Note: The teams are in no particular order, the players are. Each team will have a short summary on just what the hell I was thinking when I ranked their players that way. The rosters are still trying to figure themselves out so I'll rank the top 12 to represent who the active 12 should be every night.
Atlanta Hawks Head Coach: Mike Budenholzer 2012 record: 44-38
1. Al Horford
2. Paul Millsap
3. Jeff Teague
4. Lou Williams
5. Kyle Korver
6. DeMarre Carroll
7. Dennis Schroeder
8. Ivan Johnson
9. Elton Brand
10. John Jenkins
11. Shelvin Mack
12. Jared Cunningham
Considering the Hawks had Johan Petro start EIGHT games last season, the bench is improved but overall #7 through #12 could all be interchanged easily. Elton Brand is way past his prime and only provides spare rebounds at this point in his career.
Boston Celtics Head Coach: Brad Stevens 2012 record: 41-40
1. Rajon Rondo
2. Jeff Green
3. Kris Humphries
4. Jared Sullinger
5. Gerald Wallace
6. Avery Bradley
7. Kelly Olynyk
8. Brandon Bass
9. Courtney Lee
10. Marshon Brooks
11. Keith Bogans
12. Jordan Crawford
Just thinking about everything the Celtics did this off-season makes me think we're in for a poor performance of tanking proportions from Boston. Then I looked at this roster and while there are no stars outside of Rajon Rondo, their 12th best player is Jordan Crawford, who just a year ago was a promising young guard on a bad Wizards team. They aren't great, but they aren't tankingN.
Brooklyn Nets Head Coach: Jason Kidd 2012 record: 49-33
1. Brook Lopez
2. Deron Williams
3. Paul Pierce
4. Kevin Garnett
5. Joe Johnson
6. Andray Blatche
7. Andrei Kirilenko
8. Reggie Evans
9. Jason Terry
10. Tyshawn Taylor
11. Alan Anderson
12. Mirza Teletovic'
The way that Owner Mikhail Prokhorov has re-built the Nets in such a short span of time is impressive. They were a proverbial cellar dweller once Point Guard Jason Kidd left. Now, they have him back as a head coach! This team's success relies on Kidd's ability to keep the locker room happy now that they've added three Celtics and have SEVEN former all-stars. The talent is definitely there but can they win the East with Deron Williams as their second highest performing player? Probably not.
Charlotte Bobcats/Future Hornets (come 2014) Coach: Steve Clifford (the big red dog) '12: 21-61
1. Michael Jordan (Jalen Rose thinks it's possible, so why not!?)
Actual 1. Al Jefferson
2. Kemba Walker
3. Gerald Henderson
4. Ramon Sessions
5. Cody Zeller
6. Ben Gordon
7. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
8. Bismack Biyombo
9. Jeffery Taylor
10. Josh McRoberts
11. Brendan Haywood
12. Jannero Pargo
Once you get past Biyombo, this roster is sort of disgusting. There are no stars, not a ton of hope, and Michael Jordan is still drafting for this team. I'm sorry, Charlotte Bobnets.
Chicago Bulls Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau 2012 record: 45-37
1. Derrick Rose
2. Joakim Noah
3. Carlos Boozer
4. Luol Deng
5. Jimmy Butler
6. Taj Gibson
7. Marquis Teague
8. Mike Dunleavy Jr.
9. Kirk Hinrich
10. Nazr Mohammed
11. Mike James
12. D.J. White
He's baaaaaaaaack. The return of D-Rose improves this line-up immensely. Jimmy Butler and Marquis Teague are up-and-coming role players who excelled in their minutes last season. The most exciting part about this team other than Rose's return is that Teague is only 20 years old. The addition of Mike Dunleavy adds a much needed clutch shooter to take some pressure off of Rose in the closing seconds.
Cleveland Cavaliers Head Coach: Mike Brown 2012 record: 24-58
1. Kyrie Irving
2. Anderson Varejao (Sideshow Bob from "The Simpsons")
3. Tristan Thompson
4. Andrew Bynum
5. Dion Waiters
6. Jarrett Jack
7. C.J. Miles
8. Earl Clark
9. Anthony Bennett
10. Tyler Zeller
11. Alonzo Gee
12. Sergey Karasev
Kyrie Irving is suffering from something we call "Lebron Syndrome" where his team (coincidentally the Cavaliers in this case) has been either unable or unwilling to add great, fiery starpower around him. Don't get me wrong, they have many good young assets in Thompson, Waiters, and hopefully another in Bennett, but there is no Dwyane Wade and no Chris Bosh coming through that door this season. The one thing that Cleveland improved majorly is their bench which was filled with the likes of Samardo Samuels and 2-time NBA Champion Luke Walton and now has Earl Clark and Jarrett Jack. Anderson Varejao is still a good player when healthy, which is incredibly rare.
Detroit Pistons Head Coach: Maurice Cheeks 2012 record: 29-53
1. Josh Smith
2. Greg Monroe
3. Andre Drummond
4. Brandon Jennings
5. Rodney Stuckey
6. Charlie Villanueva
7. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
8. Will Bynum
9. Chauncey Billups
10. Jonas Jerebko
11. Kyle Singler
12. Luigi Datome
Luigi Datome is an Italian player who won the Italian League MVP last season so that has to count for something. Don't sleep on him. Otherwise, this looks like a sexier version of the 2012-13 Milwaukee Bucks. Josh Smith will be playing the role of bizzarro-Monta Ellis where Smith is all-defense and not enough offense. Andre Drummond is rich man's Larry Sanders. Chauncey Billups is J.J. Redick in the fact that he should be the great 3-point shooter but will be a shell of his former self. Lastly, Brandon Jennings is Brandon Jennings and should prove once again that he will kill a team on and off the court. The player/assistant coach role that Juwan Howard owned for two years in Miami will be occupied by Billups in Detroit this year and hopefully for Detroit's sake, he keeps the ego's under control on this team. This should be fun to watch...
PS: RASHEED WALLACE is an assistant coach for this team, what could possibly go wrong?
PPS: Rodney Stuckey just broke his thumb in a car door. Fantastic.
Indiana Pacers Head Coach: Frank Vogel 2012 record: 49-32
1. Paul George
2. David West
3. Roy Hibbert
4. Lance Stephenson
5. Danny Granger
6. Luis Scola
7. George Hill
8. Chris Copeland
9. Ian Mahinmi
10. C.J. Watson
11. Orlando Johnson
12. Solomon Hill
Danny Granger returns from injury here but the question is whether or not he can dominate like he once was able to do pre-Paul George or will he be trade bait at some point? My guess is he'll fall somewhere in between. A sixth man who can't dominate but will get on shooting sprees every so often. The loss of "Psycho T" Tyler Hansbrough really hurt this team but with the addition of Luis Scola, they didn't lose a step other than Luis is a much calmer on-course presence and will never be called "Maniac L".
2012-13 NBA Champions Miami Heat Head Coach: Erik Spoelstra 2012 record: 66-16
1. Lebron James (In case you're wondering, this is the #1 player in the NBA)
2. Dwyane Wade
3. Chris Bosh
4. Ray Allen
5. Mario Chalmers
6. Chris "Birdman" Andersen
7. Shane Battier
8. Norris Cole
9. Udonis Haslem
10. Rashard Lewis
11. Michael Beasley
12. Roger Mason Jr.
Honorable Mention: Greg Oden. I couldn't put Oden on here simply because I have no idea what to expect with him. We're all hoping he's more of an Alonzo Mourning than a Juwan Howard but looking back at NBA history tells us there are more Juwan Howard's than Alonzo Mourning's (I've now mentioned Howard 3 times in this piece, that's more than the amount of times he's been on an NBA court since 2004). Michael Beasley returns to the team that originally drafted him #2 overall behind Derrick Rose so maybe there's some restored hope left in his career? Probably not when looking at this packed roster. Lightning could strike twice and BIRDMAN! BIRDMAN! could be a consistently meaningful player but if it doesn't, one might wonder if this team makes it to the finals for a fourth consecutive postseason.
Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach: Larry Drew 2012 record: 38-44
1. Brandon Knight
2. O.J. Mayo
3. Larry Sanders
4. Ersan Ilyasova
5. John Henson
6. Gary Neal
7. Caron Butler
8. ZaZa Pachulia
9. Carlos Delfino
10. Luke Ridnour
11. Ekpe Udoh
12. Giannis Antetokounmpo
I may be alone in my love for the mysterious Giannis Anetetokoumpo selection in this year's draft but I will only rank him #12 at the moment as I and everyone else in America has yet to see anything besides youtube highlight reels from the 18 year old (Said highlight reels include this). The Bucks need to find an identity quickly either as a young team on the rise or just another eight-seed who barely squeaks by into the playoffs. The way the owner and general manager have built this season's roster is completely idiotic as Milwaukee has no chance of keeping a team (barring some miracle) unless they tank this season and get a Jabari Parker or an Andrew Wiggins in the 2014 NBA Draft. Too many average players for this team to get anything higher than an 8 seed.
New York Knicks Head Coach: Mike Woodson 2012 record: 54-28
1. Carmelo Anthony
2. Tyson Chandler
3. J.R. Smith
4. Iman Shumpert
5. Amare' Stoudemire
6. Andrea Bargnani
7. Raymond Felton
8. Metta World Peace
9. Pablo Prigioni
10. Kenyon Martin
11. Beno Udrih
12. Tim Hardaway Jr.
If J.R. Smith keeps up the pace he was on last season, he is the second best player on this team. Looking back on the history of 6th Man of the Year winners, that is highly unlikely and I don't think he's as important as he was last season with the additions of Bargnani, Metta World Peace, and Udrih. The key to Knick success this year is staying healthy. Iman Shumpert is back at 100%, but will Amare' Stoudemire or Tyson Chandler stay healthy? If they do, can they perform at the elite levels they once performed at? When a team has this many questions, there is no way they are a serious championship contender.
Orlando Magic Head Coach: Jacque Vaughn 2012 record: 20-62
1. Nicola Vucevic'
2. Tobias Harris
3. Glen "Big Baby" Davis
4. "How Could You Be" Moe Harkless
5. Victor Oladipo
6. Arron Afflalo
7. Jameer Nelson
8. Andrew Nicholson
9. Jason Maxiell
10. Hedo Turkoglu
11. E'Twaun Moore
12. Kyle O'Quinn
Probably the most difficult team to figure out in terms of ranking their players, Orlando is in a very odd transition phase with many young players showing loads of potential near the end of last season (Vucevic, Harris, Harkless, Nicholson). Looking at this roster last offseason, you would have thought Orlando would be one of the teams tanking for Wiggins (and that's still possible). Every one of the Magic's key players failed somewhere else before coming to Orlando via quietly awesome trades (Dwight Howard for Vucevic, Reddick for Harris) and solid free agency moves (Big Baby Davis & Afflalo). Orlando's key to the season and potential 8-seed competitiveness relies on #2 overall pick Victor Oladipo who will be playing Point Guard even though it's evident he's a Shooting Guard all day. Maybe they ARE tanking? I don't know, they'll be a quietly fun team to watch for sure.
Philadelphia 76ers Head Coach: Brett Brown 2012 record: 34-48
1. Thaddeus Young
2. Spencer Hawes
3. Evan Turner
4. Jason Richardson (When healthy, which will be at no point this season)
5. Nerlens Noel (When healthy, which will be at no point this season)
6. Michael Carter-Williams
7. Lavoy Allen
8. Tony Wroten
9. Arnett Moultrie
10. Darius Morris
11. James Anderson
12. Vander Blue
This is the worst roster we've seen so far. The 76ers have two of their five best players resting torn ACL's likely for the entire 2013-14 season. Philadelphia is in full on tank mode. Watch out for the powerful Nerlens Noel, Michael Carter-Williams, and -insert 2014 draft pick here- trio. Nothing to see here, Thaddeus Young is gleaming with pride somewhere, knowing that he is the best player on an NBA team, somehow.
Toronto Raptors Head Coach: Dwane Casey 2012 record: 34-48
1. Rudy Gay
2. DeMar DeRozan
3. Jonas Valanciunas
4. Kyle Lowry
5. "Psycho T" Tyler Hansbrough
6. Amir Johnson
7. Terrence Ross
8. Steve Novak
9. D.J. Augustin
10. Landry Fields
11. Austin Daye
12. Quincy Acy
The Raptors have gone through some very difficult times as the one team north of the border have not been in the playoffs since 2008. This season brings new hope to Toronto fans as they have a blossoming top 3 pick in Center Jonas Valanciunas and a true leader/former all-star in Rudy Gay. It's pretty clear to Raptors faithful that the team won't be in any type of championship contention this year, but actually getting the eighth seed is a huge inspiring step forward. Great free-agent acquisitions in Hansbrough (who has playoff experience), Novak (3-point shooter), and D.J. Augustin (depth, not terrible).
Washington Wizards Head Coach: Randy Wittman 2012 record: 29-53
1. John Wall
2. Marcin Gortat
3. Bradley Beal
4. Trevor Booker
5. Martell Webster
6. Nene'
7. Trevor Ariza
8. Kevin Seraphin
9. Shannon Brown
10. Eric Maynor
11. Otto Porter Jr.
12. Kendall Marshall
Once you look past the potential all-stars in Guards John Wall and Bradley Beal, the Wizards have a ridiculously boring line-up. Emeka Okafor is
Dallas Mavericks Head Coach: Rick Carlisle 2012 record: 41-41
1. Dirk Nowitzki
2. Monta Ellis
3. Shawn Marion
4. Jose' Calderon
5. Vince Carter
6. DeJuan Blair
7. Devin Harris
8. Brandan Wright
9. Sam Dalembert
10. Wayne Ellington
11. Bernard James
12. Jae Crowder
The Mavericks spent their off-season very busy as they tried to rebuild into a championship contender. Instead, they ended up with a team that has no chance at a championship but can make the playoffs which is automatically better than they were last season. The big question leading into the season is whether or not Dirk Nowitzki can return to form or is he just past his prime and potentially washed up now? Free agent additions Monta Ellis, Jose' Calderon, and DeJuan Blair should really help.
Denver Nuggets Head Coach: Brian Shaw 2012 record: 57-25
1. Ty Lawson
2. Danilo Gallinari (when healthy)
3. Kenneth Faried
4. Wilson Chandler
5. J.J. Hickson
6. Andre Miller
7. JaVale McGee
8. Nate Robinson
9. Randy Foye
10. Darrell Arthur
11. Evan Fournier
12. Jordan Hamilton
The Carmelo Anthony trade was the best thing to happen to the Nuggets as they acquired both Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler from the Knicks in that three-way blockbuster back around the trade deadline in 2011. After replacing George Karl with Brian Shaw, the Nuggets have decided to have a very guard-heavy roster by adding the likes of Nate Robinson and Randy Foye this off-season. If Gallinari is able to return from his torn ACL this season, a sophomore slump won't be as likely for this surprising 57-25 team a season ago.
Golden State Warriors Head Coach: Mark Jackson 2012 record: 47-35
1. Stephen Curry
2. David Lee
3. Andre Iguodala
4. Klay Thompson
5. Harrison Barnes
6. Andrew Bogut
7. Marreese Speights
8. Jermaine O'Neal
9. Toney Douglas
10. Draymond Green
11. Festus Ezeli
12. Kent Bazemore (Everyone's favorite towel waver)
Note: They also have an undrafted rookie in face of the franchise Stephen Curry's brother Seth Curry.
I love this team. The Iguodala signing was a boldly genius move by GM Bob Myers and should improve their play at that position. The Warriors also made a sneaky-great move in signing Power Forward Marreese Speights, who can get plenty of minutes once Bogut is hurt (and you know he will be). The Warriors have excellent youth surrounded by seasoned vets with some playoff experience. They are destined for more than one round of playoff action as long as injuries don't start popping up because once you hit the 9 through 12 spots on this team, you aren't looking at starting caliber players.
Houston Rockets Head Coach: Kevin McHale 2012 record: 45-37
1. Dwight Howard
2. James Harden
3. Omer Asik
4. Chandler Parsons
5. Jeremy Lin
6. Donatas Montiejunas
7. Greg Smith
8. Reggie Williams
9. Omri Casspi
10. Patrick Beverley
11. Ronnie Brewer
12. Francisco Garcia
James Harden and Dwight Howard are basically in a tie for first except for the fact that Howard has done it for more years and been more consistent, which results in my ranking him first. The Rockets have a questionable 3-5 lineup that doesn't seem like a 3-5 lineup of a champion. I love the players on this roster, Casspi has always been underrated and they just seem to have perfect role players. For example, a defensive guard in Ronnie Brewer, 3-point experts in Parsons and Montiejunas, and veterans like Reggie Williams, Greg Smith, and Francisco Garcia that can be relied upon given spot starts. The Rockets are definitely a contender but probably aren't strong enough to make the Western Conference Finals.
Los Angeles Clippers Head Coach: Doc Rivers 2012 record: 56-26
1. Chris Paul
2. Blake Griffin
3. DeAndre Jordan
4. Jamal Crawford
5. Jared Dudley
6. Matt Barnes
7. J.J. Redick
8. Willie Green
9. Antawn Jamison
10. Darren Collison
11. Byron Mullens
12. Ryan Hollins
There is not a week link on this team as every player is average or better. I'd say that numbers 8 through 11 are pretty interchangeable but even that isn't a bad thing to say. Gone are the days of "lob city" as a now more serious than ever Griffin-Jordan combo gets the head coach they need in former NBA champion head coach Doc Rivers. The Clippers had one of the biggest and best off-seasons by dumping the overrated PG Eric Bledsoe, a washed up combo in Chauncey Billups and Lamar Odom, and the consistently average Caron Butler. They replaced those bodies with 3-point expert J.J. Redick, sixth man candidate Jared Dudley, a perfectly cheap Bledsoe replacement in Darren Collison, and a nice (while also past his prime) rebounder who is capable of staying healthy in Antawn Jamison. They'll be good but has greatness FINALLY made the transition between the two L.A. teams? It's possible.
Los Angeles Lakers Head Coach: Mike D'Antoni 2012 record: 45-37
1. Kobe Bryant (When he's healthy)
2. Pau Gasol
3. Steve Nash
4. Chris Kaman
5. Nick "Swaggy P" Young
6. Jordan Hill
7. Steve Blake
8. Jodie Meeks
9. Robert Sacre
10. Wesley Johnson
11. Xavier Henry
12. Jordan Farmar
There's plenty of differing opinions on the prospects of the purple-and-gold this year. Here's what I see:
1. Once Kobe's healthy, this team is a contender for the 7th or 8th seed, no higher.
2. Plenty of disposable assets as nobody except for Sacre and Nash is signed through next season.
and 3. This is quite possibly the most unstable bench in Laker history.
I mean, there's potential Earl Clark vibes coming from Wesley Johnson but so far he's been labeled a draft bust and once you have that label attached to yourself, it's hard to try and remove it, ESPECIALLY when you're the tenth man on a team that's highly publicized and anytime you make a huge error for that highly publicized team, your name trends on Twitter and message boards beg for you to be traded. I love Nick "Swaggy P" Young as he is the first NBA player who's twitter handle has become more than an internet moniker. I expect him to be a nice fantasy sleeper while Kobe is out, but once Kobe comes back I expect Swaggy P to fall apart tremendously. Will Pau Gasol be traded? This is a question every year and the Lakers wouldn't trade worst teammate ever Dwight Howard so what makes you believe they'll trade a great locker room presence like "Boom Boom" Pau Gasol?
Memphis Grizzlies Head Coach: Dave Joerger 2012 record: 56-26
1. Marc Gasol
2. Zach Randolph
3. Mike Conley
4. Tony Allen
5. Kosta Koufos
6. Ed Davis
7. Tayshaun Prince
8. Jerryd Bayless
9. Quincy Pondexter
10. Mike Miller
11. Jon Leuer
12. Jamaal Franklin
The decision to fire Lionel Hollins was a highly criticized one but in the end, I believe things should work out fine for the Grizzlies. The only weakness here is the very back of the bench but there's a reason it's the very back of the bench, Jon Leuer and Jamaal Franklin just aren't that good yet. Minus Rudy Gay, this team lacks the star power it once had but that top four is still a playoff line-up. Tayshaun Prince has gotten older (as has everyone everywhere, including yourself reading this right now) as he's now 33 years old and it'll be interesting to watch how his role fits in with Memphis as the season progresses.
Minnesota Timberwolves Head Coach: Rick Adelman 2012 record: 31-51
1. Kevin Love
2. Nikola Pekovic'
3. Ricky Rubio
4. Kevin Martin
5. Derrick Williams
6. J.J. Barea
7. Corey Brewer
8. Chris Johnson
9. A.J. Price
10. Dante Cunningham
11. Alexey Shved
12. Shabazz Muhammad
If you need further proof as to how weak this draft class was, look no further than my rankings of the rookies in comparison to the rest of their teams. Shabazz Muhammad certainly has potential but already has been making headlines for the wrong reason by getting kicked out of the rookie symposium for bringing a female companion back to his hotel room. Which is strictly forbidden for some reason. The Timberwolves have a fairly deep and experienced roster as along with their top 12, they have Chase Budinger, Ronny Turiaf, and 1st round rookie Gorgui Deng from Louisville. The key to this team staying in the playoff hunt is health. Last season, Kevin Love missed 64 games, Ricky Rubio missed 35 games, and Nikola Pekovic missed 20. If these players spend any amount of significant time on the mend, there will be a re-building off-season in the distance.
New Orleans Pelicans Head Coach: Monty Williams 2012 record: 27-55
1. Jrue Holiday
2. Anthony Davis
3. Eric Gordon (When healthy)
4. Ryan Anderson
5. Tyreke Evans
6. Al-Farouq Aminu
7. Jason Smith
8. Greg Stiemsma
9. Brian Roberts
10. Lance Thomas
11. Darius Miller
12. Austin Rivers
A crazy off-season for New Orleans has resulted in the departure of surprising Point Guard Greivis Vasquez and underrated Center Robin Lopez. The loss of Lopez will hurt as last year's backup Center Jason Smith is now listed as the starter but the Vasquez loss may not be felt at all as the Pelicans replaced him with all-star Jrue Holiday and former-PG-turned-SF Tyreke Evans. Those two along with a young backup in Brian Roberts ensure that Pelicans will never be short on Point Guards. The Off-season addition of Greg Stiemsma should mean a time-share at Center which will only improve with time. The biggest question mark on this team is once again, health. If Eric Gordon can stay healthy for 60+ games, this team will be in the playoffs.
Oklahoma City Thunder Head Coach: Scott Brooks 2012 record: 60-22
1. Kevin Durant
2. Russell Westbrook (It's a shame I've had to say this so many times but, when he's healthy)
3. Serge Ibaka
4. Thabo Sefolosha
5. Reggie Jackson
6. Nick Collison
7. Kendrick Perkins
8. Ryan Gomes
9. Perry Jones
10. Hasheem Thabeet
11. Derek Fisher
12. Jeremy Lamb
One of the best starting lineups in the NBA is backed up by one of the weakest benches in the NBA. Reggie Jackson and Nick Collison are the only solid and trustworthy backups on this roster right now. Perry Jones and Jeremy Lamb have chances to become something but we have yet to see any of their real potential. Ryan Gomes was a decent addition but doesn't fix the broken dam that is the Thunder bench. Derek Fisher is just collecting paychecks at this point. How Hasheem Thabeet is still in the NBA is a complete mystery to me.
Phoenix Suns Head Coach: Jeff Hornacek 2012 record: 25-57
1. Goran Dragic
2. Eric Bledsoe
3. Emeka Okafor
4. Markieff Morris
5. Alex Len
6. P.J. Tucker
7. Archie Goodwin
8. Gerald Green
9. Ish Smith
10. Miles Plumlee
11. Viacheslav Kravstov
12. Marcus Morris
Another team in the Andrew Wiggins sweepstakes, the Phoenix Suns are obviously re-building with the addition of Eric Bledsoe and departures of Jermaine O'Neal, Luis Scola, and Jared Dudley. This is the team that I have the most confidence in missing the playoffs out of the Western Conference. It should be fun to watch rookies Alex Len and Archie Goodwin work together though, as this isn't necessarily a boring team at all.
Portland Trail Blazers Head Coach: Terry Stotts 2012 record: 33-49
1. LaMarcus Aldridge
2. Damian Lillard
3. Nicolas Batum
4. Robin Lopez
5. Wesley Matthews
6. Dorrell Wright
7. Mo Williams
8. Thomas Robinson
9. Meyers Leonard
10. C.J. McCollum (when healthy)
11. Will Barton
12. Allen Crabbe
Portland's roster is quietly deep. The most puzzling part of last season to me was how Thomas Robinson was not only on two teams last season but both of those teams gave up on him (Granted, it was more of a money saving move to acquire Dwight Howard by Houston) and let him fall in Portland's lap. The man was a #5 pick one year ago. There is a possibility of the dreaded sophomore slump striking down the exciting start to Damian Lillard's career. This team could've been a lock for the playoffs with a healthy C.J. McCollum but now with all the preseason kinks still in effect once McCollum comes back, Portland is just another one of those Western Conference teams trapped in the 6-11 range. The addition of Robin Lopez will shore up any questions about Portland's Center situation with him alongside backup 2012 first-rounder Meyers Leonard. The key to Portland's success, as it is every season, is avoiding catastrophic injuries.
Sacramento Kings Head Coach: Mike Malone 2012 record: 28-54
1. DeMarcus Cousins
2. Greivis Vasquez
3. Isaiah Thomas
4. Ben McLemore
5. Carl Landry
6. Marcus Thornton
7. Jimmer Fredette
8. John Salmons
9. Luc Mbah a Moute
10. Jason Thompson
11. Chuck Hayes
12. Patrick Patterson
This is Boogie Cousins' team now! Why do you look so downtrodden and depressed Sacramento fans? Alright, they aren't moving to Seattle, therefor the Kings will likely stay out of the headlines unless Boogie goes crazy, which is 65% likely to happen. This team has lost some excitement with the loss of Tyreke Evans but has added intrigue with new Point Guard Greivis Vasquez who exceeded expectations in New Orleans last season. Isaiah Thomas moves to the bench where he will likely continue to succeed. This team is stacked with average to slightly below players and unless Ben McLemore is playing at a rookie of the year level, they have no chance at getting near 40 wins.
San Antonio Spurs Head Coach: Gregg Popovich 2012 record: 58-24
1. Tim Duncan
2. Tony Parker
3. Kawhi Leonard
4. Tiago Splitter
5. Manu Ginobili
6. Danny Green
7. Marco Belinelli
8. Boris Diaw
9. Nando De Colo
10. Patrick Mills
11. Matt Bonner
12. Cory Joseph
Simply put, the Spurs have missed their window. They stunned everyone by making the finals and getting a 3-2 lead last year, but things have changed. The Spurs over-payed Tiago Splitter and Manu is holding this team back from becoming a contender again. They may be regular season warriors but will Tim Duncan be able to hold up at a high level for the entire season? The addition of Marco Belinelli was a nice one and should help this team finish with 50+ wins but I don't see playoff success in their future.
Utah Jazz Head Coach: Tyrone Corbin 2012 record: 43-39
1. Derrick Favors
2. Enes Kanter
3. Gordon Hayward
4. Trey Burke
5. Brandon Rush
6. Alec Burks
7. Marvin Williams
8. Richard Jefferson
9. John Lucas III
10. Rudy Gobert
11. Justin Holiday
12. Andris Biedrins
This team made my favorite trade of the off-season in the most blatant tanking move ever. Utah acquires the terrible contracts of Andris Biedrins, Richard Jefferson, coming off an ACL-tear Brandon Rush, and first round draft picks in 2014 and 2017 for Kevin Murphy (who noone had ever heard of before this deal). If you're keeping track at home, that's $24 million dollars worth of bad contracts to the Jazz and one league minimum guy to the Warriors. I cannot wait to not watch this team. Trey Burke is your only hope for excitement, Jazz fans.
2013-14 Predictions
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. Los Angeles Clippers
3. Houston Rockets
4. Golden State Warriors
5. Memphis Grizzlies
6. San Antonio Spurs
7. Denver Nuggets
8. New Orleans Pelicans
9. Portland Trail Blazers
10. Minnesota Timberwolves
11. Dallas Mavericks
12. Los Angeles Lakers
13. Sacramento Kings
14. Utah Jazz
15. Phoenix Suns
Eastern Conference
1. Miami Heat
2. Chicago Bulls
3. Indiana Pacers
4. Brooklyn Nets
5. New York Knicks
6. Atlanta Hawks
7. Washington Wizards? (The East is so un-playoffey from 7 on down)
8. Toronto Raptors
9. Detroit Pistons
10. Charlotte Bobcats
11. Cleveland Cavaliers
12. Orlando Magic
13. Boston Celtics
14. Milwaukee Bucks
15. Philadelphia 76ers
I probably contradicted myself with some of those rankings. It's obvious to me that the top 12 of the West is SO much stronger than anything from 5 on down in the East. The Heat will continue their dominance as a the #1 team out of the East while the Thunder will be in a battle all season long to maintain the one seed out of the West. The playoffs will look a lot different as the Celtics and Lakers will make sure to be in the Wiggins/Parker sweepstakes. No matter how hard these teams try, nothing will match the 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers who will only win a dozen or so games (probably 15-67 if you want an exact prediction). Congratulations Raptors!, you're back in the playoffs!
MVP: Lebron James
ROTY: Alex Len
DPOTY: Dwight Howard
6th Man: Ryan Anderson
Coach of the Year: Kevin McHale
Most Improved: Jonas Valanciunas
Western Playoffs
1st Round
OKC 4 - NOP 1
LAC 4 - DEN 1
HOU 4 - SAS 3
GSW 3 - MEM 4
2nd Round
OKC 2 - MEM 4
LAC 3 - HOU 4
Western Conference Finals
MEM 4 - HOU 2
Eastern Playoffs
1st Round
MIA 4 - TOR 0
CHI 4 - WAS 0
IND 4 - ATL 1
BRK 4 - NYK 3
2nd Round
MIA 4 - BRK 2
CHI 4 - IND 2
Eastern Conference Finals
MIA 4 - CHI 3
ANDY TODD'S BIG BAD NBA CHAMPIONSHIP 2013-14 PREDICTION
Miami Heat over the Memphis Grizzlies in 6
We've seen this story before, The Grizzlies will present a major challenge to Chris Bosh and Birdman, Birdman by matching them in the crazy and physical department with Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. Lebron will start out a bit cold as Tayshaun Prince can still play defense but like every cold front, the weather will pass and Lebron will give his best championship performance yet, hop on a horse and chariot made of solid gold and ride into the off-season, waiting for the contract offers.
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