Editor’s Note: This column will look at the fun of sports and also touch on the social impact of sports as well. The column is written in a conversational style to try to reproduce the organic quality of sports talk.

Andy: Well, Billy, it’s time to write our first column. Since the NBA season started Tuesday, Oct. 28, let’s discuss our picks for the winners of each conference, the finals winner and a couple of sleeper teams that we like.

I’ll start with my pick to win the Western Conference. I think that this is the year the New Orleans Hornets win it. The team has a great nucleus with Tyson Chandler and David West in the post, Peja Stojakovic on the perimeter and Chris Paul leading the way at point. Morris Peterson fills a void at shooting guard, and I also really like their off-season acquisition of James Posey. Last year, Posey played great perimeter defense against Lebron in the Eastern Semifinals, and that’ll continue in the west against the likes of Kobe, Carmelo and Tracy McGrady.

Billy: Winning to watch, and the “boring” San Antonio Spurs will do just that. Posey definitely helps the Hornets’ defense, but the Spurs play better team defense than most NBA teams do. Age may slow players down, but it doesn’t change the aggressive approach of a defender like Bruce Bowen. The one concern for the Spurs is guard Manu Ginobli’s ankle injury.

In the east, the Celtics will defend their title. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett answered doubts about team chemistry, and Rajon Rondo will be an improved point guard: more assists, fewer turnovers. The Celtics have lost two key bench players in Posey and P.J. Brown, who retired. But losing players from one successful season doesn’t keep Boston teams from winning. Just look at the Patriots.

Andy: I completely agree with your Celtics pick. Besides the reasons you mention, I think their young bench will have improved since last year, as well as starting center Kendrick Perkins. The Celtics will be challenged a little more in their division, though, with both Philadelphia and Toronto making big improvements in the off-season, but I think it will ultimately better prepare Boston for the playoffs. There will be no seven-game series with the Hawks this year.

So, between the Hornets and the Celtics in the finals, I’m going to give the Hornets the edge. Posey will lock down either Pierce or Allen, and the duo of David West and Tyson Chandler will hold their own against Perkins and Garnett. That’ll leave Chris Paul to dominate Rajon Rondo. When KG picks up Chris Paul on the pick and roll, Paul can flick it out to Peja or Posey for the three.

Billy: I’ll take San Antonio over Boston for the title. Expect Tim Duncan to give Boston more trouble than Pau Gasol did this year. In addition to Parker, a healthy Ginobli will be another threat to drive.

In the west, the Utah Jazz will push the Spurs, Hornets and Lakers for the top spots. Chris Paul overshadows Jazz point guard Deron Williams, and few notice the rest of the team because, well, they play in Utah. No real sleeper in the east, but don’t forget about Detroit in the midst of so much Celtic hype.

Lastly, remember that as fans, we watch the NBA from the outside, so the bulk of our analysis is based on talent, past games, off-season transactions, etc. Fans cannot overlook the importance of “behind-the-scenes” work and decisions. Maybe KG commits himself to taking a charge every time Parker and Ginobli drive, so the Celtics shut down San Antonio and win. We cannot ignore such choices just because we cannot see them.

Andy: I actually think the Jazz are a little overrated this year. John Hollinger of ESPN.com picked them to win the west, and Sports Illustrated rated them as the sixth best team in the league in their preseason poll. I have a tough time believing that they’ll be that good. My main reason for picking against them is that they’re too inconsistent. I hate to predict injuries, but I do think that both Derron Williams and Carlos Boozer will miss time this year because of their participation on the Olympic team. That forced them to play a lot more than most of the other players in the league, and I think every player on that team will feel the grind on their bodies towards the end of the season.

As far as sleepers, I’m tempted to pick the Blazers, but everyone is picking them so I’ll pick another one. I think the Charlotte Bobcats will make the playoffs in the east. The Larry Brown factor is huge. Every team he has coached, except the Knicks, has increased their win total by 10 games in his first season. If they had won 10 more games last year, they would have been the sixth seed. Enough said.