A lot has happened since June 19th in the NBA. After a determined LeBron willed Cleveland to a championship over the greatest regular season team of all time - featuring the League MVP - in the Golden State Warriors, I assumed that the 3-1 Finals comeback would be the focal point of this offseason. And in a way, it has. But the storyline of the summer has been primarily centered on Kevin Durant and his decision to head out west. I mean...if you can't beat em, join em...right? KD suddenly became the most hated player in the NBA, but he wasn't the only one who left his long-time team for a different buyer. D-Wade headed home to Chicago, while Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah bolted from the Windy City to join Melo in New York. Dallas picked up Barnes and Bogut from the Warriors. San Antonio lost Duncan to retirement, but added Pau Gasol. Mike Conley inked the biggest contract in NBA history with the Grizzlies. All in all, it was a very, very crazy offseason.
Now that everything is behind us, it's time to take a look at the 2016-2017 NBA season. Here are my predictions - MVP, Conference champs, division winners, and even how many times Draymond Green will kick Steven Adams in the groin. Maybe not the last one...although if I did, I would set the O/U at 3 (and take the over).
NBA MVP: LeBron James
The greatest player of this generation will once again post incredible numbers, even with his minutes being limited. LeBron has reached his physical peak and is now staring down the decline every player faces in their early-to-mid thirties. I think we will see one last great season from James. Harden and Westbrook will finish in the top three, but the King will hold them off and earn his 5th MVP award. Curry has won the past two, but now with KD in town, the votes will be shared enough for LeBron to win it.
Most Improved Player: Devin Booker
Booker averaged nearly 14 ppg in his debut season, and he is poised to jump up to 19-21 this year. In a guard-heavy roster, he is possibly the most talented. Add a floor-spreading big man - Dragan Bender - and the opportunity for an expanding offensive game presents itself.
Rookie of the Year: Brandon Ingram
With Ben Simmons out for the first two months of the season, Ingram has a very good chance of claiming ROTY honors. The lanky swingman from Duke is essentially a discount KD, and he has a lot of explosive young talent around him. Look for Buddy Hield to challenge him though, as a healthy Anthony Davis will need some help on offense; Hield will bring a healthy dose of scoring in New Orleans.
Coach of the Year: Brad Stevens
Brad Stevens just turned 40, but his young age doesn't matter: the man can coach. After winning 48 games with Boston last season, Stevens is poised to add another 7-9 wins this year. The Celtics were unselfish and gelled well in 2015-16, but they should only get better after adding Al Horford into the mix. Tom Thibodeau will be a close second to Stevens, as the defensive-minded coach is back in Minnesota where he started his coaching career; the Wolves have a budding star in Karl-Anthony Towns and a plethora of young talent surrounding him.
Sixth Man of the Year: Jonathon Simmons
It would be easy to put Jamal Crawford here after he won the same award last season. Heck, it would be easy to choose Andre Iguodala. But I am going with my darkhorse pick. Not many people know who Simmons is, and rightly so. The 27 year old shooting guard has been turning heads in San Antonio. I know what you're thinking...if I am going with a shooting guard for the Spurs as my Sixth Man of the Year pick, how would it not be Manu Ginobili? I just have a really good feeling about Simmons, and if Gregg Popovich does what he always does, he will get the best out of his players (including Simmons).
Defensive Player of the Year: Karl-Anthony Towns
Towns is long, athletic, and showed a lot of promise as a rookie last year. The Wolves' centerpiece averaged nearly 8 defensive rebounds and 2 blocks per game for a team that won 29 games; those numbers will only increase as the supporting cast gets better.
Western Conference Playoff Standings
- San Antonio Spurs (Southwest Division Champs)
- Golden State Warriors (Pacific Division Champs)
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Portland Trail Blazers (Northwest Division Champs)
- Utah Jazz
- Dallas Mavericks
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Memphis Grizzlies
Eastern Conference Playoff Standings
- Cleveland Cavaliers (Central Division Champs)
- Boston Celtics (Atlantic Division Champs)
- Toronto Raptors
- Indiana Pacers
- Atlanta Hawks (Southeast Division Champs)
- Washington Wizards
- Chicago Bulls
- New York Knicks
Western Conference Championship: Warriors over Spurs
Eastern Conference Championship: Cavaliers over Celtics
NBA Finals: Warriors in 7
Finals MVP: Klay Thompson
