year. Football is still probably just a bit ahead of basketball for me, but the NBA is rising and will be #1 in another decade or so in my opinion.

Anyway, some big questions:

Who is going to win the NBA title? To me it could still easily be at least 6 teams and probably more. The Clippers have played well with both Leonard and George (like 14-4, which is good but not dominant). They are probably still the favorite. The Bucks are the best regular season team. The Lakers haven't suffered a major injury as many thought, but haven't been great against top teams either. The Celtics, Jazz and Nuggets are all right there and I could name stats to support any of their chances at winning the title. That leaves out super talented teams like the 76ers, Rockets, defending champion Raptors and more.

MVP: Right now it looks like a 2-man race between Antetokounmpo and James. Who is going to win it? Will it be a darkhorse? Harden was closer, but has been really bad the past couple of weeks.

Is this the last year we see the 76ers with Embiid and Simmons? They rank 5th in the East right now with an extremely expensive, talented roster. If they don't make at least the ECF this year I think they have to trade one of their superstars. I would normally say keep Embiid, but with the injury history it might be Simmons.

Who will take the 8th spot in the West? Currently the Grizzlies have it and are surging behind Ja Morant. The Spurs, Blazers, Suns and Pelicans are all right there. The Suns look like the least likely as they started strong and have been fading fast. The Blazers have been a bit better with Anthony and the most surprised to be there. The Spurs look old and slow playing an old style of basketball by shooting too many mid range jumpers, but I wouldn't put it past Pop to get them there. That leaves the Grizzlies and Pelicans as the two young teams that look poised to make it. Zion has looked great early on, but surprisingly his good play has come at the expense of Brandon Ingrams play. Brandon is just a lot better stretch 4 than he is a 3 in my opinion.

What rookies will make their mark in the post season? Ja Morant, Zion Williamson and Michael Porter Jr all look poised for great things if injuries do not derail their careers. Porter is on the best team, but right now Morant is far and away the rookie of the year. Zion is just getting things started, but playing great.

How much will seeding matter in the West? Certainly home court advantage is always an advantage. OKC has been surging at 7 and I think you will find a hot team in at 8. We once thought the 1 and 2 seed basically had a bye until round 2, but that is no longer the case. It is still better though than facing either Dallas or Houston in a first round matchup. In the final 4 with no injuries I don't know that seeding will matter a whole lot. All of the top 4 teams could easily end up 1-4. So a one seed could end up with a tough Grizzlies team in round 1 followed by a matchup with the Vegas favorite Clippers in round 2. Not exactly what you play 82 games for, but obviously they do get that extra game at home.

Are the Blazers done as we know them? Yes they are missing a big piece in Nurkic, but no I don't believe the current roster has ever been a contender for a championship (yes I know they made the WCF a year ago). Trade McCollum, or swallows throat, Lillard and start again. Yes it will help getting Collins, Hood and Nurkic back. My guess is they give it another run next year and chalk it up to injuries, I just don't see them as a title contender with that roster.

Will the Warriors come back as contenders next year? They are going to get a top pick (in what appears to be a weak draft class) and should be able to trade Russell for something (although I believe his value has plummeted this year as he is not contributing to winning at all). The question then is how effective will Curry and Klay be coming back? Curry will be 32 and Klay coming off a major injury. The Warriors also need to get a whole lot deeper as their 2nd team right now is G-League level.

When will the East get more top end talent? Seriously, the 3 potential Superstars that I have seen from this class are Zion, Morant and Porter Jr. They all play in the West. Doncic has taken his game to first team All-NBA level, again in the West. Even bottom dwelling teams in the West right now in the Warriors and Timberwolves have Curry, Thompson and KAT. Those are the worst teams in the league! The East has been better overall this year, but the top talent is still decisively out West.