Voice On Sports: 2015-16 NBA Preview

By Robert Vincent
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Truth
It’s that time of year when Charles Barkley can’t keep his trap closed. Yes, The NBA season starts this week, and, much like I did with the gridiron, I give you my thoughts and predictions on the professional hardwood.
Let’s get started…

The Good…
The feel good champions from last year, The Golden State Warriors, haven’t lost anything of note.  They still have Curry, Klay Thompson and the rest are still there and want to prove that they can repeat against teams that are healthy (unlike last year where it seemed every team they went up against had at least one important player injured).

Along with that, we have a nice little rivalry going. Doc Rivers is already dissing The Warriors and has his Clippers primed to continue to be the team in Los Angeles.

Then you have possible last stands of players that have defined the NBA over the last decade and a half. Kobe Bryant is 37. He’s a 17 time all-star. And he now is a shell of the player with five rings. This could be the year that he ends his career, but not before teaching a new group how to win.

Add to the list that this could be the last year of a dominant Spurs team. Duncan is not young. Yes, he has plenty of young talent to pass along the torch, but this will more-than-likely be his last stand.

The Bad…
This will be LeBron James’ 13th season as a pro. During this time, he has won two championships, four MVPs, and a whole lot more. The scary thing is his back. He has been getting injections and actually sat out of practices for two weeks. This could be an issue as the season progresses, though I am sure if the rest of the team can stay healthy, he can take a break around January for a few weeks.

The Knicks can’t get any worse. How can a team that has a player named after a candy bar as the star and the great and powerful, all knowing, deity-like Phil Jackson as the man behind the curtain be this bad? I mean, The Knicks use to be awesome…but that was the 1990’s and Patrick Ewing was the main man. Last year, they won 17 games and lost 65. They are pretty bad.

The Ugly Truth…
In the Eastern Finals, I see The Cavs outlasting the Bulls in 6. In the West, I see The Spurs pull off a final miracle run over the Clippers in 7.

As for the Finals? It will be King James SIXTH straight appearance in the championship series. During that time, he has lost the most…to the Spurs. I see Spurs over Cavs in 7, and more added fuel to the final chapter to an NBA rivalry of LeBron versus the Spurs that could match Celtics/Lakers during the 80’s.
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Enjoy the season, and remember to look for your regularly scheduled Voice on Sports later this week.