NBA: 5 Things To Watch Opening Night

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Jun 16, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; The Golden State Warriors celebrate after winning game six of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Warriors won 105-97. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

After a long and eventful offseason, it is now time for the teams to put their players to the test. The beginning of the season means that every team in the league officially starts the journey for a championship. As we know, there are only a handful of teams that can realistically win the Larry O’Brien Trophy each year, most being in the Western Conference.

But the Eastern Conference did get stronger in a comparison to recent years.

Here are some ways the top teams in the Eastern Conference improved:

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Cleveland comes back just as strong as last season now that they have finally signed Tristan Thompson. Some could argue they are even better than last season with their acquisition of Mo Williams to help with depth at point guard, a position that struggled mightily once Kyrie Irving went down.

Atlanta brings back four of five starters, which will mean a continuance of tremendous chemistry they displayed last season.

The Chicago Bulls were able to retain Jimmy Butler, but made a coaching change by firing Tom Thibodeau and bringing in Fred Hoiberg from Iowa State University. The Miami Heat look to start the season with the best starting five the NBA has to offer.

Although Goran Dragic, Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng, Chris Bosh, and Hasaan Whiteside were all on the roster last season, they did not log one minute with each one on the floor together. Milwaukee landed Greg Monroe, who was a coveted free agent this summer, to anchor the paint alongside a very young and talented team.

The Washington Wizards lost Paul Pierce in free agency, but were able to sign three key veterans to help for his loss. A change in offensive attack will also make the Wizards more effective led by All-Star point guard John Wall.

Toronto was able to sign DeMarre Carroll who was a key piece in the Atlanta Hawks’ franchise-best season last year and will look to get the Raptors past the first-round of the playoffs, which has been the hump they have struggled to get over.

Indiana gets Paul George back at 100 percent after he played just six games last season coming off his horrific leg injury the prior summer and will look to get back into the playoff picture. The Boston Celtics utilized the draft to help bolster their chances in making another playoff appearance.

The majority of the roster returns and under head coach Brad Stevens, will continue to be a hard-nosed young group that is on the rise.

The Western Conference has been a gauntlet for more than a decade. It seems like every year, any team in the West is more than capable of winning it all. Here are some ways the top West contenders improved:

The reigning champions Golden State Warriors bring back all of the main pieces that helped them hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy last season besides David Lee, who saw his playing time dwindle to nothing once the playoffs arrived. Stephen Curry will look to build off his brilliant MVP season with an encore.

The San Antonio Spurs got even better after landing the top free agent of the summer LaMarcus Aldridge. Aldridge will play alongside Tim Duncan to form the best frontcourt in the NBA as San Antonio tries to capture its fifth title since 2003.

The Los Angeles Clippers had the best offseason in the league, re-signing DeAndre Jordan and bringing in depth to their starting rotation and bench with Paul Pierce, Lance Stephenson, Wesley Johnson, and Josh Smith. Oklahoma City enters this season with their superstar duo made up of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook healthy.

As long as those two can stay healthy throughout the season, the NBA Finals are always a possible destination as it has been in recent years.

Feb 9, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) and forward Kevin Durant (35) during the game against the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /

Houston had a solid offseason after acquiring point guard Ty Lawson via trade with the Denver Nuggets. If Lawson can fit in next to James Harden and Dwight Howard, the Rockets will be a force in the conference after being defeated in the Western Conference Finals last season.

Memphis brings back most of the roster from last season, but traded for Matt Barnes to add a “3-and-D” type of guy they desperately need. The team will continue to be driven be the big three of Michael Conley, Marc Gasol, and Zach Randolph.

New Orleans is another team who made a coaching change after getting rid of Monty Williams in exchange for Alvin Gentry. But it is obvious that even though they made a coaching change, this is Anthony Davis‘ team. He is expected to take the league over now that LeBron is somewhat on the back end of his career.

It seems like we say this every year, but this season has all the implications to be the best yet. It all starts with the opening games, so let’s take a look at the five things to watch on day one of the NBA regular season.

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