2005-2006 NBA Prediction Thread. Lock 'em in now, y'all.

Eastern Conf:
1. Indiana
2. New Jersey
3. Miami
4. Detroit
5. Washington
6. Cleveland
7. Philly
8. Boston
Orlando and the Knicks on the bubble

Western Conf.
1. San Antonio
2. Sacramento
3. Denver
4. Houston
5. Dallas
6. Lakers
7. Phoenix
8. Golden State
Clippers and Memphis on the bubble

East
1. Indiana
2. Miami
3. New Jersey
4. Detroit
5. Cleveland
6. Washington
7. Chicago
8. Philadelphia

I nearly did have the entire Central in there! Philly and Minny are both in the 8 spots just cos I can't imagine KG or AI missing the playoffs again.

Playoffs
1st round
San Antonio def. Minnesota 4-1
Phoenix def. Houston 4-3
Denver def. Memphis 4-0
Sacramento def. Dallas 4-2

Indiana def. Philadelphia 4-2
Detroit def. Cleveland 4-2
Miami def. Chicago 4-1
New Jersey def. Washington 4-2

2nd round
San Antonio def. Phoenix 4-2
Sacramento def. Denver 4-3

Indiana def. Detroit 4-3
Miami def. New Jersey 4-2

3rd round
San Antonio def. Sacramento 4-1
Indiana def. Miami 4-1

FINALS
San Antonio def. Indiana 4-2

80 WIN SEASON FOR THE SPURS, IT'S GONNA HAPPEN.

- Ron Artest plays over 70 games!
- Isiah Thomas will trade Stephon Marbury in a three-way deal for Grant Hill and the ghost of Wilt Chamberlain (he pitches in a 2nd round draft pick in exchange for custody of three of Wilt's illegitamate children)!
- Manu Ginobili gets hit! A lot! I bet he gets injured some?
- LeBron averages 20, 8 and 8!
- Melo makes the All-Star team!
- David Stern will buy one of those G-Unit spinning pendants with the money the league generates from dress code violations!
- For the month of February, Brad Miller will average 25 and 10! Several Brad Miller for governor signs are spotted, but Brad cannot generate enough advertising money to make a serious run. This will help my fantasy team, though!
- Sam Cassel will swing a punch at Shaun Livingston in practice and break his hand on Shaun's afro. Shaun will take over the starting role and tear shit up.
- Sheed trade rumors at the deadline!
- Paul Pierce is a ghost! Traded by January.
- Someone on the Nets is going to have a knee injury!
- Yao and Stromile will block, like, 8 shots a game each.
- Earl Boykins is actually 9?
- Jason Kidd will have a career low for points per this year. But a lot of dimes.
- Rookie of the year: Deron Williams.
- Nate McMillan: player coach.

Atlantic
Nets (3)
Boston (7)
76ers (8)
Knicks [12]
Raptors [1]

Central
Pacers (2)
Pistons (4)
Cavaliers (5)
Bulls [9]
Bucks [8]

Southeast
Heat (1)
Magic (6)
Wizards [7]
Hawks [4]
Bobcats [3]

Heat over Sixers
Pacers over Boston
Nets over Magic
Cavaliers over Pistons

Heat over Cavaliers
Pacers over Nets

Pacers over Heat

Southwest
Spurs (1)
Mavericks (4)
Rockets (5)
Grizzlies [10]
Hornets [2]

Northwest
Nuggets (2)
Sonics (7)
Wolves [14]
Jazz [6]
Blazers [5]

Pacific
Suns (3)
Kings (6)
Warriors (8)
Lakers [13]
Clippers [11]

Spurs over Warriors
Nuggets over Sonics
Suns over Kings
Rockets over Mavericks

Spurs over Rockets
Suns over Nuggets

Spurs over Suns

Pacers over Spurs

And Isiah will make one of his, er, interesting trades resulting in a Larry Brown implosion.

When did the West get so damn weak? The current Kings just shouldn't be that high.

I don't think the Mavericks will be as good as a lot of people are predicting. Too many young question marks, too many mid-sized bodies, weak at the point, Dampier's a stiff, they have no other big men, Johnson's desperate to turn Dirk into a low-post player and that's not what he does well (you have the best seven-foot shooter in the history of the league - why not take full advantage of that?). Bottom half of the playoff seeds, maybe seventh or eighth.

West:
1. San Antonio
2. Denver
3. Sacramento
4. Memphis
5. Houston
6. Phoenix
7. Dallas
8. Golden State

East:

1. Indiana
2. Miami
3. New Jersey
4. Cleveland
5. Detroit
6. Washington
7. New York
8. BABY BULLS BABY BULLS

Spurs over Warriors
Nuggets over Mavericks
Suns over Kings
Grizz over Rockets

Pacers over BABY BULLS BABY BULLS
Heat over Knicks
Nets over Wizards
Cavs over Pistons

Spurs over Grizzlies
Nuggets over Suns

Pacers over Cavs
Heat over Nets

Pacers over Heat
Spurs over Nuggets

Spurs over Pacers

Kinda telling that we're all coming to the same conclusion re: the conference champs. (Except Matt - you really think Houston will be better than San Antonio?)

Also, remember the last time he was on a winning team was on the Mavs in '03 and he tore shit up then. Spurs almost didn't make it to the finals that year cos of him.

EAST

1. Indiana
2. Detroit
3. Cleveland
4. Miami
5. New Jersey
6. Washington
7. Chicago
8. New York

Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta almost there

WEST

1. Phoenix
2. San Antone
3. Sacramento
4. Golden State
5. Houston
6. Dallas
7. Seattle
8. Memphis

Los Angeles, Denver, Minnesota almost there

Hmm, I disagree with myself here.

* Stan Van Gundy will end up coaching in Sacramento next year after he gets knocked out of his Miami head coaching job by Pat Riley and Rick Adelman gets run out of Sacramento after a horrendous start.

* People will get really tired of saying NOOCH! in about two weeks.

* At some point Danny Fortson will dislocate his jaw and swallow Luke Ridnour whole.

* Steve Nash's knees and spine will completely fail on him at the same time, leaving him in traction for the forseeable future. He will still notch five assists per game from his hospital bed.

* The Pacers win the NBA finals over the Spurs in seven. Reggie Miller dies a little inside.

But I was wrong about almost everything else.

plus who knew the Mavs would get off to a good first half? OH YEAH THAT IS EVERY YEAR. if they're still up in April, I will tip my hat to you my friend.

1. San Antonio
2. Phoenix
3. Minnesota (lazy)
4. Dallas
5. CLIPP'RZ
6. LAK'RZ
7. Houston
8. Sacramento

And thatz allicansay folks...
KAPEESHHHH...

East
1. Pistons
2. Heat
3. Nets
4. Cavs
5. Wizards
6. Bulls
7. Bucks
8. Pacers

Playoffs

West
Kings bt. Spurs 4-3
Suns bt. Lakers 4-2
Clipps bt. Nuggets 4-2
Mavs bt. Grizzlies 4-2

Kings bt. Mavs 4-3
Clipps bt. Suns 4-3

Kings bt. Clipps 4-3

East
Pistons bt. Pacers 4-1
Heat bt. Bucks 4-2
Nets bt. Bulls 4-1
Cavs bt. Wizards 4-3

Pistons bt. Cavs 4-1
Nets bt. Heat 4-2

Pistons bt Nets 4-3

Finals
Pistons bt. Kings 4-3

but i hope not

GO KINGS ALL THE WAY BABY!!!

I picked six non playoff teams to make the playoffs. That's pretty good work!

- Ron Artest plays over 70 games! 56
- Isiah Thomas will trade Stephon Marbury in a three-way deal for Grant Hill and the ghost of Wilt Chamberlain (he pitches in a 2nd round draft pick in exchange for custody of three of Wilt's illegitamate children)! Isn't this about the same thing as acquiring Steve Francis?
- Manu Ginobili gets hit! A lot! I bet he gets injured some? YEP.
- LeBron averages 20, 8 and 8! 31, 7, 6.6
- Melo makes the All-Star team! Should've happened.
- David Stern will buy one of those G-Unit spinning pendants with the money the league generates from dress code violations! Status: unknown
- For the month of February, Brad Miller will average 25 and 10! Several Brad Miller for governor signs are spotted, but Brad cannot generate enough advertising money to make a serious run. This will help my fantasy team, though! I finished fifth in fantasy and I'm using tihs to blame Brad Miller.
- Sam Cassel will swing a punch at Shaun Livingston in practice and break his hand on Shaun's afro. Shaun will take over the starting role and tear shit up. No, but the Clippers are going to make it to at least the second round.
- Sheed trade rumors at the deadline! I wish.
- Paul Pierce is a ghost! Traded by January. How didn't this happen?
- Someone on the Nets is going to have a knee injury! This happened, right?
- Yao and Stromile will block, like, 8 shots a game each. Houston So Disappointing.
- Earl Boykins is actually 9? Upon further inspection, Earl Boykins is fetal tissue.
- Jason Kidd will have a career low for points per this year. But a lot of dimes. Still scored 13 a game, but his scoring has been on a steady decline the last four years.
- Rookie of the year: Deron Williams. WHIFF.
- Nate McMillan: player coach. Should've happened.

Bad: I picked Philly to finish second in the Atlantic, Denver to win the Northwest, and Houston over San Antonio and Dallas.

But at least I'm not Scoop Jackson. Is this the only example of a basketball writer being honest, like, ever?

good on scoop! somewhere in the postseason predictions rush, everyone forgot to point out that they picked the suns to miss or BARELY make the playoffs without amare. (i figured they might be 2nd in the pacific behind the clippers- whoops!)