NBA Predictions 2017-2018

Basketball is back baby. This season follows on the heels of a particularly exciting offseason that saw a number of notable players move teams. This includes Jimmy Butler, Gordon Hayward, Kyrie Irving, Jeff Teague, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, Derrick Rose, Brook Lopez, and Avery Bradley. It will be interesting to see how all these offseason moves play out.

Last year, it seemed destined that the Golden State Warriors would win the NBA Championship. After all, they were coming off a season where they had set a record for most regular season wins (73) and had four of the best players in the world: Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Kevin Durant. Lo and behold, the Warriors went 16-1 in the postseason and won their second title in three years. This year, they are once again the favorites. Shocking, I know. But what of the other teams and playoff hopefuls? How will they fare this season? This post will take a look at each team and predict the regular seasons, awards, and playoffs. Let's get started.

Atlantic Division:

After surprisingly finishing last season with the best record in the East, the Celtics are favorites to win the Atlantic. Thanks to trades with Cleveland and Detroit the C's have a very different team from last year. Instead of featuring Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, and Jae Crowder, the Celtics will now showcase Gordon Hayward, Kyrie Irving, and Marcus Morris. There might be a few chemistry issues, but this team will win the division for sure.

The biggest threat in this division to Boston is Toronto. The Raptors are a perennial playoff team and return their core team of DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka, and Jonas Valuncias. They have the talent to be a 50 win team but it will be tough to reach that level.

In third place. we have the Philadelphia 76ers, quite possibly one of the most interesting teams in the league. This could be the year we finally see the Process take shape. Rookies Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz are ready to go and superstar center Joel Embiid might actually stay healthy all season long. The ceiling is high but the pitfalls are real.

In the basement of this division, we have the Knicks and the Nets. Neither of these teams is in a position to win right now, but the Knicks are just a little bit closer thanks to unicorn Kristaps Porzingis. Now that they're rid of Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony, the future of the Knicks is looking kind of hopeful. Unfortunately for the Nets, things are looking a little bleaker. There's not much hope when your backcourt features Jeremy Lin and D'Angelo Russell.

Central Division:

The defending runner-ups Cleveland Cavaliers are the easy favorites here. They might not go full-speed in the regular season, a strategy they employed last year, but that doesn't mean they'll slip to any lower than first in this division. Coming in second will be the Milwaukee Bucks, the team most poised to break into the conference's upper echelon.

The Detroit Pistons had a disappointing season in 2017 but look to rebound thanks to new additions Avery Bradley and Luke Kennard, which should help ease their shooting woes. If all goes well, they will challenge for a playoff spot. Key to their playoff contention will be their center, Andre Drummond. Two years ago he led the league in double-doubles and rebounds as the Pistons nabbed the 8th seed. Last year, he failed to repeat as an All-Star and struggled at the free throw line.

Both the Pacers and the Bulls lost their biggest stars: Paul George and Jimmy Butler, respectively. Both teams, especially Chicago, are in full rebuilding mode and will be out of the playoff race. I'm picking Indiana to finish ahead of Chicago thanks to center Myles Turner.

Southeast Division:

This division belongs to the Washington Wizards, who managed to resign Otto Porter Jr., one of the biggest free agents on the market this summer. They also have one of the league's best backcourts in John Wall and Bradley Beal. They should cross the 50-win mark here, especially since they are by far the best team in this division.

The Miami Heat are nowhere near the heights when they had LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh, but they are by no means a bottom-feeder. Hassan Whiteside is one of the best centers in the league and he has a great supporting cast that includes Goran Dragic and Justice Winslow.

The only other team in this division that will contend for a playoff spot- the Charlotte Hornets. This defensive squad is led by former All-Star Kemba Walker and also features former Kentucky Wildcat Malik Monk and Nicolas Batum. Their success will largely depend on how well Dwight Howard plays. Although he was once regarded as the best big-man in the game, Howard's last few stints with the Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, and LA Lakers can only be described as disappointing.

Speaking of Atlanta, they are facing a rebuilding season after losing players such as Paul Millsap and Howard. That being said, the future looks bright thanks to players like John Collins and Taurean Prince. Orlando will finish in the basement of the division, though Aaron Gordon continues to turn heads.

Pacific Division:

What else is there to say about Golden State? They retained all of their core players from last year and added players such as Nick Young and rookie Jordan Bell. While they are the clear favorites, the rest of the division is a little murkier. The conversation has to start with the LA Clippers. Although they lost J.J. Reddick and Chris Paul, the team is still loaded with players such as Blake Griffin, Danilo Gallinari, Austin Rivers, and Milos Teodosic.

The Lakers are one of the most intriguing teams in the league thanks to flashy rookie Lonzo Ball. Sure, his dad will steal a lot of the headlines, but don't let that distract you from this potential franchise player. The Lakers are young and untested, and that goes for head coach Luke Walton. It will be up to him to develop players such as Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and Brandon Ingram.

Neither the Sacremento Kings nor the Phoenix Suns will contend for the playoffs, but they have some young players who could feature in this league for years to come. This includes Buddy Hield, Devin Booker, and Josh Jackson.

Southwest Division:

There's trouble in Texas as both the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs will contend for the division title. I'm going to give the edge to the Rockets and their incredible backcourt of James Harden and Chris Paul.

In third place, we have the New Orleans Pelicans. The big-man duo of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins proved to be a little underwhelming this season, but those chemistry issues should be sorted out by now. Rajon Rondo's injury problems might cost them a spot in the playoffs, however.

Bringing up the rear we have the Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks. The Grizzlies have developed a well-earned reputation for being one of the most consistent franchises around but should see a decline this year. Both Marc Gasol and Mike Conley are getting on in years and Tony Allen, one of the franchise's biggest unsung heroes, has moved on to New Orleans. Meanwhile, the Mavs are in tank mode. Franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki is nowhere near the player he used to be, but rookie Dennis Smith Jr. could contend for Rookie of the Year.

Northwest Division:

Thanks to the additions of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, the Thunder will be one of the most exciting teams to watch. However, they will face some stiff competition from the Minnesota Timberwolves. On paper, Tom Thibodeau's squad looks like one of the league's best. This includes Jeff Teague, Jimmy Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Andrew Wiggins.

In third place, we have the Portland Trail Blazers, last year's #8 seed. Though they ultimately fell short in the Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes, any team with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum is good enough to compete for a playoff spot.

The Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz should find themselves in the 7-10 range. The Nuggets are preseason sleepers to make the playoffs while the Jazz will find themselves taking a step down after losing their star player Gordon Hayward.

East Seeds: 1. Boston Celtics 2. Cleveland Cavaliers 3. Toronto Raptors 4. Washington Wizards
5. Milwaukee Bucks 6. Miami Heat 7. Philadelphia 76ers 8. Detroit Pistons

West Seeds: 1. Golden State Warriors 2. Houston Rockets 3. Oklahoma City Thunder
4. San Antonio Spurs 5. Minnesota Timberwolves 6. Los Angeles Clippers
7. Portland Trail Blazers 8. New Orleans Pelicans

East Playoffs:
I'm predicting two sweeps in the first round (Boston over Detroit and Cleveland over Philly) while Toronto beats Miami in five and Washington beats Milwaukee in six. The Bucks have the best chance of scoring an upset, but I don't see it happening.

The Raptors might steal a game from Cleveland, but that's it. The Wizards on the other hand, should push their series with the Celtics to six games before bowing out. The semifinals between Cleveland and Boston should be an epic series. They have history from last year and the Kyrie Irving trade from this offseason. It'll be close, but I'm picking Cleveland in seven.

West Playoffs:

Like the East, I see two sweeps in the first round of the West: Golden State over New Orleans and Houston over Portland. The Clippers have enough talent to make their series with OKC interesting but will still lose in five. The Timberwolves have all the talent in the world but lack the postseason experience of San Antonio. Thus, I predict the Spurs win in six.

Last year, the Spurs were winning Game 1 by 21 points before their star player Kwahi Leonard suffered an injury. The Spurs went on to be swept. Now, if Kwahi is healthy, the physical Spurs will test GSW. The Dubs will win in five games where they will take on the Houston Rockets. The Rockets will have a hellacious series against the Thunder and will win in seven. I think the Western Conference finals will also go to seven games as the Dubs eek out a win.

Finals:

For the fourth year in a row, the Golden State Warriors will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA finals. I know a lot of fans will be upset about that, but what's wrong with seeing the two best teams play? Golden State leads the series 2-1 and should earn win #3. Cleveland did beef up in the offseason but are still no match for the Dubs.
Finals MVP: Kevin Durant

Regular Season Awards:
MVP: Kwahi Leonard
Coach: Gregg Popovich
Defensive: Draymond
Rookie: Dennis Smith Jr.
6th Man: Greg Monroe
MIP: Myles Turner

Thanks for reading everyone.