I figured the all star break is the best time to reflect at all preseason comments and predictions .. so why not take this time to boast .. brag .. make fun of myself and shake my head at all that I said before the opening tip off of the 2007-2008 season.
We will start with the Western Confrence.
1) San Antonio Spurs - this was real close between them and Phoenix but I do believe that staying pat was the right thing for them to do. Their age, though, may come into question when the playoffs start.
I still agree with that and feel that keeping the team as was was the smartest thing to do. Only time will tell if they'll win but because of the Lakers and Suns trade my predictions were thrown out of whack. I, though, do like the Spurs over both of them at this current time. But as you'll soon see .. my predictions don't stand for much.
2) Phoenix Suns - As much as I've criticized them for their lack of defense there isn't a team that plays with more heart than this one. A very good team full of good character players. I'm not going out on a limb .. but I am saying they're my pick for champs this year.
I hate that I picked them to win it all. It goes against my "Defense wins championships" motto .. but I figured they'd come in with a huge chip on their shoulder after last season. Maybe the Shawn Marion trade demands hurt the team more than I thought it would .. but they look a lot more fresher with him out of there. I don't think they'll win the title now but I have them as probably the 3rd best team in the west.
3) Houston Rockets - Yes I do have them ahead of Dallas. I absolutely loved the moves that they made in the offseason and if Tracy McGrady's brittle back can hold up and if Yao can stay on the court (huge if's) they could be a sleeper to really make some strides this year. But because of the injury history .. I'm taking a chance by placing them this high.
Ugh. I hate Houston and always criticize their moves but I bought into the hype. All offseason I said Van Gundy was so much better than Adelman and that firing him was a mistake .. but then they made the transactions they did and I bought the hype. I back off of those current statements though they'll still make the playoffs. I still don't think they'll make it out the 1st round though.
4) Utah Jazz - I do believe that Deron Williams is a player with a huge upside and I could go on for days about how much I love Carlos Boozer and his style of play. I'm not a big fan of Mehmet Okur though .. and even though I am a huge fan of Andrei Kirilenko .. I'm wondering how he'll really adjust this season .. not only because of last year's dissapointment but also because of the offseason issues.
I pretty much agree with all of that
5) Dallas Mavericks - I know I'm giving them a huge drop off .. but I see it in order. I'm really confused with this team because they have the most talent but I don't think they play with enough heart. Not that they don't play hard every night .. but when things get rough .. fingers start getting pointed .. excuses start being made and unfortunately that's not the way to handle situations. It's cost them the last two years and I don't see why things would change.I agree with all of that as well.
6) Denver Nuggets - I like A.I. and 'Melo together .. but there's still not much about this team that scares me. A.I. reverted back to his old ways in the playoffs .. and just because he notches assists doesn't mean he seamlessly gets his teammates involved. Carmello is a nice talent but I think he's better as a second option type.I still pretty much agree with this .. though I hope they're the team that doesn't make the playoffs.
7) New Orleans Hornets - I know this may be viewed as a homer pick but I don't believe that it is. They have a ton of talent and the addition of Morris Peterson is huge for the team as he's someone that not only plays tough defense but also stretches the opposing defense with his shooting and tough nosed play. The team usually gets hit with injuries every year .. but if they can somehow avoid it this year then a trip to the playoffs is in order, I believe.I caught a lot of flack for putting the Hornets in the playoffs .. but everything I felt was justified. They're playing good now and should finish a bit ahead of this 7th seed .. but barring some huge collapse .. they should still be in.
8) Golden State Warriors - I don't believe that they're a fluke .. but they are what they are. They're not better than last year because they gave away Jason Richardson. Baron Davis is great .. but he's also been one with huge injury problems. The team plays hard .. their fans are great .. but they didn't get any better than last season so I see them right where they were.I still think they'll finish in the lower seedings in the West so I like this pick. Only problem is I called Jason Richardson their best player.
9) Los Angeles Lakers - Regardless if Kobe gets traded or not .. I don't see them making it. This is just not a good team .. there's no type of frontcourt .. and though I love Derek Fisher I don't see how he makes them that much better. I expect a drop off from a team that's, believe it or not, overachieved the last couple years. Lamar Odom has put up good numbers but sometimes you forget he's even out there.I deserve a lot of flack for this one. I said they had no front court (Andrew Bynum), I said they wouldn't make the playoffs (and then called them a championship contender in this blog), and I called them a bunch of overachievers. Whoops.
10) Portland Trailblazers - A team well on the right track to something special. The injury to Oden really hurts the team .. and though they have promise they're still a year or maybe even two away in my estimation. I love Nate McMillan as a coach though.I think that turned out pretty fair.
11) Memphis Grizzlies - They did the right move in kind of reshaping the team .. but they just seem so bland to me. I don't have any reason to get excited about facing them (with the exception of Pau Gasol) and I don't really know which direction this team is heading in. They'll be better than last year .. but after last year's abysmal season .. that's not saying much.I agree with that. Though I should have placed them lower.
12) Los Angeles Clippers - The loss of Elton Brand kills them .. and after last year's sky high expectations .. they're reverting back to the same ol' Clippers. They've turned into a dissapointment again .. and this is another team where I'm just not sure in which direction they're going.I agree with that still.
13) Seattle SuperSonics - A very talented team. At the same time .. a very young team. I think they will be good in due time but not as quickly as Portland will be. Durant's exciting .. as is Jeff Green but I'm interested to see how Carleisimo handles the team because he's had a history of not handling young players well. And that's all this team is.I like that prediction as well.
14) Sacramento Kings - Mike Bibby has fallen off of the face of this Earth. He must have held on for dear life and brought Brad Miller down with him. This team is looking like another stale 33 win season .. or even worse .. and it won't be because of Theus. I like him as a coach but this is not a good situation. I look for at least Bibby to be traded by mid season .. if not Artest and/or Brad Miller as well.Well I was calling for total rebuilding for them but they've turned out a solid team this year. Though .. I don't see them as a championship contender the way they are .. and even if they stay pat .. they may make the playoffs next year but they won't make any noise. They still have to make some moves to get back to the Kings of old.
15) Minnesota Timberwolves - At least they're not stuck in the "stale/bland" situation that I've labeled the Lakers, Grizzlies, and Kings with. There's no hiding that they're rebuilding .. but as a result this year will be VERY tough. As will next year, more than likely, .. and I don't like Randy Wittman as a coach. They may be on the right path .. but they're right at the starting line. It may be rough for them this year.I still agree with that. And then I made my playoff predictions.
Playoff Predictions:
Spurs over Warriors
Suns over Hornets
Rockets over Nuggets
Mavericks over Jazz
Spurs over Jazz
Suns over Rockets
Suns over Spurs
I have backtracked my statement of Suns beating the Spurs in a seven game series .. and though the Rockets could probably beat the Nuggets in a seven game series .. they're not gonna pl