Basketball season is upon us and that means it’s time to reprise my NBA Pick ‘EM Weekly 6 Series. Some brilliant individual over at the NBA saw fit to completely separate the Weekly 6 from the Team Totals so I’m at the wire with this article. As they say, better late than never, right?

If you wanna play along with me for the season, join the Belly Up Basketball group over at the NBA Pick ‘Em Weekly 6 website. Plus, there’s still time to make your team win totals picks. I’ve even got a little advice for you before you do.

Onward to victory!

Warriors/Nets and Clippers/Lakers

Do I think the Nets are going to implode at some point this season? Yes. Do I think the Nets are going to underachieve based on expectations? You better believe it! Do I think that will happen in the first game of the season? That’s a hard no. Without Klay Thompson and with the chip on the shoulders for the aliterative Black Knights Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, I see the Nets walking away with this one.

The Clippers’ drama has been well documented throughout the offseason. I’ve even thrown in my two cents. Might they be able to get it together later in the season? Doubtful. Tonight the Clippers are facing off against a team whose Championship celebration was a mere 72 days ago. I bet the bubble lockerroom still smells like champagne. Guys like Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma have inked extensions (yeah, I don’t get the Kuzma extension either). This is a story of winning camaraderie facing off against losing dysfunction. It’s an easy choice.

Bucks/Celtics and Mavericks/Suns

Giannis is locked in for the next 5 years. The Bucks have lost at 2022 second-round draft pick over the Bogdan Bogdanovic fiasco (don’t go too hard on ’em there Adam Silver). The Bucks are a little better. Do I think this is the year they get to the Finals? Well, if you listen to my podcast Hardcourt Hunnies you’ll know I think Milwaukee has a coaching problem. That problem, however, is not a regular-season issue.

Having had the most successful non-playoff run in The Bubble, the Suns will be coming out hot. (See what I did there?) Adding Chris Paul in the offseason was a brilliant move by the Suns organization and I expect to see the best Phoenix basketball in years this coming season. I’ve got them taking a W in their first game.

Pelicans/Heat and Warriors/Bucks

The Heat were on a mission last year and almost got to the promised land. I knew they were going to be good with the addition of perfect fit veteran Jimmy Butler. But Finals good? No one was calling that. Injury woes made the trip to the Finals a lot less than it could have been. This season the Heat will look to repeat their success and are going to come out swinging. The Pelicans will be a markedly improved team this season but Christmas Day is a big stage; one I don’t think the Pelicans’ young roster is necessarily prepared to handle.

Against elite teams in the NBA this year, the Golden State Warriors story is going to start the same every time.

Without Klay… (insert reason Warriors will fall to top 10 nba teams here).

Enough said?

That’s it for Week 1. Bring on the basketball!

Follow me on Twitter @auxiliarythings as I dive head-first into my first season of fantasy basketball. I’m in my first ever fantasy basketball league with fellow rookie fantasy basketball writer Parker Ainsworth. Follow him here at Belly Up Fantasy sports as he chronicles his rookie year. Check out my podcast @HCHunnies where Taylor and I will also be discussing our fantasy seasons. And of course, the Belly Up Sports team has you covered for all your general NBA entertainment and information.