Detroit PistonsAmy Lewis

It may be likely that history will repeat itself and we will see the Lakers or the Celtics win the NBA Championship. However, I for one find it incredibly unexciting when the same powerhouse teams return year after year – unless of course it happens to be MY team. So for the 2008-2009 season, I am going to say that the Detroit Pistons will win the championship.

The Pistons are a very solid team. The players have made it to the conference finals three years in a row, each year losing in game six. The record shows a consistently good team that consistently collapsed at the moment it mattered most. If the team can overcome its tendency to cave in under finals pressure, it should have what it takes to win the championship.

Perhaps Detroit’s biggest weakness may turn out to be its biggest blessing this season. The Pistons don’t have any big names like Kobe Bryant or LeBron James. Players like these can help drive a team to a victory in big games, but investing so much into one player has its downfalls. If a star player gets injured, the team must rely on the second string. Detroit’s talent runs deep; its second string plays nearly as good as its first, meaning even if they aren’t injured, the first string can conserve energy for when it matters most and let the players next in line get some playing time.

The Pistons are beginning to age and this may be their last year making it to the top of the rankings. I think that knowing this may help give the older players a little more motivation and help to overcome their unlucky playoff streak.

Celtics Take it AgainZaki Syed

In this case, the truth is so obvious that I can simply state it. The Celtics are going to win the NBA series, hands down. They showed everyone their might last year when they beat the Lakers 4-2 in the 2008 NBA Finals. And this year they are going to do it again. With Kevin Garnet, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, how could they not win? All of these players are veterans with plenty of experience, but not at the point where they are too old to play. Not to mention that was their first championship and they are hungry for more. They have the burning desire; what some would call “the eye of the tiger.”

There a lot of people out there who talk smack about these teams, arguing with my conclusion and saying things like, “The Lakers came close in the finals last year, and they will come back this year to reclaim their crown.” People claim, “The Lakers have Phil Jackson and Kobe; they have all that talent, how can they not make a comeback?” Well, people can make false statements all they want, but these people have selective memories. They seem to forget that the Lakers were destroyed by 39 points by the Celtics in the last game of the 2008 NBA finals. So to all the Celtic haters, just wait.

On a side note, I love the Sacramento Kings, but if I hear one more person say the Kings are going to win the championship, I will go crazy. If you think the Kings are going to win, you might as well put your hope in the Cleveland Cavaliers for winning the series, simply because you like Lebron James. These people are die-hard fans, and fail to consider the actual possibilities at hand. Die-hard fans are the type of fans who will continue to love their team, no matter how bad the players are. Die-hard fans will think that by some miracle – and their own love for the team – the team has a chance to win. The bottom line is, the Celtics are going to win the NBA Championship. They have a dynasty that was built by legends like Larry Bird in the ’80s. They have talent, desire, and they are warriors on the court. Never underestimate the power of the Celtic Dynasty.

Boston continues its reignFelipe Molina

The Boston Celtics will repeat this season and win the NBA title. The Celtics are the reigning champions, and will continue to be until another team knocks them off of their place on top of the NBA mountain. The Celtics have to be the preseason favorites considering they still have their three-headed monster (Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce) still in tact.

Last season, the question was if Garnett, Allen and Pierce could play together as a team and share the ball. That question was answered last season when they won the championship. With a year of playing together under their belts, and Rajon Rondo in his second year and being mentored by veteran Sam Cassell this season, there is no reason why Boston won’t repeat.

The Eastern Conference is theirs to win. The only teams that may give Boston a run for its money are Orlando, Detroit and Cleveland. However, Detroit is old and Orlando is still young and inexperienced. Cleveland only has one offensive weapon, albeit a good weapon, but as we’ve seen in the last few years, LeBron James can’t win an NBA Championship on his own.

Look for the Celtics to once again dominate the Eastern Conference, and coast into the playoffs taking the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. Also look for Boston to meet the Lakers in a rematch of last year’s finals with the same results: the Celtics over the Lakers.

Celtics Won’t Win it AgainAndrew McFadden

The big question this season will appropriately be, “Can anyone beat the champs?” The Boston Celtics will be entering this season at full health, and having discovered what it takes to win it all last year, this season is theirs to lose.

Boston’s immediate concern of a worthy adversary will be found in the form of its Eastern Conference rival, the Cleveland Cavilers. The team, led by LeBron James, has been trying to acquire a legitimate second option for years now. If the team manages to find the right deal and pull the trigger, we might not even see the Celtics return to the finals.

Also in the East, Boston will have to face the capable veteran squad of Detroit and the young and threatening Orlando Magic. If the Pistons are allowed to control the tempo of a game, they almost never lose, regardless of who they are playing. Their fundamental style and outstanding defense sets them apart as what might still be the most well-rounded team in the league. Down south, Orlando’s young team will be right on Boston’s heels. The team boasts center Dwight Howard, the NBA’s most dominate big man, someone that nobody has been able to stop. As the Magic develops as a team, Howard will have little problems leading the team past all opponents. Teams like Boston will be searching for answers in the middle. Kevin Garnett isn’t it.

Out west, things have become unpredictable. The conference’s elite teams will be battling it out for the right to lose to the Celtics in the finals. The west is going to look different this year; conference powerhouses are beginning to fade, and unless one of the league’s worst manages to make some magic of its own, we’ll see the same old names in a slugfest.

The Los Angeles Lakers, last year’s Western Conference champs, are the favorite of many. If big man Andrew Bynum can stay healthy going into the playoffs this year, that’s probably the best pick. Utah and New Orleans are also on the rise and have done nothing to suggest they will be taking a step backwards this year. Either of these two squads could upset L.A.’s run early.

Big question marks are Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio and Portland. Of these, the Blazers of Portland are the only team on the rise. The team expects to have Greg Oden healthy this season and no one doubts that he will be the dominate center in the west. He, as a part of the team’s young nucleus, should be able to lead the team to success in short order. As far as this season, the players’ lack of experience will be their demise. Although, they should still be able to manage their way into the second round of playoffs without much trouble.

San Antonio, while talented as ever, is getting older and has had to watch key players undergo surgery and take time off over the last year. No team will win when its injured list is longer than its active roster.

Phoenix and Dallas find themselves in similar situations to one another. Both have seemingly been on the brink of a championship, and both made notable changes to their rosters by taking a gamble and hoping it would pay off and win them a title immediately. Both failed. Even worse, both now appear to be on the decline and a rebuilding phase seems to be more likely than a championship for either team.

This year the Celtics should repeat, in a championship series that will likely be over in no more than a fifth or sixth game. Should the team stay healthy and fail to do this, there is only one place the blame should be shouldered, and that’s on the team itself.

Amy Lewis, Zaki Syed, Felipe Molina, and Andrew McFadden can be reached at [email protected]