Much-Too-Early Predictions for the 2012-13 NBA Season

The best part about sports is making predictions about what's to come, whether its what a team should do in the offseason, mock drafts or game predictions.

As such, this article gives predictions on what is going to happen in the NBA regular season, who will win each playoff match-up, which team ends up champions, who the MVP and Rookie of the Year are, and what the All-NBA First Team will be.

Its never too early to predict things, right?

Western Conference: No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder (63-19)

The Oklahoma City Thunder were dominant last season, making it to the NBA Finals before falling to the Miami Heat. The Thunder are able to bring back the same team who have another year of regular season and playoff experience together.

Since the team features such young players, they will only continue to grow and get better, which is a scary thought. They have also added former Baylor star Perry Jones III, who fell to them in the draft and will provide an athletic small forward/power forward.

This team will look scarier than they did last year and will roll through the regular season to the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference.

No. 2 Los Angeles Lakers (56-26)

The Lakers looked like they were going into the season the same as last, but ended up pulling off a sign-and-trade with the Phoenix Suns for point guard Steve Nash.

This move automatically makes them a better team because Nash will be able to help define the roles of both Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol while getting both easy baskets.

While Steve Nash will not give them any better answers defensively, his poor defensive presence will be voided by the two big men inside. He will give them a well-spaced offense and should allow them to rise to the No. 2 seed.

No. 3 San Antonio Spurs (56-26)

This Spurs team is the same team as always, but will enjoy the emergence of younger players like Kawhi Leonard and Tiago Splitter as well as likely another great year from Parker. Tim Duncan will come back and play consistently as he always has.

The interesting thing to watch for is how low the veterans minutes are kept. Last year, Popovich managed to keep them very low, even holding them out of games that were not necessary for making the playoffs or building momentum.

If he is able to do that again, they should be able to cruise to a No. 3 seed with very few injury problems.

No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers (54-28)

The Clippers enjoyed a great year last year, especially when considering that they are the Clippers. This year, however, the team will hope to advance further in the playoffs than last year, especially with hyper-competitive Chris Paul heading them.

The team addressed their two glaring needs with shooting guards Jamal Crawford and Chauncey Billups and backup big man Lamar Odom, who will likely return back to his normal form. While they lost key guard Mo Williams, his scoring and leadership have both been replaced with these moves.

Because of these key free agent signings and re-signings, this team will come back and do better than last year.

No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies (48-34)

The Grizzlies will likely lose sixth man O.J. Mayo, but will also get Darrell Arthur back which will be huge. The team will likely not get any better or worse, because they are essentially switching role players.

At the same time, however, the team is getting older, and Zach Randolph is coming off of an injury, so he may see a dip in production. That being said, the Grizzlies front line remains formidable and should be able to carry them to a good season.

The team should still be able to muster enough to get a No. 5 seed in the West.

No. 6 Denver Nuggets (46-36)

The Nuggets have a lot of young, developing players including Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried. Some of their other players also played incredibly well last year and the return of Wilson Chandler will be huge for them.

Hopefully the team is able to re-sign JaVale McGee, who seemed to mature in his time in Denver and was huge for them in the Lakers playoff series. If they can do this, the Nuggets will improve on their record from last year and become a scary playoff draw for any team.

No. 7 Minnesota Timberwolves (45-37)

This could be the year that the Timberwolves finally get back into the playoffs. They have some talented players returning including Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio and Nicholas Pekovic. They also better hope that they can make the playoffs, as Love has expressed distaste in the direction the team was going in.

The T-Wolves also will hopefully get more production out of Derrick Williams and Brandon Roy who is returning to the NBA from retirement to play with the Timberwolves. Finally, if the team is able to acquire Nicholas Batum they will have a formidable starting lineup.

No. 8 Utah Jazz (41-41)

The Jazz have stayed relatively the same as last year who squeezed into the playoffs. They will hopefully be able to get more production out of young players Gordon Hayward, Alec Burks and Enes Kanter.

The team has only made a few minor moves in the offseason. They traded Devin Harris for Atlanta Hawks forward Marvin Williams. They then made another move to replace Harris with Mo Williams which should be an upgrade at the position.

Overall, the team will likely win about the same percentage of games as last year and end up sneaking into the playoffs again because of these small moves.

No. 9 Dallas Mavericks (38-44)

For the first time in 12 seasons, the Mavericks will miss the playoffs. They simply do not have enough talent after swinging out on several key free agents in this offseason.

The team was unable to re-sign Jason Terry and Jason Kidd, after letting Jose Barea and Tyson Chandler go once they won the 2011 championship. These losses will prove too much for the team, as they now only have a few members of their championship core left.

Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion can only carry them so far and an injury to either would spell complete doom for the team's season.

No. 10 Portland Trail Blazers (37-45)

Portland’s record could completely swing either way this season depending on whether or not they can re-sign Nicholas Batum. He would help LaMarcus Aldridge, Damion Lillard and Meyers Leonard carry the team to at least a 10^th place finish in the Western Conference.

It will, however, take a year or two before this team is able to compete for a playoff spot again. Both rookies will likely struggle a bit, since point guards and centers often have the most difficult adjustment. Aldridge is good enough, however, to help them win their share of games.

No. 11 Houston Rockets (32-50)

Houston is another team who will likely look way different than they do now by the time the season ends. They lost both point guards Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic and Courtney Lee is also a free agent considering several teams including Boston.

That leaves Louis Scola, Kevin Martin, Chandler Parsons and Patrick Patterson. Their three first round picks should help, but it is more than likely that the team makes some sort of major trade. The Rockets are too young and don't have quite enough talent to make the playoffs.

Unless they make a big move, the team will be stuck at 11^th in the West.

No. 12 Sacramento Kings (28-54)

The Kings have an incredibly talented roster, but need at least one more year to put it all together. Hopefully they will be able to finally figure out how to best use Tyreke Evans and continue to get a lot out of DeMarcus Cousins and Isiah Thomas.

Finally, it is important that new draft pick Thomas Robinson will contribute right away and begin to change the culture that surrounds the Kings. It is possible that this talented group will figure out their chemistry problems, but until that happens they will remain in the basement of the Western Conference.

No. 13 Phoenix Suns (24-58)

If Phoenix is able to sign of Eric Gordon, as Chris Broussard reported, then he would combine with the recent acquisitions of Goran Dragic and Michael Beasely to give them a solid starting lineup. With new point guard Kendall Marshall and the recently improved Marcin Gortat, the team should hold up well.

That being said, they lost Steve Nash which automatically drops the team a few places from last year. Regardless of how well Dragic played last year, he will never be Nash. The team also is not guaranteed to get Gordon which would put a huge dent in their plans. Without being able to rely on Gordon being on their team, they will drop to the third worst team in the west.

No. 14 Golden State Warriors (24-58)

The Warriors future is finally looking up with the emergence of shooting guard Klay Thompson and the luck of Harrison Barnes falling to them in the 2012 draft.

That being said, the team still will have to rely on Stephen Curry and Andrew Bogut, two players who have proven to be injury prone. The biggest question mark of this year is whether the team will be able to stay healthy enough to play to its potential.

If the Warriors are able to stay healthy and their young players contribute well, they may be able to do much better than 14th in the west.

No. 15 New Orleans Hornets (22-60)

New Orleans won the draft lottery and chose Anthony Davis with the No. 1 pick. He should be a huge help, but the team is still relatively bare at key positions.

Austin Rivers, the No. 10 pick, may be able to split point guard time with Jarrett Jack, but the guard lineup will mostly rely on whether Eric Gordon comes back or is able to leave and go to the Phoenix Suns.

If he doesn’t, the team will be still need help at a lot of positions. It may take another lottery year or two to acquire talent before the Hornets can start to compete for the playoffs. For now, the team will have taken large steps but are not quite ready to win a lot of games.

Eastern Conference: No. 1 Miami Heat (64-18)

The Miami Heat, as most know, won the championship last year headed by LeBron James. There was very little the Heat needed to do, besides some minor tweaks.

While they have not added a rebounding big man, they managed to acquire free agent guard Ray Allen, confirmed by Heat owner Micky Arison, who will play a key role off of the bench and in clutch time spreading the floor.

Because of Ray Allen and the team that they already had, the Heat will once again roll through the regular season. They have another year of experience together and there is no reason they can't win another championship.

No. 2 Boston Celtics (56-26)

The Celtics are looking extremely  good coming into this season. Both Paul Peirce and Kevin Garnett continued to play at high levels last year, and they are returning all of their key contributors except for Ray Allen, who they have replaced with Jason Terry. Terry will be a good replacement because he enjoys the sixth man role and is able to create his own shot.

The Celtics are also rumored to be in the running for guard Courtney Lee, who confirmed that his meeting with Doc Rivers went well. His acquisition will allow Avery Bradley to take his time coming back from shoulder surgery and give them even more bench depth.

In addition, the Celtics have re-signed Jeff Green who was unable to play last season. He will allow Paul Pierce to have extra rest he wasn't afforded last season, while the new draft picks will likely be able to contribute a few meaningful minutes to give KG rest.

No. 3 Indiana Pacers (50-32)

According to reports, the Pacers are going to match the Portland Trail Blazers offer for Roy Hibbert, which will allow them to field the same team as last year. Another year together will help the team play better as a unit on both offense and defense.

This year will also hopefully be the year that Paul George will emerge as their star of the future. That would push them to new heights, but even if he stays the same, the team should be able to keep its position among the top four of the Eastern Conference.

No. 4 Chicago Bulls (49-33)

Unfortunately for Bulls fans, Derrick Rose in street clothes may continue to be a common sight. He is not supposed to return for much of the season, but the Bulls are talented enough to make a splash in the Eastern Conference without him. Chicago proved that by last year by winning a majority of their games which Rose missed from a variety of injuries.

Chicago also got a little bit of help by drafting Kentucky's Marquis Teague as well as getting back their former player Kirk Hinrich to bolster their backcourt. Because of these acquisitions, they will be able to get through the season well without Derrick Rose, but that does not make them nearly as good as they would be with him.

No. 5 Brooklyn Nets (48-34)

The Nets had a great offseason to accompany their move to Brooklyn. They were able to re-sign Deron Williams, the biggest free agent this offseason. Brooklyn was also able to make a move to gain Joe Johnson, a former all-star shooting guard.

If the Nets are able to sign Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries then they will have a formidable starting squad with sophomore Marshon Brooks coming off of the bench. They are also still in rumors about trading for Dwight Howard, which would push them into the top three teams. Until that happens, however, they will finish at fifth in the conference.

No. 6 New York Knicks (46-36)

Assuming the Knicks can re-sign Jeremy Lin, New York will finally have an answer at point guard. They just signed Jason Kidd who can mentor and back up Lin, while dictating the flow of the game and balancing out Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire.

The defense anchored by Tyson Chandler has already improved and should continue to get better as the team gets accustomed to the schemes in their second year. They also just signed Marcus Camby in a sign-and-trade, giving them one of the best center lineups. This defense, combined with the firepower that their offense has, should get them to at least the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.

No. 7 Atlanta Hawks (44-38)

Atlanta lost shooting guard Joe Johnson in a trade to the Brooklyn Nets, so they can expect to see some drop in the teams production. They can still, however, rely on a talented front line of Josh Smith and Al Horford. Horford missed most of last season and they still won their fair share of games. 

The Hawks can expect to see their wins go down, but will still remain a dangerous team with the size to compete with anyone.

No. 8 Philadelphia 76ers (41-41)

The 76ers don't look much different than they did last year. Reports show that they are planning on amnestying Elton Brand, but they have enough talent to replace him without much of a fall in production. Philadelphia also chose not to re-sign free agent Lou Williams because they were able to sign Nick Young, a swingman who can put up a lot of points.

Because they have remained at relatively the same talent level, the 76ers will likely perform about the same as last season and sneak into the playoffs.

No. 9 Orlando Magic (40-42)

This year will certainly be remembered for the conclusion of the Dwight Howard saga, as he will either become a free agent at the end of the year or be traded. For this article, I'm going to assume that they hang on to him for the year, although that is not likely.

Even with Dwight, it seems like the Magic won't make the playoffs this year. He is going to be an incredible distraction for the entire year and simply has no talent around him.

Dwight may be able to push the team into the tail end of the playoffs, but it is unlikely he will have the motivation to do so. Because of Dwight and the dearth of talent, the Magic will miss the playoffs.

No. 10 Milwuakee Bucks (38-44)

This year is a contract year for Brandon Jennings, so we should see great things from him this year. Jennings combined with Monta Ellis is enough firepower for the Bucks offense to get by, but what is really questionable about the team is its defense.

The defense is going to rely largely on the development of John Henson and Ekpe Udoh, two Bucks big men. If these players are able to control the paint for the team and limit the amount of points scored on them, then the offense should be able to take over and coast to at least 10th in the conference.

The Bucks are close to re-signing Ersan Ilyasova, which may allow them to jump the Magic, because he has developed in the past few years as both an offensive threat and heavy-duty rebounder.

No. 11 Washington Wizards (35-47)

Washington is in the process of switching from a core of talented players with poor attitudes to talented players with good attitudes. That includes getting rid of players such as Gilbert Arenas and Nick Young. The Wizards have begun to build around the likes of John Wall, Nene, Ariza and Okafor.

They are have several draft picks who have been developing nicely including Jan Vesely, Kevin Seraphin, Chris Singleton and new draft pick Bradley Beal. Jordan Crawford has also been promising and could be a good trade asset if Bradley Beal proves himself. With this much young talent, the Wizards look like a team on the rise.

They may need just one more year for some of their players to develop before they become a very challenging playoff team.

No. 12 Toronto Raptors (32-50)

The Raptors quietly have accrued lot of talent including Jose Calderon, DeMar DeRozan, Ed Davis, James Johnson and Andrea Bargnani. The team has continued to get better with the acquisition of point guard Kyle Lowry, a deal announced by Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter.

Last years draft pick Jonas Valuncias, this years pick Terrance Ross and the recently signed Landry Fields will also be important pieces for the Raptors moving forward.

Valuncias will be very important because he will allow Bargnani to play the four and give them a formidable inside presence. This move and the youth that the Raptors have will allow them to grow into a possible playoff team soon.

No. 13 Cleveland Cavaliers (29-53)

Kyrie Irving headlines this Cleveland team as he heads into his sophomore year after winning Rookie of the Year. Irving will hopefully be joined by Anderson Varejoa, who did not play much last year due to injury.

The season will depend entirely on how this young team develops, especially its talented players like Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller. If these players are able to adapt quickly to the NBA game, then they have a chance at winning more games than orignally predicted.

That being said, the team is still one or two impact players away from really competing. Waiters was a questionable draft pick at the No. 4 spot, as he wasn't even the leading scorer on his Syracuse, but if he works out he could end up as a great surprise pick for Cleveland.

No. 14 Detroit Pistons (24-58)

The Pistons are in an odd place as they are stuck between an experienced roster and a youth movement led by Greg Monroe. This team is difficult to tell about because it depends almost entirely on how No. 9 pick Andre Drummond plays. If he is able to dominate on the defensive end, while allowing Greg Monroe to continue his development, this team could give a lot of other teams problems.

The addition of Corey Maggette and a few other players like Brandon Knight will also be important. The team has a lot of potential, but until that potential is actually realized, they will remain a basement team in the east.

No. 15 Charlotte Bobcats (21-61)

There is little to say about the Bobcats. They grabbed a potential franchise player in Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in the draft. If Bismack Biyombo and Kemba Walker continue to develop, this team will show signs of life.The acquisition of Ben Gordon will also help immediately.

Next year doesn't look like it will be a very good year for them either, as Kidd-Gilchrist is the type of player who may need a year or two to develop his game offensively. Regardless, he will impact the game with his athleticism and defense.

The good news is that the Bobcats can't do worse than their historically bad year last season.

Western Playoffs: 1 vs. 8 Seeds, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Utah Jazz (4-0)

This series will be no contest, with the Thunder sweeping the Jazz. While the Jazz big men will be able to do some work down low, they cannot do enough to cancel out Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

Utah simply has nobody to guard Durant, and Mo Williams would only be able to slow Westbrook a little. There isn't much to say about this matchup, as it wouldn't even be close.

2 vs. 7 Seeds, LA Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-2)

This is a bad matchup for the Lakers to draw in the first round. The Timberwolves almost have enough size to match the Lakers twin seven footers, especially with how skilled Kevin Love is as a rebounder. Steve Nash would also be matched evenly by Ricky Rubio, who plays with a similar style as the 38-year-old. Finally, Kobe would have to deal with both Brandon Roy and potentially Nicholas Batum, if he ends up playing for the Wolves.

The difference between the two teams is LA's experience. The Lakers have been to the playoffs many times, where many of the Timberwolves players have not. This series would be a lot like the Thunder-Lakers series several years ago, where LA won but it became obvious that it was almost the Thunders time. This series may indicate the Timberwolves time to challenge the West.

3 vs. 6 Seed, San Antonio Spurs vs. Denver Nuggets (4-3)

It is a little hard to choose against the Nuggets because they are such an exciting team, but the Spurs are simply too good for them. Each year everybody picks against San Antonio and are proven wrong. The Spurs will win because they have real stars to perform in big playoff moments. While I believe that Ty Lawson will develop into one of those players, he is simply not there yet.

The Spurs will be given a run for their money by the energetic play of the Nuggets. Kenneth Faried will prove to be a handful and Lawson will run circles around San Antonio. In the end, the Spurs simply are too experienced to lose a game that comes down to effort and energy.

4 vs. 5 Seed, Los Angeles Clippers vs. Memphis Grizzlies (4-2)

This series will be a rematch of the 2012 playoffs and will have the same outcome. With Chauncey Billups back and Jamal Crawford coming off of the bench, the Clippers will have too much firepower for the Grizzlies to stop.

The big men will essentially play to a draw while Chris Paul will play more like himself since the Grizzlies will have to focus on other scoring threats. While the series will come down to some close games, Chris Paul will be so motivated to win in these playoffs that those last second plays will almost all go his way.

Eastern Playoffs: 1 vs. 8 Seeds, Miami Heat vs. Philadelphia 76ers (4-0)

Like the Thunder, the Heat will sweep this series against the 76ers. Miami simply has too much talent to lose even a game to a marginally talented team like Philadelphia. LeBron has shown that he will not be slowed down by Andre Iguodala, and nobody else will be able to do much either.

While Evan Turner can likely slow down an older Dwayne Wade, LeBron will be too much in every game, and they will easily sweep Philadelphia. This series won't even require much out of Ray Allen, who will still have at least one big game in the series.

2 vs. 7 Seeds, Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks (4-2)

This is another rematch from the 2012 playoffs and another which will go the same way. The Celtics have too much talent for the Hawks. While Josh Smith and Al Horford will be a challenge for the C's to deal with, the Hawks cannot match up at any other position after getting rid of Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams.

The Celtics have made a habit of losing games they should win and making life harder on themselves, and that trend will likely continue. They will lose one or two games but win the series on sheer talent alone.

3 vs. 6 Seeds, Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks (3-4)

This is the first upset of the first round of the playoffs, but shouldn't be that surprising. The Pacers will have a slight advantage at point guard, but that will be negated by the two forward spots. This series seems like one in which Danny Granger would take it upon himself to duel Carmelo Anthony and win the game himself. The problem is that Anthony is the much more talented player.

Iman Shumpert, if healthy, will provide good defense on either the point guard or shooting guard and the interior defense of the Knicks will force the Pacers into jump shooting. It is a very close series, but the slight advantage goes to the Knicks.

4 vs. 5 Seeds, Chicago Bulls vs. Brooklyn Nets (4-2)

This series is attractive because it features two of the top five point guards in the league. Although the Nets have enjoyed a good offseason, the advantage still goes to the Bulls. As the Miami Heat showed in their first season together, it takes a bit of time to jell as a team. 

The Bulls also have a great team defense which has given powerful offensive teams trouble. While Deron Williams is an expert at breaking down defenses, he will still be getting used to running a new offense with Joe Johnson. It'll be a fun series, especially with the matchup between Williams and Derrick Rose, but the edge goes to the Bulls.

Western Conference Second Round: 1 vs. 4, Thunder vs. Clippers (4-1)

While the Clippers will be hungry in their second straight trip to the second round, this time won't be any different. The Clippers don't have anybody to match up with Kevin Durant. The Thunder also have Russell Westbrook and Thabo Sefolosha to match up with Chris Paul.

The Clippers should be able to steal a game with a strong offensive outburst, since they have a lot of players that can score the ball. Chris Paul can also easily will them to one win, as we have seen him do time and time again. The Clippers just don't have any strong advantage in the series.

2 vs. 3 Seeds, Lakers vs. Spurs (4-3)

This series is full of interesting story lines, mostly stemming from two aging teams who are playing for one of their last chances at a title.

The slight edge in this series goes to the Lakers only because of Andrew Bynum. The point guard matchup is relatively even at this point in both player's careers. The Spurs have athletic players to match up with Kobe, including sophomore Kawhi Leonard, and Pau Gasol has become infamous for not showing up in the playoffs.

There is no player on the Spurs roster who can really guard Bynum. DeJuan Blair is too small and Tiago Splitter has yet to turn into the great post defender he could be. Ultimately the young Bynum will swing this series in the Lakers' favor.

Eastern Conference Second Round: 1 vs. 4, Heat vs. Bulls (4-2)

This is a rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals two seasons ago, an extremely close series. This series will be less close for a few reasons.

First, the Heat will have played together for three regular seasons by the time this rolls around. The Heat added Ray Allen and are getting much better production out of its role players. In contrast, the Bulls have yet to make any changes. Luol Deng took a step forward, but Rose has gone backwards due to his knee injury.

The series will have a few close games and the Heat will be given a challenge, but will prove to be too much for the stellar Bulls defense.

2 vs. 3, Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks (4-2)

This is a great match-up to see whether New York's high scoring offense can get an edge on Boston's stifling defense. Obviously, because of my prediction, it won't work that way.

The match-ups are almost entirely in Boston's favor. Paul Pierce will be outscored by Carmelo Anthony, but Pierce and Jeff Green will make Melo shoot way too much for the teams benefit. J.R. Smith will become a non-factor as Avery Bradley zones in on him defensively and Kevin Garnett has the advantage over Amar'e.

The two factors which will be huge for Boston are the point guard battle and the bench. Although much has been made about Jeremy Lin's success, Rajon Rondo is still miles ahead of him. Jason Terry will also come off of the bench to contribute a lot of points, whereas the Knicks don't have anything beyond Steve Novak and Jason Kidd. The match-ups play into Boston's favor and their experience will allow the C's to make easy work of New York.

Western Conference Finals: Thunder vs. Lakers (4-2)

Once again the Thunder and Lakers meet in the playoffs, and for the second time Oklahoma City is bound to win the series. While the Lakers have made a key acquisition during the offseason in Steve Nash, the Thunder have stayed the same and will benefit from the continuity.

Despite Nash running the show offensively for Los Angeles, he simply cannot guard explosive point guard Russell Westbrook. Kobe of course will win his matchup, but will be slowed somewhat by the tandem of Thabo Sefelosha and James Harden. The same can be said for the Lakers big men. Where the series will really be decided is with Kevin Durant. Durant has continued to improve his all-around game and will give the Thunder rebounding, assists and extremely efficient scoring.

The series will come down to Durant scoring around the same points as Kobe, but in a much more efficient manner. For the second straight year, OKC will advance to the NBA Finals.

Eastern Conference Finals: Heat vs. Celtics (4-3)

Another repeat matchup from last year's playoffs, this one will have the same outcome. The Celtics have retooled this offseason, gaining Jeff Green and Jason Terry, but will be facing their former marksman Ray Allen who recently defected to the Heat. They also almost won last year’s series without key defensive player Avery Bradley. The addition of Green will give another defender on LeBron James, which is something the C’s severely lacked last season.

That being said, James will continue his dominance from the last playoffs and punish the Celtics. Paul Pierce will be another year older, and there is no way Kevin Garnett will be able to maintain his level of play from last year. The Celtics will be a bit deeper, but still have no answer for LeBron James.

The one way that this series can shift is if Rajon Rondo puts together a string of seven straight great games. While he has his dominant days, especially in the playoffs, it is unlike him to go on a consistent streak without putting up a few stinkers. He is really the only matchup advantage the C’s have, and will fall just short of carrying them to an upset.

NBA Finals, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Miami Heat (4-3)

And the winner of this year’s NBA Finals is the Oklahoma City Thunder!

While the Heat dominated the Thunder in last year’s finals, this year will be different. The Thunder, especially James Harden, looked shell shocked throughout the series. This year they will come back with confidence and play with much more hunger. They also won’t have to rely on Derrick Fisher since Eric Maynor will be back from his knee injury.

The matchup is still great between the two teams, especially with possibly the two greatest small forwards of this generation playing against each other. The Thunder are also probably hoping to get some help on LeBron from rookie Perry Jones III, which could potentially save Durant some energy and keep him from foul trouble.

This series will come down to how well the Thunder are able to play to their potential. They have comparable talent to the Miami Heat, but simply didn’t play to it last year. I believe that they will be able to put together much better games both offensively and defensively, and ultimately win the NBA title.

NBA MVP and Rookie of the Year

The MVP of the regular season will be Kevin Durant. Last year the award came down to LeBron James and Durant, with James getting 61 more first place votes. This year is Durant’s year. He has continued to improve his game in every way possible. He scored more efficiently, rebounded better and most importantly began running the offense and getting assists. LeBron will probably have another better statistical year, but Kevin Durant will win because he has become a fan favorite and James has simply won too many times.

As for Rookie of the Year, that award has to go to the No. 1 pick Anthony Davis. Davis will easily have the biggest impact on his team and will be given the best opportunities. Right away he will come in and change the defensive attitude of the team and put up some respectable numbers along with it. While Anthony Davis can score with the best of them, it is likely he will continue to do what he did in Kentucky last season, rebounding and blocking shots. Having him is a huge advantage for the New Orleans Hornets.

All-NBA First Team

Guard: Chris Paul—Chris Paul is statistically and competitively one of the best players in the game. This year he will put together another great year and be rewarded by being put on this team.

Guard: Rajon Rondo—Rondo has always been a great playmaker for the Celtics, but has been hampered by poor shooting. This year his scoring numbers will go up as he has developed a much better jump shot and will need to shoulder more of a scoring load. Combine that with his prolific passing and great defense and there is no reason he won’t make this team.

Forward: LeBron James—This pick doesn’t need to be justified. He is statistically the best player in the game and will continue his total domination of the league.

Forward: Kevin Durant—What was just said about James can also be said about Durant. He is an ultra-efficient scorer who has increased his all-around play. No forward besides LeBron can match his playing level.

Center: Dwight Howard—Dwight is here for two reasons. First, there is only a few other centers who can really compete for this award. He is an absolutely dominant rebounder and has learned to become a serious scoring threat. Most importantly, however, he is a game changer on the defensive end. While his immaturity will lose him a lot of votes, as a pure player, Dwight Howard is easily the best center in the game.