2010 NBA Preview/Predictions

Western Conference Champion: Los Angeles Lakers over Houston Rockets

• The West is loaded as usual with Utah, Portland, Dallas, San Antonio, LA, Houston, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, and New Orleans all probably being 40+ win teams. Even the "bad" teams in the West are fairly decent; Golden State, Sacramento, LA Clippers, and Memphis all could conceivably be playoff teams. Houston won forty games last year without Yao (who looked pretty solid yesterday with 9 and 11 in 23 minutes) and they are a young team that should continue to improve. The Lakers also improved their major weaknesses from last year (Steve Blake is an upgrade over Jordan Farmer and Matt Barnes is a poor man's Ron Artest). And they still have Kobe who is the best closer in the game.  

Eastern Conference Champion: Boston Celtics over Miami Heat

• Boston was a quarter away from winning a championship last year and added Jermaine and Shaquille O'Neal (granted both of these guys are super old) but they both should help defend against LA's bigs. Delonte West is a quality combo guard and can only help Boston. I think there are only three teams in the East that have a chance of making the finals (Boston, Miami, and Orlando). Then there are three more above average teams - Chicago, Atlanta, and Milwaukee) and then a couple mediocre teams in New York and Charlotte. The rest of the east is more or less garbage. Indiana, Cleveland, Washington, Toronto, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Detroit are horrible. 

NBA Champion: Los Angeles Lakers

• The Lakers are too good inside and have the best player in the game. Kobe had six game winners last year (while injured) and averaged 27 a game. What does a healthy Kobe drop? 

Chicago Bulls Prediction: 47-35 and Central Division winner

• Chicago should easily be over .500 considering that nearly everyone is back from last year (sans Hinrich and Miller) and the additions they made address flaws of the team. Kyle Korver should help with the outside shooting, Boozer if he stays healthy should be the inside force Chicago has needed for years, and the other guys they added (Brewer, Bogans, Watson, etc.) should add some needed depth. Also considering how bad Cleveland, Indiana, and Detroit are probably going to be this year our only real competition in the division is Milwaukee. 

Most Overrated Team: Oklahoma City Thunder

• I've seen people say OKC can win sixty games this year and have a one seed in the West. Please. Durant can only improve so much. He averaged over thirty a game last year - how much more can he score. The only other great player they have is Russel Westbrook - the rest of that team is uninspiring. Jeff Green is mediocre in every fashion of the game, Nick Collison and Nenad Kristic are not the go to big guys on a sixty win team. Don't get me wrong though OKC is not awful, they will probably win around 50 games and absolutely be a playoff team. But they do not have a chance at winning an NBA Championship. 

Most Underrated Team: Houston Rockets

• Houston was able to win forty games last year after they lost their best player, had their highest paid player continue his three year vacation, and made a big trade in the middle of the season. Kevin Martin is a dead on shooter, Aaron Brooks is a quality point guard, Shane Battier is a smart and savvy defender, Louis Scola is so underrated - the guy is a beast in the low post, and if they can get Yao to give them even ten and ten they are going to be very, very good. Houston also has a ton of depth and seems to over-perform every year. 

Predicted MVP: Kevin Durant

• Durant will win because people love the idea of a clean, humble sports star and the fact that Kobe's not going to have to go at a 100% daily for the Lakers to win and LeBron is the target of a lot of hatred (most of it unwarranted). Durant simply has to be great for OKC to do anything - thats not the case with Kobe, D-Wade, Lebron, or even Dwight Howard (who shouldn't even be in the discussion until he learns how to score without dunking). On LeBron, I can understand people might be angry/dissapointed that he didn't come to their team (or left their team) but thats his right. No one was furious when Ray Allen left Seattle, when Kevin Garnett left Minnesota, or when Steve Nash left Dallas. Cleveland doesn't own LeBron, he should be free to do what he wants with his life. I'm not a huge fan of LeBron, the player, but he does not deserve the level of hatred that he is receiving.