NBA 2012-13 Season Predictions

Dat'sa Me!

Sorry for the delay in this: a freaking hurricane made my life inconvenient. Once more with the clicking of the ads, please.

The East

Miami 58-24
Chicago 55-27
Boston 51-31
Philadelphia 49-33
Brooklyn 47-35
Indiana 45-37
Atlanta 43-39
Cleveland 38-44

Milwaukee 34-48
Toronto 30-52
Detroit 28-54
Washington 26-56
Orlando 24-58
Charlotte 16-66

Miami over Cleveland, Chicago over Atlanta, Boston over Indiana, Philadelphia over Brooklyn.

Miami over Philadelphia, Chicago over Boston, Miami over Chicago.

First Team: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Al Horford, Kevin Garnett and Joe Johnson
Second Team: Jrue Holiday, Josh Smith, Rajon Rondo, Kyrie Irving and Roy Hibbert
Rookie of the Year: Dion Waiters
Coach of the Year: Tom Thibodeau
All-Bust Team: Nene, Andrea Bargnani, Monta Ellis, Danny Granger and Andrew Bynum

The West

Oklahoma City 61-21
San Antonio 55-27
LA Clippers 54-28
LA Lakers 50-32
Portland 48-34
Denver 47-35
Houston 45-37
Utah 44-38

Dallas 43-39
Memphis 42-40
Golden State 37-45
Minnesota 36-46
Phoenix 35-47
New Orleans 25-57
Sacramento 22-60

Oklahoma City over Utah, San Antonio over Houston, Denver over Clippers, Lakers over Portland.

Oklahoma City over Denver, Lakers over San Antonio, Oklahoma City over Lakers

Miami over Oklahoma City

First Team: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Al Jefferson and Dwight Howard

Second Team: Kobe Bryant, Blake Griffin, Ty Lawson, James Harden and Serge Ibaka

Comeback Player of the Year: Derrick Rose

Most Valuable Player:James

Rookie of the Year: Anthony Davis

Coach of the Year: Tom Thibodeau

All-Bust Team: Nene, Andrea Bargnani, Monta Ellis, Danny Granger and Andrew Bynum

* * * * *

Yes, this is very much a chalk board, but the sad fact of the Association is now a chalk league. Miami and Oklahoma City are in their prime and entering their prime, respectively, and aren't going anywhere. San Antonio has great young talent to keep their front-line studs fresh. Chicago will hold their own in a weak conference, then get back Derrick Rose for the stretch run. The Clippers will be better than last year with their young bigs growing into defensive awareness and a little more of a post game. Boston and the Lakers have issues, but aren't going under 50 wins. There really isn't a surprise team that's poised to break the 50 win mark and be relevant, just as there really isn't an older team that's going to fall apart.

Now, all of that sounds pretty predictable and boring... but it's really not that way. We're going to see a ton of great games, with plenty of teams that are going to jell over the year, and unlike last year's weird sprint season, you won't have so many injuries and dead games where the schedule bones a club. Quality of play is going to go up, and there's going to be better games all over the schedule.

Anyway, those are the predictions; use in good health.

And if you really must have a deep sleeper to throw a Finals prop bet on... it's the Clippers. Chris Paul in a potential walk year is not to be underestimated, they are deeper and more cohesive, and they are no longer wasting meaningful minutes on dead enders like Reggie Williams and Nick Young. (From the East, it's my Sixers, even though I don't think they are going to get nearly what they are expecting from Andrew Bynum, at least not until later in the year. But when they do, it's a redux of the Dwight Howard Magic team, where the power guy benefits from a ton of solid work from the arc... but only if Bynum buys into ball movement. This club may be better, shudder, with Spencer Hawes at times. )