Friday, October 30, 2009

Where Predictions Happen


The Kufere Laing Lounge


What's the start of NBA season without late Garbage Time predictions? Nothing of course, so without further ado, here are the much awaited predictions.


Atlantic Divison- The Celtics will easily win the Atlantic, in fact if any team other than the 76ers finishes above .500 in this division that would be a mild surprise. While both the Knicks and Nets were mild surprises last year, I doubt either team will make any noise this year. It's unrealistic to think the Raptors can win over 37 games, and the 76ers at best are a 45 win team.


Central Divison- The Cavs are the clear favorite in the Central, but the Bulls should contend for the divison title. Don't expect the Cavs to replicate last seasons magic and win close to 70 games. At best the Cavs are a 60 win team, but it wouldn't be surprising to see them in the 55 win range. The Bulls still lack a low post scorer to help Derrick Rose, but they will compete every night and Rose is one of the best point guards in the NBA and give them a chance to win every game this season. Detroit and Indiana will both be average teams who will win in between 30 and 40 games. Both are long shots for the playoffs, but could hang around and flirt with a playoff spot. The Bucks may be the worst team in the NBA this year, but they do have Garbage Time favorite Brandon Jennings which will make all of their games somewhat entertaining.


Southeast Divison- The Magic are the class of the Southeast. Adding Vince Carter gives them a scorer to compliment their shooters and having Dwight Howard in the low post makes them even more dangerous. The Heat, Wizards and Hawks should battle for second place in this division. All have 50 win potential. Gilbert Arenas looks to be back and better than ever, featuring improved passing skills. Randy Foye is an underrated guard who is an upgrade from a solid DeShawn Stevenson and would be a second or third option on most teams. Foye is the fourth offensive option, which shows how explosive they can be offensively. Still, this is a very important season for the Heat. If Mike Beasley and Jermaine O'neal can prove to be solid second and third options the Heat will be very dangerous this year.


Northwest Division- This is the toughest division in the NBA this season, but the favorite has to be the Nuggets. Carmelo Anthony has turned into a complete player and is slowly but surely entering the Wade-James-Bryant league in the group of men amongst boys. Ty Lawson has looked good early on and will be a surprise Rookie of the Year canidate. Portland and Utah will both push Denver as 50 win teams, but lack the offensive fire power Denver has. Oklahoma City will not contend for the divison this year, but may secure a playoff spot. Kevin Durant is a top three scorer in the NBA, Russell Westbrook has looked great, and Jeff Green is a solid option who can contribute 15-20 points a game. The Thunder's lack of experience and true number two option may keep them from securing a playoff spot. Lastly, Minnesota will be one of the worst teams in the NBA this year. Still, the future looks bright with Kevin Love, Johnny Flynn, and Al Jefferson.


Pacific Divison- The Lakers are clearly the favorite in the Pacific. They return everyone from their championship team except for Trevor Ariza who was replaced with Ron Artest. Artest is a better shooter, defender, and scorer than Ariza and has been well behaved in both Sacramento and Houston so the questions about his affect on the Lakers' chemistry are a bit unfair. The Clippers and Suns will battle for second place in the divison without threatening the Lakers. Both have talent to win 50 games at best, and anything less than 45 wins will be considered a disappointment for both teams. Nevertheless, expect the Clippers to make the playoffs and the Suns to miss the party for a second straight year. Although Golden State as talent, they appear to be in turmoil and still do not make a commitment to playing defense, this will cause them to be a bottom feeder in the NBA once again. Unlike Golden State, Sacramento lacks talent other than Tyreke Evans and Kevin Martin and will struggle to win games. If they eclipse the 20 win mark, they will have had a successful season.


Southwest- The Spurs appear to be the best team in the Southwest this season. They were already a dangerous team and with Richard Jefferson will contend in the Western Conference. Dallas will challenge the Spurs, but still aren't a major threat. I expect a down year from New Orleans who are in desperate need of a scoring guard. Chris Paul is forced to manufacture almost all of their points and may wear down as the season goes on. Houston and Memphis could both quietly contend for a playoff spot. Memphis is young, but should have an explosive offense which will win them a few games. Houston lacks a scorer until Tracy McGrady returns, but will compete and play defense. This will keep them in a lot of games, but in the end I don't see them in the playoffs.

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