NBA Preseason picks and preview

Basketball is back, and I am very very excited. The NBA is second only to college basketball in sports that I love to watch, follow, and talk about. So now, since we are less then a week away from the first game, I will now do my NBA playoff picks, and really each division pick. So to keep it easier to look at, my playoff picks will be first, and then you can keep reading if you want more of my thoghts on each team in the leauge.


East:

1) Pistons
8) Hawks
4) Heat
5) Magic
3) Cavs
6) 76ers
2) Celtics
7) Raptors

1) Pistons
4) Heat
3) Cavs
2) Celtics

1) Pistons
2) Celtics

1) Pistons

All Stars:
D wade
M Redd
Lebron
KG
Dwight Howard
Billups
Brand
Jaminson
Josh Smith
A.I. 2.0
C.W. Bosh
P.P.

West:

1) Lakers
8) Mavs
4) Jazz
5) Rockets
3) Horents
6) Suns
2) Spurs
7) Blazers

1) Lakers
5) Rockets
3) Horents
7) Blazers

5) Rockets
3) Horents

3) Horents

All Stars:
CP3
Kobe
T Mac- The yao voting factor
A Stodimire
Yao
D Williams
S Nash
Duncan
B Roy
Melo
Boozer
Dirk

Finals:
Pistons over Horents in 6. Finals MVP: C Billups

NBA MVP: CP3
ROY: OJ Mayo
All Star MVP: Lebron


Now that we have that done, lets look at it deeper. Number one, yes I am a hoomer, and picked the Pistons because of it, and I would actually be surpised if they won it all, however, I do think they will be the number one seed in the east, and here is why:
1) They will actually play hard for a few months
2) They want to show why they didn't like Flip- even though he was a good coach
3) People are writing them off, and they can surpise people
Looking at that divsion first.
Central :

1) Pistons- Like I just said, they will play hard and have the best record in the east
2) Cavs- They have Lebron, that's enough
3) Bucks- They are my sleeper team in the east this year, I like them, I like Redd and Bogut and I like Charlie Villanueva more then most, if not everyone, coming off the bench for them, he will be a good scorer, I always like their rookies, both Alexander and Luc Richard adds nice things to that team. Damon Jones adds another shoter, and I like Ridnour and T Lue as nice pieces to that team who can score, but can also run a team, plus you got Jefferson, so I like the Bucks as my sleeper, and I wanted to put them as my 8 seed, but at the last minute I changed my mind
4) Bulls- they will be better then last year, and D Rose will help, but I think they needed to do something with Gordon or Hinrich and they didn't, and that will cause problems
5) Pacers- This team is great for one thing... fantasy, Granger MD jr, are great picks, just as a team, they will not do anything.

Atlantic:

1) Celtics- They still have a lot of talent, I think the loss of Posey will hurt them in the playoffs
2) 76ers- They are the sexy pick this year, and they should be good. But lets see how they handle being favored to actually win a lot of games. Brand is of course a big help, and A.I. 2.0 is sick, so they should get back to the playoffs, but some teams can't handle sucess, so stay tuned.
3) Raptors- With J O'Neal coming over to help Bosh up front, they have potentionally one of the best, if not the best front courts, as far as scoring in the east. That alone will be enough to get them back in the playoffs
4) Nets- They will not be good. They have some nice young pices, but they are in rebuilding mode. I like Harris and the Mavs were stupid to trade him, but they have some work to be done
5) Knicks- It will take a lot more then a new coach for them to be good. Mike is going to have a tough year coaching this team. But the good news for Knick fans I think they finially get some cap space back in 2011.

Southeast:

1) Heat- Yes you heard it here first, well I don't know that, cause I haven't read any other NBA picks yet, the Heat will win the division and be the 4 seed in the playoffs, of course this all has to do on one thing. If D Wade doesn't get hurt. With him, the Matrix, and Beasley they will have enough to win that divsion.
2) Magic- they will still be good, and will be the 5 seed in the playoffs
3)Hawks- I like them to get back in the playoffs and once again be the 8th seed. I Like Joe Johnson and Horford, plus an entire year with Bibby as the pg will make him a lot more comfrontable there. And then the most important thing is they kept Josh Smith, who is the man, I mean he is sick, I have a very big man crush on him, in fact, in my all NBA favorite players not on the pistons team, Josh Smith is right there, along with Rudy Gay, CP3, Adam Morrison, just cause I loved him ever since college, and then of course my old classmate at CMU my boy CK.
4) Wizards- Injuries worry me about this team and as much as I like them when they are at 100% they are not close, who knows how long hibachi will be out, and Butler and Jaminson are good, and I like N Young, but I see a lot of the teams in the east getting better, and right now, they are not. So I have them just missing the playoffs, which may come back to haunt me, but we will see.
5) Bobcats- are bad, they have a lot of work to do, and because they are so bad, the other teams in this divison will have better records, which is why I think 3 of them will make the playoffs.


West:

Pacific:
1) Lakers- as long as Kobe doesn't get hurt they will have the best record in the west
2) Suns- They have something to prove with a new coach, there is still lots of talent there, but thier window is closing
3) Clippers- my sleeper in the west. Maybe it is just because Kaman plays for them, and he is a friend of mine, but I like that team, and with B diddy, and Camby to go along with Al Thorton, and CK, plus the rookie Eric Gordon, I think they will be able to score, plus the shooting of Tim Thomas. Really the quesion will be, can they stop anyone?
4) GS- They are another team who should be able to score like always, the problem, can they stop anyone, the truth is, I don't think so, which is why both the clippers and GS will both be out of the playoffs
5) Kings- They will be beaten up on by the rest of this division.

Northwest:
1) Jazz- I think this is the one divsion that you could give the Jazz the title already. I would be shocked if they don't win
2) Blazers- the up and coming team, they were a feel good story last year, this year, I would be shocked if they don't make the playoffs, they are a good young team.
3) Enver- Cause they don't play any D, so they don't get the D in their name. I know, old joke, but it's true. Again they will score, and not stop anyone, and lose a lot of games 125-120
4) OK Thunder- They will be bad, and Durant will score
5) T-Wolves- They will be bad, and Al Jefferson will score

Southwest:

1) Spurs- they will just have enough to fight off NO for the 2 seed.
2) Horents- they still have to prove that last year was no fluke, and I think they can. CP3 MVP of the leauge.
3) Rockets- I like them this year, to finially win a first round series. It is stupid of me to predict that, but I am going against history, it is time. Of course Yao's injury could be a problem, Tmac should be hurt by mid December, and they could miss the playoffs
4) Mavs- I really don't like them this year, and I hope they don't make the playoffs. They really just have Dirk and Josh Howard left. That Kidd trade was bad, and it will cost them.
5) Memphis- They will still be bad, but should be at least a fun team to watch. Warrick, and Conley Jr, plus my boy Rudy Gay, and I think OJ Mayo will be Rookie of the year, because he will put up some numbers, but they will not win a lot of games.


well there you have it. I would love to hear what people think about it. I might do a little college preview sometime soon, I just wanted to get the NBA one out of the way. The season is almost here, can't wait. I'm right, you're wrong.