Sak Sports Blog

The 2018-19 NBA season brings some much desired intrigue to the regular season. Without LeBron James, the East will send a new team to the Finals for the first time in eight years. In the West, the Rockets try to close the gap on the Warriors with the addition of Carmelo Anthony. And of course the biggest story: how will LeBron James fare with the Los Angeles Lakers? A new Finals matchup, an exciting MVP race, fresh rookies, and stars on new teams give plenty of reasons to watch the NBA regular season. Here are my predictions for the 16 playoff teams, major awards, and NBA Finals outcome. Eastern Conference Playoff Teams Boston Celtics Philadelphia 76ers Toronto Raptors Indiana Pacers Miami Heat Milwaukee Bucks Detroit Pistons Washington Wizards Outside Looking In: Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks LeBron James is finally out of the Eastern Conference after 15 years. The teams must be rejoicing, and the East is totally up...

On July 6, the news broke that Carmelo Anthony would not be returning to the Oklahoma City Thunder: by any means necessary. Options include a trade, buyout, or using the stretch provision. With the highest luxury tax in NBA history on their books, Oklahoma City could save up to $100 million by moving the veteran. UPDATE 7/10: With the Houston Rockets losing Trevor Ariza to the Phoenix Suns and Luc Mbah a Moute to the LA Clippers, there's a huge hole at small forward for the team. The Rockets are expected to be the most aggressive for Anthony's services. Anthony himself is done with the team too, due to some free agency signings pointing towards a more diminished role in the 2018-2019 season. By accepting his player option, he guarantees receiving that money, whether it's from another team or in a buyout agreement with the Thunder. Just hours after the news broke, three teams have already emerged as suitors: the Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Lakers....

The Golden State Warriors are heavy favorites to win the NBA Finals, with home-court advantage and a more talented roster on their side. Before the season began, I ranked the Warriors biggest competitors that stood between them and back-to-back championships. You can read the full list here.  In ascending order, I ranked the Celtics, Thunder, Rockets, Spurs and Cavaliers are the teams with the best chances to dethrone Golden State in the playoffs. There's been some major shakeups to each of these teams, which certainly affects how I view them today. Courtesy of ABC Sports 5. New Orleans Pelicans (formerly: Boston Celtics) 4. Cleveland Cavaliers (formerly: Oklahoma City Thunder) 3. Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly: Houston Rockets) 2. Boston Celtics (formerly: San Antonio Spurs) 1. Houston Rockets (formerly: Cleveland Cavaliers) The Celtics and Rockets were the biggest upward movers since October: even though Boston lost Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward for ...

The 2017-2018 NBA playoffs are underway and are already thrilling. The Boston Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in an instant classic, and the Indiana Pacers stunned the Cleveland Cavaliers to take a 1-0 series lead. As exciting as the present landscape is, let's fast forward to June. The weather will finally be warmer (still snowing sporadically here in the Northeast) and the NBA Finals will be upon us. Here are five potential NBA Finals matchups to look out for in 2018. 5. Toronto Raptors Vs. Portland Trailblazers This might seem like an odd matchup because it doesn't feature any of the heavy hitters from either conference, but it's 100% a realistic possibility. The Toronto Raptors boast the East's top seed and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, and the West seems more wide open than ever, which could benefit the 3rd-seeded Portland Trailblazers. Many NBA fans want a change of pace from the annual Cavaliers-Warriors matchup, but th...

The Detroit Pistons surged out of the gate this season, sitting 2nd in the Eastern Conference at an impressive 14-6. But point guard Reggie Jackson was lost for the season, and the wheels started to fall off.  An 8-20 stretch, and a current eight-game losing streak, has plunged the Pistons to 9th in the East. While there's still months to play, the team has lost realistic hope of making the playoffs and is trending towards the bottom of the conference. With hope dwindling, Detroit will reportedly shop guard Avery Bradley ahead of the February trade deadline. Bradley was acquired from the Boston Celtics last summer, but will be a free agent in the summer of 2018. The Pistons are looking to move, to avoid having him walk for nothing in July. Contenders would be wise to look at adding Bradley for a playoff run. While the guard's production offensively isn't as good as it was the previous two seasons, his defense is still elite and he can knock down an open thr...

After three straight NBA Finals appearances, two championships, and the best regular season in NBA history, it should be no surprise that the Warriors are the team all other NBA teams aspire to beat. Golden State didn't add any major pieces this summer but are still overwhelming favorites to win the West and most likely the NBA championship. Which teams have the best chance of dethroning the Warriors in a seven game series? 5. Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason, trading point guard Isiah Thomas and forward Jae Crowder to the Cavaliers for star Kyrie Irving. Boston also added Gordon Hayward in free agency to create a truly star-studded lineup. PG Kyrie Irving SG Jaylen Brown  SF Gordon Hayward PF Marcus Morris C Al Horford This starting five honestly has the ability to play toe-to-toe with Warriors and maybe even beat them on any given night.  But in a best-of-seven series? Forget about it....