Part 2 of 4. Life in the Post's NBA Preview Spectacle.
Here is part of the hallowed NBA preview coming from this spectacular blog. Today's preview comes from Pick 'Em who is also making some NFL picks over at The Point. A big thanks for his input. I haven't read this yet, but I'm sure you should get ready for your daily dose of the Mamba AKA KB8, er KB24. Enjoy!
This is a great piece, even greater than mine and Tommy's combined. Pick 'Em should probably get a weekly column after writing the greatest preview ever. Thanks again JP.
WESTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW
8. Houston Rockets, 41-41 (+7 Improvement)
The Rockets turned into a playoff team with the off-season signing of Shane Battier and acquistion of Bonzi Wells. If Wells comes off the bench this year, he’ll be your Sixth Man of the Year, but he’ll be in the starting lineup my mid-season, if not earlier than that. Look for him to play 30-35 minutes, and give the Rockets a much needed 15-17 points a game. Battier joins an already stellar Rockets defense which ranked 4th in the league in 2005-06, only yielding 91.7 ppg. Houston lacks depth on the bench after Wells, so an injury or two, whether it be physical or mental (Tmac), could wreak havoc on a team that should otherwise sneak into the post-season in a very competitive Western Conference.
7. Sacramento Kings, 43-39 (-1)
Musselmann is the perfect coach for a Kings team looking to get back to where they were five years ago. Artest is definitely a head case, but I truly believe he cares about winning. That’s going to result in a few tiffs throughout the season, because the Kings are going to be streaky much like last year, mainly because of their poor team defense (97.3 ppg). I still don’t see Artest, Bibby, and Miller letting this team miss the playoffs, but they need a few more pieces for them to realistically contend in the West, and the loss of Wells doesn’t help matters. Like last year, they won’t be an easy out for anyone in the first round.
6. L.A. Lakers, 46-36 (+1)
The Lakers addressed two of their biggest needs (a point guard that can defend and a perimeter shooter) this off-season with the first round draft pick of Jordan Farmar, and the free agent signing of Vladimir Radmanovic. Smush Parker is not the answer at point guard, he can’t and will not even try to defend the pick and roll. Farmar can create off of the dribble and he gives the kind of effort that will make him a very good defensive player in this league, which will result in him handling the majority of the point guard duties come playoff time. If you’re a Lakers fan, you have to love the signing of Radmanovic, who finally gives Kobester (wow that was tough, I went as long as possible without mentioning him) a perimeter threat. Sasha Vujacic is going to surprise people this year. He’ll give the Lakers 7-9 points off the bench and will play a key role during the playoffs. The real question with the Lakers is can Lamar Odom play like he did during the 2006 playoffs (excluding game 7 when he was fouling 3 point shooters on purpose) for the whole year?
5. L.A. Clippers, 47-35 (E)
Donald Sterling and the Clippers are finally intent on winning. Elton Brand gets my vote for league’s most underrated player. Last season, he put up 24.7 ppg, 10.0 rbg, and shot 53% from the field. Not only is he a great finisher, but he has also developed a very nice 10-15 foot jumper. The Clippers actually have some depth with the signing of Tim Thomas (who absolutely played out of his mind in the playoffs, Suns wouldn’t have gotten past the Lakers without him), and Shaun Livingston coming off the bench, has shown steady improvement. I still believe the Clippers are a year or two away from getting past the Mavericks, Spurs, and Suns. They could pull a shocker in the second round and knock one of them out this year, but getting past 2 of 3 and making it to the finals doesn’t seem quite realistic yet.
4. Denver, 42-40 (-2)
Denver gets the 4 seed, how ridiculous is that? The divisional format the NBA has in place now is correct and is a must for scheduling purposes, but they have to make a change and seed teams based on their record. Teams in the NBA play 82 games, and they play everyone in their conference at least twice, so winning your division is an accomplishment and all, but if you’re the only team over .500, should you really be rewarded with home-court in the first round when there are 7 teams with better records than you. No, no you should not. But I regress, the Nugs will be seeded # 4 and they will make a quick exit from the playoffs once again. They have too many question marks that teams in the West will turn into problems. Their defense ranked 23rd in the league (100.1 ppg), Camby can’t stay healthy (so you’ll be seeing a lot of Najera, who is fun to watch, but not the answer), and they’ll have to go through growing pains with shooting guard J.R. Smith. One other thing, Earl Boykins is my man and all, but when he’s guarding someone, why not post him up, EVERYTIME?
3. Phoenix Suns, 59-23, (+5)
It’s really scary to think the Suns will be adding Amare Stoudemire and his 26 point, 8.9 rebound averages to an already potent offense that averaged 108.4 ppg without him. But Stoudemire, along with a healthy Kurt Thomas will matter more on the defensive side of the ball, where they allowed a “pompous” 102.8 ppg last season. Can the Suns play the kind of half court defense that it takes to win a championship? I still don’t think they match up well at all with a team like San Antonio, who will slow things down in the playoffs and make you play their style of basketball. If the Suns get to the NBA Finals this year, they’ll have to do something they couldn’t do last year, and that is get past Nowitzki and the Mavericks, because they aren’t beating San Antonio in a 7 game series.
2. San Antonio Spurs, 62-20 (-1)
It was so obvious that Tim Duncan was struggling physically last year (doesn’t it seem like Duncan’s old and about to retire? He’s only 29, that’s crazy), but now that he’s healthy, I expect him to increase his point and rebound totals after averaging career lows in both categories (18.6 ppg, 11.0 rbg). The Spurs know what they’re going to get out of players like Parker, Ginoboli, Bowen, and Finley, but who is going to play center for the Spurs? To be honest, I don’t know much about their two free agent acquistions, Francisco Elson and Jackie Butler (both center’s), but the Spurs need one of the two to step up and make a contribution. The Spurs were the 2nd best defensive team in the NBA (88.8 ppg)last season, which is another reason why I like them should they meet up with the Suns down the road. If San Antonio is healthy come playoff time, they could find themselves playing for another championship.
1. Dallas Mavericks, 63-19 (+2)
I believe this is the year Nowitzki and Cuban get their ring despite Dallas not making any significant off-season moves. They have an MVP caliber player in Nowitzki, who is surrounded by playmaker Jason Terry, and two rising stars in Howard and Harris. A title contender has to have role players, and Dallas has them a bunch with the likes of Stackhouse, and recent signees Devean George, Austin Croshere, and Anthony Johnson. Diop and Dampier are question marks at center, but Diop’s shot blocking ability and Dampier’s rebounding (7.8 rbg) will get the job done. Dallas’ defense jumped from 14th in the league to 7th last year (93.1 ppg), which is a big reason why they were the Western Conference’s representative in the Finals.
Western Conference Playoff Predictions
1st Round
Dallas def. Houston, 4-1.
San Antonio def. Sacramento, 4-2.
L.A. Lakers def. Phoenix, 4-3.
L.A. Clippers def. Denver, 4-2.
Conference Semi-finals
Dallas def. L.A. Clippers, 4-2.
San Antonio def. L.A. Lakers, 4-2.
Conference Finals
Dallas def. San Antonio, 4-3.
EASTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW
8. Orlando Magic, 40-42 (+4)
The Magic caught fire at the end of last season and made a run at the eight seed, finishing out the season 16-6. Dwight Howard, a star in the making, averaged a double-double last season (15.8 pts, 12.5 rebounds). Give him two more years and he’s going to be putting up some really ridiculous numbers that are going to make him an all-star starter year-in-and-out. I really like Orlando’s front court future with him and Milicic, who will most likely come off the bench and play his way into a starting role this year (Milicic’s going to have a solid career, and this year is the start of it, he’ll average 10-12 ppg). Overall, I’m very optimistic about the Magic’s future, but they’re still years and players away from joining the top five teams of the East.
7. Indiana Pacers, 41-41 (E)
Carlisle may have to change his half court philosophy, and let Tinsley and Daniels play to their strengths, which is running the floor. Speaking of Daniels, I’m high on him, he’s a shooting guard who shoots 48% from the field but doesn’t shoot enough (only averaged 10.2 ppg last season). Defense will still be Carlisle’s number one priority; the Pacers only yielded 92 ppg in 2005-06. Al Harrington is back in town (great move), and joins Jermaine O’Neal to form a formidable front court. Indiana lacks depth other on the bench other than forward Danny Granger, but I believe their defense won’t let them fall below a 7 seed in the East.
6. Washington Wizards, 43-39 (+1)
The Wizards were torched by the Cavaliers last year in the playoffs. It was disgusting to watch, but not surprising being that they allowed almost 100 ppg during the regular season (99.8). Butler’s probably their best on the ball defender, and that isn’t saying much. He has the skills but doesn’t play all out all the time and doesn’t like getting physical (watch him box out). Haywood isn’t the answer underneath, and that was a problem I was surprised to see they didn’t address during the off-season. Saying all that, the Wizards are still going to win games because they have a scoring machine in Arenas, and two other nice offensive players in Butler and Jamison that can get you 20 any given night.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers, 50-32 (E)
I have the Cavs in the fifth slot not because I feel they’ll drop off from last season, but other teams like the Bulls and Nets have jumped them with their off-season moves. Lebron James (prediction: 31.7 ppg) gets my pick for MVP this year over Kobe Bryant for the simple reason that James’ supporting cast is much weaker, but he’s still not a better overall player than Kobe because he’s not consistent on the defensive side of the ball. The Cavs didn’t make any significant changes to their roster, but I would have liked to of seen them upgrade the point guard position. They have two back ups playing the point, Snow and Wesley. I like the spark plug they have in Varejao off the bench, and sleepy Donyell Marshall still has some game. Larry Hughes is a very good defender, but he needs to step up offensively, his 15.5 ppg and 41% shooting percentage are decent, but they both need to improve this year. It’s really important for Cleveland to finish above where I have them, because if they don’t, they’re not getting past the first round.
4. Chicago Bulls, 50-32 (+9)
I love the Bulls with the free agent signing of Ben Wallace, who joins a young, tough defense that held their opponents to a measly 42 percent (led the league) from the field last year. Wallace is just what they needed in Chicago, a rebounder and a shot blocker that can protect the basket. You can bet that their 97.2 pts allowed will decrease with him in the lineup. Hinrich and Gordon form a versatile backcourt in that they can push the ball up court and also work effectively in a half court set. Gordon is clutch in crunch time and Hinrich plays all out no matter what the circumstances are. Luol Deng will increase his ppg average (14.6) from last year, and he’s my pick for sixth man of the year. Although P.J. Brown (9 ppg, 7 rbg) is a decent fit and a prescense down low, look for draft pick Tyrus Thomas to get some major playing time as the season unfolds. Chicago gave Miami all they could handle last year in the first round of the playoffs (the Heat were so frustrated they were fighting amongst themselves). It’d be great to see them meet up again this post-season with Ben Wallace in the middle.
3. New Jersey Nets, 52-30 (+3)
Nenad Krstic completely changes this team, they finally have an inside presence that can score, instead of solely relying on perimeter shooting. Kidd, Jefferson, and Carter can play with anyone at their respective positions, and Carter’s in a contract year, so that couldn’t possibly hurt. I like the free agent signing of Eddie House, but it’ll be interesting to see if he was a product of the Suns system. The Nets had one helluva draft this year, bringing in a big body in Boone, point guard Marcus Williams, and Hassan Adams. Jason Collins is the weak link on this team, so expect Boone to get an opportunity to earn some significant time this year once he gets back from injury in December. The Nets make it to second round relatively easy this year, and they’ll give whoever they play in the conference semi-finals a series.
2. Detroit Pistons, 55-27 (-9)
The loss of Ben Walllace definitely hurts the Detroit, but I believe it helps the Bulls more than it hurts the Pistons. Dumars went out and signed Nazr Mohammed, who I think will be a good fit. He doesn’t give you the defense and shot blocking ability they once had with Wallace, but he’s lengthy and has potential on the offensive side of the ball. Antonio McDyess (7.8 ppg, 5.3 rbg) needs to stay healthy and be a contributor consistently this year. Detroit’s defense ranked 3rd last year (90.2 ppg) and it will slightly drop off, but their front court defense is still there with Hamilton and Billups, and Tayshaun. Don’t burry the Pistons, Flip Saunders and his team have a lot to prove this year.
1. Miami Heat 55-27 (+4)
It’s hard to believe the Heat only won 52 games last year, but then again, when you think about how Shaq doesn’t play hard for most of the year, it makes more sense. That philosophy seems to be rubbing off on Wade now, who will be taking it easy to begin the season. The Heat will lose a lot of games they shouldn’t this year, but they’ll be ready to go again come playoff time. Riley didn’t make any changes this year, and I don’t blame him, why mess with a championship team? Wade played awesome during the playoffs and Finals last year, but Haslem and Walker were the X factors that won them the championship (Williams and Mourning deserve being mentioned too). If the Heat can get that same kind of production out of those players this year, they’re going to be tough to beat.
Eastern Conference Playoff Predictions
1st Round
Miami def. Orlando, 4-0.
Detroit def. Indiana, 4-2.
New Jersey def. Washington, 4-2.
Chicago def. Cleveland, 4-3.
Conference Semi-finals
Chicago def. Miami, 4-3.
Detroit def. New Jersey, 4-3.
Conference Finals
Chicago def. Detroit, 4-2.
NBA FINALS
Dallas def. Chicago, 4-1.
AWARDS
MVP – Lebron James.
ROY – Adam Morrison.
Most Improved Teams – Houston Rockets (West), Chicago Bulls (East).
Best off-season free agent acquisition: Ben Wallace.
Best off-season trade: Celtics aquiring Sebastian Telfair (Great trade for the future, but they aren’t sniffing the playoffs this year).
Coach of the Year – Flip Saunders.
6th Man – Luol Deng
Defensive POY – Ben Wallace
Scoring Leader – Kobe Bryant 32.0.
Biggest Team Cancer – Stephen Jackson.
Most Shocking Season Headline – Will Iverson be moved during the season? You can only be almost traded so many times, and it’s going to be another long season in Philadelphia.
This is a great piece, even greater than mine and Tommy's combined. Pick 'Em should probably get a weekly column after writing the greatest preview ever. Thanks again JP.
WESTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW
8. Houston Rockets, 41-41 (+7 Improvement)
The Rockets turned into a playoff team with the off-season signing of Shane Battier and acquistion of Bonzi Wells. If Wells comes off the bench this year, he’ll be your Sixth Man of the Year, but he’ll be in the starting lineup my mid-season, if not earlier than that. Look for him to play 30-35 minutes, and give the Rockets a much needed 15-17 points a game. Battier joins an already stellar Rockets defense which ranked 4th in the league in 2005-06, only yielding 91.7 ppg. Houston lacks depth on the bench after Wells, so an injury or two, whether it be physical or mental (Tmac), could wreak havoc on a team that should otherwise sneak into the post-season in a very competitive Western Conference.
7. Sacramento Kings, 43-39 (-1)
Musselmann is the perfect coach for a Kings team looking to get back to where they were five years ago. Artest is definitely a head case, but I truly believe he cares about winning. That’s going to result in a few tiffs throughout the season, because the Kings are going to be streaky much like last year, mainly because of their poor team defense (97.3 ppg). I still don’t see Artest, Bibby, and Miller letting this team miss the playoffs, but they need a few more pieces for them to realistically contend in the West, and the loss of Wells doesn’t help matters. Like last year, they won’t be an easy out for anyone in the first round.
6. L.A. Lakers, 46-36 (+1)
The Lakers addressed two of their biggest needs (a point guard that can defend and a perimeter shooter) this off-season with the first round draft pick of Jordan Farmar, and the free agent signing of Vladimir Radmanovic. Smush Parker is not the answer at point guard, he can’t and will not even try to defend the pick and roll. Farmar can create off of the dribble and he gives the kind of effort that will make him a very good defensive player in this league, which will result in him handling the majority of the point guard duties come playoff time. If you’re a Lakers fan, you have to love the signing of Radmanovic, who finally gives Kobester (wow that was tough, I went as long as possible without mentioning him) a perimeter threat. Sasha Vujacic is going to surprise people this year. He’ll give the Lakers 7-9 points off the bench and will play a key role during the playoffs. The real question with the Lakers is can Lamar Odom play like he did during the 2006 playoffs (excluding game 7 when he was fouling 3 point shooters on purpose) for the whole year?
5. L.A. Clippers, 47-35 (E)
Donald Sterling and the Clippers are finally intent on winning. Elton Brand gets my vote for league’s most underrated player. Last season, he put up 24.7 ppg, 10.0 rbg, and shot 53% from the field. Not only is he a great finisher, but he has also developed a very nice 10-15 foot jumper. The Clippers actually have some depth with the signing of Tim Thomas (who absolutely played out of his mind in the playoffs, Suns wouldn’t have gotten past the Lakers without him), and Shaun Livingston coming off the bench, has shown steady improvement. I still believe the Clippers are a year or two away from getting past the Mavericks, Spurs, and Suns. They could pull a shocker in the second round and knock one of them out this year, but getting past 2 of 3 and making it to the finals doesn’t seem quite realistic yet.
4. Denver, 42-40 (-2)
Denver gets the 4 seed, how ridiculous is that? The divisional format the NBA has in place now is correct and is a must for scheduling purposes, but they have to make a change and seed teams based on their record. Teams in the NBA play 82 games, and they play everyone in their conference at least twice, so winning your division is an accomplishment and all, but if you’re the only team over .500, should you really be rewarded with home-court in the first round when there are 7 teams with better records than you. No, no you should not. But I regress, the Nugs will be seeded # 4 and they will make a quick exit from the playoffs once again. They have too many question marks that teams in the West will turn into problems. Their defense ranked 23rd in the league (100.1 ppg), Camby can’t stay healthy (so you’ll be seeing a lot of Najera, who is fun to watch, but not the answer), and they’ll have to go through growing pains with shooting guard J.R. Smith. One other thing, Earl Boykins is my man and all, but when he’s guarding someone, why not post him up, EVERYTIME?
3. Phoenix Suns, 59-23, (+5)
It’s really scary to think the Suns will be adding Amare Stoudemire and his 26 point, 8.9 rebound averages to an already potent offense that averaged 108.4 ppg without him. But Stoudemire, along with a healthy Kurt Thomas will matter more on the defensive side of the ball, where they allowed a “pompous” 102.8 ppg last season. Can the Suns play the kind of half court defense that it takes to win a championship? I still don’t think they match up well at all with a team like San Antonio, who will slow things down in the playoffs and make you play their style of basketball. If the Suns get to the NBA Finals this year, they’ll have to do something they couldn’t do last year, and that is get past Nowitzki and the Mavericks, because they aren’t beating San Antonio in a 7 game series.
2. San Antonio Spurs, 62-20 (-1)
It was so obvious that Tim Duncan was struggling physically last year (doesn’t it seem like Duncan’s old and about to retire? He’s only 29, that’s crazy), but now that he’s healthy, I expect him to increase his point and rebound totals after averaging career lows in both categories (18.6 ppg, 11.0 rbg). The Spurs know what they’re going to get out of players like Parker, Ginoboli, Bowen, and Finley, but who is going to play center for the Spurs? To be honest, I don’t know much about their two free agent acquistions, Francisco Elson and Jackie Butler (both center’s), but the Spurs need one of the two to step up and make a contribution. The Spurs were the 2nd best defensive team in the NBA (88.8 ppg)last season, which is another reason why I like them should they meet up with the Suns down the road. If San Antonio is healthy come playoff time, they could find themselves playing for another championship.
1. Dallas Mavericks, 63-19 (+2)
I believe this is the year Nowitzki and Cuban get their ring despite Dallas not making any significant off-season moves. They have an MVP caliber player in Nowitzki, who is surrounded by playmaker Jason Terry, and two rising stars in Howard and Harris. A title contender has to have role players, and Dallas has them a bunch with the likes of Stackhouse, and recent signees Devean George, Austin Croshere, and Anthony Johnson. Diop and Dampier are question marks at center, but Diop’s shot blocking ability and Dampier’s rebounding (7.8 rbg) will get the job done. Dallas’ defense jumped from 14th in the league to 7th last year (93.1 ppg), which is a big reason why they were the Western Conference’s representative in the Finals.
Western Conference Playoff Predictions
1st Round
Dallas def. Houston, 4-1.
San Antonio def. Sacramento, 4-2.
L.A. Lakers def. Phoenix, 4-3.
L.A. Clippers def. Denver, 4-2.
Conference Semi-finals
Dallas def. L.A. Clippers, 4-2.
San Antonio def. L.A. Lakers, 4-2.
Conference Finals
Dallas def. San Antonio, 4-3.
EASTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW
8. Orlando Magic, 40-42 (+4)
The Magic caught fire at the end of last season and made a run at the eight seed, finishing out the season 16-6. Dwight Howard, a star in the making, averaged a double-double last season (15.8 pts, 12.5 rebounds). Give him two more years and he’s going to be putting up some really ridiculous numbers that are going to make him an all-star starter year-in-and-out. I really like Orlando’s front court future with him and Milicic, who will most likely come off the bench and play his way into a starting role this year (Milicic’s going to have a solid career, and this year is the start of it, he’ll average 10-12 ppg). Overall, I’m very optimistic about the Magic’s future, but they’re still years and players away from joining the top five teams of the East.
7. Indiana Pacers, 41-41 (E)
Carlisle may have to change his half court philosophy, and let Tinsley and Daniels play to their strengths, which is running the floor. Speaking of Daniels, I’m high on him, he’s a shooting guard who shoots 48% from the field but doesn’t shoot enough (only averaged 10.2 ppg last season). Defense will still be Carlisle’s number one priority; the Pacers only yielded 92 ppg in 2005-06. Al Harrington is back in town (great move), and joins Jermaine O’Neal to form a formidable front court. Indiana lacks depth other on the bench other than forward Danny Granger, but I believe their defense won’t let them fall below a 7 seed in the East.
6. Washington Wizards, 43-39 (+1)
The Wizards were torched by the Cavaliers last year in the playoffs. It was disgusting to watch, but not surprising being that they allowed almost 100 ppg during the regular season (99.8). Butler’s probably their best on the ball defender, and that isn’t saying much. He has the skills but doesn’t play all out all the time and doesn’t like getting physical (watch him box out). Haywood isn’t the answer underneath, and that was a problem I was surprised to see they didn’t address during the off-season. Saying all that, the Wizards are still going to win games because they have a scoring machine in Arenas, and two other nice offensive players in Butler and Jamison that can get you 20 any given night.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers, 50-32 (E)
I have the Cavs in the fifth slot not because I feel they’ll drop off from last season, but other teams like the Bulls and Nets have jumped them with their off-season moves. Lebron James (prediction: 31.7 ppg) gets my pick for MVP this year over Kobe Bryant for the simple reason that James’ supporting cast is much weaker, but he’s still not a better overall player than Kobe because he’s not consistent on the defensive side of the ball. The Cavs didn’t make any significant changes to their roster, but I would have liked to of seen them upgrade the point guard position. They have two back ups playing the point, Snow and Wesley. I like the spark plug they have in Varejao off the bench, and sleepy Donyell Marshall still has some game. Larry Hughes is a very good defender, but he needs to step up offensively, his 15.5 ppg and 41% shooting percentage are decent, but they both need to improve this year. It’s really important for Cleveland to finish above where I have them, because if they don’t, they’re not getting past the first round.
4. Chicago Bulls, 50-32 (+9)
I love the Bulls with the free agent signing of Ben Wallace, who joins a young, tough defense that held their opponents to a measly 42 percent (led the league) from the field last year. Wallace is just what they needed in Chicago, a rebounder and a shot blocker that can protect the basket. You can bet that their 97.2 pts allowed will decrease with him in the lineup. Hinrich and Gordon form a versatile backcourt in that they can push the ball up court and also work effectively in a half court set. Gordon is clutch in crunch time and Hinrich plays all out no matter what the circumstances are. Luol Deng will increase his ppg average (14.6) from last year, and he’s my pick for sixth man of the year. Although P.J. Brown (9 ppg, 7 rbg) is a decent fit and a prescense down low, look for draft pick Tyrus Thomas to get some major playing time as the season unfolds. Chicago gave Miami all they could handle last year in the first round of the playoffs (the Heat were so frustrated they were fighting amongst themselves). It’d be great to see them meet up again this post-season with Ben Wallace in the middle.
3. New Jersey Nets, 52-30 (+3)
Nenad Krstic completely changes this team, they finally have an inside presence that can score, instead of solely relying on perimeter shooting. Kidd, Jefferson, and Carter can play with anyone at their respective positions, and Carter’s in a contract year, so that couldn’t possibly hurt. I like the free agent signing of Eddie House, but it’ll be interesting to see if he was a product of the Suns system. The Nets had one helluva draft this year, bringing in a big body in Boone, point guard Marcus Williams, and Hassan Adams. Jason Collins is the weak link on this team, so expect Boone to get an opportunity to earn some significant time this year once he gets back from injury in December. The Nets make it to second round relatively easy this year, and they’ll give whoever they play in the conference semi-finals a series.
2. Detroit Pistons, 55-27 (-9)
The loss of Ben Walllace definitely hurts the Detroit, but I believe it helps the Bulls more than it hurts the Pistons. Dumars went out and signed Nazr Mohammed, who I think will be a good fit. He doesn’t give you the defense and shot blocking ability they once had with Wallace, but he’s lengthy and has potential on the offensive side of the ball. Antonio McDyess (7.8 ppg, 5.3 rbg) needs to stay healthy and be a contributor consistently this year. Detroit’s defense ranked 3rd last year (90.2 ppg) and it will slightly drop off, but their front court defense is still there with Hamilton and Billups, and Tayshaun. Don’t burry the Pistons, Flip Saunders and his team have a lot to prove this year.
1. Miami Heat 55-27 (+4)
It’s hard to believe the Heat only won 52 games last year, but then again, when you think about how Shaq doesn’t play hard for most of the year, it makes more sense. That philosophy seems to be rubbing off on Wade now, who will be taking it easy to begin the season. The Heat will lose a lot of games they shouldn’t this year, but they’ll be ready to go again come playoff time. Riley didn’t make any changes this year, and I don’t blame him, why mess with a championship team? Wade played awesome during the playoffs and Finals last year, but Haslem and Walker were the X factors that won them the championship (Williams and Mourning deserve being mentioned too). If the Heat can get that same kind of production out of those players this year, they’re going to be tough to beat.
Eastern Conference Playoff Predictions
1st Round
Miami def. Orlando, 4-0.
Detroit def. Indiana, 4-2.
New Jersey def. Washington, 4-2.
Chicago def. Cleveland, 4-3.
Conference Semi-finals
Chicago def. Miami, 4-3.
Detroit def. New Jersey, 4-3.
Conference Finals
Chicago def. Detroit, 4-2.
NBA FINALS
Dallas def. Chicago, 4-1.
AWARDS
MVP – Lebron James.
ROY – Adam Morrison.
Most Improved Teams – Houston Rockets (West), Chicago Bulls (East).
Best off-season free agent acquisition: Ben Wallace.
Best off-season trade: Celtics aquiring Sebastian Telfair (Great trade for the future, but they aren’t sniffing the playoffs this year).
Coach of the Year – Flip Saunders.
6th Man – Luol Deng
Defensive POY – Ben Wallace
Scoring Leader – Kobe Bryant 32.0.
Biggest Team Cancer – Stephen Jackson.
Most Shocking Season Headline – Will Iverson be moved during the season? You can only be almost traded so many times, and it’s going to be another long season in Philadelphia.
posted by TheNumberZero at 1:58 PM
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