NBA Opening Day 2014: What to Expect

The 2014-2015 NBA regular season is finally upon us. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, fans can now rejoice as their favorite teams take the court once again.
But what can we expect from this season? Here are a few things to keep an eye on as the season tips off.

NBA teams set to open 2014 season

The 2014 NBA season is set to begin on Tuesday, October 28. The first games will see the New Orleans Pelicans take on the San Antonio Spurs, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers taking on the Sacramento Kings

What can we expect from the 2014 season? First and foremost, it will be a season of change. With a number of high-profile player movements during the off-season, there will be a lot of new faces in new places. The most notable change will be LeBron James’ return to the Cleveland Cavaliers James will be joined by fellow All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, as the Cavs look to make a run at an NBA title

In addition to James, a number of other stars will be changing teams this season. Carmelo Anthony will be donning a new uniform as he joins the Chicago Bulls while Dwight Howard will be suiting up for his third team in as many seasons, this time with the Houston Rockets Other notable names on the move include Paul Pierce (Washington Wizards), Pau Gasol (Chicago Bulls), and Luol Deng (Miami Heat).

The off-season player movement means that there will be a lot of new faces in new places when the 2014 season tips off. With so much change happening around the league, it’s hard to say exactly what to expect from this year’s NBA campaign. One thing is for sure though: it promises to be an exciting season from start to finish.

Key players to watch this season

As the 2014-2015 NBA season approaches, fans are anxious to see how their team will fare. Many teams made big changes in the offseason, and there are several Key Players to Watch This Season Here are some of the most anticipated storylines for the upcoming season

The Indiana Pacers made headlines this offseason when they traded All-Star forward Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder for point guard Russell Westbrook George was one of the best players in the league, and his absence will be felt by the Pacers. They will need a big season from Westbrook if they want to compete for a playoff spot.

Another team that made a big splash in the offseason was the Los Angeles Lakers The Lakers acquired point guard Jeremy Lin and center Roy Hibbert from the Indiana Pacers in a trade that sent forward Julius Randle to the New York Knicks The Lakers also signed Power Forward Carlos Boozer in Free agency With these additions, the Lakers have assembled one of the most talented rosters in recent memory. They will be fun to watch this season as they try to make a run at a playoff spot.

The Chicago Bulls are another team that made some significant changes in the offseason. They traded away star players Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer, and they brought in some new talent in free agency including Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic The Bulls will be an interesting team to watch this season as they try to adapt to their new personnel.

The Miami Heat are always one of the Teams to Watch in the NBA, and this season is no different. The Heat lost Lebron James in free agency but they were able to sign All-Star forward Chris Bosh and swingman Dwyane Wade to new contracts. The Heat also added several key players in free agency including Luol Deng, Josh McRoberts, Danny Granger, and Shawne Williams. The Heat will be competitive once again this season, and they will be fun to watch as they try to defend their Eastern Conference crown.

New faces in new places

The 2013-2014 NBA season was one of the most active offseasons in recent memory. There were a flurry of trades and free agent signings that resulted in many big names changing teams. Here is a look at some of the most significant changes and what to expect on Opening Day 2014.

The most talked about move of the offseason was undoubtedly LeBron James’ return to his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers James will be teaming up with fellow All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to form a superteam that is already being considered a favorite to win the NBA Finals

Another Eastern Conference team that made big changes was the Washington Wizards The Wizards added shooting guard Paul Pierce and small forward Kris Humphries to an already talented young core that includes point guard John Wall and shooting guard Bradley Beal The Wizards are expected to be one of the top teams in the East this season.

In the Western Conference the Oklahoma City Thunder made a few interesting moves. They added center Enes Kanter and power forward Mitch McGary through trades and signed shooting guard Anthony Morrow in free agency The Thunder will be looking to rebound from a disappointing end to last season, when they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Memphis Grizzlies

The Houston Rockets also made headlines this offseason when they signed superstar power forward Chandler Parsons away from the Dallas Mavericks The Rockets also acquired point guard Jason Terry and center Jeff Adrien in trades. With these additions, the Rockets will be one of the top contenders in the West this season.

Coaching changes around the league

The 2014 NBA season is set to tip off on October 28th, and there are a few coaching changes to look out for around the league. One of the most notable is former Orlando Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy taking over the Detroit Pistons SVG has a reputation for being a defensive-minded coach, and he inherits a Pistons team that was among the worst in the league in points allowed last season. Another change to watch is Jason Kidd taking over as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks Kidd, who won an NBA title as a player with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, will look to lead the Bucks to their first playoff appearance since 2010.

Rule changes for the 2014 season

When the 2014 NBA season tips off on Tuesday, Oct. 28, fans will see a few rule changes designed to improve the flow of the game and increase scoring. Perhaps the most significant change involves the shot clock It will be reset to 14 seconds after an offensive rebound, rather than 24 seconds as it has been in the past.

Other rule changes include:
-The elimination of the “five-second rule” when a player is dribbling; a defender will now be allowed to press immediately after a made basket.
-An increase in the length of time allowed for a team to inbound the ball from 20 to 30 seconds.
-A reduction in timeouts from 18 to 14 per game, with each team allowed two 60-second timeouts instead of three 30-second timeouts.

The schedule – what to watch for

The 2014-15 NBA season tips off on Tuesday, October 28th, and there are a few key storylines to watch out for.

First and foremost is the highly-anticipated return of Lebron James to Cleveland. After four seasons in Miami, James is going back home to try and lead the Cavaliers to their first ever NBA title They’ll have their work cut out for them, as they’ll be up against a very strong Eastern Conference which features the likes of the Chicago Bulls Indiana Pacers and defending conference champion Miami Heat

In the Western Conference all eyes will be on the Oklahoma City Thunder who are looking to Bounce Back after a disappointing end to last season. With Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook leading the way, they’ll be one of the favorites to come out of the West. But they’ll have plenty of competition, as teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets will also be gunning for a trip to the Finals.

So make sure you have your TV tuned to NBA TV on October 28th – it’s going to be an exciting start to what promises to be an thrilling season of basketball!

Key matchups to open the season

The 2014 NBA season gets underway tonight with a full slate of games. After a long offseason full of player movement, there are plenty of big games to open the year. Here are some of the key matchups to watch:

Eastern Conference:
--Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls The two-time defending champion Heat will open their season against a revamped Bulls team that includes former MVP Derrick Rose and rookie of the year candidate Jabari Parker.
--Indiana Pacers vs. Toronto Raptors The Pacers will look to get off to a good start as they try to bounce back from a disappointing end to last season. They’ll face a tough test in the Raptors, who made some big offseason additions themselves.
--Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics The Nets hope to make a push for the playoffs this year behind new Head Coach Lionel Hollins. They’ll open up against a Celtics team that is in rebuilding mode but still has some talented young players

Western Conference:
--San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks The Spurs will begin their quest for a fifth NBA title against a Mavericks team that made some big changes in the offseason, including the addition of point guard Rajon Rondo
--Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers The Rockets are one of the favorites to come out of the Western Conference this year, and they’ll open up against a Lakers team that is still trying to find its way after losing Kobe Bryant to injury last season.
--Portland Trail Blazers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder The Blazers are coming off a surprise trip to the playoffs last year, and they’ll open up against a Thunder team that is looking to get back to the NBA Finals after falling short last season.

Predictions for the 2014 season

The 2014 NBA season is finally upon us. After an eventful offseason that saw a number of superstar players change teams, the stage is set for what promises to be an exciting year of basketball. Here are a few predictions for what we can expect to see during the course of the season:

1. The Cleveland Cavaliers will be the surprise team of the year. Led by superstar Lebron James the Cavs have assembled a talented roster that includes All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving and rising star forward Andrew Wiggins With James back in his hometown of Cleveland, look for the Cavs to make a big run at an NBA title this year.

2. The Oklahoma City Thunder will take a Step Back this season. After reaching the NBA Finals in 2012 and losing in the Western Conference Finals last year, the Thunder are due for a bit of a letdown this season. With superstar forward Kevin Durant sidelined for much of the year with a foot injury, it will be tough for Oklahoma City to keep pace with the rest of the league’s top teams

3. The San Antonio Spurs will win yet another NBA title. At this point, it’s almost become expected that the Spurs will find a way to win it all every few years. With a core group of veterans that includes Tim Duncan Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker as well as up-and-coming stars like Kawhi Leonard San Antonio is once again primed for a deep playoff run.

The race for the playoffs

The 2014-2015 NBA season is just around the corner, and there are plenty of storylines to follow heading into opening day Perhaps the most intriguing narrative is the race for the playoffs.

Last year, the Western Conference was once again dominate, with the Oklahoma City Thunder San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers leading the way. But things could be different this season, as a number of teams in the East have made significant improvements.

The Chicago Bulls added Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic in the offseason, while the Cleveland Cavaliers brought in Kevin Love and Lebron James The Toronto Raptors also made some noise, landing Lou Williams and Greivis Vasquez in a trade with the Sacramento Kings

With so many teams making moves, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will ultimately emerge as the conference’s top team But one thing is for sure: The race for the playoffs is going to be one of the most exciting aspects of the 2014-2015 NBA season

The journey to the Finals

It’s been a long journey, but the NBA is finally back. After a frenzied offseason that saw a number of marquee players changing teams, the stage is set for what should be an exciting 2014-15 campaign.

The journey begins on October 28, when the defending champion San Antonio Spurs raise their fifth banner in franchise history. From there, it’s a sprint to the Finish Line as every team jockeys for playoff position.

The race to the NBA Finals will be as competitive as ever, with a number of teams possessing legitimate title aspirations. The Spurs will once again be led by Tim Duncan Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, but they’ll have to contend with a revamped Oklahoma City Thunder squad that features Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook

In the Eastern Conference the Indiana Pacers are hoping to return to the Finals for the first time since 2000, while the Miami Heat are looking to three-peat. The Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets are also among the contenders.

It all leads up to June 2015, when one team will be crowned champion and etched into history. Who will it be? We’ll find out soon enough.