If you take out last season, I have correctly predicted the finalists and eventual champion in each season since 2006-7. And, I still contend that Phoenix could have won last year had they not made the Marion-Shaq trade.
Eastern Conference
Non-playoff teams (from best to worst):
Washington Wizards - Gilbert's career in jeopardy.
Charlotte Bobcats - Larry Brown makes Emeka Okafor the centerpiece of a tough defensive, but low scoring team
Miami Heat - Better off letting Marion's contract expire than trading for more bad money at the deadline for a futile playoff run
New Jersey Nets - Vince Carter doesn't make it to the end of season, goes to Cleveland or Los Angeles for expiring dollars
Indiana Pacers - Tough time stopping people
Milwaukee Bucks - Will Richard Jefferson hate Michael Redd as much as he did VC?
New York Knicks - Will try to get Zach Randolph off early in the season, move him to a sucker
Playoff teams (best regular season record to worst):
Detroit Pistons - Model of consistency
Orlando Magic- Coach Schlumpy gets his team to 58 wins
Cleveland Cavaliers - Tread water first half, add Vince Carter at trading deadline for expiring money and first rounders; outside possibility at trade deadline: Shaq - I strongly advise against this
Boston Celtics - Health will be an issue
Philadelphia 76ers - Start slowly as Brand re-acclimates to NBA, come on in second half
Toronto Raptors - I love Kapono
Chicago Bulls - I picked them to go to the Finals last year; that didn't work out - I would have picked them higher but Larry Hughes' injury turned out to be not as bad as originally thought
Atlanta Hawks - Josh Smith got a big new contract, but Joe Johnson is their best player
First Round
Detroit over Atlanta
Orlando over Chicago
Cleveland over Toronto
Philly over Boston
Second Round
Detroit over Philly
Cleveland over Orlando
Eastern Final
Cleveland over Detroit
Western Conference
Non-playoff teams (from best to worst):
Denver Nuggets
LA Clippers
Minnesota Timberwolves
Golden State Warriors
Sacramento Kings
Oklahoma Thunder
Memphis Grizzlies
Playoff teams (best regular season record to worst):
LA Lakers - Answers all over the court and on bench, plus Lamar Odom's expiring contract to move
Utah Jazz - Most physical team in basketball, again, as always
Houston Rockets - Artest stays, relatively, mellow
New Orleans Hornets - Get the feeling they are one more big-time player away
Phoenix Suns - On the power of Nash and Stoudamire, only - Shaq plays less than 50 games with minimal effectiveness
Dallas Mavericks - They rue the day they made the Jason Kidd trade already; Devin Harris is imperfect, but they should have gotten more
San Antonio Spurs - Health issues all season
Portland Trailblazers - Brandon Roy and I have interpersonal issues
First Round
Lakers over Portland
Utah over Spurs
Houston over Dallas
Phoenix over New Orleans
Second Round
Lakers over Phoenix
Houston over Utah
Western Final
Lakers over Houston
NBA Finals
Cleveland over Lakers
Season and Finals MVP: Lebron James
Rookie of Year: Derrick Rose
Most improved player: Rodney Stuckey
Player most likely to be arrested on a game night: Jamal Tinsley
Player most likely to be compared to a Hispanic Wilt Chamberlain: Brook Lopez
Dark horse to get moved to a contender at the trade deadline and make a huge difference: Richard Jefferson to Lakers for Lamar Odom's expiring contract
Most passes that go untouched by any player on the court before hitting a spectator: Marcus Banks
Player most likely to underperform expectations this season: Andrew Bynum
Runner up: Rajon Rondo
Player most likely to overperform expectations this season: Stephon Marbury
Runner up: Emeka Okafor
