I couldn't find a thread for the new season starting tonight. I guess nobody's really excited about the NBA yet, but I'm stoked (even though I won't be able to see too many games in Japan, and I think the Suns have taken a step backwards ).

Anyways, here's my (very hopeful) predictions:

Playoff seeding - West

1. Phoenix
2. Dallas
3. San Antonio*
4. Utah
5. Houston
6. Denver
7. New Orleans
8. Golden State

East

1. Chicago**
2. Boston
3. Toronto
4. Orlando
5. Detroit
6. Cleveland
7. Washington
8. Miami

Playoffs - First round

Phoenix 5, Dallas 4, San Antonio 5, Houston 6
Chicago 5, Boston 5, Toronto 6, Detroit 5

Second Round

Phoenix 6, Dallas 7
Chicago 7, Boston 6

Conference Finals
Phoenix 7
Chicago 7

Finals

Phoenix 6

MVP
Kevin Garnett

ROY
Al Thorton

Sixth Man
Grant Hill

Coach
Scott Skiles

DPOY
Ben Wallace

Most Improved
Dwight Howard

* More likely the Spurs will fall to the 5 seed, beat denver, then the suns, mavs, and chicago to win in six. That or Mavs beat Spurs, lose to Bulls in 6.

** This is assuming the Bulls do not trade Deng and others for Kobe. I think he ends up in Washington. Arenas-led Lakers just miss the play-offs due to a lengthy Odom injury.

I think you meant Phoenix 7 Dallas 6?

This is actually the least I've looked forward to the start of a season in awhile. I'd agree that the Suns took a step backward. I don't think they're going to win it with D'Antoni at the helm. But that's an unpopular opinion to have in Phoenix.

Anywho, I think the seeding will end up something like:

1. Phoenix
2. Dallas
3. Denver
4. San Antonio
5. Utah
6. Houston
7. Golden State
8. New Orleans

1. Boston
2. Chicago
3. Cleveland
4. Washington
5. Detroit
6. Orlando
7. Toronto
8. Miami

And of course, Phoenix meets S.A. in the 2nd round again and Tim Duncan goes for 40/20 every night because the only guy who could come close to guarding him was given away for nothing.

Also, Grant Hill's allegedly in the starting lineup... I don't think he'll be eligible for 6th man.

Yeah, Duncan will rip through Marks and Skinner. I think Dallas And Houston are the only teams that could beat the Spurs so let's hope that they run into them before Phoenix does. I think that's the Sun's best chance.

Grant Hill may be a starter now but I think he'll very quickly be coming off the bench and lead the second squad as the distributor. Just a hunch.

Yeah this probably the least playoff-ready team of the Nash years, but they should tear through the regular season and score a helluva lot of points. So the regular season, anyway, should be a lot of fun

Lookin' Strong

Yeah, it's really a shame how many good teams there are out West. I had Denver winning their division for whatever reason, so I'm going to mulligan that and put them in the fourth seed (but I think Houston will win this year)

They are totally owning the Warriors in Oakland right now.

For some reason I don't see Utah winning as many games as Denver, but if Utah faces Houston in the 1st round, I'd say Utah wins. Utah's more built for the playoffs I think.

AK-47 played awesome tonight, made me totally forget about the summertime crying fits he had.

Oh wait it just reminded me of another Jazz player that always cried during the summertime about not wanting to play, wanting to get traded etc.

Yup.

Ak-47 is now the Baby Malone, with his antics.

I don't know what it is about this season, but I'm just not as excited as I usually am.

Maybe it's the hangover from last year's Finals.
Or I'm still recovering from the Indians.
Or I'm not feeling this Cavalier team yet with how thin they are at the 4/5.

I could get excited about a terrible 17-win, John Lucas coached, Ricky Davis led team, but not this one. I hope that changes.

My East predictions:
1. Chicago
2. Boston
3. Cleveland
4. Orlando (no one in this division impresses me)
5. Detroit
6. New Jersey
7. Toronto
8. Miami
9. Washington
10. Milwaukee
11. Atlanta
12. Charlotte
13. New York
14. Philadelphia
15. Indiana

I could see the Bucks or Hawks being higher.

so the season starts on Tuesday...but I have to wait until Friday for the Knicks' first game? WTF? Then again, I might be better off having the pain of another losing season delayed by a few days.

Lakers almost made a miraculous comeback there... what a heartbreaking ending

That Battier is a cold-hearted killer. What a shot...

mavs dominating cle right now.

if lebron doesn't play completely out of his mind, cavs will have a real tough time getting out of the first round this year.


i think its the mavericks year, finally. id be pretty nervous to play the suns in the west finals, hopefully the spurs could take care of them because at this point the mavs are pretty much over that whole spurs hump.

rock, paper, scissors

Suns beat Mavs
Mavs beat Spurs
Spurs beat Suns

11 raptors hit the hardwood by the 11 min mark of the 1st Q last night

like the way kapono was playin, delfnio seems a lil' sketchy, too much ridin the bench in detroit i suppose

i'm sure this will jinx him but Durant is tearing shit up so far tonight against the Suns.

T-Mac had 47 tonight. would have been nice last spring.

I wish I could see it

Suns 91 - Oklahoma City Sonics 86 6:30 left in the game

its was nice to hear the lakers fans boo kobe the other night. after years of supporting and defending the guy, my eyes are finally opened. dude is by far the most selfish player in the history of sports. so let me get this straight, he wanted to be the man and now he wants to leave the mess he helped created. what a joke.




also kevin durant is gonna be a force in the league