Cody's Blog

Fresh off of last year’s championship where the Los Angeles Lakers dispatched the Orlando Magic in 5 games, the Lakers will be hard pressed to repeat this year, as they are still one of the premiere teams in the West. (Although I like the Spurs this year in the West) Many of the premiere teams in the league made major improvements to their respective teams over the off season, and have drastically improved. Below are my division winners as well as the playoff predictions and the champion and some of my thoughts on the contending teams in the NBA in 2009.

Atlantic Division: Boston Celtics- Lets not try and sugar coat it. The Celtics are old. And adding Rasheed Wallace in the off season did not help that. Don’t get me wrong, I think that the Celtics are still a great team, but I think that 82 games can tke a toll on their old bodies. And besides, is Garnett at full strength? There are some questions surrounding them, but, none-the-less, they will still be a solid contender.

Southeast Division: Orlando Magic- The Orlando Magic overhauled this off season, as they added veteran point guard Jason Williams, acquired Ryan Anderson and Vince Carter in trades, and signed Matt Barnes and Brandon Bass, as well as traded away Rafer Alston and young back-court player Courtney Lee and I think that they are a better team for it. With returners Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis, along with deadly shooters Mickael Pietrus and J.J. Redick, I think that the Magic will be contenders again this year.

Central Division: Cleveland Cavaliers- With the addition of Shaquille O’Neal, the Cavs get a much needed inside presence to clash with Dwight Howard. I think that the Cavs will have a similar record to last years, (as they have almost the same team as last year) but will be more competitive team in the paint.

Southwest Division: San Antonio Spurs- Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess will be major contributors for the Spurs this season. With each of them coming over in a trade, these players really solidify the Spurs and will allow them to make a run at the NBA Finals, as Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, and Tim Duncan return.

Northwest Division: Portland Trailblazers- With basically the same team back from last year, I think that Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge will continue to dominate this year as they try and lead the Trailblazers deep ito the playoffs.

Pacific Division: Los Angeles Lakers- Enough said. But really, the Lakers will once again be a very solid team, and with the addition of defensive power house Ron Artest, LA will continue to dominate in the West until a team can come along and knock them from the top. (Which might be the Spurs)

Conference Finals in the East: Orlando over Cleveland in 7- I like Orlando and what they did in the off season, and with a star-studded lineup, they can do great damage in a very competitive conference.

Conference Finals in the West: Lakers over the Nuggets in 5- LA too strong for Melo and the Nuggets as the Lakers cruise to the NBA Finals once again.

NBA Finals: I like a rematch from last year between the Lakers and the Magic, with the Lakers on the winning side of things again in 6 games

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