Ball Don’t Lie’s 2012-13 NBA Season Previews: Every team, all in one place
Our four-month international nightmare has reached its end. At 7 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday night, the Washington Wizards will pay a visit to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the 2012-13 NBA season will have begun. (We promise: The games will get better.) For the first time since the waning moments of June 21, we will be watching NBA basketball. This is a good day.
While we've spent the last four months looking forward to this good day, we've spent the last two weeks really looking forward to it, examining each and every one of the NBA's 30 teams in an attempt to forecast the struggles, successes and subplots each will experience in the season ahead. Maybe you missed some; maybe you just want to revisit. Either way, we've collected 'em all up in one neat and tidy bundle.
The links below will bring you to each team's season preview. We hope you enjoy them, we hope you enjoy the start of the NBA season, and we hope you'll follow along with us — and our favorite print reporters, online writers, super geniuses and comedic types — as we document it all on Twitter. (And on Facebook, too.)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Southeast Division
Miami Heat — 62-20
Atlanta Hawks — 45-37
Washington Wizards — 29-53
Charlotte Bobcats — 15-67
Orlando Magic — 13-69
Atlantic Division
Boston Celtics — 47-35
Brooklyn Nets — 46-36
New York Knicks — 45-37
Philadelphia 76ers — 44-38
Toronto Raptors — 35-47
Central Division
Indiana Pacers — 53-29
Chicago Bulls — 44-38
Milwaukee Bucks — 38-44
Cleveland Cavaliers — 34-48
Detroit Pistons — 31-51
Which would mean, playoffs-wise ...
Miami
Indiana
Boston
Brooklyn
Atlanta/New York
New York/Atlanta
Chicago/Philadelphia
Philadelphia/Chicago
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Southwest Division
San Antonio Spurs — 58-24
Memphis Grizzlies — 50-32
Dallas Mavericks — 42-40
New Orleans Hornets — 30-52
Houston Rockets — 25-57*
Northwest Division
Oklahoma City Thunder — 60-22*
Denver Nuggets — 55-27
Utah Jazz — 46-36
Minnesota Timberwolves — 40-42
Portland Trail Blazers — 31-51
Pacific Division
Los Angeles Lakers — 62-20
Los Angeles Clippers — 54-28
Golden State Warriors — 37-45
Sacramento Kings — 30-52
Phoenix Suns — 28-54
* Our Rockets and Thunder previews were written before the two teams completed a nine-player trade that sent Sixth Man of the Year James Harden to Houston. Their records reflect our estimation of each team before the deal.
Which would mean, playoffs-wise ...
L.A. Lakers
Oklahoma City
San Antonio
Denver
L.A. Clippers
Memphis
Utah
Dallas