With the New Year of 2013 kicking off, the NBA is looking hotter than ever.
Potential playoff teams are emerging, championship favorites are rising and some stars are shining brighter than others.
So, what to look for in 2013 in NBA hoops action? Latinos Post brings you the breakdown (in no particular order):
1. Will Jeremy Lin and James Harden gel enough for the Houston Rockets to make playoffs?
They're looking pretty good. It took them a while, but "The Beard" and "Linsanity" are looking more and more like a formidable tag team in the backcourt. The Rockets are looking like poetry in motion thanks to the superstar play of Harden and the resurgence of Lin, who has been steadily improving his play with time.
In a Southwest Division that holds both San Antonio and Memphis, both championship contending teams, it may not be realistic for the Rockets to win the division barring a huge second half surge from Houston, but with the contending teams already starting to make themselves present in January, Houston's frenetic, life-in-the-fast-lane offense might be just the right formula to send the Rockets back to the postseason for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
2. Knicks look to clinch Atlantic Division for the first time since 1994
Let's put things in perspective. The last year that the New York Knicks were the Atlantic Division champions, the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 54 years, Bill Clinton was still President of the United States, Swedish band Ace of Base was at the top of the charts in the U.S., and Tom Hanks was enthralling audiences nationwide with an Academy Award-winning performance in "Forrest Gump."
Fast forward about 19 years and a decade of disappointment later under an endless rebuilding era, and the Knicks are looking and playing better than they have in years. Behind an MVP-caliber season from Carmelo Anthony, a rejuvenated Raymond Felton, the additions of the savvy Jason Kidd and rugged veteran Rasheed Wallace and a team that plays more like...well, a team...the Knicks are the odds-on favorite to take their first Atlantic Division title in nearly two decades, their pace well ahead of the fading and aging Boston Celtics and the struggling Brooklyn Nets as of January.
The Knicks still have some issues to work out, such as where the recently-returned Amar'e Stoudemire will fit in, and how to turn it up on defense. But if they can put it all together, the division crown may be in reach...and possibly even a shot at the NBA Finals.
3. Can Miami Turn up the Heat for a Second Title Run?
Have the champs lost their edge?
One year ago, the Heat were undoubtedly the most dangerous team in the NBA, aggressive, talented and with much to prove, and they used that fire to power them all the way to an NBA Championship.
One year later, something seems to be missing. Despite a 22-8 record, the Heat have shown some warning flags this season, some players admitting at one point during their early season struggles that they were struggling to find the motivation to play like they did last season. With four months of basketball left, the Heat can ill-afford to get complacent, especially with a better-than-expected Atlanta Hawks team breathing down their necks in the Southeast Division.
With every team gunning for them this time around, it will be up to LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh to inspire their teammates and set the example that they need to lead the defending NBA Champions back to the Promised Land of the NBA Finals to defend their crown.
4. Will the Lakers finally get it together?
This could not have been what Lakers fans or Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak were expecting after they pulled off the offseason coups of 2012 by landing Steve Nash and Dwight Howard to form a rock star-like quartet of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Howard and Nash.
Having already fired one coach, Mike Brown, after a slow start to the season, injuries and a struggle to find a way to play together have plagued the Lakers throughout the first half of the 2012-13 season. With the second half approaching fast, the Lakers will have to figure out a way to fit into new coach Mike D'Antoni's frenzied offensive system and build team chemistry, or they could fail to make the playoffs, making them one of the biggest busts in NBA history.
5. Derrick Rose: Will "The Return" Turn Chicago into an Instant Title Contender?
Fans in the Windy City have been waiting on pins and needles for Rose to return.
That day is drawing closer and closer. The Bulls have already stated that they have expect Rose to be back this season. But the questions will be abounding once Rose and his No.1 jersey set foot on the court for the first time. Will he still be the same, explosive player that he was when he tore through the league in his MVP season of 2010-11? Will it inspire the Bulls to new heights?
And most importantly, will those heights involve a surge in the playoffs that could mean vying with the Heat and the Knicks for the Eastern Conference Championship?
6. Anthony Davis or Damian Lillard - Who Will Win Rookie of the Year?
Davis and Lillard, Lillard and Davis.
Those two names have been synonymous with rookie excellence in their inaugural year in the NBA. Lillard, with 18.4 points and 6.3 assists on the season, has been turning around the previously disappointing Portland Trail Blazers franchise with his scintillating passing, dynamic drives to the basket and a remarkable knack for the clutch shots in big games.
Meanwhile, Davis, when he's been healthy, has been as dominant in the paint for New Orleans as he has been previously billed when New Orleans drafted him No.1 in the NBA draft.
These two players have All-Star appearances and potential championships written all over their futures. In the end, though, only one of them can ever win the NBA's top rookie honor for the 2012-13 year. Who will it be?
7. Can a new coach save the Brooklyn Nets' Floundering Season?
Two months after leading Brooklyn to an 11-4 record and Coach of the Month honors for October and November, Avery Johnson has been shown the door, amid a struggling December for Brooklyn and rumors of discord between himself and franchise star Deron Williams.
With the Nets struggling in their last 10 games and Brooklyn looking out of sorts, the franchise has vowed to stick with interim coach P.J. Carlesimo for the time being. But will Williams and the Nets get out of their shooting slump and be able to mount a charge towards the playoffs?
8. Is it Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder's Time?
Their scoring is unstoppable, their poise unflappable and their duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook untouchable.
Last season, the Thunder were dealt a bitter pill to swallow when James and the Heat bounced them in the NBA Finals in five games. This season, Oklahoma City has the hottest offense in the NBA, No.1 in scoring with 105.9 points a game while Durant, the No.3 scorer in the league with 28.5 points per game, is playing at a level that has been nothing short of dominant and Westbrook has continued to excel as one of the top point guards in the league.
One year wiser and one year more motivated, the Thunder's time may be upon us. Will Oklahoma City be raising their first-ever championship banner in June?
9. Are the Golden State Warriors For Real?
Last year, the Warriors finished with a 23-43 record, finishing well out of playoff contention.
This year, a retooled and youthful offense led by the explosive Stephen Curry (20.0 points and 6.5 assists) and the versatile David Lee (20.1 points, 11.0 rebounds) backed by the solid play of Klay Thompson and Jarrett Jack are threatening to overtake the sensational L.A. Clippers (25-7) for the lead in the Pacific Division with a 21-10 win-loss record, including a win over Miami.
The Warriors haven't looked this good since the days of Latrell Sprewell and Tim Hardaway teaming in the backcourt to lead them to playoff appearances. Are they playoff worthy? And if so, how far can this young and hungry team go?
10. Who Will Win the NBA Championship?
At this point, arguments can be made for several teams.
The defending champion Heat can never be ruled out with their Big Three of James, Wade and Bosh leading the way. The Clippers, however, have looked downright scary, rattling off 17 wins in a row, led by the circus act duo of the amazing Chris Paul and the overpowering Blake Griffin before their streak snapped this week.
The Spurs, with one of the most efficient offenses in the NBA, have been the model of excellence and are looking to make up for their burnout in the Western Conference Finals last season with an NBA Finals trip. The Knicks, of course, have been making their case with a strong season that has them threatening for the Eastern Conference crown. And the Memphis Grizzlies, behind Zach Randolph, Rudy Gay and a solid supporting cast, have a punishing defense (No.1 in lowest points allowed at 90.0 a game) that can grind opponents' scoring to a halt.
Or could a dark horse surprise everyone, the way the Knicks did in 1999, when they snuck into the NBA Finals as an eight seed? Atlanta, perhaps, or even Milwaukee...or Houston?
Only time will tell who will emerge as the best team in the 2012-13 season when the Finals conclude in June.
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