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The 2017-18 NBA division tips off on Tuesday. Afterwards a absolutely agrarian offseason that saw several All-Stars change teams via barter and chargeless agency, and advancing off a thoroughly ascendant animus division for the Golden State Warriors, anybody is aflame to see what’s activity to happen.
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So acquiesce me to blemish it all for you by cogent you absolutely what’s activity to appear this season. From the All-Star Bold to the broader alliance narratives to the playoff races, I’ve spelled out 99 big predictions for you.
The predictions are organized into 11 topics, with nine predictions in each. These ambit from the asinine to the serious, from the breeze to the absolutely unbelievable. Don’t authority the crazier ones adjoin me if they abort to materialize, please.
Without added ado ...
The Warriors will win the championship. Sorry, I should accept ashore a addle-brain alive on this one.
The Warriors will go 16-0 in the playoffs. We’ve apparent this aggregation set absurd goals and accomplish them. We saw this aggregation go 12-0 through the Western Conference. We’ve heard Draymond Green acknowledge how mad he was the Warriors didn’t ambit the Cavaliers in the 2017 Finals. It’s happening. 16-0 is happening.
The Warriors will accidentally win 73 games. It would absolutely be difficult for this aggregation to lose, abnormally with new rules attached the cardinal of starters who can accurately blow in alley games. (I won’t put it accomplished Steve Kerr to accomplish up affected ailments to get his guys some rest, of course.)
Steph Curry will accept a 60-point game. His accepted career aerial is 54. That’s a absolute bendable career high!
Kevin Durant will accept a 60-point game, too. Durant’s career aerial is additionally 54. This is additionally absolute soft!
Klay Thompson will alive the best life.
The Nick Young-JaVale McGee accord will be one of the best admirable belief of the season. The aftermost time this duo was calm had darker overtones as the Wizards foundered. They were goofs allowance to authority an adolescent aggregation back. No longer. Now they are the goofs allowance a apathetic hegemon accept fun.
The Warriors will bead approved season-games to the Thunder, Spurs, and Rockets. These after-effects will accord those teams and their admirers apocryphal hope.
Steve Kerr will pen op-eds in The Washington Post, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal. He will additionally broadcast an commodity on autonomous norms in the New Yorker, do an account with the Paris Review, address a first-person commodity for Vox.com, and endorse absolutely aboriginal in the 2020 Autonomous presidential primary.
Prepare for the G Alliance to become a big deal. We’re advancing the point area every NBA aggregation has a G Alliance team. The NBA is debuting two-way affairs this season. We’re afterpiece than anytime to accurate acreage alliance status. Pay attention. The teams that accept accepted the G Alliance are accepting abundant bulk from it.
The age minimum will absolutely get solved. In 2011, the NBA and players’ abutment vowed to fix the age minimum alfresco of aggregate bargaining. Afresh the abutment administration imploded and took consistently to appoint a new controlling director, David Stern retired, and the Donald Sterling adventure happened. Afore we knew it, it was time to accommodate a new activity deal. But this time, I accept the NBA and players’ abutment are aboveboard in absent to change the age rules in some way. Adam Silver has alike accepted about that it’s not working.
Franchise owners, writers, and admirers will abide to accuse about superteams. Water is wet.
The Aftermost Catchbasin will be a massive adventure all year, acknowledgment to a blockhead abstract class. You’re activity to accept the Knicks and Bulls — two of the league’s best acclaimed franchises -- block activity assurance all year. You accept at atomic three abeyant authorization cornerstones in Luka Doncic, Marvin Bagley, and Michael Porter. You accept activity reform. It’s a bouillon of awe-inspiring attention.
LeBron’s offseason affairs will be a connected antecedent of contentment and frustration. Seriously, are you accessible for it?
LaVar Brawl absolutely has a son in the NBA now. All of that absorption the sports media circuitous (myself included) lavished on him came afore his kid alike debuted in the league. FML.
All-Star Weekend will be a admirable alliance showcase, belying the altercation over 2019 in Charlotte. Aftermost season’s All-Star move from Charlotte to New Orleans over an anti-LGBTQ law in North Carolina showed the alliance authoritative a political angle for decency. The NBA has already agreed to acknowledgment to Charlotte in 2019 afterwards what abounding accede a anemic ameliorate to that anti-LGBTQ law passed. No one will allocution about that this year. That’s acceptable in the concise for the NBA ... but it’s a alive altercation bomb.
NBA stars will not beef during the civic canticle ... but at atomic one amateur will analysis the league’s alertness to corruption those who do. LeBron has afresh adumbrated that he will not kneel during the anthem, and the Warriors are absurd to do so, either. But some amateur out there will sit or kneel in adherence with NFL players who accept done so this division and last. And we’ll all attending askance at Adam Silver to see if he’s austere about administration the NBA’s aphorism on continuing during the anthem. (Meanwhile, in the bosom of all that, we aren’t talking about the affidavit NFL players are protesting.)
NBA players and coaches will abide to allege out about the President’s behavior and tone. This is the important piece: the league’s faces will absolutely abide to use their outsized choir to accession objections to what is accident at the arch of the federal government. It charcoal to be apparent whether this translates into absolute abutment for efforts to absolute the impacts of the administration’s action. Speaking in generalities about appropriateness and capitalism in media availability is one thing. Raising money and acquaintance of absolute organizations accomplishing the abundant appropriation on this affair is another.
LeBron is activity to drive us crazy this season. I mean, this has already amorphous with his appointment to a clandestine academy in Los Angeles over the summer with his wife. He explained it abroad as defective a abode to assignment out afterwards a continued bartering shoot, but no one buys it. There will be added little amorous nuggets of account throughout the division that will point adjoin a Los Angeles layover for LeBron this summer. It’s activity to drive us crazy.
LeBron isn’t activity to try to account 50 on the Celtics. That isn’t LeBron’s style. He wants to exhausted teams he’s mad about, and he knows he can do that best finer by application the abounding across of his talents. So aperture night aback the Cavaliers face the Celtics, apprehend fireworks ... but not a scoring explosion.
LeBron will abide to aces his spots to get political. James isn’t the best political NBA star, but he understands his adeptness and has a bright point of appearance about animal decency. That’s what led to “U Bum” and it’s what will beforehand to the abutting conflagration. But don’t apprehend him to get political every week. That’s not him.
LeBron will become the seventh amateur in NBA history with 30,000 career points. He’ll do it about All-Star weekend, abutting Karl Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and Dirk Nowitzki. He won’t bolt anyone yet, though.
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The G.O.A.T. agitation will get louder. If LeBron wins accession MVP and leads the Cavaliers to yet accession NBA Finals — alike if he can’t exhausted the Warriors as anon complete — the calls to analyze him agreeably to Michael Jordan will get alone louder. You’re alpha to see added converts in the media accommodating to say it out loud.
LeBron will advertising up Isaiah Thomas added than he anytime did Kyrie. This isn’t so abundant a once-bitten, twice-shy scenario, but there’s commodity best NBA players assume to adore in Isaiah that makes him accessible to embrace. LeBron will do so afterwards accepting a continued “work relationship” with Kyrie.
The LeBron-Dwyane Wade accord will be amusing and sweet. We absent the Alley Trippin’ tag aggregation aback Richard Jefferson got traded for affluence tax relief, but at atomic we accept Peanut Butter and Jelly.
LeBron will be the administrator of All-Star weekend. James’ pride in his own career and his cachet aural the alliance is added important than his admiration to lay low at this point. Plus, All-Star is in Los Angeles, which will accomplish it alike added of a bazaar than usual.
LeBron will abide in Cleveland, but somehow accumulate the Banana Boat. This anticipation extends above the season, of course. I anticipate his admiration to be “home” and advice the accouchement of Akron exceeds his admiration to absorb bisected the approved division in Southern California, abnormally aback that bureau ambidextrous with the ample Western Conference, risking his Finals streak, and potentially ambidextrous with LaVar Brawl every day. But accession defeat at the easily of the Warriors will sting, arch him to argue the advanced appointment to accompany in Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony, alike if it costs those two, LeBron, and Wade lots of cash, the Nets pick, and/or Kevin Love.
Expect added Klay Thompson rumors. There’s like no adventitious the Warriors barter him this season, but he’s a chargeless abettor in 2019 and no one expects him to booty beneath money to advice out Joe Lacob. Thompson absolutely does not assume like a guy who takes beneath money ever. He doesn’t accept Nike or Beneath Armour money (no shots at Anta) and he has not seemed to embrace befalling in Silicon Valley like Kevin Durant or Andre Iguodala. If Lacob gets afraid about an alike bigger tax bill in 2019-20 as bacon cap beforehand stagnates, he adeptness absolute the advanced appointment to attending for a younger, cheaper backup for Thompson on the market.
Isaiah Thomas vs. The Max. Aback Isaiah gets aback on the court, you apperceive he’s activity to get questions about his offseason arrangement expectations. Isaiah has been underpaid his absolute career. He wants to get paid, and he should get paid ... if his hip checks out. That could account some abrasion as Isaiah speaks up and the Cavaliers (smartly) demure.
That Nets aces is accepting traded. The Cavaliers, as anon constructed, are not activity to exhausted the Warriors as anon constructed. Cleveland has the Nets’ caught aces acknowledgment to the Kyrie deal. It has been presented as an allowance action in the accident LeBron leaves. Balloon that. Use it while you accept LeBron to accession your affairs of acceptable accession title. What is added acceptable to actuate LeBron to breach in Cleveland: a absolute aggressive Finals adjoin an angry adversary that may or may not aftereffect in a title, or the affiance of a acceptable amateur abutting season? Appear on. Barter the aces for an All-Star.
DeMarcus Cousins is not accepting traded. There accept been suggestions that if the Pelicans appear out flat, New Orleans could cast Boogie (possibly for that Nets pick). For one, I anticipate the Pels will be appealing good, and there’s no way New Orleans sacrifices a playoff run with Anthony Davis for a approaching asset. But here’s the cast ancillary to that: if the Pelicans are bad, Cousins will consistently booty the blame, tanking his already low barter value. Additional he’s activity into chargeless bureau in 2018. No way.
Jahlil Okafor will be traded, and will beforehand for a while. It’s been a continued time coming. How adamantine charge it be to accord it your all in a bearings area you apperceive you aren’t wanted, abnormally as a about adolescent actuality who is acclimatized to massive success.
Nerlens Noel will get traded. Noel’s belted chargeless bureau was absolutely bizarre, and his accommodation to assurance the condoning action acutely angered the Mavericks. Dallas didn’t accord up abundant to acreage Noel a year ago, and so it can absolve flipping him for a low aboriginal if it determines in January it doesn’t plan on advantageous what it requires to accumulate him in the summer.
Eric Bledsoe will be traded. Bledsoe is on an old cap deal, due beneath than $30 actor over two seasons. Phoenix is still not accessible to win, and the Suns can’t accept Bledsoe will re-sign in 2019. Bledsoe would accept been a added acceptable advantage for the Cavaliers afore Dwyane Wade alive on. He’d be a ablaze fit for the Jazz or Bucks if they accept the pieces to accomplish it work.
Andre Drummond will afresh be in the rumor mill, and it will afresh bulk to nothing. Drummond is a amateur whose abeyant still far outshines the reality. It’s absolutely adamantine to barter those players because defining what acceptable bulk looks like is absolutely difficult. It’s bright he doesn’t cobweb with Stan Van Gundy at all. Alike with Van Gundy affairs the strings in Detroit, accolade a bacteria who will action the appurtenances is a problem.
The Nuggets will be active. No aggregation looks added agog for a playoff bid than Denver — bethink the Dwyane Wade hunt a year ago, and the Paul Millsap achievement this summer, additional that abominable Mason Plumlee-Jusuf Nurkic barter at the aftermost deadline. That agenda is still berserk asymmetric with adolescence and abeyant in the backcourt and veterans (plus Nikola Jokic) up front. Apprehend attempts to antithesis it all into a adamant accumulating of talent. (The arresting upside still charcoal wholly questionable.)
Joel Embiid will be an All-Star starter. He came abominable abutting a year ago as he broadcast his fan abject above the borders of Philadelphia and, uh, absolutely played NBA basketball. His fan voting attack is acceptable to booty on a activity of its own, and he may alike get a accession from media or amateur voters if he plays abundant amateur and minutes. We apperceive he’ll put up numbers if he can get out there.
Stephen Curry and LeBron James will be your captains. Remember, the arch vote-getter in anniversary of the Eastern and Western conferences will aces rosters based off the All-Stars called through acceptable methods. LeBron is about a lock in the East, barring injury. Curry could absolutely be baffled by Kevin Durant, James Harden, or Russell Westbrook for top announcement out West, but he has won the account aftermost year, and I’m action that holds.
Given the chance, LeBron will abduct a Warrior. As I accept it, the captains will aces the added eight starters aboriginal (to ensure anniversary aggregation has five) and afresh alpha acrimonious from the reserves. Bold LeBron and either Curry or Durant are captains, and bold LeBron is the all-embracing arch vote-getter, and bold the NBA determines that gives him aboriginal aces amid the added starters ... LeBron would apparently aces the accessible amateur out of Curry and Durant, aloof to breach up the Warriors and add some intrigue. Don’t calculation out LeBron drafting his frenemy Draymond Green, too.
Neither Kevin Durant nor Russell Westbrook will abstract anniversary other. The anticipation of either one actuality the West captain and casual up on the best All-Star appearance amateur on the lath should LeBron go aboriginal and aces Curry is magical. It’s too bad LeBron would absolutely appetite both of them on his team.
Joel Embiid will be the aftermost amateur picked, and will aboriginal the added aggregation for it. It appears that the abstract will appear in beforehand of absolute All-Star weekend: I bet they’ll cycle it into the breach TNT bold afore the breach so Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley can cackle about it. So whoever is the aftermost amateur best will accept time to bouillon afore accession in Los Angeles. Unless a cool fan vote like Zaza Pachulia makes it as a starter, or a low-glamour accession like Gordon Hayward is called a starter, Embiid adeptness be the aftermost dude picked. Anyone anticipate Embiid would booty that in stride with his Twitter Army at his back?
LeBron is activity to boycott the hell out of Kyrie Irving. The one codicillary barring to the above: if the West captain starts demography added players over Kyrie for assorted reasons, there’s no way LeBron is activity to booty him. Imagine the nation of Georgia and country singers and Warriors Nation all cabal to accomplish Zaza an All-Star amateur over Kawhi Leonard. Imagine LeBron and Curry are the captains. LeBron took Durant, Westbrook, and Embiid. Curry takes Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and DeMar DeRozan. LeBron’s up and the choices are Kyrie Irving and Zaza Pachulia. You don’t get an befalling like that every day.
James Harden will not be a starter. He almost belted Westbrook aftermost season. The Thunderian’s MVP and additional team, in concert with Chris Paul atom bottomward Harden’s blatant stats a little, should get Westbrook there.
Goran Dragic will be an All-Star. No breach to the Slovenian, but this says as abundant about the East as it does Goran Dragic. (He’s absolutely good, though.)
The bold will still be mostly non-competitive. The NBA and players’ abutment — led by Michael Jordan and Chris Paul appropriately on this affair — anticipate they begin a way to about-face the All-Star Bold from a playful, non-competitive exhibition into an absolute bold by alteration the aggregation composition and putting alms money on the line. Wrong. No one’s arena absolute aegis here.
LeBron will be the NBA MVP. It isn’t as if LeBron lacks advice with Kevin Love, Dwyane Wade, and (eventually) Isaiah Thomas. But this is a acumen thing, and Cleveland should be out in advanced in the East. LeBron is by far the best amateur in his conference, and he’s led teams to the Finals every year aback 2011. He’s in the driver’s seat.
Kawhi Leonard will be No. 2, and has the best attempt to exhausted LeBron. Leonard accomplished additional aback Steph Curry won it unanimously, and third aftermost division abaft Russell Westbrook and James Harden. The affair actuality is that he’s starting the division injured, and he’s acceptable to blow frequently throughout the season. There’s additionally a non-zero adventitious that the Spurs aren’t absolutely up to their aristocratic accepted this division accustomed some amateur cadre losses.
["582"]Paul George will aching Westbrook’s case. Let’s aloof say that Westbrook is absurd to boilerplate a triple-double again. Westbrook will still be a top-flight scorer, but captivation the brawl beneath should abate his abetment numbers, and he has a solid airy aggregation about him.
Chris Paul will aching James Harden’s case. Harden’s botheration with MVP hasn’t been a abridgement of stats or wins. It’s been timing. He ran into Curry and Westbrook buzzsaws at the amiss time. But CP3 will accept the brawl a accomplished lot added than Patrick Beverley anytime did, which should abate Harden’s blatant numbers and aching his MVP shot.
Stephen Curry is never acceptable accession MVP. This is not because he did not deserve the above-mentioned two MVP awards. It’s mostly because his aggregation absent the NBA Finals to a LeBron-led aggregation in 2016, and afresh affective accession top-5 amateur to bang back. Honestly, this additionally bureau that ...
Kevin Durant has an added adversity akin in acceptable MVP. Bethink how some voters kept LeBron off their 2011 MVP ballot, admitting him actuality acutely no worse than the No. 3 amateur in the alliance that season? (I anticipate he was No. 1 or 2.) Bodies authority decisions they don’t like adjoin the protagonists. LeBron eventually won two added MVPs, but Durant has a lower allowance for absurdity with such abundant co-stars and such abundant competition. That aborigine cook affairs more.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is not there yet. Almost. The Bucks charge to be better.
Jimmy Butler will get some push. If the Timberwolves are as acceptable as abounding apprehend them to be, Butler will absolutely get a advance for election inclusion. You know, the old “Chris Paul belongs in the MVP conversation!” that gets a amateur a agglomeration of fifth-place votes. Get accessible for it.
Ultra aphotic horse contender: Anthony Davis. If the Pelicans absolutely put it calm and win abutting to 50 amateur — we can dream, right? -- The Brow needs to be in the conversation. You adeptness anticipate he gets dinged for accepting All-Star advice in DeMarcus Cousins. Narratives can be affected that he’s the guy who absolutely took Cousins to the playoffs, though.
A Timberwolf will win Best Bigger Player. I already abandoned this accolade as adulterine because it alone anytime adored the amateur who got the bigger account played jump. But voters accept apparent the ablaze and amorphous application it added appropriately -- Giannis was an aggressive best aftermost year — and so Best Bigger is aback in my acceptable graces. That said, I anticipate aggregation access will amount a lot, and Minnesota’s accepted advance should advice Karl-Anthony Towns or Andrew Wiggins get the nod.
Jusuf Nurkic is the aphotic horse Best Bigger Player. This is tough, because a lot of bodies already accede Nurkic a basketball god. To get Nurkic MIP, we accept to argue anybody he’s not absolutely already perfect. We accept our assignment cut out for us. One added aphotic horse while we’re here: Justin Holiday. Okay, one more: absolutely any Charlotte Hornet added than Dwight Howard, Kemba Walker, and Nicolas Batum.
If Norm Powell comes off the bench, he’s my Sixth Man of the Year favorite. As of columnist time, it’s not bright whether Powell or C.J. Miles will be the full-time amateur at baby advanced in Toronto. I would animate Dwane Casey to accept Miles, both for basketball affidavit and to advice accomplish this anticipation appear true. Powell is a agent scorer accessible to breach out into the continental consciousness.
The Clippers accept arresting Sixth Man options in a post-Crawford world. Jamal Crawford, abiding Sixth Man candidate, went to Minnesota. But the Clippers still accept two arresting options for Sixth Man of the Year. The aboriginal happens if Milos Teodosic comes off the bank abaft Patrick Beverley. Milos will be on “SportsCenter” every night due to his audacious passing, so he’ll get abstract off aloof that. Milos, however, adeptness end up a amateur alongside Beverley — abnormally if Austin Rivers is arena added baby forward. That opens up the accolade altercation for Candied Lou Williams, a abiding contender.
Draymond Green will be the Arresting Amateur of the Year. There’s annihilation added to say. Apologies to Rudy Gobert and Kawhi Leonard. Green is at that cachet area he should automatically win it as continued as he plays 70 games.
Tom Thibodeau will be the Coach of the Year. Catastrophe Minnesota’s continued playoff aridity will accept been the assignment of Towns, Wiggins, and Jimmy Butler, primarily. But Thibodeau is the advanced appointment boss, as well, and he’s so corruption admired amid the media that he’ll get the nod as continued as Minnesota is a adequate playoff team.
Rookie of the Year is activity to be a admirable chase I am not activity to handicap. Aftermost season’s ROY chase was absurd because of a absence of acceptable candidates. This season’s ROY chase is activity to be active with aces contenders. I debris to aces aloof one appropriate now. Not alike Milos.
It will not be Markelle Fultz, though. It’s appealing bright that Ben Simmons will be added advantageous than Fultz this season, and that Joel Embiid will absorb up absorption and acclaim for any success Philadelphia has. Fultz’s anecdotal this division is not off to a abundant success with his jumper weirdness. Sorry, Markelle.
Here are your 2017-18 All-NBA teams. On the aboriginal aggregation we accept Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, and Karl-Anthony Towns. On the additional aggregation we accept James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, and Rudy Gobert. On the third team, we accept John Wall, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan. The bigger snubs accommodate DeMar DeRozan (an outrage!), Damian Lillard (unconscionable!), Draymond Green (disrespectful!), and DeMarcus Cousins (no comment). UPDATE: Leaving off Giannis Antetokounmpo was an careless mistake. Of beforehand he belongs on the team! Amuse blemish out Jimmy Butler on the versios of this commodity you printed for breed and address in Giannis. Thank you!
The aftermost absolute year of tanking will be a barn-burner. Alpha with the 2018-19 season, the affliction three teams will accept identical abstract activity allowance of acceptable a top pick, and the allowance won’t be abundant worse for the fourth- and fifth-worst teams. But this year, the old rules abide in place: bad teams accept cogent incentives to be worse than added bad teams. The bad teams that own their own abstract picks won’t avoid that. Get accessible for the tank.
The Knicks are activity to be the affliction aggregation in the NBA. This isn’t absolutely all about trading Carmelo Anthony. This is about committing to the approaching fully. Scott Perry, the team’s new advanced appointment leader, won’t avoid that it behooves the aggregation to basal out appropriate now. That will acquaint the moves he makes. Jeff Hornacek is apparently ailing of losing, but his agenda doesn’t accept abounding acceptable pieces. Kristaps Porzingis will acceptable be an All-Star, but this aggregation is activity to be absolutely bad. The acceptable account is that a acceptable attempt at Luka Doncic awaits!
The Pacers will be close. Accident Paul George, C.J. Miles, and Jeff Teague is such a cesspool on this team’s casual adeptness and versatility. It’s activity to be a continued division for Nate McMillan and the few veterans (like Al Jefferson) on the squad. But hey, Lance Stephenson is around! [hits face on desk]
The Nets will additionally be bad. Brooklyn afresh has no acumen to tank: its aces will go to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Unfortunately, as Kenny Atkinson and the aggregation abstruse aftermost season, a abridgement of allurement to lose doesn’t beggarly you won’t lose lots of games. Trading abroad Brook Lopez was acute for the abiding — D’Angelo Russell has affiance — but it doesn’t advice win appropriate now. Allen Crabbe is gonna account a bunch, though.
The Kings are the affliction in the West. Unless Phoenix trades Eric Bledsoe, the Suns accept a baddest top-50 player. The Kings ... do not. What’s more, Sacramento owes its 2019 pick, so time is of the aspect to basal out completely. The Kings are one George Hill abrasion from acceptable 20 games.
The Lakers will arise to mediocrity. Lonzo Brawl will accomplish L.A. so fun to watch, and Brook Lopez will accord them a baddest amateur to apogee around. But the abyss is adverse and I am acutely anxious about the shooting. Thirty wins seems right.
The Hawks won’t be hideous. The Bulls will. Atlanta has a bad roster, don’t get me wrong. But the arrangement abides and the Hawks should be able to cull some doubtful wins out of their hats. Chicago, though? Unless Zach LaVine comes aback early, Justin Holiday chases Best Bigger Player, and Kris Dunn develops quickly, this division is one continued chase for Doncic.
The Process is over. No NBA abstract activity affair in Philadelphia this year. It’s the end of an era!
There will be a abruptness catchbasin team. I’m not adage it’s absolutely activity to be the Mavericks, but ... it’s apparently activity to be the Mavericks.
The Rockets will be a bright No. 2 berry in the West. The Thunder added a agglomeration of firepower and retained the best important pieces of their core, but I catechism their depth, abnormally at the point. Houston is congenital to survive alley trips, continued stretches, and injuries.
The Thunder and Spurs will action for the No. 3 seed, which bureau alienated the Warriors in Annular 2. San Antonio has to be anxious about Kawhi Leonard’s preseason abrasion and the age of the frontcourt. But the Spurs aloof win games. The Thunder should be bigger abundant to accomplish a run at No. 3 with 55 or so wins.
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The declivity amid No. 4 and No. 5 will be enormous. There are absolutely four tiers in the West: the Warriors, the three teams block them, the eight added teams who are realistically aiming for a playoff spot, and the apartment dwellers. Four of those eight playoff chasers will accomplish the postseason, but my anticipation is that six or seven of the aggregation will abatement aural six wins. Forty-five wins adeptness get you the No. 5 seed, and 41 bureau you’re out.
The Timberwolves will end their playoff drought. Hallelujah! The anathema of Kahn is over! But I don’t apprehend abounding added than 44 or 45 wins. Alike that is allurement a lot, admitting the accession of Jimmy Butler.
The Clippers are in. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan abide a baleful combo, and the abyss is not as bad as you adeptness think.
The Blazers are in. Aftermost division was a disappointment that almost resulted in a playoff anchorage acknowledgment to an aggressive February barter for Jusuf Nurkic. I’d apprehend Portland to appear off the starting band hotter and get a few added wins.
The Pelicans win the aftermost playoff atom on the final day of the season. I accept New Orleans cheating in accomplished the Jazz, Grizzlies, Nuggets, and Mavericks. Utah has an aristocratic aegis but too little offense. Denver has an aristocratic breach but too little defense. Dallas is in alteration and may be afterpiece to the No. 15 aggregation than the No. 8. The Grizzlies are depending too heavily on abracadabra and Chandler Parsons. Anthony Davis is too corruption acceptable to accumulate missing the playoffs, no amount what accident begets his team.
The Lakers will attending active aboriginal and achromatize abroad as defenses amount out Lonzo Ball. The team’s aegis is additionally activity to be a absolute disaster. Again.
The Suns adeptness be one of the best fun abhorrent teams ever. Devin Booker, Eric Bledsoe (so continued as he’s around), Josh Jackson, Marquese Chriss — dunks and jumpers all day.
The Cavaliers will not be the No. 1 seed. Over the beforehand of LeBron’s seven beeline Eastern Appointment titles, his aggregation has been the No. 1 berry alone twice. With Isaiah Thomas bare for a bit and lots of new players to incorporate, assured Cleveland to run abroad with the No. 1 berry is allurement too much.
The Celtics will be the No. 1 seed. Boston, of course, is additionally accumulation a agglomeration of new faces. But anybody save for Marcus Morris begins the division healthy, and the abhorrent accuracy of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward should backpack the Celtics through the growing pains.
The Raptors and Wizards are activity to be appealing acceptable again. Toronto absent Patrick Patterson and traded DeMarre Carroll, but so continued as the Kyle Lowry-DeMar DeRozan admixture is active the squad, the aggregation will be solid. C.J. Miles is a acceptable addition. O.G. Anunoby is on clue to be a sleeper hit as a rookie. Meanwhile, the Wizards still accept no depth, but that John Wall-Bradley Beal-Otto Porter amount is too acceptable to fail.
The Miami Heat are abutting the playoff party. Miami has two abeyant All-Stars in the starting bristles with Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside. How abounding East teams can say that? Additional Dion Waiters and Justise Winslow are back, James Johnson ashore around, Kelly Olynyk abutting the party, and Bam Adebayo looked advantageous in the preseason. Able depth, acceptable top-end talent. Playoffs! Dalé!
The Charlotte Hornets are your decidedly acceptable team. 2016-17 was a bottomward division for Charlotte afterwards a able 2015-16 campaign. Accusation injuries, ennui, fate. But the Dwight Howard accretion should absolutely advice (I know, I know) and the appointment is awfully bendable above the top nine teams.
The Bucks will be absolutely solid, too. I apperceive it’s awe-inspiring to allocution about the bendable East but accompany up appropriate teams; this is all relative. Milwaukee would apparently be the No. 11 aggregation out West. That’s acceptable acceptable abundant for No. 7 in the East. Giannis Antetokounmpo is ridiculously good, Malcolm Brogdon and Khris Middleton are valuable, and I will ride with Jabari Parker until he can no best run and jump (which adeptness be eventually than we think).
The Sixers are activity to be in a pitched action for the aftermost playoff atom ... with the Pistons. Detroit was a massive disappointment aftermost season, but the accession of Avery Bradley should abiding things somewhat. Meanwhile, Markelle Fultz is activity to be a absolute amateur (in added words, don’t apprehend much) and there is so abundant acquirements to do in Philadelphia, alike if Joel Embiid stays on the court. (Please anamnesis that the Sixers went 13-18 in amateur Embiid played aftermost season. They were much, abundant bigger aback he was about ... but not playoff-worthy.) I anticipate the Sixers will end up with the No. 8 berry alone due to catholic absolution over us missing the Heat aftermost season.
Seriously, don’t watch the Knicks or Pacers. Accept I mentioned that I anticipate they will be absolutely terrible?
The Aaron Gordon adventure continues. He’ll be a full-time adeptness advanced (finally) and we still aren’t activity to see what he’s absolutely able of doing. There’s consistently the douse contest, though!
A Celtics-Sixers first-round alternation will breach the Insufferability Scale either way. If Fultz has ample it out and abuses the Celtics, Philadelphia admirers will be absurd to accord with, alike in defeat. If Fultz struggles, Boston will be so condescending. If this alternation happens, I’m aggressive into a bunker.
Boston’s activity bottomward in the additional round. Either the Raptors or Wizards (or alike the Heat) should be able to corruption what may be an asperous Boston defense. Al Horford is a high-end defender, and Jaylen Brown has astronomic potential. But all those abeyant second-round foes accept accomplished point guards and cutting guards, authoritative it boxy to adumbrate Kyrie. I like the Raps or Wiz to accomplish the appointment finals in abode for the C’s. (I do anticipate Boston eventually wins a appellation with this core, though.) This about-face of contest would additionally abjure us a Boston-Cleveland playoff series, which is acutely abashing to the point I would like to alter this prediction.
The Cavaliers accept accession cakewalk. Cleveland went 12-1 in the East aftermost spring. That included a ambit of Toronto and a 4-1 win over Boston. The Wizards adeptness be able to bark two off Cleveland, if Isaiah isn’t ISAIAH aback he comes back.
The authoritativeness of the Cavaliers both will and will not adumbrate fun series. As a fandom, we are acquirements afresh how to breach affianced admitting inevitability. The Warriors advise us this. This is additionally command baby in the East as it apropos LeBron’s abundant best hegemony. At times, the adventure will assume so picayune accustomed the aerial allowance Cleveland advances to the Finals. But hopefully calm we can acquisition joy in the ultimately absurd twists forth the way.
The Spurs are the looming blob out West. San Antonio got swept by the Warriors aftermost season. But there’s a big ol’ asterisk on it: the Spurs were crushing the Warriors in Bold 1 until Zaza Pachulia ashore a bottom beneath Kawhi Leonard, catastrophe The Claw’s division and the series. We can still accomplish ourselves accept the Spurs accept a absolute attempt to degrade the Warriors because of that.
Rockets vs. Thunder is the alternation we all want. It will pay off. James Harden, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Paul George ... additional Carmelo Anthony. Pinch me. Houston vs. Oklahoma City bogged bottomward aftermost division because Westbrook had little abhorrent help. That’s no best a problem.
The Timberwolves are accepting swept. This isn’t absolutely the 2010 Thunder, who won 50 amateur and took the arresting best Lakers to six. Minnesota’s acquirements ambit is aloof a bit longer. And the top four teams in the West are buzzsaws.
DeMarcus Cousins is absolutely accepting ejected from one of his aboriginal playoff games. I’ll never balloon aback Boogie was ejected from the division afterpiece of his amateur season. Some things are aloof perfect.
The Warriors will ambit the Cavaliers. Golden State is aloof too good, no amount how amazing LeBron is and what Dwyane Wade, Isaiah Thomas, and Kevin Love do. I ambition it weren’t so, because the 2016 Finals were artlessly incredible. But this is what happens aback a 73-win aggregation adds a top-3 player. This is what happens.
That doesn’t beggarly we can’t adore the ride!
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