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10 Predictions for the 2014-2015 NBA Season

The 2014-2015 NBA season promises to be one full of intrigue. From LeBron James going home to Kobe Bryant appearing ready for a comeback, some of the old names never really change.

But it’s the young players and the dynamic that they bring to the table that should really make this season exciting around the Association. Anthony Davis looks to be ready for a breakout campaign, Stephen Curry may start to get some MVP mentions and there is obviously something special going on with the Blazers in Portland.

On that note, let’s check in on 10 predictions for the 2014-2015 NBA season.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers Will Win the NBA Championship 

Courtesy of USA Today: There is little doubt that Cleveland boasts the most talent in the NBA.

Courtesy of USA Today: There is little doubt that Cleveland boasts the most talent in the NBA.

Cleveland may be considered favorites in Vegas, but there are a lot of people out there indicating that it’s going to take some time for this team to gel. And to be honest, that makes some sense. It could very well be similar to LeBron James’ first season with the Miami Heat when they started out 9-8 before running off 12 consecutive wins starting in late November.

We already know what LeBron, as the best play in the NBA, brings to the table. He’s a dynamic force on both sides of the court and will open up opportunities for the perimeter play of James Jones and Mike Miller. It will be extremely interesting to see what happens when James meshes with fellow super stars in Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. That’s when the team is really going to take off.

Unlike the top contenders in the Western Conference, Cleveland shouldn’t be too battered when the postseason comes calling. This means that it will be fresh enough to take care of weaker teams until it reaches the conference title, and eventually the NBA Finals. That’s one of the determining factors here, especially if a veteran-laden team like the San Antonio Spurs come out of the west.

2. Completely New Teams in the Conference Finals

Last year saw two teams, who likely won’t be making deep runs this season, compete in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Indiana Pacers lost Paul George to an unfortunate injury during the offseason, while Lance Stephenson moved on to the Charlotte Hornets. Heck, Indiana might have a hard time making the playoffs with a core group that consists of Roy Hibbert, David West and newly acquired C.J. Miles. Meanwhile, it doesn’t take an expert to draw the conclusion that the Miami Heat will take a step back after losing LeBron James and the many veterans who decided to depart with him.

This leaves the door open for both the Chicago Bulls (pending a healthy Derrick Rose) and the aforementioned Cavaliers to compete for the Eastern Conference title. While that in and of itself isn’t necessarily a bold prediction, my opinion on the Western Conference could be considered one.

The Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Blazers will compete in the conference for the right to play (and lose) to the Cavaliers. This means that everyone’s pick to come out of the West, the San Antonio Spurs will be defeated by one of these two teams earlier in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder are going to to have a tough time fending off the Portland Blazers for home court in the first round. At the end of the day, Portland defeats the Clippers to make its first trip to the NBA Finals since 2000.

3. Houston Rockets Will Miss the Playoffs

Led by the gambling mentality of general manager Daryl Morey, Houston failed big time this past offseason. Going after everyone from Chris Bosh to Carmelo Anthony, the Rockets let Chandler Parsons go in the process. And while I am fan of what Trevor Ariza brings to the table in terms of an all-around game, he’s not that type of a difference maker. With teams like the New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets looking improved from a season ago, the Rockets could very well find themselves out of the playoff altogether. Remember, this is a team that won 54 games last season in a conference that it took 49 wins to make the playoffs. Any regression on the Rockets’ part, and they will be in for a disappointing campaign.

4. Andrew Wiggins Will not Win Rookie of the Year

Courtesy of USA Today: Parkers is more ready than Wiggins to put up big numbers as a rookie.

Courtesy of USA Today: Parker is more prepared than Wiggins to put up big numbers as a rookie.

Wiggins may very well be the best player of this rookie class when all is said and done, but Jabari Parker will take the Rookie of the Year honors in 2014-2015. He was exceptional on the offensive end during the preseason and just doesn’t look like a rookie out there. In the two games I had the pleasure of watching, it surely does look like the Milwaukee Bucks will be relying a great deal on the Duke product this season. It’s easy to envision him putting up well over 20 points per game for a team that’s going to be somewhat better than most expect as the season draws on.

As it relates to Wiggins, he’s going to be suiting up for a Minnesota Timberwolves team that will have the likes of Kevin Martin, Ricky Rubio and Anthony Bennett taking shot attempts away from Wiggins. And as you already know, these types of awards are pretty much fantasy basketball based in the first place.

5. Big Names Will be Traded

We can expect a nice amount of big-named players to be moved during the season. From the likes of Rajon Rondo and Greg Monroe in the Eastern Conference to Marc Gasol and Goran Dragic out West, there will be some surprise transactions as teams get closer to understanding where they stand in the landscape of the new NBA.

6. New Orleans Pelicans Will Make the Playoffs

The Pelicans have a pretty darn talented roster. Outside of Anthony Davis, who will be in the MVP conversation throughout the year, there are others ready to step up here. If Eric Gordon can stay healthy and Tyreke Evans can improve his all-around game, the talent is most definitely on this roster to make a push for one of the final two spots in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. This is only magnified by the addition of Omer Asik at center and potential improvement of Jrue Holiday at the one.

7. Miami Heat Will Surprise

Courtesy of Fox Sports: Expect Chris Bosh to return to form after taking back seat to LeBron.

Courtesy of Fox Sports: Expect Chris Bosh to return to form after taking back seat to LeBron.

Miami surely won’t compete for a conference title this season, but it should be in a good position to contend in the Southeast Division with the Washington Wizards. Most will take a look at the loss of LeBron James and expect this team to free fall from here on out. That’s simply too narrow-minded. Chris Bosh’s decision to re-sign with the franchise could have some wide-ranging ramifications. He changed his game so much with LeBron on the court that some simply forgot just how talented of an offensive player he is. We can fully expect to be reminded of this early and often during the season.

And while Dwyane Wade obviously isn’t the same player he was four years ago, he still brings a lot to the table. Offseason additions such as Luol Deng and Josh McRoberts should also be able to pack some punch on the frontline. Look for a surprising season from the LeBron-less Heat.

 8. Young Stars Will Dominate

It’s going to be somewhat of a changing of the guard around the NBA this season. Sure the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony will continue to dominate, but other young stars will start to forge their names into the MVP conversation. Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, John Wall and even DeMar DeRozan will all be in the MVP conversation throughout the course of the year. Heck, depending on the success of the Warriors, I wouldn’t be too surprised to see Curry get a ton of consideration when all is said and done. Which brings me to my next point…

9. Golden State Warriors Will Win the Pacific Division

Courtesy of Dimemag: This is the most-talented Warriors team in decades.

Courtesy of Dimemag: This is the most-talented Warriors team in decades.

While I have my reservations about Golden State come playoff time (mainly due to Andrew Bogut’s continual injury issues), it is rather obvious that the Warriors are going to be vastly improved from a 51-win campaign a season ago. In addition to bringing in a great basketball mind in the form of Steve Kerr as coach, the Warriors seem to be much deeper than last year.

Draymond Green continues to prove why he’s one of the most underrated players in the game. Shaun Livingston is going to be a tremendous asset off the bench, Harrison Barnes seems improved and Festus Ezeli is back at full health. This should enable Kerr to limit the minutes some of his injury-prone starters see earlier in the year. That will be good enough for the team to be healthy down the stretch run and earn a top-four seed in the Western Conference. But as is evidenced with my conference final predictions, it won’t be enough for the Warriors to go much deeper in the playoffs.

10. Charlotte Hornets Will be a Top-Six Seed in the Eastern Conference

Why not? It sure is ripe for the picking right now. Charlotte seems about two deep at every position, which should came in handy in a weak Eastern Conference. The addition of Lance Stephenson to play the two-guard next to Kemba Walker will give this team the inside-out balance that it needs. Now add in Al Jefferson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in the frontline, and this team is going to exceed a ton of expectations.

Photo: Associated Press

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