2014-15 regular season predictions

[Mori Chu]

It's almost time for the regular season to start! So, in annual phx[-]suns.net tradition, let's all put in our predictions about how each team will do during the regular season. This is the regular season, not the playoffs.

When I do mine, I don't think about divisions or funky rules about what teams can/must get what seed (for example, the division leaders getting a mandatory top-4 seed or whatever). I just write down which teams I think will have the best to worst W/L record at the end of the year.

Have at it! What do you think will happen this year? Feel free to just list the teams, and/or make partial predictions ("Knicks will make the playoffs"), or give any justification or detail on why you made the picks, etc. At the very least, it can give us a fun laugh at the end of the year to look back on how wrong we all were.

[Mori Chu]

MY PREDICTIONS:

West

1 LA Clippers
2 Golden State Warriors
3 San Antonio Spurs
4 Oklahoma City Thunder
5 Houston Rockets
6 Memphis Grizzlies
7 Phoenix Suns
8 New Orleans Pelicans
Portland Trailblazers
Dallas Mavericks
Sacramento Kings
Denver Nuggets
Minnesota Timberwolves
Utah Jazz
LA Lakers

Commentary: I really want to rank the Warriors #1. I think Kerr will be a breath of fresh air, and that Klay will be out to prove to everybody that he was worth keeping. I think they'll have a huge upward jump this year. But the Clips have continuity and they'r hungry and in their prime. DeAndre Jordan has been quietly improving every year. Blake is finally a really complete basketball player. They seem ready.

I put the Spurs 3rd not out of disrespect, but just because I know they don't play at 100% during the regular season and pace themselves for the playoffs.

I think KD's injury and a lack of depth will hurt the Thunder this year.

I think our Suns will make the playoffs, but I am still concerned. I love our guards and swingmen rotation (positions 1-3), but we have a paper-thin PF/C rotation, we can't protect the rim, and we won't get many points in the paint. I don't think that bodes very well for our success. I could honestly see us missing the playoffs or getting bounced out fast in the first round.

The playoff teams from last year that I don't believe in any more are the Blazers and Mavs. Portland ended last season on kind of a weak note, and I don't feel like they got any better this summer. The Mavs got the corpse of Tyson Chandler (yawn) and the much, much overpaid Chandler Parsons. I don't think either of those guys are difference-makers. They also lost Vince Carter, who believe it or not was really useful and productive for them. Plus Dirk is another year older and is already on the downslide. I think they will be surprisingly disappointing and will miss the playoffs.

I think the Kings will lose a lot but will show a lot of promise and will be better than their record.

The Lakers suck.

==================================================

East

1 Cleveland Cavaliers
2 Chicago Bulls
3 Washington Wizards
4 Toronto Raptors
5 Charlotte Bobcats
6 Detroit Pistons
7 Atlanta Hawks
8 Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Orlando Magic
Indiana Pacers
Brooklyn Nets
New York Knicks
Boston Celtics
Philadelphia 76ers

Commentary: I like the Bulls and Wiz a lot, but you have to give Cleveland #1 with Lebron, Love, Irving, Wiggins, and the rest. It's a nasty team.

I don't know what to make of 2014-15 Derrick Rose, but I'm looking forward to watching it. Bulls are one of the most fascinating teams in the league this year IMO. I think Gasol will fit in really well though he's no All-Star any more.

Wiz are a solid team and sort of fall into a top-3 seed by default. Beal's finger injury is too bad but shouldn't stop them from having a good record.

I don't really know where to place Miami. I gave them the 8 seed because they still have a savvy coach and a lot of proud veterans who still want to win. Everybody is talking about whether Wade can carry the team now without Lebron, but I think that's off-base. I could see it being Bosh's big year. 20+ ppg and the "team leader" tag seems in the cards if he wants it.

Call me crazy, but I like the Pistons to improve a lot this year. Stan Van Gundy is a maniac and will get the absolute most out of that team. It's a deeply flawed roster, but he is a creative coach and will figure out something that works. That and/or he'll ship out pieces that don't fit. Got my eye on this team.

The injury to Paul George and loss of Lance Stephenson will really doom the Pacers. I think they end up way down in the standings and miss the playoffs. They have nobody who can score.

I have absolutely no faith or interest in either New York team. Yawn. They'd be at the bottom for me except that the tank-tastic Philly and Boston exist. Not a fun time to be a Celtics or 76ers fan.

[da_suns_fan]

I will not make any detailed East predictions.

Cleveland will win the East and will not be seriously challenged by any other team in the conference.

West:

1) Golden State - Kerr will win coach of the year
2) Spurs
3) Dallas
4) Clippers
5) OKC
6) Memphis
7) Blazers
8) Suns

MVP - Lebron

[JCSunsfan]

The west is going to be brutal this year. You could make the case that Dallas has significantly improved and could be in the playoffs. With the exception of the Lakers, EVERY western conference team could make the playoffs, even Minnesota. That said, I think that only the Clips, Spurs and Thunder are locks for the playoffs. Its just that the competition is so stiff.

I do not think I can make a prediction. For those that are expecting the Suns to be a 50 win team this year, I am not confident of that at all. This Suns team could be better than last year and still be under .500.

[Ring_Wanted]

Dallas much better? I don't know. Chandler's defensive IQ will be an improvement over Dalembert but he offers little elsewhere and he needs to play more than 50 games.

Calderon still shot the ball really well and didn't turn the ball over. Nelson is a discernibly worse player, let alone Felton. Harris is not what he used to either but still is more than useful, although I think he'll have to spend more time at SG this year so we'll see.

They lost two of their still capable vets in Vince Carter and Marion (whose defense is finally fading). Parsons obviously is the better player, but downgrading to Jefferson as his backup could limit the impact of this move.

I like their backup big men. Wright and Greg Smith are sneaky productive.

In the end I think they'll be around what they did last season. 50 wins team if health is not a real issue. Dirk, Monta and Carlisle is enough to get it done, in my opinion.

[Ring_Wanted]

How about the Blazers to miss the playoffs (with HOU-DAL-PHX in, plus SAS-LAC-MEM-OKC)? Their starting 5 is really potent but they don't have depth, and their game relies too heavily on shooting while playing just middle of the pack defense.

[INFORMER]

I really don't think Dallas has improved. I could definitely see them missing the playoffs.

[da_suns_fan]

Im pretty positive Houston is going to be worse.

A lot worse.

The vegas prediction is at 49 wins and Im seriously considering putting some cash on the under.

[JCSunsfan]

Im pretty positive Houston is going to be worse.

A lot worse.

The vegas prediction is at 49 wins and Im seriously considering putting some cash on the under.

I assume this is because of the loss of Parsons and Asik? Oh yeah, they also lost Lin. Hmm.

[OE32]

I don't feel comfortable making predictions this year. The one thing I will say is that the Jazz are going to surprise people.

[carey]

I don't feel comfortable making predictions this year. The one thing I will say is that the Jazz are going to surprise people.

Rose & Simmons just picked them as the 2nd worst team in the league. Last year's 2nd worst team? The Suns.

[Mori Chu]

Nobody called me out for writing "Charlotte Bobcats" instead of "Hornets" in my original prediction post! Phew.

[carey]

Nobody called me out for writing "Charlotte Bobcats" instead of "Hornets" in my original prediction post! Phew.

National writers are still making that mistake. They are also calling the Pelicans' arena the hive still. It'll take some time.

[Superbone]

Nobody called me out for writing "Charlotte Bobcats" instead of "Hornets" in my original prediction post! Phew.

National writers are still making that mistake. They are also calling the Pelicans' arena the hive still. It'll take some time.

These name changes are SO confusing. I had finally gotten used to the Charlotte Bobcats and now they are back to the Hornets. It's like I can't even remember that New Orleans used to be the Hornets. And yet Utah is still the Jazz. My brain hurts.

[Phoenix219]

Did you guys skip the "numbers" thread this year? Or just last minute?

[Superbone]

Did you guys skip the "numbers" thread this year? Or just last minute?

There was enough going on that we didn't need one!

[INFORMER]

Im pretty positive Houston is going to be worse.

Agreed. I think they miss the playoffs.

Morey has done a lot of good in Houston, but his obsession with superstars is going to cost him at the end of the day. Yeah, he has big names in Howard and Harden, but Howard is weak mentally, isn't a leader, and shrinks too many times when you need him most.

Harden peaked the first half of his first season in Houston. His playmaking and offensive IQ seem to be going down the longer he's in Houston. And of course he is abysmal on the defensive end.

Add it all up and you have a team with no depth and very little talent led by the two of the most flawed "superstars" in basketball.

BTW - I think this will be McHale's last season in Houston.

[da_suns_fan]

Im pretty positive Houston is going to be worse.

A lot worse.

The vegas prediction is at 49 wins and Im seriously considering putting some cash on the under.

I assume this is because of the loss of Parsons and Asik? Oh yeah, they also lost Lin. Hmm.

That and what I saw the other day. Sure Ariza is a good player but he cant do much offensively. Theres going to be times when Harden and Howard will miss games and theyre REALLy going to struggle.

I see them winning in the low 40s.

[da_suns_fan]

Im pretty positive Houston is going to be worse.

Agreed. I think they miss the playoffs.

Morey has done a lot of good in Houston, but his obsession with superstars is going to cost him at the end of the day. Yeah, he has big names in Howard and Harden, but Howard is weak mentally, isn't a leader, and shrinks too many times when you need him most.

Harden peaked the first half of his first season in Houston. His playmaking and offensive IQ seem to be going down the longer he's in Houston. And of course he is abysmal on the defensive end.

Add it all up and you have a team with no depth and very little talent led by the two of the most flawed "superstars" in basketball.

BTW - I think this will be McHale's last season in Houston.

They went all in on landing Bosh and its going to cost them.

[carey]

Im pretty positive Houston is going to be worse.

Agreed. I think they miss the playoffs.

Morey has done a lot of good in Houston, but his obsession with superstars is going to cost him at the end of the day. Yeah, he has big names in Howard and Harden, but Howard is weak mentally, isn't a leader, and shrinks too many times when you need him most.

Harden peaked the first half of his first season in Houston. His playmaking and offensive IQ seem to be going down the longer he's in Houston. And of course he is abysmal on the defensive end.

Add it all up and you have a team with no depth and very little talent led by the two of the most flawed "superstars" in basketball.

BTW - I think this will be McHale's last season in Houston.

They've won more games every year under McHale (34 wins to 45 wins to 54 wins). If they somehow underperform it will be Morey that gets the axe in my opinion, not McHale.