RK (LW) TEAM REC
1 Lakers 57-25
Kobe did not look up to speed during the pre season, due to the knee surgery he had this summer. Andrew Bynum could be out until late December or early next year, but the Lakers are the two time defending champs.
2 Celtics 50-32
The Celtics were actually up by 13 against the Lakers in game 7 and if Perkins was not injured, many believe that the Celtics would be the champions right now. Perkins is expected to out until later this year, but the Celtics more than filled in that void by adding the two O’Neals, Shaq and Jermaine along with guard Delonte West, which definitely makes them a better team on paper. But keep in mind, they are one year older.
3 Heat 47-35
Out of respect for the two Conference champs, Miami could not make the top two, but make no mistake about it they will be number one very soon. Miami had a lackadaisical pre season and now everyone seems to think there are holes in their arsenal. It seems as if people have a short term memory. For one, it was only pre season and secondly, D-Wade played only 3 minutes in the entire pre season. Mike Miller is out, but Jerry Stackhouse was a pretty nice addition. I look for Lebron, Chris and Dwyane (LCD) to storm out the gates quickly.
4 Magic 59-23
I understand the Magic have won 21 straight pre season games, but they are entering the 2010-11 season with practically the same roster from the past two seasons. The Roster that could beat the Lakers or the Celtics and in all probability will not beat the Heat in a seven game series, which is why I am ranking them fourth.
5 Spurs 50-32
I think the San Antonio Spurs will be the team that will challenge the Lakers this season. Tony Parker was injured for most of last season, but this year he is healthy and is in the final year of his contract. Rumor has it that Manu wants the Spurs to end up with the best record rather than coasting through the season. The emergence of second year forward Dejuan Blair and the addition of forward Tiago Splitter, will allow Tim Duncan to play less minutes during the season, which would mean a healthier Tim for the playoffs. The Spurs know this could be their last run so it wouldn’t surprise me if they ended up with the best record in the West.
6 Mavericks 55-27
The Mavs have always been a good offensive team, but I think they really addressed their defensive needs this summer by adding a defensive center in Tyson Chandler, who will back up Brandon Haywood, another defensive center. I think they are one of the few teams that truly have the size to contend with the Lakers bigs.
7 Jazz 53-29
Deron Williams is anxious to prove that he is the best point guard in the league and with the addition of Al Jefferson, the Jazz quietly made up for the loss of Carlos Boozer.
8 Thunder 50-32
The Oklahoma City Thunder have the 8th spot by default and this is because the Suns and the Hawks either stayed pat or took a step backwards. I am not buying into the notion that Kevin Durant, the nba’s newest poster child will be the MVP. I think the Thunder will be good, but I expect them to win less than 52 games, because they are no longer a surprise. To rank them any higher would be absurd at this point of the season.
9 Bulls 41-41
If the Bulls had to do it all over again, they would not have traded Kirk Hinrich. That was a move predicated on signing Lebron, Wade or Bosh, which as we know did not happen. Signing Bogans, Brewer and Korver help filled the void at shooting guard, but not Hinrich will still be missed as a backup point guard to Rose. The Bulls made up for this loss by signing Carlos Boozer, the interior scorer the Bulls have long coveted. I would have ranked them higher, but due to Carlos Boozer injury the 9th spot seemed fitting.
10 Trail Blazers 50-32
Greg Oden is back, for how long remains to be seen. If he plays 65 or more games this season, the Blazers would be the third best team in the West behind the Spurs and Lakers. I expect Blazers guard Wesley Matthew, to have a breakout year.
11 Hawks 53-29
The Hawks did stay pat, which is why I cannot rank them any higher than the 11th spot to start the season. I think the fact that they’ve played together for several years, should help them, but I really don’t see them as a team with any upside.
12 Bucks 46-36
The only reason I rank te Bucks behind the Hawks is because I want to see them play together first, but this team has some major upside. Bogut is back. Brandon Jennings is already and stud at the point guard position. Trading for Maggette filled their void at the small forward postion really nicely. And we know this team can defend. Need I say more? Yes I will repeat, this team has a major upside.
13 Rockets 42-40
Yao is back, but at 24 minutes a game, how effective will he really be? I think the Rockets chances of moving up rest solely on the injury prone legs of Yao Ming. If he plays the entire season, the Rockets will make the playoffs, if he doesn’t, then expect them to win 44 games or less, which might not be enough to make the playoffs in the West.
14 Nuggets 53-29
The Nuggets situation makes absolutely no sense at all. I have no doubt that Carmelo will be traded before the deadline, so why wait? I think the uncertainty surrounding Carmelo’s imminent departure, will be very detrimental to the team, which is why it would have be wise for the Nuggets to trade him before the season started. I guess that’s what happens when you have an inexperienced general manager.
15 Suns 54-28
The Suns will need another MVP type season from Nash and I’m not sure his 36 year old body will hold up. Then again maybe it just might, depending on how the additions of Turkoglu and Warrick plays out. Losing Amare was though, but if the Suns stay true to their run and gun style, then Turk and Warrick may end up being a better fit, at least for one season.
16 Clippers 29-53
Clippers forward Blake Griffin is my pick for ROY honors. I expect Griffin to average 17-19 ppg along with 10.5 to 12.5 rpg, which should help the Clips win 10 more games than last season’s 29 wins. Rookie small forward Al- Farouq Aminu will have to play well and Baron Davis will have to stay healthy in order for the Clips to win the 46-50 games needed to make the playoffs.
17 Grizzlies 40-42
The Grizzlies went undefeated in the pre season, which doesn’t count for much in my book, but at least it gives us an indication that the Grizzlies are better than last season.
18 Bobcats 44-38
Losing a defensive presence like Tyson Chandler and also point guard Raymond Felton put the Bobcats behind the 8 ball. However, I think they could still make the playoffs provided they keep Larry Brown. I don’t see the Bobcats having any upside, but if they lose Brown, that team could spiral downwards in a hurry.
19 Hornets 37-45
What if the Hornets had traded CP3 and Emeka Okafor to the Knicks for Eddy Curry and David Lee this summer? I think they would be in the same position they are in now, except that it would have giving them the financial flexibility they needed moving forward. They put all their eggs in the Chris Paul basket and unfortunately for them, he will be unhappy and they will not make the playoffs this season. I think they should have kept second year point guard Darren Collison, who I believe will average 17ppg and 8apg for the Indiana Pacers this season and look towards rebuilding. As it stands they didn’t which is why they will not make the playoffs and eventually I believe they will end up trading Paul anyway.
20 Knicks 29-53
The Knicks will improve without question and even though they may not be playoff bound yet, I expect their fate to change once they acquire Carmelo from Denver via a trade. In the main time, they will be very exciting to watch.
21 Wizards 26-56
The Wizards have rookie sensation John Wall, who I expect to finish second in the ROY race. They will be an exciting and fun team to watch throughout the season. However, they have to trade Gilbert Arenas because he is simply not a part of their future. The problem is, they will have a difficult time finding any takers for Arenas due to the 4 year / $80 million he still has left on his contract. I don't see them being in the playoff discussion until they solve this problem.
22 76ers 27-55
The Sixers are going to be very interesting this season under new head coach Doug Collins. They will play hard and they will be a good defensive team, but they are a long way from making the playoffs. I don’t think Andre Igoudala will end the season with the Sixers, because they are in serious need of star power and it’s apparent that rookie Evan Turner has a long way to go.
23 Cavaliers 61-21
I think the Cavaliers will surprise a lot of people this season. Yes, they loss Lebron, but they still have some guys with a lot of pride. If J.J. Hickson can get himself out of Baron Scott early season dog house, then I expect the young fellow to average around 15ppg and 9rpg, which should almost be enough to have the Cavs knocking on the playoff doors. In order for that to happen, Mo Williams will have to return to all-star form and Jamison will have to be in serious contention for the nba’s six man award.
24 Pacers 32-50
I think the Pacers got a steal when they traded for Darren Collison. What if I told you this second year point guard will average 17ppg and 8apg, you’d probably wonder where he came from. He came from the New Orlean Hornets whom practically gave him away for nothing. The Pacers have a major upside.
25 Warriors 26-56
Monte Ellis is a goner and the Warriors chances of moving up will depend on who they trade him for. He’s an excellent scorer, but the reality is he and Steph Curry and just too small on the defensive end, which is why the Warriors have to trade him. Nellie’s gone and new head coach Keith Smart is more defensive minded so I expect the Ellis-Curry back court to be broken up.
26 Timberwolves 15-67
The T-Wolves had an impressive pre season, even after losing Al Jefferson. They will do fine without Al, but should we be thinking playoffs, absolutely not. I expect to see a 10 to 15 game improvement from last season.
27 Kings 25-57
The Kings are my sleeper team in the West and even though DeMarcus Cousins will not win the ROY award, I expect big things from him. I am predicting he will finish third in the ROY race with a 15ppg and 8rpg average, which will propel the Kings to 42 wins this season.
28 Nets 12-70
Of all 30 nba teams, I would say the Nets had the most disappointing off season. I can’t imagine how a team with new owner Mikhail Prokhorov; worth $14 billion with the promise of moving to a new arena in Brooklyn in two years, couldn't even lure in free agent forward Carlos Boozer, let alone Lebron this summer. With over $30 million in cap space, the Nets did not sign any free agent. What a though start for the new owner who guaranteed that his team would win a championship in 1-5 years.
29 Pistons 27-55
The Pistons are bad, but I just couldn’t give a team with Tayshaun Prince, Rodney Stuckey, Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace and Tracy McGrady the last spot in week one.
30 Raptors 40-42
Is this the nba’s version of the Euroleague? Bargnani, Kleiza and Calderon. Whatever happened to the $14 million trade exception they got from Miami for Bosh? One thing is very clear now and that is Raptors G.M. Bryan Colangelo has a million miles to go if he ever expects to catch up to his father. With all this said, the Raptors will have to start the season ranked at the very bottom with the 30th ranking.
