Since it's still the preseason, I think it’s a great time to put together a little preview of the NBA as a whole, and make a few predictions about what will occur this season. So here are my predictions for the NBA by division, feel free to rib me about my predictions in June if they fall drastically short.
Pacific Division Division Winner: Los Angeles Lakers
They may struggle, they may fight, and they may be the biggest bunch of babies and prissies anyone has ever seen, but they can play basketball.
The Lakers are built around the most dominant center to set foot in the NBA in the last 20 years (Shaquille O’Neal), they have a shooting guard that seems to combine the skills of Magic and Michael and is just as dominant (Kobe Bryant), and they have a coach that is deeper mentally than the San Andreas fault they play on (Phil Jackson).
What is there to be said about the Lakers, except the fact that if they can simply make he playoffs, stay healthy, and be on the same page in March, they are unstoppable.
The only team in the Pacific that even has a shot at winning the Pacific, other than the Lakers, are the improved Sacramento Kings, and that’s a long shot. The Kings have traded J-Won’t (Jason Williams) for Mike Bibby, and essentially moved into a new stratosphere. I liked Williams despite his uncontrolled play, but even I can’t deny that Bibby is a huge improvement at the point position. By trading Williams for Bibby the Kings have acquired a point guard that is as young and as talented as Williams, yet with more control, better team play, and substantially better leadership qualities.
Despite their improvements, the Kings still have no answer for Shaq or Kobe, and that equals a loss in the playoffs, and the Lakers winning the Pacific, the West, and eventually the NBA championship for a three peat.
Most Improved: The Clippers The most improved team in the Pacific is obviously the Clippers. The Clippers have put together one of the youngest and potentially most talented teams in the league, of course the problem is they are all way too young, and way too raw, and their coach isn’t stellar either.
The Clippers will probably improve by about 10 wins, which for he Clippers is amazing, but the real test for the Clippers will be if they can mature their players and actually retain them afterward. (Lamar Odom, Elton Brand, Michael Olowokandi)
The Sleeper Team: Seattle Supersonics Most experts and NBA analysts have written off the Sonics, which is probably what makes them such a dangerous sleeper. The Sonics have one dominant superstar in GP, but they also have the occasionally dangerous Vin Baker and the developing Rashard Lewis. The Sonics are not a championship threat, but they are certainly a threat to make the playoffs and upset good teams on any given night.
Midwest Division
Division Winner: San Antonio Spurs
My reluctant pick to win the Midwest has to be the Spurs. The Spurs completely collapsed against the Lakers in the playoffs and looked lost, but they are still strong and clearly the strongest team in their division. The Spurs had a lot of changes in the off-season, not all positive, but they were able to get Steve Smith and re-sign David Robinson, which essentially salvaged the off-season.
The Mavericks may present the Spurs some competition led by Michael Finley, and Dirk Nowitzki, but they don’t have the inside presence or the experience to overcome a team like San Antonio, so San Antonio is the pick.
Most Improved: Houston
I’m not willing to go out on a limb and say Houston is definitely a playoff team, but they have the potential to be one. The Rockets still have Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley, but they have also added Glen Rice, and drafted a potentially explosive player in Eddie Griffin. The Rockets have become a new look team that for the first time in almost two decades no longer has Hakeem Olajuwon, and that fact may be a good thing. Look for the Rockets to make waves in the Midwest.
Sleeper: Utah
Anyone that knows me knows I hate the Jazz and everything about them, but the fact is they have talent. The Jazz are certainly not a championship contender or even expected to make it past the first round if they make the playoffs, but they are dangerous.
Karl Malone is aging and Stockton is falling apart fast, but they know their system, and know how to win, their bodies just aren’t getting it done. The Jazz are a team that can play the spoiler any night, but don’t look for them to do anything in March or to make ay type of playoff noise.
Central Division
Division Winner: Milwaukee Bucks
George Karl is certifiable, but when it comes to motivation, no one is better, and no one wants to win more. The Bucks are a good team and they can and will win regular season games.
How far the Bucks go is really dependent on where their heads are at when the playoffs start and how many conspiracy theories George creates this year, but the regular season is a lock. The Bucks will be the division champs, but they have the potential to be bounced from the playoffs at any point if they lose focus, and my bet is they will.
Most Improved: Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks have gone from being one of the doormats of the central to a legit team that can win any game at any time. The Hawks acquired Shareef Abdur-Rahim, probably the most underrated PF in the NBA, and at the same time have added an adequate supporting cast. The Hawks probably aren’t a playoff team this year (they need a better point guard), but with Ratliff holding down the middle, Shareef scoring up front, Kukoc draining threes, and Jason Terry becoming the next GP, they are more than dangerous, they are a little scary.
Sleeper: Charlotte Hornets
I’m not sure how much of a sleeper they are, but they’re the only other team in the Central I see as having a shot in hell of doing anything, so they get the award by default.
Nonetheless they are a quality team. The Hornets are lead by the explosive Baron Davis, Elden Campbell, and Jamal Mashburn. The Hornets can beat anyone at any time, but they can only go as far as thy can carry Derrick Coleman’s chunky butt. Derrick Coleman is plagued by the same weight issues as Vin Baker, and like Baker he claims to have solved them, but no one will buy into that story until he proves it on the court.
Atlantic Division Division Winner: Philadelphia
This may be my hardest and most controversial pick, but I think Philly has the tools to at least repeat as division champs.
The Sixers still have the nucleus that got them to the Finals, but the real test (as always with Philly) will be he injuries. Allen Iverson is still an MVP type player, but he is banged up, and Aaron Mckie may still be the sixth man in the league, but he is also banged up. The injuries don’t get much better going down the line with Lynch recovering from surgery, and the often inured and fragile Eric Snow once again hurting himself, without actually doing anything on the court except passing to Iverson.
Regardless of all of that I still think Philly can win the Atlantic, and if they stay healthy can go to the Finals. Orlando may challenge and make a ruckus, but Orlando’s front line has more combined years of playing experience than I have years on this earth, and that doesn’t bode well for Orlando as far as injuries and health down the stretch. To make matters worse Grant Hill missed almost all of last season with injuries, and the Magic are depending on him to be a Magic Johnson type point guard.
Most improved: Toronto
Toronto was not a bad team last year by any stretch of the imagination, but they have improved while locking Vince Carter up for the foreseeable future.
Toronto only made one major change, but that one change combined with the maturation of their current players should add up to a deep playoff run. Hakeem Olajuwon will be a great center for Toronto if he stays healthy, and when you combine him with Antonio Davis, Mo Peterson, and Vince Carter you have a legitimate Eastern Conference contender.
My only reservation about the Raptors is the question of whether Vince Carter can develop an edge and a killer instinct. Vince is a great player but the fire to win seems to be lacking, if Vince can find a way to tap his killer instinct then the Raptors may be unstoppable.
Sleeper: Miami Heat
For some weird reason everyone has written Miami off, but they still have an incredible coach (Pat Riley) and a good nucleus of players, and that equals wins in the East.
Alonzo Mourning is coming off of a life threatening illness, but when you combine ZO with Brian Grant, that equals up to an incredible frontcourt that can bang with anyone. Yet and still, the Heat’s biggest asset may still be Eddie Jones. The talented 2 can do it all, and is defensively one of the best guards the league has seen in years.
The Heat will make the playoffs, and if they get the right seeding they may make the second or third round.
Eastern Conference Champ: Toronto Western Conference Champ: LA Lakers
NBA Champ: LA
Goat of the Week: The Philadelphia trainer. All of the players in the NBA take a beating, but no one takes a beating like Philly players. I’m not sure if Philly players are always injured because of a poor training staff or because their players are just injury prone (Eric Snow obviously is), but they have to do a better job if Philly is ever going to capture an NBA championship.
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All opinions expressed in this column are solely the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of other columnists or staff of Sonicscentral.com