All-NBA Team Predictions

All NBA Teams

With the NBA season officially underway, here are my predictions for this year’s All-NBA teams. It’s familiar faces, for the most part, with a few newcomers and a couple of players returning from injury. Unfortunately, I had to leave off some studs, because the NBA is loaded with All-Star caliber players. No disrespect to Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Carmelo Anthony, LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Bosh, and Kevin Love.

1^st Team

G-  Steph Curry
G-  James Harden
F-  LeBron James
F-  Anthony Davis
C-  Marc Gasol

2^nd Team

G-  Russell Westbrook
G-  Chris Paul
F-  Kevin Durant
F-  Kawhi Leonard
C-  Andre Drummond

3^rd Team

G-  John Wall
G-  Damian Lillard
F-  Jimmy Butler
F-  Blake Griffin
C-  DeAndre Jordan

1^st Team Defense

G-  Chris Paul
G-  Tony Allen
F-  Kawhi Leonard
F-  Jimmy Butler
C-  DeAndre Jordan

All-Rookie 1^st Team

G-  Emmanuel Mudiay
G-  Justice Winslow
F-  Stanley Johnson
F-  Karl-Anthony Towns
C-  Jahlil Okafor

Grayson Gold Garvey

NBA Division Preview: Northwest

The Northwest Division could be a runaway train with the Oklahoma City Thunder being the best team by far. They get former MVP Kevin Durant back to go with Russell Westbrook who had an MVP-like season last year. The rest of the division is a question mark but hey, you never know. 

Oklahoma City Thunder: It’s simple for the Thunder, have Durant and Westbrook play like MVP’s and Billy Donovan not get in the way. The new guy in charge is coming from the college game so it will be interesting to see how he adapts to the difference in culture and dealing with two superstar players like Durant and Westbrook.
Player to watch: Steven Adams
Prediction: 55-27

Minnesota Timberwolves: After having the last two top overall picks the Wolves are bound for some success, right? They’ll head into the season with heavy, heavy hearts after the passing of head coach Flip Saunders Sunday afternoon. One person on the team who will have the heaviest of hearts and will play this season for one reason, Flip Saunders, is Kevin Garnett. KG came back to where his career started because of Flip and KG will look to teach the young duo of Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns how to be great and will look to give the T-Wolves some life again. 
Player to watch: Andrew Wiggins
Prediction: 35-47

Utah Jazz: The Jazz are still trying to build a contending team and have some of the pieces falling into place. Second year big man Rudy Gobert is the anchor for the team going forward under second year coach Quin Snyder. The frontcourt along side Gobert of Gordon Hayward and Derek Favors will have to be the reason for the team’s success. Trey Burke looks to take the next step in becoming a top tier point guard. 
Player to watch: Trey Burke
Prediction: 32-50

Portland Tail Blazers: Portland has one starter coming back from last year’s team that won 51 games. All-Star Damian Lillard is the lone guy returning. The production is sure to drop but not as much as people might think. The loss of LaMarcus Aldridge to free agency is huge, but Meyers Leonard and Mason Plumlee look to take charge for the Trail Blazers. The division will go through the Thunder but second place is up for grabs. 
Player to watch: C.J. McCollum
Prediction: 30-52

Denver Nuggets: Emmauel Mudiay is going to be the guy. The rookie is going to be asked to do too much at times which will lead to rookie mistakes. The Nuggets don’t have any other firepower to compete in the division, let alone the conference. Forward Kenneth Faried will have to be much more than a 12 and 8 player if they want to stay relevant. 
Player to watch: Emmanuel Mudiay
Prediction: 20-62. 

Stephen Springer, Follow him on Twitter @stephen_springs 

NBA Preseason Awards

2015-2016 Award Predictions

Rookie of the Year: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota could have back-to-back Rookie of the year winners after Andrew Wiggins took the award last season. The ROTY award could go to many different guys, Jahlil Okafor in Philadelphia, Stanley Johnson in Detroit, D’Angelo Russell out in L.A., or Emmanuel Mudiay in Denver. All of those players have the chance to do great things this year for their respective teams but the big man in Minnesota and the number one pick is going to run away with it down the road.

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets

This one is easy and could go to Dwight every year but much like the MVP, they’d get tired of giving it to him. I do think there are a couple other guys who might deserve it more but lets face it, Dwight holds down the middle better than anyone in the game. Not to mention he’s one of the best all around big men in the game. If the Rockets want to get to the next level and come out of the West, Howard will need to play like former Rockets great Hakeem Olajuwon.

Sixth Man of the Year: Paul Pierce, Los Angeles Clippers

I never thought it would be possible for the future Hall of Famer to be a sixth man but that’s what situation he’s going into. Lance Stephenson is going to get the nod at small forward over Pierce which means he’ll be next off the bench and seeing as how you never know what you’re going to with Stephenson, Pierce’s role could be that much bigger.

Coach of the Year: George Karl, Sacramento Kings

I won’t say that the Kings are back because they are still the Kings but if they are going to get back to being a contender then it’s going to start with Karl. He’s got some young pieces in place to start contending in a very difficult Western Conference and if he can get them to play together it’ll be one hell of an accomplishment for the one time Coach of the Year winner.

Most Improved Player: Harrison Barnes, Golden State Warriors

The former preseason All American as a freshman at North Carolina, Barnes is finally coming into his own. Barnes got the start last season over Finals MVP Andre Iguodola and after a year under his belt in the starting role, the Tar Heel is ready for that next jump.

Most Valuable Player: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

He didn’t win it last year so it’s only natural wins it this year. James carried the Cavs to the brink of an NBA title and very well could have won the award last season. He is still the best player on the planet and is determined to take his home state to the promise land. Along the way he’ll capture his fifth MVP award which having his best season in the NBA.

Dark Horse MVP Candidate: Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

Yes, Dwyane Wade and his 60-year old knees. The Heat have a strong enough roster to compete in the East for a top seed when the playoffs come around but D Wade will have to be the D Wade that carried the Heat to a title in 2006. Wade admitted that LeBron knows the Heat are coming for him and if he wants to follow through on that he’ll have to have nothing short of an MVP season.

Stephen Springer, Follow him on Twitter @stephen_springs

NBA Preseason Awards

2015-2016 Award Predictions

Rookie of the Year: Emmanuel Mudiay, Denver Nuggets
Mudiay is the most NBA ready rookie coming into the season. He is a freak athlete and will be thrown right into the starting point guard role for the Nuggets. He has a lot of room to grow, but his raw talent and instincts will be enough for him to survive in the West this year. This season could be very similar to Tyreke Evans’ ROTY campaign.

Coach of the Year: Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics
Brad Stevens is a guy that has always gotten the most out of his players. This season, Stevens’ will get the Celtics back in the playoffs, and will fight with the Raptors for the Atlantic division crown. I expect second year players Marcus Smart and James Young to really come into their own this year and the addition of David Lee will solidify their frontcourt. Don’t be surprised if the Celtics overachieve and Stevens leads them to a playoff series win.

Most Improved Player Award: Giannis Antetokounmpo
If it weren’t for Jimmy Butler’s ascent, the Greek Freak could have easily won this award last year. NBA scouts know that there is no ceiling for this kid and he will continue to get better as he polishes his game and improves his outside shot. Expect big things from Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks in 2016.

Defensive Player of the Year: Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls
Butler might be the best wing defender in the Eastern Conference. He has the ability to guard three positions and can play 48 minutes when needed. Butler is constantly matched-up against the best player on opposing teams and has the task of guarding LeBron James, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony. Butler is one of the best two-way players in the game today.

Sixth Man of the Year: Isiah Thomas, Boston Celtics
I’m not really going out on a limb with this pick. Thomas is clearly the most explosive bench player in the NBA and will probably end up leading the Celtics in scoring, while playing close to 30 mpg. Thomas is capable of starting, but he seems to provide a better spark off the bench and is too much for second string point guards to handle. Thomas finished second in 6^th man voting last year.

Most Valuable Player: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
I’m pretty sure everybody picked Anthony Davis. This year just seems right for the All-NBA forward. Davis is a double-double machine and puts up 25 ppg with relative ease. Expect Davis to continue to progress with the help of new coach Alvin Gentry who will look to improve his outside shot. If Davis can hit 20 foot jumpers with regularity, then there is no defending him. It also helps that the voters seem to be tired of voting for LeBron James.

Dark Horse MVP Candidate: DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings
Cousins has already stated that the MVP is his to win, so why shouldn’t we believe him? He seems to be a pretty rational guy, right? Anyway, he really is a beast and can put up crazy numbers. The issue is that nobody is going to vote for him if the Kings only win 30 games. If Sacramento can somehow manage to float above water and contend for a playoff spot, it is going to be because of DeMarcus Cousins.

Grayson Gold-Garvey, Follow him on Twitter @TheGraygo

NBA Divison Preview: Pacific

The Pacific Division produced the NBA Champions last season in the Golden State Warriors as well as the league MVP in Stephen Curry. This year it could do the same thing again. The division as a whole is getting better as Sacramento looks to get back to what they once were in the early 2000’s and the addition of Rajon Rondo should help that. You can’t talk about this division without talking about the return of Kobe Bryant to the Lakers. Bryant missed all but a few weeks of last season with a shoulder injury. His return doesn’t mean the Lakers are the favorites like they once were but it does make for a good storyline.

 

Golden State Warriors: When you have the reigning MVP and are the reigning NBA Champions you are going to be at the head of the class in your division. The Warriors have the target now and will be getting everyone’s best shot night in and night out. The duo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson was lights out last season from nearly everywhere on the court, which many believed shooters couldn’t win an NBA title. Head coach Steve Kerr believed that it could and in July that proved to be true.

Player to watch: Harrison Barnes

Prediction: 65-17

Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers knocked off perhaps the only team that could’ve beat the Warriors last season in the San Antonio Spurs. This year, Doc Rivers and his team look to be that team that knocks off the Warriors. This summer’s free agency was sort of a wild one that was headlined by DeAndre Jordan giving a verbal commitment to the Dallas Mavericks then backing out of that commitment to rejoin the Clippers. The team also added veteran Paul Pierce who was with Rivers in Boston when they won a title. Pierce will look to add wisdom and veteran leadership to a team that already has a leader in Chris Paul. If the Clippers want to take that next step they’ll need Blake Griffin to do the same thing and become the MVP they believe he can be.

Player to watch: Blake Griffin

Prediction: 58-24

Sacramento Kings: The Kings are an interesting team to say the least. They have a top 10 player in DeMarcus Cousins who if he can learn to coexist with his teammates and head coach George Karl. One of those teammates is Rajon Rondo. The once upon a time best point guard in the league joined the team in free agency after a disaster of a relationship in Dallas. I’m not saying Rondo and Cousins will be Mike Bibby and Chris Webber but if they can actually get along and not chirp at Karl, the Kings will be able to make noise. The team also went out and drafted former Kentucky big man Willie Cauley-Stein to boost the frontcourt and add more length. Don’t sleep on the Kings.

Player to watch: Rajon Rondo

Prediction: 50-32

Phoenix Suns: If you can name the next three guys off the bench for the Suns then you know more than most NBA fans. They let their best player go last season in Goran Dragic who is now with Miami. They did get Brandon Knight from Detroit who is a speed point guard who can distribute the ball well. (That is such a generic description of a point guard.) As for the rest of the starting five for head coach Jeff Hornacek; Eric Bledsoe will run with Knight and they will look down low for Tyson Chandler who joins the team after spending some time in Dallas. Markeiff Morris looks to take the next step for the Suns as they look to get to the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

Player to watch: Eric Bledsoe

Prediction: 45-37

Los Angeles Lakers: It pains me to write about the Lakers as potentially one of the worst teams in the NBA. I do think they’ll be better than last year solely because of Kobe Bryant. The 19-year veteran is coming off a shoulder injury, his second straight season that was cut short by injury, and he looks to end his career on a high note. The Lakers might have gotten one of the steals in draft when they got Ohio State point guard D’Angelo Russell with the second pick. The team also gets extra help inside with the signing of Roy Hibbert in free agency as well as their first round pick from 2012 in Julius Randle. The Lakers have a good nucleus but it is going to take some time for all these guys to come together and actually compete, sorry Kobe.

Player to watch: Julius Randle

Prediction: 40-42

Brad Frantz, Follow him on Twitter @brad_nastee

NBA Division Preview: Southwest

The Southwest will once again prove to be the most dominant division in the NBA this year. All five teams will be fighting for the top spot. Regardless who comes out on top, each team (with the exception of Dallas) should easily make the playoffs. There is so much firepower residing in the Southwest it’s almost unfair.

Houston Rockets- The Rockets are dripping with star power and roster depth. The addition of Ty Lawson (despite his legal troubles) is everything they need to make a run at the title. With Lawson and Harden both finishing in the top ten in assists per game, they should not have much trouble moving the ball around. If Harden can reduce his turnover rate, and lead the league in scoring this season, the Rockets might see themselves in the finals. The only weaknesses that might get in the way are turnovers and rebounding. After being only three wins away from the finals last year, you know the Rockets are determined to do whatever they can to make it there. They just have to stay healthy, rotate players accordingly and not turnover the ball in big game situations.

Player to watch: Ty Lawson

Prediction: (60-22)

San Antonio Spurs- Where do I even start with the Spurs? It’s almost unfair how much star power they have on their team. They signed the biggest free agent, Lamarcus Aldridge, who alongside the rest of the team will do some serious damage on the court. The team is so well run, David West walked away from $10 million to come to San Antonio to chase a ring. With Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, Green and Leonard returning and the addition of Lamarcus Aldridge and David West, this Spurs team is on it’s way to at least 3-4 championships in years to come.

Player to watch: Kawhi Leonard

Prediction: (59-21)

Memphis Grizzlies- Coming off a disappointing yet exciting season, the Grizzlies should prove to be a bigger threat than last year. The re-signing of powerhouse Marc Gasol was huge for them. Alongside Zach Randolph, Gasol should have a lot of fun putting on a clinic this season. Look for Mike Conley to step up and cement himself as one of the all time greats to run the point. Conley is severely underrated, expect an average of at least 17 PPG and 8 APG. He has a lot of targets to get the ball to, and we saw what he can do last year against the 76ers, putting up a career-high 36 points. The Grizzlies proved last year that they can hang with the best of them, let’s just hope their older group of guys can make a run at the title now before it’s too late.

Player to watch: Brandan Wright

Prediction: (54-28)

New Orleans Pelicans- The Pelicans did about as much in the offseason as Frank Ocean has done since releasing his first album. It seems as if they are dead set on putting all their focus on Anthony Davis, which is probably the smartest thing they can do right now. Davis has proved since arriving in the NBA that he is one of the top three players in the league. He can hit from anywhere on the court, but it seems as though he may be hampered by a somewhat mediocre supporting cast. The most exciting acquisition for the Pelicans is former Golden State assistant head coach, Alvin Gentry. You remember Alvin, he used to coach the Suns and most recently helped Golden State win a title. This should increase their chances at developing into a championship calibre team.

Player to watch: Anthony Davis

Prediction: (53-29)

Dallas Mavericks- One of the biggest stories of the offseason was the entire DeAndre Jordan debacle. Jordan would have certainly improved The Mavs’ chance at another playoff appearance, but do they really need him? They acquired a somewhat decent Center in Zaza Pachulia who has been in the league long enough to provide a good sense of security. The loss of Tyson Chandler will most likely prove to be more painful than the screw-job Jordan pulled on them. The signing of a frustrated Deron Williams should give them a glimpse of hope. Don’t count out Dallas just yet. A lot of older players have joined the organization in years past and have worked hard, contributed and made the team a lot better than years before. It’s almost as if Dirk brings out the best in everyone, not to mention Rick Carlisle might be one of the best coaches in the league. Look for a mediocre start, and a strong finish from the Mavs this season.

Player to watch: Justin Anderson

Prediction (46-36)

Matt Conner, Follow him on Twitter @matt_conner