Yesterday I gave you my outlook for all 30 Teams Twitter style. Now, with less than 7 hours before the 2012-2013 NBA Season kicks off, I give you my predictions for the big awards this season and some other things I think will happen before the Celtics raise Banner 18 this June.
NBA MVP: LeBron James. Feels like a given. Don't discount CP3, Rondo and Durant here if James falters.
Coach Of The Year: George Karl. A WCF trip will do the trick. Of course I like Doc here too and if Monty Williams is a year or two early with the Hornets, he'll be there as well.
6th Man Of The Year: Jason Terry. Ray who? The Jet will soar in Boston. Andre Miller and Marshon Brooks have a shot as well thanks to Harden starting in Houston.
Rookie Of The Year: Anthony Davis. I really want to pick Kidd-Gilchrist here but AD is the real deal. Lillard could make noise here as well.
Most Improved Player: Jeff Teague. No Joe Johnson means he has to shine with the Hawks for them to be successful. Look for other's taking the mantle from lost stars here: Dragic in Phoenix and Big Baby in Orlando.
Breakout Star: Kawhi Leonard. The Spurs will need him to take the torch from the old guard, especially with Manu already hurting. Ty Lawson is a guy to watch here as well and Kyrie Irving will cement himself as a superstar this season.
Biggest Star Letdown: Ray Allen. For all the hype of his free-agency departure, his aging legs will betray him in South Beach. At lease he'll already be in Florida when he has to retire. Danny Granger is a guy I put here too if he's not healthy, Indiana won't reach their potential.
Breakout Team: Denver Nuggets. We saw Indiana and Philly make their moves last season. Now its time for Denver to make their claim as part of the West's elite. Deep and athletic, they have sort of a Detroit Pistons feel when they knocked off the favored Lakers (sound familiar) on the way to a title. Don't sleep on the Hornets here either, or a Brooklyn team with something to prove in their new digs.
Biggest Team Letdown: New York Knicks. Already having lost Amare for 6 weeks, as well as headlines to their Brooklyn counterparts, this could be an ugly season for the Knickerbockers. Indiana looked ready to be among the East's best last year, but a step backwards could be in the cards in 2013. The end of runs in Dallas and Memphis feel right too, but that's probably just a letdown in those cities, reality to the rest of us.
Defensive Player Of The Year: Serge Ibaka. Everyone will pick Howard, but the early bumps I see for the Lakers may give the OKC swatter the opportunity to swipe this one away from Dwight.
There you have it. Only a few hours to go and all the predictions and chatter falls to the wayside. Then the players do the talking. Enjoy the season!
No comments:
Post a Comment