2012-13 NBA Predictions

LeBron finally shut every one up last year by winning the title. Can the Heat repeat as NBA champs? Will the new big 4 Lakers have the chemistry to win NBA title number six for Kobe? The Oklahoma City Thunder just traded James Harden for Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb but will that cost them the championship? Finally will Carmelo Anthony get a rare 1st round NBA playoff series win? This is how I see it this year.

Awards
2013 NBA MVP: Kevin Durant, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder

Defensive Player of the Year: Serge Ibaka, PF, Oklahoma City Thunder

Rookie of the Year:
Damian Lillard, PG, Portland Trail Blazers

Sixth Man of the Year: Kevin Martin, SG, Oklahoma City Thunder

Most Improved Player:
Nikola Pekovic, C, Minnesota Timberwolves

Coach of The Year: Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves

Three Things that will happen this season

1. Overrated Carmelo Anthony will lose in the first round again as the Knicks flop again.

2. Mike Brown will be fired by the Lakers after the season. He is a bozo and will cost the Lakers the title along with their inferior bench.

3. The Memphis Grizzlies will trade either Rudy Gay or Zach Randolph by the trading deadline.

Eastern Conference Playoff Teams
1. Miami Heat
2. Indiana Pacers
3. Brooklyn Nets
4. New York Knicks
5. Boston Celtics
6. Atlanta Hawks
7. Chicago Bulls
8. Philadelphia 76ers

Western Conference Playoff Teams
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. San Antonio Spurs
4. Los Angeles Clippers
5. Denver Nuggets
6. Memphis Grizzlies
7. Utah Jazz
8. Minnesota Timberwolves

Western Conference Finals: Oklahoma City Thunder over the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games

Eastern Conference Finals: Miami Heat over the Indiana Pacers in six games

2013 NBA Champions:

No Harden, no problem. The Thunder defeat the Heat in six games.

The Thunder will be ten deep on the rotation this year with the acquisitions of Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb for James Harden. Kevin Martin can score for days and lets not forget how Harden did not show up in the Finals. They also get Eric Maynor back from injury who did just as good as a backup PG as Harden did last season. Perry Jones may of been a flop on Baylor but his athletic ability should thrive in Oklahoma City. Scott Brooks has taken his team one step further each year since 2010 and this team should have the chemistry issues resolved by April 20th when the playoffs start. Perkins and Ibaka can defend Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard without double team help if they play in a seven game series. I just don’t believe the Lakers will get it done with that bench and Mike Brown. The Heat can repeat for sure but it is Durant’s time.

Ty’s 2011-12 NBA Predictions

I’d like to thank the greedy NBA players and owners for coming to this agreement because a spring without the NBA playoffs may of been depressing.

On with the show!!!

Award Predictions:

Most Improved Player: James Anderson, G/F, San Antonio

I would not be surprised if Evan Turner wins this award.

6th Man:  James Harden, G, Oklahoma City

Big game James will be ready to play as usual and continue to embrace his bench role.

Rookie of The Year:  Kyrie Irving, G, Cleveland

Horrible rookie class this year but Irving will win ROY over Kemba Walker in the end.

Defensive Player:  Dwight Howard, C, Orlando (For Now)

I do not think he finishes the season in Orlando but he will be the best interior defender in the NBA regardless of where he plays.

Coach:  Vinny Del Negro,  Los Angeles Clippers

You have to be a tard to mess up the CP3/Blake Griffin duo

MVP:  Kevin Durant, F, Oklahoma City

It will be Kevin Durant’s NBA this year and we will just watch him own it.

Eastern Conference Order of Finish Predictions

(*) Division Winner

1. *Miami Heat      Will LeBron stop choking?
   

   These jokes "should" end this June but we will see

2. *Chicago Bulls   Richard Hamilton will help at the 2 guard but Boozer stinks.
3. *NY Knicks   Tyson Chandler was a huge addition that will improve the defense.  If  B Diddy still has anything left then the Knicks can make a deep playoff run.
4. Boston Celtics   This team is old as dirt and the music stops this year.
5. Orlando Magic  Hopefully they get a good deal for Dwight Howard.
6. Atlanta Hawks  Team will miss Crawford but Smitty needs to step up on offense.
7. Indiana Pacers   David West was a nice addition to and already decent front line.
8. Philly 76ers   The 76ers sneak in and get the last playoff spot.
9. Milwaukee Bucks  It would not surprise me to see the Bucks get in with Stephen Jackson on the team now.
10. Washington Wizards  John Wall will take it to the next level this season but the rest of the team needs to become better passers.
11. New Jersey Nets  If the don’t resign Deron Williams then the move to Brooklyn will be a dud.
12. Detroit Pistons  Joe Dumars used to be the man at GM but now he is epic failing by signing Charlie Villenueva type players to overpaid contracts.
13. Toronto Raptors  Contraction?
14. Cleveland Cavaliers  Kyrie Irving will gun at will to win ROY easily.
15. Charlotte Bobcats  0-66?  Lol impossible but this will be a pathetic basketball team at best.

Eastern Conference Finals:  Miami Heat over the Chicago Bulls in six games.

Western Conference Order of Finish Predictions

1. *Oklahoma City Thunder   If Westbrook can pass to Durant then a championship will be won in June.
2. *L.A. Clippers  The CP3 and Blake show will be must see TV this season.
3. L.A. Lakers  Team is aging and Mike Brown has not been the greatest NBA head coach but he knows how to coach elite defense.
4. *Memphis Grizzlies  Lionel Hollins has a squad here in Memphis.  Zach Randolph is a boss on and off the court.
5. Dallas Mavericks   Defending champs will miss Chandler and Barea.  Vince Carter is soft as a Downy pillow.
6. Portland Trail Blazers   No longer known as the Jail Blazers.   Wes Matthews, Crawford and Aldridge can take this team to the conference finals.
7. San Antonio Spurs   This will probably be the last year of Duncan, Manu and Parker.   They need to get younger.
8. Denver Nuggets   Ronnie Brewer will help on defense.  Aron Affalo is underrated and Nene will continue to get it done on defense.
9. Houston Rockets  If they would of allowed the first CP3 trade then the Rockets would of been a 5 seed.
10. Utah Jazz   Derrick Favors and Gordon Haywood’s development will be the difference between playoffs and no playoffs.
11. Golden State Warriors   Mark Jackson will have success here but not this season.  They need to trade Monta Ellis to free up Curry.
12. Minnesota T-Wolves  Time to see if Ricky Rubio is all hype.
13. New Orleans Hornets  Team has some talent with Gordon and Landry but it will have bad chemistry due to lockout ball.
14. Sacramento Kings  DeMarcus Cousins could be the real deal if he can get his head right.
15. Phoenix Suns  Epic Fail

Western Conference Finals:  Oklahoma City Thunder over the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.

2012 NBA Finals Winner: 

LeBron saw a sports psychiatrist during the lockout to get over the choking

Miami Heat over the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games.   The Finals should be great with Durant vs the South Beach Big 3 but with another year together the Heat should be nearly unstoppable this season.

Kobe Time! In Italy??!

"Future Mitchell and Ness Jersey??!"

There are exactly TWO WEEKS till training camps across the NBA are scheduled to start, if the players aren’t locked-out of course! Today is the 82nd day since the NBA players went on strike, and it seems as if NOTHING has changed since Day 1.  Few of the players from the NBA took matters into their own hands and…..left the NBA.  Forever? Maybe not, but for now, yes.  Many of the players that left temporary(again, maybe) are players like Leandro Barboso(Toronto) and Nicolas Batum (Portland) are returning back to Brazil and France, their country of origin.  Foreign-born players were always speculated to leaving the NBA for basketball leagues in their home country.  What many people were waiting on was a BIG name player to take their talents overseas.  Deron Williams of the New Jersey Nets was the first big name to ink with an overseas team, “Beşiktaş” from the Turkish basketball league.  Other big name players like Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant have flirted publicly that playing overseas is an option that they may exercise.  The big name though, Kobe Bryant, has been mentioned many times about playing overseas.  Kobe has publicly came forward during interviews and expressed his desire in continuing to play professional basketball during the lockout, and it seems as if Kobe’s agent, Rob Pelinka, has made that desire come true.  Kobe’s camp is currently hammering out a deal that will pay Kobe $600,000 each game for the Italian team “Virtus Bologna.”  Kobe is due to make $25 million this season from the Lakers, but if their is no season, then no money.

Kobe’s love for the game cannot be bought.  Kobe has played in games ranging from the Olympics to Rucker Park, it does not matter to him as long as their is a hoop.  Kobe playing the season in Italy is a huge possibility, he spent plenty of years in Italy and is fluent in Italian.  The NBA doesn’t seem as if it will begin on time, let alone at all.  If the NBA does begin sometime this season their is a clause in the contract that allows Kobe to leave the team and return back to LA.  So why not?!

An injury could jeopardize the $25 million or even the entire contract itself which is a three-year $90 million contract. Small potatoes.  That is money that Kobe will only miss out on, not lose. The same Owner of the Virtus Bologna, Claudio Sabatini, is also trying to lure back former Bologna star Mannu Ginobili back to the team as well.  Seems as if it could be the making of a colossal team in Bologna?! Everyone knows how much Kobe wants to play with a competitive team, and to say that you won a NBA Championship, Olympic Gold Metal, and a Italian League Championship, not many players can say that.  The NBA lockout does not look like its going to end anytime soon, and life does go on and bills have to be paid.  If Kobe joins the growing pool of NBA players  this offseason that have defected from the NBA to an overseas team, the owners may have to rethink their negotiating strategies.  If their are no NBA players left, then their will be no league.  So who will be the next NBA superstar to go, cause it doesn’t look like the owners are going to back down anytime soon!

"Turkey, Italy, or Spain???"