2014-2015 NBA Regular Season Predictions

FINALLY! The 2014-2015 NBA Season is upon us, and in a “quick” rundown I’m going to share my thoughts on each team in the upcoming season.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic	W	L
Toronto Raptors	50	32
New York Knicks	46	36
Brooklyn Nets	41	41
Boston Celtics	28	54
Philadelphia 76ers	22	60

I see this as a cakewalk for the Raptors to win their second straight divisional title. Considering DeMar DeRozan’s growth in skill and maturity, Kyle Lowry’s experience (who is fresh off of his career year), and Jonas Valanciunas manning the paint, the Raptors are the most balanced team in the Atlantic division. Valanciunas worked with HOF Hakeem Olajuwon this summer, and I think we’re about to see a breakout year from the 7 foot Lithuanian big man.

If I had to pick another team from this whimpering division to make the playoffs, I would have to go with the Knicks. Why? Because of Phil Jackson, the potential on the court, and Phil Jackson. The addition of Samuel Dalembert gives the Knicks their first intelligent big man of the 21^st century. I think he’ll pair nicely with veteran point guard Pablo Prigioni and the young Shane Larkin. Dalembert won’t show his worth in the box scores, but he has a history of inflating the numbers of those around him.

I don’t see any of these other teams posing any real threat to challenge Toronto, let alone the rest of the East. The Nets are too old to keep up with their youth, the Celtics have too many questions surrounding them (Rondo, Rondo, and more Rondo), and the 76ers are in the middle of a vast rebuilding stage.

Central	W	L
Chicago Bulls	57	25
Cleveland Cavaliers	55	27
Indiana Pacers	42	40
Milwaukee Bucks	36	46
Detroit Pistons	34	48

The Central division is easily the toughest and most competitive in the Eastern conference. Both the Pistons and Bucks have a lot of individual talent, especially the Pistons. However, neither squad can play together, especially the Pistons. The Bucks had one of the best off seasons thanks to their new ownership, and acquired Brandon Knight, Jared Dudley, Jabari Parker, Jerryd Bayless and Kendall Marshall. They still have Giannis Antetokounmpo, John Henson, Ersan Ilyasova, OJ Mayo, and Khris Middleton. I apologize for naming off nearly every player on the roster, but I want people to know that the Bucks are on the rise. Every player I listed has high potential, and some have already shown it. In a few years time the Bucks will be on of the best teams in the East. For now, they’re going to work on developing their chemistry and adding a veteran presence.

The Pacers took a huge hit this offseason, by losing Stephenson to Charlotte and Paul George to injury. I think they have enough in place to make a run at a playoff spot, but it’s going to be tough for them.

Now, we come to the most anticipated team since 2010. I’m not going to go into detail, because most of you probably already know about LeBron and co.  I’ll I’m going to say is that it will take time, and I don’t expect the Cavs to dominate from the get-go. I have the Bulls winning the Central by a few games this season, barring any setbacks to you-know-who.

SOUTHEAST	W	L
Washington Wizards	51	31
Charlotte Hornets	47	35
Atlanta Hawks	43	39
Miami Heat	40	42
Orlando Magic	25	57

This division is filled with high-potential teams, but those same teams have question marks around them. The Hornets had a shaky offense last year, and it’s unknown as to how they’ll do this year. But they retained the defense that ranked sixth in the league last year.

The Hawks have issues in every corner of their front office, but for the most part have maintained their core players. Plus, they have a pretty decent chemistry between their starting five.

We all know that the Heat lost LeBron, and I can’t imagine them finding success without them. Dwayne Wade’s career is pretty much over now that he can’t use LeBron as a crutch. Chris Bosh will be the frontrunner to lead the team to the playoffs. Luol Deng will do what he can, but I fear that he’s the next Lamar Odom.

I think The Wizards have the best chance to win the division. John Wall is entering his prime, the frontcourt (Nene Hilario and Marcin Gortat) is in tact, and adding Paul Pierce is the perfect player to integrate Otto Porter and Bradley Beal into the NBA. I’ll even go as far as to say the Wizards have enough talent to win over 50 games.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Northwest	W	L
Oklahoma City Thunder	55	27
Portland Trail Blazers	54	28
Denver Nuggets	46	36
Utah Jazz	34	48
Minnesota Timberwolves	20	62

Even with Kevin Durant out for the first portion of the month I think Serge Ibaka and Russell Westbrook can hold it down until he returns. Russell thrives without KD, and KD thrives without Westbrook, so they’ll be fine. Portland may be able to contest them for the title, but other than those two teams there’s not a lot of strength in the Northwest.

If a third team were to come out of this division, it would be the Nuggets. Ty Lawson is filthy, and Kenneth Faried is one of the hardest workers in the NBA. But they’re missing pieces, and can’t compete with the aforementioned players alone.

The Jazz are nearing the end of their rebuilding mode. They have a solid core of young and talented players, but their frontcourt is lacking. And I think the Timberwolves will resume their spot as the worst team in the NBA. Not a lot of guesswork here in the Northwest.

Pacific	W	L
Los Angeles Clippers	56	26
Golden State Warriors	52	30
Phoenix Suns	45	37
Sacramento Kings	37	45
Los Angeles Lakers	24	58

This is where the West starts to get wild. The Warriors and Clippers will duke it out all year for the top spot in the Pacific, and I have Chris Paul and company coming out on top.

The Suns have added some pieces, and the Morris twins are playing well for them. Goran Dragic continues to improve, and might be able to lead them to the playoffs. But the West is better than ever, so he’ll be hard-pressed to do so.

I think the Kings will be looking at the playoffs from the outside in, but to their credit they’ve gotten better. Boogie Cousins is filthy, and Darren Collison is an underrated guard. Kings and Bucks are in the same boat this year; if anything, they’ll just play spoiler in the late months of the season.

The Lakers have a brutal roster this year, but it’s not stopping Kobe from going as hard as he possibly can. He appears to be healthy entering this season, but it will not be nearly enough to challenge the loaded west for a playoff spot.

Southwest	W	L
San Antonio Spurs	61	21
Memphis Grizzlies	55	27
Dallas Mavericks	50	32
Houston Rockets	47	35
New Orleans Pelicans	45	37

Other than the Spurs, I don’t have the faintest idea of how this division will pan out. All the teams are playoff caliber, but I doubt that all 5 can make it.

I have the Spurs as the only 60-winner this season, and the Grizzlies following closely behind with their prolific defense. The Mavericks are back in the running to pose a significant threat in the playoffs, and the Rockets have a star-studded starting 5. They still have a lackluster bench, but Harden and Howard might be enough to propel them to the postseason.

Lastly, the Pelicans… I feel bad that their young and skillful lineup is stuck in one of the best divisions I’ve ever seen. Anthony Davis and Omer Asik are two talented bigs with two different styles of play, and I think they’ll compliment each other. They also have one of the most skilled frontcourts in the NBA (Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday, Eric Gordon). The only thing working against the Pelicans this year is experience. In due time though, they’ll be a serious contender in the West.