Bobs Bold Predictions For: The 2016-2017 NBA Season

By Bob

Credit: Thearon W. Henderson

The upcoming NBA season is going to be quite the spectacle and will have an ending actually keep the fans on their feet all through the playoffs. With superstar teams forming some players are going to have rise in this time of adversity to make sure their teams can compete with the best of the best. Some players won't live up the big deals they were given making some teams disappointments. While a few all star breakouts will finally be earned by the young studs of the NBA's future.

These are my predictions for the season awards:

MVP: Russ Westbrook

ROY: Ben Simmons

Sixth Man: Brandon Jennings

Defensive Player: Rudy Gobert

Most Improved: D'Angelo Russell

NBA Champs: Cleveland Cavaliers



​This will be the standings by the end of the year:

Projected Eastern Conference Standings:

1. Cavs
2. Celtics
3. Pacers
4. Knicks
5. Raps
6. Pistons
7.Hawks
8. Hornets

Slowly but surely, the East is actually becoming competitor again. The sixth seed down could really be any combination but the top 5 will most certainly be in that order. The Cavs reign as Champs will be filled with dominant play with Kyrie and Lebron finishing top 5 in MVP voting. The Celtics will be the most improved team in the entire league, I can picture them winning 50+ games now with Al Horford present in the post. The Knicks and Pacers each made their own respective moves this off season that will take some pressure off their franchise cornerstones. I think the Knicks will end up playing the Cavs in the ECF and giving Lebron his biggest problem of the finals bringing them to 7 seven games. Lebron and co will win but it's going to come off a wide open JR Smith for the win to bury his old teams dreams. It will be payback for scumbag Knicks trading him and Shump a few years back. I think the Kemba and the Hornets are going to take a step back, I don't think Marvin Williams is that good and Batum also over achieved last year. Dwight Howard however is going to get back to his cold ways. I'm expecting him to put up 17 points , 10 rebounds and being the lead guy for a Hawks team that always seem to be caught in limbo (what a surprise they will be again). Teams like the Magic and Wizards are both just gonna miss that eighth spot. Unless they trade Vucevic for a guard or small forward I think they'll be too crowded up front like the sixers. Lastly for the biggest losers of free agency the Washington Wizards, fans should expect the overpaid Beal to get injured by the all star break. I think he just isn't going to live up to his hefty contract and fuck up Wall's time there making him want to leave.

Projected Western Conference Standings

​1. Warriors
2. Jazz
3. Thunder
4. Spurs
5. Clippers
6. Trail Blazers
7. Rockets
8. Wolves

This season is all going to be about the "Wild West". There are so many elite teams it's going to be so much more competitive all year. Let it be known, the Warriors are not going to top their record they established last year but they still will be very good. I'm thinking somebody in the core four is going to be out with injury since that squad is too good to be true. I'm thinking it will be Steph, but even if he stays healthy he is not going to be happy about sharing the ball even more now. The Jazz are going to be the breakout team of the year calling it right now. Robert and favors are a deadly combo down low each having their own strength while Gordon Hayward is low key one of the best scorers in today's game. I ranked the Thunder so high because I think running the offense with Westbrook is just deadly if he gets the looks he needs. The biggest triple double machine since Jordan, Russ West will start his inaugural season without KD by winning his first MVP award, leading his team to the three seed and winning a few playoff series. I think the top 4 teams are a complete step above the rest of the competition. I don't like how much the Blazers paid Evan Turner, and I think he will not play as well as he did last year in Boston. The Clips could 100p be a real contender once they trade Griffen in order for Deandre Jordan to go ham just like he did in Rio. Until that happens, the Clips might as well be the Hawks of the West doing the same thing every year.

The finals will be the inevitable Warriors v. Cavaliers making another classic between the bitter rivals. Both teams will be tired after each going to seven in their conferences finals. The Thunder just lost off of a KD three, making Russ Westbrook even more pissed for the next year. It's going to be the most exciting match up yet between the two super teams. I think it will finish with either Irving or an unretired Ray Allen hitting the last shot to seal the deal in game 7. No matter what, this season will be one to remember. It's everybody against the Warriors, as long as they don't win then it is a success in my book.