2007-08 Season Preview
We recently had our first-ever power rankings debut on here a few weeks ago, but now with the wrapping about to come off the 2007-08 season, it’s time to predict just how the final records will fall and who will be holding the Larry O’Brien trophy come June.
It’s good that we can archive these things so everyone can come back here next spring and laugh at me for these predictions. And if anybody has a whine of any kind about why a certain team is ranked so low and why this team is ranked ahead of that team - again, click here. I’m not going to break down each and every team again.
Anyways…
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
1. Boston Celtics…………………………..54-28
2. Toronto Raptors………………………..48-34
3. New Jersey Nets………………………..46-36
4. New York Knicks………………………..35-47
5. Philadelphia 76ers………………………19-63
Central Division
1. Chicago Bulls……………………………55-27
2. Cleveland Cavaliers…………………….52-30
3. Detroit Pistons………………………….49-33
4. Milwaukee Bucks……………………….34-48
5. Indiana Pacers………………………….17-65
Southeast Division
1. Washington Wizards…………………..50-32
2. Orlando Magic………………………….45-37
3. Miami Heat……………………………..42-40
4. Charlotte Bobcats……………………..36-46
5. Atlanta Hawks………………………….25-57
Western Conference
Southwest Division
1. San Antonio Spurs……………………..62-20
2. Dallas Mavericks………………………..60-22
3. Houston Rockets……………………….57-25
4. New Orleans Hornets…………………..37-45
5. Memphis Grizzlies……………………….18-64
Northwest Division
1. Denver Nuggets………………………..53-29
2. Utah Jazz……………………………….50-32
3. Portland Trail Blazers…………………..33-49
4. Seattle Supersonics……………………31-51
5. Minnesota Timberwolves………………22-60
Pacific Division
1. Phoenix Suns……………………………61-21
2. Golden State Warriors…………………43-39
3. Los Angeles Lakers…………………….40-42
4. Sacramento Kings……………………..35-47
5. Los Angeles Clippers…………………..33-49
Eastern Conference Playoffs
First round:
#1 Chicago over #8 Miami in four
#2 Boston over #7 Orlando in six
#3 Cleveland over #6 Toronto in five
#4 Washington over #5 Detroit in seven
Conference semifinals:
#1 Chicago over #4 Washington in six
#3 Cleveland over #2 Boston in seven (with LeBron going apeshit and dropping 60 on the C’s in Game Seven)
Eastern Conference Finals:
#1 Chicago over #3 Cleveland in seven
Western Conference Playoffs
First round:
#1 San Antonio over #8 L.A. Lakers in two (tap out)
#2 Phoenix over #7 Golden State in five
#3 Dallas over #6 Utah in six
#5 Houston over #4 Denver in seven
Conference semifinals:
#5 Houston over #1 San Antonio in six
#2 Phoenix over #3 Dallas in seven
Western Conference Finals:
#5 Houston over #2 Phoenix in six
2008 NBA Finals
Houston Rockets over Chicago Bulls in seven games, 4-3
Most Valuable Player: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Coach of the Year: Rick Adelman, Houston Rockets
Rookie of the Year: Kevin Durant, Seattle Supersonics
Defensive Player of the Year: Shane Battier, Houston Rockets
Most Improved Player: LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers
Executive of the Year: Daryl Morey, Houston Rockets
Sixth Man of the Year: Kenyon Martin, Denver Nuggets
Anyways, that’s my story - and I’m sticking to it.
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13 Responses to “2007-08 Season Preview”
October 21st, 2007 at 12:55 pm
Ouch, 19 wins? My Sixers are worth more than that. Iguodala alone is worth 15-20. Granted, he doesn’t have enough help.
October 21st, 2007 at 2:17 pm
No way Chicago beats Cleveland in the playoffs…
although I agree with your regular season assessment…
Cleveland beat them in 7…LeBron could be out there with the chipmunks (hear that Alvin, Simon and Theodore?) and still win…;)
And you don’t think Ferry will get Exec of the Year?
October 21st, 2007 at 2:31 pm
The Knicks will have more wins than a 35-47. If the Knicks are healthy, and if they provide good defense, and work good chemistry they will have a 45-37 record. Besides the Knicks are better than Orlando and Randolph and Curry will be a dynamic duo.
October 21st, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Come on, 60 points for the King against the Celtics. Now, they are obviously not the best defensive team, but they have KG, Scot Pollard, Rajon, James Posey and, Tony Allen along with some other decent defenders. Most likely Pierce and Posey will be guarding him, and although we all know that Posey could be a lock-down defender, Pierce also said he would be working on his defending skills. And besides that, how did you even get to game 7? I mean yeah sure, Lebron is easily one of the best, but so is KG, also along with Ray Allen AND Paul. The only supporting cast Lebron has is Larry Hughes and Illgauskas. I don’t know but they sound as good as Paul and Ray Allen. And, forget the starters, last time I commented here I told you a decent amount about their bench, and I am not saying the Cavs is bad, but it certainly isn’t better. P.S The C’s will be more pumped up IMO.
October 21st, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Wow, the Spurs falling to Houston in six? You must think very highly of the Rockets additions. Now, I think Houston had the best offseason of any team not from Boston, but why do you think they are enough to push Houston past San Antonio in 6? And then past Phoenix? I look at this Rockets team and see a group that has lost in the first round the last three times it was there. McGrady’s playoff struggles are well chronicled, so no need to rehash them. I am a firm believer that a team needs experience to succeed in the playoffs. This team just does not have the leadership or experience to defeat the most tested team in basketball, and then beat Phoenix. I’m just curious why you have them upsetting two teams that you already said were better?
October 21st, 2007 at 7:31 pm
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeasy there. I wouldnt be to confident with those celtics just yet. There could be injury troubles heading there way, and not just because i love my Raptors, I think they will hold the division crown for a second consecutive season, which would mean boston drops to 6, toronto ups to #2, take out the magic, than battle it out with the cavs in 6-7.
October 21st, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Outstanding prediction. I had Houston getting 56 wins (one fewer) and also take out the Spurs in six or seven. I also had Dallas losing out to Phoenix and saying the Suns wouldn’t have anything left after that match to beat out the deeper Rockets. Lovely thought, but it still………….comes…………..down…………to……….injuries. I hate continuing to harp on that, but the last few years of seeing T-MAC on his back and Yao on the bench has made Houston fans very wary. Houston stays healthy, this outlook is very, very probable.
Great minds think alike.
Beers on me.
Checks in the mail.
Take your pick.
Good job, Amar.
Kurt Nordquist
Rockets Blast
October 21st, 2007 at 9:04 pm
I’m gonna use this post to address each comment one by one, so here goes:
Jon: I said it before and I’ll say it again - Iggy is not the kind of player you build your team around. He’d be a great complementary player (especially as a SG in Cleveland: I’ll give you Ira Newble and Shannon Brown for Iggy, deal?). And 15-20 wins by himself? Hey, there will be some games where Iguodala wins it for Philly by himself, but with his talent level combined with the atrocious talent level around him, those moments will be few and far between. Philly just does not have the talent to compete this year. And your cap situation is horrid. With Carney, Young, and Cook, you have a decent cast going around. But if your cornerstone is Iguodala, you’re not going to compete in a conference that has LeBron, Wade, Garnett, Dwight Howard, Gilbert Arenas, and Chris Bosh. Those are franchise players.
James: this modern Cavs-Bulls rivalry reminds me so much of the Cavs-Bulls rivalries of the old days, but this time around, the roles are flipped. Back in the day, it was the Cavs who had a good all-around squad that didn’t have that one superstar player. They were a total team. The Bulls were a one-man show with little help from other places. These Cavs aren’t as pathetic as those Bulls teams back in the day, but we all know that in basketball, one man can completely take over a game. If the Cavs and Bulls meet in a playoff series, it’s going to come down to how much LeBron - by himself - offsets Chicago’s good all-around cast. Fending off Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, Ben Wallace, Andres Nocioni, and Tyrus Thomas all by yourself is quite a feat, but if anyone can do it, it’s LeBron. Still, something tells me this is the Bulls’ year.
Muhammed: I’m not a Knicks hater, but all I can say in regards to their situation is, “There’s only one basketball!” The post is going to be like a black hole whenever someone tries to pass it in there, because once it goes to either Zach Randolph or Eddy Curry, those guys aren’t giving it up. They both need the basketball in their hands to be effective. Oh, and that’s assuming they get the ball in the first place with Mr. Marbury running the point. And let’s not forget that we’re just talking about offense. This team is going to look so pathetic - soooooo pathetic - on defense that it will hurt to watch. Curry and Randolph are two of the weakest post defenders in the league. Channing Frye was and up-and-coming shot blocker, but you shipped him away for Randolph. And on the perimeter - none of your guards are known for their defense. Crawford? Marbury? Absolutely not. No defense means very few wins. Trust me on this. You guys look good on paper, but you know who else looked good on paper going into last season? The Milwaukee Bucks. Again, a ton of offensive talent but no defense. They finished at about 34 wins I think.
Celtics fanatic: You’re absolutely right. How could I possibly be so short-sighted? I mean, what’s wrong with me, and who the hell hired me to write here? Somebody as stupid as me to NOT pick the Celtics to go 82-0 and then sweep through the playoffs with an average margin of victory of 57.3 points per game to an NBA title can’t be the sharpest tool in the shed, right? We all know that Kevin Garnett has a well-documented past of regularly getting out of the first round of the playoffs, while LeBron has yet to get out of the first round in his four seasons in the league. Playoff time is Garnett time, not LeBron time, as evidenced by KG’s 48-point explosion in Game 5 of the conference finals this spring. Oh, and did you see Pierce and Ray Allen rise to the occasion, as well? All while LeBron was sitting at home, watching, because he can’t get out of the first round. How silly of me to think that LeBron would step up in the playoffs while Garnett, Pierce, and Allen wouldn’t. I mean, where have I been all this time? I need to pay attention, man! Maybe I’m just being too much of a homer here! I mean, Garnett, Pierce, and Allen - three guys who are on the wrong side of 30 and led lottery teams last year - are just MEANT to be. Who cares if they each log 45+ minutes per night? This thing’s over before it starts…just fit Kevin Garnett for an NBA championship ring.
David: I have nothing but respect for the Spurs. If there was one team from the West that I’d want to see completely destroy, embarrass, and humiliate my Cavs in the NBA Finals, it’s the Spurs. Yeah, you’re battle-tested. But you were battle-tested in 2006, as well, when the Mavericks took you out. This Rockets team reminds me a LOT of that ‘06 Mavericks team. Yeah, there was still that “intimidation factor” regarding the Spurs. But that team began to defend well after being an offense-first team for so many years. The Rox are similar in that they are doing the reverse - after years of Van Gundy’s defense-first philosophies, they are bringing in Adelman to put these pieces together offensively. T-Mac has been a perennial loser, and that can’t be debated. But he’s had an entire summer to dwell on this past May, which was probably the worst loss he’s had to deal with in his career. But he’s still in the prime of his career. Last year’s group was, according to T-Mac, the best supporting cast he’s ever had. Scratch that, since THIS year’s cast is much better. A healthy and motivated T-Mac is going to make a serious MVP push, and if Adelman gets all these pieces to come together offensively, they’re going to be very tough to beat in a best-of-seven game series. And I think getting a tough first-round against Denver out of the way will help them a lot to deal with San Antonio and Phoenix. The only thing that I question is whether or not they’ll have enough gas left in the tank for Chicago.
Eric: Remember, man - Garnett, Pierce, and Allen have been there and done that. I mean, they’ve each been to the NBA Finals at least once! When has LeBron been there? Tell LeBron to get out of the first round more than once before comparing him to Garnett. I wish I could edit this piece, because there is no way the Cavs and Celtics belong on the same floor. Mike Brown should forfeit each and every game against the Celtics. They’re that good - I mean, three guys who have championship experience!
Oh, and Kurt: You better not run into the Cavs in the Finals.
October 22nd, 2007 at 3:34 am
First round:
#1 San Antonio over #8 L.A. Lakers in two (tap out)
#2 Phoenix over #7 Golden State in five
#3 Dallas over #6 Utah in six
#5 Houston over #4 Denver in seven
Conference semifinals:
#5 Houston over #1 San Antonio in six
#2 Phoenix over #3 Dallas in seven
Western Conference Finals:
#5 Houston over #2 Phoenix in six
Amar,
Firstly, there is no way that the Rockets would beat the Spurs. Houston are going to have a lot of trouble containing Tim Duncan and the Spurs are a better all round team.
Even if Houston did knock out the Spurs, I highly doubt that Houston would beat Phoenix in the Western Conference finals.
Even if T-Mac is healthy, who is going to contain Steve Nash? Phoenix has a much stronger roster. The Rockets would be overwhelmed up against Nash, Stoudemire, Marion, Barbosa and Grant Hill all at the same time.
October 22nd, 2007 at 9:29 am
Memphis Grizzlies only win 18 games? That is pretty negative considering Pau Gasol won’t likely be missing 23 games with a broken foot, Kyle Lowry will probably play more than 10 games, Marc Iavaroni is a better coach than Tony Barone or Mike Fratello and their new additions (including Darko Milicic, Juan Carlos Navarro, Mike Conley and Casey Jacobsen) represent a definate improvement over the players they are replacing.
I understand it is just your opinion but it seems very negative considering the changes happening in Memphis.
October 22nd, 2007 at 10:45 am
Chipc3-
Memphis plays in a very tough division and they haven’t proved yet that they can defend well and crash the boards. Iavaroni is a “big man” coach, so hopefully he can help you out in the rebounding department. I am also curious as to how he handles Gasol, because it’s really time for him to put up or shut up. It doesn’t matter whether or not Gasol misses 23 games again this year, because if the Grizzlies continue to be one of the worst teams in the league in opponents’ FG% and team rebounding, then you will be buried in the Western Conference.
Again, this is just a preseason ranking…but don’t expect all these new faces to just gel overnight and solve a group that was one of the league’s worst last season.
October 22nd, 2007 at 11:21 am
I dont know…..do we really think we are 2 games better then last year?
With all the additions the other East Conf. teams made?
I will be ecstatic if we win 52 this year…..
barring any unforseen trades or whatever…
October 23rd, 2007 at 8:59 am
“Iavaroni is a “big man” coach, so hopefully he can help you out in the rebounding department.”
Iavaroni couldn’t rebound when he played. I doubt he will help much now that he is a coach! Just kidding.
I appreciate your comments and I agree it will be difficult to see the Grizz reaching the heights some people have projected but 4 games worse than last season seems overly pessimistic to me.
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