Northwest Division

Denver Nuggets

Last Season: 57-25

Key Player: Dan Gallinari. He’s still injured, but when he returns, we’ll see just how important he is to this team. If he’s healthy, he can become a great scorer. But they’ll need him back soon.

What To Watch For: Kenneth Faried is a young guy with high energy; Ty Lawson, JJ Hickson, JaVale McGhee and Nate Robinson are all handy players. Plenty of young guns. But where is the defence coming from now that Andre Iguodala is gone? Hmm… definitely worth watching.

Key Question: George Karl won 57 games last year and a coach of the year award, yet still got sacked. What does Brian Shaw have to do to be a success in his place? Karl suffered for not winning playoff series. Shaw may not even make the playoffs.

2013 Prediction: 43-39

Minnesota Timberwolves

Last Season: 31-51

Key Player: It’s the dynamic duo of Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio. Can’t split ‘em. The most likeable double threat in the NBA. (Though with a payday coming for Ricky, and Pekovic already getting paid – rightly so – is Kevin Love still untouchable?)

What To Watch For: Hopefully lots and lots of this from Slick Rick.

Key Question: Can Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love both stay healthy? There was only a combined 28 minutes in all of last season when both of these men shared the court.

2013 Prediction: 44-38

Oklahoma City Thunder

Last Season: 60-22

Key Player: Russell Westbrook. Kevin Durant is a known commodity and perhaps the best pure scorer in the league, but Westbrook’s role for OKC, as evidenced in last year’s playoffs, is crucial.

What To Watch For: Basketball’s premier Flying Kiwi: Steven Adams.

Key Question: How much has the Harden trade set this franchise back on their championship path?

2013 Prediction: 55-27

Portland Trailblazers

Last Season: 33-49

Key Player: Damien Lillard. The ranks of former Rookie of the Year players are mostly littered with superstars (LeBron, Rose, Durant…), but then there are the more forgettable Brandon Roy’s and Tyreke Evans’. Which group will Lillard end up in?

What To Watch For: A lot more depth to this team now. Especially on the defensive side of things. They’ll be a deep threat to sneak into the postseason.

Key Question: Are the ‘Blazers ready to pull the trigger on a big name trade to take the step up? Or will they be too reluctant to give up their own young prospects at this stage of the ‘rebuilding process’?

2013 Prediction: 35-47

Utah Jazz

Last Season: 43-39

Key Player: It’s been a long time since Stockton and Malone. Since D-Will even. Umm, how about Trey Burke? The ex-Michigan guard could become a more than handy player.

What To Watch For: Well, in Jazz Bear, Utah has one of the greatest mascots ever. (Yes, that’s what it’s come to, Jazz fans)

Key Question: Why is a team based in Salt Lake City since 1979 called the ‘Jazz’? Other than the fact that for the first 5 years of its existence, it was home in New Orleans.

2013 Prediction: 25-57

Pacific Division

Golden State Warriors

Last Season: 47-35

Key Player: Steph Curry. He’s become the face of this franchise. There are big questions over his defence and his durability, but his scoring threat is legit.

What To Watch For: Why would you not watch them morelike? This is the most watchable team in the NBA. Simmons and Lowe agree with me too. A dynamic small ball offence, plenty of 3s, a legitimate blowout shooter in Curry. This is a team that can comeback from any situation. Records will be broken. And if Steph Curry gets injured again, I’ll consider it a crime against humanity.

Key Question: Does the acquisition of Andre Iguodala cement this team as a serious contender?

2013 Prediction: 51-32

Los Angeles Clippers

Last Season: 56-26

Key Player: Chris Paul. Or CP3, as he is better know these days.

What To Watch For: Lob City, baby!

Key Question: Doc Rivers got himself a contending team, Chris Paul got himself a new coach. Does it all pay off or has Vinny Del Negro already taken the Clips as far as they can go?

2013 Prediction: 49-33

Los Angeles Lakers

Last Season: 45-37

Key Player: Pau Gasol. He has the toughest role on this team. He has to make up for the loss of Dwight Howard, whilst also picking up the slack left by 2012/13 Pau Gasol. Yes, he has to be two people. And those two people need to find a way to bring Steve Nash into the game, and to facilitate Kobe.

What To Watch For: Kobe Bryant. Hopefully he’ll be fully fit before long, because with no other true scorer on this team, and with Kareem’s scoring record on the distant horizon, could just go into full-on Black Mamba Solo Mission mode, and take 25 shots per game.

Key Question: Will Jack Nicholson courtside be looking more like Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest or Jack Nicholson in The Shining? The Lakers will drive him crazy, it’s a matter of how he handles it.

2013 Prediction: 37-45

Phoenix Suns

Last Season: 25-57

Key Player: The thing with Phoenix is that the two players on their roster both play in the same position. Eric Bledsoe will be their go to guy. Goran Dragic will be traded before long.

What To Watch For: A bunch of role players auditioning for other teams. The Suns will be dealing.

Key Question: Does anyone remember when Steve Nash had this team in the playoffs each year? It seems like so long ago…

2013 Prediction: 17-65

Sacramento Kings

Last Season: 28-54

Key Player: BOOGIE! DeMarcus Cousins has a new 4 yr contract, and carte blanche to run this team (Pinkies out). This is Boogie’s team now. Coz Boogie gittin’ paid.

What To Watch For: Ben McLemore could become a great long shooter; Ray McCollum was a steal late in the draft. There is some good talent on this team. They could surprise a few, y’know.

Key Question: Just like Walter Sobchak don’t roll on Shabbas, Boogie don’t boogie on defence. Can Cousins learn to apply himself just a little bit off the ball? If he does, he has a lot of upside to him.

2013 Prediction: 33-59

Southwest Division

Dallas Mavericks

Last Season: 41-41

Key Player: Dirk Nowitski, of course. Dirk has had a full preseason this time, and could well be back close to his best this year. Like, 25 and 8 averages. He’s older, sure, but the drive is there, and he was never an athletic player anyway, so age isn’t gonna affect him so much. And that one-footed fadeaway jumper is the most awkwardly beautiful thing in basketball. Like watching a baby deer hobbling towards its mother. How can you not cheer for that?

What To Watch For: Jose Calderon brings a pass first approach to the point, Monta Ellis is a sharp shooter with shot selection issues. They’ll fit in nicely in more refined roles alongside Dirk and Vince Carter. Could be a really fun offensive team.

Key Question: Where will the defence come from? Who’s gonna bring in the rebounds?

2013 Prediction: 44-38

Houston Rockets

Last Season: 45-37

Key Player: James Harden. DH12 is in town, Jeremy Lin is hanging around. Chandler Parsons can knock down corner threes in his sleep. But The Beard will be the go to player at the end of games. 24-plus ppg. Take it to the bank.

What To Watch For: Two top 10 players in Harden & Howard. Next to Durant/Westbrook, this could be the most talented pair of teammates in the league.

Key Question: Do they have the role players to challenge for a title? They can always trade Omer Asik for some more assets.

2013 Prediction: 48-34

Memphis Grizzlies

Last Season: 56-26

Key Player: Zach Randolph. The man known as Z-Bo. He can’t jump, dunk or shoot from distance, but he’s a beast in the paint. The most improved defensive player in the NBA, Marc “Pau’s Brother” Gasol gets a shout out too.

What To Watch For: Suffocating defence. Almost literally. And now they’ve signed Mike Miller too.

Key Question: They’ve got the big fellas, they’ve got the defence. If they had some decent shooters they could have beaten San Antonio in the Conference finals last year. Why did they not sign a shooter? Why!? They were so close last year, yet where other teams are improving – the Grizzlies are just plateauing. Why!?

2013 Prediction: 46-36

New Orleans Pelicans

Last Season: 27-55

Key Player: Jrue Holiday. What a great addition. It came at a cost though, so they’ll need the production.

What To Watch For: They look so good on paper. Tyreke Evans is there, Anthony Davis is ready to step it up. It’s a young team. Will it be a playoff team?

Key Question: Hahaha. Pelicans. Seriously?

2013 Prediction: 37-45

San Antonio Spurs

Last Season: 58-24

Key Player: Tony Parker. For all the talk of this aging Spurs team, Parker remains elite. A top 3 NBA point guard.

What To Watch For: The thing about veteran greats (read Tim Duncan, and to a lesser extent Manu Ginobli) is that by this time in their career they start breaking all sorts of records. Duncan has a shot at cracking the top 20 all-time NBA scorers list, for example.

Key Question: Is the championship window closed for this Spurs side?

2013 Prediction: 51-31

Click here for Part One: The Eastern Conference