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With the 2008 Summer Olympics nearly wrapped up, Major League Baseball approaching the end of its long season and the NFL season gearing up, the 2008-2009 NBA season is looming just around the corner.
The Boston Celtics showed that one summer can change a team’s stripes dramatically. In 2006-2007, the Celtics won just 24 games. After acquiring Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to team with Paul Pierce, the Celtics boasted the best record in the NBA in 2007-2008, winning 66 games and ultimately the NBA Championship.
The 2008 off-season has featured big deals much like the one that sent Garnett to Boston. Some of the biggest deals include the Philadelphia 76ers signing Elton Brand; the Milwaukee Bucks acquiring Richard Jefferson; the Houston Rockets acquiring Ron Artest; the LA Clippers acquiring Marcus Camby and Baron Davis; and the Toronto Raptors acquiring Jermaine O’Neal.
Pacific Division (West)
Predicted Final Standings
1. LA Lakers 62-20 (clinched conference title)
2. Phoenix Suns 48-34 (clinch playoffs)
3. LA Clippers 43-39
4. Golden State Warriors 36-46
5. Sacramento Kings 33-49
The Lakers should be able to muster a better record than last season since they will have Bynum and Gasol (barring injuries) for the entire season. Expect the Suns to drop some games. They made the right move by going with a defensive coach, but the drastic change in style might be challenging for Nash and some others to adjust to. The Clippers may exceed a 42-40 record, but keep in mind that Chris Kaman, Baron Davis and Marcus Camby have a history of injury problems. Losing them for any stretch of time could affect their record. The Warriors have a lot of talent, but losing Davis was big and it does not help that Monta Ellis will be out for several months. If the Kings can stay healthy, they will do some damage, but the West continues to get better, which may cause them to slip a bit from last year.
Midwest Division (West)
Predicted Final Standings
1. San Antonio Spurs 58-24 (clinched division title)
2. New Orleans Hornets 56-26 (clinched playoffs)
3. Houston Rockets 56-26 (clinched playoffs)
4. Dallas Mavericks 46-36 (clinched playoffs)
5. Memphis Grizzlies 24-58
The Spurs will be steady as always. Critics who believe they are washed up are not looking at the reality of the situation. The Spurs managed to get to the Western Conference finals in 2008 and would have likely put up a bigger fight if Manu Ginobili wasn’t playing hurt. Sure, that sounds like an excuse, but it’s rooted in reality. San Antonio still has at least a few years before they need to start worrying about being washed up. The New Orleans Hornets were sensational last season, but they will have a big target on their backs as opposed to last season when they came out of nowhere. It should be a tougher road ahead next season; a great season for growth for this young team. The Houston Rockets will be either fools or geniuses for adding Ron Artest to their lineup. However, pairing Shane Battier with Artest at any time during a game will make for a scary defensive combo. The Dallas Mavericks are regressing fast. Jason Kidd certainly makes things easier for Dirk Nowitzki, but it is clear that Kidd’s quickness and athleticism are waning with old age. Getting DeSagana Diop back will help more than most realize, but the Mavs are still facing stiff competition in the West. The Grizzlies will be athletic, fast and fun to watch, but they have a ways to go before making any kind of real noise.
Northwest Division (West)
Predicted Final Standings
1. Utah Jazz 53-29 (clinched division title)
2. Denver Nuggets 45-37 (clinched playoffs)
3. Portland Trail Blazers 44-38
4. Minnesota Timberwolves 28-54
5. Oklahoma City Thunder 23-59
The Utah Jazz gain experience each year, but they did not really add much else this off-season. Kosta Koufos may have been a steal in the late first round of the draft, but his game too closely resembles Mehmet Okur. The Denver Nuggets really hurt themselves by shipping Marcus Camby away to the Clippers. Suddenly, the other Los Angeles team may be in direct competition with the Nuggets for that final playoff spot and Camby was responsible for covering up Denver’s poor defense on the perimeter. If there is a sleeper team in the NBA next season, do not be surprised if it is Portland. They have the talent and depth to pull a New Orleans Hornets this season and even compete for the division title. However, youth and health may hold them back. The Timberwolves have an intriguing, young front line in Kevin Love, Al Jefferson and Mike Miller, but their success will be determined by whether or not Jefferson and Love can co-exist at the defensive end, and whether or not Randy Foye can be a legitimate star. Oklahoma City is in the same boat as Minnesota. They have a lot of talent, but are young and need to find an identity before they can do great things in this league.
Central Division (East)
Predicted Final Standings
1. Detroit Pistons 56-27 (clinched division title)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers 44-38 (clinched playoffs)
3. Milwaukee Bucks 41-41 (clinched playoffs)
4. Chicago Bulls 34-48
5. Indiana Pacers 27-55
It’s mind-boggling why some ‘experts’ believe the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs will collapse next season. The Pistons’ new coach, Michael Curry, is obviously a rookie coach, but he is also a defensive-minded coach, which is what this team is set up for. Relying on Flip Saunders for so many years was a mistake, which revealed itself over the past few playoffs. The Cleveland Cavaliers are a mess. Adding Point Guard Mo Williams will help LeBron James at the offensive end, but so many of the Cavs’ players are getting older and making desperate moves that put a stronghold on the team’s payroll is not going to keep James in Cleveland and is not going to help Danny Ferry keep his job. The Milwaukee Bucks made an interesting move acquiring Richard Jefferson. He is somewhat overrated, but he is a great fit in Milwaukee, giving Michael Redd another scorer to lean on. Yi Jianlian did not fit Milwaukee’s needs anyway. The Chicago Bulls have talent, but need to figure out what to do with all the guards they have collected. They also still need some help in the paint. The Indiana Pacers are officially looking toward the future and will lean heavily on the young Danny Granger.
Atlantic Division
Predicted Final Standings
1. Boston Celtics 58-24 (clinched conference title)
2. Philadelphia 76ers 47-35 (clinched playoffs)
3. Toronto Raptors 43-39 (clinched playoffs)
4. New Jersey Nets 29-53
5. New York Knicks 19-63
The Boston Celtics lose James Posey, which certainly hurts. However, they should be able to find a suitable replacement. They may not be able to win 66 games again, though. Garnett, Pierce and Allen are all past thirty, and at some point, injuries might start to affect them more. The Celtics were relatively lucky in terms of team health last season. Philadelphia made the biggest improvements this off-season by adding Elton Brand and Theo Ratliff. They still need one or two reliable perimeter shooters to open things up for all their slashers, but the Sixers look worlds better than last season. Time will tell if adding Jermaine O’Neal was a good move or not for the Toronto Raptors. The good news is that with Chris Bosh there, O’Neal can afford to concentrate more on defense. The New Jersey Nets will be fun to watch. Expect Vince Carter to be dealt before the February trade deadline. The New York Knicks are still hurting. They are trying, but there are no Band-Aid fixes for the mess Isiah Thomas create.
Southeast Division
Predicted Final Standings
1. Orlando Magic 53-29 (clinched division title)
2. Washington 45-37 (clinched playoffs)
3. Atlanta Hawks 40-42
4. Miami Heat 37-45
5. Charlotte 26-56
Orlando proved to be a legitimate threat in the East last season, despite losing quickly to the Pistons in the playoffs. The Wizards will have the opportunity to compete for the division title if their trio of Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler can stay healthy and Andray Blatche can continue to develop. The Hawks are not much better than they were last season. They will have Mike Bibby for the entire season (barring injury), but lose Josh Childress. Still, added experience should be enough to improve. The Miami Heat may still have holes, but Dwayne Wade is looking sensational in the Olympics and could lead the Heat back into the playoffs. Larry Brown will need another year or two before rebuilding the Bobcats into a playoff team.
2008-2009 Predicted NBA Scoring Leaders
LeBron James – Cavaliers 29.9
Kobe Bryant - Lakers 26.8
Dwayne Wade - Heat 26.5
Carmelo Anthony - Nuggets 26.2
Gilbert Arenas - Wizards 25.3
Dirk Nowitzki - Mavericks 24.5
Kevin Martin – Kings 24.2
Amare Stoudemire - Suns 24.1
Corey Maggette – Warriors 23.8
Chris Bosh – Raptors 23.5
2008-2009 Predicted NBA Rebounding Leaders
Dwight Howard - Magic 14.6
Al Jefferson – Timberwolves 12.2
Tyson Chandler - Hornets 11.6
Emeka Okafor - Bobcats 11.5
Marcus Camby - Clippers 11.1
2008-2009 Predicted NBA Assist Leaders
Chris Paul - Hornets 10.8
Deron Williams - Jazz 10.7
Steve Nash - Suns 10.1
Jose Calderon – Raptors 9.1
Jason Kidd – Mavericks 8.9
2008-2009 Predicted NBA Breakout Players
Andrew Bogut - Bucks 13.6 ppg, 9.2 rpg
Joakim Noah – Bulls 9.3 ppg, 7.8 rbpg, 2.2 bpg
Jason Maxiell – Pistons 11.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg
Andray Blatche – Wizards 10.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.1 bpg
Al Thornton – Clippers 17.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.4 spg
Mike Conley – Grizzlies 11.8 ppg, 6.2 apg, 1.6 spg
Jeff Green – OKC 15.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg
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