Nosebleeds: NBA Season Preview

 

This is All-Star Weekend and we already told you how the fans screwed up the voting. So instead of writing 1500 words on why Mason Plumlee won’t win the dunk contest, we are making six predictions for the upcoming season. We’ll begin with the fairly obvious predictions and slowly get bolder as the we move down the list.

1) The Knicks and Lakers will not make the playoffsNathan Janick: This prediction is a joke to troll Knicks and Lakers fans. Lets quickly dissect how irrational these fan bases are at the moment. Knicks fans are assuming that they are getting the number one overall pick and are already saying things like “When Jahlil Okafor is on our team next year...” Calm down Knicks fans, hypothetically if you do get Jahlil, the roster is still a catastrophe. Carmelo Anthony turns 31 next year and he is already past his prime. This roster won’t be contender worthy in the East for at least another two years (No, Knicks fans, NYC is not the top destination on marquee free agents list). In other news, the owner is taking cheap shots at fans over email. Let’s lighten the mood and talk about the Lakers. As disastrous as the Lakers organization is right now, at least it is a more attractive destination than New York at the moment. With the rising cap and Kobe’s retirement looming, the Lakers will have cap space of virtually infinity by 2016 at the latest when Kobe’s contract expires. But for now they get to enjoy the Swaggy P. era.

Jacob Durst: #truth #preach

2) The Warriors will not end up with the leagues best record JD: The Warriors currently sit on top of the league with a 41-9 record. However, the Atlanta Hawks don’t sit far behind at 43-10 and a 0.007 less winning percentage. Don’t count out the Grizzlies either at three games behind the Warriors at 39-13. Long story short, holding onto the one seed this year is far from a sure thing. Despite having the leagues best point differential by a significant margin, ultimately it comes down to wins and losses in this league. Given that the Warriors have to play the West, which theoretically should have 10 teams in the playoffs this year, and the Hawks get to play the East, where the eight seed is seven games under 0.500, I would say advantage, Hawks. I have to admit that I am a little biased here, because I despise the Warriors, especially Draymond Green, but this race is hardly a sure thing.

NJ: You make some very strong points here, Durst. Ultimately, I think the Hawks will pull it out as well, but lets fast-forward to playoff predictions because it’s the playoffs that really matter. 3) The Thunder will make the playoffsNJ: OKC is tied with Phoenix in the loss column. The Thunder has Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, and Phoenix does not. Baring another injury to Durant, Oklahoma City is going to make the playoffs and get either the seventh or eighth seed and be a nightmare for the first or second seed.

JD: OKC has a good a chance as any of the three teams competing for the eight-seed right now. But you have to make the argument that OKC doesn’t even have the best player among the three teams right now: that title belongs to Anthony Davis. I could see the Pelicans overtaking the Suns as much as I could see OKC doing it.

4) The Southwest will have three teams finish in the top-four record-wise in the WestJD: The Southwest Division has a real chance to have every single team in it make the Playoffs. The Rockets, Grizzlies, Mavs and Spurs are all pretty much guaranteed spots, but if the Pelicans have a strong second half, they could all make it.

However, I think that this division also has a solid shot to land three teams in the top-four record-wise, as each division winner has a guaranteed spot in the top-four. Right now, the Grizzlies and the Rockets both hold spots in the top-four, but the Mavs aren’t far behind at one game back, and the Spurs are only three back. Realistically, I think that these guys are the best bet in the West. I don’t think that the Blazers or the Clippers will continue to succeed: they just aren’t good enough.

NJ: Yes these are three of the five most dangerous teams in the West (The other two are OKC and Golden State). I like these three teams as serious contenders to win the Western Conference, but I don’t see these teams topping both Golden State and Memphis. 5) The Cavaliers will make it to the Eastern Conference Finals NJ: Let me propose this: The Cavilers were in total disarray the last time I wrote about them saying it was time to, “PANIC!!!!!!” Then after the column was posted, the Cavs went 9-1. Coincidence? I think not. I didn’t follow the advice I was giving everybody this year to wait to freak out. This was a very young team with many new pieces that they added this summer, so it makes sense that it would take a while to figure out. It also didn’t help that the media was analyzing every miniscule detail about this team this year. All teams face hardships, but it’s the great ones that can work through them and be successful. Watch out for the Cavs this postseason.

JD: I agree that the Cavs will probably make the Eastern Finals, but it’s going to be much harder than it’s been in the last couple of years. Washington, Toronto and Chicago are all good teams, and the Hawks are by far the best team in the conference. If the Cavs end up in a seed that plays the Hawks before the East Finals, I don’t see them winning.

6) Harden is lock to win Most Valuable Player (MVP) JD: It has to be Harden. It can’t be anyone else. The only other person it could be is Anthony Davis, but he won’t make the playoffs, and therefore, he won’t be considered by voters. Stephen Curry has been helped immensely by the emergence of Klay Thompson as someone who has proven that he can be more than a shooter. Who has Harden had to help him, though? Donatas Motiejunas? Josh Smith? Trevor Ariza? That’s bullshit. All he’s done is average 27-plus points per game, six-plus assists a game, five-plus rebounds a game and two-plus steals per game. Do you want to know how many people have done that? Two: LeBron James and Michael Jordan, each of whom only did it once. He’s a legit MVP candidate whose stock is only rising due to the absence of Dwight Howard. Now, Harden has a good excuse not to let anyone else touch the ball. He’s the most valuable offensive player in the league by a mile, and has been average on defense. What’s that spell? MVP.

NJ: Harden is probably winning the MVP, but guess what? Bold prediction number seven: The Rockets are going to lose in the first round of the playoffs again!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mejFtEY5faU

JD: I hate you.

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