Pre-Season is here and the NBA season is around the corner. Paul George will be in Oklahoma City playing with his new teammates Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony. Gordon Hayward will be playing with "Coffee Shop" Kyrie Irving in Boston, and Chris Paul will be dishing assists to James Harden and vice versa. This season will be an exhilarating ride. What works in the NBA? Does defense and depth still work? Or does top heavy rosters with a couple of superstars work? If you're a basketball fan, it's exciting to see what is new and fresh. Here is my annual selections for standings, playoff teams, and awards. Let's see how wrong I am this year!
Eastern Conference
15. Chicago Bulls 23-59
14. Atlanta Hawks 25-57
13. Brooklyn Nets 28-54
12. New York Knicks 28-54
11. Orlando Magic 31-51
10.Indiana Pacers 33-49
9. Philidelphia 76ers 35-47
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8. Detroit Pistons 38-45
I love the addition of Avery Bradley, a fierce defender who can hit the three ball. Bradley is going to bring a lot of new things to the Pistons team, and a lot helps that I don't really like Kedavious Caldwell-Pope as a player. Andre Drummond should be better, but I still fear the Reggie Jackson experiment. I see the Pistons making the playoffs over the Sixers because of their experience and coaching.
7. Charlotte Hornets 40-42
Dwight Howard is cancer everywhere he goes, according to ESPN, Hawks players were "Screaming in jubilation." after Howard was traded. I'm scared for his future as a Hornet and their team as a whole. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist can't shoot worth a lick, and they have thin guard depth. And the biggest concern I the big problem with Charlotte is an injured Micheal Carter-Williams as a backup point guard. Yikes. The biggest positive is, of course, Kemba Walker and Nicholas Batum. I love Batum's playmaking ability and scoring threat. They make the playoffs comfortably.
6. Miami Heat 42-40
Although I don't like the contracts that the Heat signed their players for, I still like the team. I really enjoyed watching James Johnson last season and call me a member of the Goran Dragic fan club. I loved him while he was with the Pheonix Suns, and now I enjoy him with the Heat. Hassan Whiteside is massively overrated but is a good player. Whiteside can block shots, roll hard to the rim, and can create space for the Heat. They make it with great coaching and two good players and a deep roster.
5. Washington Wizards 45-37
John Wall is excellent, the best point guard in the Eastern Conference (which isn't that high of a compliment) but I am absolutely terrified about their injuries. Bradley Beal had an outlier year regarding staying healthy, along with Otto Porter. They improved with Tim Frazier as the backup point guard. Any player is better than Trey Burke.
4. Toronto Raptors 47-35
Although the loss of P.J Tucker is big, I am a fan of C.J Miles. He can't actually defend, along with most of the Raptors team, but their offense before the All-Star break and Kyle Lowry got hurt was the best offense in the NBA, having the highest offensive rating. Serge Ibaka needs to keep in the paint and provide rim protection that Jonas Valanciunas does not. The biggest concern is the loss of Patrick Patterson, which will need to be filled by young players.
3. Milwaukee Bucks 49-33
Am I overrating the Bucks? Perhaps, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is a top 7 player in the NBA and with the improved health of Kris Middleton and Jabari Parker will be huge for the Bucks. The biggest advantage that the Bucks have is long, athletic wings who can switch on defense and play positionless on offesnse. Jabari can take the ball up the floor along with Middleton and Giannis. With their defense and the natural progression of their young players, the Bucks will make a huge jump.
2. Boston Celtics 51-31
Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford. Three great players with each individual talent. This is the most exciting team to watch because you get to see how they mesh together and what the value of all offense is. I think Boston fans will be disappointed with Kyrie but pleasantly surprised with Hayward, who was a great player for the Jazz averaging 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. They lost their grit, toughness, and depth without Kelly Olynik, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, and Jonas Jerebko. I can see that being a problem if one of the big three goes down.
1. Clevland Cavaliers 53-29
Lebron James fiddled around last season with being the number two seed because he knew that his team was better than Boston. I don't think that is the case this year. He's going to be pissed, motivated, and happy. He has his friend Dwayne Wade, they added depth so if he comes out his replacement is Jae Crowder instead of 45-year-old Richard Jefferson. I believe depth is precious in the regular season, and that's why I see the Cavs beating out the Celtics in their overall record.
Western Conference
15. Phenoix Suns 26-56
14. Sacramento Kings 30-52
13. Los Angeles Lakers 32-50
12. Dallas Mavericks 33-49
11. Memphis Grizzlies 37-45
10. New Orleans Pelicans 38-44
9. Portland Trail Blazers 41-41
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8. Los Angeles Clippers 43-39
The Clippers put together a solid team after losing their All-Star point guard Chris Paul. But I'm terrified of injuries just like I am with the Wizards. Gallinari clearly gets hurt a lot along with Blake Griffin and Patrick Beverly. If Beverly gets hurt, their defense will fall off a cliff with Milos Tedosic as the backup point guard who can't guard a table. But I have tons of faith in DeAndre Jordan. The Clippers can't fall off a cliff, It's nearly impossible, so they'll stay in the playoffs.
7. Utah Jazz 44-38
The Jazz aren't going anywhere unless Rudy Gobert tears his ACL and Quin Snyder dies. The Jazz will be a defensive juggernaut and will be a top-five defense, and top five defensive teams don't miss the playoffs, literally. Only one team in the modern era that was rated a top-five defensive rating missed the playoffs. Every single player on that Jazz team is a good defensive player besides Rodney Hood, who is an adequate defender. I'm also anticipating another breakout season from Gobert.6. Denver Nuggets 46-36
Nikola Jokic is an excellent player. He can shoot from the outside, passes the ball like a wizard in the high post, and makes your team better. Add Paul Milsap to the group, and you have an impressive team. I've been a member of the Paul Milsap fan base for a long time but scared of his age and undersized body. Gary Harris is a baller and will continue to grow in his contract year. I hope Jammal Murray can turn into a point guard.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves 50-32
Murders row on the Timberwolves roster. Let's look at it; Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins, Jeff Teague, and Karl Anthony-Towns. Quite a remarkable roster. You might be asking "If they have such a great roster why are they fifth?" One because the West is so damn good. And two, I'm worried about the spacing on the floor. There are no real shooters on that roster, which is concerning in today's NBA. I'm expecting Towns to keep growing as a player this season.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder 53-29
The MVP of the 2016-17 season is back with a better roster. I love the wing versatility that the Thunder will provide. Andre Roberson, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony can all switch on each opposing players while George and Roberson can switch on point guards. A shot blocking center in Adams is also massive. The only problem is there are three isolation players and sharing the ball will be rare and it can grow tension in the locker room and predictability in their offense.
3. San Antiono Spurs 55-27
Kawhi Lenord is remarkable, Gregg Popovich is remarkable, and the Spurs franchise is remarkable. That's why the Spurs will be third in the Western Conference. Pau Gasol looked good in the EuroBasket, and I like Rudy Gay coming off the bench. I also don't think LaMarcus Aldridge is that bad of a player. The biggest concern is Tony Parker's health and the athletic ability of the Spurs with their losses of Dwyane Dedmon and Jonathan Simmons.
2. Houston Rockets 58-24
Chris Paul is terrific, guys. And he just joined the player who finished 2nd in the MVP voting. The offense ran by Mike D'Antoni will really help Chris Paul and his tendency to hold the ball too long. He must make quick decisions in this offense. I also tend to believe that James Harden and Chris Paul won't be on the court a whole lot together. They'll be together for the first 10 minutes and last 10 minutes, not a whole lot during the middle of the game.
1. Golden State Warriors 65-18
Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson. Additions of Nick Young and Omir Casspi. Steve Kerr is still the coach, coming off an NBA championship only losing one game in the playoffs. Enough said.
Season Awards
Executive of the Year: Sam Presti, Oklahoma City Thunder
Coach of the Year: Jason Kidd, Miluakee Bucks
Rookie of the Year: Dennis Smith Jr.
Sixth Man of the Year: Andre Igudola, Golden State Warriors
Most Improved Player of the Year: Jabari Parker, Milwaukee Bucks
Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
Most Valuable Player: Kawhi Lenord, San Antiono Spurs
All-NBA First Team
G Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
G James Harden, Houston Rockets
F Kawhi Learned, San Antonio Spurs
F Lebron James, Clevland Cavaliers
C Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
All-NBA Second Team
G Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors
G John Wall, Washington Wizards
F Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors
F Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miluakee Bucks
C Karl Anthony-Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
All-NBA Third Team
G Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
G Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics
F Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
F Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder
C Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
All-Defensive First Team
G Patrick Beverly, Los Angeles Clippers
G Andre Roberson, Oklahoma City Thunder
F Kawhi Lenord, San Antonio Spurs
F Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
C Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
All-Defensive Second Team
G Avery Bradley, Detroit Pistons
G Chris Paul, Houston Rockets
F Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miluakee Bucks
F Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
C DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers
All-Rookie First Team
G Dennis Smith Jr., Dallas Mavericks
G Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers
G Marcelle Fultz, Philadelphia 76ers
F John Collins, Atlanta Hawks
F Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls
All-Rookie Second Team
G De'arron Foz, Sacramento Kings
G Donavan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
F Jonathan Issac, Orlando Magic
F T.J Leaf, Indiana Pacers
F Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers
