ESPN "experts" prognosticate top 5 NBA teams

[fairweatherfan06]

Abbott has the Spurs ahead of the Celtics Really?  Feel free to comment.




Abbott: 1. Lakers; 2. Magic; 3. Heat; 4. Spurs; 5. Celtics

Adande: 1. Lakers; 2. Celtics; 3. Magic; 4. Heat; 5. Thunder

Arnovitz: 1. Heat; 2. Lakers; 3. Magic; 4. Celtics; 5. Rockets

Ford: 1. Lakers; 2. Heat; 3. Magic; 4. Mavericks; 5. Celtics

Hollinger: 1. Lakers; 2. Magic; 3. Heat; 4. Thunder; 5. Celtics

Sheridan: 1. Lakers; 2. Heat; 3. Celtics; 4. Thunder; 5. Rockets



Stein: 1. Lakers; 2. Heat; 3. Celtics; 4. Magic; 5. Thunder/Bulls

[Mike-Dub]

Abbott has the Spurs ahead of the Celtics Really?  Feel free to comment.

Abbott picked the Cavs to sweep us so that guy has no credibility what so ever. 

[Rashi]

And they still continue to credit us for being a great team...ESPN never learns.


Anyways I see the top 5 as :

Lakers
Celtics
Heat
Magic
Thunder

[Mike-Dub]

Stein's is the only reasonable prediction I've seen.

Here's mine top 6...

Celtics
Lakers
Heat
Magic
Thunder
Bulls

[Green Hell]

1. Heat
2. Celtics
3. Lakers
4. Spurs
5. Magic

[wiley]

I think the Thunder are ready.  They've addressed some of their issues with defense at the 5, even if it's a raw player, Aldrich.  I mean he won't need to score at all, just disrupt a bit.
I really like that team.

I'd like to put them right in there.  Here's my homer list:

Celtics
Lakers
THunder
Heat
Magic

[jr_3421]

i think the bulls are better than the thunder. thunder have no post game and the bulls just got boozer.

[Change]

1)Heat













2a)Celtics
2b)Lakers

[Mr October]

Abbott has the Spurs ahead of the Celtics Really?  Feel free to comment.

Abbott picked the Cavs to sweep us so that guy has no credibility what so ever. 

yep, all credibility lost.

[nickagneta]

I am flabbergasted to think that "experts" put the Heat, with 4 players, four second round draft picks and no one else on their team, anywhere near the top 3 teams in the league at this point. I just don't see any way of the Heat making the ECFs next year without quality help coming in.

1 Celtics/Lakers
3 Magic
4 Utah
5 Thunder
6 Bulls/SA/Heat

[FallGuy]

Abbott has the Spurs ahead of the Celtics Really?  Feel free to comment.

Abbott picked the Cavs to sweep us so that guy has no credibility what so ever. 

yep, all credibility lost.

So, if you make a prediction that turns out wrong, you lose all credibility?

Please.

The guy knows the game.

You can be angry he doesn't pick the Celtics but to pretend like he has no credibility based solely on this prediction is silly.

I've never seen anyone criticize his knowledge, writing, insights, etc. into anything else but his Celtics-based predictions. You want to say someone has no credibility, especially someone who so clearly has lines on their resume, you need to make a much stronger case than feeling slighted.

[Edgar]

The Celtics
The Lakers
The Wades.

[Mike-Dub]

Abbott has the Spurs ahead of the Celtics Really?  Feel free to comment.

Abbott picked the Cavs to sweep us so that guy has no credibility what so ever. 

yep, all credibility lost.

So, if you make a prediction that turns out wrong, you lose all credibility?

Please.

The guy knows the game.

You can be angry he doesn't pick the Celtics but to pretend like he has no credibility based solely on this prediction is silly.

I've never seen anyone criticize his knowledge, writing, insights, etc. into anything else but his Celtics-based predictions. You want to say someone has no credibility, especially someone who so clearly has lines on their resume, you need to make a much stronger case than feeling slighted.

He also picked the Lakers in 5 in '08.  How'd that turn out?  Oh year Banner 17  ! And now he is saying the Spurs will be better than us next year.  The same team who got swepted by the Phoenix Suns last year.

Again the guy has lost all his credibility. 

[RJ87]

1.) Lakers - they ARE the champs until someone beats them, whether we like it or not.
2.) Miami - I think they can get some quality vets chasing for a ring
3.) OKC - That's a good young team, they now have playoff experience to add to it. And trading for Aldrich on draft day was a greatt move. I think they can challenge LA in the West.
4.) Orlando - Supposedly, Dwight's been working with Hakeem Olajuwon this offseason. If he actually develops some post moves other than dunking, they'll be tougher to beat for sure.
5.) Celtics - I'm a cheerleader. Everyone knows that. But I have concerns over being another year older, and more injury prone. I don't how we'll do if we again have to sacrifice games in the regular season so we can be healthy enough for postseason - can we really do it all without home court advantage again? If we finally get a legit scoring swingman off the bench to spell Pierce and Ray, I'll feel better about our chances.

Honorable mention:
Bulls - They're 1 piece away from being a contender.

[Mike-Dub]

The Celtics
The Lakers
The Wades.

Love your order and your last team lol The Wades TP Edgar.