NBA 2011-12: 5 Sure-Fire Predictions for the Upcoming Season

Finally, after months wandering the apocalyptic lockout wasteland, the Association is finally ready to play ball again on the weekend. 

The fans are ready to fill the seats and players are ready to lace up and hit the hardwood; all is in readiness for the follow-up act to one of the best NBA seasons in recent history. 

So as the season draws ever nearer, here are five sure-fire predictions for how the season will play out.

Sacramento Kings Will Make the Playoffs

The Kings ended 2011 22 games outside the playoff picture; fighting their way into the top eight in the Western Conference will be a huge task.

But this season’s Kings look like they have what it takes. 

An injury-free campaign from Tyreke Evans will be integral. If he can remain on the hardwood, he will be the centerpiece to one of the most promising young rosters in the Association. 

DeMarcus Cousins, J.J Hickson, Jason Thompson, Marcus Thornton and Jimmer Fredette fill out the young Kings core. 

The Kings ranked in the top half of the league in points scored and rebounds last season, and their offseason additions should greatly help those figures continue to trend upwards. 

If the Kings get on a roll, they will be a very difficult team to face.

Think of Sacramento as this year's Memphis Grizzlies.

Kobe Bryant Will Be the MVP

Everyone knows that Bryant has hardly had the sort of offseason he would’ve wanted.

His offseason began earlier than scheduled at the hands of the Mavericks, who ruthlessly swept Bryant’s Lakers. 

Then there was the lockout, then the Chris Paul fiasco, then Lamar Odom leaving town and finally the announcement of his divorce. 

Combine those factors with an aging body with bad knees, and it would seem like any normal person was going to take a sudden decline.

But Kobe Bryant is far from a normal person.

He is renowned for being one of the most driven athletes in competitive sports. His efforts on the practice court are legendary and even mentioned in the same breath of those of his measuring stick, Michael Jordan. 

Knowing that, it’s hard to imagine that Bryant has been anywhere other than the training court since the season ended. 

Bryant matched his career average of 25 points per game last season, playing most of the season on one leg. 

Expect Bryant to produce one more MVP-caliber season before he truly does enter the final stages of his career.

A Superstar Point Guard Will Be Traded

Even with Chris Paul already having been shipped out to Los Angeles, expect at least one more premier point guard to be moved on. 

The front-runners in the trade stakes are Rajon Rondo and Russell Westbrook, with both players having been dogged by trade rumors all summer long. 

Rondo was allegedly the central piece in a trade that would have ideally brought Paul to Boston, but it was not to be. 

Westbrook has long been the subject of rumor, with many pundits citing his inability to play as a "pure point" hampers the Thunder’s star, Kevin Durant.

At this point, I would expect Rondo to be traded if the Celtics can find a positive deal regardless of the position of his team, due to the aggressive nature he was shopped in the summer.

The Westbrook scenario is quite different.

If the Thunder start slowly and it appears Westbrook is not adapting to his role as a secondary scorer to Durant, he could easily be moved. 

And of course, don’t forget Deron Williams.

While all current signs point to Williams extending in New Jersey, he could still have a change of heart and try and force his way out of the Garden State.

John Wall Will Continue His Rise to the Top

The number one draft pick from one year ago enjoyed a successful beginning to his NBA career. 

Wall averaged 16 points and eight assists, becoming the franchise piece that Washington has long been searching for. 

As good as Wall played, the potential that he has was even clearer.

The Kentucky grad played at times like a seasoned veteran, having to try and carry a very substandard Wizards side through the rough and tumble of an NBA regular season. 

Washington has improved around Wall, meaning that he should face less pressure in terms of having to be "the guy." That will allow Wall to play a more natural, free-flowing style of play, with breathtaking results.

The King Will Get His Ring and Then Some

OK, so we’ve all heard it a million times in the past few months.

LeBron James failed in the final quarter of the NBA Finals.

He became a statue, he didn’t score, he didn’t contribute and he most definitely didn’t look like two-time MVP.

That will all change this year.

James has openly spoken about his distracted state during much of the season, mostly due to his coping with the fallout from his free agency "Decision." If he is to be believed, that is all in the past now, meaning King James will get back to doing what he does best. 

Not only will James led Miami to the NBA title, but he will also capture the Finals MVP award in the process, vanquishing the demons of last year forever.

Conclusion

There you have it: five bankable predictions ahead of all the action in the upcoming NBA season.

The race to the NBA Finals begins now. We'll have to see who gets there first.

But what do you think?

Agree?

Disagree?

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