NBA Midseason Predictions

Wow! Has it been some time since I have blogged or what? It has been a combination of coaching soccer, work, studying for PE subject area exam, and laziness that has kept me from blogging. Now that I have passed my exam, and the soccer season is nearly over, I plan to get back to blogging on a regular basis.

The All-Star break is over, and the unofficial second half of the NBA season will begin tonight. I wanted to come on here and give my predictions (as promised) on what will happen the rest of the season. It has been an entertaining year, with superstars like LeBron, Kobe, and Wade playing lights out basketball. In fact as you may recall, I was talking about how I have lost a lot of love for this league. Well I am coming on here to tell you this year has turned a page in my NBA appreciation and I find myself following it a lot closer and caring. Probably because the Heat will most likely make the playoffs, but it has been a fun year. Without further adieu, here are the updated predictions.

DIVISION CHAMPIONS

Southeast: Orlando Magic (same)
No change on my prediction here. Although they are going to be hurting a lot more with the loss of Jameer Nelson, but I think they have enough of a lead to hold off the inconsistent Atlanta Hawks.

Atlantic: Boston Celtics (same)
With the 76ers a solid 15 games behind, I would be willing to bet my life savings on the Celtics keeping the lead in this division. They are also still the defending champions with a great mix of young and old. How great has Rondo been?

Central: Cleveland Cavaliers (same)
Again I am sticking with the Cavs, and for the same reason anyone else would. They are the best team in the East, with the best player in the game. They also lead the league in point differential and Detroit is too far behind.

Southwest: San Antonio Spurs (previously New Orleans)
The Spurs do not look like they have aged at all. They are playing very well right now. New Orleans can still win this along with Houston, but those two teams have not been playing as well on the road as the Spurs. This division is going to be a dog fight though.

Northwest: Denver Nuggets (previously Utah)
In the preseason blog I stated the Jazz would win substantially. Well I was wrong. In all fairness though, I did not know Denver would have Chauncy Billups leading them. What a difference this guy makes for a team. Denver should win pretty easily because Portland and Utah cannot win away from home.

Pacific: Los Angeles Lakers (same)
And it is still not even close. The closest team, Phoenix, is in complete disarray.

REMAINING PLAYOFF TEAMS

Eastern Conference:
Atlanta (same), Miami (same), Philadelphia (same), Detroit (same), New Jersey (previously Toronto)
Milwaukee or Chicago could easily be in there instead of the Nets, but I like New Jersey with the way Brook Lopez is playing and if Devin Harris and Vince Carter can stay healthy.

Western Conference:
Houston (same), New Orleans (same), Dallas (same), Utah (same), Portland (previously Phoenix)
As stated above, Phoenix is in shambles after the firing of Terry Porter. Now they are looking to trade Amare Stoudamire? Man, has Steve Nash got a rough remaining of the season ahead of him. Portland has come along a lot faster then I thought. Brandon Roy has to be the most underrated player in the league. No doubt the Blazers regret taking Greg Oden over Kevin Durant because Roy is just as effective.

PLAYOFF RESULTS

Eastern Conference Finals: Cleveland over Boston (same)
If Jameer Nelson could have stayed healthy for the Magic, I would have picked them to win the conference. However, you cannot expect to win games as a shooting team when one of your best shooters is out. Cleveland is playing really well behind James and Moe Williams (ultimate All-Star snub). I definitely expect it to go to 7 games and would not be surprised if Boston won. I just think this is the year for the Cavs.

Western Conference Finals: San Antonio over Los Angeles (previously Los Angeles over Utah)
The Lakers can still pull it out, but it is going to be a lot harder after losing Andrew Bynum a second year in a row to a season ending knee injury. San Antonio may be aging, but, with Manu Ginobili back on top of his game and their consistent chemistry, they look tough to beat.

NBA Finals: San Antonio over Cleveland (previously Los Angeles over Cleveland)
I would have really loved to see Andrew Bynum vs. Dwight Howard in the finals, but with Bynum done and Nelson out for the Magic, it seems like it will be tough for Kobe Bryant to lead the Lakers and Howard to lead the Magic. This still presents a good match up. The youth of Cleveland and the relentlessness of James vs. the experience and chemistry of the Spurs. I say the Spurs in 7.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Most Valuable Player: LeBron James (previously Chris Paul)
I would have loved for Paul to get this award, but he just does not have the dazzle factor of King James. Plus it is certainly hard to argue against numbers like 28 ppg, 7.5 rpg, and 7 apg. To be in the top in scoring, but also have that many assists is unreal. He is all over the court.

Rookie of the Year: Derrick Rose (previously Michael Beasley)
I'll admit it. I chose Beasley because he plays for the Heat. Now, he is playing decent and I guarantee his numbers will improve now that Shawn Marion is gone. Rose, however, has shown why he was the first overall pick. He is playing really well for the Bulls doing everything form scoring to dishing the ball. O.J. Mayo is close behind, but since the Grizzlies are so bad, he will finish second. Watch out for dark horse Brook Lopez. He has fit in well with New Jersey and is slowly climbing up the poll (I haven't checked, but I'm pretty sure 12 double-doubles leads all rookies).

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard (previously Ron Artest)
Artest was injury plagued in January and he has not played his normal shut down defense. Howard leads the league in rebounds and blocks. Enough said.

Sixth Man of the Year: Manu Ginobili (previously Leandro Barbosa)
He is still averaging starting minutes, but with Roger Mason starting in front of him, he has certainly produced off the bench. He has managed to stay healthy this season, and that can only mean good things for San Antonio.

Coach of the Year: Eric Spoelstra (previously Rick Adelman)
This may seem like a homer pick, but to be able to take a team with the worse record in the league to 4 games over five hundred and in the hunt for a playoff spot is impressive. Not to mention the Miami Heat may have one of, if not the youngest, team in the league.