Wunderdog Sports Picks Blog

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH 

1. BOSTON
2. PHILADELPHIA
3. TORONTO
4. NEW JERSEY
5. NEW YORK
 
BOSTON
COACH: DOC RIVERS
LAST YEAR: 66-16
TOP DRAFT PICK: J.R. GIDDONS
 
OUTLOOK:
The Celtics won their Championship on defense, as they held opponents to 41.9% shooting. That number hasn’t been seen in the NBA in four years. Amazingly, it has  been 40 years since the C’s won back-to-back Championships, will that streak end in ‘08-09? Garnett, Pierce and Allen showed no signs of aging last year, and I would expect them all to  play at a high level once again. Rajon Rondo seemed to play his best down the stretch. One player that will be missed is James Posey who has gone to New Orleans. The Celts certainly have a chance to cut down the nets when the final whistle blows.

PHILADELPHIA
COACH: MAURICE CHEEKS
LAST YEAR: 40-42
TOP DRAFT PICK: MARREESE SPEIGHTS
 
OUTLOOK:
Despite a losing record last season, the Sixers used a late-season surge to make the playoffs. They had a lot of flaws including the worst free-throw shooting team in the league at 70.6%, and the worst 3-pt. shooting team in the league at 31.7%, so the need for a shooter is obvious. They made a huge move by signing free agent Elton Brand. Brand is the power scorer inside the Sixers desperately needed - it still doesn’t address the shooting problems. With the Sixers kicking inside to Brand, he will be immediately double teamed, as there is no consistent threat to kick it back out to. The Sixers are heading in the right direction, but no team leader and no shooter, equals no Championship.

TORONTO
COACH: SAM MITCHELL
LAST YEAR: 41-41
TOP DRAFT PICK: ROKO UKIC
 
OUTLOOK:
The Raptors traded for Jermaine O’Neal, and he comes with a big question mark. O’Neal has battled injuries for the last two seasons, but when healthy gives the Raptors a toughness inside to pair up with Chris Bosh. The Raptors are a good shooting team, as they connected on 39.2% from three-point range, and if defenses try to double up on O’Neal, they will pay the price. The Raptors saw how adding a veteran star player can change the mix in Boston, and were willing to take a gamble. If O’Neal stays healthy the Raptors could rise in the East, but without him this team went from 47 wins to 41 wins, and disappointed with their second consecutive first round playoff exit. Things could be different this year.

NEW JERSEY
COACH: LAWRENCE FRANK
LAST YEAR: 34-48
TOP DRAFT PICK: BROOK LOPEZ
 
OUTLOOK:
The Nets were disappointing last season and are going to look a lot different this year. They will be much younger and much more athletic, but also trying to become a cohesive team. The Nets have just Carter, Boone and Williams left from last year’s opening day roster. The Nets had just four wins over teams in their own Atlantic Division last year, so there is nowhere to go but up.  Devin Harris and Vince Carter will be the scorers, Eduardo Najera gives them some toughness and Jarvis Hayes could flourish here as well. This will be an interesting season as the Nets will probably be a more up-tempo team, but just don’t have the talent to be in the picture.
 
NEW YORK
COACH: MIKE D’ANTONI
LAST YEAR: 23-59
TOP DRAFT PICK: DANILO GALLINARI
 
OUTLOOK:
The Knicks have been a yo-yo team, but not in a good sense. They have gone from 33 wins back to 23 wins, back up to 33 wins, and down again to 23 last year. The Knicks had issues taking care of the ball last season, leading the league with 16.4 turnovers a game, and that has to change. The Knicks have been strangled by the salary cap, and it is likely they will shed many from the opening day roster before the season closes to get this franchise heading back in the right direction. Mike D’Antoni has a good pedigree, and if given time and patience should be good for NY. Still the Knicks have a long way to go, another year and no playoffs.

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
1. DETROIT
2. CLEVELAND
3. CHICAGO
4. MILWAUKEE
5. INDIANA

DETROIT
COACH: MICHAEL CURRY
LAST YEAR:  59-23
TOP DRAFT PICK:  WALTER SHARPE
 
OUTLOOK:
The Pistons got a player last year in Rodney Stuckey, and this little-known player is headed for stardom. The Pistons success begins with taking care of the ball, as they logged their third straight season averaging the least turnovers per game. Chauncey Billups does a lot of things - 17 points per game, six assists per game,  90% FTs,  40% from the arc, not another player in the league can top those four numbers. Detroit has been a fixture making it to the Eastern Finals the past six seasons and averaging 55 wins a year over the last seven. No one will be surprised to see them there again.
 
CLEVELAND
COACH: MIKE BROWN
LAST YEAR:  45-37
TOP DRAFT PICK: J.J. HICKSON
 
OUTLOOK:
After producing two consecutive 50-win teams, the Cavs slipped a bit last year as the win count dropped to 45. The Cavs have gotten a lot of garbage as they have now led the NBA in second-chance points in back-to-back seasons. The teams’ obvious strength was that they again led the league in offensive rebounding at 13 a contest. The Cavs have been missing a second player that can create his own shot, and without him getting over the next hurdle seems unlikely. James can lift this team only so high, and his presence almost assures the Cavs are a playoff contender, but the next step has yet to emerge. I don’t see it this year eaither, unless they trade for one during the season.
 
CHICAGO
COACH: VINNY DEL NEGRO
LAST YEAR:  33-49
TOP DRAFT PICK: DERRICK ROSE
 
OUTLOOK:
The Bulls took a header last year, as many thought they were ready to contend in the Central after a 49 win campaign, but landed on the outside looking in with just 33 wins. It’s all about a defensive commitment, as the Bulls dropped 10 slots in defensive ranking last season. The Bulls allowed over 100 points per game vs. the 93 from the prior season. The parts are good, but it has been nine years since the Bulls placed a player on the All-Star team and one has to emerge this season. Probably the best move they made was getting rid of Scott Stiles who lost this team last year, and Vinny DelNegro should get them back. The talent was there for nearly 50 wins two years ago and a revived commitment should get them back.
 
MILWAUKEE
COACH:  SCOTT SKILES
LAST YEAR:  26-56
TOP DRAFT PICK:  JOE ALEXANDER
 
OUTLOOK:
The Bucks’ win column saw declines the last two years in a row, so it was time to make more than just cosmetic changes. The core of players in Bogut, Redd and newly acquired Richard Jefferson gives the Bucks a chance. Scott Skiles wore out his welcome in Chicago, but should get the Bucks at least for one year to buy into his demands. If the trio stays healthy, which has been an issue for the Buck’s the last two seasons, this team could surprise. The Bucks will likely will be better, but not good enough.
 
INDIANA
COACH: JIM O’BRIEN
LAST YEAR: 36-46
TOP DRAFT PICK: BRANDON RUSH
 
OUTLOOK:
The Pacers have been getting worse since the 2004 team won 61 games. The wins have gone from 61 to 44 to 41 to 35 to 36. I guess it comes down to this. Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy - two good players, but on the Pacers they are the go-to options. When you look around the league, they aren’t nearly the caliber of other top options, so the rebuilding continues in Indiana. This is going to be a long year for the Pacers, and they may finish at the bottom of the entire Eastern Conference.

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH:

1. ORLANDO
2. WASHINGTON
3. ATLANTA
4. MIAMI
5. CHARLOTTE
 
ORLANDO
COACH: STAN VAN GUNDY
LAST YEAR:  52-30
TOP DRAFT PICK:  COURTNEY LEE
 
OUTLOOK:
Orlando was the only team in the NBA that had a better road mark than home at 27-15. They need to develop more of a homecourt advantage this season. They have the dominant player in Howard, as he has recorded 189 double-doubles in three years - the most in the NBA. The Magic have been the best shooting team in the NBA over the past five seasons with a 46% mark. Howard may be this season’s most valuable player. His presence has allowed the Magic to play with two small forwards and cause severe matchup problems. Unbelieveably, the Magic hit at least five three pointers in every single game, and their 9.77 a game was the leagues best.  All the parts are in place to go deep into the playoffs, especially if they take on the homecourt mentality that was missing last year.
 
WASHINGTON
COACH: EDDIE JORDAN
LAST YEAR: 43-39
TOP DRAFT PICK: JAVALE MCGEE
 
OUTLOOK:
The Wizards remain commited to their trio of stars Arenas, Butler, and Jamison. The problem is that they have been knocked out of the playoffs in the first round two straight years - both by the Cavs. The winning seasons have been marginal, as over the past four years the Wizards have won between 41-45 games each year. Gilbert Arenas managed just 13 games last season, but should be healthy this year. He has averaged 28.2 ppg over the past three years for the top spot in the NBA. Jamison is one of just four NBA players to average a double-double last year. Butler had a career year, so the nucleus is in place if they can stay healthy to get past the first round. If not, you might see this team break up the trio next season and try something new.
 
ATLANTA
COACH: MIKE WOODSON
LAST YEAR: 37-45
TOP DRAFT PICK: TRADED TOP 2 PICKS
 
OUTLOOK:
This team is growing and heading in the right direction. Four years ago they won 13 games then jumped to 26, then 30, and last year reached 37 wins and into the playoffs. They will miss Josh Childress, who went to Greece for a 30 million dollar payday. Joe Johnson became a player that could take over down the stretch, and gaining in All-Star caliber play is Josh Smith. Smith could be a 20-10 guy that also blocks shots this season. The Hawks have another double-double potential player in Al Horford, who made his presence known against the Celtics in game one with a 20-point, 10-rebound effort. This team is still a bit short and it is hard to see them getting much further than a year ago, but the playoffs are likely, but so is one and done.
 
MIAMI
COACH: ERIK SPOELSTRA
LAST YEAR:  15-67
TOP DRAFT PICK: MICHAEL BEASLEY
 
OUTLOOK:
The Heat did a freefall last season from 44 wins to 15. The Wade injury sure had an impact, but the Heat were just not a competitive team at all. The 200 games missed by several players certainly was a big contributing factor. Wade is a trememndous player, but is he durable enough for the NBA? He has missed significant time now for two consecutive years. With a healthy Wade and Marion the Heat have two solid players, but question marks everywhere else. Chalmers as a rookie point guard? Will Beasley make an immediate impact? The bench? This team still has a long way to go, but after 15 wins, should be much better this year.
 
CHARLOTTE
COACH:  LARRY BROWN
LAST YEAR:  32-50
TOP DRAFT PICK: D.J. AUGUSTIN
 
OUTLOOK:
The Bobcats were an up-and-coming team, but seemed to have reached the peak of growth, and actually lost one more game last year, than the previous season’s 33. Larry Brown will be worth a few games to this team - money well spent by the Bobcats. The Bobcats weren’t a playoff caliber team last year and certainly aren’t this season. Top players Richardson and Wallace just are a far cry from other teams’ top players, and the Bobcats are destined to again be in the low to mid 30s for wins.

PROJECTED ORDER OF FINISH

1. NEW ORLEANS
2. SAN ANTONIO
3. HOUSTON
4. DALLAS
5. MEMPHIS
 
NEW ORLEANS
COACH: BYRON SCOTT
LAST YEAR:  56-26
TOP DRAFT PICK:  None
 
OUTLOOK:
The Hornets seemed to be a veteran player away from being right there last year, so they sold their first-round pick in the draft and used it to sign James Posey from the Celtics. With their top four players under contract for at least the next two years, this team should only get better. They have perhaps the best PG in the NBA in Chris Paul. His 11.6 apg. and 2.7 spg. both led the NBA - something no player has ever done before. They have the NBA’s toughest matchup in Peja Stajokovic, who is now the three-point leader in made threes amongst the trees (6′10″ or over) and scorer/banger inside in David West. This team could challenge for the NBA title this season.
 
SAN ANTONIO
COACH: GREGG POPOVICH
LAST YEAR:  56-26
TOP DRAFT PICK:  GEORGE HILL
 
OUTLOOK: 
The Spurs are getting older, but the team is not showing it, at least not yet. Anytime a team in the NBA buys into the defensive end of the floor, they will be in the thick of things. The Spurs have allowed an average of under 90 ppg over a 10 year period! Tops in the NBA. Parker, Ginobli, and Duncan give them three money players and if they stay healthy the Spurs will be in the mix at the end. This team has won between 56-63 games for the last five years, don’t expect that to change much this season.
 
HOUSTON
COACH: RICK ADELMAN
LAST YEAR:  55-27
TOP DRAFT PICK: JOEY DORSEY
 
OUTLOOK:
With Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming (17 years of time between them), and not even a sniff of the second round playoffs, the Rockets added a third bigtime player by signing Ron Artest. Artest will toughen-up a soft team, be a shutdown defender and also a third scoring option. If the trio can all manage to stay healthy for a change, the Rockets could finally make some noise come playoff time.
 
DALLAS
COACH: RICK CARLISLE
LAST YEAR:  51-31
TOP DRAFT PICK: SHAN FOSTER
 
OUTLOOK:
The Mavs slid last season. After a pair of 60+ win seasons they barely topped 50 last year. They sold-out their first round pick to New Jersey for Jason Kidd, which turned out to be a horrible move, and now this team is suddenly having an old look to it. The Mavs have won during the regular season with some lofty win totals, but they are just 3-12 in their last 15 playoff games, and may have trouble even getting there this season.
 
MEMPHIS
COACH: MARC IOVARONI
LAST YEAR:  22-60
TOP DRAFT PICK: O.J. MAYO
 
OUTLOOK:
The Grizzles may be better but the division is loaded, so it won’t show. The Grizzlies finished with a .268 winning percentage last year in the Southwest while the other four teams combined winning percentage was .665. The gap is just too wide. Rudy Gay was by far the most improved player in the NBA upping his average by over nine points a contest (NBA best), but the supporting cast needs time to develop. Although Memphis may win more games, the playoffs aren’t in sight.

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH:
 
1. UTAH
2. DENVER
3. PORTLAND
4. MINNESOTA
5. OKLAHOMA CITY
 
UTAH
COACH: Jerry Sloan
LAST YEAR: 54-28
TOP DRAFT PICK: KOSTA KOUFOS
 
OUTLOOK:
The Jazz have improved their win total in each of the past three seasons and should be at least close to doing it again this year. Deron Williams may be the most underrated PG in the NBA. He fed Carlos Boozer 270 times - second highest in the NBA to a single player. He also scored 1,500+, had 800+ assists and shot over 50%. Just two players in NBA history have accomplished that - and one is Magic Johnson, enough said. They have all the parts and understand homecourt advantage. The achillies heel for this team has been defense  as they allowed almost 100 ppg last season. If Sloan can get this team to get more focused on the defensive end they will have a chance to win a Championship.
 
DENVER
COACH:  GEORGE KARL
LAST YEAR:  50-32
TOP DRAFT PICK: NONE (SONNY WEEMS THROUGH TRADE)
 
OUTLOOK:
Iverson and Anthony scored 30+ in the same game seven times - no other tandem was even in the hunt. So we know the scoring is there for Denver. They averaged 118 ppg in March, so this team sn’t worried about offense. The Nuggets dealt Marcus Camby and his double-digit scoring and nine boards, and Eduardo Najera left through free-agency, so the Nuggets defense may be worse. The Nuggets will depend on Balkman (acquired from Knicks) for toughness and defense. There is no doubt this team will score, and it is likely they will trade for help inside before the season gets too long.
 
PORTLAND
COACH: NATE MCMILLAN
LAST YEAR:  41-41
TOP DRAFT PICK: JERRD BAYLESS
 
OUTLOOK:
The Blazers had two glaring weaknesses last season. They averaged less than eight fast-break points a game, worst in the league. Theygot nothing inside as their 31.2 points in the paint was also a league worst. Somehow they finished at .500, so a lot of good things are in place. Immediate help should come in the paint as Greg Oden steps on the court for the first time, so he will address that issue. LaMarcus Aldridge doubled his scoring last year and is heading for stardom. This is a young team and should be better, but just how much is anyone’s guess, but they will challenge for a playoff spot.
 
MINNESOTA
COACH: RANDY WITTMAN
LAST YEAR:  22-60
TOP DRAFT PICK: KEVIN LOVE
 
OUTLOOK:
The Wolves win total has declined in each of the past four seasons, but that may change this year. The Wolves have added Mike Miller and if Love lives up to his potential, along with the emergence of Al Jefferson as a potent big man the Wolves will get better, but still a long way from the top of this division. If they make the playoffs, they will be ecstatic!
 
OKLAHOMA CITY:
COACH: P.J. CARLISIMO
LAST YEAR: 20-62
TOP DRAFT PICK: RUSSELL WESTBROOK
 
OUTLOOK:
This franchise probably needed a new city. Formerly the Seattle Supersonics, have been anything but super. They are off a 20 win season, and just 1 playoff appearance in the last 6 years. The Sonics are beginning to build a nucleus that will pay dividends in the future. They have Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and now have added Westbrook, so they are beginning to get some players, but this year is going to be another loser for Oklahoma City.