After a wild offseason seeing many changes around the league, the NBA season is finally here. The season tipped off on Tuesday night with the Boston Celtics defeating the Philadelphia 76ers, followed by the Golden State Warriors defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Tonight, we will see LeBron James make his Los Angeles Lakers debut, as he travels on the road to face Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers. It will be the most anticipated debut of the season.
We already saw some debuts from new faces in new places, such as Carmelo Anthony on the Houston Rockets, Kawhi Leonard on the Toronto Raptors, and DeMar DeRozan on the San Antonio Spurs.
How will these players fare this season? With LeBron gone in the East, which team will take over as the new king of the conference? Can LBJ lead the Lakers to the NBA Playoffs—even the Finals?
Will James Harden win MVP again? Will the Warriors win their third straight title during the Kevin Durant era? Will the Spurs miss the playoffs for the first time since 1997?
All of these questions and more answered with our 2018-19 NBA preview and predictions.
Eastern Conference
Standings
- Boston Celtics
- Toronto Raptors
- Indiana Pacers
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Washington Wizards
- Miami Heat
- Detroit Pistons
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Brooklyn Nets
- Charlotte Hornets
- New York Knicks
- Orlando Magic
- Chicago Bulls
- Atlanta Hawks
Playoffs First Round
(1) Celtics over (8) Pistons, 4-0
(2) Raptors over (7) Heat, 4-1
(3) Pacers over (6) Wizards, 4-2
(5) 76ers over (4) Bucks, 4-3
Conference Semfinals
(1) Celtics over (5) 76ers, 4-2
(2) Raptors over (3) Pacers, 4-3
Conference Finals
(1) Celtics over (2) Raptors, 4-2
Western Conference
Standings
- Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Utah Jazz
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Denver Nuggets
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Portland Trail Blazers
- San Antonio Spurs
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Dallas Mavericks
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Phoenix Suns
- Sacramento Kings
Playoffs First Round
(1) Warriors over (8) Timberwolves, 4-1
(2) Rockets over (7) Nuggets, 4-1
(3) Lakers over (6) Pelicans, 4-2
(4) Thunder over (5) Jazz, 4-3
Conference Semfinals
(1) Warriors over (4) Thunder, 4-2
(2) Rockets over (3) Lakers, 4-2
Conference Finals
(1) Warriors over (2) Rockets, 4-3
Awards
Most Valuable Player
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
Rookie of the Year
Most Improved Player
Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
Defensive Player of the Year
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
Sixth Man of the Year
Dennis Schroder, Oklahoma City Thunder
Coach of the Year
Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics
Executive of the Year
Rob Pelinka, Los Angeles Lakers
NBA Finals Prediction
