That being said, our own Canadian team the Toronto Raptors are not quite ready to succumb to the Bucks just yet. The Raptors once again finished with an impressive record of (58-24). The second-best record overall. They too are battle tested and now have their own equalizer in Kawhi Lenord to help them get to the promised land of the NBA Finals.

The Eastern Conference teams are getting better and stronger year by year so the 3rd seeded 76ers (51-31), the 4th seeded Celtics (49-33) and the 5th seeded Pacers (48-34) are all determined to disrupt the outcome of the Eastern Conference Playoffs one way or another.

Representing the Western Conference with the No. 1 Seed is the Defending Champions Golden State Warriors (57-25). The Warriors had to battle a little harder this year but still managed to secure the No. 1 Seed over the rising play of the Denver Nuggets (54-28). As usual the Western Conference is competitive from 1 to 8. Real talk! The Blazers (53-29) have the 3rd seed while the Houston Rockets (53-29) have regained their mojo with their MVP candidate James Harden balling out of his mind. James definitely has a chip on his shoulders and the only way to release the stress is to have a good Playoff run all the way to the Finals. The Jazz, the Thunder, the Spurs and the Clippers are all in it to win it. The Warriors are looking to “three-peat” and cement their names in the record books but first must get through this Western shoot out.

Tune in Saturday April 13, 2019 and witness the outcome unfold right before our eyes. Game Time!!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About The NBA-Who’s On Top?”

The NBA-Who’s On Top?

We are officially well passed the midpoint mark for the season with 57 plus Games played to date and lo and behold we have a new contender in the Milwaukee Bucks (43-14) holding down the No.1 Spot by a very small margin over our own Canadian team the Toronto Raptors (43-16). Giannis and The Bucks have been looking like legit contenders as of late. Real Talk! The Bucks as a Team are looking to secure their bid for the NBA Finals by balling hard every night with their MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way with his do it all, no holds barred playmaking. Giannis is balling on another level right now and the Bucks are definitely benefiting from it. That being said, the Raptors still have a very good chance of claiming the No. 1 Spot in the Eastern Conference as do the Indiana Pacers (38-20), the Boston Celtics (37-21) and Philadelphia 76ers (37-21). They are all battling to secure a better seeding come Playoff time.

Holding down the Western Conference once again is the Defending Champs Golden State Warriors (41-16) but, surprisingly, behind them is the standout play of the Denver Nuggets (39-18). The Nuggets are the wild card in the Western Conference that can undeniably disrupt the seedings and possibly take the No.1 Spot if the Warriors are caught slipping. Real Talk! That being said, the Western Conference is still a tight and competitive race with Oklahoma City Thunder (37-20) balling hard while holding on to the third spot but could perhaps shuffle up or down with the Portland Trail Blazers (34-23) and the Houston Rockets (33-24) breathing down each other’s necks. The Los Angeles Lakers (28-29) have fallen off as of late but do have “King James” on the squad that could still flip a switch and turn things around and get back into contention.

The landscape is changing fast for both conferences and making it that much more interesting. Keep tuned in to see the final stretch to the NBA’s version of the “sweet 16” aka the Playoffs?

Blaze