Articles on nba predictions

2009-10 Orlando Magic Predictions - October 26, 2009

The Orlando Magic will look to build upon last year’s “magical” season, which consisted of a surprising trip to the Eastern Conference finals. Dwight Howard and the boys should be just as strong this year, if not stronger, considering some of the wheeling and dealing that GM Otis Smith took part in this past summer. They did lose some big timers in Hedo Turkoglu and Courtney Lee, but welcome veteran Vince Carter. Therefore, this team’s success should ultimately rely on how well this team...

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2009-10 Minnesota Timberwolves Predictions - October 26, 2009

Things have been going downhill for the Minnesota Timberwolves for several years now, but they are at least trying to make a change, and any change at this point is a step in the right direction. Kevin McHale is out, David Kahn is in and the difficult process of trying to build this team into a contender again begins. It hasn’t exactly started out well for Kahn, who used the Wovles’ first round draft pick this year to select Spanish star Ricky Rubio, who will likely never play basketball...

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2009-10 Portland Trail Blazers Predictions - October 26, 2009

The Portland Trail Blazers will look to build off of last year’s success when they finished in a tie for first in the Western Conference’s Northwest division with the Denver Nuggets. The Blazers lost in the first round of the playoffs in six games to the Houston Rockets, but this is a young team with a lot of room to improve. Picking up veteran point-guard Andre Miller in the offseason filled a big need for the Blazers, who will also hopefully get a healthy season out of center Greg...

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2009-10 Denver Nuggets Predictions - October 26, 2009

The Denver Nuggets took some huge steps in the right direction last year, including finally finding someone to dump Allen Iverson to in the Detroit Pistons, plus picking up Chauncey Billups in the process. The addition of Billups elevated the play of superstar Carmelo Anthony and eventually helped land the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the eventual NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers will again be the biggest obstacle for Denver to make it to the Finals,...

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2008 Sacramento Kings Preview & Predictions - October 9, 2008

The Kings are officially a new team with Mike Bibby’s midseason departure last year. Bibby was the last remaining starter from the 2002 Sacramento team that lost to the Lakers in the Western Conference finals. Kevin Martin is officially the team leader now with the departure of Ron Artest. Reggie Theus showed he could turn a program around quickly with his work at New Mexico State and he did a solid job in his first season in Sacramento. The Kings finished 12 games behind the 8th playoff spot in...

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2008 Phoenix Suns Season Preview & NBA Predictions - October 9, 2008

The Suns were knocked out in the first-round of the playoffs by the Spurs last season in 5 games. Afterwards Mike D’Antoni was sent packing and Terry Porter was brought in. Porter will presumably attempt to mold the Suns into a more defensive minded, half-court team. The two major factors affecting the Suns this season will be age and depth. Read on to find out whether we think the Suns will rise back up in the Western Conference and compete with the elite teams. Head over to BetUS where the Suns...

2008 Los Angeles Lakers Predictions & Season Preview - October 9, 2008

There are a lot of questions about the Lakers coming into the season, but pretty much none of them have to do with how good they are as a basketball team. The only one really is whether they are quitters or mentally tough enough to win. Coach Phil Jackson is a proven winner, and the Lakers started the season last year as a better than average team and ended as the runner-up to the Celtics. Phil Jackson got outcoached by Doc Rivers in the championship game last season, but that isn’t to say it will...

2008 LA Clippers Basketball Predictions & NBA Season Preview - October 9, 2008

The Clippers are going to look a little different this season. Corey Maggette and Elton Brand are gone. Baron Davis and Marcus Camby were signed in the offseason. Also signed in the off season was Ricky Davis. Coach Mike Dunleavy will have to figure out how to re-create chemistry on his team with the departure of his two best players. Keep reading to find out if we think Mike Dunleavy and the Clippers will be successful this season. Shoot over to BetUS where the Clippers are +3000 odds to win the...

2008 Golden State Warriors Season Preview & NBA Predictions - October 9, 2008

The Golden State Warriors will begin their days of post-Baron Davis basketball this season. Davis revived this franchise when he arrived in 2005 and was generally considered the heart and soul of the team. His departure has left the team lacking just that, a heart and soul. The Warriors will need someone to step up as a leader or the Golden State fans may see their team return to the days before Baron Davis. Keep reading to find out if we think the Golden State Warriors will recover from the loss...

2008 Utah Jazz Season Preview & NBA Basketball Predictions - October 8, 2008

Jerry Sloan is entering his 21st season as the coach of the Utah Jazz. He still gets results and ranks 4th all-time in NBA coaching victories with 1,089, behind only Lenny Wilkens, Don Nelson, and Pat Riley. The Jazz will once again expect to be a serious contender in the Western Conference, as they bring back essentially the same group as last year. There will be concerns in the offseason because Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur can opt out of their contracts and become unrestricted free agents, but...

2008 Oklahoma City Thunder NBA Season Predictions & Basketball Preview - October 8, 2008

The Oklahoma City Thunder, formerly the Seattle SuperSonics, are relocated with new colors, but they remain in the West’s Northwest Division. After a disappointing 20-62 season last year, the Thunder are hoping to emerge as a new contender with a fresh start in Oklahoma City. Certainly the fans will show up to watch out of mere excitement to have their own professional sports franchise. Read on to find out whether we think the Oklahoma City fans will be rooting for a winning team this season. The...

2008 Portland Trailblazers NBA Predictions & Season Basketball Preview - October 8, 2008

This is the young team with high expectations that several other teams in the conference strive to be. The Blazers finished the seasons with a 41-41 record last season, which was a 9-game improvement from 2006-2007. It took 50 wins to reach the playoffs in the Western Conference, so they will have to show similar improvement this season to live up to the hype surrounding these young players. Keep reading to find out if we think the young Blazers will reach the playoffs and meet their high expectations....

2008 Minnesota Timberwolves NBA Basketball Preview & Predictions - October 8, 2008

The Minnesota Timberwolves are another young team in a loaded Western Conference. They went 22-60 last season, which everyone involved with the organization settled for and even expected. Last year, management and the fans accepted that there would be growing pains. This year everyone will expect results. Continue reading our Timberwolves preview to find out whether we think there will be more growing pains this year or if this youth movement will hit their stride and compete in the West. To bet...

2008 Denver Nuggets NBA Predictions & Season Preview - October 8, 2008

The Denver Nuggets won 50 games last season, so normally that would be a good start to your year, even in the Western Conference. The Nuggets of course needed a surge to get into the playoffs. They then traded away Marcus Camby, arguably one of the best interior defensive players in the NBA, and also Eduardo Najera, who was an underrated banger. Pundits suggest that morale may be low after the team has seemingly shown that there bottom line is solvency not winning. Read on to find out whether we...

2008 San Antonio Spurs Season Preview & NBA Predictions - October 8, 2008

Tim Duncan has led the spurs to 9 straight seasons of 50-plus victories. Only one team has done it 10 times in a row and that was Magic Johnson’s Lakers. Many will say that the Spurs are too old and that they are being passed up by the Lakers and Hornets, but the Spurs beat the Hornets in 7-games in the playoffs last year and lost to the Lakers in five games. Gregg Poppovich has the third highest winning percentage in NBA history and has guided his team to six conference finals and four titles...

2008 New Orleans Hornets Season Preview & NBA Predictions - October 8, 2008

The New Orleans Hornets turned some heads last season and were accused of sneaking up on everybody. The Hornets weren’t surprised, knowing that if they were healthy they would bust through the door. With Chris Paul and David West forming one of the most dynamic one-two punches in the league, the Hornets will only be satisfied with an NBA Championship. Keep reading to find out if we think this is the year that New Orleans rises to the elite level and gets a title. The Hornets are at +600 to win...

2008 Memphis Grizzlies NBA Preview & Season Predictions - October 8, 2008

The Memphis Grizzlies are one of the youngest teams in the league, with 8 core contributors 23 and under. The Grizzlies have a lot of talent, and certainly were not the most maligned team last season. Marc Iavaroni went 22-60 last season, but was left dangling most of the off season before being retained with Kevin O’Neill on the bench, as somewhat of a defensive coordinator. The Grizzlies have had back-to-back 22-win seasons following 3 straight playoff sweeps, so it will be interesting to see...

2008 Houston Rockets NBA Preview & Season Predictions - October 8, 2008

A lot has to be said for Rick Adelman and the direction he has taken this Houston Rockets team since replacing Jeff Van Gundy. He has incorporated his motion offense, which emphasizes ball movement and spot-up shooting from beyond the arc. He also got the Rockets to play defense, which resulted in Houston allowing the 4th fewest points in the NBA and lead the NBA in rebounding last season. Keep reading to find out if we think the Rockets will continue to improve on last year’s 55-27 record and...

2008 Dallas Mavericks Predictions & Season Preview - October 8, 2008

Avery Johnson was the fall guy at the end of last season for the continued woes of the Dallas Mavericks. Rick Carlisle will take his place at the coaching helm this season. The Mavericks seem to still be reeling from a painful loss to D-Wade and the Miami Heat in the 2006 finals. In 2007, a 67-win season saw the Mavericks at the top of the west again, only to be ousted from the playoffs by 8-seed Golden State, who was the first 8-seed to beat a 1-seed in NBA history in a seven game series. In 2008,...

2008 Washington Wizards Preview & NBA Season Predictions - October 7, 2008

The Wizards have made the playoffs for 4 years in a row now, but with little to show for it. The Wizards have been hurt by injuries to their stars Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler, and last year for the 3rd straight year they were beaten by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first-round of the playoffs. Coach Eddie Jordan still seems to have the players buying what he is selling, but making the playoffs is no longer enough; the Wizards need to actually advance in the playoffs. Keep reading...

2008 Orlando Magic NBA Preview & Season Predictions - October 7, 2008

Orlando is coming off their best season in 12 years. The Magic won 52 games last season, won a playoff series against Toronto, and picked up some valuable lessons in their second round loss to the Detroit Pistons. The Magic and Coach Stan Van Gundy love the 3-point shot. Orlando led the NBA last season in 3-pointers made, set an NBA record by making at least five 3-pointers in all 82 games, had 45 games where they made at least 10 3-pointers, and their total of 801 3-pointers made was second in NBA...

2008 Miami Heat Season Preview & NBA Predictions - October 7, 2008

Erik Spoelstra, a disciple of the former coach, takes over for Pat Riley this season. Shaquille O’Neal is no longer a member of the heat either. Spoelstra says the emphasis will be on defense, and the system will be much like Riley’s. The Heat were awful on offense and defense last season, but that isn’t to say that the Heat are not talented. Keep reading to find out whether we think Erik Spoelstra and the talented Heat roster will turn things around in Miami this season. If you’re interested...

2008 Charlotte Bobcats NBA Predictions & Season Preview - October 7, 2008

Michael Jordan brought in fellow North Carolina standout and Dean Smith Disciple Larry Brown to help turn the Charlotte Bobcats into a winning team. Larry Brown’s last coaching job was in New York, where despite Brown’s claims that he was a bad coach and did a bad job, the Knicks’ players didn’t buy into Brown’s system and griped to Isiah Thomas. Other than the Knicks, Brown has taken every team he’s coached to the postseason. To find out if we think Larry Brown will lead the Bobcats...

2008 Atlanta Hawks NBA Predictions & Season Preview - October 7, 2008

The Hawks finally ended the NBA’s longest playoff drought last season, and took Boston to 7 games in the playoffs, but fell to the more experienced and more physical team. The Hawks’ general manager, Billy Knight, stepped down after the season ended and the Hawks brought in veteran NBA Executive Rick Sund. The big task this season for Sund was holding the pieces together as the Hawks didn’t have any draft picks, but already had plenty of young talent. Read on to find out whether we think the...

2008-09 Milwaukee Bucks Predictions & Preview - September 30, 2008

The Milwaukee Bucks finished with the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference posting a 26-56 record. Since then, they fired Larry Krystkowiak and hired Scott Skiles and done a major overall to their lineup. Many of their losses last season can be improved by improvement in three areas according to Skiles: better defense, better offensive execution and ball movement, and improved mental toughness. Keep reading to find out if we think Scott Skiles can turn around this woeful Eastern conference...

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