With the 2016-2017 NBA season starting this week, there are many teams that improved during the off season with the Draft or free agency.

Teams sign their franchise players with big time contracts thanks to the new salary cap the NBA gave to each team. Other big name players went to other teams, like Kevin Durant, to start fresh and/or be a contender and try to help their new team win a championship.

Many teams have solid lineups to compete in the race to be a top contender in both the West and the East. Each team really has the potential to be great. All it takes is good coaching, chemistry and dedication to be on top.

In the Western Conference, the top dogs are the San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder.

The San Antonio Spurs have been consistent year after year, proving that they can beat any good team with their fundamental ball moment and with one of the best coaches in NBA history, Gregg Popovich.

The Golden State Warriors are another great top contender because they’ve shown to play fast with their small lineup. With the addition of six time all NBA and seven time All-Star Kevin Durant, they will make an immediate improvement on the court. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder always dominate games throughout the season. Despite losing Durant, they are still a contender because of Russell Westbrook. With his triple doubles and amazing leadership, they have a chance in the west.

From the east, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls have a chance to win their conference.

The Toronto Raptors are a great team to compete against the Cavs in the east because they play smart and fast. With DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, and with the help of new head coach Dwane Casey, they will try to build a great team around them.

The Chicago Bulls have always been a good team. Recently, they have never
been able to make it to the title. With the new additions of three time NBA champion and 12 time all-star in Dwyane Wade, and four time all-star Rajon Rondo, they can help their all star Jimmy Butler to get Chicago another championship.

Needless to say, there are two teams who stand
alone when it comes to winning the championship: the San Antonio Spurs and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers are the top teams in their conference. They have all the keys pieces together.

First, both teams have won it before, so they have the experience and stamina to get to the top. The Spurs are a smart  team with great chemistry and trust. Their ball movement is absolutely amazing, which make other team’s defense tired. Also, the Spurs have one of the best benches in the league, giving their starters some rest. They have depth in all positions which makes them a threat.

The Spurs are all around a balanced team with players driving in, shooting threes and  gathering rebounds with their big guys in the middle. With the addition of two time NBA Champion and six time all-star Pau Gasol, it gives the Spurs advantage protecting the rim and getting offensive boards.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are also a all around balanced team, which is one of the reasons why they won their first title in their organization. With the help of Lebron James, the Cavs look at him as not only a player but a leader to lead the team to another championship. In addition, the Cavs have sign all their big time players so they can focus on one goal – to repeat as champions. With young all-stars like Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson improving each season, they are hoping to make make a big impact to help the organization win another title.

Both the Spurs and Cavaliers have it all. They both have reached the finals and won, they both have amazing chemistry with one another and have the key pieces together to get another championship for their organization.

With all the stats and improvement in each team, the San Antonio Spurs have the greatest chance to win this year’s championship with the group they have building. The Spurs are the ultimate team with players doing it all. Kawhi Leonard is their key player because of his versatility. The way he locks up the best players from each team is phenomenal and the Spurs are looking for his aggressive defense when it comes to the playoffs. Overall, the Spurs are the best team in the league and having one of the greatest coaches in NBA history with Popovich, they have a great chance to bring another title to the city of San Antonio.