ESPN's Midseason Predictions

The predictions to me seem pretty good... for the finals outcome. As for the awards, i would go with ric bucher.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1977868

Solid predictions but I must say this again...



WHAT MVP IS A LIABILITY AT 50% OF HIS BASKETBALL GAME?!

NBA basketball is 50% defense. Steve Nash, he's not good at it. In fact, he's terrible. He's getting burned by 36 year-old Gary Payton as I speak(Suns are blowing the Celts out though).

And I'm tired of hearing about how bad his team is without him. Because who thinks that Minnesota or San Antonio wouldn't be 10x worse than they are now if their respective franchise players were out. They've just been fortunate to NOT GET INJURED! Unlike Nash, who is injury-prone.

Oh, and just so I can vent my frustration even more, Nash isn't making his teammates better; he's just pumping their stats. Michael Jordan -- he made his teammates better. Proof was when he retired and they were able to play without him. Three years before that, they would've been bottom of the league without MJ. Nash dominates that offense. He gets all their assists, all of Quentin Richardson and Joe Johnson's three pointers. And not at all discounting his abilities, but that team has become TOO dependent on him, in that they suck without him.

There -- why the league MVP is Tim Duncan.

spurs won't be too bad with parker and manu there...

anyway i like Sheldon Spencer's pick for easter conference finals
Pistons vs. Raptors

i like most of the people picking the pacers to make the ECF, unfortanatley noone picked them to win.

never underestimate the reggie factor.

One of the guys picked LeBron to win most improved and MVP, has that ever happen in the NBA? A player winning both the MIP and MVP awards?

Not so far. Players have been named MVP and ROY in the same season, but the MIP hasn't ever been the MVP.

@ Bill Simmons Defensive player of the year prediction

Michael Jordan -- he made his teammates better. Proof was when he retired and they were able to play without him. Three years before that, they would've been bottom of the league without MJ. .

so which one is it? mj made his teammates better but they were a bad call away from possibly winning the finals without him after he retired the 1st time??

seems like Spurs are everyones favourites.

Yeah, there was one person who picked somone other than the Spurs...

Michael Jordan -- he made his teammates better. Proof was when he retired and they were able to play without him. Three years before that, they would've been bottom of the league without MJ. .

so which one is it? mj made his teammates better but they were a bad call away from possibly winning the finals without him after he retired the 1st time??

Well I like to look at it in that they did so well because he gave them the ability to play independently from him. That's making your teammates better -- so they are able to play almost as well WITHOUT you. It's an interesting philosophy, but that's the reason I give when people bring up the fact that the Bulls won 55 games without him, implying that he was worth only 17 games or whatever.

Didn't Kukoc come the year after he retired though?

AS far as MJ making teammates better.. The guy was natural leader after being couple of years in the league already. Being more or less the modern bill russell of on-court coach. The best example is that he made Scottie Pippen better. There was some NBA movie about it how Scottie and Michael developed in basketball, Michael was teaching Scottie and learning through his own teachings. These two were very similar player the more the year 98 approached.

Now as it is with Webber, it is with Nash. So many seem to dislike him. Ah of course he was a benchboy at the beginning of his career, and his haircut is whoopsydoodle, but nevertheless he is a good player. He is this one of the rare point guards in the league who isnt neither Stockton type nor Marbury type, but also not among Kidd-type, if you know what I mean.

The guy went from Dallas to Phoenix, which surprised me as I was sure Phoenix wont do anything well this season, but hey, look where they are now.

Last season, with similar rosters, Phoenix was 35% winning average. Now they have one new important factor, Nash, and the team is doing 77%. That is more than 50% (!!!) better. Of course its not just about Nash, but PG has a mechanics role on court, and even if he doesnt play a huge role in the success, he plays a large one.

So dont discredit the man for the good results the team he is running, posts up each night.

I don't like how they all have similar predictions.

I think Nate McMillan should have more votes. With the same team as last year making such an improvement.

D'Antoni got Nash (the MVP) and Q.

None of them even picked the Detroit Pistons (the NBA Champions) to win it again. And I think, come Playoffs, the Seattle Supersonics will definately suprise people. They are 2-0 vs the Spurs this season (so are the Rockets).

Wow, Emeka's hands down ROY.. I wonder how Howard feels.

As for playoff predictions, I like Chad Ford's.

Teh only reason Meka is ROY is because he is the only decent person on his team. Had the draft gone differently and Meka went to the Magic, howard would be the ROY.

Pistons over Raptors

That's Sheldon Spencer's prediction. Someone shoot him please. No one in their right mind would choose the Raptors going to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Emeka had a more polished post game because of his Colleg experience, and he get's more shots. Dwight is right in the mix, but he's averaging like 10-10 as opposed to Okafor's 15-10.

One of the guys picked LeBron to win most improved and MVP, has that ever happen in the NBA? A player winning both the MIP and MVP awards?

I didn't actually look at the site yet, but who picked LeBron as MIP?

Yes, he has improved, but there are players who are more deserving of this award than LeBron. The award is Most Improved Player not Still Getting Better Player.

I think players like Bobby Simmons and Primoz Brezec are much more deserving of MIP than LeBron.

And Hill should get Comeback Player of the Year, not MIP.

I didn't actually look at the site yet, but who picked LeBron as MIP?

Eric Karabell.

Why are they picking Andrei Kirilenko as DPOTY? He was out for several games.

because he was averaging 7 blocks per before he got injured.