08-09 NBA Regular Season Standings Prediction

Everyone has his/her say on who will be in the playoffs for the 08-09 NBA Season but here are the teams who I think are contenders.

East
1. Boston
2. Detroit
3. Orlando
4. Philadelphia
5. Cleveland
6. Toronto
7. Miami
8. Washington

In my opinion, Boston will still be the number 1 team in the East mainly because they are the champs. They're going to be hungry to repeat as champions this year and being number 1 and getting home court advantage in the playoff will be one of the goals come playoff time (Remember what happened with the Hawks in the 1st round?) Detroit, despite not having much movement this off season, will still be a powerhouse in the East. They still have Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun and Rasheed Wallace plus emerging stars Rodney Stuckey and Jason Maxiell. Amir Johnson is someone we should watch this year as he is a breakout candidate.

Orlando will definitely be somewhere between 3rd and 5th place this season but I am pretty confident with putting them 3rd in my list. They've already got a strong starting 5 from last year and the addition of Mikael Pietrus really helps. They also added Courtney Lee, who will also bring extra scoring from the bench. The only problem I see with this team is besides Dwight Howard, there's no other inside presence. As for Philly, with Brand on board they're now contenders for the Eastern Conference Finals. I really like the balance of offense and defense in their lineup with Andre Miller, Louis Williams, Iggy, Brand and Sam Dalembert. They can even start Thaddeus Young at SF and play Iggy at the SG spot which would create problems in the paint for other teams.

Cleveland will be in the middle of the pack simply because the East got stronger and Mo Williams isn't the answer that LBJ wants. Another thing is that Big Z and Big Ben are getting older and with the new anti-flopping rule I am not so sure how that can help Varejao who loves to flop and act. Good thing they've got a solid rookie in J.J. Hickson who can step up right away and adjust to the NBA game. Toronto is at 6th because we still don't know whether JO can play at least 3/4 of the season (which I think is a long shot) but Bosh and Calderon will be there plus a lot of great role players (Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon and Kapono). Whether Bargnani will break out or not is still a question but I hope he does since his clock for NBA Bust is ticking.

After their championship in 2006, the Miami Heat haven't tasted anything near that. With a season to forget last year, the Heat got the ping pong balls bouncing their way (thanks of course to their standings) and drafted Michael Beasley. They will make the playoffs this year as long as everyone is healthy and could surprise a lot of teams come playoff time. There's something about Wade in the playoff, he just takes his game to a whole new level. Washington will have a hard time making the playoffs this year because of Arenas missing almost half the season again. I don't believe he'll be coming back as early as December and when he comes back in January he would still have to adjust and caution his knee. Remember that this is his third operation on the same knee in 17 months.

Other teams that can make the playoffs in the East: Hawks, Bobcats and the Bucks.

West
1. LA Lakers
2. San Antonio
3. New Orleans
4. Houston
5. Phoenix
6. Utah
7. Dallas
8. Portland

The Lakers will still be in the top 2 in the West and possibly winning the Western Conference Championships again. Bynum will return after his knee injury and this will add more muscle inside, which they lacked when Boston beat them in the Finals. I like the possibility of Odom coming of the bench and starting Ariza to defend smaller and quicker guard and forwards. Kobe will come out hungry and try to lead his team to the championship. 2nd place in the west is a toss up between the San Antonio Spurs and the New Orleans Hornets but the Spurs, I think, will come out better than the Hornets. The Spurs didn't really add anyone except for Roger Mason who should be a great sub for Michael Finley. He may even end up starting towards the end of the season. Bruce Bowen is getting old and his minutes might not be that big this year although we still haven't seen that much of a decline in the defense of Bowen. Consider also that Udoka is a good defender with better scoring than Bowen.

The Hornets still has Chris Paul, my choice for last year's MVP. Enough said..

Houston has suddenly become one of the more defensive minded teams in the West with the addition of Ron Artest. With a starting lineup of Yao Ming, Artest, T-Mac, Scola and Alston and having Battier, a great defender, coming off the bench, Houston will really create problems defensively in the West. Don't forget great role players like Chuck Hayes and Landry. Phoenix, my favorite team, will still be contenders with a healthy Amare Stoudemire and former MVP Steve Nash leading the way. Great pick up in Matt Barnes who can open up the floor more and is also an active defender. He joins other great players in the likes of Shaq, Barbosa, Raja Bell, and Boris Diaw. Back up Goran Dragic is someone I can't wait to see play as he brings some European basketball to the talented Suns and as he also learns from one of the best, Steve Nash.

Utah, as long as the tandem of Deron Williams and Boozer is there then they will always be in the playoff hunt. Also don't forget Coach Jerry Sloan who has been with the team since way the start of Malone and Stockton's career will be there to guide this young and exciting team. A healthier Okur will obviously be a big help who had a bad start to the season last year due to a back injury. AK, despite having rumors of going to play in Russia, will suit up and still be a defensive force. As for Dallas, they may or may not make the playoff this year since they're out in the West but Jason Kidd, Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki will try to prove that they are still one of the teams that the West should be afraid of. Coach Carlisle will try to rejuvenate this team that hasn't been that confident ever since their lost to the Miami Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals.

The last team to make it in the playoffs will be the Portland Trailblazers. Why? Because they're a young and talented team that loves playing with each other and are also well coached. They have Brandon Roy, Lamarcus Aldridge, Martell Webster and Travis Outlaw. We shouldn't forget last year's number one pick Greg Oden who will definitely beef up their inside game. Did you see Rudy Fernandez in the Olympics? If he plays with that kind of intensity then the Trailblazers will be all right. Coach McMillain loves this kid and can't wait to see him play for the Blazers.

Other teams that can make the playoffs in the West: Denver, LA Clippers, Golden State Warriors.