2017-18 NBA Predictions

In case you were wondering how sad my life is, I’ve literally spent the last 4 months working on this predictions blog for the 2017-18 NBA season.  I’m not even joking, if you open up the Word document on my laptop titled “2017-18 NBA Predictions” the first of the way too many drafts of my potential standings dates back to June 24th.  At that time, Paul George was still on the Pacers, Chris Paul was still on the Clippers, and for some reason I actually had the Hawks not just making the playoffs, but making the playoffs as a SIXTH seed.  So after nearly exactly 4 months of work I’m finally sticking with my choices and posting my 2017-18 NBA Predictions exactly one week before the season kicks off in Cleveland, Ohio.  Check out where your favorite team is projected to finish and which players will win distinct personal accolades at the 2nd annual NBA Awards Show.

Side Note: You’re out of your mind if you think I’m going to study each and every team’s schedule and attempt to do the math to make accurate wins/losses predictions.  That’s some Woj-tier basketball analysis.

MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Rookie of the Year: Lonzo Ball

Coach of the Year: Tom Thibodeau

Defensive Player of the Year: Avery Bradley**

6th Man of the Year: Jamal Crawford***

NBA Finals Matchup: Warriors over Cavs in 6.

Obviously I can’t just post bold predictions and hot takes like this without explaining a few. For starters, the Celtics look VERY strong with their recent acquisitions of Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving, but the Cavs saw the C’s attempt to dethrone the King and made significant moves that improved their depth a ton. We will once again see a Celtics vs Cavs Eastern Conference Finals matchup, even though the Bucks will make a deep playoff run this year, and the ECF will go to 6 or 7 games, but of course LeBron will win the East one more time before taking his talents to the showtime Lakers.

It’s important to note that the Cavs will not win their second championship, despite the recent additions. The loss of Kyrie is monumental for Cleveland. The 2016 NBA Finals ended with the Cavaliers winning mainly because of Irving’s lights out performance, and when Boston held LeBron to 11 points in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, it was Kyrie who dropped 29 and almost carried the Cavs to a comeback win. Kyrie did, however, score a remarkable 42 points in the following game that held off the Celtics in Boston and prevented the series from being tied at 2 games a piece. The loss of Kyrie and the fact that the Warriors still found a way to add more pieces proves that the Dubs will win yet another title. You can fill a roster with impressive depth, but you cannot replace Kyrie Irving.

OKC will contend against the Dubs in the Western Conference Finals, despite the Texas teams of the Spurs and Rockets looking really promising, but the Thunder will most likely get swept or at best win 1 game. Look for the Thunder to make a move for a solid shooting guard, or some kind of depth to further contend with GSW. I wouldn’t be surprised if Eric Bledsoe finds a new home in Oklahoma.

According to Vegas, Giannis is tied with James Harden with the 5th best odds of winning this year’s MVP (8/1). Personally, because of a combination of a bet given from the Mamba himself, the unrelenting drive to be the best that Giannis constantly showcases, and also due to the fact that at only 22 years old and in only his 4th NBA season Giannis led the Bucks in all five of the major statistical categories (points, blocks, rebounds, assists, and steals) becoming the fifth player in NBA history to do so, I believe the Greek Freak will shatter expectations and take home the MVP award.

Lastly, this season will feature a rookie class with talent as deep and important as the ’96 and ’03 rookie classes, and the player who will win Rookie of the Year is Lonzo Ball. Dennis Smith Jr., Jayson Tatum, Ben Simmons, De’Aaron Fox, and Josh Jackson all have looked incredible during the preseason, but the amount of pressure on Lonzo Ball and the targets he already has on his back will either make or break him, and I believe it will mold him into not just the Rookie of the Year, but the next great Laker…

But on the other hand, go Celtics and I’m cool with literally anyone else (especially Tatum) winning the award.

*If Embiid, Simmons, and Fultz are healthy all season

**I know that since I’m a Celtics fan who already misses seeing Bradley in the green and white, this is a VERY biased pick and a long stretch to say the least. However, after being disrespected by the league when they didn’t recognize AB as the defensive powerhouse that he is, I expect him to bounce back with a defensive orientated revenge season.

***Also, I know picking Jamal Crawford for 6th man is the biggest safety net you could possibly have, but as you can clearly tell, I’m putting a lot of faith into the Timberwolves this season.

Written by Erik Clark