Top 30 players in the NBA, 2015 edition, Part II

Heavy in point guards and centers…part II of the three part series for best players in the NBA is here! (You can view Part I here.) Players 11-20:

20. Tony Parker

If it weren’t for Big Al, Tony Parker would be the most underrated players in the league. A 12-year NBA veteran and four-time NBA champion, Parker rarely gets the respect he deserves prior to being crowned a champion. The other aspect is that with Gregg Popovich as coach, it’s difficult to truly judge an individual player’s value within a team system that runs so smoothly. Duncan didn’t make my top-30 simply because his minutes will continue to drop, but that’s no knock against the 38-year-old future Hall of Famer.

19. Damian Lillard

Not-so-quietly becoming one of the league’s most dependable clutch scorers, the Oakland native burst onto the NBA scene in 2012. With a Rookie of the Year award, NBA All-Star vote, and playoff appearance already under his belt, Lillard still has untapped potential. His incredible Game 1 in the first round of the 2014 playoffs against Houston was the first time a player went for 30+ points and only one turnover in their playoff debut. He finished that series with a game-winning buzzer beater. Lillard’s only problem is that the point guard position is stacked with more All-NBA talent.

18. Joakim Noah

The face of the Chicago Bulls in Derrick Rose’s time on the sideline over the past few years, Noah’s fiery personality has instilled a ferocity within the Bulls’ defense. Jonathan Abrams wrote a feature on this heart of Chicago a couple weeks ago that illuminated the started-from-the-bottom-now-we-here story behind Noah. The 2014 Defensive Player of the Year is quietly one of the best passing bigs in the game. His assist numbers have increased every single year he’s been in the league (starting in 2007-08): 1.1, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 4.0, 5.4.

17. Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk’s Mavs competed with the eventual 2014 champion San Antonio Spurs better than LeBron James’ Miami Heat did. That says a lot about the leadership and one-legged fade-aways from the 36-year-old German. While his defense has always been rather comical (a recent example), every shot chart of Dirk is video-game like. That shot won’t go away this year, and with Tyson Chandler on board, some people see the Mavs entering the fray with the likes of the Warriors and Rockets in the teams knocking on the door of the West’s elite.

16. Rajon Rondo

This was probably the toughest decision in terms of ranking because like Derrick Rose, Rondo’s injury history leaves something of a question mark in his 2014-15 capabilities. However, if opening night for the Celtics and a rout of the Nets was any indication—with the usual near-triple-double numbers from Rondo—there’s no reason he has left the discussion for top NBA point guards. Now, whether or not he stays with the C’s remains to be seen…

15. DeMarcus Cousins

23-12-3 in 2013-14 and you probably didn’t even know it. Cousins may be in the running with Lance Stephenson for the Ron Pandaworld Peace Crazy Man award, but he boogies down low. One of the best offensive centers in the NBA, Boogie Cousins will make a very strong case to earn his first All-Star appearance. If the Sacramento Kings can make a push for Rajon Rondo, you might be looking at a second playoff threat in Northern California.

14. Marc Gasol

Marc and his brother, Pau, were heavily hyped prior to the 2014 FIBA World Cup as a legitimate threat to dethrone the United States. They didn’t even make the Final. Despite an impressive start, Marc did not impress in Spain’s matchup with France, going 1-of-7 from the field and grabbing four rebounds and no assists. Memphis can never seem to make that jump come playoffs, but Gasol’s value as an all-around big (offense, defense, leadership) puts him firmly in the top-15 NBA players of 2015.

13. Dwight Howard

Howard’s numbers have definitely cooled off since his 21-13-2 and two blocks days as a member of the Orlando Magic. The whole Los Angeles fiasco made one of the most likable players in the NBA suddenly become hated by the league’s largest fanbase. His free-throw shooting hovers around 50 percent, so D12 leaves much to be desired in terms of a polished offense. But defensively, he is still as good as it gets. Paired with the player one spot ahead of him, Howard is a post-game away from being a true franchise player…and still only 28 years old.

12. James Harden

He told us this off-season that he’s going to spend more time focusing on his defense. Those YouTube montages with him almost literally falling asleep on defense were awful. He can’t be considered a top-10 player with such an anemic defensive ability. Maybe he shows us something different this year but I need to see it to believe it. His offensive skill-set, however, is top-notch. Harden's shooting range and playmaking combine with a knack for getting to the free-throw line at will. (Harden was second only to Kevin Durant in free throw attempts per game in 2014, with 9.1 FTA per game.)

11. LaMarcus Aldridge

LaMarcus Aldridge led the Portland Trailblazers to a scorching hot start in 2014. Yes, they did cool off as the season wore on, but LMA came back in the post-season with a vengeance. He destroyed Dwight Howard and James Harden’s Houston Rockets in the first round as nothing short of an offensive juggernaut. His final numbers for that series: 30 PPG, 11 RPG, 2 APG, 3 BPG, and 82 percent from the line. Sure, he cooled off against the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs in the Conference semis, but he proved his singular value last season in both the regular and the post-season. I know I won’t be overlooking Portland’s foundation in 2014-15.

Top 30 Players in the NBA, 2015 edition, Part I

The 2015 NBA season is finally underway! One of the classic columns that I’ve written each year since the beginning of Bases and Baskets is a ranking of the best players in the NBA. I decided to expand the ranking from the usual top-10 players to a 30-player ranking. I didn’t quite agree with the ESPN rankings in some parts…but I do think that Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is no longer in this conversation. Here’s Part I, with players 21-30:

30. Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose still has a lot to prove coming off of his second injury in as many years. There’s no doubt that his upside is MVP-worthy, but he needs to show he isn’t the guy who put up bagels in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

29. Lance Stephenson

Michael Jordan spoke very highly of Lance Stephenson and likes the way that the young guard competed last season with LeBron James. Nobody doubts that he can be a bit of a headcase at times, but his talent is clearly worth it. I’m on board with a 20-5-5 potential from Born Ready. He’s a poor man’s Russell Westbrook who competes on both ends of the floor.

28. Kawhi Leonard

The 2014 NBA Finals MVP has been declared the future of the San Antonio Spurs franchise. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili are (very) slowly fading—at least minutes-wise. Kawhi has proven to be a LeBron-stopper who can also score when called upon. As more responsibility is placed on his shoulders, there’s no reason to see he can’t climb up these rankings. I’m not yet sold on him as a franchise player.

27. Klay Thompson

As much as this summer was about LeBron James, Klay Thompson came in a firm second place. The Warriors ended up deciding the value of Thompson as a shooter, defender, and friend of Steph Curry outweighed Kevin Love’s superstar value. Klay has added new wrinkles to his game each season in the league, improving his defense and offensive play-making ability to add to his second-to-none shooting ability. Kobe Bryant spoke highly of the young shooting guard, saying Thompson “has the whole package.”

26. Goran Dragic

Dragic, a disciple of Steve Nash, showed last season that he could contribute and take on the leadership required of a franchise. The Phoenix Suns did not make the playoffs in 2014, but in a loaded Western Conference, that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Phoenix kept their core and will only get better behind their point guard(s), Dragic and Eric Bledsoe.

25. Serge Ibaka

The third-best player on his own team, Serge Ibaka is a beast on the interior. Unlike Kendrick Perkins, Ibaka is also an offensive threat and a Chris Bosh-lite. Although Ibaka isn’t a franchise player, there isn’t a team in the league that couldn’t use the talents of Ibaka.

24. Chris Bosh

Always a second- or third-wheel behind LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in his tenure in Miami, Chris Bosh will emerge as the go-to option in 2014-15 for the first time since his Toronto days. Bosh acknowledged on Monday that Chicago and Cleveland are ahead of Miami in terms of talent, but was also quick to point that they have the chance to be a very, very good team. I went so far as to predict a career year from Bosh, and nearly 50-40-90 numbers from him.

23. Al Jefferson

Al Jefferson has to take home the title of most underrated player in the NBA. He doesn’t have that ESPN-ready superstar highlight reel but his post-game is the most-polished in the game (aside from the aging Tim Duncan, who plays less minutes). Hopping from Minnesota to Utah to Charlotte doesn’t help that cause, but I’m expecting big things from the revamped Hornets.

22. Kyrie Irving

An incredible talent, Kyrie Irving will take a back seat in Cleveland for the first time in his NBA career. It will be interesting to see how the shoot-first point guard plays alongside two of the NBA’s greatest stars, LeBron James and Kevin Love.

21. Dwyane Wade

Like Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade has taken a backseat with the acquisition of the now-departed LeBron James. I’m still a firm believer in what Wade has left in the tank even though his knees aren’t cooperating as he would like. He said he didn’t develop an outside shot this off-season which is worrisome, but he’s still just shy of a top-20 player in the NBA.

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Stay tuned for Part II!

10 Bold Predictions for the 2015 NBA Season

The 2014-15 NBA season is finally (almost) upon us. And what NBA blogger or sportswriter starts the season without some bold predictions? This isn't going to be like Zach Lowe's predictions column for Grantland where Cleveland leading the league in points per possession counted and Indiana missing the playoffs counted as bold. Enough with the introduction, let's get straight into the meat of some predictions that will make you raise your eyebrows more than once BUT will be supported with more than a desire to jump on or off a team/player bandwagon...

San Antonio will not be a top-three seed

I pulled a Gregg Popovich and may have outsmarted not just him, but also you, with this pick. After all, when you’re dealing with Gregg Popovich, you have to think at least ten steps ahead. You thought that I’m picking against the Spurs with this prediction…but I’m not. Popovich is the master of the regular season and the post-season. He’s like the Mamba of coaches (who took home almost every coaching award in the annual NBA GM survey). He waits and waits and pounces just when the time is right. As his team ages, he doles out fewer and fewer regular season minutes to his starters. I foresee that trend continuing to the point where he doesn’t mind losing out to the Thunder, Clippers, and Warriors in seeding.

Dallas, the 8 seed, gave them the hardest battle in the 2014 playoffs, so seeding only matters so much. Pop knows a healthy squad is more valuable than home-court through the Western conference playoffs if the two are mutually exclusive.

Terrence Ross will average 18-6-4

For a guy to make the jump from 11-3-1 to get to 18-6-4, we’re talking about a most improved player-worth leap. But for T Dot who can leap out of the building on any given dunk, I think it’s possible considering he has a maniacal fan base and great team around him. His point guard, Kyle Lowry, just got $48 million guaranteed so he’s ready to throw out some dimes. 2014 Terrence Ross can put up 2013 Klay Thompson-type numbers. Ross is quietly a 40 percent three-point shooter who goes crazy on left corner threes (47 percent), a vital shot as determined by NBA efficiency gurus.

I’m going to throw in a bonus prediction: Toronto will be a No. 2 seed over Chicago and Washington. The dynamic between Paul Pierce and the Wiz young backcourt will be interesting. I’m not sold on Derrick Rose until I see him thrashing through the Leastern conference defenses. Bagels in FIBA competition is not reason for optimism with the former NBA MVP.

TNT will suspend Charles Barkley once

It’s too easy to make this just a bold playoff predictions article. Plus, the side stories are often nearly as entertaining as the games themselves. In fact, some off-season talk on the BS Report landed in this realm and suggested that the NBA free agency period receives more attention than the NBA games. The celebrity appeal crosses into the sports realm more frequently than just when a Kardashian hops from dating one NBA player to another (yes, Lamar Odom and Kris Humphries, I’m looking at you).

Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA was and is must-see TV. More than once, I wouldn’t re-watch a TNT game if I had missed it live… but I would scroll back to the halftime shows. Those short segments with Chuck, Kenny, Shaq, and Ernie were always exciting because you never knew when someone would drop what Jalen Rose calls a “don’t-get-fired” moment. If you didn’t see Barkley's antics describing San Antonio women, go to YouTube right now and watch them.

He was one step away from getting suspended. If ESPN can put Bill Simmons on vacation for calling the NFL commissioner a liar with some cuss words sprinkled in, then TNT could suspend Chuck for some inevitably outrageous comment this year.

LeBron James will continue his year-over-year increase in FG% that began in 06-07

He’s climbed from a "paltry" 47.6% to an unfathomable 56.7%. LeBron James doesn’t have much more room to improve but he’ll figure out a way to do it. Kevin Love will be spotting up and working P&Rs, Kyrie will finally learn how to play within a team concept, and Dion Waiters chip on his shoulder is still Goliath-sized.

LeBron has been raving about new head coach, David Blatt. I almost wanted to throw out a prediction that would only turn out to be outrageous…LeBron will average a triple-double. Two main reasons I decided against it: 1) LeBron slimmed down. I’m expecting him to play less at the power forward spot and more at the 3 (hence lower rebounding numbers). 2) Blatt and LeBron may come to the agreement that the best player in the game needs to rest more. This won't stop the best player in the game from an efficiency level that you can’t reach in NBA 2K15.

The Lakers will have the fewest wins in their 54-year Los Angeles history

26 wins or less. And if I’m setting the over-under at games Steve Nash plays at that same number, I’m taking the under there, as well. Unless Linsanity 2.0 erupts in Los Angeles, the combination of Lin, Kobe, and the self-anointed Swaggy P could be a scoring backcourt gone oh-so-very-wrong. Iso-ball + jacking up contested shots = losses.

As if a team of defensive sieves wasn’t enough, Byron Scott decided to take down any chance at improved offensive efficiency. The new Lakers coach wants his team to take 10-15 threes a game. A Twitter account has been born out of Scott’s desire to essentially eliminate the most efficient shot in the game (the corner three). @HaveTheLakers MadeACorner3? is a real thing. At least Kobe will be able to shoot 9-28 and put up big scoring numbers…right?

Chris Bosh will come surprisingly close to 50-40-90

And the award for 2014-15 Biggest Chip on His Shoulder goes to…. Chris Bosh! The ramifications of the LeBron move ripple throughout the NBA, but nowhere moreso than King James’ former team. One thing that LeBron did do for Bosh was help create the necessity for a three-point shot, something that became a weapon for the stretch-5. With LeBron gone, Bosh can go back to working in the paint in addition to spreading the floor with his three-point shot. What does this mean? A lot of mismatches and increased efficiency. His career peaks in FG% and FT% are 54 and 84, respectively. Last year, he was 34 percent from 3. Coming within a total of 5-7 percentage points of the 50-40-90 club would be a career year, but for a rejuvenated former All-Star who’s still only 30, it’s not too outrageous.

(For good measure, the second place finisher in the Biggest Chip on His Shoulder was another casualty of the LeBron trade: 2014 no. 1 overall pick, Andrew Wiggins.)

Carmelo Anthony will hit the 30 points per game mark for the first time in his career

The East has significantly improved from last year to this year. However, the Knicks have almost been part of that upward trend. The pick-up of Jose Calderon at point guard will prove to be a significant upgrade to the ever-ballooning Raymond Felton…and I don’t mean ballooning in skill. Newly-minted head coach, Derek Fisher, and the Zen Master, Phil Jackson, should be able to maximize the ability of their roster, unlike Mike Woodson.

The relationship between Iman Shumpert, a player that I believe has a solid upside despite a career FG% south of 40, and former coach Mike Woodson was tumultuous (as Phil Jackson recently pointed out). Put all of this together, and Carmelo Anthony is right in position for a career year. I’m not expecting his assist numbers to skyrocket, but the 30ppg mark is well within reach for one of the NBA’s top-2 scorers.

The 76ers will not have the worst record in the NBA

This is probably the least likely prediction out of all of them. Most pundits consider the 76ers falling to the bottom inevitable. I'm going to go the other way because unlike the Sixers, the Jazz are in the West. Dante Exum still has to prove he can compete with the best basketball players in the world. I think eventually he’ll be a serviceable starter/borderline All-Star, but I’m taking a flier on this year’s Nerlens Noel before I take one on Exum. The Celtics are cellar contenders when they eventually trade a malcontent Rajon Rondo. It’s a tough call, but I’ll take the field in the competition for the NBA’s 2014-15 Least Likely to Agree to Lottery Reform.

Klay Thompson will be a 2015 All Star and get his max contract

…and he’ll be considered underpaid a few years down the line when the new TV contract leads to the eventual gradual or rapid salary cap spike. The younger Splash Bro has already said that he prefers the contract extension now instead of waiting for a long-term deal once the new cap hits. Dan Feldman of NBC Sports has pegged this extension to be worth $89 million and last through the 2020 NBA season.

For comparison, if he sought a Parsons like deal, he could make nearly $100 million in that same time-span. If Klay does accept an extension by October 31, it’ll put him in the pay grade of the top-five shooting guards in the league, something he is well-worth. I’m betting on Klay to have a big year under new coach, Steve Kerr. Former Warriors coach, Mark Jackson, was a great friend to (most) players in his locker room but left much to be desired in terms of on-court strategy. The lack of ball movement is one of Jackson’s main failures as an HC, and Kerr is already turning that around.

Better (and more) motion will lead to open shots, and open shots for one of the game’s best shooters will be lethal. Klay will be in the 20-5-4 range when the All-Star break rolls around and find himself playing alongside Steph Curry in the game. Hype matters when it comes to All-Star voting, so Klay’s FIBA success and the ever-increasing spotlight on the Warriors will push him into All-Star glory.

Now, I’m going on record saying that the Warriors can support two All-Stars with two defensive stoppers, potentially the best defense in the league, and a bright coach. So I’m ready to make my boldest prediction and become the first person to predict that…

The Golden State Warriors will win the 2015 NBA Finals

The squad that the Warriors will put on the floor is as good as any teams. Superstar? Check. Shooting? The best. Perimeter and interior defense? Third-best defense in the league last year. Bright, young coach surrounded by a great staff? Finally. What about the bench? With Brandon Rush, Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli, Mo Speights, and Draymond Green coming off the bench, this squad has all the pieces. And the thing that will always go underrated…chemistry? SB Nation called them the Weird Warriors for a reason. They are a little weak in the Veteran Leadership Dept., though. Only David Lee and Leandro Barbosa are the sole players older than 30…and they’re both only 31 years old.

They showed in 2013 that they can beat the Spurs. That Game 1 collapse in Round 1 emotionally throttled the team but they still made the Spurs fight to win a series I still feel the Warriors should have won (and would have under a better coach). In 2014, they took a Sternly-motivated Clippers team to seven games with their second-best player sidelined. Twice in a row, it’s been so close you could taste it. Both times against two top teams, you felt they had it within reach. All they’ve needed is a #FullSquad and good coach.

I love everything that I’ve seen so far from Steve Kerr. The way he handles the team, the media, his staff, and  himself is how you want your coach to do it. I’ve picked a favorite to win each of the past three NBA Finals and it’s time to change that up. This team has the potential for a top-3 offense and top-3 defense. I’m all in on the Warriors.

2014-15 NBA Championship Season Outlook

The new NBA season begins on Tuesday, October 28, and looks set to be another exciting year of basketball action. This will be the 69^th time the NBA Championship has been contested and the opening game of the new campaign will feature the defending champions, the San Antonio Spurs, taking on the dangerous-looking Dallas Mavericks. San Antonio will be keen to pick up where they left off, and get the defense of their title off to a successful start. The Spurs are 10/3 second favourites to make it back to back NBA Championship wins, and Gregg Popovich's side should make a bold bid to do just that if their recent record is anything to go by. It would be a shock if the Mavericks were to upset the Spurs come October 28^th, and an even bigger surprise were the team for Dallas to make a sustained bid for the 2014/15 NBA Championship. The Dallas Mavericks did win the title in 2011 but that was their only championship to date and the odds compilers at betfair.com have put the Mavericks in at odds of 33/1 to add a second NBA crown this time around.

Favourites to capture the NBA Championship this season are the Cleveland Cavaliers. In recent times, the Cavs have done little to suggest that they may be capable of challenging for major honors, but the 2014 off-season has seen there be dramatic change for the 2007 Conference Title winners. Euroleague coach David Blatt joined on June 20^th, after leading Maccabi Tel Aviv to the 2014 Euroleague Championship. Blatt was named  2014 Euroleague Coach of the Year and his arrival should definitely see an upturn in fortunes for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tyronn Lue has also joined the coaching staff, becoming the highest paid assistant coach in the NBA and that was topped by the return of LeBron James to the playing roster. Kansas' Andrew Wiggins also arrived as the number one pick of the NBA Draft and it looks like the Cavs have gone all out to ensure that this season is a successful one. Their record 26-game losing run in the 2010-11 season will be firmly put to bed should David Blatt manage to deliver an NBA Championship in 2015.

Outside of the big two, the Oklahoma City Thunder definitely cannot be discounted in this season's NBA title race. Having won division title for the last four years in succession, Oklahoma are one of the most consistent teams in the National Basketball Association, and are arguably overdue a second NBA Championship. The Oklahoma City Thunder last won the title way back in 1979, when they were known as the Seattle SuperSonics. This side became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008 following a dispute between owner Clay Bennett and lawmakers in Seattle, Washington. A relocation ensued, and the Thunder have managed to establish themselves as a real force too be reckoned with in the NBA since.

Other sides with realistic NBA Championship ambitions for the upcoming season include the Chicago Bulls, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Houston Rockets to name but a few. It remains to be seen whether any of them can stop the San Antonio Spurs from winning back to back NBA titles, but it certainly looks like we are in for yet another year of enthralling NBA action!

This article was written by a guest columnist. If you are interested in writing a column, contact our support team!

9 Bold Predictions for the 2015 NBA Season

[Editor’s Note: Daniel Fotinich is a regular reader, and a good friend, who wanted to throw his hat in the ring with some bold predictions prior to the commencement of this highly anticipated NBA season. I won’t give anything about his work away here…just give it a read! – Elijah Abramson]

One of my favorite things about the NBA is debating outrageous claims made by others. It seems that almost every year, a few things that basically nobody predicts happen (and the few that predicted them have an ego that skyrockets). Many people have different definitions of a “bold prediction”, but I will use this one: A bold prediction is one that is significantly different than what the general consensus is among NBA fans and writers. So, even though plenty of Golden State fans might think that “Stephen Curry averaging 30ppg this year” is actually highly likely, the average impartial fan or writer would think the chance of that is very slim. Keep in mind that this is also a matter of degree; most people around the NBA believe that the Heat will decline, but saying that they will miss the playoffs with both Wade and Bosh would qualify as a bold prediction.

Without further ado, here are 9 bold predictions for the 2014-2015 NBA season:

The Indiana Pacers will miss the playoffs.

In fact, I don’t even think it will be close. The only teams in the East that I am confident will be worse than Indiana are Philadelphia and Orlando. I’ve always liked Indiana and their hard-nosed defense—I picked them to make the NBA finals last year over Miami. However, their well-publicized decline in the second half of last season was extremely concerning. Zach Lowe noted that over the last 30 or so games that Indiana had the worst offense of any team in the league besides Philadelphia. Now, that already-putrid offense loses the only two guys who can actually create their own shots. Lance Stephenson is now in Charlotte (more on that later), while Paul George fractured his tibia and fibia and is unlikely to play this season. They replaced those two with… Rodney Stuckey and CJ Miles? David West has had a great run in Indiana, but he’s already 34 and will have much less space to shoot his patented 18-footers. Hibbert has almost no offense to speak of, and the rest of the team is full of complimentary offensive players. A team with a bottom-five offense and a middle-of-the-road defense (Stuckey and Miles are obvious defensive downgrades from Stephenson and George) isn’t a playoff team. I think the Pacers will be lucky to win 30 games even if George makes a miraculous return. So who will take their place? Well…

The New York Knicks will make the playoffs.

In fact, I have them as the sixth seed and possibly winning a playoff series. Carmelo Anthony just signed for five years, and now that he can finally afford to feed his family, he should be solely focused on winning a championship in New York City. Jose Calderon isn’t a great defender, but he is a significant upgrade over Ray “Cheeseburger” Felton, and his pass-first style will help create better shots for Carmelo, Shumpert, and others. Although both Carmelo and new GM Phil Jackson have talked about this being a transition year, I don’t see either of them being satisfied with missing the playoffs. Additionally, I wouldn’t rule out a mid-season trade that would help them this year and in the future. Of course, the Knicks are banking on next summer when Amare Stoudemire’s atrocious contact expires, but I think they’ll be better this year than people think.

Lance Stephenson will average 20+ppg and 5+apg and clearly make the all-star team.

Instead of signing a five-year deal with somebody else, Lance chose to bet on himself this offseason and signed a three-year deal which will make him a free agent again when he turns 26. Lance has had obvious maturity issues, but these mask the fact that he just turned 24 and has made significant improvements in his game every single year. Going from Indiana to Charlotte will help his stats, of course, but I think that in the long-run, Lance deserves to be paid significantly more than he does today. As long as he doesn’t blow in Michael Jordan’s ear, he’s making the All-Star team this season.

Ricky Rubio will learn how to shoot and earn a long-term contract starting at ~$10m/year.

This is a complete shot in the dark, and Rubio could easily shoot 36% this season and struggle to sign for the mid-level exception in the offseason. However, it just doesn’t make sense to me how a guy as talented as Rubio cannot shoot more than 38% in a season. The best example of a guy who figured it out is Jason Kidd - in his first three seasons, Kidd shot 38.5%, 38.1%, and 36.9% from the field. In his fourth season, he picked it up to 42.3%, and the rest is history; he finished his career 3rd on the list of the most 3-pointers made. Of course, Rubio is already an excellent passer, and if he can shoot over, say, 42% in a season, he will earn himself a long-term contract. I have no idea how good Minnesota will be this season with Wiggins/Bennett instead of Love, but I believe that Rubio will get his shooting percentages up into the low-40s.

Kevin Love will average under 20 pgg.

The return of King James and the trade for Kevin Love has made Cleveland a clear favorite to the win the Eastern Conference, and possibly, the NBA title. However, sacrifices must be made. Most people believe that Love will sacrifice some numbers playing with James, but I think that it will occur on a much larger scale. Last season, he averaged 26.5ppg, but this was with a very high usage rate, playing on a horrible Minnesota team. With James and Irving around, Love should be third in the pecking order, and it’s not as if Dion Waiters and Tristian Thompson won’t get some shots. No way does Love score remotely close to how much he did in Minnesota. I’m of the mindset that this season will reveal Love to be a far worse player than everybody thinks, even though Cleveland’s offense should be among the best in the league.

The Golden State Warriors will have the best defense in the league.

Surprisingly, a team starting Stephen Curry and David Lee actually had the third best defense last year, after Indiana and Chicago. Chicago should be a very good team, but I think that Golden State has more room for improvement this season. While the loss of coach Mark Jackson is disappointing, Klay Thompson should continue to improve as a defender, and David Lee’s inevitable decline (he is on the wrong side of 30, after all) should open up more minutes for Draymond Green, who is a significantly better defender. The Dubs’ offense was disappointing under Jackson, so if Steve Kerr is able to bring in new and more creative offensive sets, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them in the top-10 on offense. These two should combine for a top-four seed in the West.

The Houston Rockets will be a 7th seed or worse.

For the first time in the Daryl Morey era, the Rockets had what seems to be a pretty horrible off-season. They started by declining Parson’s 5th year option (which would have paid him $960k) and made him a restricted free agent, only to watch the Mavs swoop in and offer him a contract starting at $15m/year. Next, they traded Jeremy Lin, another solid starter, to the Lakers for chump change. Then, they were spurned by both Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony. Not to be outdone, James Harden won the award for “misguided comment of the year” by referring to all of his teammates besides Dwight Howard as “role players” (even if it’s true, you don’t say that about your teammates), and then made several comments about finally starting to play defense (really…?). Parsons and Lin are both solid starters, and even though the Rockets are clearly desperate for their 3rd star, losing those two will hurt them this season. Going forward, I just don’t see which star player will fit in well with Howard and Harden, and they definitely aren’t going to find one this season. I wouldn’t be shocked if they miss the playoffs in the ultra-competitive West, but I’ll predict that they just sneak in as a 7 or 8 seed.

The Dallas Mavericks will win the battle of Texas.

I won’t go as far as to pick them to have a better overall record than the Spurs (I learned that the hard way last year when I predicted the Spurs would barely make the playoffs), but I think they will have the best record in their games against other Texas teams (Houston, San Antonio). I already discussed that I think Houston will be a worse team this year, but I think Dallas will be better than expected. Their offense last year was the best in the league after the all-star break, and after adding Tyson Chandler to shore up the middle, Dallas will match up extremely well against San Antonio. Additionally, they took the Spurs to 7 games in the first round last year.

The Los Angeles Lakers will make the playoffs.

And Kobe Bryant will average 25+ppg. No explanation for this one, I’m just a Lakers fan. :)

This column is the original work of Daniel Fotinich. Follow him on Twitter here:

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