Eastern Conference Q & A's: J-Wall to Win ROY? Miami to Break History?

The 2010-11 NBA season is just 33 days, seven hours, and 57 minutes away, but who’s counting?

With the season approaching faster than it took LeBron to make his “decision," NBA Primetime presents to you a two-part series of Q and A’s, starting with the Eastern Conference.

 

Will the New Jersey Nets make the playoffs this season?

After recording a league-worst 12-70 (.146) record last season, the New Jersey Nets head into the upcoming year with Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov as the new majority owner, Billy King as their general manager, and Avery Johnson as their head coach (with a revamped roster as well).

With Avery Johnson, the NBA’s fastest coach to 150 wins, and a core composed of Devin Harris, Troy Murphy, and Brook Lopez, the Nets have potential to completely turn things around this season.

The third overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Derrick Favors, has impressed Johnson this offseason and could make a major impact in New Jersey’s success this season.

Although the Nets are certainly a much better overall team, chemistry could emerge as a serious issue as only four players remain on the roster from just one season ago.

Will New Jersey make the playoffs this season? The answer: No.

 

Will the No.1 overall pick John Wall capture the Rookie of the Year Award this season?

John Wall has received plenty of hype prior to and after being selected as this year's No.1 overall draft pick.

With former Washington Wizards franchise player Gilbert Arenas anticipated to be the starting shooting guard for the club, the concern will be whether J-Wall can post solid statistics alongside Agent Zero.

In 34.8 MPG as a freshman, Wall posted 16.6 PPG, 6.5 APG, 4.3 RPG, and 1.8 SPG on 46.1 percent shooting from the field.

Five of Wall’s fellow Wildcat teammates were drafted in the first round of the 2010 NBA draft, providing enough evidence that Kentucky had an extremely productive roster.

Wall will certainly get his own as the starting point guard of Washington. He will see ample playing time and should post averages along the lines of 15 PPG and 5-7 APG with over one steal per contest.

But is that enough to be crowned as the Rookie of the Year? I think not.

The Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin is projected to average 16.3 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.2 APG, and 1.2 BPG during the upcoming season (according to CBS).

After suffering an injury during the preseason that forced Griffin to miss his entire rook campaign last year, the forward is expected to be 100 percent healthy by the start of this season.

If Griffin can stay healthy, he will undoubtedly be crowned as the Rookie of the Year.

 

Will the Miami Heat break the Chicago Bulls’ 72-win season?

Heat fans are loving the anticipation while others are flat out sick of the hype.

The Heat are a team that is composed of players who you would most likely find on a 12-year-old’s 2K10 fantasy draft team.

And even though it still sounds absurd to this day that LeBron James and Chris Bosh are now apart of Dwyane Wade’s Miami Heat, 72 wins in a single season is pushing it.

Regardless of whether the big trio manages to stay healthy for an entire season, the likelihood of Miami winning more than 72 games is slim to none.

It’s more likely that Brian Scalabrine, the red-headed forward who just signed with the Chicago Bulls, will win Most Improved Player of the Year this season.

Will Miami break the Chicago Bulls’ epic record this season? No.

Can they win 65 plus games? Definitely.

 

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