The NBA season is still yet to begin, but the pre-season debate is in full swing. Here are five bold predictions for 2016-17.
1. Minnesota Timberwolves will make the playoffs
With Kevin Garnett entering what is definitely his last season, we’d consider him more of a player coach nowadays.
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He is not the star of his team. However he is still the leader of a hungry but extremely promising young group.
With the likes of reigning rookie-of-the-year Karl Anthony Towns, savvy passing point guard Ricky Rubio, hot prospect and future NBA star Andrew Wiggins and a couple of nice summer additions like Brandon Rush, Jordan Hill and high flying dunker Zach LaVine, Minnesota promise to entertain us this season.
2. Everybody will hate the Golden State Warriors
It is a known fact that super teams are never the most popular, especially in their first year together. Remember the Lakers? Great team but never liked.
Remember the Boston Celtics? Envy of the league. Remember the Miami Heat with LeBron James? Hated.
They were all great teams but every single night they had to battle with dislike, boos and criticism. The Golden State Warriors will be exactly the same. With the addition of Kevin Durant and some other veterans, the GSW have probably the highest scoring potential ever seen on an NBA team.
Adding a three-time scoring champion to an already star studded roster has Haterade written all over it.
3. LeBron James will go for his fifth MVP
With the likes of Kevin Durant and Steph Curry ruling themselves out with the summer signing of KD, LeBron James, along with Russell Westbrook seem favourites to capture the best player title for this coming season.
LeBron James is on a mission. He wants to be the greatest of all time and it seems as though he will go to any length to get there.
See his Finals MVP performance. LeBron James produces every night. He is the best player on the planet and if he just sticks to LeBron James things, bar a superhuman season from Russell Westbrook, we could see LBJ getting his fifth MVP tying him with all time great Michael Jordan.
4. James Harden will be a better defender
Hard for anyone to picture, but James Harden has spoken about changing his ways and actually trying to play defence, sometimes.
We’ve all seen his defensive plays, they usually end up with the opposition team scoring easily.
However the Beard’s teammates have made it a point to mention this to the media at Summer camp and during off period interviews.
They all claim that James Harden will be a better defender this year. The thing is, no team has ever won an NBA championship without superstars playing defence.
If Houston want to get to the finals they will have to stop the likes of Golden State and San Antonio. With one man less on the field being aggressive and ball hungry, they have zero chance.
PLAY D JAMES.
5. The New York Knicks will make the East finals
With the addition of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Brandon Jennings, the Knicks have added fire power this summer.
These three join Carmelo Anthony, fresh off a gold medal in the Rio Olympics and Kristaps Porzingis with some Lance Thomas and you have a strong East contender in the mix.
True, Indiana has added pieces. True Chicago have added Dywane Wade.
However I am confident that the Knicks will actually manage to figure a way through the East and all the way to the conference finals.
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