Who Can Beat The Heat? By: Chris Barongan and Laderrick Mcmanus With all of the recent trades and injuries during the NBA postseason, a few teams now have a better chance to beat the Heat. The preseason is finished and many of the teams showed some star potential, but now that the regular season is underway, will it be enough to beat the reigning champions? Below is a preview of the two teams who have the most potential to win the 2014 NBA championship. The Brooklyn Nets made quite a big move in the postseason. They were able to trade away Kris Humphries and Gerald Wallace for the Celtic veterans, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry.
Pierce, Garnett, and Terry are seen here showing off their newest jerseys.
With that trade, the Nets were able to complete their starting lineup and add more depth to their bench. Their lineup now consists of Deron Williams at point, Joe Johnson at shooting guard, Paul Pierce at small forward, Kevin Garnett at power forward, and Brook Lopez at center. This new starting lineup could possibly give the Nets the edge and allow them to take the championships this year. The Oklahoma City Thunder also look like they have a good chance to beat the Heat. Their lineup consists of Russell Westbrook at point, Thabo Sefolosha at shooting, Kevin Durant at small, Serge Ibaka at power forward, and Kendrick Perkins at center. They added more talent during the draft by adding Steve Adams to their bench. In the last game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Adams had 10 points and 15 boards. With Westbrook out with an injury, Reggie Jackson has had more playing time and has now begun to get better form in his game. Kevin Durant also began taking a heavier duty in scoring more points and filling the void Westbrook left.
James and Durant will face each other for the first time this season on January 29, 2014.