2011-12 NBA Predictions Thread

[YouGotRondo d]

I want to ask everyone a few questions for the 2011-2012 NBA season:

1. Who are your playoff teams in the East and the West?


2. Finals matchup and result?


3. Who is your league MVP?


4. Player you expect to have a breakout (much better than expected) season?


5. Which player will disappoint most?


6. Best and worst rookies?

[YouGotRondo d]

1. Who are your playoff teams in the East and the West?
East: Miami, Boston, Chicago, NY, Phila, Indiana, Orlando, Detroit
West: OKC, Dallas, San Antonio, Clippers, Memphis, Lakers, Warriors

2. Finals matchup and result?
Celtics v. Thunder

Celtics FTW!

3. Who is your league MVP?
Kevin Durant

4. Player you expect to have a breakout (much better than expected) season?
Nicolas Batum

5. Which player will disappoint most?
Carlos Boozer

6. Best and worst rookies?
Best: Jimmer Fredette
Worst: Derrick Williams

[dwlefty13]

1)
East:

1 - Miami
2 - Chicagp
3 - New York
4 - Boston
5 - Indiana
6 - Atlanta
7 - Philadelphia
8 - Orlando

West:

1 - Oklahoma City
2 - Dallas
3 - LA Clippers
4 - LA Lakers
5 - San Antonio
6 - Memphis
7 - Portland
8 - Sacromento

2) Finals Result: Heat vs Thunder - Thunder wins in 7 games

3) MVP: Kevin Durant

4) Breakout Season (player) - Evan Turner

5) Disappointing Season (player) - Danny Granger

6) Best and Worst Rookie -

Best: Tristan Thompson
Worst: Jan Vesely

[PosImpos]

1. Who are your playoff teams in the East and the West?


East -

Heat
Bulls
Knicks
Celtics
Pacers
Hawks
Nets
Bucks

West -

Thunder
Mavericks
Lakers
Clippers
Grizzlies
Nuggets
Blazers
Spurs


2. Finals matchup and result?

Thunder vs. Heat

Thunder Win


3. Who is your league MVP?

Kevin Durant

4. Player you expect to have a breakout (much better than expected) season?

James Harden

5. Which player will disappoint most?

Kobe Bryant

6. Best and worst rookies?

Best - really hard to say in this draft class; gonna go with the safe pick and say Kyrie.  maybe Kemba

Worst - how can I pick that?  out of the notable (lottery) rookies, though, I'm not sure Jan Vesely will do much in Washington



also:

Defensive Player of the Year: Tyson Chandler

[fairweatherfan]

1. Who are your playoff teams in the East and the West?

East:

Heat
Bulls
Celtics
Knicks
Pacers
Magic (if Howard sticks around; if not bump 7+8 up a slot and add the Hawks)
Sixers
Nets

West:

Mavs
Thunder
Lakers
Spurs
Clippers
Nuggets
Grizzlies
Blazers

2. Finals matchup and result?

Thunder vs Heat; Heat win in 6

3. Who is your league MVP?

I think Paul will be the most valuable player but Durant will win the award.

4. Player you expect to have a breakout (much better than expected) season?

Greg Monroe.  Will be a borderline All-Star this year though I doubt he gets in.

5. Which player will disappoint most?

Josh Smith.  I think this is the year the Hawks implode, and Smith will start to sulk and play poorly fairly early on.

6. Best and worst rookies?

ROY will be Kemba Walker.  Most disappointing high pick will be Bismack Biyombo who will show a few flashes but will mostly look lost this year.

[heitingas]

Heat
Bulls
Knicks
Bucks
Pacers
Hawks
Celtics
Magic


OKC
Mavs
Spurs
Grizzlies
Nuggets
Lakers
Blazers
Rockets

[Who]

1. Who are your playoff teams in the East and the West?

Not really ready to answer this one yet. Haven't gotten a chance to look at all the teams following this hectic free agency period. Hmm ... take a quick stab at it anyways:

East -- MIA, CHI, BOS, NYK, IND, ATL, PHI and MIL (assuming D.Howard trade)
West -- OKC, MEM, LAC, DAL, SAS, LAL, POR, HOU

2. Finals matchup and result?

Oklahoma vs Miami. I think it'll go 7 games and be the most compelling NBA Finals since Bird and Magic faced off in the 1980s. Oklahoma to win in seven by virtue of their interior defense and rebounding (read: Ibaka + Perk).

3. Who is your league MVP?

Chris Paul

4. Player you expect to have a breakout (much better than expected) season?

Gerald Henderson

5. Which player will disappoint most?

Pretty much everybody on the Detroit Pistons. Very difficult roster to manage and frankly I expect Lawrence Frank to make a meal of it.

6. Best and worst rookies?

I expect Irving to win RoY. Jimmer Fredette to be his strongest challenger.

I expect Enes Kanter to struggle in Utah. Probably the most high profile guy.

[slamtheking]

1. Who are your playoff teams in the East and the West?
East: Miami, Chicago, Boston, NY, Atlanta, Indiana, Orlando, Philly
West: Mavs, Thunder, Lakers, Spurs, Clips, Houston, Memphis, Portland

2. Finals matchup and result?
OKC vs Boston
Boston in 7
(ever the eternal optimist -- I suspect it'll be Miami in the finals and winning the title, it was what Stern added to the CBA in secrecy to sell that merchandise and NBA propaganda machine)

3. Who is your league MVP?
Durant.  Scoring sells to the media


4. Player you expect to have a breakout (much better than expected) season?
BBD.  I think with the new lease on life in Orlando, he surpasses anything we expected. 

(personally hoping for either Moore, JJJ or Steimsma)

5. Which player will disappoint most?
Kyrie Irving, Jimmer Fredette or Ricky Rubio.  tough call but I think they all have a disappointing year.

6. Best and worst rookies?
Best: JJJ, Moore and Steimsma because they're ours.  Overall, I don't think there will be any rookies that anyone would feel compelled to say are worthy of being called 'best'.
Worst: Irving.  I just have a feeling he's going to majorly disappoint this year as the #1 pick.

[EdoG89]

. Who are your playoff teams in the East and the West?


East -

Bulls
Heat
Knicks
Celtics
Pacers
Magic
Hawks
Sixers

West -

Thunder
Clippers
Mavericks
Lakers
Nuggets
Grizzlies
Spurs
Blazers


2. Finals matchup and result?

Thunder Vs Celtics

Celtics Win


3. Who is your league MVP?

Rajon Rondo

4. Player you expect to have a breakout (much better than expected) season?

Travis Outlow Or Chris Wilcox

5. Which player will disappoint most?

Chris Paul

6. Best and worst rookies?

Best - I Don't Know

Worst - I Don't Know


also:

Defensive Player of the Year: LeBum

[DKClassic]

Breakout player : Will Solomon
Most Improved player: Will Solomon
MVP: Will Solomon
101 point game: Will Solomon
NBA Champion: Will Solomon

[PosImpos]

wow.

Thunder vs. Heat seems to be the overwhelmingly popular pick for the Finals this year -- not just on this forum, either; that's all I've heard for picks in the Finals this year.

[YouGotRondo d]

wow.

Thunder vs. Heat seems to be the overwhelmingly popular pick for the Finals this year -- not just on this forum, either; that's all I've heard for picks in the Finals this year.

It definitely feels like a changing of the guard year in the West. The Spurs are too old, the Lakers appear poised for a steep decline and I'm not sure the Mavs can recover from the loss of Chandler and Barea with their increased age.

The Thunder have a perfect opportunity to take the crown. Don't count out the Clips and Grizz, but OKC has the most talent, IMO.