2012 NBA PREDICTION TIME!!!
Travis
Jan 10th, 10pm
That's right it is time for us to pretend like we know what were talking about, and show how little we actually know. The art of predicting is a little bit of strategic thinking and a lot about throwing darts.
We're about three weeks into the season and I believe we are overdue for NBA predictions.
1. Team with highest # of wins and how many?
2. Team with lowest # of wins and how many?
3. Rookie of the Year?
4. Defensive MVP
5. League MVP
6. Who wins the West?
7. Who wins the East?
8. Who wins the Finals?
BEWARE: False choices can lead to months of hilarious jokes at your expense. Plus toss back any other NBA prediction question.
Here's mine:
1. Miami Heat with 52 wins(that was painful to type)
2. Washington Wizards with 18
3. I got to go with Kyrie Irving
4. Dwight Howard no question
5. This ones a coin flip between D. Rose and K. Durant...but the DURANTULA prevails!
6. The San Antonio Spurs will take the West in the 6th game of the series against Los Angeles Lakers. I feel the old guard makes one more push out West. With the Spurs and Lakers owning the past decade it only make sense they have one final showdown.
7. D. Rose and the Chicago Bulls dismantle the Heat in 5
8. Change my last name to Simpson cause I'm a Homer. The San Antonio Spurs will take the series in 7, and Tim Duncan goes quietly into the night, solidifying his place as the best power forward to ever play the game.
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Mike
Jan 10th, 11 pm
Everyone loves a Mike Moore Prediction! Get ready to laugh in three weeks to three months.
1. Miami, 57 wins. Gotta agree with Travis, but I don't think they'll reach double-digit losses
2. Detroit, 15 wins. Because Greg Monroe is their top scorer, and because nothing can go right in Detroit.
3. Ricky Rubio will get the award, but Norris Cole will deserve it. However, Cole will get a championship, so he won't have much complaining to do.
4. Can Dwight Howard win Defensive POY for the 4th year in a row? Absolutely.
5. A bit of a stretch (but not much) - Chris Paul, for making the Clippers relevant competitors
6. Oklahoma City takes the West after finally beating the Lakers in the Conference Finals. Credit goes to their speed, youth, and chemistry. All of which LA won't have.
7. The Heat roll through the playoffs except for struggling through a 6-game series against Chicago.
8. This is the Heat's year (remember me saying Norris Cole gets a championship?). I'd love a storybook ending for Duncan and the Spurs, but the Heat beat the Thunder in the first Finals series to feature two teams named after invisible phenomena.
NEW QUESTION: Who goes farther, the Lakers or the Clippers? - I say the Lakers this year, but the Clippers the next two. (Did I just make a three year prediction? That's gonna fuck me)
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Andrew
Jan 11, 12pm
Here are my ill-fated predictions.
1. Oklahoma City, 51 wins. Deepest young team, least likely to give up wins on back-to-backs.
2. Detroit, 14 wins. This team fittingly has Villanueva on the roster. Ugliest man in the league, ugliest basketball in the league
3. Ricky Rubio. Year of the point guard: 5 possible candidates, all PGs, the Euro experience wins (Darius Morris, Cole, Rubio, Irving, Knight)
4. Marc Gasol. The younger brother of Pau burst on the scene last year, now ends Dwight's reign on this award.
5. Kevin Durant. The Thunder rolls through the regular season, led by Durant. He's rewarded with the MVP.
6. Portland. The Blazers beat the Spurs in the Western Conference finals after two surprising runs.
7. Miami. Miami will win in a battle with Chicago.
8. The Heat are champs in 6.
9. Neither. The Lakers flame out second year in a row, this time in the first round, Clippers lose in the first round as well.
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Woody
Jan 11, 12:40pm
Ill fated is right for you, because everyone knows I have the unwavering gift of foresight thanks to years of serious drinking and drug abuse.
1. Miami, 54 wins. Making that championship run.
2. Washington, 14 wins. The Wiz take after Capitol Hill - squandered opportunities and making appearances for the sake of a paycheck.
3. Rubio. His baller skills are going to prove he was a genius to stay in Spain for a while.
4. Superman takes it once more, his consolation for being stuck in Orlando.
5. LeBron James. Watch his game elevate as the season continues and Miami tops the East in regular season. Don't believe me? Go back and see his quiet dejection after losing the finals. Rose, Durant, and Griffin could all make this interesting though.
6. OKC takes the West over Portland. A healthy Spurs or Mavs team could make a run but I don't think either can keep up with the Thunder in a long series.
7. Chicago over Atlanta. Yes, no typo. Hawks upset the Heat only to get gored by Bulls.
8. Chicago over OKC. The only way they lose is against San Antonio - because the Spurs do not lose in the Finals.
9. Clippers not only get into the playoffs (first round exit) but keep the Lakers out. Why? LA is now LOB CITY!!!
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Matt
Jan 11, 12:50pm
Growing up in Philadelphia, I had little reason to follow basketball for the last decade. Nevertheless, now that I'm officially on the Clip bandwagon, here are my shot-in-the-dark predictions.
1. Heat, 54 wins. They're pissed about last year and are still looking to silence their doubters.
2. Wizards, 12 wins. Washington pretty much can't get anything right as a sports town, and their basketball team is no different.
3. Ru-bi-o, Ru-bi-o.....
4. Dwight Howard takes it in his last season with Orlando.
5. Kevin Durant after leading OKC to first in the West.
6. OKC beats the CLIPPERS—yeah, I said it—to go on to the finals.
7. Chicago puts up a good fight, but Heat get the better of them on their Championship run...
8. OKC wins the first game, convincing everyone they're the real deal, only to be swept by the Heat over the next four.
9. CLIP NATION. Lakers lose in the first round. Clips shock the world by making it to the semis.
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Mike
Jan 11, 1:15pm
I'm loving all the support for Lob City!
But I am terribly confused as to why Woody thinks Al Horford and Joe Johnson's Contract can take down the Heat. I think the Pacers could take out the Hawks early in the playoffs for the same reason most everyone likes OKC for the West. The oldest guy on Indy's starting five is Danny Granger at 28. Besides him and Roy Hibbert, nobody else is old enough to rent a car in most states. Meanwhile, Atlanta has never shown that they can advance beyond the second round of the playoffs, and besides signing The Injured Tracy McGrady to a one-year contract (ha!), they have all the same pieces in place.
HOT-lanta? More like NOT-lanta!!! Ooh that was a good one.
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Sean
Jan 11, 5:45pm
The only sober picks you’ll find here (kinda puts me at a disadvantage, huh.)
1- OK City- 52. Youth, hard to beat in a lockout year.
2-
Washington-16. Two words, Flip Saunders
3-
Rubio- Cole has too much talent around him.
4-
Until they start putting kryptonite on the ball it’s always gonna be Dwight.
5-
Durant- Best player on the best regular season team.
6-
San Antonio over OKC in 6- The Spurs suffer for 6-8 weeks, then come roaring back and never look back.
7-
Miami over Chicago in 7 in a Bulls-Celtics 2009 esque series.
8-
Fiesta in San Anton- Manu leads us in a six game return to the big stage.
9-
Clips- keep Lakers out of playoffs, but lose in first round.
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