By: Michael Morgan- Life Prep Academy

With the NBA season merely only days away, there are A LOT of questions to ask. Can the new Big 3 in Cleveland work out? Can D-Rose and Kobe return healthier than ever? Can the Spurs repeat? Can Greg Poppovich still have the shortest interviews ever? Well I’ll try to answer these questions in this column, while also providing you with the first TeenView Power Rankings of the NBA season!

The biggest question we’ve heard all summer is: Can LeBron truly succeed back in Cleveland? Well, I’ll answer that question with one of my own: Will the greatest basketball player in the world today succeed with an all-star cast around him? The answer to both these questions: DUH! Putting together Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Kevin Love, and a cast of veteran players around them is going to work out in Cleveland. It may take some time for everything to come together, but it will succeed!

While Derrick Rose and Kobe Bryant may have been two top-five players a few years back, it doesn’t seem like that’ll happen this year. Rose and the Bulls seem to be the only legit threat to the Cavs in the East this year; whereas Bryant and the rebuilding Lakers are looking to try to squeeze into the playoffs in the Western Conference. Even though their teams look different, one things for sure: If either team wants to make a run in the playoffs this year, they’re both going to have to step it up for their teams.

The San Antonio Spurs have been successful since about 1997. I mean REALLY successful. Like a .702% winning percentage and 5 NBA titles over the last fifteen years kind of success. And even though they have these stats and they show just how great they are year-in and year-out, people still have doubts about them before every season. I, for one, am not going to be one of those people. I think that the Spurs will repeat as champs this year for one reason only: Coach Gregg Poppovich. I mean, how can you doubt the man? I’ve already shown the statistics about what he can do, but it’s more than stats that make him the elite coach he is today. It’s ball-movement. He emphasizes ball-movement so much that his players know it like the back of their hands. With Coach Pop, the Big 3 of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili, the reigning NBA Finals M.V.P., Kawhi Leonard, and their entire supporting cast back from last year, you better watch out for the Spurs!

TVM NBA Power Rankings

1) San Antonio Spurs (Last Season: 62-20) – The Spurs are defending champs, and they’ve brought back the entire roster from last year. You know that old saying “Don’t mess with success”? That applies here.

2) Cleveland Cavaliers (Last Season: 33-49) – There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that, barring major injuries, the Cavs will be much improved from last season. Now the biggest question is: Will LeBron, Kyrie, and K-Love be able to mesh together on the court? Well, that’s certainly something I’m eager to find out.

3) Chicago Bulls (Last Season: 48-34) – If Derrick Rose can be his old self the Bulls will be the most dangerous team in the NBA. With the addition of Pau Gasol to the already good frontcourt of the Bulls, headed by Joakim Noah, the Bulls could be one of the best defensive teams in the league.

4) Los Angeles Clippers (Last Season: 57-25) – The Clippers have arguably the best Point Guard-Power Forward combo in the league in Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, who are oddly enough staring in their own Adult Swim T.V. show, a great dunker and shot-blocker in Deandre Jordan, one of the most lethal shooters and ball-handlers with Jamal Crawford, and a NBA champion in coach Doc Rivers. That’s pretty much as lethal of a combo as you can get in this league.

5) Golden State Warriors (Last Season: 49-33) – The Warriors have one of, if not, the best starting five in the NBA. With a star in Steph Curry, a sharpshooter in Klay Thompson, a defensive mastermind in Andre Iguodala, and a front-court made by David Lee and Andrew Bogut. The only question mark they have is former player, turned broadcaster, turned General Manager, turned broadcaster, turned coach (Man, this dude needs to find out what he wants to do) Steve Kerr, and if he can perform his duties as a coach.

6) Oklahoma City Thunder (Last Season: 59-23) – With the reigning M.V.P., Kevin Durant, out 6-8 weeks the offensive workload turns to the shoulders of Russell Westbrook, who seems to enjoy shooting the ball, a lot. Westbrook used 34 percent of OKC’s possessions last year, and that was with KD on the court! What will happen to OKC for the first two months of the season? Well that’s entirely up to Mr. Westbrook.

7) Dallas Mavericks (Last Season: 49-33) – With the signings of Chandler Parsons and Tyson Chandler the Mavs look to be a real contender this season. We already knew that Dirk Nowitzki and Monta Ellis can ball, but now with the additions of a legit three-point specialist in Parsons and a great rim-protector in Chandler, this team looks like the real deal.

8) Portland Trail Blazers (Last Season: 54-28) – Returning to the Blazers is two stars in Damian Lillard and Lamarcus Aldridge and their very good supporting cast. After Lillard’s buzzer-beater to knock the Houston Rockets out of the playoffs, we knew this team was legit, but now it’s time for them to prove it in 2014.

9) Houston Rockets (Last Season: 54-28) – The Rockets lost out on bringing Chandler Parsons back to Houston, which really hurt their chances of a deep run in the playoffs this year. Although, James Harden and Dwight Howard are both capable of carrying a team through the playoffs. But can the rest of their team keep up with them?

10) Memphis Grizzlies (Last Season: 50-32) – The Grizzlies once again come into the season as probably the best defensive team in the NBA, but their struggles getting the ball in the basket could limit them during the season.

11) Charlotte Hornets (Last Season: 43-39) – New look. New name. New arena. And one very important new player. Former Pacer, Lance Stephenson, will be a very important part to the new look Hornets. Kemba Walker, Al Jefferson, and Lance Stephenson sure sounds like a good Big 3 to me.

12) Phoenix Suns (Last Season: 48-34) – The Suns are going to have a fun team. I mean really fun, especially their backcourt made up of Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe, and Isaiah Thomas. But can they be more than fun and actually be contenders?

13) Miami Heat (Last Season: 54-28) – The Heat lost the best player in the world and replaced him with Josh McRoberts, Danny Granger, and Luol Deng. All while overpaying Chris Bosh. Ouch! Last call for all bandwagon fans to go to Cleveland while they still can!

14) Toronto Raptors (Last Season: 48-34) – Will the Raptors continue their surprising play of last year? Well, with Kyle Lowry, Demar DeRozan, and Terrance Ross returning I think that’s very possible for our friends up North.

15) Washington Wizards (Last Season: 44-38) – The Wizards would be much higher ranked on this list if Bradley Beal hadn’t gotten hurt. With Paul Pierce being added to the lineup this offseason, it’s looking like the Wizards have a great chance of getting a high seed in the playoffs. Once Beal does comes back though, everybody in the East better be looking out for the Wizards.

16) New Orleans Pelicans (Last Season: 34-48) – Two words for the Pelicans season: Anthony Davis. This kid is a monster and seems to be transforming into one of the best players in the game right now. Also, he’s still rocking the unibrow and I respect that!

17) Brooklyn Nets (Last Season: 44-38) – The Nets are the one team that I’m not entirely sure how they’re going to do this year. They lost Paul Pierce, but get Brook Lopez back from injury, they still have Deron Williams, and Mason Plumlee looks to have another great season. We’ll just have to wait and see.

18) Denver Nuggets (Last Season: 36-46) – The Nuggets look to improve from an injury-filled season last year. They have one of the deepest rosters in the league and also have “The Mannimal”, Kenneth Faried, who’s looking more and more like a very unstoppable player.

19) New York Knicks (Last Season: 37-45) – So the Knicks hired Phil Jackson, arguably the greatest coach in basketball history, to a front-office position. Then they re-signed one of the best players in the league, Carmelo Anthony. And to top it all off, they hired Derek Fisher as the head coach! Sounds great, right? No. They still lost the nest post defender in the NBA with Tyson Chandler. Plus they spent so much money on Melo that they didn’t have much money to spend on other free agents. Let’s just hope Phil’s triangle offense kicks in.

20) Atlanta Hawks (Last Season: 38-44) – The Hawks get Al Horford back. And that’s about the nicest thing anyone will say about them this year.

21) Detroit Pistons (Last Season: 29-53) – Things aren’t looking up for the Pistons. I mean if they had 2011 Josh Smith I’d be speaking a little differently. On the bright side, Andre Drummond is looking good.

22) Indiana Pacers (Last Season: 56-26) – So many question marks for the Pacers now that Paul George is most likely out for the entire year, and since they lost Lance Stephenson to the Hornets. Which Roy Hibbert will show up? Can George Hill be more effective this year? How can they succeed with David West being the best player on the team? We won’t know until the season starts.

23) Los Angeles Lakers (Last Season: 27-55) – I put the Lakers this high because I really believe in Kobe Bryant. Other than him there’s not much going on for the Lake-Show. Although, we will miss Steve Nash!

24) Minnesota Timberwolves (Last Season: 40-42) – The T-Wolves traded Kevin Love for Andrew Wiggins, Thaddeus Young, and Anthony Bennett. Yep, Wolves fans, that’s your season for you.

25) Sacramento Kings (Last Season: 28-54) – Losing Isaiah Thomas really hurt the Kings, but they still have Demarcus Cousins. Things aren’t looking great for them.

26) Milwaukee Bucks (Last Season: 15-67) – The Greek-Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo, has some help this year in Jabari Parker, who was selected second in the 2014 NBA draft. It might actually be fun watching them play together.

27) Boston Celtics (Last Season: 25-57) – The Celtics might be a little better with the addition of draft picks Marcus Smart and James Young, but it will still be a rebuilding year for the C’s. A Rajon Rondo trade is looking more and more inevitable.

28) Utah Jazz (Last Season: 25-57) – Trey Burke and Derrick Favors will be fun to watch. Plus we get to see if Dante Exum is ready to shine in this league. A young core with good talent could mean that the Jazz have a promising future.

29) Orlando Magic (Last Season: 23-59) – The Magic selected Aaron Gordon in the 2014 NBA draft and he looks to become a good combo with Victor Oladipo! It should be some high-flying fun in Orlando this year. Although Oladipo will miss time this year because of a facial fracture.

30) Philadelphia 76ers (Last Season: 19-63) – Can the 76ers turn it around this year? Probably not. They do get last year’s Rookie of the year winner, Michael Carter-Williams, and Nerlens Noel is finally healthy. Plus they selected Joel Embiid in the draft this year. Yet it still looks dark for the 76ers moving forward.