4/15/2024 Season PreviewHere is your season preview!
The Contenders
Charlotte Hornets (Reigning Champions)
Prediction: 57-25
The Hornets return with much of their core still in place. Wade is an MVP candidate, Davis is a lockdown perimeter defender and they have solid role players across the board. But David Robinson retired, leaving behind a major hole in this team's post defense. Pryzbilla will pick up some of that slack, but the margin of victory is thin in the East.
Chicago Bulls
Prediction: 65-17
Last year looked like the Bulls year and they went for it at the trade deadline. They finished the season with the best record, but were taken down by the Hornets in the playoffs. Despite the setback, this team is still a power house that is relatively young. Metta World Peace might be the best perimeter defender in the league and leads one of the best defenses in the league. This team rebounds, takes the ball away and can get to the free throw line. They are once again favorites.
Boston Celtics
Prediction:55-27
Is this the last chance for Pierce and Garnett to get a ring together? The Celtics got a player in the draft who can help the team immediately in Millsap, building on an already strong defensive unit. But shot efficiency remains an issue and they had to trade Brian Grant to get under the cap.
Utah Jazz
Prediction: 61-21
The Jazz made the leap last year behind superstar Ray Allen and added Brian Grant in trade from the Celtics. Dwight Howard and Joe Johnson continue to grow. This team loves to shoot the triple but with Grant joining Howard, can also defend the post.
New Orleans Pelicans
Prediction: 52-30
This team is still all about defense and Iverson is still in his prime. But do they have enough firepower to win a title? Look for them to make a move for another offensive weapon this season.
Miami Heat
Prediction: 56-26
Miami is mostly returning the same team from last year and continues to be a team of thieves. Whether it is blocks (Birdman Chris Anderson, Calvin Booth, Amir Johnson and new addition Adonal Foyle are all elite shot blockers) or steals (Larry Hughes, Shane Battier, Tang Hamilton, Earl Watson), they are ball hawking.
Washington Wizards
Prediction: 58-24
LeBron James may win the MVP award for the next decade and he is a perfect pick and roll tag team with Amar'e Stoudemire. They don't cause as much turnovers as other elite teams, but they are a problem for the league to reckon with for years t come.
Indiana Pacers
Prediction: 54-28
It is a block party in Indana. This is a young team and they basically brought back the same squad from last year and are betting on improvement to get them back to the big dance. This team is a shooter's nightmare. Everyone is swatting everything and they don't turn the ball over. Can the offense do enough to win it all?
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The Also Rans
Los Angeles Lakers
Prediction: 50-32
This may be the last dance for Shaq and Kobe. Both are on their final years of their contracts and Shaq is 34. The Lakers will always compete with those two stars, but haven't figured out the complimentary pieces to win another title since the 2002 championship. This year doesn't look any different as they lack the defense to overcome better teams.
Toronto Raptors
Prediction: 48-34
Is this Toronto's peak? The Carter/Marbury tandem is good but hasn't proven to be good enough (yet). Karl Malone is 43, Anthony Mason is 40 and the Raptors lack the defense to truly compete. Will they go all in before the trade deadline to see if they can win a chip with Carter or is it time to sell the farm with Carter and Marbury on the final year of their deals?
Dallas Mavericks
Prediction: 46-36
The Mavericks finally found their groove last season and turned into the competitive franchise everyone always expected from Dirk and Nash. And then they blew a 3-0 series lead in the playoffs. New addition Anthony Parker should help right away. But this team still feels it is a piece away from truly contending.
San Antonio Spurs
Prediction: 50-32
Can new addition Shareef Abdur-Rahim be the missing piece for the Spurs? Paired with Tim Duncan, this team will be scary and word from camp is wing Ricky Davis made a leap and coaches expect him to play big minutes this season.
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Stuck in the middle with you
Cleveland Cavaliers
Prediction: 45-37
Sprewell and Person are gone and in comes 3 and d wings Carroll and Brown and defense first guard Wesley. Are they better than last year? That all depends on the growth from Gasol and Bibby.
Phoenix Suns
Prediction: 44-38
The Suns shocked the world with their playoff run last year but they weren't content going into the offseason and reshuffled their decks. They added Michael Finley, Raef LaFrentz and Jameer Nelson from the Spurs while adding Greg Ostertag to help with their frontcourt rotation.
Seattle SuperSonics
Prediction: 41-41
They lost Gary Payton to free agency, but that might not matter much. They still have Marcus Camby and Rashard Lewis in the frontcourt and Jason Terry, Rose and Duhon can eat up Payton's minutes. Balkman and Singleton will be good for heat checks and they have a bunch of efficient shooting role players. Is it a title team? No. But they should avoid the lottery.
Orlando Magic
Prediction: 43-37
Another disappointment for the Magic. Once a title contender, the tandem of McGrady and Grant Hill has lost some of its ... well, you know. Hill is on the last year of his max contract and if this team continues to be average, I would expect for them to look toward the future.
Houston Rockets
Prediction: 38-44
What was once a young team on the rise with Yao Ming and Steve Francis is not staring down the barrell of mediocrity. Ming and Francis are a great duo, but the rotation players aren't strong enough to move them into true contender status.
New Jersey Nets
Prediction: 35-47
The nets cut Antoine Walker and let him go to Philadelphia. They stil have Kenyon Martin and Andrei Kirilenko, but added no real difference makers. This team lakes an identity and likely needs to look toward acquiring assets for the future.
Golden State Warriors
Prediction: 37-45
The Warriors are making their best effort to compete, but seem to be a team most likely to trade players for future assets with Jamison on an expiring contract and solid, older role players on the roster like Eddie Robinson and Aaron McKie.
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Leap Year
New York Knicks
Prediction: 52-30
The Knicks made the biggest move of the offseason acquiring superstar and DPOY Shawn Marion. He will now be paired with other elite defensive players Manu Ginobili and Ben Wallace to form a three-headed defensive monster that covers the perimeter, wing and post. All Jefferson looks ready to truly contribute on offense while Antonio Daniels will have to try and fill the shows of Kyle Korver, who went to Sacramento in the Marion trade. It is a big swing for the Knicks who have Marion on an expiring contract. If the experiment doesn't work early, look for them to try to move him.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Prediction: 44-38
OK, this is the year the Wolves finally take off... right? Carmelo Anthony, Tony Parker and Chris Bosh are a dynamic trio of young players that appear to be good enough to lead a playoff team. They also have veteran Chauncey Billups to guide them. Except...they had all that last year, too. Is the growth from the young stars enough to finally make the leap? Can Childress, David Lee and and Chuck Hayes form a dynamic bench squad? Either way, this team has a bright future but after this year, that future is about to get a lot more expensive.
Philadelphia 76ers
Prediction: 36-46
This young core of Chris Paul, Danny Granger, Caron Butler and rookie LaMarcus Aldridge may be too young to contend for a title but it is good enough now to give other teams fits on a nightly basis. Plus they added veteran Antoine Walker to bring some size and defense to their frontcourt. I expect them to make the biggest leap of any team this season.
Atlanta Hawks
Prediction: 35-47
Boozer and West continue their rise in Atlanta and have an improved support system around them this year with veteran Sam Cassell coming over via free agency and #1 overall pick Brandon Roy. Deng is a great defender on the wing but otherwise the defense is lacking. They'll be improved but aren't a playoff team in the East yet.
Memphis Grizzlies
Prediction: 33-49
Ownership has made a commitment to build and winner and they backed it up with $$. After being tied for a league worst record last year at 13-69, the Grizz signed veteran Gary Payton and coveted big man Nazr Mohammed. The Payton deal was a bit head scratching as he is 38 and well past his prime, but Mohammed will added needed defense and rebounding. This may also be the year the league takes notice of Gerald Wallace, who may be a DPOY candidate and the clear leader of this team. If Mehmet Okur or Ben Gordon make a leap, the Grizzlies could be decent.
Milwaukee Bucks
Prediction: 25-57
The Bucks should make a leap this year from the worst team in the league to ... not the worst team in the league. Will they be good? No. But they will be better. Rajon Rando is a high IQ stud who will run the offense from day one and reports out of camp say Andrew Bynum has figured it out and will be a starting center this team can build around. Beyond that, though, it is a team of rotation players with no true standouts.
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Long Black Road
Los Angeles Clippers
Prediction: 37-45
There are some interesting shooters on this team and Devin Harris revamped his diet and looks a lot stronger. Zach Randolph desperately wants to be in the All-Star conversation. But it doesn't look like enough yet.
Sacramento Kings
Prediction: 32-50
This is a new era for the Kings. Gone are the stars who lead them to two titles in 2001 and 2003. This is now a rebuilding franchise. With that said, I find it hard to believe the Kings will sit on their hands and they already have a good core of Korver and Krstic. This team has multiple players who can make it rain from deep.
Denver Nuggets
Prediction: 22-60
Denver added Raja Bell as a three point threat and Theo Ratliff for rim protection. Boris Diaw and Kwame Brown look like they will be good players for years to come. But Stackhouse is at the point in his career where he hurts more than he helps and Kyle Lowry needs more time to bake.
Detroit Pistons
Prediction: 20-62
The Pistons have too few young players who might become elite and no veterans that are difference makers. Okafor will be fun to watch on defense, but it will be cold in Detroit this year.
Portland Trailblazers
Prediction: 17-65
Despite stars Rasheed Wallace and Bonzi Wells, the Trailblazers lack scoring depth or elite defense. With both stars on their last year of deals, is this the year the Blazers blow it up? |
