Four teams to watch in 2015-2016 season

1. Los Angeles Lakers

The 2015-2016 Lakers won’t win the NBA championship.  They probably won’t even make the playoffs. So why should we watch them?

The answer is simple… Kobe Bryant.

This season could be the last time we get to see one of the greatest players of all time on an NBA court.  He is also one of the last links that we have to the great era of the 1990s. 

But there are so many questions surrounding Bryant:

Firstly, will he be able to stay healthy? Can his 38 year old body hold up for the season? He wasn’t able to make it through the pre-season injury free, so how is he going to get through 82 games?

Is he going to be able to perform like Kobe Bryant?  He looked good in the pre-season, averaging 13.0 points in only 18 minutes and he scored 21 points in just 18 minutes against Maccabi. He shot .447 which is slightly below his career average of .451. 

Can he adapt to playing small forward?  Kobe claims he can and that he loves playing off the ball.  It will be intriguing to watch.

Can the Lakers make the Playoffs? Probably not.  The Western Conference has so many great teams, but Kobe loves a challenge.

No matter what happens with the Lakers this year, every game in which Kobe plays will be worth watching just to see one of the greatest ever for what could be the last time.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder

A few years ago, the Thunder liked like they were going to be the team of the future.  They were young, athletic and had three of the best players on the planet in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. 

But after they lost to the Miami Heat in the 2012 Finals and subsequently lost Harden to the Houston Rockets, the Thunder have been disappointing and failed to make the Playoffs last season for the first time since 2009.

Admittedly, a lot of their struggles were because Durant and Westbrook have suffered injuries.  Westbrook has missed 51 games in the past two seasons and Durant was only able to play in 27 games last season.

However, Durant being did give Westbrook a chance to show just how great he is and finished fourth in MVP voting last season. 

Some have questioned whether Westbrook’s elevated status will be a problem for team chemistry.  It is not clear whether the Thunder will be Durant’s team or Westbrook’s team?

With both players healthy, The Thunder were impressive in the pre-season with a 5-1 record.  If Westbrook and Durant can stay healthy throughout the season, the Thunder could again challenge for the NBA championship in 2016. 

3. Golden State Warriors

Ok, this is an easy choice. The defending champions are one of the most entertaining teams in the NBA.  They looked like they were on cruise control in the pre-season with the Splash brothers putting on shows.  

But they will be without Head Coach Steve Kerr for the start of the season.  Will this affect the defending champs?  Luke Walton will be interim head coach for the start of the season but he has never been a head coach before.  I don’t think that this will be a big issue, but could be a speed bump for the defending champions.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers

Another easy choice.  Even without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, the Cavs almost won the NBA Championship last season before losing to the Warriors in 6 games.

The Cavs were terrible in the pre-season, losing all but one of their seven pre-season games.

Nevertheless, if Lebron, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving stay healthy, the Cavs will be the hands-down favorite to win the East and should make another trip to the Finals.

Kyrie and Lebron also happen to be two of the most entertaining players on the planet and the Cavs will definitely be worth watching this season.