2016-2017 NBA Predictions

East top 8:

Celtics

Pacers

Raptors

Pistons

Hornets

Hawks

Knicks

Odd team out:

Wizards

Analysis:

The Cavs are the obvious top choice, as Cleveland has suddenly become the sports hub with the Cavs and Indians. Aside from the magic going on in Believeland, the Cavs are the defending champs and they are still really, really good. Maybe they'll have a tougher time getting out of the East, with many teams vastly improved. The Celtics check in at #2 after landing Al Horford in the offseason. He fits the C's mold perfectly and fills a big hole as a big. ESPN calls Boston "the best-built team in the East", and I think they are absolutely correct. It should be good for a win-total just north of 50 (ESPN has them between 50 and 52). The Pacers are my #3. I have them a little higher than both SI and ESPN. I love the Jeff Teague pickup, Paul George is a top 5 player in the league, and Myles Turner will only get better. The Raptors will be back in the top quarter of the East. DeRozen and Lowry will carry the team. The Bismack loss will hurt though; he was a beast on the boards. Detroit is at 5. Drummond is awesome but he has to improve his free throws (his 35.5% free throw percentage was the worst in NBA history). The Hornets are always hanging around. They may not go far in the playoffs, but they'll get there. I think they could develop into the new version of the Hawks, a consistently good but not great team. They'll finish one up on Atlanta, who drops to 7. The Horford loss is big, and I don't think Dwight will have the same impact. You can't discount locker room chemistry; Horford is one of the most respected players in the NBA and Dwight has a reputation for not getting along with teammates. The Knicks will round out the field. Neither ESPN nor SI had them in playoffs, but I saw a Knicks preseason game and Pozingis is a beast. He's a block machine and no one can stop him on the post. He's got some great agility for a big guy too. If Noah and Rose can stay healthy, they should be a pretty good team. Washington just misses out. It pains me to do that to because I love John Wall. Right now they are a lesser version of Toronto with a star-studded top 2 and an okay supporting cast. Bradley Beal is the hinge: if he can play 82 games, or close to that, he may propel them into the playoffs. 

West top 8:

Warriors

Spurs

Trail Blazers

Thunder

Clippers

Jazz

Nuggets

Timberwolves

Odd team out:

Rockets

Analysis:

C'mon this is a no-brainer: the Dubs are going to rack up a lot of dubs this season. They could realistically go 4-on-5 with Steph, KD, Draymond, and Klay and top the West. The Spurs, sans Tim Duncan, will still take the 2-seed. Kawhi has a shot at the MVP and his supporting cast is solid as well. The rumors of Aldridge wanting out are interesting, but I don't think they'll amount to anything. The Trail Blazers will be the surprise team of the year. Lillard and CJ are one of the most dynamic back-courts in the league. Turner, while an over-payment, is an excellent pickup. Let's see if all the spending amounts to anything (it will!). The Thunder took the biggest hit this summer with KD skipping town. Now it's Westbrook's show; he's gonna play with a major chip on his shoulder. He is the reason they will finish at 4. Also, the Oladipo trade was a nice addition. The Clippers I project to slide a little this year, to #5. I just don't know with this team; they have a solid big 3 but the rest of the roster isn't that great. Don't count out the power of the coach though: Doc is awesome. Next up is the Jazz. I love Utah. George Hill was a good pickup to solidify the point guard spot. The defense is very good and the offense isn't too far behind. They're just missing a lock down shooter. Hayward can be that, but will he opt-out after the season? At #7, in a surprise move, the Denver Nuggets. After reading SI's and ESPN's previews, I tried to mix it up a little and not totally copy them. There is actually a 7 win difference between the Real Plus-Minus projection and the ESPN forecast (the forecast puts them at 12 in the West, but they become a playoff team in the RPM system). They don't have many, or any, notable players but they have a good group of underrated players. Rounding out the group of 8 is the T-Wolves. ESPN calls them "the biggest threat to the Warriors" in the coming seasons. In a few years, they will almost certainly be #2 in the West behind Golden State. Towns and Wiggins are really, really good and really, really young; they will only get better. Should be fun if the Warriors are the 1 and the upstart T-Wolves are #8. The Rockets just miss out. Harden is good, but they are trending downward as other teams are trending up. 

East Finals:

Cavs over Celtics

West Finals:

Warriors over Trail Blazers

Finals:

Warriors over Cavs

 KD will put the Warriors over the top in the rubber match. I wouldn't mind seeing some new teams in the finals, though.