NBA Predictions Recap
Back in November I made predictions about this year’s NBA season. The year is almost over, so along with going back to having my Thursday nights free — I’ll miss you Earnie, Kenny and Charles! — I can see if I had any sense at all earlier on in the year.
Western Conference finals: San Antonio Spurs over Houston Rockets (Dallas Mavericks over Phoenix Suns)
0-2!
The Rockets didn’t even make the playoffs. I was sure that this was going to be the year when Yao and McGrady finally got it together to be the next Shaq and Kobe. Not so much. McGrady spend a big chunk of the season going through personal problems that limited him on the court, and Yao is still soft. Next year. Next year….
San Antonio looked all year like they’d be solid and hold up at least half of my prediction, but they ran in to the slightly less dinged-up Mavs in the Semis and went fishing. Still, I’d pick them again if I had it to do over again.
Eastern Conference finals: Miami Heat over Indiana Pacers (Miami Heat over Detroit Pistons)
I was half right here, which is pretty good, although I will admit to being pretty sure during the season that Detroit was the team to beat. Lesson: it’s hard to go wrong betting with a 7′1″, 350lb. dude with a great big chip on his sholder. Forget everything they say about D-Wade. Shaq is the reason Miami is where they are today. They’d have been out in the quarters agains the Bulls without him.
Indiana just has the worst of luck every year. If it’s not Ron Artest jumping on to the stands, beating the hell out of some dude and getting half the team suspended, it’s Ron Artest deciding that he doesn’t want to play and keeping his team an all-star quality player down for half of the season. Wait a second, they don’t have bad luck, they had Ron Artest. D’oh!
NBA finals: Miami Heat over San Antonio Spurs (Heat v. Mavs, TBD)
If Miami wins can I consider myself correct here? Three quarters correct? Half? Eh.
Worst record: New Orleans Hornets (Portland Trailblazers)
Damn you, Chris Paul. The Hornets should have really, really sucked this year. Their city was under water and they didn’t really have any competent players. Leave it to some silly rookie to come in and average 16 points, eight assists and two steals per game.
The Blazers, on the other hand, are in complete disarray. It’s an ownership question, really. If you’re going to have a software billionaire own your team, you need one who made their cash flipping a silly company to Yahoo, not building up one of the most important corporations in the world. Shame on you, Paul Allen, for working hard instead of getting lucky.
Most Valuable Player: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers (Steve Nash)
This was a crazy year for the MVP race. I can see why Nash won — half of his team had career years with him at the healm — but an equally good case could have been made for several others. LeBron and Kobe both carried teams that probably shouldn’t have even been in the playoffs to very respectable performances. Elton Brand took the freaking Clippers to the second round, and is the nicest guy in basketball to boot. Tony Parker got a team with two banged up superstars — Tim Duncan and MANU GINOBILI — to the conference semis and the second best record in the league. Etc. etc. The one call I’ll make for next year is that LeBron will definitely be the MVP. You heard it here first.
Rookie of the Year: No strong opinion. I’ll say Wayne Simien, Miami Heat (Chris Paul, NO/OKc Hornets)
I’ll take homer picks for 1,000, Alex. The Kansas standout barely played. I’m not quite sure what I was thinking going with a big playing behind Shaq, Walker, ‘Zo and Haslem. Oh well. At least I only made one homer pick.
Coach of the Year: Phil Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers (Avery Johnson, Dallas Mavericks)
Did I say one homer pick? I meant two homer picks. This was the hear when the Zen Master was supposed to take the rag tag group of misfits that is the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA Finals and beat Shaq and start a second three-peat. Yeah. Perhaps not. He did get them to the playoffs, which for that group is pretty impressive.
Defensive Player of the Year: Ron Artest, Indiana Pacers (Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons)
You know, I think the only reason he doesn’t win this award is because he’s a troublemaker. Ben Wallace won again. (Which is a sham in and of itself, because even if Artest wasn’t the better defensive player — and he was — Bruce Bowen was easily the more important stopper.) It’s like all you have to do is throw a few punches at fans and WHAMMO, no more awards for you. Oh well.
Sixth Man Award: Antoine Walker, Miami Heat (Mike Miller, Memphis Grizzlies)
‘Tonie didn’t come on strong until the end of the year, but still it was probably dumb to pick him because of the whole playing-with-Shaq factor. (You don’t win awards when you’re on Shaq’s team.) If Corey Maggette agrees to come off the bench next year, he’ll be a lock for the award.
I’d say something about Mike Miller, but eh. Memphis.
Most Improved Player: Marko Jaric, Minnesota Timberwolves (Boris Diaw, Phoenix Suns)
OK so I can’t complain about this one. Diaw — playing center at 6′8″, which is crazy in and of itself — is the #2 reason — behind Nash — for the Sun’s success. Without one more big to step up there with Marion they would have been way too small and wouldn’t have stood a chance. Further, how can you deny the wonder of a center putting up back-to-back triple doubles?
Maybe this was a third homer pick? Jaric was a Clipper last year, traded for Sam I Am in a deal that probably cemented Clippers’ GM Elgin Baylor as executive of the year.
Executive of the Year: Pat Riley, Miami Heat (Elgin Baylor, Los Angeles Clippers)
The only thing more bizarre than the Clippers making the playoffs is anybody ascoiated with their front office winning an award. They’ve been the most derided group in basketball — perhaps in sports in general — for years and years and years. Elgin’s off-season moves to bring in Cassell and Mobley, his commitment to keep Brand and Maggette and his draft picks over the last few years — in particular Chris Kaman and Shaun Livingston — have build a damn good team. I’ve got them up there with San Antonio and Dallas next year.
Riley, however, could end up the ultimate winner. His team is in the finals and is definitely peaking, and his off-season acquisitions of Posey, Walker, White-Chocolate and Payton are a big part of how they got there. (To say nothing of stealing Shaq from the Lakers two years back.)
Well, another NBA season come and gone. It’ll be tough to find something to do on Thursday nights, but I think I can persevere. Well, at least until the draft. And the World Games this summer. And training camp….