acknowledging that "football is king" in England, the

With the NBA season set to tip-off, we asked TSN NBA experts Jack Armstrong, Josh Lewenberg and Duane Watson a few burning questions about the year ahead. Today we ask: which teams pose the biggest threat to Miamis three-peat aspirations? Duane Watsons take: No team in the league can stop LeBron James, but this may be the first time his Miami Heat face a legitimate threat from within their own conference. First and foremost, the team they have knocked out of the playoffs the last two years, the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers pushed the Heat to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Paul George has emerged as a franchise player, Lance Stephenson has become a solid rotational player, and the Pacers retooled their bench with the additions of Luis Scola and C.J. Watson. They did that all without All-Star Forward Danny Granger who was out with a left knee injury, if Granger comes back as 75 percent of the player he was, hell be a solid addition off the bench. Look for Coach Frank Vogel and his "smashmouth basketball" to upset the Heat and make their first trip to the NBA Finals in more a decade. Other challengers include a healthy Chicago Bulls with a rejuvenated Derrick Rose in the line-up. In 2011, they lost to the Heat 4-1 in the Conference Finals, but they didnt have a defensive stopper like Jimmy Butler on the wing then. If the Brooklyn Nets can gel and be healthy rolling into the playoffs, the combination of All-Star players like Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez, with the veteran experience of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Andrei Kirilienko may pose some problems. In the Western Conference, you cant count out the San Antonio Spurs (ever), who were one rebound away from winning the NBA Final before falling in Game 7. Lastly, dont underestimate the Golden State Warriors who have little problem putting points on the board, and added an All-NBA defensive player in Andre Iguodala to their line-up. Josh Lewenbergs take: Even if the reigning, two-time champs are on cruise control until April its hard to imagine any team, in either conference besting their record in an 82-game season. After three years together they are a well-oiled machine. Unlike the Nets, for instance, theres no adjustment time required here. This is the same team that won 66-games a year ago and another 60-win season is well within reach. A full season with Birdman on board and a couple low-risk, high-reward signings in Greg Oden and Michael Beasley can only help their cause. Theyre too talented, too deep and too familiar with each other. Fast forward to the spring and thats where things could get interesting. As always, the loaded Western Conference will produce a legitimate contender to the throne. The Thunder, Spurs, Clippers, Rockets, even the Grizzlies and Warriors could all be in the mix. The Heats stiffest competition may reside in the East though. After a four-to-five game cakewalk in the first round, the Heat should immediately be put to work. Evident in last years seven-game Eastern Conference Finals, the size and physicality of the Pacers – now featuring an improved bench and a returning Danny Granger (maybe) – could be Miamis kryptonite. Similarly, the Bulls – with a healthy Derrick Rose – should have the personnel and defensive wherewithal to challenge the champs. With their talent, depth and experience, the Nets are the wildcard in this scenario. Will they have all the kinks worked out come April? Jack Armstrongs take: In the East I really like Chicago and Indiana to push Miami this season. A healthy Derrick Rose and the addition of Mike Dunleavy will make this existing unit much more potent offensively and efficient. The Bulls have a winning culture, an outstanding Coach in Tom Thibodeau and a fan base that demands/expects excellence. It should be a fun time in the Windy City. The Pacers made a savvy move by picking up Luis Scola as a backup forward. Hes slowed down a bit but is still one of the more crafty front court guys in the NBA. Danny Granger needs to stay healthy and be a pro about his role changing with the emergence of Paul George - be efficient and explosive. The Pacers have lots of Playoffs experience and theyve reawakened their fan base that bailed out after the Malice in the Palace. They guard and have enough scoring. They will be a tough out. The Nets made some flashy moves and the acquisitions of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Jason Terry and Andrei Kirilenko give them a major talent upgrade. The question is, can they stay healthy all year? If so, they are a dangerous squad. There is lots of pressure on Coach Jason Kidd in his first year. It is a small window here. The Knicks have more than enough scoring, but will they play as a team and share the ball and guard you in crunch time? There is enough talent there to beat anyone on any given night but also lose to the dregs because they play too much on their Talent and not enough on the little details that define winning. Coach Mike Woodson has to demand even more and better from this team. Its there but sometimes they lose their focus. In the West, the Spurs will be right there again due to their amazing veteran cast, coaching and the Residue of Winning that exists there. Kawhi Leonard really improved last year and is a keeper. The Rockets, with the addition of Dwight Howard, will be improved. The more efficient the 3-point shooting around him is, the better hell be if he sees a lot of single coverage in the post. Hell change their team defensively and theyll hold you to one shot more often. The Oklahoma City Thunder have two of the more dynamic players in the NBA today in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Who picks up the slack with the trade of James Harden and then Kevin Martins free-agent departure? Only time will tell. The Thunder hold an incredible home court advantage and will be heard from in late May/early June. Theyre still a contender but the margin of error has decreased significantly. The Clippers could be the best team in the West with the additions of coach Doc Rivers, J.J. Redick, Jared Dudley and Darren Collison to an already talented squad. If Chris Paul stays upright they have a great shot. The Warriors will be entertaining with the addition of Andre Iguodala but I think theyll miss the leadership and consistency of Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry. Memphis will be a really hard team to beat due to the Power game and solid defense. At the end of the day in the West, I feel the Spurs, Thunder and Clippers would be the teams that could hang with Miami but the Heat are still the best. Fake Vans Cheap . His chance at winning a Stanley Cup in Philadelphia is over. Same with Jeff Carter. And Brian Boucher. Throw in Ville Leino and Dan Carcillo. Fake Vans For Sale . - The Baltimore Ravens and tight end Dennis Pitta reached agreement on a five-year contract Friday. https://www.vansfake.com/ . Sure, Josh Browns 45-yard field goal on the third drive of overtime lifted the New York Giants to a 23-20 win over Detroit on Sunday. But the Lions (7-8) dropped themselves out of the NFC North race by losing five of their last six games, blowing fourth-quarter leads in each setback. Fake Vans 2020 . -- For one night, Nick Calathes provided a big reason to believe the Memphis Grizzlies might be able to withstand the loss of Mike Conley on a short-term basis. Fake Vans . Coming off a 6-0 drubbing at Chelsea on Saturday, Arsenal endured another demoralizing result after rallying for a 2-1 lead -- only to concede a fluke equalizer.LONDON -- While critical of Dennis Rodmans trips to North Korea, incoming NBA commissioner Adam Silver says the former all-star also helped raise awareness of leader Kim Jong Uns "repressive regime." Rodman took a group of retired NBA players to the pariah state this month to play a game as a gift for Kim, a move criticized by some members of the U.S. Congress, human rights groups and the NBA. Rodman, the highest-profile American to meet Kim, has stressed he is not a statesman and is only seeking to build cultural ties between Pyongyang and Washington through basketball. But the 52-year-old Rodman has been denounced for not trying to use his influence with Kim to secure the release of Kenneth Bae, an American missionary with health problems who is being held in North Korea on charges of "anti-state" crimes. Although Rodman has been accused of becoming a public relations tool for North Koreas government, Silver regards the publicity from the trips helping to shine a light on a country with a poor human rights record. "As negative as that trip was in so many ways it also brought attention to a critical issue in North Korea that ... most Americans hadnt focused on at all in terms of a repressive regime," Silver said on Thursday in London ahead of a game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Atlanta Hawks. At the start of the Jan. 8 game in Pyongyang, Rodman sang "Happy Birthday" to Kim, who was seated at the stadium, and bowed deeply as North Korean players clapped. Silver, who succeeds David Stern as commissioner on Feb. 1, said the NBA persuaded some former players not to participate in the game. "We did talk directly with certain other players who decided not to go," Silver said after appearing at a meeting organized by the Sport Industry Group. "In terms of any damage done to the NBA, we dont think there was any damage done to the NBA ... the fact basketball happens to be very popularr in North Korea I dont think is a negative for our league.dddddddddddd "And it just demonstrates that its not just basketball but all sports bring tremendous opportunities." And, with the Nets owned by Russian businessman Mikhail Prokhorov, the NBA is looking beyond the U.S. for more investment in franchises. Stern said there are discussions with investors from China, Latin America and the Middle East, in particular those in oil-rich United Arab Emirates whose "connection to the governing families is quite close." Efforts to grow the NBA beyond U.S. shores in Britain have been limited, despite Thursdays regular-season game at the O2 Arena being the fourth in four years at the venue. While acknowledging that "football is king" in England, the NBA feels that its efforts to intensify interest have not been matched by a commitment from the government and local groups to promote the game and build facilities. Silver described the club infrastructure as being "not on a par" with other basketball nations. "We would have thought there would have been more growth," Silver said. "For whatever reason basketball hasnt caught on here," he added. "And I think there has been an absence of leadership and we have to fill the vacuum." Having expected a strong basketball legacy from the 2012 London Olympics, the NBA was disappointed the chance was not grasped. "I would say lost opportunity rather than wasted opportunity -- every government has their priorities but given how popular a venue (basketball) was during the Olympics, it should have been the launching pad for additional things happening," Silver said. "There are all kinds of reasons why governments should be getting behind the sport." Stern went further, saying: "I know the debate about physical activity in schools, but if you shut down the gyms you cant have basketball games." ' ' '