Here are my best bets for the 66-game 2011-2012 NBA Season. Scroll down for analysis.
Win Totals
Golden State Warriors under 29.5 wins (-110)
Houston Rockets under 33.5 wins (-110)
L.A. Clippers over 41.5 wins (-120)
Orlando Magic over 37 wins (-110)
Portland Blazers over 36.5 wins (-110)
Sacramento Kings over 20.5 wins (-110)
Toronto Raptors over 17 wins (-110)
Washington Wizards over 20 wins (-130)
Other Miscellaneous:
Carmelo Anthony to lead the league in scoring average (7:1)
Dwight Howard to lead the league in rebounding average (2:1)
LeBron James over 26.5 points per game (-115)
Dwight Howard over 20.5 points per game (-125)
And now, for my mega-NBA preview:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Miami Heat
Last year: 58-24 (no other relevant seasons)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 50.5 (82-game equivalent of 62.5)
Upside: Probably the most talented team in the league…They should naturally have better chemistry in their second season playing together… Despite winning 58 games last year they seemed to struggle mightily at stretches last season… They should have a chip on their shoulder after their performance in the Finals… The addition of Shane Battier could be huge… Udonis Haslem played only 12 games last season and is now healthy… Only noteworthy loss was Mike Bibby who was replaced by promising rookie point guard Norris Cole.
Downside: LeBron, Wade and Bosh played in 79, 76 and 77 games, respectively, last season. If any of these guys get injured for an extended stretch, the over could be difficult to achieve.
Consensus: OVER 50.5 (-110)
Prediction: 53-13 (#1 seed in East)
Chicago Bulls
Last year: 62-20 (41-41 the year before pre-Boozer and Thibodeau)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 47.5 (82-game equivalent of 59.5)
Upside: Bring back the same core as last season’s 62-win team (Rose, Noah, Boozer, Deng, Gibson, Korver) and slotted Rip Hamilton at 2-guard, replacing Keith Bogans… Boozer and Noah played only 59 and 48 games last season respectively and both appear healthy for now.
Downside: Deng had a career-year last season and played 82 games.
Consensus: UNDER 47.5 (-105)
Prediction: 47-19 (#2 seed in East)
Orlando Magic
Last year: 52-30 (59-23, 59-23, 52-30 in prior 3 years dating back to the Howard/SVG era)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 37 (82-game equivalent of 46.5)
Upside: If Dwight Howard plays out the whole year, they should exceed 37 wins… It’s effectively the same supporting cast that helped them reach 50 wins in each of the last 4 seasons, now featuring Jameer Nelson, Jason Richardson, J.J. Redick, Hedo Turkoglu, Ryan Anderson and Glen Davis… There were several in-season moves last year (trading Carter, Lewis, acquiring Turkoglu and Richardson) that may have impacted chemistry so now maybe they can finally gel, as Richardson clearly did not play up to his potential once joining the team… The Brook Lopez injury makes an in-season trade less likely… Even if Howard gets traded midseason, the Magic still have a chance to exceed this total depending on what they get in return, as the Nuggets did last year after they traded Carmelo.
Downside: If Dwight Howard gets traded for 25 cents on the dollar, they’re obviously in trouble.
Consensus: OVER 37 (-110)
Prediction: 43-23 (#3 seed in East)
Boston Celtics
Last year: 56-26 (50-32, 62-20, 66-16 in the “Big 4” era)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 39.5 (82-game equivalent of 48.5)
Upside: They bring back the same core that has won at least 50 games in each of the last 4 seasons and as long as they are all healthy they are still a top-3 team in the East.
Downside: Garnett is 35, Pierce is 34 and Allen is 36… Pierce and Allen have each averaged 78 games over the past 4 seasons, while KG has averaged 67… Pierce is already banged up and questionable for the season-opener… They have very little depth after trading Perkins last season, losing Jeff Green to a season-ending injury, and not re-signing Glen Davis… Brandon Bass will be a solid role player but the rest of their rotation after the Big 4 includes Jermaine O’Neal, Marquis Daniels, Keyon Dooling, Chris Wilcox and Sasha Pavlovic though they may sign Pietrus… The combination of age, lack of depth, and the condensed season will play a toll this season.
Consensus: Over 39.5 (-110)
Prediction: 41-21 (#4 seed in East)
New York Knicks
Last year: 42-40 (14-13 with Carmelo Anthony)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 40.5 (82-game equivalent of 50.5)
Upside: Tyson Chandler should make the defense significantly better… Their front-court of Chandler, Stoudemire and Anthony looks fantastic on paper… Anthony is one of the top 5 scorers in the league and Stoudemire has become a great mid-range shooter… Projected starting backcourt of Douglas and Fields can each shoot from long range and are adequate defenders.
Downside: Instead of Felton or Billups running the point, it’s going to be a combination of Toney Douglas and Baron Davis… There is very little frontcourt depth and Chandler and Stoudemire have historically been injury-prone… There may be some chemistry issues given the changes and lack of training camp.
Consensus: Under 40.5 (-110)
Prediction: 38-28 (#5 seed in East)
Indiana Pacers
Last year: 37-45 (32-50 and 36-46 in the 2 prior seasons)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 36 (82-game equivalent of 45.5)
Upside: They bring back the core of their team from last season, including Darren Collison, Danny Granger and Roy Hibbert, and they made some strong veteran additions in David West and George Hill… Second-year player Paul George could have a breakout season… The 6 players already mentioned plus Tyler Hansbrough and Dahntay Jones make for an excellent 8-man rotation that provides for depth and flexibility at all positions… They should have a set rotation this year rather than the unpredictability last season, when guys like Josh McRoberts, Mike Dunleavy and Brandon Rush played big roles occasionally… They were 20-18 once Frank Vogel took over as head coach last season (17-27 before that).
Downside: They’re a playoff team and will be better than last season but the risk is that this is a relatively high point total for a team that was 8 games under .500 last season.
Consensus: Under 37 (-110)
Prediction: 36-30 (#6 seed in East)
Atlanta Hawks
Last year: 44-38 (53-29 and 47-35 in the 2 prior seasons)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 34 (82-game equivalent of 42.5)
Upside: They bring back the same core of Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams and Al Horford from the past few seasons minus Jamal Crawford… A drop-off is expected from last season but it may be surprising to see a team that made it to the second round of the playoffs last season drop to .500 or below which is effectively what this over/under indicates.
Downside: Losing Crawford could be significant as he played 30 minutes per game and scored 14 points per game off the bench; replacing him with Tracy McGrady is a clear downgrade… Jeff Teague may not be ready to be a starting point guard for a full season despite a couple good playoff games… Didn’t do anything to get better and very little depth while their big 4 has managed to stay extremely healthy the past few seasons… Role players include McGrady, Zaza Pachulia, Vlad-Rad and Willie Green.
Consensus: Under 34 (even)
Prediction: 34-32 (#7 seed in East)
Philadelphia 76ers
Last year: 41-41 (27-55 the prior season and 41-41 the year before that)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 36 (82-game equivalent of 45.5)
Upside: They bring back essentially the same exact roster as last year which could be huge for chemistry… Iguodala had a down year for him last season, playing only 67 games and averaging only 14 points… There are some very young players with high upside that should definitely improve, including Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young… It’s a fairly deep team which should help them in the condensed season…
Downside: It’s a similar roster to 2009-2010 when they finished 27-55, so maybe last year was a fluke… The frontcourt is relatively weak, featuring Elton Brand, Spencer Hawes, Tony Battie and rookie Nikola Vucevic… Despite the solid collection of players there are no true stars like some of the other top teams in the East so it will prove difficult to surpass any of the top 5.
Consensus: Under 36 (-110)
Prediction: 32-34 (#8 seed in East)
Milwaukee Bucks
Last year: 35-47 (46-36 the year before that)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 33 (82-game equivalent of 41
Upside: They bring back their solid point guard (Jennings), solid center (Bogut) and solid coach (Skiles)… Jennings only played 63 games and Bogut 65 games last season and they should both improve as they are both very young and Bogut is another year removed from his bad injury… Their roster looks slightly better heading into this season by dumping Salmons and Maggette for Stephen Jackson and Mike Dunleavy, although S-Jax seems to have an issue with his back… Adding Beno Udrih as a solid backup point guard is an improvement as well.
Downside: It’s hard to imagine them being that much better than last season, especially if Jackson’s back is a real issue… Other teams improved more significantly than they have so reaching .500 could be a stretch.
Consensus: Under 33 (-110)
Prediction: 30-36 (9th in the East)
Washington Wizards
Last year: 23-59 (no other relevant seasons)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 20 (82-game equivalent of 25.5)
Upside: John Wall is a very good young point guard entering his second season so we should expect substantial improvement, and we all know that a very good point guard goes a long way when it comes to winning in the NBA… There are several very young players such as JaVale McGee, Andray Blatche, Nick Young, Jordan Crawford and rookie Jan Vesely that can run, shoot, score, rebound and block shots… If a couple of these young players improve enough, this team could potentially fight for a playoff spot.
Downside: No veteran leadership whatsoever other than possibly Rashard Lewis… Didn’t add any major pieces in the offseason.
Consensus: OVER 20 (-130)
Prediction: 27-39 (10th in East)
Toronto Raptors
Last year: 22-60 (no other relevant seasons)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 17 (82-game equivalent of 21.5)
Upside: There is definitely more talent on this roster than some of the other bottom-feeders in the East, starting with 22-year old DeMar DeRozan who averaged 20 points per game after the all-star break, and former #1 pick Andrea Bargnani who averaged 21 points per game over the course of the season…The point guard situation is sufficient to exceed this total with Jose Calderon and Jerryd Bayless…There are some decent supporting bodies in Amir Johnson, Ed Davis, Aaron Gray and James Johnson.
Downside: Didn’t add any major pieces to significantly improve from last year, as their first round pick isn’t expected to come to the NBA this season.
Consensus: OVER 17 (-110)
Prediction: 24-42 (11th in East)
New Jersey Nets
Last year: 24-58 (4-8 with Deron Williams)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 25 (82-game equivalent of 31.5)
Upside: A full season of Deron Williams will help tremendously; despite the lack of talent around him, having a superstar point guard is huge in the NBA and will make everyone around him better…
Downside: With Brook Lopez out indefinitely, there really is no talent around Deron; certainly no one that can create their own shot; Deron will have to do it all by himself every night…His supporting cast features Anthony Morrow, Damion James, Shawne Williams, Kris Humphries, Johan Petro and Mehmet Okur… It’s not like this is a particularly good defensive team either… If Deron were to get injured, this would be by far the worst team in the league.
Consensus: UNDER 25 (-110)
Prediction: 21-45 (12th in East)
Detroit Pistons
Last year: 30-52 (27-55 the year before that)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 24 (82-game equivalent of 30.5)
Upside: They dropped Hamilton and McGrady from last year’s team and added rookie Brandon Knight and get Jonas Jerebko back from injury who had a good rookie year 2 years ago…Greg Monroe showed flashes of being a good player towards the end of last season and should continue to get better.
Downside: When your best players are Rodney Stuckey and Greg Monroe, you’re probably not going to be very good… Brandon Knight could be good but too young to make a significant winning impact…The rest of the roster is subpar and features very little promise this season with Ben Gordon, Will Bynum, Austin Daye, Tayshaun Prince, Austin Daye, Charlie Villanueva and Jason Maxiell.
Consensus: UNDER 24 (-110)
Prediction: 21-45 (13th in East)
Charlotte Bobcats
Last year: 34-48 (13-21 once they gave away Gerald Wallace)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 17 (82-game equivalent of 21.5)
Upside: There are some young pieces with D.J. Augustin, Kemba Walker, Gerald Henderson, Tyrus Thomas and Bismack Biyombo, which gives this team a glimmer of hope…This is an extremely low total when there are teams equally as bad in the conference such as the Cavs, Nets, Raptors and Pistons.
Downside: These young pieces, along with Corey Maggette and Boris Diaw, pretty much sums up the entire rotation… I’m not sure who the best player on the team is, but whoever it is, it’s the worst best player in the league…2 seasons ago this team was in the playoffs with Raymond Felton (did not re-sign), Gerald Wallace (traded to Portland mid-season for nothing) and Stephen Jackson (traded to Milwaukee in 3-team deal in exchange for Maggette and Bismack).
Consensus: UNDER 17 (-110)
Prediction: 16-50 (14th in East)
Cleveland Cavaliers
Last year: 19-63 (no other relevant seasons)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 17 (82-game equivalent of 21.5)
Upside: They’ll be better than last season partially by adding number one pick Kyrie Irving but also by getting Anderson Varejao back who only played 31 games last season (8-23 with him, 11-40 without him).
Downside: They’re not going to be good unless Irving is awesome right away which is highly unlikely, as their best players are 35-year old Antawn Jamison, 19-year old Irving, Varejao and newly acquired Omri Casspi.
Consensus: UNDER 17 (-110)
Prediction: 16-50 (15th in East)
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Oklahoma City Thunder
Last year: 55-27 (50-32 the year before)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 47.5 (82-game equivalent of 59.5)
Upside: They bring everyone back and everyone should be better individually and collectively…Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden is probably the best top-3 in the league at this point outside of Miami…They are at least 2-deep at every position…They have size and depth up front with Ibaka, Perkins, Nick Collison, Nazr Mohammed and Cole Aldrich…Good coach in Scott Brooks.
Downside: Hard to think of any other than 48-18 is a high threshold in the West.
Consensus: OVER 47.5 (-110)
Prediction: 49-17 (#1 seed in West)
Los Angeles Clippers
Last year: 32-50 (Hornets were 46-36)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 41.5 (82-game equivalent of 51.5)
Upside: Team is absolutely loaded with a starting 5 of Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups, Caron Butler, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan and a second 5 of Mo Williams, Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes, Reggie Evans and Brian Cook…Should thrive in condensed season with their speed, depth and youth…Also have Eric Bledsoe as their 5th guard…Great rebounders…Could be a great defensive team as well…Hornets won 46 games last year and this Clippers squad is MUCH more talented than the Okafor/Landry/Ariza/Bellineli combination.
Downside: Chemistry may be an issue early on…Billups has never played away from the ball before…Don’t have great shooters, but Mo Williams, Butler and Billups are solid…Questionable coaching with Vinny Del Negro.
Consensus: OVER 41.5 (-120)
Prediction: 47-19 (#2 seed in West)
Dallas Mavericks
Last year: 57-25 (Over 50 wins in 11 consecutive seasons dating back to the 2000-2001 season, going 55-27, 50-32, 51-31, 67-15, 60-22, 58-24, 52-30, 60-22, 57-25, and 53-29)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 42.5 (82-game equivalent of 52.5)
Upside: Slightly different roster but Dirk Nowitzki is back and the history speaks for itself…Still loaded with veteran talent with Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, Lamar Odom, Vince Carter, Brendan Haywood…Roddy Beaubois is healthy and ready to make an impact especially in case one of the older guards needs to rest…Excellent coach in Rick Carlisle.
Downside: Significant turnover from last year including losing Tyson Chandler, J.J. Barea, DeShawn Stevenson and Caron Butler; the acquisitions of Lamar Odom, Vince Carter and Delonte West do not make up for those losses…Frontcourt depth will undoubtedly be an issue without Chandler…Not nearly as strong defensively as last year without Chandler, Butler and Stevenson…Jason Kidd will be 39 years old in March.
Consensus: OVER 42.5 (-110)
Prediction: 43-23 (#3 seed in West)
Los Angeles Lakers
Last year: 57-25 (57-25, 65-17, 57-25 in the 3 years prior)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 40.5 (82-game equivalent of 50.5)
Upside: Kobe Bryant still one of the best players in the league…Bryant and Gasol one of the best 1-2 punches in the league…Bynum looks primed for a breakout season…As long as they have someone step up outside these Big 3, they should surpass this total.
Downside: Bryant is already having issues with his shooting wrist…Point guard situation is abysmal with Derek Fisher and Steve Blake…They undoubtedly got worse during the offseason by giving away Odom and getting nothing in return…The rest of the rotation outside the Big 3 looks like Fisher/Blake, the artist formerly known as Ron Artest, Matt Barnes, Jason Kapono, Josh McRoberts, Troy Murphy and Devin Ebanks; not sure who will step up in that group…They replaced Phil Jackson with Mike Brown…Bynum suspended for first 4 games of the season.
Consensus: OVER 40.5 (-105)
Prediction: 43-23 (#4 seed in West)
Portland Blazers
Last year: 48-34 (50-32 and 54-28 in the two years prior to last season)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 36.5 (82-game equivalent of 45.5)
Upside: Team should be better this year than last as they upgraded from Brandon Roy (only 47 games last season) to Jamal Crawford and upgraded from Andre Miller to Raymond Felton…Now also will have Gerald Wallace for a full season…Aldridge, Batum and Mathews should all continue to improve as well…Craig Smith was a good addition to the frontcourt depth.
Downside: Not a ton of depth, but there is flexibility as Aldrdige can move to center and Crawford can play the point…Marcus Camby might not have much left in the tank and the only guys behind him are Kurt Thomas and Craig Smith…Getting Greg Oden back healthy later on in the season will help in the playoffs…
Consensus: OVER 36.5 (-110)
Prediction: 42-24 (#5 seed in West)
Memphis Grizzlies
Last year: 46-36 (40-42 the prior season)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 37 (82-game equivalent of 46.5)
Upside: Brought the same core back from last year’s squad that nearly advanced to the Western Conference Finals…Rudy Gay only played in 54 games last season and missed the playoff run, and now he’s healthy…Deep young team that should do well during the condensed season.
Downside: Losing Darrell Arthur for the entire season will hurt more than most people think, he was a really a solid up-and-coming player…Losing Shane Battier to the Heat will obviously hurt defensively…Didn’t add anything via free agency, trades or the draft.
Consensus: OVER 38 (-110)
Prediction: 39-27 (#6 seed in West)
San Antonio Spurs
Last year: 61-21 (14 consecutive 50-win or lockout-equivalent seasons dating back to Year 1 of the Duncan/Popovich era, going 50-32, 54-28, 56-26, 58-24, 63-19, 59-23, 57-25, 60-22, 58-24, 58-24, 53-29, 37-13, 56-26)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 41 (82-game equivalent of 51.5)
Upside: Duncan, Ginobili, Parker and Popovich are all back…Relatively deep with a supporting cast of Richard Jefferson, DeJuan Blair, Matt Bonner, Tiago Splitter, Gary Neal, rookie Kawhi Leonard, T.J. Ford and rookie Cory Joseph…Gary Neal should be able to step into George Hill’s previous role.
Downside: Duncan is 35, Ginobili is 34 and Parker is 29…They got rid of their fourth best player George Hill for rookie Kawhi Leonard who likely won’t make a major impact…They showed their age in the playoffs against the Grizzlies last season and this could be a sign that the end is near…Supporting cast, while deep, not super-talented…Team may struggle in condensed season.
Consensus: UNDER 41 (-110)
Prediction: 37-29 (#7 seed in West)
Denver Nuggets
Last year: 50-32 (18-7 after trading Carmelo Anthony)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 37.5 (82-game equivalent of 46.5)
Upside: Despite all the turnover, they are still 2-deep at every position with Ty Lawson / Andre Miller, Arron Afflalo / Rudy Fernandez, Danilo Gallinari / Corey Brewer, Al Harrington / Kenneth Faried and Nene / Chris Andersen…Gallo looks poised to take his game to another level this season…
Downside: Tough team to project as there has been so much turnover both last season and during the offseason…They may not be able to repeat the second half of last season…Not a guarantee by any means that you finish in the top 8 in the West with Gallo, Lawson and Nene as your 3 best players…Somehow, losing Lawson, Chandler, J.R. Smith and K-Mart has to hurt.
Consensus: UNDER 38.5 (-110)
Prediction: 35-31 (#8 seed in West)
Houston Rockets
Last year: 43-49 (42-40 the season before)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 33.5 (82-game equivalent of 41.5)
Upside: A ton of depth, 2-or-3deep at every position which should help tremendously in the condensed season.
Downside: No stars, the top 12 guys are Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Kyle Lowry, Chase Budinger, Courtney Lee, Terrence Williams, Sam Dalembert, Jordan Hill, Patrick Patterson, Marcus Morris, Goran Dragic and Jonny Flynn …Lacking in rebounding, size and defense with the departure of Chuck Hayes and last year’s mid-season trade of Shane Battier…Coaching change from Rick Adelman to Kevin McHale a significant downgrade.
Consensus: UNDER 33.5 (-110)
Prediction: 28-38 (9th in West)
Phoenix Suns
Last year: 40-42 (no other relevant season)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 28.5 (82-game equivalent of 35.5)
Upside: Nash still looks like he can play, and not making the playoffs last season gave him even extra rest…They have shooters (Dudley, Frye, Shannon Brown) and decent big guys down low (Gortat, Robin Lopez, Markief Morris) to support him.
Downside: It’s really not the most talented roster and if the soon-to-be 38-year old Nash gets hurt, gets traded or slows down, this team is not going to finish 30-36…Even if Nash is great the ceiling is not very high.
Consensus: UNDER 28.5 (-110)
Prediction: 28-38 (10th in West)
Utah Jazz
Last year: 39-43 (8-20 once they fired Jerry Sloan, 8-17 after trading Deron Williams)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 27 (82-game equivalent of 34.5)
Upside: There is plenty of talent in the frontcourt with Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors and rookie Enes Kanter…Devin Harris is an average point guard and there are some suitable wings in C.J. Miles, Gordon Hayward, Raja Bell, Josh Howard and rookie Alec Burks.
Downside: The performance with new coach Tyrone Corbin after trading away Deron Williams can’t be ignored…If Devin Harris gets injured, which he usually does, they are left with Earl Watson and Jamaal Tinsley which would make this team appear much worse.
Consensus: OVER 27 (-110)
Prediction: 27-39 (11th in West)
Sacramento Kings
Last year: 24-58 (25-57 the season before)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 20.5 (82-game equivalent of 25.5)
Upside: A ton of talented players who can score and create their own shot, starting with second-year player DeMarcus Cousins in the middle who should improve tremendously from his rookie season; other talented players include Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton, John Salmons and rookie Jimmer Fredette in the backcourt along with J.J. Hickson, Jason Thompson, Cousins and Hayes up front…Adding Hayes as a defensive/rebounding specialist was a great signing if he is healthy.
Downside: Not enough balls to go around as almost every single player on this roster is a shot-needy player…Still very young and immature group and not much of a veteran presence whatsoever.
Consensus: OVER 20.5 (-110)
Prediction: 26-40 (12th in West)
Golden State Warriors
Last year: 36-46 (26-56 the season before)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 29.5 (82-game equivalent of 36.5)
Upside: They bring back the same squad as last year that improved 10 games from the year before which features an exciting backcourt duo of Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry.
Downside: By not adding anything in the offseason they now appear to be one of the least talented teams in the conference and are extremely weak defensively and in the frontcourt; their big-man rotation features David Lee, Andris Biedrins, Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown…Mark Jackson is the new head coach and he has never coached a game in his life even as an assistant.
Consensus: UNDER 29.5 (-120)
Prediction: 23-43 (13 in West)
New Orleans Hornets
Last year: 46-36 (37-45 the season before)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 25.5 (82-game equivalent of 31.5)
Upside: Despite losing Paul, the roster doesn’t look that awful, with a projected starting lineup of Jarrett Jack, Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza, Emeka Okafor and Chris Kaman with Carl Landry as the 6th man…The team may be out to prove something similar to the Nuggets last season after they traded Anthony.
Downside: Point guard play will obviously be an issue as Jack is a bottom-tier starting point guard…If Gordon gets injured, this suddenly looks like the worst team in the West hands down…Kaman is not likely to stay healthy either.
Consensus: UNDER 25.5 (-115)
Prediction: 23-43 (14th in West)
Minnesota Timberwolves
Last year: 17-65 (15-67 the season before)
2011-2012 Over/Under: 24.5 (82-game equivalent of 30.5)
Upside: Replacing Kurt Rambis with Rick Adelman is a great way to improve…There is definitely talent on the roster with Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, rookie Derrick Williams, second-year player Wesley Johnson, and guards Ricky Rubio, J.J. Barea and Luke Ridnour…Rubio and Barea could be an exciting backcourt combination to watch..
Downside: It’s an extremely weak team defensively at all positions…Questionable whether their 3 best players can play together, considering they all play the same position…Only centers on the roster are Darko Milicic and Brad Miller.
Consensus: UNDER 24.5 (-105)
Prediction: 22-44 (15th in West)
NBA Playoffs
First Round – Eastern Conference
Heat over 76ers
Bulls over Hawks
Magic over Pacers
Knicks over Celtics
First Round – Western Conference
Thunder over Nuggets
Clippers over Spurs
Mavericks over Grizzlies
Lakers over Blazers
Second Round – Eastern Conference
Heat over Knicks
Bulls over Magic
Second Round – Western Conference
Thunder over Lakers
Clippers over Mavericks
Conference Finals
Heat over Bulls
Thunder over Clippers
NBA Finals
Heat over Thunder
Most Valuable Player
- LeBron James
- Kevin Durant
- Chris Paul
- Derrick Rose
- Dwight Howard
Rookie of the Year
- Kyrie Irving
- Kemba Walker
- Derrick Williams
- Ricky Rubio
- Kenneth Faried
Leading Scorers
- Carmelo Anthony
- LeBron James
- Kevin Durant
- Dwyane Wade
- Kobe Bryant
Leading Rebounders
- Dwight Howard
- Kevin Love
- Blake Griffin
- Tyson Chandler
- Joakim Noah
Leading Assists
- Chris Paul
- Rajon Rondo
- Deron Williams
- Steve Nash
- John Wall
Posted by kornstein999 
