Early Playoff predictions for 15-16

[Bolts]

East
1.Cavs
2.Bulls
3.Hawks
4.Heat
5.Bucks
6.Wiz
7.Raptors
8.Pacers
Just missing: Hornets and Celtics

West
1.Spurs
2.Warriors
3.Thunder
4.Rockets
5.Grizz
6.Clippers
7.Pelicans
8.Mavs
Just missing: Kings and Jazz

 

[handicappers]

i'll take the Mavs vs Cavs in the finals.

 

[logic]

i'll take the Mavs vs Cavs in the finals.

The Mavs are the third best team in Texas, they are not coming out of the west.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Who you got for each conference? Here's my way too early prediction.

East:
1) Cavs - Team to beat. They really started to click before the injuries in the post season. Going to be interesting to see how Love, Thompson, Mozgof and Vareajo all rotate. Still light on the wing.
2) Hawks - Losing Carroll hurts more than they think. They lost all steam going down the stretch in the playoffs. Really, they could be anywhere from 2-6 on this list.
3) Bulls - Have to see how team does under new coaching staff. Talent is still there, but hopefully the team won't be run into the ground come playoff time.
4) Heat - Nice core but Q's about health. Bosh will be coming back from his condition. McRoberts hasn't played in a year. Whiteside was great last year, but have to see if he can duplicate.
5) Bucks - Wild card team here. Lots to like, but have to see how consistent they can be. The way they defend will push them up the board. Being able to switch everything on defense will cause so many problems. I could see them being a Warriors type defensive team. (still weird to say that as a Warriors fan)
6) Wizards - Didn't really improve in the off-season. Losing Pierce and his leadership definitely hurts. From a talent standpoint they should be able to easily make the playoffs, but I don't expect a 2nd round appearance.
7) Hornets - Added some much needed shooting. They really will need some production from the 2 and the 4 this year in order to compete.
8) Raptors - Loaded with wings, but no bigs or depth on the front line.

Bubble team: Celtics. They have like 20 guards, and not nearly as talented as some other teams not listed above, but they compete. No give with them. Well coached.


West:
1) Thunder - They'll be out on a mission to show how healthy they are. Q's about new coaching staff though which everyone seems to forget about.
2) Warriors - Defending champs may come out a bit complacent. Overall team has its exact core back and will be able to still run and gun.
3) Spurs - Could easily be #1 based on talent, but I have them at 4 because Pop couldn't care less about the regular season. He'll sacrifice a bunch of games this year to preserve Duncan, Parker and Ginobili.
4) Rockets - Thought it really hurt them to have DMo and Beverly hurt last year in the playoffs. Another strong year from Harden and Howard could have them at 4.
5) Mavs - I think they're gonna take a while to mesh. Added Matthews and Parsons will be healthy. Problem now is Jordan wants touches as the main option. Who gets less? And who's gonna be the PG to tell them no?
6) Clippers - CP3 and Blake alone should be able to help you coast to the 6th spot. Glaring holes at the 5 and bench depth.
7) Pelicans - Anthony Davis under Alvin Gentry is gonna put up ridiculous numbers. I absolutely can't wait to watch him play next year. From a talent standpoint I think the Pelicans have a nice group, they just need someone to get them playing in the right direction.
8) Grizzlies - Whoa. Can't believe I have them here, but the West is just going to be an absolute crapshoot. They could also just as easily be #4.

Bubble Team: Utah Jazz. Their defense is no joke. They really came on towards the end of the year. If they can just get halfway decent play from their PG position, they could make some noise.


Fire away.

really liked this breakdown. And I totally agree with you that the Jazz are a team to watch- Gobert and Favors is a great young frontcourt...Heyward is one of the better 3's in the league. They just drafted a very athletic kid in Trey Lyles. They have some young talent in the back court as well. As far as young talent goes and teams out of the West playoff picture- I think the Jazz are 2nd to the Twolves- but thats it. Jazz are definitely on the rise.

I would put Milwaukee and maybe even the Wizards over Miami as I think Miami has to prove they arent a 37 win lotto team- but enough of that talk as we have exhausted that. Interesting you put the Hawks over the Bulls- I understand it but would probably have had the Bulls 2.

How crazy is the West when the Pelicans and Grizz are 7 and 8? Brutal conference.

 

[WiggyRuss]

1. Cavs
2. Bulls
3. Hawks
4. Bucks
5. Wiz
6. Heat
7. Pacers
8. Hornets

1. Thunder
2. Warriors
3. Spurs
4. Rockets
5. Dallas
6. Clippers
7. Memphis
8. Pelicans

 

[trojanfan12]

Imo the only team that has a snowballs chance of anything in the East against the Cavs is a healthy Heat team. I'm also not fully sure a healthy Heat team is even possible but none of the other rosters have even remotely as much talent as the Cavs.

I'd say a healthy and not run into the ground Bulls could beat them as well. This also depends on how they adjust to the new staff of course.

Finals are looking like Spurs/Cavs though.

 

[Clayton]

Finals are looking like Spurs/Cavs though.

I absolutely think the Warriors, Thunder or Rockets could come out of the West but I think Spurs/Cavs are the favorites.

I thought it was going to be Spurs/Cavs last year and Tony Parker looked gimpy and they got knocked out in rd1.

 

[Clayton]

really liked this breakdown. And I totally agree with you that the Jazz are a team to watch- Gobert and Favors is a great young frontcourt...Heyward is one of the better 3's in the league. They just drafted a very athletic kid in Trey Lyles. They have some young talent in the back court as well. As far as young talent goes and teams out of the West playoff picture- I think the Jazz are 2nd to the Twolves- but thats it. Jazz are definitely on the rise.

I would put Milwaukee and maybe even the Wizards over Miami as I think Miami has to prove they arent a 37 win lotto team- but enough of that talk as we have exhausted that. Interesting you put the Hawks over the Bulls- I understand it but would probably have had the Bulls 2.

How crazy is the West when the Pelicans and Grizz are 7 and 8? Brutal conference.

So you think the Jazz have less to prove in the West than the Heat do in the East? Thats nuts. How many games did Dragic, Wade, Deng, Bosh and Whiteside play together last year?

Maybe Im being optimistic with the Heat but you might as well write the Cavs in the Finals if the Heat aren't a healthy team. Lebron owns the Bulls.

 

[trojanfan12]

I absolutely think the Warriors, Thunder or Rockets could come out of the West but I think Spurs/Cavs are the favorites.

I thought it was going to be Spurs/Cavs last year and Tony Parker looked gimpy and they got knocked out in rd1.

Yeah, if the Spurs falter or suffer any significant injuries, I could definitely see any of those other 3 making it out of the west. Although, I have serious doubts about the Rockets. The talent is there, but they seem to be missing something from a leadership perspective.

 

[purguy12]

East
1.Cavs
2.Bulls
3.Bucks
4.Heat
5.Atlanta
6.Raptors
7.Wiz
8.Celtics
West
1.Spurs
2.Warriors
3.Thunder
4.Rockets
5.Grizz
6.Clippers
7.Mavs
8.NO

 

[Hambombs]

1. Cavs
2. Bulls
3. Hawks
4. Bucks
5. Wiz
6. Heat
7. Pacers
8. Hornets

1. Thunder
2. Warriors
3. Spurs
4. Rockets
5. Dallas
6. Clippers
7. Memphis
8. Pelicans

Almost a 5% chance that thunder make the 1 seed

 

[Hambombs]

Only teams coming out of the west.. Warriors or spurs out of the east... Cavs

 

[CitySushi]

Almost a 5% chance that thunder make the 1 seed

So you would book 20 to 1 odds that the Thunder are the #1 seed? Sign me up.

 

[Demonjoe93]

I'm not putting a lot of thoughts into the following seedings because there's still other players to sign and I don't want to look at any team's rosters until free agency is over, and injuries could always happen during the off-season like what happened to Paul George.

East:

1. Cleveland - Nothing should be slowing them down next season.
2. Atlanta - The loss of Carroll sucks, but we still have four All-Stars, and I love the acquisitions of Splitter and Hardaway.
3. Chicago - They can't possibly be as injury plagued as they were last season.
4. Boston* - I have them as a sleeper, although I haven't done a lot of analyzing of their roster. I'm just going by what they did after the trade deadline.
5. Miami - This should definitely be a solid team next year.
6. Milwaukee - These guys are on their way to being a contender. I could definitely see them getting a first-round upset.
7. Toronto - I think the loss of Lou Williams is going to hurt them a lot more than they think.
8. Washington - They'll still be a decent team (I for one think the East is going to see vast improvements in its overall quality), but I don't think really improved a lot.

West:

1. Golden State - Until someone proves that they're better than the 67-win defending champions, I'm going to defer these guys.
2. San Antonio - With Alridge, these guys are going to be deadly. They're the only team I considered putting ahead of Golden State in this post.
3. Oklahoma City - They're definitely going to be back and tough to beat.
4. Houston - Very talented team still. I like them.
5. Memphis - Still going to be a very dangerous team.
6. Dallas - They have Jordan, but I'm not sold on them.
7. L.A. Clippers - Free agency has not been kind to them.
8. New Orleans - Decent team in a bloodbath of a conference.

*I don't actually think Boston will have a better record than Miami, but seeding rules dictate that Boston will have the 4th seed as a minimum if they win the Atlantic Division.

 

[handicappers]

The Mavs are the third best team in Texas, they are not coming out of the west.

Maybe not, but that's my pick.

 

[Clayton]

Updated for David Lee moving and DJ moving back

West:
1. Spurs
2. Warriors
3. Clippers
4. Rockets
5. Thunder
6. Grizzlies
7. Unibrows
8. Totally Doesn't matter


East:
1. Cavs
2. Heat
3. Hawks
4. Raptors
5. Bulls
6. Bucks
7. Wizards
8. Celtics (still totally Doesn't matter)

 

[wildturkey]

Updated for David Lee moving and DJ moving back

West:
1. Spurs
2. Warriors
3. Clippers
4. Rockets
5. Thunder
6. Grizzlies
7. Unibrows
8. Totally Doesn't matter


East:
1. Cavs
2. Heat
3. Hawks
4. Raptors
5. Bulls
6. Bucks
7. Wizards
8. Celtics (still totally Doesn't matter)

Totally Doesn't Matter upsets the Spurs in Round 1. Book it!

 

[CodeBreaker]

Since there were major roster changes recently. I'll now make my prediction.

East:
1. Cavs
2. Bulls
3. Heat
4. Hawks
5. Bucks
6. Wizards
7. Raptors
8. Celtics

West:
1. Warriors
2. Spurs
3. Thunder
4. Clippers
5. Rockets
6. Grizzlies
7. Pelicans
8. Mavericks

I freaking love the West! Seeds 1-4 can go either way. West Semis with GSW vs LAC and OKC vs Spurs would destroy records in TV ratings!

 

[gordontrue]

At this point... I can't imagine the Mavs in the playoffs. Dirk + Parsons + Matthews does not sound like a West playoff team to me.

 

[CodeBreaker]

At this point... I can't imagine the Mavs in the playoffs. Dirk + Parsons + Matthews does not sound like a West playoff team to me.

So you can have the Lakers at the 8th spot?