35 replies to this topic

[Dread Aidan]

1. The Heat will cruise to the best record and win the title in six games over the Thunder.

2. The Magic and Lakers will struggle mightily early on, which will lead to the Dwight Howard trade finally happening.

3. Boston will make the playoffs as a #7 seed and lose in another epic first-round playoff series against Chicago.

4. League-wide scoring will be down at least two points from last year.

5. West playoff teams: OKC, LAC, LAL, DAL, POR, MEM, DEN, HOU. Minnesota will be surprisingly frisky, but will just miss the playoffs. Denver and Houston will finish just under .500.

6. East playoff teams: MIA, CHI, NYK, IND, BOS, ORL, NJN, ATL.

7. Kevin Durant will be named league MVP over the more deserving Lebron James.

[BillyPilgrim]

1. Heat are NBA Champs after beating the Thunder in 5 games.

2. Dwight Howard will be traded to the Nets.

3. LeBron will be the league MVP.

4. Kyrie Irving will be the ROY.

5. First Team All NBA: Lebron, D12, Durantula, CP3, Wade

6. Second Team All NBA: DRose, Kobe, Dirk, Kung Pau, Amare

7. Third Team All NBA: Westbrook, Deron Williams, Carmello, B Griffin, Al Horford

8. D12 wins defensive player of the year again.

edit: my only concern is that if dwight howard isnt traded soon, he may check out and have a down year by his standards - thereby ruining my first team all nba and defensive player of the year predictions.

[BigDMcGee]

FLURRY OF POSTS

[Dread Aidan]

I don't remember where I read it now, but somebody was making the case for not trading Howard or Paul. His case was basically that you need a superstar to win in the NBA. Unless you're one of the few teams that can sign a superstar as a free agent (LA, NY, MIA?), you'll need to get one in the draft. So, if you can't hold onto your superstar, you're better off just letting him walk and be terrible.

Everybody is saying Denver or Utah did a lot better than Cleveland because they got back quality players. But Denver and Utah aren't winning anything with those guys. Cleveland, on the other hand, ended up with two top four picks in the draft. Maybe the players they drafted don't end up as anything great, but if they are great, they're right back in the game. Meanwhile Denver and Utah are stuck in that neverland of not horrible but not good enough.

Although I think Utah might actually be horrible this year.

[Dread Aidan]

FLURRY OF POSTS

FLURRY OF POSTS

[BillyPilgrim]

flurry of posts.

if i'm the magic i might just risk letting him walk. the only problem with that is they can dump a bad a contract or two if they trade him and the nets are offering a reported 5 first round picks, which sounds nic, becauase you are going to bottom out and get a high pick of your own and have those later firsts to surround that guy.

[BigDMcGee]

I don't remember where I read it now, but somebody was making the case for not trading Howard or Paul. His case was basically that you need a superstar to win in the NBA. Unless you're one of the few teams that can sign a superstar as a free agent (LA, NY, MIA?), you'll need to get one in the draft. So, if you can't hold onto your superstar, you're better off just letting him walk and be terrible.

Everybody is saying Denver or Utah did a lot better than Cleveland because they got back quality players. But Denver and Utah aren't winning anything with those guys. Cleveland, on the other hand, ended up with two top four picks in the draft. Maybe the players they drafted don't end up as anything great, but if they are great, they're right back in the game. Meanwhile Denver and Utah are stuck in that neverland of not horrible but not good enough.

Although I think Utah might actually be horrible this year.

You know, I think you're right. I think you're better off being terrible than mediocre.. unless you're mediocre and win the lottery or something.

[CaneBrain]

I think I'd rather be Cleveland than Denver. But I'd also rather be NO than Cleveland. If you trade the star for young talent and picks that's better than nothing.

Also, everyone stop picking Miami, jeez.

[BillyPilgrim]

becaue we are making predictions, allow me to predict that cleveland fucked up last year taking tristan thompson 4th. i predict he will be a bust and they will will really regret not taking the guy toronto did, jonas valenwhatever.

[FCP Bob]

I predict a lot of injuries like Hammie Pulls and the like with the teams having to play such a concentrated schedule.

On the really sucking strategy that seems to be what my Raptors are going for this year and I'm totally fine with that. Hopefully we have a lot of ping pong balls and then next year add Jonas Valančiūnas who is probably the best big man from last year's draft along with a high pick from the up coming one.

[Poppy_Hillis]

You guys are forgetting that if you let your superstar walk and you don't strike gold in the draft you stay terrible and then you lose your job. Unless you're a brand new GM, or one that has won before and it's clear and accepted by ownership that it's best to completely rebuild from the depths of hell, GM's are going to find a way to stay competitive to keep their jobs as long as they can.

[Ottawa_Biatch]

These are a little off the board predictions.

1. The Miami Heat will not make the NBA Finals, but will be the #1 team in the East after the regular season.

2. The Indiana Pacers will not be the sleeper everyone else thinks they will be, and will not make the playoffs.

3. The Toronto Raptors will make the playoffs.

4. The LA Lakers will get farther in the playoffs then the LA Clippers.

5. Carmelo Anthony will win the MVP

6. Ricky Rubio will win Rookie of the Year

[Poppy_Hillis]

The Pacers are making the playoffs. In fact, I see them as the only team worth making a wager to win the title.

[BigDMcGee]

FLURRY OF COLES...


Cole is fulfilling Lebatard's prediction from last year before the season that you could take a guy off the street to play point guard and be effective.

[Ottawa_Biatch]

I said these were bold predictions. I didn't say they were likely. I just think it's possible. I honestly do though think that everyone is too gung hoe about the Pacers. I think the Raptors will even beat them tonight, or cover the +4 spread.

I just don't see what the point is in predicting the same thing as everyone else is suggesting.

[Ottawa_Biatch]

FLURRY OF COLES...


Cole is fulfilling Lebatard's prediction from last year before the season that you could take a guy off the street to play point guard and be effective.

He's so fast too.

[CaneBrain]

I dont think 1,4,5,6 are that crazy.

2 and 3 are really out there. Toronto is AWFUL and Indiana made the playoffs last year with an inferior team.

[Poppy_Hillis]

I said these were bold predictions. I didn't say they were likely. I just think it's possible. I honestly do though think that everyone is too gung hoe about the Pacers. I think the Raptors will even beat them tonight, or cover the +4 spread.

I just don't see what the point is in predicting the same thing as everyone else is suggesting.

That's fair. But only a flurry of injuries in Indianapolis will derail them. They're loaded and lots of room for growth.

[BigDMcGee]

I just don't see what the point is in predicting the same thing as everyone else is suggesting.

as opposed to the point in making predictions you don't really think will happen, so in case by some chance they do happen you can said

"I GOT THAT ONE!!!"

[Dread Aidan]

Cole is fulfilling Lebatard's prediction from last year before the season that you could take a guy off the street to play point guard and be effective.

But last year's point guards weren't effective and we don't know that Cole is "a guy off the street." He might just be good.

I just don't see what the point is in predicting the same thing as everyone else is suggesting.

I think the point of predictions is that you say what you think will happen, not what could happen. Anything could happen.


The Blazers have a very good 7-man rotation.

Kevin Love is pretty great; Ricky Rubio looked like a man in desperate need of training camp.

Cane, I just looked at New Jersey's roster and my first thought was "oh no." Because I picked them to make the playoffs. I should've done some research.