NBA Pre-Season Predictions

Can John Wall make the jump to NBA superstar this year? (source: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/f1cMrsbrG4M/maxresdefault.jpg)

This is the most excited I have ever been for an NBA season. The potential storylines are ridiculous:

• Steph Curry appears primed to contend for back-to-back MVP's and titles. That has happened only 3 times in NBA history: LeBron James ('12, '13), Michael Jordan ('91, '92), and Bill Russell ('61, '62, '63). 

• There was too much talent lost last season due to injuries, and a number of high-profile players are coming back. Julius Randle, Jabari Parker, Kobe Bryant, Paul George, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, and Kevin Durant all look to return. 

• Portland took a huge blow, but somehow the West is as stacked as ever. And its not just at the very top of the conference, as many young teams are looking to make a jump into playoff discussions. Look for at least 3-4 teams to be battling for the 8 seed down the stretch. 

• If Curry doesn't repeat, who wins MVP? I think there is an opportunity for a player not from a top-seeded team to win the award. Anthony Davis, Carmelo, PG13, and Damian Lillard are a few that come to mind.   

• Is this the year LeBron finally brings a title to Cleveland? He has perhaps the most thorough (complete?) team of his career. If Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love stay healthy, I don't see anyone really challenging them in the Eastern Conference. 

• Similar to LeBron, Chris Paul has arguably the most complete team around him. This is by far the best defensive team of the CP3-Blake-Deandre Era. Adding Paul Pierce, Lance Stephenson, and Josh Smith will do wonders for their bench. Look for Clippers to go far and Blake to have a potential MVP season.

• Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili will become the winningest trio in NBA history. They should pass Bird, Parish, and McHale within the first two weeks of the season. That being said, are the Spurs set for another title run? The addition of LaMarcus Aldridige and further emergence of Kawhi Leonard should keep them more than relevant in the West.

• It would be awesome if the Lakers could return to the postseason for Kobe's last season. It seems like a very distant possibility at the moment, and it all rests on their young core being able to dominate early. Julius Randle should be phenomenal, and I imagine it won't take long for Russell to adjust to the NBA game. 

• There are bound to be a few surprise teams in the East. John Wall could finally make the jump and lead Washington into Conference Finals contention. Orlando is bound to put it all together at some point. Detroit is much better than what people are making them out to be. Led by Drummond and Reggie Jackson, they have to survive the initial stretch of the season without Brandon Jennings (Rehabbing from Achilles surgery). How about the Knicks too? Playing in the weakest division in basketball, I like them ahead of the Celtics, Nets, and 76ers in their division. 

....and these are just a few of the many storylines that could come up over the course of the season. Regardless if these scenarios come into play, this will surely be one of the most exciting and competitive NBA seasons in recent memory.

 Regular Season Predictions

Eastern Conference

Outside of Cleveland, Chicago, and Miami, the East seems very open to me. Toronto will win the Atlantic, but that division is one of the worst the NBA has had over the past 5-10 years. 76ers should bottom out the Conference, but  the Nets, Magic, Hornets, and Bucks could all be right there as well.

It pains me to say this, but I really really really like the Heat's starting lineup this year. Goran Dragic, Dwayne Wade, Luol Deng, Chris Bosh, and Hassan Whiteside. Wow. Not to mention Gerald Green, Justice Winslow, Mario Chalmers, Chris Anderson, Josh McRoberts, and Amar'e Stoudemire of the bench. This is arguably the most complete team in the East (with Cleveland), and will challenge for the top seed in the East. I would not be surprised if they were playing in June, especially with it possibly being Wade's last season in Miami.

Staying in Miami's division, Atlanta will be down this year. I am certain them winning the East by 7 games last year was an anomaly, and could be attributed to a weak division (injuries across the board) and an almost unimaginable winning streak. I expect big things from John Wall this season. This is the year he makes the jump to superstardom. You will be able to throw his name in with Russell Westrbrook, Kyrie, CP3, Curry, Lillard, Conley, etc. at the end of the season. I'm also hoping for Brad Beal to progress as well.

Orlando and Charlotte are two of the bigger wildcards to me. Orlando has an insane amount of young talent, but it might actually be too much as not enough people are getting minutes. Its a waste that Mario Hezonja (5th pick) is projected 8 minutes (!!) in the rotation. I really like the core of Oladipo, Vucevic, and Tobias Harris. Elfrid Payton could be the next coming of vintage Rajon Rondo, but it still remains to be seen. Big fan of Aaron Gordon, and he could mold a pretty Blake Griffin-esque game if he can add a jump shot.

As for Charlotte, they've had basically the same core in the past and have not been impressive. Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson always leave me wanting more. It was rumored MKG had added a reliable jumpshot, but it still appears to be nonexistent. I like the addition of Batum, and I am intrigued by what he could do in a larger role. Hoping to see Cody Zeller continue to improve, and Frank Kaminsky looked fantastic in the pre-season. Still unfathomable that Charlotte turned down 4 first-round picks for Kaminsky.

The Central division should be loaded. I like the Cavs, Bulls, Pacers, and Pistons all competing for playoff seeds. Cavs and Bulls will be two of the top three teams in the East. Pistons have the potential to grab a top-six seed. Andre Drummond could mature into a double-double monster this year. I am not as high on the Pacers as others, but I think they could still be a playoff team. They're relying way too much on Ian Mahimi and Jordan Hill for consistent production. I think Myles Turner will be starting by the end of November. Paul George has to become a consistent scoring option if the Pacers are going to make the playoffs. He has struggled with this a bit in the past, but signs of his growth are very present in the preseason.

Western Conference

The west will sure be fun this year. I like Oklahoma City to grab the number one seed. Their division is weak with Portland losing Aldridge and Durant returning from injury will give them the best 1-2 punch in the league. Utah and Minnesota should both be pretty decent, and could compete for the 8-seed. Realistically, however, I think both of these teams need another year for their cores to grow and develop (although Utah is further along than Minnesota).

Portland is all Lillard this season, and it will be a waiting game on the development of Mason Plumlee, Noah Vonleh, and CJ McCollum. Denver will be absolute garbage, and they have set themselves up for a solid rebuilding process. The Nuggets could have four first-round picks next year, as they are owed picks from: Houston (1-14 protected), New York (Right to swap), Memphis (1-5, 15-30 protected), and Portland (1-14 protected).

The Warriors and Clippers should battle it out for the Pacific division title. I think Golden State pulls away down the stretch, as they look to rest their role players and get them ready for playoff time. I'm a big fan of Phoenix this year, and this is the year they finally make it into the playoffs. Expect big things from Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight. DeMarcus Cousins will be great as always, and I'm hoping Willie-Trill can get big time minutes in Sacramento.

I'm expecting San Antonio to win the southwest division. The team is simply too solid overall. It may be a difficult stretch, but I think they pull away from Houston and Memphis down the stretch. As a Harden fan, I'm hoping he can be as good as he was last year. I still believe he should have won MVP last year, and he needs to play at the same level if the Rockets want to stand a chance. Dwight will be Dwight as always. And there is a chance he could leave after this year. AND there is a chance he could leave after this year. AND THERE IS A CHANCE HE COULD LEAVE AFTER THIS YEAR. A Melo-Dwight-Wade big three in New York next season could be interesting...

Dallas is in a really weird state as a franchise. With Dirk's last season on the horizon (next 2-3 years) they're trying as hard as they can to win a title. Their team with Deandre Jordan is a lightyears more exciting than what they ended up assembling. And with Wes Matthews, Chandler Parsons, and Deron Williams hurt to the start the year, the Mavs could get behind early. I wish the Pelicans could do more to surround Anthony Davis with talent. Pick two out of Jrue Holliday, Eric Gordon, and Tyreke Evans to start a trade package and get someone who can really bring value to NOLA.