NBA Predictions
The NBA season is upon us
with plenty of action in store from now up until mid-April. There is a lot to
be excited about with an influx of rookies, players in new cities, and coaches
on new teams. Front offices, coaches, players, and fans get a fresh start, as
everyone believes it is their year. All of the hard work in the offseason,
talk, and acquisitions are put to the test. The hardwood on all 30 courts has
been thoroughly waxed as players hit the court in their new kicks. The arena
starts to get loud as fans pile into the stadium and the arena music is pumping
through everyone's veins. As a matter of fact, adrenaline is pumping through
everyone's veins because they believe its their time to shine. One team is having a ring
ceremony while the other 29 teams look on enviously. The players on those other
29 teams are doggedly determined on getting a ring of their own. Until then,
there are 82 stories to be told. Today, we will take a look at my predictions
for the 2016-17 NBA season.
Impact Rookies
The 2016 draft class is
really talented as a lot of players could end up being good in about two or
three years. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are the kind of players Philadelphia
needed because they are smart, good locker room players, and want to be great.
Simmons will be sidelined to start the season, but his all around play could be
something Sixers fans can hang their hats on. Embiid is the kind of two-way
player they need to impact games. Buddy Hield is in a good position to succeed
right away in New Orleans. It has been really unfortunate with what has
happened to Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans in the offseason, but it gives the
former Sooner a shot at an early Rookie of the Year case. Jaylen Brown, Denzel
Valentine, Taurean Prince, Dragan Bender, and Marquese Chriss will all likely
come off the bench, but they are the kind of players to provide good production
in spurts. They all bring energy and hustle to the table, which is all a coach
can ask from a rookie.
Rookie of the Year
The Rookie of the Year
award is Ingram's to lose plain and simple. There is a reason Kevin Durant is
reminded of himself when he looks at the Duke product. He is one of the most
versatile scorers in the draft only being rivaled by Hield. Ingram is not
great at one of way of scoring, but he is good at all levels. He can shoot the
three as he shot 41 percent at Duke. He can get to the rack and shoot mid-range
jumpers. Ingram has to improve his free throw shooting because 68 percent is
dismal for a player with his touch. His 7'3 wingspan gives the notion of his
ability to be an elite rebounder at his position and hold his own on defense.
Ingram has a knack for blocking shots, but he needs to gain weight. All in all
Ingram should cement his worth as the number two selection.
Building Blocks
Minnesota, Philly, Los
Angeles, and Phoenix boast hotbeds for the league's youth movement. The Wolves
are at the point where they need to put it all together and make a playoff push
under head coach Tom Thibodeau. Karl Anthony-Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine,
and Kris Dunn are extremely athletic and nightmares defensively. Simmons,
Embiid, and Dario Saric have the potential to be good pros. Simmons and Embiid
can change the culture of that team with their work ethic. Simmons will make
guys better with his elite passing. Embiid has the personality to bring his
teammates close with his vibrant personality. Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, and D'Angelo Russell know what
it takes to be a pro and prepare like one after learning from Kobe Bryant or
Pau Gasol. Along with Ingram, two of these guys have to turn into All-Stars
caliber players. Lakers fans will only be patient for so long. The Suns have
quite the young group in Devin Booker, Chriss, Bender, Alex Len, and Tyler
Ulis. They each have someone at their position who is littered with NBA wisdom.
It will be up to them to soak up that knowledge and develop good habits. Luke
Walton and Earl Watson are in ideal positions in LA and Phoenix as young
coaches with young teams.
50-Win East Teams
The Cavaliers should win
55 games or more to the surprise of no one. They have Lebron James, Kyrie
Irving, Kevin Love, and everyone else you already know about. They are by far
the best and most complete team in the East and will be ultimately
judged on how they do in the playoffs as anything less than making it to NBA
Finals is considered failure. The Raptors won 56 games last season as they came
one game shy of the one seed. Nevertheless, those 56 wins were a franchise
record for Toronto. It is hard to see them top that mark this season, but they
should still win 50 games this year. The Team USA backcourt of Kyle Lowry and
DeMar Derozan will be the engine of this team. The Celtics and Pacers should
also top the 50-win mark. It is not as crazy as it sounds to think four teams
from the East could win that many games. The C's willed their way to 48 wins a
year ago and the addition of Al Horford should figure to make 50 wins feasible.
Meanwhile, Paul George led Indiana to 45 and the additions of Jeff Teague, Al Jefferson, and Thad
Young make 50 a possibility.
Coach of the Year
If Boston can win 50 games
and finish as the two or three seed, it will be hard to deny Brad Stevens the
Coach of the Year award. You can make the argument that he should have won it
last year as the Celtics overachieved with 48 wins and were in a four-way tie
for the third seed. Stevens is one of the best in the league at masking his
players’ flaws and maximizing their strengths. IT is a perfect example of this
statement as he is considered a liability on defense and scorer on offense.
When you watch Celtics games, Thomas is hardly caught out of position on
defense while tearing up opposing defenses. His ATOs, after timeout plays, are
second to none. Stevens has the respect of his players and coaches around the
league.
Old Faces New Cities
Dwight Howard could be in
for a monster season in Atlanta. The Hawks like to spread it out on offense and
Paul Millsap stretches the floor. Howard could find himself operating more one
on one down low or finding easier putbacks on missed shots. When a big man is
scoring, he will play defense at a high level. Howard should look nimble on
both ends in his hometown as he returns to All-Star status. The place where
Howard left, Houston, is happy with the acquisitions of Eric Gordon and Ryan
Anderson. The former Pelicans are both three-point snipers and fit into Mike
D'Antoni's spread system. They should get plenty of open looks playing with a
superstar like James Harden. Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah look to bring a
winning mindset to New York as they depart from Chicago. Both guys should play
with a chip on their shoulders after rocky departures from the Windy City that
will only help the Knicks playoff surge.
Sixth Man of the Year
The system Gordon will be
playing in will be one of the best he has played in yet. He is tailor made for
D'Antoni's system as a good ball handler, slasher, and premiere shooter. When
Harden heads to the bench, it will be Gordon's show to run. Remember a few
years back with the Clippers, he averaged over 20 points per game. Injuries and
unclear roles have hindered his growth as a player. Gordon should average 16-20
points per game with a few assists. I think we would all be fine with anyone as
long as Jamal Crawford is not the winner.
First Time All-Stars
KAT, CJ McCollum, Giannis
Antetokounmpo, and Derrick Favors should make it to the All-Star Game as first
timers. KAT had the statistics to make the team a year ago and with the same
production and more wins, he should get his first All-Star nod. The fans might
vote him in. McCollum should be able to make the ASG due to Portland's success
this season. All he has to do is mirror the production he had a year ago and
the coaches will get him in. The Greek Freak could be in for a big year after
cashing in for 100 million dollars in the offseason. After the 2016 All-Star
Break, he averaged 18.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 7.2 assists. His numbers this
season should look remarkably similar through a full season. Favors is a walking double double for
the Utah Jazz and is underrated due to their lack of success. He should get
more love with the improved success of the team and, with Gordon Hayward
sidelined, he could earn his first All-Star selection.
Most Improved Player
Antetokounmpo is a no
brainer for this award as he has came a long way since being drafted a few
years back. Many around the league believed he needed to improve his handle,
body, and jumper. If you have not noticed, The Greek Freak has an exceptional
handle for a player of his size and has added the mass that was necessary. His
jumper is still a work in progress, but he is still only 21-years old.
Antetokounmpo can pass, rebound, score, defend, and even crack a joke or two.
He is viewed as the Bucks star as he was paid handsomely in he offseason. I
still think Milwaukee is a year away from a playoff push.
Denver Trade City
When you look at the
Nuggets roster, you start to see a bunch of players with the same skill set. On
the perimeter, they have a bunch of slashers and scorers. The big men are
energy players with elite rebounding ability. This makes a lot of their players
expendable as they look to gear up for an opportunity to sign Blake Griffin or
a tier two star in the offseason. This is the first team contenders should call
for players that could make them better. You have to believe anybody not named
Emmanuel Mudiay, Nikola Jokic, and Jamal Murray are available. Even those guys
are expendable for the right offer.
Defensive Player of the Year
The Defensive Player of
the Year award race could be as good as the MVP race because a lot of players
will be hungry for this award. KAT or Gorgui Dieng have the ability to compete
for this award with their quick hands and shot blocking talent. Thibs will push
his young big men to become vocal leaders and defensive anchors like he did
with Kevin Garnett. Lebron James, if motivated, could make a run for this award
because Michael Jordan won it during his heyday. James will downplay the idea
of chasing MJ, but part of me believes he wants this award. Anthony Davis and
Rudy Gobert are elite shot blockers and will look to stake their claim. Kawhi
Leonard will continue to make his case as he locks players up on the wing.
Former winners like Noah and Howard will have bounce back years and look worthy
of the award. Tony Allen, Paul George, and Mason Plumlee will have strong seasons on defense as well. However, I think Draymond Green finally gets the hardware. With
Andrew Bogut gone, Green will have to defend more bigs as well as the
perimeter. It only helps his case as the supreme defensive player in the association.
Portland Reaches WCF
I think the Trail Blazers
are in for a big year as they take that next step with their young nucleus. We
know Damian Lillard and McCollum are one of the best backcourts behind only
Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. I love the signing of Evan Turner as he provides
another ball handler and allows the two guards to play off the ball. This will
add new sets and plays in Terry Stotts offense. The front office did a good job
of maintaining that bench by bringing back Allen Crabbe and Moe Harkless. It is
imperative to have at least four guys on the bench that can contribute. This
team should win over 50 games and secure a top three seed in the West.
Depending on how the standings shake up, Portland should be the surprise of the
West as they make it to the conference finals. This is a team that thinks they
can beat Golden State and could turn into a rivalry.
No comments:
Post a Comment