A new NBA season with better dressed players is underway. Which teams will challenge for the title? Check out Kidzworld's 2005-2006 NBA Season Preview.
2005-06 NBA Season Preview - Teams To Watch
San Antonio Spurs - The Spurs are heavy favorites to repeat as NBA champs, after adding guard Michael Finley to a dominating team led by Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.
LA Lakers - How will Kobe Bryant and the Lakers respond to the return of coach, Phil Jackson? Will Kobe prove he's a true superstar or just another selfish ball hog?
Phoenix Suns - Was last season a fluke for Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns? The team is without Amare Stoudemire to start the year and made several off-season changes, so the Suns may not be shining so bright in 2005-2006.
Denver Nuggets - This team had the best record in the NBA after the All-Star break last year and played tough against the Spurs in the playoffs. If Carmelo Anthony continues to improve, the Nuggets could be a force in the Western Conference.
Cleveland Cavaliers - Will Lebron James end the playoff drought for the Cleveland Cavaliers? He's already shown he's an NBA superstar who can get big endorsements, now it's time to prove he can turn the Cavs into winners.
Indiana Pacers - If Ron Artest and the rest of the Pacers spend more time fighting for rebounds on the court and less time fighting with fans in the stands, the Pacers could be the best team in the Eastern Conference.
Detroit Pistons - How will the Detroit Pistons respond to new head coach, Flip Saunders? With their starting five returning, the Pistons could be making a third straight appearance in the NBA Finals.
Miami Heat - If Shaq and Dwyane Wade had both been healthy last season, the Heat could've won the NBA title. But "could've beens" don't count for anything in basketball, so Miami will be hungrier than ever to win it all.
2005-06 NBA Season Preview - Breakout Stars
Dwight Howard - Expect the first overall pick in the 2004 draft to take his game to new levels this season. The Orlando Magic forward should put up double-doubles every night and be playing at the NBA All-Star game in Houston in February.
Stromile Swift - The former Grizzly will be a force playing for the Houston Rockets in a powerful front-court, which already includes Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady.
Chris Paul - He may not put up massive numbers, but Chris Paul will get a lot of floor time playing with the struggling Hornets. Expect to catch regular glimpses of the lightning quick point guard on ESPN highlight reels.
2005-06 NBA Season Preview - Dress For Success?
Your
favorite NBA players will be spending as much time polishing their shoes this season as they will polishing their jump shot. The NBA's strict
new dress code bans players from wearing sleeveless shirts,
chains,
sneakers, jerseys, indoor sunglasses and any kind of head gear (including headphones,
baseball caps and doo-rags) while they are representing their teams or the league off the court. (Don't tell the 'rents about this - it might give them some strange ideas).
Players will also be required to wear "dress shirts" and "dress pants". Many players feel the new dress code is too strict, including Allen Iverson, who says, "I just think it's wrong and it's unfair. I think they went way overboard." (Expect A.I. to be one of the first players fined for violating the new code). But the bottom line is, better dressers aren't necessarily better players. Just like a tight dress and nice makeup won't make Ashlee Simpson a better singer, three-piece suits and fancy shoes won't turn the LA Clippers into NBA Champions.
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