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Things I'm looking forward to seeing this season
by Eddie Johnson / October 26, 2006

The 2006-07 NBA season is upon us and I am really excited. The Miami Heat proved to be the best team last year, but they will have a very tough time repeating in 2007. The major reason will be the improvement of the Eastern Conference.

Miami and Detroit will be favorites, but Cleveland, New Jersey, Indiana and Chicago will all be major roadblocks.  My surprise teams in the East are Orlando and New York.

The key for Miami or Detroit to come out of the East will be the play of their young guys during the regular season, thus allowing Pat Riley and Flip Saunders to rest the veterans for the postseason.

The West will become the most competitive conference we have ever seen in 2007. The talent level in the West is unbelievable, with the exception of the Blazers because of their youth. Every game on the Western Conference schedule will be competitive. The top teams will not change. The Spurs, Mavericks and Suns are the clubs to beat, but don't sleep on the Rockets, Clippers, Lakers and Nuggets. My surprise teams in the West are Utah and New Orleans, but I must admit Golden State will get my attention early.

Here are ten things I am looking forward to seeing during this upcoming season.

1. Can Miami two-Peat? I love Miami for one big reason and his name is Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq is hands down the most dominant player in the NBA. Still. But the key will be the good health of Dwayne Wade and Jason Williams. Both seem to be injury prone. Also very important will be the infusion of youth in the Heat rotation during the regular season to rest the veterans.

2. Watching Steve Nash make it difficult for voters to not give him back-to-back-to-back MVP trophies. Nash has the perfect scenario to keep the trophy because the reason he got it was his ability to make everyone better. Well, the Suns got even better during the offseason with the additions of Marcus Banks and Jumaine Jones and the return of Amare Stoudemire. And then add the improvement of Leandro Barbosa and Boris Diaw. Nash will look even better than the first two years.

3. Seeing the Detroit Pistons not missing Ben Wallace as much as people think they will. Wallace was the perfect complement to what the Pistons offered, but he was not the main cog. If you break down the skill level of each of the Detroit starters, Wallace was fifth. Yes, he stabilized the defense, but last time I checked the object of the game was to score the most points. So can Nazr Mohammed, Rasheed Wallace, Dale Davis and Antonio McDyess make up for Big Ben by committee? I say yes and with better numbers overall.

4. Isiah Thomas proving the Knicks roster can win and make the playoffs. I believe the Knicks have one the most talented rosters in the league. The key for Thomas is to get Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis on the same page. Those two should shut up the critics that say the Knicks will fail. Something tells me the Knicks will win 40-plus games and sneak into the playoffs – and possibly pull off a first-round upset.

5. Amare Stoudemire regaining his health and confidence to give us thrills with his athleticism as well as his ability to make people his size look silly on defense. The key to any Suns championship runs through Amare and his ability to give the Suns high-percentage shots when the three-point shooting is wayward. Patience will be the main issue with Amare all season long; regardless the Suns are the most talented team from top to bottom in the NBA.

6. Darko Milicic finally arrives as the player Detroit thought they had, but Orlando will enjoy the coming-out party. Darko should and will have his best season mainly because he will play consistent minutes for the first time in his career. If Grant Hill stays healthy, the Magic will make the playoffs. Dwight Howard or Darko could be All-Stars in 2007.

7. Kobe Bryant will score 100 points or at least try. I know the thought is to anoint LeBron James as the best player in the league, but people please pay attention: Kobe Bryant is the most talented player in basketball. There is nothing he cannot do on the court. The Lakers will win 40-plus games, make the playoffs and scare any team that has to play them in the first round.

8. LeBron James will be given the MVP trophy because it's his time. Well, I believe you give it to him if he puts up the same numbers as last year and the Cavaliers win 55 games. He is young enough to garner 6 MVPs. The mistake is to anoint him before his time. Let LeBron stay hungry because we want him to stay focused so we can enjoy his unbelievable talent for the next 10 years.

9. Don Nelson turns the Golden State Warriors into a team that actually plays like one for 82 games. The basketball talent is there in Golden State. Although I disagree with the constant merry-go-round of recycled coaches, Nelson was the best man for the job. If Baron Davis finally decides to do the necessary things to keep this young team in gear, the Warriors will become the most improved squad in the league.

10. Kevin Garnett finally going public and saying, "Get me out of here." Minnesota will trade Garnett this season because the Wolves have little chance to make the playoffs. It will be an East Coast team. So suitors place your order to pick up the most versatile big man in the NBA.

Get ready for a great season and enjoy the ride.

Eddie Johnson is a regular contributor to HoopsHype.com

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