RK (LW) TEAM REC
1 (1) SPURS 57-16
I’m not going to demote the Spurs, at least not yet. I understand they are on a 3-game losing streak, but they are 3.5 games ahead of Chicago, for the best record. Timmy will probably be out for another two weeks and Manu may miss a game or two because of the collision he suffered with the Grizzlies Mark Gasol, but it will take a longer losing streak by the Spurs for me to promote anyone to the number one spot.
2 (4) LAKERS 53-20
The Los Angeles Lakers are clearly the favorite to repeat and I must say, if Miami does not make it to the finals, the Lakers will 3-peat. I am going on record right now to predict that there is no other team in the East other than Miami that can defeat the Lakers in a 7-game series and that includes the Celtics, who have clearly taken a step backwards since trading their defensive center Kendrick Perkins.
3 (3) BULLS 53-19
The Bulls may end up with the best coach and the league’s MVP in a Derrick Rose, but I will go on record right now to say the Bulls will not be the NBA Champions this season. The entire media world have anointed Derrick Rose as the league MVP and he probably will end up with the award, but if you review the numbers by points, assist, rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage and free throw percentage, you’ll realize that Lebron, Dwight and Wade are way ahead of D-Rose. I think everyone ignores two things. First, Rose is only shooting 43.9%, the second lowest for an MVP if he wins (Iverson 42%), second, Tom Thibodeau has been an absolute genius as a coach on defense and he’s really doesn’t get enough credit. Everyone talks about how many games Boozer and Noah have missed, but if Rose was to miss the Bulls next 10 games, at the very worst, they’ll end up with a 6-4 record.
4 (5) HEAT 51-22
For the second time in a non overtime game in the history of the NBA, three players from the same team posted at least 30 points and 10 or more rebounds and that is exactly what Lebron, D-Wade and Bosh did against the Rockets. The only team I thought could beat the Heat in a 7-game series was the Celtics, but with their recent slippage, I think the Heat might make it to the finals and if they do, they will win the NBA Title.
5 (6) MAVERICKS 52-21
The Mavericks are in an excellent position to upset the Spurs, but as we all know, the championship will go through L.A and the Mavericks will not beat the Lakers 4 times in a 7-game series. I expect them to battle the Lakers in the Western Conference Semi -Finals, but that is where I expect their season to end.
6 (2) CELTICS 51-21
The Celtics are stumbling and though management may not admit it, trading Kendrick Perkins was the worst mistake. To compound that mistake, Rondo is injured and unless Shaq returns and plays better than he did in last year’s playoffs, the Celtics will lose to the Miami Heat in the second round of the Eastern Conference.
7 (7) THUNDER 48-24
Kevin Durant’s MVP credentials are continuing to fall and it has nothing to do with the play of D-Rose, Lebron and Dwight, it has everything to do with his own teammate Russell Westbrook. Against the Blazers when Durant was completely shut down by the Blazers Gerald Wallace, it was Westbrook that stepped up and hit some timely 3s that led to a 99-90 victory against the Blazers. Without Westbrook, the Thunder are barely a .500 team, which is why Durant is not seriously being considered an MVP candidate this season despite leading the league in scoring.
8 (8) MAGIC 47-26
The Magic have gone about their business quietly and are currently on a 5-game winning streak. Dwight Howard has been an absolute beast during the streak averaging 25.8ppg, 16.4rpg, 3.6bpg while shooting a whopping 69.5 percent from the field, but somehow the NBA is on a super hyper promotion of Derrick Rose, whose numbers dwarf’s Dwight.
9 (9) NUGGETS 44-29
The Nuggets stumbled a little bit with two losses, but are right back on track and currently on a 3-game winning streak. This team is much better off without Carmelo Anthony, but the real test will be how they perform in the playoffs.
10 (10) HAWKS 42-32
The feeling I get is that Hawks are more interested in the off-season than the playoffs and are not operating like a confident bunch. There is no way this team makes it out of the Eastern Conference Semis. It wouldn’t surprise me to them knocked out by the Sixers in the first round either.
11 (11) TRAIL BLAZERS 42-31
I don’t expect the Blazers to overtake the Nuggets for the fifth seed in the Western Conference, but I expect them to hold on to the sixth. I know the Hornets are breathing down their necks, but when it’s all said and done, the Blazers will finish sixth in the West. The addition of Gerald Wallace has really been a plus for the Blazers. He is capable of putting up huge numbers and gave a sample of that by scoring 40 points against the Thunder.
12 (12) HORNETS 42-32
Losing forward David West for the rest of the season was a major blow, but I still expect the Hornets to make the playoffs as a seventh or eighth seed in the Western Conference. Without West, the Hornets will be a quick first round out, but they will definitely make the playoffs.
13 (13) GRIZZLIES 41-33
The Memphis Grizzlies are fighting for dear life, but with a 2.5 game lead over the Rockets making the playoffs seems very likely. Losing Rudy Gay for the rest of the season will not stop them from making the playoffs, but it will lead to an early playoff exit.
14 (14) ROCKETS 38-35
The Rockets were sporting a 5-game winning streak before facing the Miami Heat and did everything they could before losing 119-125 to the Heat in Miami. The road doesn’t get any easier with 3 of their next 5 games coming against teams with .500 or better winning records. The good thing is that 3 of those 5 games will be at home.
15 (15) 76ERS 37-36
Losing to the Heat in Miami is acceptable, but their 114-111 overtime loss to Sacramento was a major blow. The only positive is that they are currently 2 games ahead of the Knicks who are sporting a 6-game losing streak. Regardless of what happens down the stretch, I expect the Sixers to end up with the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.
16 (17) SUNS 36-36
The schedule dealt the Suns a very difficult blow and it happened at the worst time of the season. Three of their last four games (all losses) were against the Lakers, Hornets and Mavericks. The news doesn’t get any better for the Sun either, because 6 of their last 10 games of the regular season are against title contenders. The Suns will have to finish with an 8-2 record or better for them to have any chance of making the playoffs and that seems highly doubtful considering their schedule over the next 10 games.
17 (16) KNICKS 35-38
The Knicks are sporting a 6-game losing streak, but they are still 4.5 games ahead of the Bobcats with only 9 games left, so I definitely expect them to make the playoffs. I think once they get to the playoffs, you’ll finally see why the Knicks got Carmelo. He is a big game player and in a 7-game series where the game is slowed down, the Knicks will have a guy who is capable of making big shots down the stretch. I don’t think that will be enough to advance, but it will certainly be interesting to see how things unfold.
18 (18) JAZZ 36-38
The Jazz will miss the playoffs this year and I expect them to go into major rebuilding mold this off-season. At this point, I think every player on this team is expandable, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see a completely new starting lineup come next season.
19 (20) WARRIORS 32-42
GSW took advantage of the schedule and manhandled two sub .500 teams, the Raptor and Wizards. After losing their previous 6 games, the Warriors beat the Raptors and Wizards by a combined 48 points. Monte Ellis was a beast in both games and averaged 32ppg and 11.5apg on 56 percent shooting from the field.
20 (19) PACERS 32-42
The Pacers are in serious trouble and if they keep alternating wins and losses, they could find themselves out of the play race very quickly. To assure a playoff berth, the Pacers will have to finish the season with a 6-2 record.
21 (22) BOBCATS 30-42
The Bobcats must finish the season with a record of 7-3 or better in order for them to make the playoffs. They are currently sporting a 2-game winning streak and I think they are more capable of going on a run than the Pacers, which is why I expect the Bobcats to beat out the Pacers for the eighth and final playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.
22 (21) BUCKS 29-43
The Bucks are 2 games out of the playoffs and I think by the time the regular season ends, they will still be out of the playoffs. I watch their game against the Bulls, a 99-90 loss, and I know the Bulls have the best record in the Eastern Conference, but that Bucks had the game under control until down the stretch. They fell apart in a game that they had to win to keep their playoffs hopes alive and at that moment it became obvious to me that the Bucks will not make the playoffs.
23 (23) CLIPPERS 29-45
The Clippers have an 8-5 record over their last 13 games and have adjusted very well to Mo Williams, their newly acquired point guard. Baron Davis was a better all around point guard, but Williams is definitely a better shooter. His shooting along with Eric Gordon has really helped open the floor for Griffin and Kaman, a trend that will obviously improve come next season.
24 (24) PISTONS 26-47
The Pistons are playing better basketball as of late and Rip Hamilton in particular has returned back to his old form averaging 17.8ppg over the last 5 games. My guess is Rip will finish the season strong in hopes of bolstering his trade value, because we all know his days in Detroit are numbered.
25 (27) KINGS 20-52
The Kings are winners of 4 of their last 5 games and the reason for this turnaround has to be Marcus Thornton. Over the last 5 games, Thornton averaged 24.8ppg, 6.6rpg and 4.8apg while making 49 percent of his shots from the field. Thornton is averaging 22ppg since joining the Kings via a trade from New Orleans. I am going on record to say that he will average between 23-25ppg next season and win the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award.
26 (25) NETS 23-49
Newly acquired Nets all-star point guard Deron Williams has been in and out of the lineup since joining the team due to some injuries, but he is expected to return soon to help the team finish the season strong. I think it’s imperative that the Nets finish strong so that when next season rolls around, Williams will be satisfy with the direction of the team and sign the extension the team will certainly offer him.
27 (25) RAPTORS 20-53
I think the Raptors need to blow up the team and rebuild, starting with signing a new general manager. I think this team has a lot of potential and could get lucky in the draft, but their future will depend on how they draft, which is why it would be wise to bring in someone with a completely new perspective.
28 (28) WIZARDS 17-55
The Wizards are a nice young team with a boatload of potential, which will increase even more when the draft rolls around. I think this team needs a player who can command scoring in the post to play alongside their shot blocking sensation JaVale McGee. The Perimeter is already solid with Wall, Young and Lewis and once Wall improves his shooting, the Wizards could move up really quickly.
29 (29) TIM BERWOLVES 17-57
Kevin Love has missed 4 games if you include the game against the Kings in which he played only 14 minutes, but had to leave early after injuring his groin. The team is contemplating shutting Love down for the remainder of the season and why not? They have absolutely nothing to play for. They have the worst record in the Western Conference and even if Love returns, might still end up with the last seed in the West.
30 (30) CAVALIERS 14-58
The Cavaliers have the worst record in the league and will more than likely end up with the league’s worst record, but for all the Cavaliers haters, I must warn you that depending on how the balls bounces during the lottery, this team could easily make the playoff next season and probably even advance past the first round. As of now, there is a hostile crowd in Cleveland anticipating the second return of Lebron on Tuesday.
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