With the NFL's product in a supposed free-fall and the Cubs (or Indians) ready to end the MLB season with a World Series victory, the amount of hype people have for the NBA is at a potential all-time high despite the most predictable finals since 1969 when the Celtics beat the Lakers in Boston's last championship with Bill Russell. Yes, the NBA Finals will be between the Cavaliers and Warriors this year and all the talk about any of the other 28 teams feels extremely pointless until something weird happens. Could the Celtics break out and win 60 games? Do the Pelicans return to the postseason with Anthony Davis healthy? Can Lebron keep it going through another 100+ games? There's always one thing that nobody can predict that alters the season in a major way (it happens every week in the NFL) and that one thing might just affect the imminent finals threematch.
For the forth season, I have ranked the players on every roster according to a combination of how many wins shared I believe each player will finish the season with and/or usage rate among the current roster structures. Again, I have included the PER (Player Efficiency Rating) and have even added the Win Shares (WS) next to each player's name in that order. You should all know the significance of both of these statistics by now (It's 2016) and if you need a refresher, the internet is your friend.
Here are my 2015-16 Roster Ranks along with a summary of each of the teams' outlooks.
NOTE: All rosters are "current" as of October 22nd.
Atlanta Hawks
Head Coach: Mike Budenholzer
2015-16 Results: 48-34, swept by Cavaliers in conference semifinals
| Paul Millsap | 21.3 | 10.1 |
| Dwight Howard | 18.9 | 6.6 |
| Dennis Schroder | 15.5 | 2.2 |
| Kent Bazemore | 13.4 | 4.1 |
| Kyle Korver | 9.7 | 4.1 |
| Thabo Sefolosha | 12.4 | 4.5 |
| Mike Scott | 14.0 | 3.2 |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | 11.7 | 1.9 |
| Tiago Splitter | 13.7 | 1.7 |
| Kris Humphries | 13.1 | 1.6 |
| Taurean Prince | DNP | Rookie |
| Mike Muscala | 13.6 | 1.6 |
| Walter Tavares | 14.4 | 0.2 |
| Ryan Kelly | 10.3 | 0.1 |
| DeAndre Bembry | DNP | Rookie |
The Hawks were not the only team to lose a lot of talent this offseason (see: Oklahoma City, Charlotte, Miami, etc.) but, they do seem to be the only team whose playoff odds are not that dramatically altered by losing someone with the all-star caliber play of Al Horford. By replacing Horford with Dwight Howard, they do lose a ton of scoring and shooting ability but, they finally have an aggressive big in the paint that will ALWAYS be there unlike Horford or Millsap. Tiago Splitter is still on the mend with a hamstring issue and once he is back, a backup center does not get much more reliable than him. The other loss for this team was Jeff Teague and this defensive-based squad will miss his assistance on D but, Dennis Schroder is equally as effective on offense and the additional role players will provide more defense than Mike Muscala and Justin Holiday did. With the fourth through twelth seeds wide open, Atlanta does have a chance at sliding out of the postseason but, I won't be betting against Budenholzer after their 2014-15 success.
Boston Celtics
Head Coach: Brad Stevens
2015-16 Results: 48-34, eliminated in 6 games by the Hawks in Round 1
| Al Horford | 19.4 | 9.4 |
| Isaiah Thomas | 21.5 | 9.7 |
| Jae Crowder | 15.8 | 7.3 |
| Avery Bradley | 13.2 | 4.8 |
| Amir Johnson | 16.0 | 5.9 |
| Kelly Olynyk | 16.3 | 4.1 |
| Jaylen Brown | DNP | Rookie |
| Marcus Smart | 11.3 | 2.9 |
| Gerald Green | 10.1 | 1.7 |
| Tyler Zeller | 15.4 | 1.7 |
| Terry Rozier | 5.0 | -0.3 |
| Jonas Jerebko | 10.3 | 2.4 |
| R.J. Hunter | 7.7 | 0.3 |
| James Young | 3.6 | 0.1 |
| Demetrius Jackson | DNP | Rookie |
People are extremely high on Boston this season after they finished in a three-way tie with two potential non-playoff teams last season. Yes, they added Al Horford (something Miami and Charlotte could not accomplish in any realistic scenario) and they had a top three pick (the optics on that choice are to be determined). Minus Evan Turner and Jared Sullinger, Boston is bringing back the same team that overachieved it's way to 48 wins except they added one all-star and Jaylen Brown. Back in my preparation for June's draft, I did not see anything that made Brown worthy of a top three pick especially over Kris Dunn and Buddy Hield. Does Brown have potential? absolutely but, I fail to see how his addition propels them into the same tier as the Cavaliers. The good news is they still have Brad Stevens (excellent head coach) and Brooklyn's pick next season (easily a top five choice again) so, even if they don't quite get to their 55-win expectations, Danny Ainge can easily build something off of their current roster with the additional experience necessary for guys like Marcus Smart and Brown.
Brooklyn Nets
Head Coach: Kenny Atkinson
2015-16 Results: 21-61
| Brook Lopez | 21.7 | 6.2 |
| Jeremy Lin | 13.8 | 3.5 |
| Trevor Booker | 14.4 | 4.3 |
| Bojan Bogdanovich | 10.7 | 0.9 |
| Greivis Vasquez | 7.4 | -0.3 |
| Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | 14.2 | 1.2 |
| Luis Scola | 13.6 | 3.3 |
| Caris LeVert | DNP | Rookie |
| Randy Foye | 7.6 | 0.4 |
| Chris McCollough | 12.2 | 0.3 |
| Sean Kilpatrick | 15.6 | 1.0 |
| Egidijus Mockevicius | DNP | Rookie |
| Chase Budinger | 10.7 | 1.4 |
| Joe Harris | 3.4 | 0.0 |
| Jorge Gutierrez | 19.1 | 0.3 |
Now in complete rebuilding mode, the Nets tore apart their front office, coaching staff and a majority of their roster coming into the 16-17 season so that they could give second-year players like Chris McCollough and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson more playing time and so all of the higher powers that be could get exceedingly more comfortable in their roles before they attempt to contend four years or so down the road. Brook Lopez is still the superstar of the team that could be traded at any moment (and probaby will be this season with new GM Sean Marks in charge) and now, Brooklyn finally has a second recognizable face with arguably more star power than Lopez in Jeremy Lin. Lin returns to the New York City area in the midst of a rollercoaster career (New York - Yay!, Houston - meh, Lakers - zzzz, Hornets - Yay!) and can finally lead a team as their starting point guard from game 1 through game 82. Greivis Vasquez looks to rebuild his career after a disappointing, injury-shortened stint in Milwaukee and will be a team's starting shooting guard for the first time in his NBA career. Other proven role players looking to become full time starters or trade bait include Trevor Booker, Luis Scola and always-a-threat-for-the-random-40-point-game Bojan Bogdanovich. This is not a very good team but, at least they have some interesting players that are easy to root for.
Charlotte Hornets
Head Coach: Steve Clifford
2015-16 Results: 48-34, eliminated in 7 games by the Heat in Round 1
| Kemba Walker | 20.8 | 9.9 |
| Nicolas Batum | 15.6 | 5.0 |
| Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | 16.9 | 0.6 |
| Marvin Williams | 16.8 | 7.8 |
| Ramon Sessions | 15.9 | 3.8 |
| Cody Zeller | 16.1 | 6.3 |
| Roy Hibbert | 11.2 | 2.2 |
| Jeremy Lamb | 15.9 | 2.7 |
| Marco Belinelli | 9.4 | 0.5 |
| Frank Kaminsky | 12.5 | 3.3 |
| Spencer Hawes | 12.4 | 1.9 |
| Brian Roberts | 13.8 | 1.0 |
| Aaron Harrison | 4.3 | 0.0 |
| Rasheed Sulaimon | DNP | Rookie |
| Christian Wood | 16.4 | 0.3 |
The most important difference between the 2015-16 Hornets and the 2016-17 iteration of the team is that Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is back. Jeremy Lin, Al Jefferson and Courtney Lee have all been replaced by Ramon Sessions, Roy Hibbert and Marco Belinelli. While all three of those replacements are downgrades, they are also minor ones that have similar skillsets. Nobody on the team last year had the same set of skills as MKG (except for the handful of games MKG was active for) and his defense is going to help this team in ways Nicolas Batum could only imagine. The one big problem with MKG's presence is that his terrible shooting ability will force the team to rely more heavily on Belinelli and the inconsistent/overrated Jeremy Lamb. Kemba Walker keeps improving but, is he good enough to single-handedly lead a team back to the postseason? If Batum and Marvin Williams predictably regress, we might just find out.
Chicago Bulls
Head Coach: Fred Hoiberg
2015-16 Results: 42-40
| Jimmy Butler | 21.3 | 9.1 |
| Dwyane Wade | 20.3 | 4.9 |
| Rajon Rondo | 16.9 | 4.6 |
| Robin Lopez | 17.6 | 5.8 |
| Nikola Mirotic | 15.6 | 3.9 |
| Taj Gibson | 15.7 | 5.4 |
| Bobby Portis | 13.8 | 1.5 |
| Michael Carter-Williams | 13.9 | 1.2 |
| Doug McDermott | 10.9 | 2.8 |
| Cristiano Felicio | 17.6 | 1.2 |
| Isaiah Canaan | 11.1 | 1.4 |
| Denzel Valentine | DNP | Rookie |
| Jerian Grant | 11.2 | 0.8 |
| Spencer Dinwiddie | 8.9 | 0.1 |
| Paul Zipser | DNP | Rookie |
What the hell is this team? The best backcourt shooter on this team is Rajon Rondo. Dwyane Wade does not play defense the way he used to and Rondo hasn't won any team chemistry awards recently. Add Michael Carter-Williams and Robin Lopez to the fold and you have the most confusing collection of players since well... this year's Sixers team. I don't think this team has helped Jimmy Butler at all after an offseason filled with trade rumors and he'll be emotionally distraught by January if things go poorly. Luckily for the win-now management, they do have Doug McDermott and Bobby Portis improving every day and Denzel Valentine was a triple-double machine at Michigan State so, there are some future pieces here. Unfortunately, this is still a win-now team that is nowhere near good enough to win now. They could go 52-30 or they could also go 26-56, I really don't know. I just know that the year will end in disappointment (regular season or playoffs) for the Bulls.
Your defending 2016 NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers
Head Coach: Tyronn Lue
2015-16 Results: 57-25, won the championship in 7 games over the Warriors
| Lebron James | 27.5 | 13.6 |
| Kyrie Irving | 19.9 | 5.0 |
| Kevin Love | 19.0 | 8.5 |
| Tristan Thompson | 15.9 | 8.7 |
| J.R. Smith | 12.4 | 5.5 |
| Channing Frye | 12.9 | 3.0 |
| Iman Shumpert | 8.4 | 1.7 |
| Richard Jefferson | 9.7 | 2.7 |
| Kay Felder | DNP | Rookie |
| Markel Brown | 11.3 | 0.6 |
| Mike Dunleavy Jr. | 9.1 | 0.9 |
| Chris Andersen | 15.3 | 1.3 |
| James Jones | 11.6 | 1.2 |
| Dahntay Jones | 10.3 | 0.1 |
| Cory Jefferson | 12.7 | 0.1 |
The Cavaliers are once again Eastern Conference favorites and now they have a stronger Kevin Love, a full season of Channing Frye, a new backup point guard (Kay Felder replaces Matthew Dellavedova), veterans with one specific skill (Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Chris "Birdman" Andersen) and Markel Brown (formerly of the Nets) for some reason. Richard Jefferson retired and then unretired and J.R. Smith almost didn't re-sign until he did re-sign. Ultimately, this is a very similar team to the one that came back from a 3-1 deficit against the Warriors in the finals and they should be back there again.
Detroit Pistons
Head Coach: Stan Van Gundy
2015-16 Results: 44-38, swept by the Cavaliers in Round 1
| Andre Drummond | 21.2 | 7.4 |
| Reggie Jackson | 19.6 | 6.9 |
| Tobias Harris | 16.2 | 6.6 |
| Marcus Morris | 12.7 | 5.4 |
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | 12.4 | 5.3 |
| Stanley Johnson | 8.7 | 0.6 |
| Aron Baynes | 17.8 | 4.1 |
| Ish Smith | 14.9 | 1.3 |
| Boban Marjanovic | 27.7 | 3.4 |
| Jon Leuer | 16.2 | 2.7 |
| Reggie Bullock | 12.0 | 1.2 |
| Darrun Hilliard | 10.7 | 0.5 |
| Henrey Ellenson | DNP | Rookie |
| Ray McCallum | 9.1 | 0.3 |
| Lorenzo Brown | 4.4 | -0.2 |
With Reggie Jackson out for 6-8 weeks, Detroit already lost any chance they had at getting a top-three seed in the conference. The good news is that they signed ridiculously quick Ish Smith to a 3-year $18-million contract this offseason and he will be able to carry the point guard load while Jackson is out. The bad news is Ish Smith can't shoot. Boban Marjanovich always showed up in garbage time for the Spurs last season and now he will get real minutes that matter this season when the Stan Van Gundy can't trust Andre Drummond to hit a clutch free throw. Stanley Johnson is another year older and wiser and now, Tobias Harris is in Detroit for a full season so there is plenty of optimism surrounding this team. They should improve from last season once Jackson is back from injury.
Indiana Pacers
Head Coach: Nate McMillan
2015-16 Results: 45-37, eliminated in 7 games by the Raptors in Round 1
| Paul George | 20.9 | 9.2 |
| Jeff Teague | 17.9 | 5.9 |
| Myles Turner | 15.4 | 3.1 |
| Monta Ellis | 13.7 | 4.3 |
| Thaddeus Young | 17.5 | 4.1 |
| C.J. Miles | 14.0 | 3.1 |
| Al Jefferson | 18.2 | 2.8 |
| Lavoy Allen | 12.4 | 3.7 |
| Aaron Brooks | 11.8 | 0.9 |
| Joseph Young | 9.9 | -0.1 |
| Glenn Robinson III | 11.4 | 0.8 |
| Rodney Stuckey | 12.6 | 2.0 |
| Jeremy Evans | 12.6 | 0.6 |
| Kevin Seraphin | 10.8 | -0.2 |
| Georges Niang | DNP | Rookie |
Larry Bird has made some interesting decisions as president of the Indiana Pacers and not renewing head coach Frank Vogel's contract in exchange for "a new voice" in old Nate McMillan is definitely an odd move. As we learned last season, Paul George cannot do it by himself and the thing Indiana did better than they have ever done previously is pick up in-their-prime good NBA players. Jeff Teague is a proven all-star with conference finals experience who plays better defense than George Hill and is a more consistent scorer. Thaddeus Young is a better offensive force than Jordan Hill was but, struggles defensively. Myles Turner is a budding player whose potential is through the roof and with Ian Mahinmi out of the picture, Turner should become one of the better centers in this new generation of bigs. Al Jefferson may be past his prime but, should be a great help coming off the bench. Overall, this is a very nice roster with a questionable head coach and a superstar who is also an under-the-radar MVP pick (George). They'll be in the playoffs and could be a top-four seed with some good fortune.
Miami Heat
Head Coach: Erik Spoelstra
2015-16 Results: 48-34, eliminated in 7 games by the Raptors in the conference semifinals
| Hassan Whiteside | 25.7 | 10.3 |
| Goran Dragic | 15.5 | 4.7 |
| Justise Winslow | 8.4 | 2.5 |
| Tyler Johnson | 13.8 | 2.0 |
| Josh Richardson | 11.4 | 2.5 |
| Derrick Williams | 17.2 | 3.6 |
| Josh McRoberts | 9.9 | 0.8 |
| Dion Waiters | 9.4 | 2.1 |
| James Johnson | 11.4 | 1.3 |
| Willie Reed | 19.2 | 1.2 |
| Beno Udrih | 9.5 | 0.4 |
| Wayne Ellington | 10.1 | 0.8 |
| Luke Babbitt | 11.6 | 1.1 |
| Udonis Haslem | 9.1 | 0.4 |
| Briante Weber | 8.9 | 0.0 |
| Chris Bosh | Out for season? | r |
The loss of Chris Bosh is a sad story that will likely end in his release at or near the end of the season and can only have a negative impact on Miami's playoff chances this season. The Heat are currently a roster of unknowns and question marks like Josh Richardson, Tyler Johnson, Derrick Williams and Willie Reed. The casual basketball viewer has no idea who the hell these guys are and they are all key pieces on this Heat team. Goran Dragic and his poor shooting are back and Hassan Whiteside is still one of the five best centers in the NBA but, the rest of the team looks like what the Nets were aiming for before they settled on only half-tanking since they don't have a draft pick. Justise Winslow is already a positive defender and should shoot better with a year under his belt and that'll help this team avoid the descent into Tanksville, USA.
Milwaukee Bucks
Head Coach: Jason Kidd
2015-16 Results: 33-49
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | 18.8 | 7.1 |
| Jabari Parker | 14.8 | 3.6 |
| Greg Monroe | 21.8 | 7.5 |
| John Henson | 18.6 | 2.3 |
| Mirza Teletovic | 16.2 | 3.8 |
| Matthew Dellavedova | 11.3 | 3.8 |
| Michael Beasley | 22.5 | 1.0 |
| Rashad Vaughn | 4.2 | -0.8 |
| Tony Snell | 6.4 | 0.4 |
| Miles Plumlee | 17.4 | 2.2 |
| Jason Terry | 10.2 | 1.5 |
| Thon Maker | DNP | Rookie |
| Malcolm Brogdon | DNP | Rookie |
| Steve Novak | 6.7 | 0.0 |
| Orlando Johnson | 3.6 | -0.2 |
| Khris Middleton | Out for season? | |
The Bucks disappointed everyone last year and losing Khris Middleton for the year would have put the 15-16 team on an all-too-familiar path to a 20-win season. This year is different. Not only did the team pick up some shooting (Teletovic, Beasley & Snell) in case of the emergency that did occur but, they added a point guard that plays both ends slightly better than Michael Carter-Williams did. Nothing is expected of first-round pick Thon Maker as he was a true project pick and second-rounder Malcolm Brogdon seems to be the more NBA ready of the two. Barring another injury or a trade, I don't see either getting a ton of playing time this season. Greg Monroe is surprisingly still in Milwaukee after everybody rushed to call that signing a bust before he became a top-tier sixth man. Rashad Vaughn could end up being the true x-factor on this team as he is another 2015 first-rounder expected to see a boost in playing time. The Bucks are far from the conference champions I saw them as 18 months ago but, the postseason is not out of reach.
New York Knicks
Head Coach: Jeff Hornacek
2015-16 Results: 32-50
| Carmelo Anthony | 20.3 | 6.4 |
| Kristaps Porzingis | 17.7 | 4.3 |
| Derrick Rose | 13.5 | 0.4 |
| Courtney Lee | 11.5 | 3.9 |
| Brandon Jennings | 13.7 | 1.5 |
| Joakim Noah | 14.1 | 1.1 |
| Lance Thomas | 10.4 | 1.7 |
| Kyle O'Quinn | 17.5 | 1.6 |
| Justin Holiday | 9.4 | 0.6 |
| Sasha Vujacic | 11.1 | 1.1 |
| Willy Hernangomez | DNP | Rookie |
| Mindaugas Kuzminskas | DNP | Rookie |
| Lou Amundson | 6.7 | -0.1 |
| Damien Inglis | 6.7 | -0.1 |
| Marshall Plumlee | DNP | Rookie |
Superteam? SUPERTEAM? lol.
Orlando Magic
Head Coach: Frank Vogel
2015-16 Results: 35-47
| Nikola Vucevic | 21.1 | 5.2 |
| Serge Ibaka | 13.9 | 5.5 |
| Evan Fournier | 14.6 | 5.7 |
| Aaron Gordon | 17.0 | 5.4 |
| Bismack Biyombo | 14.9 | 5.9 |
| Elfrid Payton | 13.9 | 2.2 |
| Mario Hezonja | 9.4 | 0.9 |
| Jeff Green | 13.0 | 3.1 |
| D.J. Augustin | 13.9 | 2.6 |
| Jodie Meeks | 13.5 | 0.1 |
| C.J. Watson | 8.6 | 0.6 |
| C.J. Wilcox | 12.9 | 0.3 |
| Damjan Rudez | 5.5 | 0.1 |
| Stephen Zimmerman | DNP | Rookie |
| Nick Johnson | DNP | D-League |
The best thing that ever happened to the Orlando Magic was Scott Skiles leaving after one season. Skiles is an angry man that has yet to experience any success without butting heads with everyone in an organization. Not only that but Frank Vogel was mindlessly dumped by Indiana and fell into Orlando's young hands, a perfect fit for a guy whose lineup experimentation rarely fails. While Orlando may have overpaid Evan Fournier, they also took a one year flier on potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate Serge Ibaka. Every young player for this team should be hitting their prime now or very, very soon (Gordon, Payton, Hezonja) and despite the loss of Victor Oladipo, the addition of some veteran presences with scoring ability like Jeff Green, Jodie Meeks and D.J. Augustin should help this team with a solid bench. Even if Ibaka leaves at the end of the year or gets hurt, this team will have Bismack Biyombo, a playoff hero for Toronto only a few months ago. Orlando's on the rise and none of us know for sure what their new Oladipo-less peak is.
Philadelphia 76ers
Head Coach: Brett Brown
2015-16 Results: 10-72
| Jahlil Okafor | 17.1 | 1.2 |
| Joel Embiid | DNP | Rookie/Injured |
| Nerlens Noel | 16.2 | 3.0 |
| Robert Covington | 13.2 | 2.0 |
| Dario Saric | DNP | Rookie |
| Gerald Henderson | 12.9 | 2.0 |
| Jerami Grant | 12.6 | 2.1 |
| Jerryd Bayless | 12.4 | 2.4 |
| T.J. McConnell | 14.5 | 1.9 |
| Richaun Holmes | 15.9 | 1.5 |
| Sergio Rodriguez | DNP | Overseas |
| Nik Stauskas | 9.2 | 0.5 |
| Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot | DNP | Rookie |
| Hollis Thompson | 9.2 | 1.2 |
| Anthony Barber | DNP | Rookie |
| Ben Simmons | Out for season? | |
Have you trusted the process? If not, I hope you are prepared to be wrong because after all that Sixer fans have gone through, they deserve some semblance of competence on the basketball court. Granted, they will never see every one of their lottery picks on the court at the same time (Okafor, Embiid, Noel, Saric and Simmons) but, they have a starting point and if they can grab one of the many incoming 2017 draft-eligible point guards, Philly might just be one year away from the playoffs. The veteran presences of Jerryd Bayless and Gerald Henderson will have to do for now and the team is rolling the dice for now on point guard Sergio Rodriguez so, it should not be a total trainwreck this season.
Toronto Raptors
Head Coach: Dwane Casey
2015-16 Results: 56-26, eliminated in 6 games by the Cavaliers in the conference finals
| Kyle Lowry | 22.2 | 11.6 |
| DeMar DeRozan | 21.5 | 9.9 |
| Jonas Valanciunas | 22.6 | 6.9 |
| DeMarre Carroll | 11.9 | 1.2 |
| Cory Joseph | 12.4 | 3.5 |
| Jared Sullinger | 16.7 | 4.8 |
| Norman Powell | 13.3 | 1.6 |
| Patrick Patterson | 10.6 | 3.6 |
| Terrence Ross | 12.9 | 3.6 |
| Jakob Poltl | DNP | Rookie |
| Delon Wright | 17.8 | 0.6 |
| Lucas Nogueira | 15.6 | 0.7 |
| Pascal Siakam | DNP | Rookie |
| Bruno Caboclo | -7.7 | -0.3 |
| Fred VanVleet | DNP | Rookie |
Toronto won the right to lose to Cleveland in the Eastern conference finals last season and are seemingly bound to a similar fate this year. The only differences between last year's team and this year's team are at the power forward position where they lost Bismack Biyombo and dropped Luis Scola for Jared Sullinger (upgrade from Scola) and Utah rookie Jakob Poltl (probable downgrade from Biyombo). Everybody else returns and Bruno Caboclo is now only one year away from being three years away (or some garbage like that). Nothing excites anybody outside of Canada about this team and rightfully so as they are not stealing the conference title away from Cleveland anytime soon.
Washington Wizards
Head Coach: Scott Brooks
2015-16 Results: 41-41
| John Wall | 19.8 | 5.7 |
| Bradley Beal | 15.5 | 2.7 |
| Markieff Morris | 12.2 | 0.5 |
| Marcin Gortat | 19.0 | 7.3 |
| Otto Porter Jr. | 14.5 | 5.6 |
| Ian Mahinmi | 16.6 | 6.2 |
| Trey Burke | 14.0 | 2.1 |
| Andrew Nicholson | 14.8 | 1.6 |
| Tomas Satoransky | DNP | Rookie |
| Jason Smith | 14.6 | 1.8 |
| Kelly Oubre Jr. | 8.2 | 0.4 |
| Marcus Thornton | 14.7 | 0.7 |
| Danuel House | DNP | Rookie |
| Johnny O'Bryant III | 7.4 | 0.3 |
| Jarrell Eddie | 11.0 | 0.1 |
As long as the Wizards have John Wall and Bradley Beal, they should never miss the playoffs. Last season, they did just that and Randy Wittman was fired as a result. The team did land known headcase Markieff Morris at the deadline last season and if he can regain his previous form the way other headcase Lance Stephenson did in Memphis, maybe he can help this team contend for the third or fourth seed again. GM Ernie Grunfeld also took chances on Trey Burke, Marcus Thornton, Jason Smith and the one player I have faith in out of every move they made, Andrew Nicholson. The bench is entirely new and now has a real backup big in Ian Mahinmi instead of trotting out the corpse of Drew Gooden. Otto Porter Jr. seems to be playing better as of late but, still not worthy-of-the-third-pick good and the team is relying on Scott Brooks to rediscover whatever it is within Kelly Oubre Jr. that made him worth a lottery pick as well.
Dallas Mavericks
Head Coach: Rick Carlisle
2015-16 Results: 42-40, eliminated in 5 games by the Thunder in Round 1
| Dirk Nowitzki | 19.0 | 6.8 |
| Wesley Matthews | 10.9 | 3.7 |
| Deron Williams | 14.6 | 3.7 |
| Harrison Barnes | 12.3 | 4.9 |
| Andrew Bogut | 15.9 | 5.4 |
| Dwight Powell | 16.8 | 3.1 |
| J.J. Barea | 15.4 | 2.8 |
| Devin Harris | 13.1 | 2.5 |
| Justin Anderson | 12.3 | 1.1 |
| Salah Mejri | 16.8 | 1.3 |
| Seth Curry | 13.8 | 1.4 |
| Quincy Acy | 14.7 | 2.5 |
| A.J. Hammons | DNP | Rookie |
| Dorian Finney-Smith | DNP | Rookie |
| Nicolas Brussino | DNP | Rookie |
Now that Dallas finally paid Dirk his final big "You've earned it buddy" contract, the team should have fallen out of playoff contention and started building toward a new future. Instead, the cap room for every team rose and Mark Cuban was able to convince 2/5 starters from the greatest regular season team of all-time to come to Dallas. Andrew Bogut is a perfect replacement for Zaza Pachulia as they have a similar set of skills only, Bogut is younger and more injury-prone. Harrison Barnes was a joke through much of the playoffs and the Olympics because of his poor shooting and now, he'll be relied upon heavier than he ever was in Golden State. Other than those two, the team also picked up Steph Curry's brother after he started coming into his own in Sacramento and Quincy Acy, whose just a physical big with zero offensive ability. With a healthier Wesley Matthews and an overall veteran core, this team is still a playoff contender, just not a second round playoff team.
Denver Nuggets
Head Coach: Mike Malone
2015-16 Results: 33-49
| Danilo Gallinari | 19.0 | 6.3 |
| Kenneth Faried | 21.0 | 5.5 |
| Nikola Jokic | 21.5 | 6.7 |
| Emmanuel Mudiay | 9.9 | -2.1 |
| Will Barton | 16.0 | 4.3 |
| Jamal Murray | DNP | Rookie |
| Jusuf Nurkic | 15.9 | 0.4 |
| Gary Harris | 12.7 | 4.0 |
| Jameer Nelson | 9.5 | 0.5 |
| Wilson Chandler | DNP | Injured |
| Juan Hernangomez | DNP | Rookie |
| Darrell Arthur | 12.5 | 2.3 |
| Malik Beasley | DNP | Rookie |
| Mike Miller | 6.5 | 0.3 |
| Jarnell Stokes | 20.0 | 0.1 |
Now in their second season under Mike Malone, this Denver Nuggets team should be very close to realizing their potential over the next 24 months with a super young core that includes two impressive foreign bigs (Nurkic & Jokic) and two guards with extremely high potential (Murray & Mudiay). There are still three veterans on this team that are only around for trading potential and each of Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried and Wilson Chandler are just stealing buckets and opportunities away from Denver's other two non-Jamal Murray first-round rookies (Hernangomez & Beasley) and former lottery pick Gary Harris. Hopefully, Denver falls out of the race quickly so that they might deal these guys or else, they won't be good enough to get higher than a 7th seed anyway.
Golden State Warriors
Head Coach: Steve Kerr
2015-16 Results: 73-9, Blew a 3-1 lead over Cleveland in the NBA Finals
| Stephen Curry | 31.5 | 17.9 |
| Kevin Durant | 28.2 | 14.5 |
| Draymond Green | 19.3 | 11.1 |
| Klay Thompson | 18.6 | 8.0 |
| Andre Iguodala | 12.2 | 4.4 |
| Shaun Livingston | 13.8 | 4.6 |
| Zaza Pachulia | 16.2 | 6.0 |
| David West | 17.6 | 5.4 |
| JaVale McGee | 19.9 | 1.1 |
| James Michael McAdoo | 15.9 | 0.8 |
| Ian Clark | 11.5 | 0.9 |
| Anderson Varejao | 11.1 | 1.0 |
| Damian Jones | DNP | Rookie |
| Patrick McCaw | DNP | Rookie |
| Phil Pressey | 10.6 | -0.1 |
This team is good.
Houston Rockets
Head Coach: Mike D'Antoni
2015-16 Results: 41-41, eliminated in 5 games by the Warriors in round 1
| James Harden | 25.3 | 13.3 |
| Eric Gordon | 13.5 | 2.1 |
| Trevor Ariza | 12.9 | 5.4 |
| Clint Capela | 18.3 | 4.4 |
| Ryan Anderson | 17.2 | 3.9 |
| Patrick Beverley | 13.0 | 4.4 |
| Nene Hilario | 16.8 | 2.7 |
| Corey Brewer | 9.9 | 1.2 |
| Montrezl Harrell | 14.6 | 0.9 |
| P.J. Hairston | 6.9 | 0.6 |
| Tyler Ennis | 10.7 | 0.4 |
| Sam Dekker | 10.8 | 0.0 |
| K.J. McDaniels | 10.6 | 0.2 |
| Pablo Prigioni | 10.2 | 1.5 |
| Chinanu Onuaku | DNP | Rookie |
Now that Dwight Howard is gone and can no longer clash behind the scenes with James Harden, the Rockets are going to try to have fun again with James Harden at point guard and everybody else jacking up threes. Clint Capela is a center who I've had my eye on for a couple of years now and I really believe he can be a poor man's Hassan Whiteside after they ease him into the starting role by sharing time with Nene'. As for the rest of Houston, Mike D'Antoni is not known for his defensive teams and both Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon are not known fir their defense so, every game will have a final of 130-120 with the winner depending on Capela's free throw percentage.
Los Angeles Clippers
Head Coach: Doc Rivers
2015-16 Results: 53-29, eliminated in 6 games by the Trail Blazers in round 1
| Chris Paul | 26.2 | 12.7 |
| Blake Griffin | 22.1 | 3.8 |
| DeAndre Jordan | 20.6 | 11.5 |
| J.J. Redick | 17.5 | 6.7 |
| Jamal Crawford | 14.0 | 3.3 |
| Austin Rivers | 11.1 | 1.9 |
| Marreese Speights | 17.1 | 1.8 |
| Alan Anderson | 9.2 | 0.3 |
| Brandon Bass | 17.4 | 4.1 |
| Raymond Felton | 11.9 | 2.7 |
| Wesley Johnson | 11.0 | 2.6 |
| Luc Mbah a Moute | 7.3 | 1.6 |
| Paul Pierce | 8.2 | 0.9 |
| Brice Johnson | DNP | Rookie |
| Diamond Stone | DNP | Rookie |
The big three are back for a sixth go at a never-happening finals run. Marreese Speights was a Sixth Man of the Year candidate back in Golden State and Alan Anderson hasn't been on a playoff team in years but he was a nice bench scorer before he wasted away in Washington last season so, the bench might not be better but, it is different at least. Will skinny Ray Felton or fat Ray Felton show up? Will skinny Brandon Bass or fat Brandon Bass show up? Each player's weight seems intrinsically tied to their on-court production. This is a team with a ton of veterans either at the end of their primes or past it which is basically the definition of any Doc Rivers team since the 2007 Celtics.
Los Angeles Lakers
Head Coach: Luke Walton
2015-16 Results: 17-65
| Julius Randle | 13.9 | 1.6 |
| D'Angelo Russell | 13.2 | 0.0 |
| Jordan Clarkson | 14.3 | 2.1 |
| Luol Deng | 15.0 | 6.4 |
| Lou Williams | 17.7 | 4.7 |
| Timofey Mozgov | 14.6 | 3.7 |
| Brandon Ingram | DNP | Rookie |
| Larry Nance Jr. | 13.4 | 2.2 |
| Jose Calderon | 12.3 | 4.0 |
| Nick Young | 9.1 | 0.1 |
| Tarik Black | 12.3 | 0.7 |
| Yi Jianlian | DNP | Overseas |
| Thomas Robinson | 14.5 | 0.6 |
| Marcelo Huertas | 10.4 | -0.1 |
| Ivica Zubac | DNP | Rookie |
Kobe Bryant is not on this team anymore and thank god for that because now we can all enjoy watching the Lakers again as they try to rebuild around fun young players with some old timers around for mentoring duties instead of their own personal determination to take every shot. The Lakers didn't just get rid of their washed up basketball player, they also got rid of their washed head coach (Byron Scott) and replaced him with a much-younger, much more in tune with the league Luke Walton. With the Iggy Azalea drama behind them, both D'Angelo Russell and Nick "Swaggy P" Young should see better days in 2016-17 than in 2015-16 and who knows, maybe Russell becomes a superstar now. Even with the flashy Russell, the reliable Jordan Clarkson and the new guy in #2 overall pick Brandon Ingram, there is nobody as ready for primetime on this Laker squad than Julius Randle, who put up 11.3 PPG and 10.2 RPG in what was essentially his rookie season after he tore his ACL in the 2014-15 season opener. They won't be very good yet but, the Lakers are at least fun to watch again.
Memphis Grizzlies
Head Coach: David Fizdale
2015-16 Results: 42-40, swept by Spurs in round 1
| Mike Conley | 19.4 | 5.3 |
| Marc Gasol | 17.7 | 3.7 |
| Chandler Parsons | 16.2 | 4.3 |
| Zach Randolph | 18.3 | 4.3 |
| Wade Baldwin IV | DNP | Rookie |
| Tony Allen | 12.9 | 2.4 |
| Brandan Wright | 18.3 | 0.7 |
| JaMychal Green | 14.6 | 2.6 |
| Vince Carter | 12.7 | 1.8 |
| Troy Daniels | 14.9 | 1.1 |
| Deyonta Davis | DNP | Rookie |
| Jarell Martin | 14.0 | 0.8 |
| Troy Williams | DNP | Rookie |
| James Ennis | 17.8 | 0.9 |
| Jordan Adams | 17.3 | 0.0 |
Some say that the "Grit N' Grind" days have gone on for too long for ol' Memphis but, with new head coach David Fizdale benching Zach Randolph in favor of a slightly younger, quicker paced lineup, maybe they just needed to alter a few things in order to make the Western Conference Finals again. After all, this team finally has more shooting with the additions of Chandler Parsons, Troy Daniels and Troy Williams and has a stronger, healthier bench after the training room year from hell with first-round PG Wade Baldwin IV and the returns of Brandan Wright, JaMychal Green and Jarell Martin. A lot of experts predict this to be the team that slides out of the postseason but, I say don't count them out so soon.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau
2015-16 Results: 29-53
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 22.5 | 8.3 |
| Andrew Wiggins | 16.5 | 4.1 |
| Zach LaVine | 14.3 | 2.6 |
| Kris Dunn | DNP | Rookie |
| Gorgui Dieng | 17.1 | 5.9 |
| Ricky Rubio | 17.6 | 5.8 |
| Shabazz Muhammad | 15.2 | 2.7 |
| Jordan Hill | 16.4 | 3.9 |
| Nemanja Bjelica | 11.2 | 1.9 |
| Cole Aldrich | 21.3 | 3.5 |
| Rasual Butler | 13.4 | 1.3 |
| Tyus Jones | 11.2 | 0.3 |
| Nikola Pekovic | 6.5 | -0.1 |
| Brandon Rush | 10.1 | 2.0 |
| Adreian Payne | 5.6 | -0.5 |
Despite coach Thibs reluctant usage of young players in Chicago, I get the feeling that he is going to love Kris Dunn so much right away that he forgets to give Dunn rest when the time calls for it. Karl-Anthony Towns has passed up Anthony Davis as everyone's "Next big-man MVP candidate" and we still aren't even three years removed from thinking Andrew Wiggins was the next Lebron. Add all of that along with the athleticism of Zach LaVine, the sixth-man candidate Ricky Rubio and the always improving combo of Gorgui Dieng and Shabazz Muhammad and the T-Wolves are a serious contender for the playoffs for the first time since Kevin Love departed.
New Orleans Pelicans
Head Coach: Alvin Gentry
2015-16 Results: 30-52
| Anthony Davis | 25.0 | 7.2 |
| Jrue Holiday | 19.7 | 3.4 |
| Tyreke Evans | 17.9 | 1.4 |
| Buddy Hield | DNP | Rookie |
| Lance Stephenson | 13.5 | 2.2 |
| Terrence Jones | 13.5 | 1.5 |
| Solomon Hill | 12.2 | 2.1 |
| Alexis Ajinca | 13.8 | 1.0 |
| E'Twaun Moore | 11.4 | 1.8 |
| Dante Cunningham | 8.6 | 2.1 |
| Langston Galloway | 11.7 | 3.3 |
| Omer Asik | 11.0 | 1.7 |
| Alonzo Gee | 8.4 | 1.9 |
| Robert Sacre | 10.4 | 0.3 |
| Tim Frazier | 13.9 | 1.0 |
Anthony Davis better stay healthy and Buddy Hield better live up to the hype or else this is not a playoff team. By dumping Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson, the Pelicans automatically improved by not having their defense be a total liability outside of "The Brow". This team is taking chances on some younger players with promise like Terrence Jones and Solomon Hill that will likely pay off to some extent. Unfortunately, the chances taken on Langston Galloway and Lance Stephenson are a lot more unpredictable as they have both been wildcards thus far in their careers. The depth is actually pretty nice which is like discovering gold compared to last year's trash squad and the world can finally get a clear picture of what type of head coach Alvin Gentry is going to be for the Pelicans.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Head Coach: Billy Donovan
2015-16 Results: 55-27, eliminated in 7 games by the Warriors in the conference finals
| Russell Westbrook | 27.6 | 14.0 |
| Victor Oladipo | 16.7 | 4.9 |
| Enes Kanter | 24.0 | 8.1 |
| Steven Adams | 15.5 | 6.5 |
| Ersan Ilyasova | 14.2 | 4.4 |
| Cameron Payne | 12.9 | 1.4 |
| Andre Roberson | 10.2 | 3.4 |
| Joffrey Lauvergne | 15.7 | 2.3 |
| Anthony Morrow | 10.7 | 1.9 |
| Ronnie Price | 9.6 | 1.4 |
| Domantas Sabonis | DNP | Rookie |
| Alex Abrines | DNP | Rookie |
| Kyle Singler | 6.6 | 1.1 |
| Nick Collison | 7.7 | 0.8 |
| Mitch McGary | 7.4 | 0.0 |
When the Thunder traded for Victor Olaipo and Ersan Ilyasova, I thought "This is a really nice couple of pickups to compete with Golden State" and then Kevin Durant left. The minute Kevin Durant left, this team's 2016-17 season was finished. Not only do they have to worry about somehow plugging all of these pieces together to replace KD but, they also need to worry about keeping Russell Westbrook happy for the next three years and hold him tight so that he never leaves this team in turmoil. I do not envy Billy Donovan's job right now. I definitely think Joffrey Lauvergne is a real role player though and Sabonis was picked in the lottery so, they have that going for them.
Phoenix Suns
Head Coach: Earl Watson
2015-16 Results: 23-59
| Eric Bledsoe | 20.0 | 2.5 |
| Brandon Knight | 14.7 | 1.7 |
| Devin Booker | 11.9 | 1.9 |
| Tyson Chandler | 14.7 | 3.8 |
| Alex Len | 12.4 | 1.3 |
| Dragan Bender | DNP | Rookie |
| P.J. Tucker | 10.8 | 3.5 |
| T.J. Warren | 15.7 | 2.2 |
| Marquese Chriss | DNP | Rookie |
| Leandro Barbosa | 11.7 | 2.1 |
| Archie Goodwin | 11.1 | 0.1 |
| Jared Dudley | 11.7 | 4.6 |
| John Jenkins | 10.0 | 0.2 |
| Tyler Ulis | DNP | Rookie |
| Alan Williams | 21.1 | 0.2 |
Phoenix turned in some awful performances last season while Jeff Hornacek was still the head coach. Once they canned him for Earl Watson, playing time suddenly opened up for the younger players (Booker, Len, Warren and more) and the team's win percentage went slightly up enough for the organization to retain Watson for the next three years. Add another offseason of experience to the younger lottery picks and two new top-ten selections in European big Dragan Bender (who can shoot threes and pass!) and Marquese Chriss, another big with an offensive skillset. This is going to be a really fun, really young team that will only get younger if they do decide to deal Tyson Chandler or Brandon Knight or even Eric Bledsoe.
Portland Trail Blazers
Head Coach: Terry Stotts
2015-16 Results: 44-38, eliminated in 5 games by the Warriors in the conference semifinals
| Damian Lillard | 22.2 | 9.2 |
| C.J. McCollum | 17.7 | 6.0 |
| Mason Plumlee | 17.2 | 6.1 |
| Al-Farouq Aminu | 12.7 | 4.0 |
| Evan Turner | 13.6 | 4.0 |
| Allen Crabbe | 12.2 | 4.3 |
| Meyers Leonard | 11.3 | 2.2 |
| Ed Davis | 18.7 | 6.7 |
| Festus Ezeli | 17.7 | 2.7 |
| Maurice Harkless | 13.3 | 2.9 |
| Noah Vonleh | 8.6 | 1.2 |
| Shabazz Napier | 9.6 | 0.1 |
| Pat Connaughton | 4.6 | -0.2 |
| Jake Layman | DNP | Rookie |
| Greg Stiemsma | DNP | Injured |
The Trail Blazers are Damian Lillard's team and C.J. McCollum is an additional part in what is the beginning of a big three. This team does not have a third all-star caliber player yet and did not add one during the offseason. Instead, they added another shooter (Evan Turner) to take the ill-advised route of trying to out-shoot the Warriors and a former Warrior with bad knees in Festus Ezeli. Allen Crabbe got paid a ton of money to become the sixth man of the year for this team and his shooting off the bench makes him incredibly valuable whenever McCollum or Lillard is off the court. The bigs on this team are all questionable. None of them excell at any one skill and are overall decent average players that need to grow more in order to build a legitimate contender with a real big three.
Sacramento Kings
Head Coach: Dave Joerger
2015-16 Results: 33-49
| DeMarcus Cousins | 23.6 | 5.7 |
| Rudy Gay | 15.5 | 3.8 |
| Darren Collison | 15.9 | 5.2 |
| Arron Afflalo | 10.9 | 2.7 |
| Willie Cauley-Stein | 15.3 | 3.8 |
| Omri Casspi | 13.9 | 3.6 |
| Kosta Koufos | 15.1 | 3.5 |
| Ben McLemore | 8.6 | 0.3 |
| Ty Lawson | 9.7 | 0.9 |
| Georgios Papagiannis | DNP | Rookie |
| Matt Barnes | 11.7 | 2.6 |
| Malachi Richardson | DNP | Rookie |
| Garrett Temple | 9.3 | 2.7 |
| Anthony Tolliver | 10.2 | 2.8 |
| Skal Labissiere | DNP | Rookie |
Boogie, Boogie, Boogie. Dave Joerger may have been the best possible hire for this Sacramento team of misfits but, is there really a perfect coach for DeMarcus "Boogie" Cousins when he's already on his seventh head coach of his career? This is a really weird team again with seemingly no pieces that can win together when relied upon as heavily as they seemingly will be (see: Arron Afflalo, Omri Casspi, Ben McLemore, Matt Barnes) and some young bigs that can almost never play on the same court together (Willie Cauley-Stein, Georgios Papagiannis, Skal Labissiere). Rudy Gay is likely to be traded and whatever they bring in in exchange for him will hopefully clear the picture up a bit.... or maybe they'll just get another big, this team hasn't made many smart decisions since drafting Boogie.
San Antonio Spurs
Head Coach: Gregg Popovich
2015-16 Results: 67-15, eliminated in 6 games by the Thunder in the conference semifinals
| Kawhi Leonard | 26.0 | 13.7 |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | 22.4 | 10.1 |
| Pau Gasol | 21.7 | 7.1 |
| Tony Parker | 16.2 | 5.8 |
| Danny Green | 10.5 | 4.7 |
| Manu Ginobili | 17.8 | 3.8 |
| Patty Mills | 14.6 | 4.8 |
| Kyle Anderson | 12.9 | 3.5 |
| Jonathon Simmons | 11.9 | 2.0 |
| David Lee | 19.6 | 3.0 |
| Dewayne Dedmon | 17.0 | 2.4 |
| Dejounte Murray | DNP | Rookie |
| Livio Jean-Charles | DNP | Rookie |
| Davis Bertans | DNP | Rookie |
| Joel Anthony | 14.1 | 0.4 |
Trade rumors involving LaMarcus Aldridge aside, this team made the perfect choices to replace Tim Duncan and Boban Marjanovic on the court with Pau Gasol's veteran experience and Dewayne Dedmon's upside and defensive ability. Other than that, this roster is very similar to the 67-win team from a year ago. Now, the Spurs cannot replace Tim Duncan in the locker room but, considering how similar this team is to last year's (only slightly younger), these guys are the one team that could maneuver their minutes perfectly and pull off the upset of Golden State in the West.
Utah Jazz
Head Coach: Quin Snyder
2015-16 Results: 40-42
| Gordon Heyward | 18.3 | 8.9 |
| Derrick Favors | 21.6 | 7.1 |
| Rudy Gobert | 17.5 | 6.4 |
| Rodney Hood | 14.1 | 6.0 |
| Alec Burks | 14.3 | 1.5 |
| George Hill | 13.2 | 6.2 |
| Joe Johnson | 12.0 | 2.7 |
| Trey Lyles | 11.6 | 2.3 |
| Shelvin Mack | 13.6 | 1.3 |
| Boris Diaw | 14.0 | 3.8 |
| Dante Exum | DNP | Injured |
| Jeff Withey | 17.7 | 2.3 |
| Joe Ingles | 10.3 | 2.3 |
| Raul Neto | 10.2 | 1.8 |
| Henry Sims | 13.9 | 0.4 |
Everybody is hopping on the Jazzwagon this season and I can see why. Out of all the teams stacked with young players and a few veterans, this is the deepest roster. Dante Exum returns from a torn up knee and the former #5 overall pick might be the third point guard on the depth chart behind former Pacer George Hill and 2016 deadline acquisition Shelvin Mack, who really broke out of his shell in Utah. Gordon Hayward is the #1 option on this squad and he will unfortunately miss some time early on due to injury. This actually will benefit the rest of the players as they get more time to develop a repertoire before welcoming Hayward back. They won 40 games without Exum, Hill, Boris Diaw and Joe Johnson, I can't wait to see what they can do with all of those guys and being another year wiser.
2016-17 Predictions
Western Conference
1. Golden State Warriors
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Los Angeles Clippers
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
5. Portland Trail Blazers
6. Houston Rockets
7. Memphis Grizzlies
8. Utah Jazz
9. New Orleans Pelicans
10. Minnesota Timberwolves
11. Denver Nuggets
12. Dallas Mavericks
13. Sacramento Kings
14. Phoenix Suns
15. Los Angeles Lakers
Eastern Conference
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Boston Celtics
3. Indiana Pacers
4. Toronto Raptors
5. Atlanta Hawks
6. Orlando Magic
7. Milwaukee Bucks
8. Detroit Pistons
9. Chicago Bulls
10. New York Knicks
11. Miami Heat
12. Charlotte Hornets
13. Philadelphia 76ers
14. Washington Wizards
15. Brooklyn Nets
 |
SLAMonline
The Celtics are winners of the not-Cavs East. Congrats! |
MVP: Lebron James
ROTY: Kris Dunn
DPOTY: Lebron James
6th Man: Allen Crabbe
Coach of the Year: Frank Vogel
Most Improved: Jabari Parker
Western Playoffs
1st Round
GSW 4 - UTA 0
SAS 4 - MEM 0
LAC 4 - HOU 2
POR 4 - OKC 3
2nd Round
GSW 4 - POR 1
SAS 4 - LAC 3
Western Conference Finals
GSW 4 - SAS 2
Eastern Playoffs
1st Round
CLE 4 - DET 0
BOS 4 - MIL 3
IND 4 - ORL 2
TOR 4 - ATL 1
2nd Round
CLE 4 - TOR 1
BOS 4 - IND 3
Eastern Conference Finals
CLE 4 - BOS 0
Predictable Finals Prediction - Golden State Warriors over the Cleveland Cavaliers in 5.
Finals MVP - Kevin Durant. Why not? It's his year in every way.
