2014-15 NBA Championship Contenders

By Camden Joiner on October 29, 2014

After the San Antonio Spurs defeated the back-to-back defending champion Miami Heat in last year’s NBA Finals, a post season chaos ensued.

LeBron James optioning out of his Heat contract was the first domino in an action packed free agency off-season. James would eventually return home to the Cleveland Cavaliers, which in turn completely changed the outlook of the East.

New teams will emerge this season as contenders out of the Eastern Conference, but familiar faces in the West will still be this year’s cream of the crop.

Finally, the off-season has drawn to a close as the first official tip off of the season is tonight! The following five teams are this season’s championship contenders.

Image via bleacherreport.com

San Antonio Spurs

The defending champions deservedly earn the top spot on the list. The San Antonio Spurs were within seconds of a Game 6 victory in the 2013 NBA Finals before Ray Allen hit the 3-point shot heard around the world.

In the following Game 7, the Spurs came up just short again and the Miami Heat went on to win consecutive titles. Many thought this was finally the end of the Spurs dynasty led by Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili after winning world titles in 03, 05 and 07.

The Spurs would prove the doubters wrong yet again. Despite the fact that Duncan was 38, Ginobili was 36 and Parker was 32, the Spurs would finish the season with the best record in the NBA.

San Antonio, led by head coach Gregg Popovich, managed to slow down MVP Kevin Durant in the Western Conference Finals, earning a spot in the NBA Finals.

After beating the Spurs in last year’s showdown, the Heat were the clear favorites. However, due to the breakthrough performance from forward Kawhi Leonard and the pure will to win, the Spurs dominated. It was one one of the least competitive NBA Finals in recent memory and the Spurs would eventually win the series 4-1.

It would be silly to use the age card as an excuse for the Spurs to slow down this season as it clearly wasn’t an issue last year. But, the West might be the most competitive conference in all of sports and San Antonio has a long, rocky road ahead.

Coach of the Year Gregg Popovich will have his work cut out for him and Kawhi Leonard will have to continue his high level play if the Spurs hope to reach the Finals for the third straight year.

Image via rantsports.com

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers finished last season 33-49 in a rather weak Eastern Conference, but what a difference a year can make.

The world’s best player, LeBron James, signed a two-year $42.1 million dollar contract with his home team Cavaliers in the off season.

Cleveland management wasn’t quite yet done, however, when they sent consecutive No.1 overall selections in the NBA Draft, Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett, to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for power forward Kevin Love.

Combining the new additions of James and Love with returning point guard Kyrie Irving, the Cavs now have arguably the best big three in basketball.

Whatever team LeBron James plays for is immediately a championship contender. After all, he has been to the last four NBA Finals. But, a brand new team could take some time to meld.

Newly hired head coach David Blatt has never coached in the NBA before and the pressure to win is already on high. When the Miami Heat big three of LeBron, Wade, and Bosh came together it took some time for the team to build some chemistry. Their early sloppy play even cost them the 2011 NBA Championship.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are aided by quite the advantageous schedule of the Eastern conference and regardless of potential chemistry issues, they’re already the team to beat in the East. Whether the Cavaliers can overcome inevitable compatibility problems in time for the playoffs is still yet to be seen.

Image via footbasket.com

Oklahoma City Thunder 

After losing in the 2012 NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder have struggled to return to the big game.

Unable to reach a contract extension with guard James Harden, the Thunder traded Harden to the Houston Rockets early in the 2012-13 season, much to the dismay of fans and players alike.

The Thunder managed to finish the season 60-22, but lost in the second round series of the playoffs to the Memphis Grizzlies 4-1. In last year’s 2013-14 season, Oklahoma City managed to reach the Western Conference Finals, but were eventually defeated by the Spurs.

Thunder fans, probably still angered from the Harden trade, were very vocal in their displeasure. Some called for the firing of head coach Scott Brooks and even more begged point guard Russell Westbrook to stop shooting the ball so much (both feasible claims).

Oklahoma City management still refuses to spend the amount of money the large market teams are spending, which led to another lackluster off season. The Thunder lost many role players off the bench this summer including Thabo Sefolosha, Derek Fisher and Caron Butler. These key players were replaced with the likes of Anthony Morrow and rookie Mitch McGary.

The 2014-15 season hasn’t even started yet, but the Thunder have already had some set backs. Kevin Durant underwent surgery on his foot last week and will miss approximately the first 20 games of the season. When it rains it pours and soon after scrappy guard Reggie Jackson twisted his right ankle and Jeremy Lamb injured his back.

However, despite these negatives, the Oklahoma City Thunder are still absolutely a championship contender. Kevin Durant won the MVP last season and is just now entering his prime. Controversial shooting guard Russell Westbrook often irks fans to no end, but he’s truly one of the most athletically gifted players in all of the NBA.

Add Serge Ibaka’s rim protection and shot blocking to the mix and you have one of the best starting line-ups in the NBA. That being said, I think the Thunder are still one consistent player and a couple heat check shooters off the bench away from a title. That being said, never count out Kevin Durant.

Image via espn.go.com

Chicago Bulls

Derrick Rose has finally returned! The league’s 2011 MVP has missed virtually the last two seasons with various leg injuries. However, Rose played well in this summer’s FIBA World Cup and there’s no reason to suspect he isn’t 100 percent this year.

The Chicago Bulls have refused to stay idle in wake of Rose’s injury and head coach Tom Thibodeau has led the Bulls to the playoffs in two consecutive seasons without D-Rose.

At last for Bulls fans, their team is at full strength. After several key off season acquisitions, Chicago has depth at nearly every position.

Behind Rose at shooting guard is veteran Kirk Hinrich. Jimmy Butler has drastically improved in Rose’s absence at shooting guard, with Tony Snell getting minutes as well.

A pair of shooters claim the wing for the Bulls: Mike Dunleavy and newly drafted rookie Doug McDermott. Their big off season signing, former Laker Pau Gasol will join last season’s Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah in the paint. Add big men Taj Gibson and Nazr Mohammed coming off the bench which rounds out one of the most complete teams in the NBA.

But despite their numerous talents, a potential championship revolves around one man. If Derrick Rose can return to his MVP-winning 2011 form, the Bulls might ride his coattails to the Finals.

However, if Rose is anything short of that, it would spell trouble. Especially considering the new look Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls both play in the same division.

Image via isportsweb.com

Los Angeles Clippers

When the Los Angeles Clippers acquired Chris Paul to team up with forward Blake Griffin in 2011, a new team took over Los Angeles. The Lakers’ management was in shambles and Kobe Bryant couldn’t seem to stay on the court. It’s been three years since the Clippers have claimed LA, but that isn’t enough anymore.

The Clippers’ first playoff campaign since trading for Chris Paul ended in the second round. They did have a new team and understandably chemistry issues had not yet been resolved.

The following season, the Clippers couldn’t even get past the first round. They blamed their head coach and fired Vinny Del Negro. Management aggressively looked for an elite coach after the firing and eventually managed to swipe former NBA Champion Doc Rivers from the Boston Celtics.

Yet in the playoffs, the new pride of Los Angeles told a similar story. The Clippers lost in the second round. Simply enough, there are no more excuses left for the Los Angeles Clippers. The team boasts two consistent All-Stars and last year’s Sixth Man of the Year. They have size in the starting line-up and rim protection coming off the bench. Shooters flood the wing positions and their guards can get to the basket. The Donald Sterling era is over and it’s past time the Los Angeles Clippers started competing for a championship.

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