Basketball: Super Early Predictions

I love making predictions really early just to see hwo accurate I can be with little information, I was just wondering about the upcoming NBA Season and the top 8 teams in the East and West.

My Top 8 :

East-
1. Miami- D-wade is incredible and they aren't any worse.
2. Chicago- Bulls finally have a legitimate shot at the title after the Jordan era.
3. Detroit- Without Big Ben they have a better offensive squad than ever before.
4. New Jersey - Kidd,Jefferson and Carter make quite the fearsome threesome don't ya think...
5. Cleveland - They have Lebron....
6. Indiana- If J-O'neal stays healthy Pacers can be a good team
7. Boston - Very young team with a lot of potential,and Pierce is one of the top ten best players in the NBA
8. Washington - This team has a lot of potential, Arenas and Jamison just need to help each other more

West-
1.Dallas- Like Miami in the fact that they have not gotten worse over the offseason so far.
2.San Antonio - Duncan needs to use this offseason to recover, so he can finally be 100% again.
3. Phoenix - With Stoudamire back these guys are thinking Championship.
4. L.A Clippers - Great year last year, and this year they'll show it was not a fluke.
5. Sacramento - Will now have Ron Artest from the start of the year
6. Memphis - Will finally win a playoff game this year...maybe
7. Denver- Melo is improving his game, and the Nuggets future is looking brighter
8. Minnesota- K.G is great, and they have tried to get a youthful cast around him

The only team that seems to be missing is the L.A. Lakers. They did well last season and I was really impressed with what they did in the playoffs.

Eastern Conference
1. Miami - this may be their last chance; Mourning and Payton don't have much left and Shaq is on the downslide
2. Detroit - still very talented without Big Ben; also experienced and focused
3. Chicago - looked good in the first round last year, and now they have Wallace
4. New Jersey - still solid, and may surprise in the playoffs
5. Cleveland - I still don't see them as a great team; they have to prove it really soon
6. Washington - gave Cleveland a run for their money last year, and they are young
7. Indiana - it all depends on Jermaine O'Neal
8. Boston - not too great a team, but the East is week

Western Conference
1. Phoenix - went 54-28 last season without their top scorer and rebounder. With Amare Stoudemire back, they are poised to go to the Finals
2. San Antonio - Tim Duncan proved in last year's playoffs that he's not done yet. They are still talented and should have beaten Dallas last year.
3. Dallas - need to get some balls. They flat out choked in the Finals last year
4. L.A. Clippers - Elton Brand was unstoppable in the playoffs last year and they are eager to prove they can compete
5. L.A. Lakers - a lot of potential. Last year's performance against Phoenix made believers out of many fans. Now Kwame Brown and Lamar Odom need to step up their games.
6. Sacramento - looked like they were on the way down, but then put up a tough fight against San Antonio in the first round
7. Denver - Carmelo Anthony is the real deal, but this team needs some more support
8. Minnesota - This team has never lived up to its potential, and now Kevin Garnett is being looked at as a loser

Finals prediction: Phoenix 4, Chicago 2

[Edited on 8/4/06 by BirdstheBest]

Sure, it's a "little" early but what the heck?

Pacers are looking more and more like a lottery team. Nobody here can figure out what the hell they're doing, but we're being reminded daily that Jermaine O'Neal was signed on August 31st, so there's still time.

I like the Bulls. I've always been a huge Scott Skiles fan (even when he was at Michigan State and used to taunt The General from the floor. Balls as big as church bells). Wallace is a great addition for them, and I think they'll make some noise.

Out of the west, I'll take Dallas. Cuban's a winner and he'll figure out some way to give his team an edge. Of course, Cuban's an IU guy and I just can't help being a homer.

Same with Skiles. He led an undersized high school team to the Indiana state championship in '83, but he was considered a head case and IU (where he really wanted to go) didn't give him a look. Hence the animosity between him and Knight.

Anyway, my pick is Dallas vs Chicago in the finals with Dallas on top.

Chicago in the Finals already? That's a pretty bold prediction. So you think that the addition of Ben Wallace will vault the Bulls over Miami, New Jersey, Detroit, and Cleveland? I disagree, but one thing's for certain, and that's the fact that the East is still weak overall. The teams aren't really that far apart, so I can see Chicago jumping to the top.

[Edited on 8/5/06 by Bman3002]