2012 NBA Redraft Odyssey: MB vs VP

VP - As the start of a new NBA season arrives in full force, Bliss and I have returned to bring you this year’s Redraft column. Now if you need a refresher on what we’re talking about, this column will be a Simmons-style trade value column, except we will be “redrafting” the top 60 current NBA players, based on the players’ current levels and their potentials, to create 30 tandems to create our own “bizarro NBA.” Now, this is going to be a geography-independent (as you’ll see once you see the “teams” that are doing the drafting) and a completely biased endeavor, but we’re hoping to alleviate that last issue with our differing viewpoints and some statistical grounding.

MB - Let’s draft!


THE MAIN EVENT
MB - The Redraft Rule Book:
1.      Any current NBA player is eligible. They must have either played last year or
clearly be playing this coming year.
2.      Their current salary doesn’t matter. All the 1st round players would get max
level contracts under a similar CBA to what is in place now (say 14-17 million
based on slot). 2nd round players would get a star level contract not quite at the
first round level (9-13 million based on slot). The old contracts wouldn’t matter.
Technically, you could consider their motivation level based on past income, but
for the purposes of this column, we will not consider this factor much.
3.      Assume you are getting the player for the next 5 years. The lesson of this is, of
course, that the age (and games logged) of the player matters.
4.      We won’t count minor injuries, especially in the scope of 5 years. Kevin Love’s
hand injury won’t be a big consideration, though Dirk’s knee might be. Amare’s   knee is in no way minor.
5.      We will not considering offensive systems or anything like that. Assume that the
coaches who will work with these teams are smart enough to cater to the two starters that they immediately receive. Vinny Del Negro isn’t involved at all.

VP - For those of you keeping track at home, let’s get to the most glaring missed calls from last year first - both Bliss and I passed on LeBron in the top 5 for the Redraft/Value column and predicted a Thunder over Bulls finals matchup. Ouch. In our defense, Rose got hurt, but in all honesty, LBJ was probably not going to be stopped from grabbing his first ring this past season. Our Rose/Durant/Dwight/Deron picks are still pretty defensible despite the injuries, but Bliss reached with Melo and I definitely reached with Amare (can you tell that we’ve both lived in NY?). Chris Paul made us pay for doubting him by proving his worth in the short-term, although we were oddly prescient with our LeBron/Ray Allen pairing, so I’d say that’s a wash (whistles while changing the topic, Mike is death staring me now). Now without further ado, let’s start this year’s redraft odyssey!



1. VP - Seattle Supersonics take Kevin Durant.
MB - No argument. Perhaps the best talent, best character, and best “asset” a franchise can have right now. 23 years old. And I totally thought of the team name.

2. MB - Akron Integrity select LeBron James. I hate it, but the talent is there and he is in his prime. Hard to argue against it. And the second best team name I thought of.
VP - It’s the right pick, but I can still hate it. I’m just glad I didn’t have to make it.

3. VP -  Bangor Moose take Dwight Howard.
MB - Ouch, ouch, ouch. Sorry, my back started hurting all of a sudden.
VP - The back injury worries me too, but it’s hard not to take the league’s best center at this spot.

4. MB - Key West Polar Bears take Kevin Love.
VP - Great rebounder + versatile scorer + deft passer = bona fide franchise cornerstone.

5. VP - Reno Rim Runners take Russell Westbrook
MB - RW has more value without Durant, so this is the right place for him.
VP - Finally free to be the alpha dog he is.

6. MB - Hawaii’n Punch take Rajon Rondo.
Honestly, I would have taken him over Westbrook. Rondo has proven to be a strong team leader, raise his game in the playoffs and run a variety of team styles. Oh, and Rondo would look awesome in like Black, grey, and Red highlights. That kind of uniform.
VP - Is that an alternate jersey you made in 2K?
MB - Um, no.....okay maybe.
VP - Team name was mine though.
MB - Credit due, and given.

7. VP - Montana Roam take Deron Williams.
MB - Montana will make sense later readers. And for Deron, I have always loved him and think this is the correct place for him. The last two years have been a little troubling, but overall he might be highest rated PG if you added values across all categories.

8. MB - Alaskan Wilderness take Kyrie Irving. Draws your eye on every single play. Intangibles and tangibles are off the charts. Love him so much. And I want it on record VP wanted to kill me after this pick. That’s a good sign you are doing something right.  
VP - Uncle Drew will be taking all these youngbloods, with their rappity-hippity-hop and flashy shoes, to school for years to come.

9. VP - Kansas City BBQ take DeMarcus Cousins.
MB - Editorial note, this was the name for the previous team, but once VP uttered the horrible words “Demarcus Cousins”, I knew BBQ needed to be reassigned.
VP - His talent level, if harnessed by the right coach, could make his team monstrous.

10. MB - Springfield Loggers take Derrick Rose.
MB - Injury aside, he is talented and has the drive. Adrian Peterson was ripping off 60 yard TD runs, 8 months after an ACL tear. Rose will be balling hard by February and for years to come.
VP - Editorial note: MB originally picked “Derek” Rose. Here is our unedited gchat exchange:

“VP: uh, Derek?
MB: I can’t spell.
VP: No, I think that was a Freudian slip. You miss the Captain.
MB: Oh shove off.”

11. VP - Bristol Kia Shootaround select Blake Griffin.
MB - Don’t like the low post game, but the excitement level is undeniable. He will print tickets. And totally my team name.

12. MB - Woodbury Walking Dead select Lamarcus Aldridge.
MB - The best possible name for a team, amuses me incredibly. Geeking out a little too much.
VP - Safe cornerstone to build around.

13. VP - Princeton-Plainsboro Offense select Andrew Bynum.
VP - Nothing ominous about that being pick #13 at all.
MB - Not at all. Also, what happens when the Offense’s Offensive Production is Offensive? Sorry to go on offense with this commentary, but the Offense made that offense more likely.

14. MB - Nebraska Cornholers take Marc Gasol.
MB - More consistent, less liable for injury than Bynum. Also, currently playing. I would have taken him over Bynum

15. VP - Savannah Long Grass take CP3.
VP - Immediate title window, then tanking for a number 1 pick.
MB - Yup and yup. Don’t know what else to say. That knee is giving. Just is.

16. MB - Montpelier Saps take Josh Smith.
MB - 2nd banana, but still hasn’t hit his prime and made strides last year.

17. VP - Hartford Whalers take Rudy Gay.
MB - As talented as Durant perhaps, but just doesn’t care every other game. I’ll believe it when I see it. The team is so perhaps he would play better closer to home.

18. MB - Tucson Fire Eaters select James Harden.
MB - More than talented enough for this. But he can’t be the lead guy. I’ll match him with someone in the next round that can be the alpha guy. If that makes sense.

19. VP - Baja Peninsula Fresh Fruit selects Ricky Rubio.
VP - It was time to reach and make a bit of a crowd-pleasing move. You’re welcome ladies.
MB - Screw you, a**hole. That was my pick. Oh, sorry. Calmer now.

20. MB - Albuquerque Rough Riders selects Carmelo Anthony.
MB - See how it feels? Huh?! See how it feels VP??? Okay, seriously though, too much talent to ignore. Will sell tickets and score a ton of points. Still has a chance to mature.
VP - Mike, you know I hated him coming to the Knicks from day one. I would never pick him to be the foundation of my franchise. And as a bitter Knicks fan, I can confidently say that he will never mature.
MB - Don’t be repetitive VP. “Bitter” is an unnecessary modifier to “Knicks fan”. Also, Carmelo would love Albuquerque, right?

21. VP - Kentucky Riflemen take Anthony Davis. Fire up the hype machine folks - the Brow is coming back to town!
MB - Fundamentally he needs a lot of work. As a franchise builder, I have no problem with it. I think he becomes more Tyson Chandler than Blake Griffin. That isn’t all a bad thing however.

22. MB - NH Freedom take Greg Monroe. Consistent, would fit well in New Hampshire, very reliable.

23. VP - Delaware Knights take DWade.
MB - I’ll wait to comment until I see his teammate. Not necessarily upset about this.

24. MB - Topeka Twisters take Al Horford. 20-10, 50%, no fuss. Sign me up.

25. VP - Alabama Ironsides take Al Jefferson.
MB - See above. Though I firmly think Horford has a higher ceiling. Won two championships in college. Consistent in the playoffs. Jefferson has neither.

26. MB - Little Rock Gingersnaps take John Wall. Don’t love him but he was a number 1 pick two years ago and has played well. This will be a determining year for him.
VP - Yeah, he fell way too far. Probably a good place for him.

27. VP - Montreal Illuminati takes Tony Parker. I have a near-MVP argument for him actually (shameless plug: http://sportsworldbliss.blogspot.com/2012/10/2012-2013-nba-season-predictions-mb-vs.html)
MB - Parker is simply a leader and a winner. Probably would quietly seethe about being selected behind Wall actually, but take it out in a ridiculously efficient season.

28. MB - Vancouver Ospreys take Pau Gasol. Would be fine as the primary guy.
VP - If this was 3 years ago.

29. VP - Durham Basilisks take Kobe Bryant. Being drafted after Pau will fuel him.
MB - Taking credit for this team name too. Mamba and Duke references.

30. MB - Wyoming Pride takes Andre Iguodala. Defense, leadership, intangibles. And on the flip...
VP - Chief Blocka is a great pick, but he needs an alpha-dog scorer to flourish.

31. MB - Wyoming Pride takes Dirk Nowitzki to partner Iggy. The Pride will be coached by Don Nelson.
VP - A resounding yes. This team would be so much fun to watch.

32. VP - Durham Basilisks take Chris Bosh to pair with Kobe Bryant. They will be coached by Coach K and will hope to recapture some Team USA magic.
MB - Kobe will only attempt to kill Bosh a few times. Probably a good pairing actually.

33. MB - Vancouver Ospreys take Ty Lawson to pair with Pau Gasol. They will be coached by Mike D’Antoni and score 120 points a game.

34. VP - Montreal Illuminati take Serge Ibaka to pair with Tony Parker. They will be coached by Gregg Popovich, of course.

35. MB - Little Rock Gingersnaps take Danny Granger to pair with John Wall. They will be coached by Tony Kornheiser.

36. VP - Alabama Ironsides take Steph Curry to pair with Al Jefferson. They will be coached by Kevin McHale and will try to see if Kobe will sell them some ankle insurance (he will not).

37. MB - Topeka Twisters take Kyle Lowry to pair with Al Horford. They will be coached by Scotty Brooks. Seems about right in terms of temperaments for those players. This team will be a plus team in rebounding and field goal percentage.

38. VP - Delaware Knights take Tyson Chandler to go with DWade. They will be coached by Rick Carlisle on their way to either a ring or a trip to the DL.
MB - Maybe more than any other team, this one will be looking for a young star in the next round to become THE guy in two years. Paul George like. Well, maybe not him exactly because…

39. MB - NH Freedom take Paul George to go with Greg Monroe. They will be coached by Larry Bird. Seems right.

40. VP - Kentucky Riflemen take Steve Nash to go with Anthony Davis. They will be coached by...oh screw it Steve Nash would be the coach anyways.
MB - I don’t hate it: just don’t think it works for the future. And I claim credit for that coach.

41. MB - Albuquerque Rough Riders selects Joakim Noah to pair with Carmelo Anthony. They will be coached by Mike Brown.
VP - (Carmelo screams)
MB - Muhuhuhuhahaha.

42. VP - Baja Peninsula Fresh Fruit selects Klay Thompson to pair with Ricky Rubio. They will be coached by Jason Kidd.
MB – Nice! Like New Jersey after the Vince Carter trade. That didn’t turn out well though.

43. MB - Tucson Fire Eaters selects Kevin Garnett to pair with James Harden. They will be coached by Derek Fisher. Mainly because KG is too hard for most people to handle and Harden should probably be allowed to talk to himself most of the time.

44. VP - Hartford Whalers take Roy Hibbert to pair with Rudy Gay. They will be coached by Hubie Brown.
MB – Absolutely. And a good pairing in terms of usage. Strong defensive team.

45. MB - Montpelier Saps take Brandon Jennings to pair with Josh Smith. They will be coached by Avery Johnson. The crazy team who will force a ton of turnovers, and also commit a ton of turnovers.

46. VP - Savannah Long Grass take Marcin Gortat to pair with CP3. They will be coached by Alvin Gentry.
MB - Just run all the sets they had for Nash and Gortat. Which, you know, wasn’t incredible but was decent.

47. MB - Nebraska Cornholers take Eric Gordon to pair with Marc Gasol. They will be coached by Phoenix’s knee doctor.

48. VP - Princeton-Plainsboro Offense select Jrue Holiday to pair with Andrew Bynum. They will be coached by Doug Collins. Real life, meet bizarro NBA. Bizarro NBA, meet real life.

49. MB - Woodbury Walking Dead select Joe Johnson to pair with Lamarcus Aldridge. They will be coached by Ernie Johnson. Mainly due to temperament.

50. VP - Bristol Kia Shootaround select Monta Ellis to pair with Blake Griffin. They will be coached by Larry Brown, who will quit midseason.

51. MB - Springfield Loggers take Jonas Valanciunas to pair with Derrick Rose. They will be coached by Michael Wilbon, because of the Chicago connections.

52. VP - Kansas City BBQ take Danilo Gallinari to pair with Demarcus Cousins.
MB - They will be coached by a translator. Or something, I don’t know.

53. MB - Alaskan Wilderness take Paul Millsap to go with Kyrie Irving. They will be coached by Kenny the Jet Smith. Just a solid team, guys I think Alaska would love having. Need a shooting guard to add to this, and would be awesome.

54. VP - Montana Roam take Brook Lopez to go with Deron Williams. They will be coached by Jerry Sloan, of course, who already lives in Montana. Deron screams.
MB - I claim credit for that coach selection, there is the Montana connection everyone. It is effing perfect. Gerald Wallace ironically is a great fit for this team coming back around.

55. MB - Hawaii’n Punch take Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to pair with Rajon Rondo. They will be coached by Doc Rivers. I would love to get Kevin Martin or David Lee coming back with this team if we went to three rounds. Or Pierce of course.

56. VP - Reno Rim Runners take Andrew Bogut to pair with Russell Westbrook. They will be coached by Tom Thibodeau.
MB - What a nightmare to defend Westbrook, what a bigger nightmare to try to score on them at all. Add like Thabo, Gerald Wallace, Reggie Evans and this is a monster team.

57. MB - Key West Polar Bears take Mike Conley to go with Kevin Love. They will be coached by Rick Adelman. That clearly worked out for Love last season, so why change a good thing up?

58. VP - Bangor Moose takes Goran Dragic to pair with Dwight Howard. They will be coached by Shaq, of course.
MB - No complaints. Add a couple of shooters, basically the 2008-2009 Magic all over again. That isn’t a bad thing, they did go to the Finals.
VP - Exactly. This could just as easily have been Brandon Knight (who would’ve been perfect with Kevin Love), but I think Goran’s scoring is a better match.

59. MB - Akron Integrity take Andrea Bargnani to pair with Lebron James. They will be coached by Dan Gilbert. Getting a little silly, but Lebron should have to fight with everyone in his organization, on the court and off it. And someone like Bradley Beal coming around again in the third round, that works out really well for this team.

60. VP - Seattle Supersonics take Evan Turner to pair with Kevin Durant. They will be coached by Phil Jackson.
MB – Love it and totally agree. Kind of a Jordan/Pippen like division of responsibilities on this team (ie one scorer who dominates the ball and the other guy is second but more cleans up on defense, rebounds well, and facilitates from a 2-4 position). Let’s project just one more pick. Who would it be?
VP - Probably Duncan. Good right now and room to grow. Duncan can be like David Robinson going forward.
MB - Was thinking Pierce or Knight, but that works. Might be my team to beat considering that third round pick. The Parker/Ibaka/Pop team would be really good too though. They could add Varejao pretty easily in the middle of the third, that would be a dangerous group.

 

MB – Okay everyone, thanks for tagging along with the VP and myself on this redraft odyssey. We had a lot of fun, and appreciate you hanging with us. Have a great year. Even if, you know, your favorite player is traded two nights before the season starts.


-Mike Bliss and Vishal Patel

2012-2013 NBA Season Predictions: MB vs VP

2012-2013 NBA Season Predictions:

MB vs VP

MB - As per usual, another NBA season brings another set of season predictions and another contest with the VP himself, Vishal Patel. I will stipulate a new rule this year for our predictions. We cannot pick the winners from last year or truly obvious candidates. With that understanding, the winner between us will go to the person who picks the closest possible person. So we cannot pick Lebron for MVP, but if VP picks Amare and I pick Dirk for MVP, whichever finishes with the most MVP points wins that prediction.  

AWARD SEASON

MVP:
MB - Since Lebron and Durant are ineligible due to my statement from above, I am going with Rajon Rondo. I think this year provides his best opportunity to rise to this level. His age makes sense, they are far enough from Pierce and Garnett being elite that the team success can be more placed on what Rondo contributes, and I think this will be a good regular season team which is the foundation for the award. Rondo has a good formula: he is going to play 40 minutes and a team of spot up shooters that goes 9 deep will play around him in 28 minutes spurts. And he is rocking in my 2K franchise right now. Solid scientific evidence right there. 13.5-5-13.5 with almost 3 steals and 50% shooting on a 55 win team wins this award for the Frog.

VP - I think Bliss’s rooting interests are clouding his judgement here, although it’s hard to argue with that 2K statline. I think Chris Paul is the pick to make here (he didn’t even earn half the number of MVP points that Durant got last year, so I’m using a loophole in MB’s rules and calling this a not-obvious pick). I am rolling the dice on his health holding out for an entire season, but given the fact that the Clippers loaded up their rotation with the likes of Odom, Crawford, and Grant Hill (which alleviates the scoring burden on Blake Griffin and elevates Paul’s stock as the central piece of Lob City), it’s a safe bet to say that CP3’s control of the game and leadership will impress a lot of MVP voters.

DPOY:
MB - With Dwight and Tyson ineligible, I am going to go with Andre Iguodala. It is rare for a wing to win this award, but I think the script could be right for Iggy. He has two opportunities here. First, now he gets to guard Durant, Kobe, Rudy Gay, etc on a more regular basis. It will show off his abilities. He also gets the chance to raise the team’s defensive ranking significantly because Denver wasn’t particularly good in that area last year. That rise might not all his doing, but one can still use that argument at the end of the year for him to win.

VP - I’m going to take the easy way out here and say LeBron James. He’s always guarding the best player on the other team, he’s already known for his stupendous defense, and with added time in the post now, his rebounding numbers, along with his steals and blocks, could actually jump this year.

6th Man:
MB - I am thinking of Chris Kaman. I am actually only slightly sure he’ll qualify. I think Dirk and Brand start once Dirk gets back but Kaman gets plenty of run. He will accumulate stats during the brief time when starting, then be the prime backup afterwards. If he doesn’t end up eligible, I will go with Wilson Chandler.

VP - Thaddeus Young is going to fill in the scoring void left by Lou Williams in Philly, and he’s going to be a great complement to Bynum and will definitely be on the floor at the end of games to offer the 76ers some mobility on defense to make up for Bynum’s “lapses” on that end of the floor. However, Doug Collins might move away from the idea of starting two 7-footers in Hawes and Bynum in today’s faster-paced NBA, so if Young ends up being ineligible, I think Antawn Jamison will snag a second trophy (second 6th man trophy? Or second trophy this year? Keep reading to find out...).

ROY:
MB - Anthony Davis is out based on my ridiculous criteria (which I am already hating myself for), so I am going to go with Damian Lillard for Portland, based solely on opportunity.

VP - I agree with Bliss, Damian Lillard will get all the minutes he can handle in Portland and is the only rookie even remotely close to challenging Davis for ROY.

Stat Time

Scoring (Alpha Dog):
MB - Durant obviously, but I will go with Carmelo Anthony as my pick.  I don’t particularly like Melo or the Knicks this year, but the situation sets up for him to shoot a LOT. That leads to points at least some of the time. Plus, he gets a post Olympic boost.

VP - With Durant, LeBron, and Kobe off the board here, Kevin Love is my pick to challenge for the scoring title. With talented passers like Ricky Rubio, AK-47, Brandon Roy, and Cool Hand Luke (Ridnour) around him, Love is poised to continue his high level of play from last season.

Rebounding (Mister Clean):
MB - Kenneth Faried. I had Humphries here, but decided to go with Faried because: A. He is the Manimal. B. He had a ton of boards when they let him play big minutes last year, C. He will get more minutes this year, and D. Denver will play a little better defense, creating more misses.

VP - I’m really starting to hate Mike’s rules now. Okay, DeMarcus Cousins gets my vote here; he’s talented, in shape, a beast on the defensive glass, and - based on the number of gunners on his team - will have plenty of opportunities to clean up on the offensive end as well.

Assists (Giving Tree):
MB - With CP3, Rondo, and DWill ineligible, I am going to go with Ricky Rubio. This will have to be on per game averages, but he will know the team better and have some better shooters to get easy 3 assists.

VP - Ricky Rubio will probably have the best chance of breaking up the reigning group of favorites. Not only has he gotten a rookie year under his belt, his team has upgraded at the wings, and Rubio should be able to flirt with double-digit assists this year.

Steals (Robber Baron):
MB - Iguodala. The high speed games they will play will lead to a ton of fast steals for Iggy Pop. Probably Rondo though.

VP - Rondo, Paul, and Rubio are the clear favorites. I hate myself for making this pick, but LeBron James will utilize his speed and defensive acumen in his increased playing time at PF to take advantage of opposing bigs and pick their pockets.

Blocks (The David Stern):
MB - Javale McGee. Same argument I used for Iggy and Steals. But really Dwight Howard, obviously.

VP - Barring the obvious picks of Ibaka Flocka and Dwight, I’ll go with the Clippers’ only rim-protector, DeAndre Jordan.

Title Town

Eastern Conference:
MB - HEAT, Celtics, Nets, Pacers, Hawks, Bulls, Raptors, Cavs.
You know the stories on the HEAT, Celtics, and Pacers. The Nets have more talent, health, and better expectations than before. The Hawks and 76ers all made moves that opened something up. The Hawks more than replaced Joe Johnson, and his absence leaves a simpler offense and more touches for Horford, Smith, and Teague. The 76ers may not get much out of Bynum and Iggy’s loss will be felt. Doug Collins may also wear everyone out before long. Thus, I am leaving the Sixers out. The Bulls have enough to keep afloat and get a low seed after Rose comes back. The Raptors I put in over the Knicks. I think due to age and injury the Knicks will fall apart. I like Lowry and LOVE Valanciunas. Kyrie Irving singlehandledly makes a jump into the top 15 players in the league and despite some errors in drafting other than him the last two years, the Cavs are propelled by him to a first round swept by Lebron and the HEAT. Oh, the irony.

VP - Heat, Nets, Celtics, Pacers, Hawks, 76ers, Bulls, Knicks.
Miami’s the easiest pick in the world (let the jinxing begin!), Boston reloaded in the offseason and is looking fantastic, the Nets are the new knock-off version of the Heat, and Indy is still young and constantly improving. The latter half of the conference is harder to predict, but I think Bynum will flourish as the #1 option in Collins’ team, and the Hawks are looking much more exciting with Josh Smith and Horford as the clear (and very complementary) leaders of this team. I think the Knicks will manage to hang on despite injuries to cling to one of the last two spots, and Chicago will be steady enough with the return of Captain Kirk to guide them into the playoffs even without their MVP. The only other team I see challenging for a playoff seed is Cleveland, but as amazing as Kyrie Irving is, he still needs a little more talent than what he has around him to make the postseason, especially in a full 82-game season. One final note: even if they won’t make the playoffs, the Bucks will be extremely entertaining to watch with Jennings and Monta as their backcourt.

Western Conference:
MB - Thunder, Lakers, Nuggets, Spurs, Grizzlies, Mavs, Clippers, Jazz
I would have loved to take the Warriors, but Curry is hurt AGAIN. He is such a big part of their success. Thunder, Lakers, Spurs, Grizzlies, Clippers are obvious. Nuggets got better with Iggy intangible and talent wise. They will miss some shooting with Afflalo but overall Iggy adds a lot more. Mavs reloaded and will be fine. Kidd had really slipped so that isn’t a significant loss. I left off the Wolves only due to the injuries. If they go 4-12 when Love is gone that’ll just be too big a hole. Next year Wolves. Jazz get development from Gordon Hayward and I like the new, slimmer Enes Kanter to be decent.

VP - Thunder, Lakers, Spurs, Clippers, Nuggets, Grizzlies, Mavs, Timberwolves
I don’t need to explain the top 4, so let me just say that Denver will not earn home court due to their lack of depth in the frontcourt. Memphis may end up shipping Zach Randolph, but even that possibility won’t be enough to stop Rudy Gay and co. from completing their march to the postseason. The Mavs have enough experience and an added injection of youth into their backcourt to continue their impressive streak of playoff appearances, and my surprise pick of the year is Minnesota, who I think are poised to make a lot of noise in the Western Conference after their offseason additions (and the growth of Love and Rubio). Utah will stagnate and trade one of their bigs midseason, and Golden State will sadly need another year or two of retooling despite a ludicrous amount of talent (just like Sacramento).


Final Four:
MB - Celtics over HEAT in the ECF due to injuries to Wade and Garnett owning Bosh. The Wade thing is going to happen at some point. Staying on my Rondo theme. Thunder over Lakers in the WCF. I’m afraid age will catch up to some combo of Nash/Pau/Jamison and that is an old team. Thunder quietly repeat as Western Champions because guess what? They got better and have the hunger from losing. Thunder over Celtics in the Finals, because who the heck covers Durant? 

*Already have to make an edit to this. At 11:27pm on Oct 27th, we found out James Harden was traded to the Rockers for Jeremy Lamb and Kevin Martin. I have to update my picks. OKC wasn't more talented than the Lakers: they had experience together and cohesion. Now they don't. Nice job punting a title for money. Now I remember you Clay Bennett. Seattle is nodding knowingly right now. Lakers over Thunder in WCF, Lakers over Celtics in the Finals.

VP - Heat over Celtics in the ECF. Sorry Bliss, but Miami has too many weapons and age is just as big an issue for Boston’s core (minus the amazing Rondo of course). And I don’t care if I sound biased, but Steve Nash will not lose his chance to earn a ring, and so I say Lakers over Thunder in the WCF. David Stern will finally have his Kobe vs. LeBron final, suspiciously right before he retires in the middle of next season. Lakers over Heat in the Finals because the LAL raised Miami’s three All-Stars with four, and the Heat will (hopefully) fold.



Okay everyone. Stay tuned for our redraft monster column coming out Monday. Enjoy football tomorrow.

-BLISS