LASH Roundtable: 5 Burning NBA Offseason Questions

Mar 9, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls center

(13) is defended by Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) during the second half at the United Center. The Bulls beat the Heat 95-88. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Shaked: Chicago becomes the favorite on paper, with that big asterisk next to Derrick Rose’s name. If his knees can’t hold up it will be the same story as last year. Cleveland should be a close second all season simply because of LeBron, and will be a tough out in the Conference Finals. If Andrew Wiggins blossoms earlier than expected or gets swapped out for Kevin Love, the Cavs easily secure home court advantage. With Miami and Indiana, the top two seeds in the East last year, taking significant steps back, Toronto, Washington and Charlotte should be in the mix as well.

Gold: Who’s the best player on the planet again? Oh ya, it’s LeBron James. I know Chicago is a really solid team that only got stronger. I know Indiana is strong. I know Miami still has a little left in the tank. I know the Hornets and Wizards are buzzing and/or doing magic in the background. None of that matters. The Cavs are the favorites to win the Eastern Conference next season, with or without the Big Oregonian.

Khoury: For the foreseeable future, any team with a healthy LeBron James is automatically going to be the favorite to represent the (watered-down) Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. That being said, LeBron already has a MUCH better supporting cast in advance of his second go-around with the Cavaliers–so anything less than an appearance in the Finals for the Cavs would be a major disappointment. If the Cavs manage to pry Kevin Love from the Timberwolves, then only serious injuries could derail that juggernaut.