NBA Prediction Thread 2004/2005

[vonkaar]

Finals: Spurs over Pistons in 6.

West:
1. San Antonio
2. Minnesota
3. Sacramento
4. Dallas
5. Memphis
6. Houston
7. Denver
8. Utah

East:
1. Indiana
2. Detroit
3. Miami
4. Milwaukee
5. Orlando
6. Cleveland
7. Toronto
8. Philly

MVP: Shaq
Rookie-of-the-year: Devin Harris
Most-improved-player: Gary Payton or Jerry Stackhouse
Defensive-player-of-the-year: Ron Artest or Theo Ratliff
6th man award: Brent Barry
Coach of the year: Jerry Sloan (finally)
GM of the year: Kiki

Early predictions:

* Miami will beat L.A. in both meetings.
* Devin Harris will be the first rookie since Jason Kidd to make more than 3 triple-doubles.
* Minnesota will have a catastrophic conclusion to their season. They'll start out strong but a disgruntled Spreewell and Cassell will spell doom for their team. They will lose in the first round of the playoffs, despite home-court advantage.
* Dallas will beat Sacramento in their opening game tomorrow

[Xaiveir]

My thoughts pretty much mirror yours Vonk, except i think Seattle will be in the playoff picture as a very low seed. They will wind up losing in the first round though.

[Zanchief]

I think your crazy.

How in christ can Orlando get 5th in the east and Dwight Howard NOT get rookie of the year?

ROTY: Dwight Howard.
MVP: Kobe Bryant.
Most Improved: Grant Hill or Amare Stoudemire.
6th Man: Donnyell Marshall oh.
Coach: Pop

As far as rankings I'm gonna wait.

I think San Antonio will be number 1. But I think Sac and Lakers will do very well also. Kobe could carry the lakers to a pretty good record and I maYBE homecourt in the payoffs. Minnesota is due for injuries. Cassell and Sprewell are cronic IR players and atleast one of them is gonna spend most of the season off the court. I don't think they'll do as well as people say.

Most imporved team? Phoenix. They are making the playoffs this year and could surprise a lot of people.

Biggest disapointment? Memphis. They aren't making the playoffs this year.

[vonkaar]

Some bold statements there.

Rookie's making a big difference for a shitty team are never as impressive as a rookie making a big difference for a GOOD team. Dwight Howard isn't even slated to start ... yet... I'm sure he'll have a great year anyway. Devin Harris is playing in a system DESIGNED to inflate stats... the fact that he led the whole league in steals in the preseason is pretty scary in itself.

[Zanchief]

Kobe MVP to me is not bold. I really don't know why people aren't talking about his play this year. Last year he came to camp 15lbs over weight and way out of shape and still had a crazy good year. This year he has even more motivation to do well and he doesnt have shaq to sponge the ball. He could average 32+pts. Assist I'm not so sure about.

[vonkaar]

I was saying althroughout WoW that the scoring title will go to AI, Kobe or Dirk... MVP to Kobe or Shaq. I feel stronger about Shaq getting it... that wasn't the bold portion of your predictions. I think that a lot of people would disagree about Memphis... I think that Denver and Utah are the two most overrated teams going into the season...

[Zanchief]

WE SHALL SEE!

[Rzail]

Where do I start? Shaq is definitely re-motivated, but he is 34 yrs old. I expect to see him miss some games this year (I already think he has some hamstring problems atm) On paper, Denver looks very good...ON PAPER. If they can have the chemistry, they will do big things. Maybe I am bias, but Knicks SHOULD win the Atlantic this year.

PG-Marbury
SG- Crawford (Houston)
SF- Thomas
PF- Thomas
C- Mohammed

Deep bench too.

[Rotj]

Dwight Howard is projected to start. He will win Rookie of the Year. My only predictions in an unpredictable season.

[vonkaar]

Where do I start? Shaq is definitely re-motivated, but he is 34 yrs old. I expect to see him miss some games this year (I already think he has some hamstring problems atm) On paper, Denver looks very good...ON PAPER. If they can have the chemistry, they will do big things. Maybe I am bias, but Knicks SHOULD win the Atlantic this year.

PG-Marbury
SG- Crawford (Houston)
SF- Thomas
PF- Thomas
C- Mohammed

Deep bench too.

NY = Lots of old farts!

Denver is too crowded at forwards... see Dallas 2003/2004.

[Phlegm]

How do you guys think the Warriors will do this season under the new Mullin/Montgomery regime?

[Xaiveir]

How do you guys think the Warriors will do this season under the new Mullin/Montgomery regime?

Talented, but still a year or two away.

[vonkaar]

J-Rich is a stud... ya'll are going to love Najera...

but...

you are in the West. You can't get anywhere with an 'up-and-coming' team. Mullin will probably do some smart moves, but... yeah... like Xaiv said, at least a year or two away.

[Phlegm]

Richardson cant hit a long jumper to save his life..... everyone knows to back off and prevent him from driving to the hoop.

[Phlegm]

Oh.. and i think San Antonio and Indiana will play in the finals with SA winning

[Zanchief]

I dont see the clog at forward vonk. People are quick to judge K-mart for his bad shot, and rightfully so, but I see his big advantage to that team to be at the defensive end.

They have tons of weapons to score already, but K-mart is an awesome rebounder and a great defender which is not exactly Nene's strong suit.

But like Rotj said, this season will be unpredictable. Anyone who thinks they know whats gonna happen with division changes and all the trades and free-agent moves is kidding themselves.

I CAN'T WAIT!

[Rzail]

Where do I start? Shaq is definitely re-motivated, but he is 34 yrs old. I expect to see him miss some games this year (I already think he has some hamstring problems atm) On paper, Denver looks very good...ON PAPER. If they can have the chemistry, they will do big things. Maybe I am bias, but Knicks SHOULD win the Atlantic this year.

PG-Marbury
SG- Crawford (Houston)
SF- Thomas
PF- Thomas
C- Mohammed

Deep bench too.

NY = Lots of old farts!

Denver is too crowded at forwards... see Dallas 2003/2004.

Who are the old farts?

[vonkaar]

Off the top of my head...

Kurt Thomas - 10 years
Vin Baker - 11 years
Anfernee Hardaway - 100 years
Allan Houston - 12 years
Shandon Anderson - 8 years
Stephon Marbury - 10 years
Jerome Williams - 9 years

I doubt that there are many teams in the league that have so many players in the 'last half' of their career... off the top of my head, I'd say...

Miami has at least 4...
Minnesota has a bunch...
New Orleans has a bunch, but then they also have an assload of rooks/sophomores...

I guess I'd say that Minnesota and New York have the two oldest teams I can think of.

[Rzail]

Off the top of my head...

Kurt Thomas - 10 years
Vin Baker - 11 years
Anfernee Hardaway - 100 years
Allan Houston - 12 years
Shandon Anderson - 8 years
Stephon Marbury - 10 years
Jerome Williams - 9 years

I doubt that there are many teams in the league that have so many players in the 'last half' of their career... off the top of my head, I'd say...

Miami has at least 4...
Minnesota has a bunch...
New Orleans has a bunch, but then they also have an assload of rooks/sophomores...

I guess I'd say that Minnesota and New York have the two oldest teams I can think of.

So u mean veterans? Anderson is done with Knicks btw.

[vonkaar]

'Veteren' is a nice way of saying 'old fart'.

Anderson won't play another game for NY but he's still on the roster =p.

[Rzail]

I hear Anderson will be playing for the Mavs soon...he plays "D"

[Rotj]

I agree with Zan about K-Mart. I once knocked him before in a previous thread but I never took in the intagibles he brings to that organisation. I take it all back.

I'm in disbelief about Mullin signing J.Rich and Troy Murphy to such MEGA contracts after giving Foyle and Fisher big bling too. He better do some smart moves otherwise it's going to be another 5+ years of crying. :|

Fuck Spree. 'I've got to feed the family'. $14 fucking million this year ought to do it..ass.

Magic trading away Keith Bogans and keeping Deshawn? Stupid move. Bogans is so much better. Bleh..pity.

[Ganzo]

[smiley poster=crazy]PISTONS[/smiley]

I'll say same thing, I said last year. Detroit gonna win again. All your math and lineups and probabilities against them as much as it was last year, but they gonna do it again.

[Malluas]

i agree vonk dallas will win and i think big time.

I am not sure about minn and sac placements, if they resign spree and trade cassel (for a good pg) they could challange the spurs.. They are really tryin to move cassell so.

If they can't get rid of cassell sac might hop them (if they stay health)

I still think the Pistons will win 4-2 against the SPurs in the finals. If the kings by some crazy chance get to the finals against the Pistons i pick the Kings over the pistons (since the pistons can't beat the kings last 4 years i think its like 7-1 kings) And if dallas makes it to the finals i pick them over the Pistons.

[vonkaar]

Wow... now I feel bad for starting my 3rd thread taunting the Kings..

Oh well, I already uploaded this beefcake picture... might as well use it.



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