Can't wait (1)
Suns -- Loved watching them play last year, Dragic was a maestro, Hornacek kept the rotations smooth, never seen such a collection of Most Improved/Best Comeback candidates on one roster. Bledsoe was magic, you could tell he was getting this NBA thing down but even when he was out, the Suns just kept humming. On good nights they'd catch some team slipping, spend the whole 2nd half just trying to get on Sportscenter. Damn. Bummed they didn't make the playoffs, they would've given the Spurs a better challenge than you think. I still like this team going forward, I think they'll miss Frye more than they realize but once they get their groove going, I think they'll be pretty good, make the playoffs and be one of the most exciting teams in the League.
Totally fascinated by (2-7)
Bucks -- This team has more cheap thrills than a traveling carnival. Curious to see if Jabari takes ROY (I suspect he will), if Greek Freak is indeed the most exciting player in the League, if Sanders can be promising again, if Henson can be something like the star I think he can be, if Brandon Knight can lead this team, if Mayo can get back into playing shape, if Dudley, Bayless and Marshall can contribute off the bench. And with Jason Kidd as the coach? Man, they've got a built-in wacky neighbor! This roster is not as bad as they were last year, they should improve just by walking on the court. But with the excitement of Jabari, the growth of Antetokounpo and just general maturation all around, I think they can be pretty good. I'm starting to see them sliding into the 8th spot in the East.
Magic -- They've got so many young assets to keep an eye on. I'm buying the hype on Payton, I'm curious to see Gordon, I think Olapdipo will increase his efficiency, I think Frye was a good pick up. They've got 3 guys going into free agency (Harris, Vucevic, O'Quinn), 3 more playing into their options (Harkless, Nicholson, Fournier), 1 cut from his rookie deal (Peyton Siva); that's a lot of hungry young players that will be bringing it every night. I think the coach might be the first to get fired, I'm mystified by the signings of Ben Gordon and Luke Ridnour and with a team this young you don't expect them to be crisp in the 4th quarter against for-real professional ballers. So I doubt they'll win too many games or challenge for the 8th spot in the East, but they'll play hard erry night and some of these youngsters will emerge.
Pelicans -- Two words: Anthony Davis. One of the most exciting unique players of my lifetime and he's only getting better. I like the addition of Asik, and Anderson, Holiday and Evans make for a nice starting five. But bench depth is not so good with Eric Gordon swamping the salary cap and Austin Rivers just not living up to the hype. And the coach could be embattled early on. But if they can stay afloat I'd like to see the Pelicans makes some moves to upgrade the roster. If they lose badly it could get depressing; but if they win, they'll be one of the best teams to watch all year.
T-Wolves -- This is basically a brand new team: 2 rookies (Wiggins, Lavine), 3 rookies from last year that should've played more (Bennett, Dieng, Muhammad), 1 new trade piece (Young), 1 new free agent (Williams) and a C that was hurt most of last year. The landscape has changed considerably from just 6 months ago. Out is Love, and rumors are swirling around Budinger, Barea and Martin. This is Rubio's team now, there is no second option, he's in the diver's seat, it's hero time for Rubio. Now that he's got a bunch of new targets to assist, I think he'll do just fine, I think the team will be fun to watch and by the end of the year I bet they'll actually be pretty good. But early on I think they'll be terrible, slumping rookies, chemistry issues, trade rumors, veteran coach trying to hold it together, etc. But I bet after the all-star break they'll figure it out and come back sexy next year. No way they make the playoffs this year but watching them figure out what they've got should be kinda cool.
Jazz -- All about the youth movement, who's gonna blossom and who's getting shipped out. The Jazz aren't a prime destination for free agents and draft picks are generally better as trade bait than building blocks. They have to trade for their stars and by next summer they should have enough assets to make a run at a semi-star or two to mold into this core. Favors and Hayward would appear to be in the core (or the most valuable trade chips of all) and figure Exum has 1-2 years to figure it out. So between Kanter, Burke, Burks and Gobert, who stays in the core and who gets moved on? I like all these players, doubt they'll win many games, no idea the answer to the previous question but they'll play hard and these names will be fodder for next summer.
Kings -- Its gonna be fun to watch Cousins...do whatever he's gonna do! I reckon the King'll still suck, off the top of my head I have no idea who the Kings coach is, but Cousins will be a monster and FIBA got me hankering to see if ol' Rudy comes out. They'll be a trainwreck but they'll be a fun trainwreck.
Eastern playoff-seeding carousel (8-13)
Raptors, Cavs, Wizards, Hawks, Heat, Hornets -- I'll be in and out with these teams from beginning to end, I reckon. I think they're all gonna be good but I'm not sure how good or how long it'll take to get good because they've all gone through major changes since May (except the Raptors who are surprisingly unchanged). They each have their own drama but they'll be rubbing up against each other all year long. How they shake out will be cool to see.
Western curiosities (14-15)
Mavs, Warriors -- They'll both be good, I think better than last year. They'll score, they'll play tough games into the 4th quarter every night, they'll win games they were supposed to lose. But they're both sloppy, inconsistent, they're gonna lose games they ought to win. Fortunately, they'll be good to watch whether they're winning or losing.
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